Storm Wars: Chapter 1
Feb. 17th, 2017 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matsu1ninoTitle: Storm Wars
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Historical, Sci-Fi
Disclaimer: Arashi is not mine.
Summary: One was a noble prince, the other a lowly thief. Brought together by fate, yet destined to be apart.
Author's Note: The setting of this chapter is partially inspired by the West Block in No.6
Chapter 1
The air was thick from the black smoke billowing from the countless airships parked around the ghetto. Bandits, drunkards, con artists, scroungers, prostitutes; people of all classification were milling around the small and crowded district. Pop-up stalls lined the streets and filled every spare alleyway. Greedy brokers desperate to make whatever extra cash they could were not above overcharging any potential customer or sabotaging the transactions of other nearby shops. Such unscrupulous conduct tended to cause a stream of riots. Passer-by’s would barely turn their heads at the commotions on the streets in which they walked, nor would they look up from their drinks or games as they gambled if a fight were to start up in the tavern they frequented. They were a common thing in the lower-class district of the Hesaye star system.
Nino tapped the key combination on the digital pad situated on the exterior of his ship, effectively securing the vessel and preventing access to any other than himself, or the idiot bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy.
“Hurry up, Nino-chan” he whined loudly and gave another restless leap. “If we don’t get there before the hour is up, everything costs twice as much!”
“Good thing it’s you who’s paying then” Nino retorted, feigning indifference to the thought of wasting extra money where it wasn’t needed. It might be Aiba’s turn to pay—about ninety percent of the time it was—but Nino was no more inclined to the idea of paying more than what was required of them.
The two of them did not earn a lot for a living. Their occupations weren’t particularly lawful and therefore income was anything but stable. They worked as pirates of sorts, travelling between the five star systems and picking up any profitable enough job that was offered to them. From stealing to transporting goods, it was very lucrative work, even more so with their joint efforts at swindling additional payment from their clients. Between Nino’s charm and cunning thinking, and Aiba’s deceptive kindness that made it impossible for clientele to say no to, the pair made for the perfect team.
Neither had any training in the ways of engineering or piloting, and had been self-taught in every aspect of their current field of work. The airship they travelled on, Zero-G as they named it, was like a child to them both, having practically built the entire thing from scratch with their bare hands. The vessel itself was old and rusted, and in almost constant need of repair, but it was home to the both of them and had been for many years. Aiba took particular interest in jobs where he could find or trade for new parts that could be added to the ship. Nino personally never saw the need for all the useless trinkets and add-ons that his friend and partner made, but wasn’t bothered enough to stop him—not that he believed he would be able to anyway. Even he couldn’t say no to Aiba. Still though, with all the updates Aiba made on a regular basis, it never changed the fact that the Zero-G always looked like it was threatening to fall apart at any moment.
In all honesty, Nino wasn’t entirely sure why they had bothered installing a proper security system to the airship. No one in their right mind would want to steal a piece of junk that looked as bad as it did. It was still a fully functional ship and the unappealing quality was solely limited to outer and inner appearances, but even then Nino had full confidence no one would, or could, steal it. They had built it according to themselves and as such its functions worked unlike any other airship. The two of them could fly it with little effort at all but any other who tried would be lucky enough to get it off the ground.
Aiba was practically running circles around him as they walked. He raced ahead a few paces, darting between the people moving all around them before hurrying back to give Nino an insistent tug on the arm, then repeating it all again. Nino rolled his eyes at his friend’s restless and energetic movements. The man really needed to learn to slow down. Today he seemed lucky enough to dodge everyone but if he bumped into the wrong person, they would be faced with a rather unpleasant but not all that unfamiliar situation that would have them hightailing back to their ship.
“Would you calm down already?” he groaned, tired just watching Aiba running about. His friend trotted back over and gave the shorter guy’s arm another yank with enough strength to have Nino concerned his shoulder would be pulled out of its socket. He wrenched his arm back and gave Aiba a forceful shove in return. Neither of them would benefit if his arm became dislocated. “Seriously, Aiba-chan, cut it out. We’re not going to miss the hour.”
