false
Junior Member
Asuka Tomoe
Posts: 76
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Post by false on Aug 27, 2011 23:46:56 GMT -5
There were some who could resist Asuka’s near supernatural ability to sense weakness, her ability to funnel all of them into words that cut and slashed like daggers. Sakura, already sobbing like a B-list actor, was not one of these. She was a stupid, complacent bitch who was still standing, but would not be for much longer – a bitter husk of a teenage girl, sobbing and cursing to remain the focus of attention.
Yes, Sakura was crying, but it felt completely and utterly contrived; a desperate act to acquire pity from a long-lost crush who couldn’t even look her in the face anymore. But her lip quivered and the bullshit retort she’d held in the entire time came flying out, the pathetic response of a spoiled little brat who’d been slapped on the wrist. "Who are you, anyway, to say things like this? None of that is true! I know that! My brother wouldn't lie to me." She glowered caustically at both her and Sora, raccoon eyes not quite sure who they wanted to stab first. ”And you're Sora? The dick that hurt my brother last time? You're a horrible person! He did nothing to you!"
At this, Asuka laughed and imagined what it would feel like to punch Sakura in the nose, cartilage and bone giving way at her fists. How pretty would she be, then? How high and mighty would she feel, groveling on the travel-worn, filthy mall floor?
No. I can’t do it. I’d be no better than Takashi.
Asuka clenched her fists and bit her tongue, formulating a response in the back of her head. From behind her, she could sense movement, and when she turned her head slightly she could see Sora releasing Max from his grip, dusting himself off before standing up next to the two of them. Oh, shit. The look in his eyes was murderous – she hardly had any room to judge but he was horrifying as he towered over the two of them, all venomous smiles and razor-edged laughs. Sora was nowhere near as perceptive as she was, but his rage at that moment was unparalleled – that made him just as dangerous as she was, lacking finesse but making up for it in sheer force.
Sora’s assault began with a shake of his head, a click of his tongue. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura. You really are a dumb little bitch aren't you? Let's not forget that your piece of shit brother, is in the hospital, because of me. And I won't hesitate to hurt anyone who threatens to hurt my boyfriend." – a bluff, there was no way he was going to hit her, Sora wasn’t the sort of person that could ever, ever hit a girl. Asuka lauded him for this quality, among most of the others; how dare Sakura attack him as well? Whatever Takashi had gotten he had most certainly deserved – and if he was still alive, then he hadn’t suffered enough.
"Now that we have that as a reminder... Let's talk. Takashi, is scum, just like his little fuckin' friends. Last time I saw him, I got this, and this," – he pointed to his black eye, lifted up his shirt to reveal the blackened bruises on his ribs – "So. Don't fucking tell me he didn't do anything to me." He stepped closer to the girl, everything about him menacing, crying out for retribution. "You know Maxxie more than me? That's fucking hysterical. No seriously, I'm pissing my fucking pants with laughter. If you want to talk to Maxxie, you have to talk with all three of us. If couldn't already tell, we're kind of a package deal."
Asuka had to bite down on her lip to keep from smiling: the three of them? A package? Somehow Sora managed to be touching even while he was shaking, strength of will the only thing swaying him from murder. But his explosion would hardly be a whisper to someone like Sakura; her walls of ignorance and stupidity were too thick for him to break down on his own. In her mind, her brother was a god – infallible, held up so high upon a pedestal that no one else could compare. Her false idol was in no way indestructible, though - together, they would break it down, ripping the ghosts of Max’s past to shreds in the process. With a light touch, she gave Sora a slight nudge in the direction of Max, signaling that it was both her turn to fight for him as well as acknowledging her best friend’s almost certain need for a hand to hold, an anchor to keep him down.
“How dare you act like you know who Max is?” Asuka glared at Sakura so intensely that by all rights her fake blonde hair should have burst into flames. “How dare you call him a terrible person and then your friend? Or act like you know him at all? Or attempt that bullshit, ‘pity me’ façade?” Asuka poked her in the chest as hard as she could – the furthest she would allow herself to go. “I understand you completely, Sakura, so quit acting like you’re some special little snowflake. You’re a jealous, spoiled little brat who holds a monster up high like he’s a god, and you’re too deluded by his lies to think anything differently. Not only that, but you’re bitter, hurt, because you know that Max never, ever loved you; you’re taking it out on the world, on me, on Sora, on Max, on yourself because you don’t know what else to do. Try to deny it, it’ll all be fucking lies.” Asuka leaned over and spat on the girl’s knockoff goth-slut boots.
