Chained Trickster

Okay this is the only real warning you get that plot shit is gonna get real bad as of this chapter. I know I tagged and gave warnings in the first chapter, but I just thought I’d say it’s gonna nosedive as of this chapter.

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Arashi sat at the counter, waiting for this guy to get here. He blinked when he got a text from Takamaki.Iz there neway i cn tlk 2 u? He blinked and looked at his phone. She normally seemed fairly articulate and well spoken, so the fact that there were egregious typos…What’s wrong? Cn i cme over? I’m about to go to a bar, but I’ll have my escort stop by and we’ll come get you. It’ll take a little while. Can you give me your address?He didn’t want to trust her, but everything about this pinged asbad.He didn’t want to leave her alone. m n thr bg bng brgr near the trn station near school. I know where that is. Stay there. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Do you need me to call you? ill just wait. Okay. Arashi started bouncing his leg up and down, now extremely anxious. This definitely had to be bad. She was in a public place, so she’d hopefully be safe until he could get there. It’d be out of the way but if she was reaching out to him, it had to bebad. “What’s suddenly got you so antsy, kid?” “I started talking to a girl—Takamaki Ann. Somethingreallybad happened to her, but she won’t say what. And she’s typoing in her texts.” He texted in largely hiragana, so he knew it was a bit harder to follow what he was saying, but at least it wasn’t as hard to follow as the mistyped kanji which was almost near indecipherable for him. But he managed to parse her meaning which was good. He really wanted to go get her now, but he also wanted to be escorted to Crossroads. Then he froze when he realised he’d outed what was happening. Damn it all… He had to bewaymore careful what he said to Sakura from now on. He had to bewayon guard and not tell him what was happening. “I’d say you should skip tonight, but Lala’s place will be good for her. Lala isreallycareful about confidentiality. She doesn’t letanythingslip past her.” Arashi looked at him, not believing him, but he gave a small nod. He would’ve preferred to keep it between them, but right now, all he could do was trust that Lala would keep things confidential. He really didn’t want to hurt Takamaki. He just… He knew he shouldn’t care about her, but he knew way,waytoo well what Kamoshida was doing to her. He had been through it himself. His heart froze in his chest. Oh no… He’d left her at school. Had she lingered…? Had… He hoped and prayed that wasn’t what had happened, but in his gut, he knew. He continued bouncing his leg up and down, shuffling his deck in his hands to try to give himself something to focus on. He probably should do another reading, but he was way too nervous to focus. He wanted to pet Morgana, too. But he was afraid he’d hurt the little cat. Well, Morgana wasn’t a cat but… Ugh. He hated all of this. After what felt like an eternity, a man with short cropped purple hair with pink roots and dressed in a bright purple shirt with dazzling leopard print pants knocked on the door. Arashi shivered, not wanting to be alone with a man like this, but he rushed over to the door and exited after putting his cards away. “Are you—” “We have to go.Now.Someone’s in danger. Yes, I’m Honoka.” For once, he didn’t even think about using his birth name and what it implied. He just needed to get to Takamaki and sooner rather than later. It was dark. He hoped she had some money so she could get a drink or something and stay in the restaurant safely. It would be a good place for her to stay until he could get there. Damn that Kamoshida. The man blinked but nodded. “Lead the way.” Arashi took off at a headlong run, not bothering to check if the man was behind him or not. If there was one thing he could do and do well, it wasrun.He could run for alongtime and not end up breathless. He had learned to outrun the cops and all the little places through his small mountain town that would keep him safe. He didn’t know Tokyo like that by any means, but he knew the way to school now. He didn’t have to think about itonceuntil he hurtled headlong down to the subway station. He only stopped once he reached the stairs to the subway station. He was barely winded, but he looked around. He didn’t see the man until several minutes later. He came up at a slow walk, panting. “D-Damn, kid, you got some lungs on you. I didn’t think you could dothat…” “Somethingreallybad happened and we need to get therenow.I couldn’t wait. Comeon;I don’t want to wait for your slow ass!” He started down the stairs at a jog, trying not to bowl anybody over. He knew he should’ve waited for the man, but he justcould notwait any longer than he had already. He had a feeling he knew what had happened to Takamaki, but he didn’t want to admit what the truth probably was. It was way too awful to admit. He knewfartoo well what it felt like to be in that situation… Thankfully, the man wasn’t too far behind and he got to the platform, though he was panting heavily. “And we