Rise Kujikawa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kujikawaii) wrote2009-07-18 07:24 pm
kujikawaii) wrote2009-07-18 07:24 pm
Entry tags:
♫ You take the pieces of the dreams that you have
Characters: Matt Williams [Canada] (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
maplezen) and Rise Kujikawa (forthecamera)
Verse:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
soul_campaign
Rating: G
Setting: Various places; post game.
Description: The war has been won and it is time to go home, and with the hope that he might exist in her world, Rise searches for Matt.
You're full of hope as you begin rearranging
Time was a fickle thing. When you thought about it it seemed to drag by. When you looked back on it, it was as if it had disappeared completely. Three years ago Rise had first awoken in the Kishin chamber to a strange new world, where she had been tossed into an incredible war with complete strangers. An awful war—if there is such a thing as a 'good' war, but incredible none the less. The things she had seen, things she had learned, and most of all the people she had met had all left an incredible impact on her.
Miharu, Yoko, Watanuki, Edward, Blues, Spirit, Maka, Soul, so many, many others; but the one who had left the biggest impact was by far Matt. Two sides of the same coin, she had always understood the phrase but she never expected to ever actually witness it, much less have it applied to her.
Funny how she thought he was crazy when she first met him. He claimed to be a country—to be Canada after all; but soon others began to file in who said the same thing, and that explanation became invalid, after that she simply didn't believe them but figured it was none of her business why they claimed to be such. At that time she would have never imagined that he would eventually become her Meister, and that in time he would become her best friend, and months later that she would fall for him.
When Rise woke up that morning she just stared at the ceiling. It was the last day before they were to be sent home. Even before she had come here, Rise hadn't often failed to get a very early start in the morning so that she could do everything to get herself looking just the way she wanted for the day. Today was one of those exceptions. Knowing that in less than two days she would be sent back to home had kept her up all night. Of all the luck, to wake up late on a day like this.
There was a knock on the door and she gave a loud grunt in response. It opened and soon she felt the side of the bed sink as Matt sat down. She finally crawled out from under all her sheets and poked her head out from under them to smile at him, eyes droopy and hair doubtlessly a mess. He was the only one she allowed to see her like this.
“Made you some breakfast.” he said softly, holding up a tray so she could see.
The scent of pancakes and syrup hit her nose and she finally pushed herself up to a sitting position. Once she got settled Matt leaned over to help her find a good spot to balance the tray. Before he could sit back entirely, Rise quickly brushed her lips against his and whispered a thank you. He blushed and gave a jerky nod.
“Ah, did you get a chance to talk to everyone you wanted to?”
She nodded, eating her over-sweetened pancakes. At least the eggs weren't swimming in the syrup.
“Hard to think that it's almost been four years. What will you do when you get home?”
Rise swallowed “Well there is the case to get to. After that my career, I suppose.” she trailed off. It was a slightly depressing subject to be honest. The two had decided to spend today together just doing all the things they loved and revisiting old places. She really rather not talk about it and ruin what was suppose to be a day of good memories. He talks more, and she listens, silently eating her breakfast. When she's done (mouth feeling a little tart and dry from all the syrup) she looks at him and he smiles.
“Let's elope!” The words come out of nowhere, surprising even her.
Matt looked at her “Eh?”
Rise picked up the tray and put it on her bedside table. She pulled her feet out from under the cover so she could now effortlessly wrapped her arms around one of his and hug it tightly to her chest. She scooted to his side so she could rest her head on his shoulder, and giggled just a tiny bit when she saw him blush. That would never get old for her.
“Elope! Let's get out of here, Matt! We have that chance. Let's go cross the border to your home and stay here it'll be easy! We'll find jobs and settle down somewhere.”
Matt opened and closed his mouth, blush deepening but she quickly spoke again “I know, I know.” That had been a little unfair of her. She knew they couldn't as much as she wished they could. She had her world to return to, he had his world to return to. She had a case to help resolve, and he had to watch over his people. To ask him to abandon that would be selfish, and as much as she loved him she still loved her friends who remained back home, possibly wishing for her return--wondering what had happened to her.
A lot of times Rise had wondered if Matt hadn't been wrong. He had been hesitant about the relationship, knowing that one day they would all be sent back to their respective worlds, and because he was a country, and thus would live far longer than she would, and stay looking as he was for the entirety of her life. He had thought that it would be unfair to her.
Funny, she thought that it would be unfair to him.
Whichever it may be, Rise knew that she would rather take her chances facing those hardships, then looking back at her life and wondering what may have been.