“And if your brother ever, ever tries to see Max again, I swear that I will fucking tear him apart.” Asuka threw her even tone to the wind, shaking slightly as it became a borderline growl. “You think I’m a bitch now, do you? You haven’t fucking seen anything, Sakura.”
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Max
Junior Member
Max Kimori
Posts: 99
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Post by Max on Aug 28, 2011 2:02:44 GMT -5
With Sora gone from his side, Max slipped forward on the bench, inching closer to the fight, just in case. Patrons of the mall had begun to walk around the group in a large circle, but, thankfully, none stopped to stare. Unlike the last time Max had seen a battle here, when everyone gathered around them.
The thought flitted in to Max's head, but, what if he and Sora were recognized at the two that had caused the brawl last time? Takashi and Satsuki had stuck around for a while, without a doubt -- mostly because there was no way Satsuki had been able to walk after the beating Sora had dealt him -- soaking up the pity from fellow mall-goers. With as much blood that had been shed, there would have been police called, or security.
Max shook his head, refusing to believe things could get worse from this point. He watched Sora loom over Sakura, clicking his tongue at her.
"Let's not forget that your piece of shit brother is in the hospital because of me. And I won't hesitate to hurt anyone who threatens to hurt my boyfriend." Sora growled at her. He lifted his shirt and jacket, Max's eyes landing immediately on his bruise that snaked around his body where his ribs had cracked. "Takashi, is scum, just like his little fuckin' friends. Last time I saw him, I got this," -- he raised a hand to his face, then motioned to his side -- "And this. So. Don't fucking tell me he didn't do anything to me."
The brunette gripped the bench tighter, wincing, and more than likely giving himself a few splinters in the process. He wanted the argument to stop, they had made their points, or, he believed that they had. But Max wasn't in either of their heads, he couldn't see their expressions, or read the looks in their eyes.
"You know Maxxie more than me? That's fucking hysterical. No seriously, I'm pissing my fucking pants with laughter." Sora continued, chuckling without any real humor again. "If you want to talk to Maxxie, you have to talk with all three of us. If you couldn't already tell, we're kind of a package deal."
Max's eyebrows knitted together. "Package... deal?" he asked no one in particular. With that statement, Sora had lumped the three of them together in to one entity, and Max liked the sound of it.
Asuka was without a doubt their brain -- quick-witted and master of oh so much at the young age of seventeen. Sora would be their heart -- easily jumping to protect not only Max, but more than likely Asuka as well, from now on. That was, if she needed it. But where did that leave Max? There was no real place for him. He was the organ that could stop functioning without any damage to the body as a whole.
But Sora had made another point as well -- other than he and Asuka, no one knew Max, not even Max himself. The brunette was so hell-bent on being someone else entirely, that he hadn't quite acquainted himself with himself. It was silly to say something like that, but it was true. Sora knew everything about him because he was there with him. He had been there for... longer than anyone Max had known. Asuka as well -- she knew Max inside and out, and she hadn't had to completely dissect him to gain that knowledge. Neither of them had. How was it so easy?
“How dare you act like you know who Max is?” Asuka said, voice even but filled with some brew of hostility and incredulity. “How dare you call him a terrible person and then your friend? Or act like you know him at all? Or attempt that bullshit, ‘pity me’ façade?" The dark-haired girl took a breath, springing in quickly for her next attack. "I understand you completely, Sakura, so quit acting like you’re some special little snowflake. You’re a jealous, spoiled little brat who holds a monster up high like he’s a god, and you’re too deluded by his lies to think anything differently. Not only that, but you’re bitter, hurt, because you know that Max never, ever loved you; you’re taking it out on the world, on me, on Sora, on Max, on yourself because you don’t know what else to do. Try to deny it, it’ll all be fucking lies.”
Somewhere in the midst of all of this, Max had stood up, pushed himself off of the bench and moved toward them. He wasn't far behind Sora and Asuka -- their backs still to him -- and Sakura wasn't paying any attention to him, either, she was more focused on Asuka spitting at her feet, threatening her brother's life once more, like she hadn't done it a million times by now.
The blonde girl's eyes filled up with tears again -- these were real --, her chest heaving. Max didn't know how it happened, but when Sakura moved, raising her hand in front of Asuka, his arm shot out between his best friend and boyfriend and snatched her wrist in mid-air.
Her eyes darted to him, wedged between his friends -- his family -- a clear question present as she looked between the hand Max had stopped inches from Asuka's face and Max's eyes. They stood there for a moment -- Max's expressionless gaze locked in combat with Sakura's rapidly-dissipating tears.
