thetwoultimates

[thetwoultimates]

#tw horror

[thetwoultimates]

Finality.

It had been many years since she last took the time to visit the Chisaka manor. Ever since then, things had… changed, significantly so.

She had grown. At first, the prospect of growth was not one she was very fond of: abandoning the person she was to become someone else, in a way, felt like a betrayal to those she had lost. The promise to stay steadfast to who she was at the end of her killing game felt like a lie, when she thought of becoming someone else, learning, changing. As she matured, however… it seemed like the best way to honor those who passed, besides being something completely natural.

Megumi and her had taken to producing dolls together, in a joint effort. It wasn’t at the same scale she was used to when growing up, and… it was refreshing. It felt more intimate, cozy, like making a gift to a friend rather than making a prototype to be replicated into an assembly line. She had to teach herself how to adjust to more relaxed guidelines, to not adhere to nigh impossible standards and deadlines. …She was healthier, both in mind and body. She truly understood how much her early years of working herself to the bone wore her down, now that she could look back at it from a different perspective.

She hadn’t talked to many people in years. Many of the people that she had considered friends, at least in passing, ended up losing contact with her over time. Even close confidants were not safe from that; she could count on her fingers the people she still spoke to in a regular basis. Some were people she expected, like her former classmates and Megumi, while others were unexpected surprises. She still had her cat, growing comfortably into old age, having to be fed a little paste instead of the usual cat food at this point in time. Hachirou joked that the cat was immortal; she sure hoped that was the case, but she would be happy all the same. What mattered were the memories she had made along the way, she reasoned. Even if the people involved wouldn’t last forever, those memories would.

She did find herself still struggling with her health to some degree—chronic illness isn’t something one can just brush off, after all. Still, she wasn’t that bothered by it anymore. It didn’t make her any less competent than others, and it didn’t make her weak. In fact, she had never felt stronger. She had people she could rely on, she had escaped the shadows of her family, and she could confidently stand on her own two feet, doing what made her happy. What else could she ask for?

…right.

When she was younger, she did have… a dream of sorts. She never had a great mother, and her experience with mother figures never lasted. But all the same… she did desire motherhood.

She held a tiny, soft hand in hers. When she looked down, she was met with round, curious brown eyes and a toothy grin. …She couldn’t have a biological child, as much as that would have made her happy. Still, she couldn’t imagine herself happier than she was with little Alexander. This would be his first time visiting his grandfather and the triplets, who had been running the Chisaka Corporation ever since she left. They had decided managing everything as a team would be more beneficial, and well, she couldn’t deny the effects.

On the other side of Alexander’s… well, was her partner. It had taken a long time, but it felt right all the same to have stayed this long with them. Alexander was more than happy with both his parents, and she thought herself quite lucky to have this close family.

…

Family.

The word felt warm, comforting, instead of cool and detached. It felt like home. …She smiled, messing her son’s hair one last time before reaching for the doorbell at the gates.

After a long time, Airi Chisaka was happy.

#long post #the ultimate dollmaker #airi — dollmaker #(hey guys. mun here.) #(I'll be honest with you: I don't really have any intentions of writing more for this blog or any of my ask blogs.) #(Haven't been really comfortable writing here; I always end up insecure and anxious in this environment) #(But I didn't want to leave my characters off in the note I did. I still care for them as a writer #and I do believe Airi would get a happy ending eventually.) #(I left who her partner is purposefully ambiguous for more than one reason tbh so you can project who you personally think fits there) #(I still have many ideas for my characters and plot threads I left behind that I'm willing to answer in asks but that's it for the #foreseeable future. Thank you guys for being here all this time!) #(I'll write something for my other blogs soon enough too)

[thetwoultimates]

Calm.

It was a quiet day. It was… a while since anything of note had happened, really; she found herself falling into a very relaxed routine despite her initial concerns. …She would, sometimes, end up spending her entire day at her friend’s house, chatting away about this or that, catching up with them like in the olden days. She had missed them very much, and seeing them this happy always cheered her up—it brought a little more life back to her step.

She would go out shopping from time to time. She would stop and draw in her room, seeing the birds fly high and listening to their singing early in the morning. She would remember the way the outstretched fields looked in front of her, and while the memory made her a little melancholic at first, she appreciated the way things were now. …She appreciated how things were so far, and how she was living her life.

Etiquette lessons were tough, sure. She despised the piano more than she despised any of the other Western things that were forced on her on the daily. She detested every second of wearing high heels, and the mere though of putting on makeup made her want to commit atrocities. Why someone needed so many foreign utensils for eating eluded her, and why were there four different types of glasses and a water goblet? She had no idea.

But she sucked it up. …Because, no matter how hard all of this was, or how difficult it could become, or how belittled she would be by her elders, …she had something to look forward to. She could hold her head high, knowing that she wouldn’t be alone no matter what, and she could be happy. She opened the curtains, getting ready for a beautiful new day.

