Chapter Text
After a long day of junior high, Rui shuffled into his house and let out the words “I’m home” to the building. And as he got his shoes off and moved to the living room, a shorter body shuffled over silently. He watched the wolf cut slowly lean into his torso in a tired fashion, the boy wrapping his arms around the younger sibling.
“Hey, Ayame… Bad day at school,” Rui muttered softly?
“I hate people. I hate people, why can't people disappear,” the younger sibling said. Rui noted the hiccups and hugged her closer.
“I’m sorry they're doing this to you…” Ayame’s shoulders started shaking. “Aya…”
Rui spent the night holding his sister close, watching their favourite movies and shows. Nene even came over and the three played a few games. Once she was asleep, Nene got ready to go home. At the door, Rui sighed.
“…Rui? Maybe you should ask your parents to get her into online school. I-I mean, if this is almost daily–” Nene faltered, Rui nodding.
“Yeah. I’ll tell them. She doesn't need to be stuck in the chaos I caused. …Thanks for coming over to help, Nene,” Rui said, smiling weakly.
His friend went home and he moved to tuck his sister into bed.
Ayame heard the door open downstairs, snapping out of her dissociation. Quickly blowing out the lavender scented candle, they moved downstairs. It had been almost 3 years since that memory was formed, crying into her older brother’s chest after a day of bullying at school.
And there the bastard was, her menace of an older brother beaming ear to ear. “Aya! Guess what–”
“What? Oh, mom made dinner before she left. Veggies separated, but she said at least try a few. Aimed at both of us,” Ayame offered. She snorted as Rui’s smile became skewed at the idea of eating vegetables. But it didn't disappear, even then.
“Tsukasa-kun is in my class this year! Fufufu, I wonder how much I can get away with.” The poor Tenma. Ayame rolled her eyes.
“Probably not a lot,” she countered. “When are you going in tomorrow?”
“Probably 6. Why?” Rui moved to the couch, Ayame following and fidgeting with her empty lighter.
“Cause Kamikou Online sent out an email to students about going in and talking to one of the staff or something,” they explained. “So I gotta go in. Figured I’d steal one of Nene’s old uniforms and go in with you.”
“Steal her old uniform like how you stole my middle school uniform pants to make leg-warmers or for normal use?” Rui laughed as Ayame hit him smack dab in the face with a pillow. “I had to.”
“A, you were done with them. B, IT WAS IN RETALIATION! Mr ‘Steal a pair of shorts to embroider gay on the bottom’!! Gods, I should light you on fire,” they groaned. “Nene’s about my size, right?”
“Little bigger, we can pin up the skirt and shirt. I–” Rui’s phone rang, a ringtone she remembered. Watching him pick up and put the phone on speaker, the voice of Akiyama was clear and excited.
“Heyyyyyy~ Guess who I have in my class!!”
Rui snorted. “i’d guess Shinonome-kun based on the excitement if I hadn't seen him in Nene’s classroom. Who?”
“Toya!! God, he’s gonna be a lifesaver if I skip classes!!!” Rui laughed at her reasoning. “You're laughing! You're laughing but I would have been dead meat without his help because of the supplementary exams!!!”
“I’m laughing because of Ayame's face to your reasoning,” he admitted. And Ayame realised she'd been giving the most confused look.
“I’m sorry, it's just. First name basis and that’s the reason it's great that he's in your class,” she offered. “Like, girl.”
“OOOOOOO, hihi Ayame-chan~ How are you,” Mizuki asked,
“Good. You do fashion shit, right, Akiyama-san?” She could feel the dramatic hand to head.
“We’ve known each other for 3 years and I’m still just ‘Akiyama-san’. The insult…” Rui snickered.
“. . . Answer the damn question and maybe we can start actually bonding like friends,” Ayame offered.
Mizuki laughed. “Yeah, I do fashion. Why, what's up?”
“I’m gonna go borrow one of Nene’s old uniforms because I have to go into Kamikou tomorrow. Can you temporarily adjust it to fit better,” Ayame asked, getting up and moving to the door.
“You bet! I’ll head over after I– ENAAAAAA!”