"If you attempt to lay a hand on either of them, I will break it off." The brunette said, his voice flat yet somehow commanding. He had never been a fan of fighting, and had never been very good at it, but anyone looking at Max could tell he meant exactly what he said.
The brunette shoved her hand away, watching as she took a step back from the three of them. Sakura stared at them for a long time, saying absolutely nothing. Her tears had tried, but her mouth still hung open.
Swallowing hard, she finally wrangled the courage to speak, looking directly, unblinking, at Max. "You can do better Max," Sakura told him. "You had better."
Max shook his head, not trusting his voice, and reached down to take Sora's hand again, his other arm slipping through Asuka's. He felt like he was going to throw up still, and was partially using the two people to steady himself, but he wouldn't show that until Sakura left. Only a few seconds passed before she disappeared into the crowd again, a sobbing sound trailing after her.
The boy hung his head, letting out a breath he had no idea how long he had held. "Shit," Max's head hurt, the feeling of being in control of a situation like this -- even if only for a moment -- was completely foreign to him. His pulse was racing, and he fought hard to stay standing. It was stupid, but that was half of Max's battle, fought, right then and there. Sure, it wasn't all his doing, but for once, he had been the protector, and it felt fucking amazing.
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andou
Full Member
Sora Takahashi
Posts: 132
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Post by andou on Aug 28, 2011 4:56:31 GMT -5
He meant what he said. Max, Asuka and him were a package. Max was clearly his boyfriend, -- and quite possibly the love of his life -- and Asuka was his best friend -- even if that feeling was one sided. No one was going to mess with them, and if they did... they would have to answer to Sora. That would not be a pretty sight.
All of this whining and fighting was making Sora dizzy. When was the last time he had gone to the mall with Max and not run into someone from his past? He was sick and tired of having to fight everywhere he went. Well, if it came to Max... it was okay. He would happily die for the other boy, but when it came to fighting in general... Sora was just so tired of it. There wasn't a month since he arrived at Aozora that he wasn't kicking ass, or getting his ass kicked. No one could put that sort of abuse on their body and not feel completely drained.
It was hard not to laugh as Asuka dissected the blonde. She called her out on everything, things that Sora would have never picked up. It was like Asuka was a mid reader, she pulled the thoughts right out of Sakura's head and displayed them for everyone to see. And from what everyone could see... she was fucking stupid.
“And if your brother ever, ever tries to see Max again, I swear that I will fucking tear him apart You think I’m a bitch now, do you? You haven’t fucking seen anything, Sakura.” Asuka's threat was beautiful to hear. Yes, he could trust her to protect Max when he wasn't around.
The blonde watched as Sakura raised her hand to strike Asuka, his hand darted to block it but... someone beat him to the punch. Like always. For a second, Sora thought the girl slapped Max instead and he growled, but.... that wasn't the case. Max held the girl by the wrist, a fierce look on his face "If you attempt to lay a hand on either of them, I will break it off." Sora shivered, his eyes wide in shock. Way to go Maxxie.
A huge flood of pride washed over him as he watched his boyfriend push away the blonde girl, and stood his ground. It was kinda... hot. The blonde didn't catch what the girl had said, he actually forgotten she was alive, all he could think about was how Max had protected Asuka. By the time he looked up... she was gone.
Turning to his trembling boyfriend Sora smiled, all harshness gone from his features and mussed the brunette's hair, "Good job Maxxie." The boy squeezed the hand in his and brought it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it and taking a step closer to him. "I'm really proud of you."
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false
Junior Member
Asuka Tomoe
Posts: 76
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Post by false on Aug 28, 2011 15:18:36 GMT -5
Asuka’s threats brought Sakura to tears again – luring her in with the ‘pity me’ act once again before she lashed out. It had been easy to see coming, the sluggish and undisciplined movement in the blonde girl’s arm as she motioned to slap her across the face. Asuka was fully prepared to take it – if she blocked it, she was certain that she would crush the blonde girl’s wrist without a second thought – and that would never be okay. Hurt Sakura physically like that and her brother would be up at arms once he’d escaped from the hospital, a vengeful, corrupt paladin whose ire would be undoubtedly focused on Max more than anyone else. She’d been hurt worse before, far worse, a slap would be like nothing more than a splash of cold water or the touch of the wind.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sora’s arm moving, reaching out to stop Sakura’s assualt. He’s protecting me? Asuka’s eyes widened as she played it all out in her mind – it wasn’t surprising, he’d said they were a package deal and that meant that he liked her, but it was a different thing entirely to see him back up his own statements. Actions spoke louder than words, and Sora’s was practically a scream.
