Chapter Text
JULY. 5739.
Being Minami’s best friend had its perks.
As kindred spirits in the world of journalism, the two of you served as Tsukasa’s eyes and ears in this new stone age. On the field, you were known for being the best feature news reporter. The articles you’ve written lent a hand on the massive knowledge base you had on many things.
You first meet Ukyo a few days after you were revived, when you were getting back to base camp. Right after your revival, Tsukasa tasked you to go draw a 5-kilometer radius map of the area. He’d just gotten back from patrol. He smiled and tipped his hat.
“Ukyo Saionji. Sonar operator.”
Minami had pulled you aside after revival, listing down names and catching you up in an efficient manner by using shorthand only you and your fellow journalists would understand. You’d quickly built up your network after that, making full use of Minami’s tips to collect information on everyone, the famed Ukyo included.
He seemed friendly and kind-hearted. Friendly people were few and far between in the stone world. You were all too aware of the disparity in males to females in Tsukasa’s camp— still, making enemies wouldn’t help your case at all. So, even though your guards were still up, you returned his smile with one of your own, meeting his eyes. Saying your name, you raise your hand for a handshake that he takes.
“We finally meet. I used to be a reporter.” You introduce yourself before holding out the leaves you’d painstakingly carved. “Though I guess right now, I’m more of a cartographer. It’s nice to meet you.”
He eyes you in interest, shaking your hand. He had a strong grip and was a few inches taller than you. His eyes were scarily sharp—keen and observing as if trying to discern if you were friend or foe. All of a sudden, he tensed, taking out a bow with lightning speed and drawing it back.
Before you could even speak, he’d shot an arrow behind you. Three birds dropped from the sky as you whipped your head to look back at him, wide-eyed.
Well.
That was one hell of a first impression.
Ukyo laughs and you realize you’d said it out loud. Damn.
As you eyed the bow slung on his back, you make note of how his eyes temporarily dart towards the left. You make a mental note to yourself: Do not make an enemy of Ukyo Saionji.
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“We need paper.”
Heads turned to look at you approaching Tsukasa with a frown.
It had been a few days since your revival and you’d gone through a couple of different jobs as you built up muscle and stamina. You’d built up quite the network as you worked, talking and chatting with other people to get a better feel of the current world you stood in. Mainly, you found comfort in talking to two high schoolers— Yuzuriha and Taiju. They were like your little sibling, back in the modern world, with their energy and smiles. Talking to them helped you relax after a full day's work. Yuzuriha was in charge of making clothes and Taiju worked with the others to make weapons and hunt for food.
Still, old habits die hard and you spent most of your free time when you weren't with them, catching up with Minami.
You walked towards the weird makeshift ‘throne’ Tsukasa had. In your hands was yet another leaf map.
“There’s no way in hell I’m writing on another dumb leaf. It’s too fragile and too hard to write on.” You say, passing him the leaf. Tsukasa holds it in his hand, taking note of the hole that rendered the intricate map of the camp useless.
“Do you know how to make paper?” He asks, and you blink at him.
“Do I—Of course I do? They teach you how to in third grade-- how on—” You stop, recalling how young Tsukasa actually was.
Right, the absolute tank in front of you was a high-schooler. God, you were not paid enough for this (you weren’t paid at all).
Not considering rank and power, you were literally one of the oldest people in this camp, you thought bitterly. Thrust into the stone world at the ripe old age of twenty-four, you realize most people you were with were either high school or college students. God, what had Minami dragged you into?
“I know how to make paper.” You sigh, “and the equipment to make it too. I just need at most two, maybe even one other person.”
“Paper is a one-use thing,” Hyoga crosses his arms, ever determined to oppose you, and you have to bite back a scathing remark.
“No it is not.” You argue back, “Not only can we write on it. It can also be used for sterilization, cleaning, hygiene, literally most basic things that we don’t have enough fabric for we can switch to paper instead.”
Before Hyoga can reply, Tsukasa raises his hand, silencing the debate.
“Ukyo is on patrol today. Go with him on patrol and gather what you need.”
You shoot Tsukasa a grateful nod, smiling as you make your way out of the cave.
You find Ukyo high up on one of the tallest trees near camp. After calling him down and explaining what had transpired, he nodded.
“How on earth do you know how to make paper?”
“Did no one else do the same thing during high school?” You huff as you smash the leaves into the smallest pulps using a thick piece of wood. Without a blender, your makeshift mortar and pestle wasn’t necessarily as effective, but it would have to do. Ukyo laughs.
“I’m afraid that was only a your-high-school thing. In our high school, we had to grow our own rice.” Ukyo says as he adds more softened leaves to your bowl.
You pause.
“You had to farm?”
Ukyo nods, with a smile.
“Every day, even on the weekends. If we ever reach farming during the Stone Age, I’m your guy. Although, I think we’re still a few couple years away from that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” You hum, storing that information for later.
