(GS3) Field: Rijuku Park

[Jello]

Warmth. The kind you feel on a good day with friends, or the kind you experience when you embrace those you love, or when you have a bit too much to drink and you're just having a good time. Those are the kinds of experiences nearly everyone wants to experience.

As of recently, Haruka has not had the pleasure of said experiences. The summer ended causing the school year to start back up, and Haruka was not too thrilled about it. Being a senior was nice, meaning this was the last year he would have to attend, but something had been missing from his life for awhile. A couple of things in fact, were simply absent. Yukino Espoir had originally planed to go to Cray for Knight training. Nothing he could have done about that if she had, and communication simply wouldn't have been very applicable between the two. They would have been quite literally worlds away. Not only that, but word of Overlord hadn't come. Not once had he felt the warmth of Overlord since that fated day against Neu. The first time anyways, where she had sealed it all away. The clans.

Life was different now. Haruka had stopped his sulking and worrying and his timid demeanor had cleaned up. If anything, he was exuding a sort of confidence he had found. It was a brash and foolhardy confidence, but he had come to believe, with aid of Dauntless Drive Dragon and the Kagero clan, that no goal is out of reach. You must simply stretch out your wings and soar past the heights.

Haruka felt as though it was quite literal as they were dragons and actually had wings so that was applicable. Haruka had no such luxuries.

So now, sitting in the Rijuku Park as always, Haruka pops open a sea-salt ice cream bar and begins to eat his favorite treat from home. The park was pretty much where Haruka spent his afternoons these days, once in awhile stopping by Card Capital for a bit of training and edge work with the dragons, but they burned out quick considering Dauntless' affinity for destroying things was starting to affect everyone else in Kagero.

"Ah... still as blue as ever." Haruka stared at the sky, in school uniform. He wanted to break it in a bit, but didn't actually have really any school today.

[Nobody]

Well here he is, the school year is about to start and he has no intention to go back to school. His time there was outright horrible, and he was too stupid to even have a chance anyways. Regardless, he still walked around with that very same school uniform which caused not one person to be confused and think that he attends school. He mostly forgot about all the events in New York. Afterall, for him it was just a simple tournament.

Shiki walked around the park, his eyes dead tired from lack of sleep and one of his hands in his pocket, the other one constantly rubbing at his eyes. He sat on a bench somewhere and yawned, looking as if he's abotu to fall asleep. He pulled out some manga and just started reading it. He had alot o that to take care of with all the backlog he has made lately.

[Jello]

Hmm...? Haruka turned to look to his right. Not too far off, just by the water fountain and a pack of oddly mashed up trees, sits Akama Shiki. Haruka met the boy a couple of times. They actually spent a decent amount of time together in New York, except it was mostly a chat and then saving his life from the immense heat. That was a.... particularly odd evening.

He ended up strolling over to the guy, still munching away at his ice cream and sat down next to him, looking at what he was reading. Haruka was more of a novel reader, so the all the images and strangely skewed text through him off for a moment. He didn't even attempt reading past the third panel.

"E-Eh.. Hey, Shiki, what's up?" Haruka threw on a decent smile. His new found confidence wasn't particularly glowing like a paladin, but it was resilient, like fire.

Haruka liked to make analogies to himself that had something to do with fire and heat a lot because its the only thing he really knew well besides the fact that he's a little bit nuts. That's okay though, he's learned to accept his reasonable side and his not-so-reasonable side. Haruka takes another bite of his ice cream bar, producing one more.

"Oh, you like ice cream? I brought more if you want one?" Haruka held his hand out, teal-colored ice cream in Shiki's sights. If he wanted any that was.

[Nobody]

Shiki gazed at the icecream, and tilted his head.

"Ah! Hey! Just the usual.. I guess, you?" he answered, his voice rather dull and tired. As for the icecream.. it wasn't chocolate sure, but ice cream is ice cream right? Who doesn't love that. He nodded, took the icecream and unwrapped it, delighting himself with it's glorious taste.

Normally, he'd just continue reading the manga and pay no mind to the person that tried to strike a conversation with him. But now that he actually started getting "social", he might aswell learn some manners. He put the manga away by his side, his other hand on his leg with the other holding the icecream.