~**~
Three years ago Rise would have expected this to be a day of celebration. She had imagined cheering and everyone happy and excited to be returning to their homes. Instead the chamber was strangely quiet and the air solemn. Rise and Matt stood next to each other, looking towards each other as Spirit, Dr. Stein, and Shinigami-sama prepared to make their wish.
Neither was paying attention.
Rise was trying very hard to cry. This could be the last time they would see each other, and she didn't want him to remember her with tears.
“Theres something I want to give you,” he whispered, though it was probably unnecessary. He took out a small piece of paper from his pocket it, placed it in her hands, then curled her fingers over it before holding her hand in between his, “it's my address in Ottawa. Look for me.”
He kissed her forehead and they were gone.
~**~
Returning to her life had been painful. Rise had been sent back to those three years ago, that night that she and the others had decided not to kill Namatame. She had been so dead that night that the following day when they were to interrogate him, Naoto had to come to her house personally to fetch her. The detective had been understandably irritated but the moment she had seen Rise come down those stairs it had quickly turned to concern and out came the questions; but Rise just smiled that well-practiced smile of hers and spun a believable tale of nightmares having to do with the idea of them having gone through with tossing Namatame in the television. Naoto didn't entirely buy it, because no matter how good she was Rise couldn't hide the shock of finding herself three years younger, unable to transform, and in a world she had nearly forgotten. If it wasn't for the fact that she still had the clothes and accessories she had left with Rise might have wondered if it had all be one long and strange dream. Thank God for that. Thank God.
There was a disconnect at first; from her and the others. They managed to find out the truth, they managed to catch Adachi, but all through that time she could see the questions in their eyes. Where had this sudden intuition of hers come from? Why was she suddenly a fighter? Most importantly, why was she so different, and Kanzeon something now utterly unlike herself? The bond between all of them was unbreakable, and she was sure that this was the only thing that kept them so patient through all her silences. They were though, and for that she was eternally grateful. After the case life seemed to fly. Souji returned home, she returned to her career with new fortitude and became one of those rare idols who wrote their own music. She finally let out all those many, many songs she had written in her little book—songs about the friends she had made here in Inaba, song about the ones she had met in Death City, songs she had written with Matt.
Before she knew it three years had passed as if they were nothing. It was painful. There were so many times when she wanted to leave and go to Canada but she had still been a minor then. Sure her job brought her to many other place—particularly the United States (which made her remember with a smile on her face, Alfred) but Canada always remained out of reach. Always in the corner, always in the peripheral, so invisible to the world that it tried to turn her head away; but she never forgot. Of course she didn't, and she awed people with her sudden knowledge of everything pertaining to the country on the other side of the world. It's history, it's culture, even the odd stereotypical quirks and mannerisms. She spoke of it as if she were Canadian herself—lovingly, patriotically. She would speak of its forests and mountains, of its beauty. Stranger than all that was when she'd get such a distant look in her eyes, as if she was no longer around and she would talk about other things. Things like specific rivers or ponds, certain areas in certain forests that no amount of searching through books or the internet could bring up. It forced everyone to ask the question that had been on their minds: Just when the hell had Rise visited Canada? Then she'd just throw back her head and laugh, saying of course she had just been pulling their legs, how could they fall for it every time? After all, that was her and Matt's little secret.
Two more years passed and her career came to an end. After all a teen idol was only one as long as she was a teen, and Rise had been able to push the envelope thanks to her youthful appearance and popularity. Rise didn't mind. She was happy with everything that she had done, and it didn't mean she couldn't still sing or act in movies. Besides that it meant she was finally free to do what she had always wanted to do since returning home. It meant that she could finally begin her search for Matt.
The very day her career as an idol ended was the very day she bought a one-way ticket to Canada and boarded the plane.
~**~
She had been feeling it for a while now, but the moment her feet finally touched the ground Rise was filled with such a sense of homecoming and completion, that to her embarrassment she started to cry. It startled some people around her, and a couple stopped to ask if she was okay and she nodded; they didn't understand that she was crying because she was so happy. She could have danced and sung right then and there because being here gave her that feeling that she always did when she was around Matt. Like everything was just right or would be, a true giddiness and exhilaration for who she was and what she was doing. She spent that day running around Ottawa remembering all the things that she had been taught by Matt, excited to finally see it with her own eyes. She felt so silly, here she was, a twenty year old (technically twenty-three year old) acting like a child on Christmas. She was prancing through the streets completely unaffected by the cold and enthusiastically greeting everyone she passed by with a huge smile—it was a surprise that no one called the cops on her. She spent that day by herself, just wanting to see with her own eyes everything he had told her. It was exhilarating and when Naoto called her, worried about her 'sudden and inexplicable disappearance' she had to assure the other girl that yes she was fine, and no she was not drunk or high.