Aiba seemed to be able to sense Nino’s tone that was warning him to calm down before he got truly annoyed, and noticeably slowed his movements. They continued walking in silence for the next few minutes. When Nino glanced at his tall friend, he saw that the man was biting his lower lip as though to keep from saying anything else. He was still fidgeting and every now and then attempted to quicken their pace to get to their destination faster, but otherwise matched Nino’s strides until they reached the tavern they had been looking for. It was a dark, rundown old place with a caved in roof that almost entirely hid the sign reading LUCKY MAN, but was a familiar sight to the both of them.
Inside was just as unwelcoming as the exterior. The stench of alcohol was thick and suffocating in the stale air, along with the faint but sour reek of vomit. An arid heat seemed to emit from the walls themselves. Barely a head turned as they entered the already crowded area and made their way further into the tavern to take a seat at the corner table. Aiba hurried off to order their drinks before the hour was over and the tapper milked them for all their worth. Nino took the chance to observe the groups of customers currently occupying the vicinity. Several drunkards were scattered around, either moments away from causing trouble or losing whatever money they had left on them as they made passes at what were obviously whores looking for an easy cash score. There was a man passed out with his head on the end of the bar where Aiba was ordering from and another lying unconscious on the floor in the corner. Nino could guess he had been stuffed there to make room for the other drinkers. His gaze landed on a group of about six people crowded around a table near the middle of the tavern. They were grunting and shouting at one another, cards in each of their hands and empty bottles all around. He watched with intrigue as one of the men took a long drag from the cigarette scissored between his stout fingers before throwing his remaining cards down in triumph. His action was followed by various outraged cries and exaggerated gestures from those sitting around him.
Nino took a swig from the beer Aiba had just pressed into his hand, hardly even acknowledging the return of his friend as he continued to watch the group closely. A bunch of suckers, the lot of them. He grinned to himself; those were his favourite kind.
“You look pretty evil” Aiba giggled from where he sat beside him with a second beer and a recently opened bottle of clear, strong-smelling liquor. “Found new prey I take it?”
“Idiots ignorant to their own downfall,” Nino smirked. Already he was rising to his feet and removing the deck of cards from his back pocket. “This won’t take long at all.”
“Hurry back!” Aiba’s joyous cry after him as he made his way over to the group only made Nino’s smile grow wider. This was the reason Aiba rarely complained about having to pay for most of the things they bought; it was Nino’s unmatched gambling ability that allowed them the freedom with money than those in their profession ought not to have. He forced his smirk back, a look of nonchalance overcoming his expression in order not to give anything away. He stood in front of the group, observing the way the man who had just won was flauntingly counting the money he had just one in front of the losers who were either cursing him or cursing themselves with their heads on the table in defeat.
“What do you want?” the winner spat at Nino, having noticed him standing there. Even sitting, Nino knew the man was much taller and he could guess a hell of a lot stronger than he was. If things ended badly, he wouldn’t be walking away unscathed. Fortunately Nino never let such trivial things phase him. A brilliant con artist like himself used every aspect of a situation to his advantage in order to accomplish a flawless swindle.
Nino gave the best, most charming smile he could. He just loved these games. “I couldn’t help noticing the game you fine gentlemen were playing and was wondering if I too could partake in the next round.” A few looks were exchanged around the group. Just when one of them opened their mouth, looking just about ready to tell him to fuck off and leave them alone, Nino lifted the sack of silver coins he had tied to his belt. “Of course, I can pay the loser’s fee.”
On this particular occasion, he was much smarter than his opponents. From the very start, he had them fooled that he was an ignorant youth. It helped that he had the cash on him to bribe any in the group with enough of a brain to suspect something fishy with his play, not that Nino intended to lose a single coin. If there was one thing he loved more than games, it was money.
The men eyed the silver pieces like starved dogs would eye fresh meat. Nino removed a few of the coins to place on the table, returned the bag to his belt and taking a seat. He felt very small between these men but thought little of it as he skilfully cut his deck of cards and distributed them to each of the players. Few high cards were available from Nino’s hand in the first round but he had every confidence he would be the first player out, and therefore the winner of every participant’s cash bet. The game itself was a gamble; all about bluffing and how convincingly one could do so in order to obtain the cards needed to clear their hand first. Only when a person’s hand was entirely made up of the highest value cards could they end the game. The victor—the king—would be the one to take the winner’s reward.