Rui cackled a bit. “Tell her I say hi.” Her brother waved her off as if to say it was a good moment and she left. Crossing the street to the Kusanagi’s, she noticed Nene just barely making it back.
“You on a committee,” she asked. Nene smiled.
“Library. What's up, Ayame-chan,” Nene’s voice was like music. Ayame always liked hearing it. It had always helped them calm down.
“Need to borrow a uniform,” she offered. “Gotta go in tomorrow and since we didn't expect me to have to, I don't own my own. Gonna buy one tomorrow.”
Nene nodded, unlocking her house and inviting Ayame in to help find one. It didn't take long, Nene letting them try it on in her room. “Just a bit over school code’s size difference,” Nene said. “You’ll have to alter it.”
“Akiyama-san’s coming over to make temporary adjustments,” Ayame said.
“Don't waste money on buying a winter uniform, just keep that one. I have others, I’ll be able to live without having 4,” Nene said, gently elbowing Ayame.
“If you insist… Wanna come over and play games,” Ayame smiled.
“Sure. I’m gonna call Emu first, but I’ll be over soon, okay?”
“Yep. See ya in a bit,” Ayame waved and shuffled back home. They looked in the stone statue in front of her house. Long time ago, she was sure it was a magic statue.
She’d put a prayer to the gods in it, asking for them to stop making their life and Rui’s so difficult. The next day it had vanished. But when she told everyone, they said it was a dream. She was tempted to run the test again. Write a thank you for listening.
They pulled out her favourite lighter, once she'd gotten a few days later by it appearing on her bedside table. Her left hand traced the silver details, over the blue and purple metallic base. It was rechargeable, an electric lighter that also allow for butane use and refills. Ayame claimed the aura it gave was familial. No one in their family bought it, but she never let it go. She wasn't thrilled she'd be unable to bring it to school.
Shaking her head, they went inside, lighting the lighter and watching the purple flame. They loved the colour. It was nearly the same purple her natural hair colour was. And once more, the warmth of family washed over her as she stared into it. It was like an ancestor was watching her and rooting for them.
Rui had moved to the kitchen. “How can you eat even these two veggies, Aya? Yuck–”
Ayame instantly snapped back. “CORN IS A STARCH, YOU GODSDAMNED HEATHEN.” The two argued playfully as they snacked. Poor Nene ended up getting instantly involved the second she walked through the door, and not even Mizuki got spared. But things settled as Ayame stood so Mizuki could measure the adjustments, the two watching Nene kick Rui’s ass in Smash Brothers. It was rare to see Rui rage at a game. Ayame loved watching the moments.
“Okay, seriously, how did you land the up-smash again!? Isn't Wii Fit’s up-smash notorious for being nearly impossible to hit with,” Rui exclaimed. Nene just laughed.
“Yeah, for a casual! Imagine, couldn't be me,” Nene said proudly. Ayame and Mizuki laughed. “Poor Rui, a casual and a noob at Smash. What will you do?” Rui hit Nene with a pillow, did everything in his power to distract his friend… And still royally lost.
“The urge to say you're cheating is high but I know you aren't. How dare you be so good. Leave some skill for the rest of us, Nene,” Rui teased.
“Maybe if you ate vegetables, you could beat me in a game,” Nene snorted.
“I’m forever cursed to lose to you then,” Rui said, deadpanned. Ayame snorted and laughed.
“Measuring done,” Mizuki announced. “Go change and I’ll quick sew it all up, kay?”
“Thanks, Akiyama-chan,” Ayame said. Dramatically, Mizuki flopped onto the couch, landing both on Rui and Nene’s laps.
“I’ve been upgraded to ‘Akiyama-chan’! The gods love me. I am but a humble artist and the gods bless me with this token.” Nene shoved the pink haired girl off the laps to the ground, laughing.
Ayame shuffled upstairs and smiled. Rui was happy, they were happy. The idea about the note came back. On a piece of old-ish looking paper (courtesy of her learning how to carefully burn the edges of parchment on a bored day), she wrote a note.
“Dunno if this is because of gods or if I’m just delusional enough. But thanks for making our lives better.
— Kamishiro Ayame”
She snuck back outside and put the note in the statue, then went back inside and spent the rest of the night having fun.