You knew Tsukasa was planning something, judging by the type of people he was reviving. You’d gotten information from Minami as well about how he had gotten the revival fluid’s recipe. You respected the high-schooler, but there was no way Tsukasa alone had figured that out.
Making paper was actually pretty easy, it was easier than making cloth, even. All you had to do was soften the leaves, mash them into a pulp, dissolve them into a container of water, and lay out the pulp in a thin frame to dry.
You’d explained the process to Ukyo on the way as you collected more soft leaves. In exchange, he told you small details he noticed about the current world that differed from the past. How animals didn’t flee when humans were near, how different the night sky was without light pollution clouding the atmosphere.
It was peaceful, you thought.
Well, about as peaceful as an army’s life with Tsukasa as your leader could get.
When the pulp was thin enough, you created the mixture and showed Ukyo how to sift the pulp thin enough to start making paper. The two of you made a pretty good team, amassing a pretty large amount of leaves that you added to baskets Yuzuriha weaved. Soon enough, it was time to take a well-deserved break.
“Working in the stone age is tough.” You sigh, leaning back on the trunk of the tree.
The two of you were taking a small break after creating a couple sheets of paper. The sun was high in the sky now, blaring on your back and head mercilessly. It was also good news though, since it was prime drying time for the laid-out papers.
“It’s a lot of manual labor, for sure,” Ukyo says with a smile as he tosses a skin of water. He was higher up on the tree- perched on top of a thick branch, serving as a lookout.
“I keep reaching for my notepad or my phone.” You say with a sarcastic smile, “I don’t even have pockets, Ukyo!”
“It takes a little getting used to.” He admits. “I kept reaching for my earpieces when I first came to.”
You stared up at him from your spot on the ground. His eyes were trained on the horizon, constantly scanning the area. There was no doubt in your mind that Ukyo was higher up in the authority ladder than you were, but you preferred it that way.
As a journalist, your job didn’t really benefit from too much exposure. Too many eyes on you meant too many hands dipping in the pot, so to speak. Too many voices trying to control the narrative.
“It hasn’t been that long since I got revived, don’t get me wrong, it’s good to stretch my limbs out after a few thousand years, but I’m not really suited for the kind of physical labor they’re doing back in camp.”
Ukyo hums. “You’re pretty good at cartography though, Tsukasa might transfer you to the recon team with me and the other patrol soon.”
You look up at Ukyo. There was an edge in his voice that other people wouldn’t pick up on, but your ears were trained for it.
“Is there something we need to be ready for?” You ask. Ukyo’s eyes dart down, looking a little surprised, but he recovers quickly. His expression is unreadable, barely a smile and more of a grimace.
“…there is.” He says quietly. You nod. He probably can’t tell you any more than that but your intuition told you to press for a little more information.
You school your features into a neutral one.
“Are people going to get harmed?”
He was quiet for a bit after you asked the question. You stood up and started climbing the tree he was in. You were at a disadvantage at the current layout, with you looking up and him looking down—a psychological trick to get people to level with you literally was that you needed to look him in the eye.
When you reach the branch he was on, he extends his hand.
Taking it, you sit next to him.
“Ukyo.” You stare at him. “I’m serious here, this is the only thing I won’t stop asking about—will people get harmed?”
His face is neutral for a while, as if thinking deeply. Then he sighs, resigned.
“I hope it won’t be.”
You examine his features, looking for tell-tale signs of a lie, but saw nothing that indicated. After all, this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to lie to your face.
“We’re heading to winter soon, Gen, the famous mentalist will be back with more information.” Ukyo says, then adds. “Have you written an article about warfare in the past?”
The pieces connect.
A war was coming.
And it was against whoever Gen had been sent to infiltrate.
With the roundabout way Ukyo had worded it, it looked like she was one of the few who weren’t supposed to know about it. You furrow your eyebrows.
“I prefer writing articles about peace. Or how to avoid war altogether.” Even at your young age of twenty-four you’d gotten sent to do international wartorn areas before, when you were a newer journalist who wanted to make a name for yourself. War was nothing to laugh about. Even if it were the stone age, considering the strength of the people on your side, it would be a bloodbath.
At your words, Ukyo seems to relax.
“I prefer reading about peace as well.” He nods, satisfied with what he heard. He quickly gauged whether or not to bring you into his plans. Having more people on his side would be helpful, especially one with your network. You were well-liked in Tsukasa’s camp and it had only been a few days. If he somehow convinced you and Minami, he’d have an easier time minimizing the damage the war will cause.
He keeps his mouth shut for now. Tsukasa had only placed him as head for recon recently. He needed to get more power or influence to pull off what he was planning to do. You were studying his every move, coming to a conclusion before you suddenly nodded.
“I’ll keep an eye out for possible articles on peace in the Stone age then.” You smile. “I’ll let you know if I think of something.”
Ukyo looks surprised before he laughs. You were going to go investigate on your own and find your own conclusion. He liked that. And he appreciated that you can pick up what he was putting down.
You were smart and resourceful. And he wanted to hear more of your thoughts.
“I’m looking forward to it, then.”