As the game progressed, Nino kept a close eye on his opponents and their facial expressions as they played the game and gambled with the man on their right-hand side. The man he was drawing from had a twitch below his eye whenever he lied; Nino had spotted it during the first game even before he had come over. The man drawing cards from him was terrible at reading him, just like everyone Nino had ever played against. Aiba always called him unnatural for having such a poker face but Nino didn’t care so long as it was to his advantage. With such confidence, Nino removed another two silver coins and placed them on the table in a display of him raising the bet. The others stared in surprise but added their own money with some reluctance. Once someone had raised the bet, there was no choice but to put in more of your own or else forfeit then and there. It was an unspoken rule of the game and most of the time another form of gamble.
The game was over before long. It had ended even faster than the previous game, much to the shock of everyone else at the table. Nino collected his winnings with a smug grin before leaning against the back of his chair to face the losers around him.
“Good game, you lot” he taunted, tossing a few of their coins in his hand. “Easiest money I’ve made for a while.”
“You little,” one of the men growled and rose from his seat so quickly it caused the chair to knock over. His distended belly hit the table, making it jerk forward a bit and knock into Nino’s shins. Sensing danger even as the others climbed to their feet and loomed over him, Nino hastily jumped up and darted away back to where Aiba was sitting.
“Aw! Is it over already?” his friend drawled, clearly more intoxicated than when Nino had left him. From the half-drunk bottle of liquor, Nino guessed Aiba had been a little too indulgent while he was busy tripling their starting money.
There was a thunderous holler from the table he had come from.
“You cheater!” spat one of the men.
“You were counting cards, weren’t ya?”
Nino turned, barely ducking or pushing Aiba down in time to avoid the bottle that came flying at their heads. It shattered loudly against the wall behind them, leaving a large alcohol stain on the stone. The sound appeared to have awakened Aiba from his moderate alcohol-induced trance. His eyes were still dilated and he retained a sort of dopey expression on his face with the way his mouth hung slightly open, but he seemed much more awake now and conscious of the situation they had found themselves in. The men Nino had gambled with were all staring them down from across the tavern. Guns and knives that had previously been tied to their belts or on the table beside the betting money were now aimed at the two young men.
“Time to go” Nino said in a hurry, to which Aiba gave a short and affirming nod. The two rushed off towards the back of the tavern. They could hear the commotion of the men coming after them but did little to let it slow them. Ducking down, they lost themselves in the crowd of people, glad that inside riots more or less resulted in meaningless brawls involving those who had nothing to do with the initial cause of the fighting. It gave the two of them a chance to escape, using the additional people as a scapegoat and a diversion, enough so to get to the back wall. Aiba would claim the hour-long all-you-can-drink bargain was the best thing about the Lucky Man Tavern, but Nino disagreed. The best thing was the secret, not-so-fixed hole in the back wall. A board had been placed over it and attempted to be sealed but only one side of the adhesive remained. If one knew which side that was, they could easily slip through and return the board to its original position like they had never been there in the first place. It was far from the first time the two of them had been in need of the secret exit and Nino could guess it would be far from the last.
Having successfully escaped the chaos of the tavern, Aiba and Nino slunk off down the alleyway that led away from the riot filled inn and back towards the airship hangar. They would return to their ship where it was safe for Aiba to sleep off the remainder of the alcohol and for Nino to count his winnings. Now that they had both effectively accomplished what they had hoped to from this lowlife district, they were free to return home in peace and continue the itinerant lives they had always lived.
Until he came.
It had been Aiba who spotted him first. Of course it had been; if Nino had, he would probably have just continued on his way and pretended not to have seen anything. Such sights in this part of the star system were far from unusual. Nino wouldn’t so much as blinked at it, but Aiba had always been different. Any time he saw someone collapse in the middle of the road or get thrown into a stall, or have a bottle of alcohol shattered over their heads, he would always openly show his concern. On more than one occasion Nino had had to step in and stop his friend from going over to offer his assistance. Such an act of kindness was far too dangerous in this way of life. No matter how long Aiba had been exposed to it, it seemed he simply could not adjust to it. It was the same now. The moment he spotted the barely conscious man crawling out of the opposite alleyway from behind the wreckage of a broken stall, Aiba had gasped and ran to his side. Nino swore a little under his breath and raced after him. His lanky friend really was too trusting, too compassionate. The man whose aid they had run too could have easily been a thief playing off the kind ignorance of those like Aiba, someone who would slit their throats and take their money without a second thought. Fortunately, as Nino came to realize the closer he got to the man, this didn’t seem to be the case this time around.