“Good morning, dear…”

She smiled at the sound, the voice sounding so sweet she wanted to run back to bed. Maybe just some more minutes together, holding each other tight…

“Good morning, darling~! It’s time to wake up.”

She couldn’t indulge in that thought or in bed for long, of course, lest she be treated like a pest who had no manners.

#long post

[thetwoultimates]

…K-Corp… medication.

She did what she could to ignore it, but those words stuck to her; she left the papers on the closest surface she could reach, before moving out of the room and closing the door. She did not intend on looking, but if her eyes couldn’t help it, it was not her fault. She moved farther down the hallway, in the direction of the living room, hoping that she wouldn’t wander into somewhere private yet again.

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #long post

[thetwoultimates]

…Airi would never want to pry. As a person who had many important secrets and many business deals in her hands until fairly recently, the moment she saw those papers, her eyes wandered way. She took a step back, gently closing the door in front of her as to not make much noise, thinking to herself how unfortunate she was to stumble on a bedroom.

She turned away, …before looking back at the door.

Her eye twitched. She opened the door, doing her best to rush to the papers, grab them, adjust them into a neat pile and abandon them by the desk. She avoided even glancing at the words, afraid that she would learn of something she should not, and instead insisting in doing her task as neatly and quickly as she could.

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“…” She smiled, very softly, and stepped away from that door. Those two were having a good moment together; leave it to them to enjoy themselves. They deserved that small moment of privacy.

Instead, she went to the door closest to her right, trying her best to not make too much noise as she moved the door handle.

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian #long post

[thetwoultimates]

Airi found relief in being alone. Not so much so because Lily was unpleasant to be around, but because… well, she didn’t know how to act around the child. She was never quite social, and around children her awkwardness seemed to come to its natural extreme.

She moved towards the bathroom, taking with her the clothes she had found and her purse. …The cybermat was still there, its comforting beeps and bops making her smile at the sight of it. If communications broke down and she could not use her phone, she could always rely on the cybermat. It was a guarantee of safety, even if she was an ocean away from the one who made it.

The process was the same as always: brush her hair with the hairbrush she carried with her, change into the new set of clothes, take an unholy (but necessary) amount of medication with a plastic cup she carried with her, brush her teeth, clean her face with water… and it was about it.

She moved back into the hallway, trying to locate herself without asking for help. …Alright. Where would she find Ichi?

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“…pff. You look like a baby bird.”

The hair and the feathers, both of them reminded her of a tiny bird that had only started getting its feathers, a fluffy mess of grey plumage covering it up. With a light chuckle, she reached for the brush, holding it by the top so she could offer the handle to Lily.

“If you can give me the directions to the bathroom, I’ll go get changed.”

Later, she would think of showering, eating, speaking to others and the like. First… she didn’t want to stay on the clothes she had slept on, at least.

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian #long post

[thetwoultimates]

The crash. The screaming. She remembered looking for her brother, desperately trying to see if he was well. …Airi felt her heart sink to her stomach, as she moved away from the bed. No good ever comes from being on a plane.

“I’m alright. …I probably slept for too long, so this is fine… if you want to sleep more, I’m already getting up, you can stay on the bed.”

She didn’t know where to find the switch to the lights, so all she could do was search for it behind the bed, assuming there should be one there. The lack of lights was quite a bother, when she wanted to find her shoes and possibly look for something to change into. …

…great. She had not brought a single set of clothes to change into, had she? She sighed, placing her forehead against the wall. Genius plan. Leaving the country in a hurry, without a single preparation except medicine. This was… God.

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“…??”

When did she get on a bed? No, where did Lily come from? Was she in the room? Did she come to wake her up? There were many questions, but with a sleepy mind, she could do little to nothing to answer those. Instead, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, yawning.

She glanced back at Lily, blinking once or twice. “…did you… just fall? Are you alright?”

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian #long post

[thetwoultimates]

"IchiIchiIchiIchi-"

Poor Airi was being shaken awake by a very small child

Airi jolted awake, letting out a short scream. She sat up at record speed, looking around in a panic, as if expecting the sight to be something horrible. …She found unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, …and a small, familiar child.

Her voice was hoarse, low, as she tried to quickly hide the tears she had cried in her sleep. “…L… Lily?”

(@ichi-peachy )

#airi — dollmaker #lily — lil ultimate guardian

[thetwoultimates]

Juichi kept his hands far from him, raising them slightly as if to show he had given up. …Still, the boy was… well, extremely nervous, wasn’t he? That wasn’t like the same guy he heard about, who… well, he had watched it on TV: he had forced people into their deaths, plain and simple. He walked into the kitchen, the inside of the room being visible even from the entrance. He took a cup, filled it with tap water, and brought it back to Jay.

“Before you go,” He offered the cup, as gently as he could. “You ran a lot, right? Better to hydrate a bit. Whatever got Megumi-chan on that state probably spooked you, so if you run out again like that, you might end up in a bad place. Let’s chill, alright? Last thing we want is to fall into despair.”