"It's been like a year since that tournament I guess.. so alot probably happened for you, I guess."

[Jello]

Haruka was delighted to see Shiki taking a bit of interest. It was hard to keep his attention sometimes, as he seemed pretty tired, or just downright energetic. What a weird combination... Haruka was actually rather uninterested in talking about his year of boredom but he reluctantly answered anyways.

"Err, yeah. I ended up visiting my other relatives a bit, uh, hmm..." Haruka was at a loss. He wasn't very interesting to begin with, and he didn't spend his year doing much exciting stuff other than catching up on his Vanguard skills and a bit more sleep. The sleep part was actually really helpful, because before that all he had been getting was a lack of it.

"Sorry, not much has really happened so I don't know what to say, really... Oh, senior year started up. You go to the same school I do? I haven't seen you around really." Haruka points out that they're wearing similar uniforms, save for Haruka's tie which he wore with mostly everything. It was red and he liked red. He liked blue a lot too however, and debated the blue one for quite some time.

"Anyways, how about you? What'd you do for a whole year?" Haruka inquired.

[Nobody]

Yet another bite from the icecream.

He nodded at Haruka as he talked. But then when he asked? He just sat there, not really saying anything.

"I've been.. living, just doing the everyday things." Shiki suddenly answered, and then sat there eating his icecream in awkward silence, he really didn't know what to do in these situation, that's all he had to say so he just.. stood there..

[Jello]

Haruka nodded in response. Seems they were both just as boring individuals. This is why you need exciting people in your life, if you ever want to become exciting yourself. However Haruka accepted his boring personality from the get-go and decided to come up with a plan. It may have not been the best plan, but if Haruka knew one thing, common interest brings people together faster than anything.

"Say, Shiki. Do you wanna Cardfight? I mean, I just thought it'd be fun since I've never actually fought you before." Haruka pulled out his deck, filled with dragons and knights of fury. Not Agravain. Other Knights of fury.

"Whaddya' say?"

[ryujiknight]

An entire year has passed since the War of Liberation... Blaster had still not found the Purple Knight, their leader who will lead them through Link Joker. Blaster Dark and the rest of the Revengers traveled throughout Cray finding different villages in nations that their clan weren’t even a part of. They were refugee who didn’t like the laws and fled their Nation. They found Genesis in the Dragon Empire, and some Granblue in Zoo. Races all over were abandoning their clans. The Revengers were ready to give up, they were constantly being raided. Blaster Dark never gave up, he knew that one of these days he would find Mordred. Eventually they found a Village. This Village were consisted of United Sanctuary Refugee. As Blaster Dark and the Revengers walked through the gate, everyone stared at them. “Where is your leader” Blaster Dark yelled throughout the village. Everyone looked at one hut. Blaster Dark entered, and there he was, from his sharp, long ears, everyone can distinguish him as an elf on the first sight. He wore armor so beautiful that many would mistake him as a formal knight of the Holy Nation, but on his armor was the sigil of the village watch guards.  Tartu, Masquerade, and the rest were outside the hut looking at the former United Sanctuary members...
-As Blaster Dark walked in Mordred looked surprised. Usually he didn’t expect visitors, and anyone who stood in their way would be kicked out of the village. But Mordred felt something different when Blaster Dark walked in. Mordred immediately recognized his sword, and said…-