The man looked moments away from death. He was severely beaten, with bruises scattering his face and body. His arm looked definitely broken. Blood stained his what would otherwise look like very expensive clothes, if not for how much they were ripped as well. His wax slicked hair was slightly dishevelled from whatever fight he had been involved in but it wasn’t greasy or dirty in the slightest. His face was clear of scars, though there was a large cut running down his rounded cheek, and his teeth were clean. All in all it was obvious this man did not belong in a district such as this.
“Are you okay?” Aiba yelled and crouched beside him. “Hey, are you okay?”
Nino winced at how loud his friend’s voice was, made even worse by the panic evident in his tone. “He’s unconscious, Aiba. I seriously doubt he’ll answer.”
Aiba looked up at him. His eyes were wide and filled with panic. “We have to do something! Nino-chan, we have to help him!”
“Are you out of your mind?” Nino snapped. “He’s a total stranger. A rich one from the looks of it. He was stupid enough to come to an area like this in the first place.”
“But he’s dying” Aiba’s gaze was brimming with tears as he clenched the injured man’s hand tightly almost as if they had been friends for years. When he glanced up a second time, Nino very nearly choked at how distraught he looked. “Please.”
Nino really hated his friend’s kicked puppy look. It was nigh impossible to fight against and Nino knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in to the demand being made. Well aware of this, he gave a long sigh.
“Fine,” he agreed in exasperation. “We’ll help him.”
Aiba gave a relieved smile and indicated for Nino to come around to the man’s other side. They bent down to help pick him up from the ground but the moment they touched him, he jolted awake. His neck snapped up, his eyes blown wide in fear as he gasped, “Jun!” before falling unconscious again.
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Historical, Sci-Fi
Disclaimer: Arashi is not mine.
Summary: One was a noble prince, the other a lowly thief. Brought together by fate, yet destined to be apart.
Author's Note: The setting of this chapter is partially inspired by the West Block in No.6
Chapter 1
The air was thick from the black smoke billowing from the countless airships parked around the ghetto. Bandits, drunkards, con artists, scroungers, prostitutes; people of all classification were milling around the small and crowded district. Pop-up stalls lined the streets and filled every spare alleyway. Greedy brokers desperate to make whatever extra cash they could were not above overcharging any potential customer or sabotaging the transactions of other nearby shops. Such unscrupulous conduct tended to cause a stream of riots. Passer-by’s would barely turn their heads at the commotions on the streets in which they walked, nor would they look up from their drinks or games as they gambled if a fight were to start up in the tavern they frequented. They were a common thing in the lower-class district of the Hesaye star system.
Nino tapped the key combination on the digital pad situated on the exterior of his ship, effectively securing the vessel and preventing access to any other than himself, or the idiot bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy.
“Hurry up, Nino-chan” he whined loudly and gave another restless leap. “If we don’t get there before the hour is up, everything costs twice as much!”
“Good thing it’s you who’s paying then” Nino retorted, feigning indifference to the thought of wasting extra money where it wasn’t needed. It might be Aiba’s turn to pay—about ninety percent of the time it was—but Nino was no more inclined to the idea of paying more than what was required of them.
The two of them did not earn a lot for a living. Their occupations weren’t particularly lawful and therefore income was anything but stable. They worked as pirates of sorts, travelling between the five star systems and picking up any profitable enough job that was offered to them. From stealing to transporting goods, it was very lucrative work, even more so with their joint efforts at swindling additional payment from their clients. Between Nino’s charm and cunning thinking, and Aiba’s deceptive kindness that made it impossible for clientele to say no to, the pair made for the perfect team.
Neither had any training in the ways of engineering or piloting, and had been self-taught in every aspect of their current field of work. The airship they travelled on, Zero-G as they named it, was like a child to them both, having practically built the entire thing from scratch with their bare hands. The vessel itself was old and rusted, and in almost constant need of repair, but it was home to the both of them and had been for many years. Aiba took particular interest in jobs where he could find or trade for new parts that could be added to the ship. Nino personally never saw the need for all the useless trinkets and add-ons that his friend and partner made, but wasn’t bothered enough to stop him—not that he believed he would be able to anyway. Even he couldn’t say no to Aiba. Still though, with all the updates Aiba made on a regular basis, it never changed the fact that the Zero-G always looked like it was threatening to fall apart at any moment.