His voice was calm, like a parent talking to a scared child. If this had been a younger child, he might have valiantly promised to slay whatever made them this scared; he was… what, five or so years younger than Hachirou? Whatever the case, too old for that reassurance to truly work…

So, he tried to soothe him this way. “Megumi-chan is going to be just fine; she’s had worse injuries, though… I’m worried she might be as scared as you are. My son, well, he’s able to fend for himself, and I’m sure he will come home in a few hours or so. …When you get home, try to shower before laying down, alright? If there’s any injury you can’t handle yourself, go straight to the doctor.”

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#jay — second entertainer #juichi budou — former ultimate game dev #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“…alright, now; let’s check that one.”

Firstly, the boy didn’t seem to remember the very simple fact that Junko Enoshima… well, was Satan incarnate, if you asked anyone around you; he didn’t remember his own girlfriend, he didn’t even react to the mention of Takashi, whom he knew Jay had defeated and ‘sent into hiding’. He got up, out of Megumi’s side, and placed both hands onto his head, gently checking for any sign of head injury.

Once he was sure the cause wasn’t external, he looked back at him. “Alright, let’s take very deep breaths here. …Close your eyes, can you count to fifty for a bit?”

Juichi was a very informal man, and everyone could attest to that fact. Even then, seeing how the boy was panicking to what seemed perfectly normal in a world post-Enoshima… well, the paternal instincts kicked in, and it was like seeing a glimpse at the father who had to go through The Tragedy.

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#juichi budou — former ultimate game dev #jay — second entertainer #long post

[thetwoultimates]

…Juichi teared up, shaking his head. “He sent me a distress signal through one of his little things but… I didn’t manage to find him where it sent me. …My son’s strong, he- the boy is just like his mother, God bless, so I know he’ll find a way to show up… but I told him to stop getting involved with hacking and with the Future Foundation!”

He sighed, exasperated. It was easier to hide his urge to cry at the thought of another loss behind frustration than anything else. He looked over the unconscious Megumi, …and took the cleaner side of the wet cloth, cleaning away her hands and arms, which were covered in blood from trying to cover her own wound.

“…the poor girl,” He frowned. “Was a killing game not enough to put her through? …What was it this time, Takashi came back and threw into his weird sex dungeon? Junko Enoshima is back, for the uptenth time? Whoever it is, I’ll end them, I swear…”

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#juichi budou — former ultimate game dev #jay — second entertainer #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“Hachirou never mentioned the two of you broke up— here!”

It was with great effort that Megumi was moved into the couch. Despite not looking like he had much medical experience, the man had no issues handling her wound, down to stitching her up by hand. …The way he did it, it was less like a doctor, and more like… how could one put it? Like he was used to patching people up in emergencies, right at home.

He sighed, cleaning his hands from the blood with a cloth he had brought. “…alright, this… doesn’t do much for first introductions. You’re Hachirou’s friend, right? Jay. He showed me a picture of you once, during one of… what was it, one of the problems Ichi or something had. I’m his father, and-”

…he frowned, before glancing again at Jay. “…actually, you look a lot younger than I remember. …Sorry, was I mixing you up with a brother or cousin?”

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#juichi budou — former ultimate game dev #jay — second entertainer #megumi honda — kindest senpai #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“…you saved- you saved me,” She shook her head. “…even… outside the simulation. So, …this is the least I- I can do.”

The doors opened. …She stumbled out of them, gesturing for Jay to follow. She knocked on one of the first doors there, a loud “coming!” being heard even from the outside. As soon as that door opened, Megumi… fell over, almost hitting the floor.

“Wha- Megumi-chan!” The redhead, who looked to be in his late 40s to early 50s, glanced at her, desperately holding her from hitting the floor… and then at Jay, blinking rapidly before trying to bring her inside. “You better have a good explanation as to why you’re bringing your girlfriend in this state to me, young man! …Right, first-aid kit, where was it, where did Hachirou—”

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#jay — second entertainer #megumi honda — kindest senpai #long post

[thetwoultimates]

“I know.”

She took a deep breath. Careful as to not upset her would, she moved her arm towards him. Opening her hand, there was two identical keys resting on her palm. …She moved it slightly closer, offering it up to him.

“…I can’t let you die,” She sighed. Her expression was… complicated. To her, it wasn’t so clear-cut. “…if I was sure I could boot you up without- without Ichi… I would, because… then, then you’d live… but I can’t if there’s no… no guarantee you live…”

Her eyes desperately begged to close. It took all her strength not to let them, pressing her other arm against her wound. Great. The pain at least kept her awake…

There’s a considerably larger cybermat coming down the street. It’s about the size of a small cat, and it comes wiggling on its wiggly path towards Jay. The metallic “bug” stops when it reaches Jay’s feet, making a low rumble.

These psychopaths are getting more and more creative these days...

Jay couldn't tell if it was a super fan trying to follow him home, or somebody who disliked him trying to harm him. In any case, he took a few steps back the moment it started doing... that.

#jay — second entertainer #megumi honda — kindest senpai #long post