The next morning came and she awoke a little less enthusiastic than before. Now was the time to finally go to the place she had been aiming towards for the past five years of her life. She pulled out the faded and worn book she had bought in her first year in Death City, the one where she had written so many of her songs, and written so many little notes. Stupid silly things at first—like about twenty or more crossed out hues of yellow before she had finally settled on the one she thought was closest to Matt's hair color. A catalog of all the different kinds of smiles he had. Looking back on it she was almost mortified because it had started out as such a typical stupid little fangirly crush. On the last page, neatly stapled and tape was the small piece of paper Matt had given her on their last day. His address written in his own handwriting.
She went through her morning process even more meticulously than she usually did. If she was going to see him, it would be the first in five years, and Matt was the only person who could make her feel a little self conscious, especially considering that most of the women he never probably didn't age.
The house wasn't too far away but Rise walked slowly. He had said to search for him, but she knew that that didn't assure that he would actually be there. Matt might not exist in her world. Chances were that he didn't--but if he did, making sure of it was worth everything. Unfortunately, however slow she walked she found herself there faster than she would have like.
She took the deepest breath she ever had, and rang the doorbell.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four.
Someone was on the other side. She could hear them fiddling with the lock. The door began to open and she bit her lip in anticipation and.
Saw herself looking at messy blonde hair, and blue bespectacled eyes.
Her heart drop and she lowered her head to look down at the young boy who looked back at her with a frown. Her turned and yelled over his shoulder "MOM! There's a weird lady at the door."
If she wasn't so disappointed Rise might have been insulted.
A woman came to the door and shooed the boy away "Peter. Don't be rude," she turned her attention to Rise and smiled warmly, "can I help you, sweetie?"
The woman looked like she was probably in her late forties or fifties. Still quite young. Rise hesitated for a moment before asking: "Does someone by the name of Matthew Williams live here? Or around here."
The mother looked momentarily thrown before shaking her head "No, I'm afraid not."
"...Canada?" Rise ventured, desperate.
Now the woman was frowning at her. "I beg your pardon?"
Rise laughed and shook her head "Nothing. I'm sorry. I guess I just got the wrong address."
The woman looked concerned, and unconvinced but left it at that. "I hope you find who you are looking for." She quietly closed the door.
So that was that. Five years of wishing and waiting squashed in less than five minutes. Rise remained there on the porch for almost an entire minute more before she realized that Peter was eyeing her suspiciously from the window. She gave an apologetic smile and began to head back to her hotel.
It was okay. Matt wasn't gone, he was all around her. He was Canada after all, and that's where she was. From the people around her to the cold breeze to the ground that she stepped on; it was all him.
And she tried, oh how hard she tried, to convince herself that that was enough.
But anyway you look at things and try
The lovers are losing
maplezen) and Rise Kujikawa (forthecamera)Verse:
soul_campaignRating: G
Setting: Various places; post game.
Description: The war has been won and it is time to go home, and with the hope that he might exist in her world, Rise searches for Matt.
You're full of hope as you begin rearranging
Time was a fickle thing. When you thought about it it seemed to drag by. When you looked back on it, it was as if it had disappeared completely. Three years ago Rise had first awoken in the Kishin chamber to a strange new world, where she had been tossed into an incredible war with complete strangers. An awful war—if there is such a thing as a 'good' war, but incredible none the less. The things she had seen, things she had learned, and most of all the people she had met had all left an incredible impact on her.
Miharu, Yoko, Watanuki, Edward, Blues, Spirit, Maka, Soul, so many, many others; but the one who had left the biggest impact was by far Matt. Two sides of the same coin, she had always understood the phrase but she never expected to ever actually witness it, much less have it applied to her.
Funny how she thought he was crazy when she first met him. He claimed to be a country—to be Canada after all; but soon others began to file in who said the same thing, and that explanation became invalid, after that she simply didn't believe them but figured it was none of her business why they claimed to be such. At that time she would have never imagined that he would eventually become her Meister, and that in time he would become her best friend, and months later that she would fall for him.
When Rise woke up that morning she just stared at the ceiling. It was the last day before they were to be sent home. Even before she had come here, Rise hadn't often failed to get a very early start in the morning so that she could do everything to get herself looking just the way she wanted for the day. Today was one of those exceptions. Knowing that in less than two days she would be sent back to home had kept her up all night. Of all the luck, to wake up late on a day like this.