still need to do the walk to Crossroads…” “I’mnotleaving Takamaki behind.” “Didn’ expect you to, but I didn’t expect you to leave me behind either…” The man shook his head, still panting. The subway came and Arashi got on, not caring about the claustrophobic feeling this time.On the subway. Be there soon,he texted her. He got no response and braced himself against the movement, trying to focus on being the rock that Takamaki would need. Though, honestly…calling her by her last name probablywould notbe comforting in this scenario. As much as he hated to want to make it seem like he was close to her when he wasn’t, hereallyneeded to be able to comfort her so she didn’t feel alone. They arrived soon after at he hurtled head first out of the subway and up the stairs as quickly as he possibly could, leaving the man in the dust. It took him a moment to find the Big Bang Burger, but he did and darted inside. There, he found Takamaki curled up in a booth. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and she visibly shook. Honestly, it was good he wasn’t presenting as male right now… What she needed right now as a female friend that could relate to what had happened to her. He texted her.Here.She looked down at her phone, then over at him. Her blue eyes were wide and she continued to visibly shake. He walked over to where she was but didn’t sit down. “Can I sit down?” Heknewbetter than to touch her when she was like this. She gave a small nod and he sat next to her. He offered his hand to her if she wanted to take it. She hesitated before taking it. “I…didn’t think you were the type that wanted physical affection.” “You’re right about that. I’m not really the type for it, but you need someone to be here for you. Do you just want to sit in quiet for a bit or do you want to leave?” He wasn’t sure what she needed right now. He wasn’t sure if she needed someone to be there for her in silence, or if she just wanted to leave. “Sakura-san suggested the bar I’m going to—he said the proprietor respects confidentiality.” “I-I want to get away from here.” Her voice was small and shook violently with her body. “A-Are you alone?” He shook his head. “No, I’m not; I have someone escorting me to Crossroads. It… He’s a guy, but I got here as quick as I could.” Takamaki shuddered but nodded. She forced herself to unball and he stood up, then he helped her up. He knew that being with a man wouldn’t be great for her right now, and it wasn’t great for him, but it wasn’t like he could’ve anticipated this happening. He sighed and spoke quietly. “He…tried to hurt you, didn’t he?” A few tears leaked down Takamaki’s face and she looked away. Yeah, that was all the confirmation he needed. Kamoshida had attempted torapeher after he and Sakamoto had left. He squeezed her hand gently. “It’s okay. I know what it’s like unfortunately.” He was doing what he would’ve wanted someoneelseto do forhimafter he’d been assaulted. Calm, quiet, and gentle. That was what he’d needed, but he’d not hadanybodysince his parents pushed him out on the streets. All he wanted sometimes was someone to comfort him. And right now,sheneeded what he had needed. Arashi kept hold of her hand and left the restaurant. The man stood outside of the restaurant…not that he was hard to spot. He waved to them, but his smile vanished as he came over. “C’mon, let’s get to Crossroads. If you want to talk when we get there, you can. Decompress all you need once we get there.” “M-My parents wouldn’t want me going to a bar…” Takamaki’s voice shook and she could barely raise it. “We won’t tell them then, will we?” The man smiled and put a finger over his lips, tilting his head to the side. Takamaki nodded a bit. “C’mon, though.” He led them through the subway station to their destination which was the red-light district. They passed by a ton of bars and everyone left the man alone which Arashi was glad for. He kept hold of Takamaki’s hand, a gentle but firm grip that would keep them from getting separated even in the throngs of crowds that were after the booming nightlife here. He didn’t want her to end up assaulted by another man and only geteven moretraumatised than she already was. They arrived at a small hole-in-the-wall bar on the third floor of a building. He saw Lala behind the counter, making cocktails and serving people. The scent of alcohol clung in the air and Arashi shifted uncomfortably, but he held fast to Takamaki’s hand. He didn’t like alcohol as it brought up the memories of being assaulted, but right now…it was where he needed to be. He squeezed her hand again and went up to the counter. He could still feel Takamaki shaking, and she looked around, eyes wide with trepidation. Lala looked at them and frowned. “Oh honey, something happened, didn’t it?” Takamaki nodded. “C’mon, I know where to go.” Lala slipped out from behind the bar and led them out of the building entirely, down the alleyway and to an apartment. She unlocked the door and led them in. It was nice and homey, though the scent of alcohol still clung to the walls. She led them into the living room where she motioned for Arashi and Takamaki to sit down. They did