In all honesty, Nino wasn’t entirely sure why they had bothered installing a proper security system to the airship. No one in their right mind would want to steal a piece of junk that looked as bad as it did. It was still a fully functional ship and the unappealing quality was solely limited to outer and inner appearances, but even then Nino had full confidence no one would, or could, steal it. They had built it according to themselves and as such its functions worked unlike any other airship. The two of them could fly it with little effort at all but any other who tried would be lucky enough to get it off the ground.
Aiba was practically running circles around him as they walked. He raced ahead a few paces, darting between the people moving all around them before hurrying back to give Nino an insistent tug on the arm, then repeating it all again. Nino rolled his eyes at his friend’s restless and energetic movements. The man really needed to learn to slow down. Today he seemed lucky enough to dodge everyone but if he bumped into the wrong person, they would be faced with a rather unpleasant but not all that unfamiliar situation that would have them hightailing back to their ship.
“Would you calm down already?” he groaned, tired just watching Aiba running about. His friend trotted back over and gave the shorter guy’s arm another yank with enough strength to have Nino concerned his shoulder would be pulled out of its socket. He wrenched his arm back and gave Aiba a forceful shove in return. Neither of them would benefit if his arm became dislocated. “Seriously, Aiba-chan, cut it out. We’re not going to miss the hour.”
Aiba seemed to be able to sense Nino’s tone that was warning him to calm down before he got truly annoyed, and noticeably slowed his movements. They continued walking in silence for the next few minutes. When Nino glanced at his tall friend, he saw that the man was biting his lower lip as though to keep from saying anything else. He was still fidgeting and every now and then attempted to quicken their pace to get to their destination faster, but otherwise matched Nino’s strides until they reached the tavern they had been looking for. It was a dark, rundown old place with a caved in roof that almost entirely hid the sign reading LUCKY MAN, but was a familiar sight to the both of them.
Inside was just as unwelcoming as the exterior. The stench of alcohol was thick and suffocating in the stale air, along with the faint but sour reek of vomit. An arid heat seemed to emit from the walls themselves. Barely a head turned as they entered the already crowded area and made their way further into the tavern to take a seat at the corner table. Aiba hurried off to order their drinks before the hour was over and the tapper milked them for all their worth. Nino took the chance to observe the groups of customers currently occupying the vicinity. Several drunkards were scattered around, either moments away from causing trouble or losing whatever money they had left on them as they made passes at what were obviously whores looking for an easy cash score. There was a man passed out with his head on the end of the bar where Aiba was ordering from and another lying unconscious on the floor in the corner. Nino could guess he had been stuffed there to make room for the other drinkers. His gaze landed on a group of about six people crowded around a table near the middle of the tavern. They were grunting and shouting at one another, cards in each of their hands and empty bottles all around. He watched with intrigue as one of the men took a long drag from the cigarette scissored between his stout fingers before throwing his remaining cards down in triumph. His action was followed by various outraged cries and exaggerated gestures from those sitting around him.
Nino took a swig from the beer Aiba had just pressed into his hand, hardly even acknowledging the return of his friend as he continued to watch the group closely. A bunch of suckers, the lot of them. He grinned to himself; those were his favourite kind.
“You look pretty evil” Aiba giggled from where he sat beside him with a second beer and a recently opened bottle of clear, strong-smelling liquor. “Found new prey I take it?”
“Idiots ignorant to their own downfall,” Nino smirked. Already he was rising to his feet and removing the deck of cards from his back pocket. “This won’t take long at all.”
“Hurry back!” Aiba’s joyous cry after him as he made his way over to the group only made Nino’s smile grow wider. This was the reason Aiba rarely complained about having to pay for most of the things they bought; it was Nino’s unmatched gambling ability that allowed them the freedom with money than those in their profession ought not to have. He forced his smirk back, a look of nonchalance overcoming his expression in order not to give anything away. He stood in front of the group, observing the way the man who had just won was flauntingly counting the money he had just one in front of the losers who were either cursing him or cursing themselves with their heads on the table in defeat.