But in the end it wasn’t Sora’s hand that saved her, it was someone else’s, shooting from out of nowhere to halt the girl’s hand while it was still inches away from her face. Max? Asuka could do nothing but stare straight ahead, but she knew that he was the only one that could have done it.
"If you attempt to lay a hand on either of them, I will break it off.” His voice was flat but his resolve was unflinching, something that Sakura could not ever hope to overcome.
Max is standing up to her. Asuka felt tears budding in the back of her eyes, spawned both by the aftermath of being the host to such unflinching anger as well as how much it must have taken for him to do that, get out of his seat and protect her even when she didn’t need it. You’re breaking free, she thought, still outwardly wearing her expression of fury – it was helpful, being an actor, without that sort of training she would have fell apart right then and there. But she couldn’t show weakness to Sakura, no, she had to be strong so that she never showed up again.
Sakura said absolutely nothing, staring at all of them with her mouth wide open. It was a miracle that she’d stopped crying, because with every tear, fake or not, it became a little harder not to deck her right there and then. How dare she be that selfish, acting like the victim? "You can do better Max," she said, swallowing deeply before looking straight at Max. "You had better."
As if, Asuka thought, Max’s arm slipping through hers. The three of them looked down on her, an unbreakable chain, until she gave up and left, a series of loud, pathetic wails left behind in her wake. She was gone.
It took a monumental effort for her to move herself at all, yank herself out of the now-fake façade of intimidation. When she finally did, though, she turned and saw that Sora was smiling, mussing Max’s hair. "Good job Maxxie." He kissed Max’s hand and stepped a little closer to him. "I'm really proud of you."
Max was swaying, but he felt better than ever – the weights hadn’t been fully lifted from his shoulders but standing up to Sakura had been the first step, proof that he could and would free himself from their shadow. He was strong, always had been, it had just taken him until now to realize it.
Asuka wasn’t entirely sure how it all happened, but before she knew it her arm slipped out from Max’s and she was hugging him, holding him tighter than she probably should have – he was still bruised and contact probably hurt like a bitch – but it didn’t matter, there was nothing else she could have done. “Max, you did it,” Asuka said, eyes watering. “You stood up to her. I... I’m so proud of you.” He was so warm against her, so tangible that it gave her goosebumps when she compared who he'd been in the hallway all those weeks ago to who he was now, so strong and resolute and alive.
"You did it," she repeated, with the ghost of a smile. And Asuka wasn't angry anymore, just awestruck; and the tears in her eyes were undeniably happy. You did it.
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Max
Junior Member
Max Kimori
Posts: 99
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Post by Max on Aug 28, 2011 21:33:07 GMT -5
The blonde to Max's left turned to him, reaching up to ruffle the younger boy's hair. Max raised his head slightly to look at Sora as he took a step closer to him. Please don't be mad. I had to. But Sora was the furthest thing from mad. He was smiling at him. "Good job Maxxie." The dancer pressed his lips to Max's hand. "I'm really proud of you."
Before he was given a chance to react to that, Asuka had pulled her arm free and launched herself at Max, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly to her. “Max, you did it,” Asuka told him, “You stood up to her. I... I’m so proud of you.” Max put his arm around her, holding her to him. "You did it,"
It took Max a moment to remember what he had done, why they were proud of him, and why Asuka was clinging to him. His grip around her tightened as what he had just done and said came rushing back to him. The boy tightened his hold on Sora's hand, too, dragging him forward and hugging the both of them.
The boy laid his head on Sora's shoulder, waiting for the pounding in his head and heart to subside a bit before trying to speak. They stood like that for a long moment, silent, a few tears slipping from Asuka's eyes and on to Max's shirt.
They're proud of you, dumbass. You did something good.
With a deep breath, Max raised his head again, glancing down to Asuka and then up at Sora. Tears burned his eyes, but Max wasn't going to let himself cry about something like this -- whether they be happy tears or frustrated tears, they weren't going to make an appearance just yet.
"I've never lied to either of you," Max said, his voice quiet, though loud enough for the two of them to hear him, or so he hoped. "I wouldn't know how to. I... I love you guys, and you two are one of the only reasons I'm not still a total fuck-up failure."
The brunette paused, inhaling shakily and shutting his eyes tight for a moment, battling with the still-prickling tears. Please, I can't cry, not right now. I have to hold on to whatever piece of strength I've found... just until I get home, just until then.