so and she offered Takamaki a blanket. Takamaki dropped Arashi’s hand, then balled up again. “Now you just decompress here. If you feel up to coming back to Crossroads, I’ll send Sensei to get you. Otherwise, just stay here until you want to go home. Okay?” Despite Lala’s gruff voice, there was a gentleness and kindness to it. “O-Okay…” Takamaki said. “And feel free to raid the fridge if you’re hungry at all.” Takamaki and Arashi nodded before Lala left. Arashi looked at Takamaki. “Do you want some water?” “Y-Yeah…” He got up and went into the kitchen, finding a plastic pitcher that he filled with ice and water, then also found a couple of glasses. He brought it out and sat it on the coffee table. He poured Takamaki a glass and handed it to her. She shook so badly the ice clinked against the sides of the glass, but she managed to get some of it down in tiny sips. With her free hand, she wrapped the blanket around herself. All Arashi could do was offer his hand and she held it while she sipped at the water, obviously trying to calm down. They sat in silence for quite a while, Arashi refilling her glass when she asked for it. Eventually, though, she sat the cup down and just startedbawling.Body-wracking sobs that carried through the apartment. His heart dropped through his stomach. He wasn’t good at dealing with people in general, let alone people that had been throughhorriblytraumatic events. He really didn’t know what to do, so he just held her hand as a meager comfort. He really wished he could do more for her, but he didn’t know what to say. She cried for a long time until she stopped and slumped against the couch. He refilled her glass and gave it to her. “Replenish some of that water,” he said. She nodded weakly before sipping at it. “If you want to talk to me, you can. I’m not gonna force you to, though.” He knew that forcing people to talk wouldn’t do any good. He did want help, but he just…didn’t knowhowto. This was so beyond him and his ability. He’d been largely isolated from society and didn’t have any friends since he’d been booted out of his house by his parents. He had some associates in the homeless community, but that was as far as it went. Takamaki held the glass with both hands and he sat away from her a little, just trying to give her some space. After she finished about half the glass, she looked down at it. “…Ryuji left shortly after you did. I was gonna head home too, but then Kamoshida came up to me. I knew something was up despite how sweet he was acting. I know better than to trust him. We were relatively alone, so he…made a move on me. Pinned me to the wall. He…” She hiccuped and shuddered. “You don’t have to tell me anything more than that,” Arashi said softly. He knew she wanted to be with him as support, but he didn’t want her to feel like shehadto tell him anything. “He…didn’t manage to go all the way, at least.” Takamaki sipped her water again. “I’m so sorry.” He didn’t know what to say beyond that. This was so beyond him. He was trying his best, but he was failing miserably. He just had no idea how to handle it. He had his own traumas from similar run-ins with men, but he had just buried them. They didn’t bother him too much now. But this wasfreshfor Takamaki, just a couple hours, if that. He had gotten to her as quickly as he could… He wished he could do more. She stayed slumped against the couch and didn’t reply. She still shook, the ice clinking against the sides of the glass. “I’m just glad I’m with someone that understands.” Her voice remained soft, her gaze unfocused. Yeah, he wouldn’t be surprised if she were zoning out now that she was out of fight or flight. He unfortunately couldn’t afford that himself, but he knew that people could just zone out after a traumatic event. He had beenforcedto stay cognizant after every encounter especially in the winter so he didn’t fall asleep and die to hypothermia. He unfortunately did understand her position far,fartoo well… He really wished he could do more to help, but he was doing everything he possibly could. “I do. I really do.” He offered her his hand again and she took it. Then she put the glass down and shifted, resting against him. He blinked, but didn’t push her away. If it was what she needed right now…it was what she needed. He really didn’t like getting touchy feely with people, but in this case… Yeah. If she needed some physical contact to ground her, then he’d give it to her. He didn’t do anything else, though, not wanting to set her off after such a vulnerable, awful thing had happened to her. It was so hard to see her suffering in a way he knew all too well… He was pretty sure she dozed off for a while form the way her body became less stiff and her breathing slowed. But she did eventually wake back up and rubbed her eyes. “Unfortunately, I think I’m the best I can get right now… Did you want to go to the bar or stay here?” “It’s really up to you. What would you prefer to do?” He couldn’t make that decision for her. “I guess we can go to the bar…” Arashi nodded and took out the business card Lala had given to him, then texted her that they wanted to come. He just got a