“What do you want?” the winner spat at Nino, having noticed him standing there. Even sitting, Nino knew the man was much taller and he could guess a hell of a lot stronger than he was. If things ended badly, he wouldn’t be walking away unscathed. Fortunately Nino never let such trivial things phase him. A brilliant con artist like himself used every aspect of a situation to his advantage in order to accomplish a flawless swindle.
Nino gave the best, most charming smile he could. He just loved these games. “I couldn’t help noticing the game you fine gentlemen were playing and was wondering if I too could partake in the next round.” A few looks were exchanged around the group. Just when one of them opened their mouth, looking just about ready to tell him to fuck off and leave them alone, Nino lifted the sack of silver coins he had tied to his belt. “Of course, I can pay the loser’s fee.”
On this particular occasion, he was much smarter than his opponents. From the very start, he had them fooled that he was an ignorant youth. It helped that he had the cash on him to bribe any in the group with enough of a brain to suspect something fishy with his play, not that Nino intended to lose a single coin. If there was one thing he loved more than games, it was money.
The men eyed the silver pieces like starved dogs would eye fresh meat. Nino removed a few of the coins to place on the table, returned the bag to his belt and taking a seat. He felt very small between these men but thought little of it as he skilfully cut his deck of cards and distributed them to each of the players. Few high cards were available from Nino’s hand in the first round but he had every confidence he would be the first player out, and therefore the winner of every participant’s cash bet. The game itself was a gamble; all about bluffing and how convincingly one could do so in order to obtain the cards needed to clear their hand first. Only when a person’s hand was entirely made up of the highest value cards could they end the game. The victor—the king—would be the one to take the winner’s reward.
As the game progressed, Nino kept a close eye on his opponents and their facial expressions as they played the game and gambled with the man on their right-hand side. The man he was drawing from had a twitch below his eye whenever he lied; Nino had spotted it during the first game even before he had come over. The man drawing cards from him was terrible at reading him, just like everyone Nino had ever played against. Aiba always called him unnatural for having such a poker face but Nino didn’t care so long as it was to his advantage. With such confidence, Nino removed another two silver coins and placed them on the table in a display of him raising the bet. The others stared in surprise but added their own money with some reluctance. Once someone had raised the bet, there was no choice but to put in more of your own or else forfeit then and there. It was an unspoken rule of the game and most of the time another form of gamble.
The game was over before long. It had ended even faster than the previous game, much to the shock of everyone else at the table. Nino collected his winnings with a smug grin before leaning against the back of his chair to face the losers around him.
“Good game, you lot” he taunted, tossing a few of their coins in his hand. “Easiest money I’ve made for a while.”
“You little,” one of the men growled and rose from his seat so quickly it caused the chair to knock over. His distended belly hit the table, making it jerk forward a bit and knock into Nino’s shins. Sensing danger even as the others climbed to their feet and loomed over him, Nino hastily jumped up and darted away back to where Aiba was sitting.
“Aw! Is it over already?” his friend drawled, clearly more intoxicated than when Nino had left him. From the half-drunk bottle of liquor, Nino guessed Aiba had been a little too indulgent while he was busy tripling their starting money.
There was a thunderous holler from the table he had come from.
“You cheater!” spat one of the men.
“You were counting cards, weren’t ya?”
Nino turned, barely ducking or pushing Aiba down in time to avoid the bottle that came flying at their heads. It shattered loudly against the wall behind them, leaving a large alcohol stain on the stone. The sound appeared to have awakened Aiba from his moderate alcohol-induced trance. His eyes were still dilated and he retained a sort of dopey expression on his face with the way his mouth hung slightly open, but he seemed much more awake now and conscious of the situation they had found themselves in. The men Nino had gambled with were all staring them down from across the tavern. Guns and knives that had previously been tied to their belts or on the table beside the betting money were now aimed at the two young men.
“Time to go” Nino said in a hurry, to which Aiba gave a short and affirming nod. The two rushed off towards the back of the tavern. They could hear the commotion of the men coming after them but did little to let it slow them. Ducking down, they lost themselves in the crowd of people, glad that inside riots more or less resulted in meaningless brawls involving those who had nothing to do with the initial cause of the fighting. It gave the two of them a chance to escape, using the additional people as a scapegoat and a diversion, enough so to get to the back wall. Aiba would claim the hour-long all-you-can-drink bargain was the best thing about the Lucky Man Tavern, but Nino disagreed. The best thing was the secret, not-so-fixed hole in the back wall. A board had been placed over it and attempted to be sealed but only one side of the adhesive remained. If one knew which side that was, they could easily slip through and return the board to its original position like they had never been there in the first place. It was far from the first time the two of them had been in need of the secret exit and Nino could guess it would be far from the last.