Max continued, wrenching his eyes open to look at them again. This would all mean nothing if they couldn't see the look in his eyes -- heartbroken and so very, very sorry -- because he was going to convey it wrong, use the wrong words, something.
"I'm sorry that you two have to constantly fight for me... because I don't deserve friends like you. But," he sighed, eyebrows knitting together as he tried to find the correct words once more. "You don't know how grateful I am for the two of you. Even though I can't save myself from any of this bullshit, you're both... here and keep pulling me back up."
He had to stop. The first tear slipped out of his eye and dropped down on to his shirt. Max prepared himself for an onslaught of stupid emotions, but nothing came. Nothing at all. The only thing that remained was the single stupid tear's trail on his cheek.
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andou
Full Member
Sora Takahashi
Posts: 132
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Post by andou on Aug 31, 2011 5:26:52 GMT -5
Sora smiled at the spectacle in front of him. Usually the blonde would have been pissy about someone hugging up on Max, but... Asuka was different. He could trust her, and she was his friend. She could hug Max all she wanted. The ice queen of Aozora was showing a little warmth. He could practically see the ice melting around her, so she could express her pride in the young brunette.
He knew how she felt. After seeing all of the pain and fear that Max had built up inside of him toward that group... it was such an earth shattering event to see him stand up to one of them. Sure, Sakura was in no way as vicious as her brother and his friends, but this was just the first step. Max still had a ways to go.
When pulled into the embrace, his smile widened. His long arms easily wrapped around the both of them, and he rested his head on Max's. He would have said something to break the silence, and make everything smiles, but he was getting all choked up and any words might break his resolve.
"I've never lied to either of you. I wouldn't know how to. I... I love you guys, and you two are one of the only reasons I'm not still a total fuck-up failure." The other boy barely whispered. Sora looked into hazel eyes and widened his smile, yeah... if he tried talking... he might cry.
"I'm sorry that you two have to constantly fight for me... because I don't deserve friends like you. But, you don't know how grateful I am for the two of you. Even though I can't save myself from any of this bullshit, you're both... here and keep pulling me back up."
Letting go of the two, Sora rolled his big blues and bonked Max's head with a gentle fist, "You idiot," The smile never left his face, but all threats of crying were stashed deep within the older boy, "We fight because we love you, Maxxie. Don't apologize for stuff that we choose to do on our own, because I don't regret a damn thing I've ever done to protect you."
Pulling his sleeve over his hand, he wiped the boy's tear away, "I'll always be here to pull you back up, always, and I know Suki feels the same way."
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false
Junior Member
Asuka Tomoe
Posts: 76
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Post by false on Aug 31, 2011 16:17:23 GMT -5
Asuka couldn’t see Max’s face – she was too busy looking blankly at the crowd behind him as he hugged her back, more willing to return the gesture than she would have expected – but the breath that he took before speaking was heavy, deep, like he was trying to bolster his resolve. "I've never lied to either of you," Max said, his voice quiet. "I wouldn't know how to. I... I love you guys, and you two are one of the only reasons I'm not still a total fuck-up failure."
Eloquent, Max, Asuka thought, feeling Max shake as he exhaled. Carefully, she loosened her arms, backing away just enough so that he would have room to breathe. His eyes were screaming something – heartache, sorrow, something – and while she couldn’t put what he felt into words, she understood.
"I'm sorry that you two have to constantly fight for me... because I don't deserve friends like you. But you don't know how grateful I am for the two of you. Even though I can't save myself from any of this bullshit, you're both... here and keep pulling me back up."
Somewhere along the line Sora had joined in on the hug, his long arms a gentle vice around both of them. He was upset – this much she knew. It wasn’t that he was unhappy, because he was; it was far more complex than that, and again, Asuka couldn’t put it into words, but she got the gist. "You idiot," Sora said, smiling as he released the two of them. "We fight because we love you, Maxxie. Don't apologize for stuff that we choose to do on our own, because I don't regret a damn thing I've ever done to protect you." Asuka nodded, letting go of him before taking a step backwards, smiling happily to herself as Sora wiped away the tear budding in Max’s eye. "I'll always be here to pull you back up, always, and I know Suki feels the same way."
“Yeah, Max. Don’t be silly – we’re here for you, and we’re here for you because we want to be. Because we care about you, and all that lifetime movie stuff.” Asuka wiped the last tear from her eye, still smiling. “And Sora, as much as I appreciate you… stop calling me Suki.” She laughed, her tension dissolving. Max was still shaking and Sora was going to cry later, when he was alone, but when it was all said and done she was sure, absolutely sure that everything would be okay. And that, like so many other things, was more than she could ever ask for.
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