thumbs up emoji in return. It took about five minutes, but a knock came on the apartment door. Arashi helped Takamaki up and went to the door with her. The same flamboyant man stood there. “So you wanna come back to Crossroads?” His tone was soft and he slouched. Arashi was pretty sure this guy was a lot taller than he seemed, but the way he slouched made him appear less intimidating and more approachable. Which, right now, was good. Arashi was still uncomfortable with being around men like this but…it was who Lala had sent. “Might as well…” Takamaki said. They closed up the apartment and made the short walk to Crossroads. Once they entered, low, jazzy music played in the background. It wasn’t really what Arashi had expected from a bar… He expected something louder and more thumping than this. This…was relatively quiet and sedate. Honestly, he was fine with this sort of atmosphere. People definitely were getting drunk, but it was a bar; what else could he expect? Though, the smell of cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air which made him cough. He had never been a fan of the scent, but it wasn’t his establishment; he couldn’t say anything against it. The pair sat at the counter and Lala approached them. “Feelin’ any better yet, darlin’?” “About as I can after…that.” Takamaki shuddered. “Thank you for your kindness, though. What’s your name?” “You can just call me Lala, darlin’.” Lala smiled at her. “Now I can’t serve you two alcohol, but I have plenty of juices and mocktails.” She pulled out a laminated menu and slid it over to them. “For you, Honoka, I’d suggest the Moon on the Water. And for you, darlin’—” She looked at Takamaki. “—I’d suggest the Cherryblight. I can get those started if you want.” “Sure,” Arashi said, looking over the menu. The tagline for the Moon on the Water was ‘for the ones who have been quiet too long.’ That sure did feel…poignant for him. The Cherryblight tagline was ‘sweetness curdled by truth—and still beautiful.’ Again, it felt oddly relevant to the situation. He wasn’t entirely certain if he’d like this drink or not, but it was worth trying, at least. His was jasmine tea, pear nectar, and elderflower cordial. Takamaki’s was dark cherry, tamarind, burnt honey, and smoked hibiscus. He’d never had any of these ingredients before, but it sounded a lot better than just straight-up fruit juice. He was surprised how thoughtful these mocktails were. Then again, it wasn’t something he even knew existed until now… “That’s fine…” Takamaki shuddered. “Anything tonight will be on the house,” Lala said. “What does that mean?” Arashi asked. Lala smiled. “It’s not somethin’ I normally do, but considering the circumstances, you two don’t need to stress about paying tonight. Basically, freebies.” Arashi blinked. “That’s a thing people do?” “It’s more common in the West than here in Japan, but just considerin’ everything tonight, I’m not gonna charge ya.” “Thank you.” Arashi hadn’t thought about that…at all really. He had been so worried about Takamaki that he hadn’t thought about how much things would cost or having money to pay Lala for services rendered. He was glad he wouldn’t have to think about it tonight… He probably would’ve just had water, but something else did sound kind of nice. Lala did put some water in front of them with ice, though, while she made the mocktails. He wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea to have tea this late into the evening, but itwasher establishment; might as well listen to her. “Ain’t no trouble, honey.” Lala smiled and pushed the two mocktails across the counter once she finished them. Arashi took a sip and blinked. “Wow, this is really good. Although do you have an idea of the caffeine content…?” He didn’t want to be up all night, wired by the caffeine. “Pretty low, maybe 60 milligrams. Unless you’reincrediblycaffeine sensitive, it shouldn’t have you awake all night, not unless you drink like four or five of these. I don’t think one is gonna hurt.” Lala smiled. Arashi nodded. “All right.” It was then that the man that had escorted them to Crossroads came up. “Oh Sensei,darling!I think you should officially be introduced to the two lovely kids,” Lala said. The man nodded and smiled at them. “Sorry we couldn’t give names before, but… I’m Kirigami Aoi, a university professor that specialises in folklore.” “Kurusu Honoka.” Arashi felt his rage bubble inside of him again, but he pushed it down. He wouldn’t be surprised if his eyes had flashed the dangerous yellow of Arsene popping up again. Lala looked at him, obviously concerned. “Honey, you don’t need to wear a mask here. There are straight people here, but most of the patrons here are queer in some form or another. Sensei’s one of the few straight people that comes here, but he’s flamboyant enough to be one of us!” Lala laughed. “Seriously, darling, you can be yourself here.” Arashi looked at Takamaki, then away. He couldn’t, not with her here. Plus, he knew what happened when he came out to adults. “Are…you queer?” Takamaki asked. He declined to answer, staring down at the drink in his glass. “I really don’t care if people are