Mordred: Blaster Dark
Blaster Dark: That’s me.
Mordred: What do you want?
Blaster Dark: I want you, I want you and your Village..
Mordred: Look I’m not interested in selling these people over to anyone. Can’t you see they’ve suffered though enough?
Blaster Dark: I see… and that’s why I want them to return to the United Sanctuary.
Mordred: Why did you come here…Blaster Dark? You and your crew came all the way to the Dragon Empire just to find this small little Village and bring them back to the United Sanctuary.  – Mordred walked outside the tent- We aren’t Refugee… we are what’s left of War. Some of us have been prisoners for year, and were set free, know where to go. Some of us have been lost at sea and were never found. We are the remains of the United Sanctuary that weren’t good for anything. You left us, abandoned us. And never came to look for us. Now tell me ‘Blaster Dark ‘why would you come here now. You traveled all the way here on a boat, what makes you think we would want to return to the United Sanctuary!!
Blaster Dark: I was told by an oracle….I was told by an oracle that a race called Link Joker would come and destroy all. I was told by that oracle that I needed to find a leader … a leader that would lead us through Link Joker. And that leader is… you.
Mordred looked down to the ground and said.
Mordred: Why me?
Blaster Dark: Because you are what’s left of our Grand Master, Phantom Blaster Dragon.
Mordred: I see…well what are we waiting for then.
Tartu: Um, not to ruin what just happened but how are we going to get all of these villagers to the United Sanctuary on a little raft boat.
Mordred: I have a way.
-   Mordred did not know much about his past, but he did know that Blaster Dark did. The Revengers walked up a mountain. And in a cave was a big black dragon. –
Blaster Dark: I have never seen a dragon that big.
               …
The Shadow Paladin sound their alarms. They saw a black dragon on its way and mistaken it for Link Joker.
The Dragon flew near, Charon hadn’t come out of her room ever since Blaster Dark left. Alfred was worried that they would never come back, but they did the Dragon had landed and soon Mac Lir was the first to realize that it were the Revengers.
Shin’en had long waited for Blaster Dark to find Mordred. Shin’en sat on a hill and watched the sunset. He pulled Blaster Dark out of his pocket and said, “Today, marks one year…When will you find him?” he said. Shin’en had dreamed about Blaster Dark and his adventures to find Mordred. Shin’en had never got any sign that Mordred had returned.

[Nobody]

"Sure!", he answered to Haruka. He really got into Vanguard over the years and to think that Haruka wasn't of those "I love Vanguard so muc I could play it all the time" kind of people made Shiki like him even more. He actually tried to talk about stuff other than Vanguard, but even then they were going to have to Cardfight at some point right? He was actually interested how his new-found friend acted durning a cardfight. Was he cocky? Was he casual like Neu? Or maybe he just didn't know how to play at all? But he joined tournaments so that's.. rather out of the picture.

The two sat over at one of the regular tables and just went at it.

The fight was rather fun, went from calm and slow to something really exciting, atleast for Shiki, Breakride against Breakride, they both managed to surprise eachother actually. Haruka seemed to be surprised by Shiki's constant revival and pulling entire columns from the dropzone. And Haruka most definetly surprised Shiki with his Vanguard suddenly restanding. Even though Shiki managed to hold his own against that turn and somehow made a counterattack, it really did a trick on his hand size.

And he ended up losing to one of Haruka's rearguards, packed with a critical trigger, and no heals on Shiki's side of the damage zone.

He gathered his cards and put his deck back into his pocket.

"Well that was fun." he exclaimed, then proceeded to eat the icecream as he was just about done with it. Shiki hid the paper after the icecream into his pocket, and the stick into the other.

After that, he stood up and stretched.

[Jello]

Haruka cleaned up his cards, satisfied having his new avatar, Dauntless Drive Dragon finish that fight with a critical hit to Shiki's damage zone. It was a nice feeling to win, but it felt even better that it wasn't a heavily emotionally tied game. Normally a Cardfight ended with someone super upset or maybe a little salt-driven. But Shiki seemed relaxed afterwards, despite him being so fired up in the fight.

Shiki might be Haruka's favorite person to Cardfight after all.

"Hey, that was good stuff man. Nightsnow and Nightmist were crazy." Haruka stood up as well, rolling his head around to break some tension around his neck. After sliding his deck back into his slack pocket, he walked around the table leaning against its side. He looked over to Shiki who seemed to be finished with his ice cream. Haruka would probably bring more next time, considering it was cheap and tasted great. Well...

"Taste good?" Haruka asked, chuckling a bit, "Or would you prefer a different flavor next time?" Haruka pocketed his hands smiling. "Oh hey, I almost forgot."