Having successfully escaped the chaos of the tavern, Aiba and Nino slunk off down the alleyway that led away from the riot filled inn and back towards the airship hangar. They would return to their ship where it was safe for Aiba to sleep off the remainder of the alcohol and for Nino to count his winnings. Now that they had both effectively accomplished what they had hoped to from this lowlife district, they were free to return home in peace and continue the itinerant lives they had always lived.
Until he came.
It had been Aiba who spotted him first. Of course it had been; if Nino had, he would probably have just continued on his way and pretended not to have seen anything. Such sights in this part of the star system were far from unusual. Nino wouldn’t so much as blinked at it, but Aiba had always been different. Any time he saw someone collapse in the middle of the road or get thrown into a stall, or have a bottle of alcohol shattered over their heads, he would always openly show his concern. On more than one occasion Nino had had to step in and stop his friend from going over to offer his assistance. Such an act of kindness was far too dangerous in this way of life. No matter how long Aiba had been exposed to it, it seemed he simply could not adjust to it. It was the same now. The moment he spotted the barely conscious man crawling out of the opposite alleyway from behind the wreckage of a broken stall, Aiba had gasped and ran to his side. Nino swore a little under his breath and raced after him. His lanky friend really was too trusting, too compassionate. The man whose aid they had run too could have easily been a thief playing off the kind ignorance of those like Aiba, someone who would slit their throats and take their money without a second thought. Fortunately, as Nino came to realize the closer he got to the man, this didn’t seem to be the case this time around.
The man looked moments away from death. He was severely beaten, with bruises scattering his face and body. His arm looked definitely broken. Blood stained his what would otherwise look like very expensive clothes, if not for how much they were ripped as well. His wax slicked hair was slightly dishevelled from whatever fight he had been involved in but it wasn’t greasy or dirty in the slightest. His face was clear of scars, though there was a large cut running down his rounded cheek, and his teeth were clean. All in all it was obvious this man did not belong in a district such as this.
“Are you okay?” Aiba yelled and crouched beside him. “Hey, are you okay?”
Nino winced at how loud his friend’s voice was, made even worse by the panic evident in his tone. “He’s unconscious, Aiba. I seriously doubt he’ll answer.”
Aiba looked up at him. His eyes were wide and filled with panic. “We have to do something! Nino-chan, we have to help him!”
“Are you out of your mind?” Nino snapped. “He’s a total stranger. A rich one from the looks of it. He was stupid enough to come to an area like this in the first place.”
“But he’s dying” Aiba’s gaze was brimming with tears as he clenched the injured man’s hand tightly almost as if they had been friends for years. When he glanced up a second time, Nino very nearly choked at how distraught he looked. “Please.”
Nino really hated his friend’s kicked puppy look. It was nigh impossible to fight against and Nino knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in to the demand being made. Well aware of this, he gave a long sigh.
“Fine,” he agreed in exasperation. “We’ll help him.”
Aiba gave a relieved smile and indicated for Nino to come around to the man’s other side. They bent down to help pick him up from the ground but the moment they touched him, he jolted awake. His neck snapped up, his eyes blown wide in fear as he gasped, “Jun!” before falling unconscious again.
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Date: 2017-02-17 03:42 pm (UTC)And of course the charmingly violent love between the two as always XD Zero-G yay!! Poor thing sounds like it's falling apart tho XD hopefully it can withstand for a long time hahah
What nino did in the Lucky Man tavern is just soooo nino XDDD ahh master of cards <3 i really wanna see him take that role/a similar role in a future drama/movie or something.. he'll be so good at it
And of course nino chan loves his money~ so those ppl didnt stand a chance at all hehehe
Awwww kind aiba-chan <3 he truly is kind after all and nino is worried about that haha
Is that sho-kun? Omg trouble already sho-kun? =_= now nino has to go and find/save the prince~~
Soo cant wait for the next updates >< and i love your portrayal of each characters here! Wonder if aimiya can fight?