queer or not… I know it’s really stigmatised in Japan, but you don’t have to worry around me. I won’t out you to anybody else, not even Ryuji. This is a queer bar, so you should be safe to be yourself here, Kurusu.” “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, his voice failing. “Well, you can come here as much as you want to,” Lala said. “Hopefully, in time, you’ll feel comfortable to take off that mask of yours. I think I know your deal, but what do you want me to call you?” “Just Kurusu is fine.” It was neutral, all things considered. He swirled the mocktail around in the glas, not looking up at anybody. This was supposed to be a safe place for him, but he knew better. He knew better than to trust adults with his identity. He had come out to the people that were supposed to love him the most, but they had kicked him on the streets when they were supposed to protect and support him. But they had wanted a daughter, not a son… It was hard to let go of that. And people in his town had harassed and demeaned him since he’d been outed multiple times and nobody had treated him kindly. He was just afreak,some animal in a zoo to be stared at and derided because he didn’t adhere to societal norms. “All right then, darlin’. Kurusu it is.” Lala smiled at him. “Though if you ever want to give yourrealname, you’re welcome to.” He frowned but didn’t say anything in return. “Remember, anyone that wears two names can use their real one here.” However, Lala left it at that and started talking to other patrons. He kept his mocktail and sipped it. He wasn’t sure what to do now. He wasn’t used to socialising. The jazzy atmosphere was nice, but still… It was hard to really know what to do next. “This is pretty nice…” Takamaki muttered, looking down at her drink. “Yeah, mine is too,” Arashi said, though it was awkward. He just didn’t know how to deal with people. The man that had escorted them there—Kirigami—had moved to a nearby table and waved them over. Arashi looked over at Takamaki. She shuddered but stood up and motioned for him to follow. He did so and they both sat at the man’s table. “So we did get introduced, but how about lettin’ me get ta know ya a bit?” He smiled at them, chin resting in his hand. “I don’t come to Crossroads every night, but what brings you here?” “Um, Lala gave me a card.” He pulled it out of his wallet and showed it to Kirigami. “She invited me here. Though…how should I refer to her?” “Ah, Lala is fine. So are feminine pronouns. She’s still a cis male, but she really enjoys living life dressed femininely.” Kirigami smiled. “That…doesn’t make any sense. Why would a man dress like a woman…and want to be referred to with feminine pronouns?” He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Shouldn’t they be calling Lala…notthatand not referring to her with feminine pronouns? He would doanythingto have been born in a male body. He really couldn’t get it. “Japan is stricter on gender roles than a lot of Western countries, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a queer population. It’s pushed to the margins far more than in Western countries, but there are still places where it’s more socially acceptable. Like here. Crossroads is good for anybody that lives outside the cishet binary.” Kirigami swirled his drink around in the glass. “What…does cishet mean?” He had never heard that term before. All of this was completely new to him. He hadn’t even known being queer was athinguntil he’d learned about it today. He knew about trans identities, as he’d looked it up on the library computer when he’d been on the streets. He’d just wanted ananswerto what he felt and why he was such a freak. And trans was the answer. He hadn’t looked into anything beyond that. “Cisgender heterosexual. Basically you identify with what’s between your legs and you’re attracted to the opposite sex.” Kirigami shrugged. “If you’re not cishet, you’re queer. Though you can still be cishet and still be queer.” “Howdoes that make sense?” Arashi asked. “There’s the asexual spectrum…” He explained how people could have romantic and sexual attraction and some people were still cishet but were somewhere on the ace spectrum. Honestly, it sounded like a bunch of garbage to Arashi, but he didn’t say it. He sipped his drink the entire time, a bit disappointed when it was finally gone. He still had his water, but the flavorful jasmine tea with the extra components had beenreallynice. “So are you queer?” “I’m straight as an arrow; Crossroads just has agreatatmosphere.” He grinned. “Plus, my wife’s girlfriend loves hanging out here.” Arashi shook his head back and forth several times in rapid succession. “You allow her to be unfaithful?” That…seemed dangerous. “Nah, not unfaithful; it’s called polyamory. Basically multiple people in a single relationship. There can be cheating even in a polyamorous relationship which especially sucks when it happens. But it requires open communication and consent from all the parties involved. I’m not queer, but my wife is. She’s had several boyfriends and girlfriends over the years while we’ve been together. Took a bit to get used to, but we’ve