Haruka reaches down for his cell phone, holding it up to Shiki for infrared transfer. "Mind if I get your number? It'd be difficult to find you next time unless you just stay at the park all day everyday." Haruka shrugged, holding up the awkwardly bright, orange flip phone to him.

[Nobody]

"Well it's not chocolate.. but icecream is icecream.", Shiki tilted his head to the side, and added. "It was indeed pretty fun, way different than the tournament fights.."

The moment Haruka asked him for his cellphone number, Shiki panicked a bit and started looking around, scratching the back of his head as he remembered the cellphone Neu gave him, the very same that he pretty much always kept with him. He pulled it out, along with Neu's number with fell on the ground, but he picked it up right after. Then handed Haruka the phone.

"I really don't know how this technological invention works, you try."

[Jello]

"Chocolate... Right." Haruka mentally noted if he was ever going to experience an outing with Shiki again to bring chocolate ice cream. Surprisingly enough, Haruka has never had chocolate before. Maybe chocolate chips from cookies, but never actual chocolate candy or chocolate ice cream or anything like that. He might have to try it sometime...

Haruka willingly took the phone and faced their outer ports to each other. With a tap of a few buttons, Haruka's phone made a beeping sound showing that the contact information had transferred over successfully. He smiled and snapped both phones shut, handing Shiki's back to him. With that, he turned on his heels and walked a few feet forward. He actually had no idea what he was doing here still-

"Ah... ah, okay. Ow. One sec..." Haruka proceeds to half-crouch walk over to the bench and sit down clutching his chest.  Something felt like he got the wind knocked out of him, put back in, and knocked out again all within a few seconds. He was coughing up a storm too.

"Eh...ack." Haruka finally caught his breath as the pain subsided. He laid back on the bench, starting to break a sweat.

"S-Sorry if I scared you. Must be heartburn or something like that. My blood flow is all sorts of messed up and.. uh... actually I don't even know if those two things even correlate." Haruka laughed weakly, still clutching his chest a bit.

[Nobody]

Shiki nodded, "Chocolate is the best, man!"

He took the phone from Haruka and put it back in his pocket, let's be honest he probably wouldn't call him anyways because for his simple mind phones are far too complicated, he'd only end up answering if he himself was phoned. He turned his back to his new friend and started to walk god knows where again, he didn't really pay attention to Haruka's extreme couching, Shiki was no biology expert so he assumed it was fine. Besides he himself said it was okay, right?

This is probably the second person, next to Neu that Shiki actually enjoyed spending time with.

Affinity:
Harooka +1

[Helios]

Hazama set foot into the park in Rijuku. There have been some minor changes whithin the year Hazama was traveling the world for the answers he still wanted.

I guess it is good to come back to your hometown and relax in its own beauty.

Between the time of NYC and today, Hazama had taken many trips around the world. He traveled to Daytona Beach, Orlando, Denver, Los Angelas, London, Paris, the United Arab Emirates, Sydney, and more.

He found his usuall hill in the park and lied down on the grass. The grass swayed with the soft breeze in the air. He stared up into the blue sky with clouds spotted in his vision. He watched as the clouds changed form in the sky.

[Jello]

This was getting a bit obsessive. Haruka would not stop coming to the park. It seemed like almost everyday Haruka was here, and if not, he was with Hana or Alex or something, or probably Shiki but mostly he was at the park eating ice cream. On the off chance Shiki showed up, he brought chocolate flavored ice cream with him as well, but wasn't interested in eating it himself. However instead of awkwardly waiting for him or anybody else to show up, Haruka did what he does best.

Awkwardly stare at the sky as people point and call him weird. Works like a charm.

The sea-salt ice cream was especially tasty today, better than a couple days ago. Maybe that evening with Hana really sparked Haruka up a bit, made him realize a few things he hadn't before. With that song he heard, something like clockwork was moving in him faster than ever. He was energetic again, excited to see people and wanting to experience new things. While Yukino was still on his mind a good portion of the time, only she could come to him, he couldn't get up and go find her when he hadn't the faintest clue where she was.

Haruka was in thinking mode, which wasn't hard to break. Just looking at him might trigger him to do backflips away due to his jittery nature.