been happy this way for twenty-some years.” “That…doesn’t seem like it’d be a recipe for success.” Arashi couldn’t help but feel like it was unfaithfulness. How could somebody be in a relationship with more than one person? “Have you ever had a girlfriend…or boyfriend?” He knew that people could be attracted to the same gender, but he hadn’t really met anybody like that before. Not unless they were hiding their life from him and he didn’t know. Japanese homes were generally quite private, so it could be that they had a partner that was hidden away or something like that. He had no idea. Kirigami shook his head. “Nah, I don’t swing that way. But it makes my wife happy and we live a good life together. She’s had plenty of long-term partners, though it’s usually pretty secret. Unless we come here. Crossroads isgreatif you’re queer. There are plenty of other queer bars here in Tokyo, of course, but this is one of the best ones we’ve found.” “I see…” “So what about you, little lady?” Kirigami turned his attention to Takamaki. “Oh, um. I’m honestly not sure… I’ve never really dated anybody before.” Her voice was quiet which…he didn’t blame her at all. She was still entirely disturbed from what had happened earlier. His heart went out to her. She clearly wasn’t in any shape to be socialising with anybody. Honestly, it might just be best for them to leave for tonight. “Hey, how about we leave for the night?” Arashi asked and as he looked at Takamaki. Her heart clearly wasn’t in it. She sighed. “I’m sorry to be a party pooper, but yeah, I just… I don’t feel like being here.” He looked at Kirigami. “I’m sorry, but would you mind taking me back to LeBlanc?” He looked back at Takamaki. “What do you want to do?” She shuddered. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.” That he could hardly blame her for. This had been ahorribleexperience and it wasbeyondtraumatising. “Can I stay at your place?” “I live above a café. There’s only one mattress and a bench… I could sleep on the bench.” He’d slept on cold concrete before, so a bench for one night wouldn’t be the end of the world for him. “We do have school tomorrow… I’d need a change of clothes and everything.” “We can stop by your place first.” “Okay. Thank you…” She frowned. “But your guardian won’t be upset?” Arashi frowned as well. “I don’t know. But he was supportive of me coming here…” There still had to besomethingSakura was after from him. He didn’t know what it was yet, but hewouldget to the bottom of it. But he didn’t blame Takamaki for not wanting to be alone. If he had had a choice, he wouldn’t have wanted to be alone either, after all the times he’d been assaulted. But he’d not been afforded thatat all.He’d been forced to simply try to make his way in the world by himself, in silence and in pain. Nobody had managed to rape him, but a few men had gotten close… He shuddered and pushed the thoughts away. “Kirigami-san, could you at least escort us to the subway?” Kirigami flapped his hand. “Oh, just call me Sensei; everyone here does. But yes, I can do that for you.” Takamaki and Arashi returned their glasses to Lala and left the bar with Kirigami. He escorted them to the subway station and then Ann took Arashi to her house. She picked up some pajamas as well as a school uniform and then they headed back to LeBlanc. By time they arrived back at the café, it was dark inside. Arashi took out the key and unlocked the door. He flicked the lightswitch on and stretched a little. “I live upstairs.” He let Takamaki go to the staircase, then flicked off the light. Thankfully, the one upstairs was on. Sakura most likely… Morgana couldn’t really reach the light switch very easily; wasn’t like he had hands or anything. They took turns getting dressed into their pajamas, then Arashi settled down on the bench near the TV. “Sleep well,” he said as he looked at Takamaki. He knew he should use her name, but it just…didn’t feel right. This was all a farce. He wasn’t close to her or anything like that. He did feel bad for her and didn’t want her to be alone…but they weren’t friends. Using her given name felt like a slap in the face. “Thank you,” Takamaki said. They divvied up the blankets, though Arashi gave her a few more than he had. Sakura had brought them up for him which he was glad for. He also handed her the fat dog plushie that Sakura had given to him. He figured she could use the extra bit of comfort. “It’s really no trouble. Just know it’ll be a little cold in here… It’s already chilly.” There wasn’t a lot in terms of insulation, so it was definitely going to be miserable in the summer when it got extremely hot. But it wasn’t like he had much choice in the matter either. Sakura had a house, but there were apparently reasons he couldn’t allow Arashi in. He wondered what those reasons were, but it wasn’t his place to probe. Takamaki nodded, then laid down and covered herself with the blankets. Morgana jumped up next to her. Arashi got up and went to turn the lights off, then found his way back to the bench. He curled up and went to sleep, hoping that Takamaki would sleep okay despite everything that had happened to her…