There was a knock on the door and she gave a loud grunt in response. It opened and soon she felt the side of the bed sink as Matt sat down. She finally crawled out from under all her sheets and poked her head out from under them to smile at him, eyes droopy and hair doubtlessly a mess. He was the only one she allowed to see her like this.
“Made you some breakfast.” he said softly, holding up a tray so she could see.
The scent of pancakes and syrup hit her nose and she finally pushed herself up to a sitting position. Once she got settled Matt leaned over to help her find a good spot to balance the tray. Before he could sit back entirely, Rise quickly brushed her lips against his and whispered a thank you. He blushed and gave a jerky nod.
“Ah, did you get a chance to talk to everyone you wanted to?”
She nodded, eating her over-sweetened pancakes. At least the eggs weren't swimming in the syrup.
“Hard to think that it's almost been four years. What will you do when you get home?”
Rise swallowed “Well there is the case to get to. After that my career, I suppose.” she trailed off. It was a slightly depressing subject to be honest. The two had decided to spend today together just doing all the things they loved and revisiting old places. She really rather not talk about it and ruin what was suppose to be a day of good memories. He talks more, and she listens, silently eating her breakfast. When she's done (mouth feeling a little tart and dry from all the syrup) she looks at him and he smiles.
“Let's elope!” The words come out of nowhere, surprising even her.
Matt looked at her “Eh?”
Rise picked up the tray and put it on her bedside table. She pulled her feet out from under the cover so she could now effortlessly wrapped her arms around one of his and hug it tightly to her chest. She scooted to his side so she could rest her head on his shoulder, and giggled just a tiny bit when she saw him blush. That would never get old for her.
“Elope! Let's get out of here, Matt! We have that chance. Let's go cross the border to your home and stay here it'll be easy! We'll find jobs and settle down somewhere.”
Matt opened and closed his mouth, blush deepening but she quickly spoke again “I know, I know.” That had been a little unfair of her. She knew they couldn't as much as she wished they could. She had her world to return to, he had his world to return to. She had a case to help resolve, and he had to watch over his people. To ask him to abandon that would be selfish, and as much as she loved him she still loved her friends who remained back home, possibly wishing for her return--wondering what had happened to her.
A lot of times Rise had wondered if Matt hadn't been wrong. He had been hesitant about the relationship, knowing that one day they would all be sent back to their respective worlds, and because he was a country, and thus would live far longer than she would, and stay looking as he was for the entirety of her life. He had thought that it would be unfair to her.
Funny, she thought that it would be unfair to him.
Whichever it may be, Rise knew that she would rather take her chances facing those hardships, then looking back at her life and wondering what may have been.
Three years ago Rise would have expected this to be a day of celebration. She had imagined cheering and everyone happy and excited to be returning to their homes. Instead the chamber was strangely quiet and the air solemn. Rise and Matt stood next to each other, looking towards each other as Spirit, Dr. Stein, and Shinigami-sama prepared to make their wish.
Neither was paying attention.
Rise was trying very hard to cry. This could be the last time they would see each other, and she didn't want him to remember her with tears.
“Theres something I want to give you,” he whispered, though it was probably unnecessary. He took out a small piece of paper from his pocket it, placed it in her hands, then curled her fingers over it before holding her hand in between his, “it's my address in Ottawa. Look for me.”
He kissed her forehead and they were gone.
Returning to her life had been painful. Rise had been sent back to those three years ago, that night that she and the others had decided not to kill Namatame. She had been so dead that night that the following day when they were to interrogate him, Naoto had to come to her house personally to fetch her. The detective had been understandably irritated but the moment she had seen Rise come down those stairs it had quickly turned to concern and out came the questions; but Rise just smiled that well-practiced smile of hers and spun a believable tale of nightmares having to do with the idea of them having gone through with tossing Namatame in the television. Naoto didn't entirely buy it, because no matter how good she was Rise couldn't hide the shock of finding herself three years younger, unable to transform, and in a world she had nearly forgotten. If it wasn't for the fact that she still had the clothes and accessories she had left with Rise might have wondered if it had all be one long and strange dream. Thank God for that. Thank God.
There was a disconnect at first; from her and the others. They managed to find out the truth, they managed to catch Adachi, but all through that time she could see the questions in their eyes. Where had this sudden intuition of hers come from? Why was she suddenly a fighter? Most importantly, why was she so different, and Kanzeon something now utterly unlike herself? The bond between all of them was unbreakable, and she was sure that this was the only thing that kept them so patient through all her silences. They were though, and for that she was eternally grateful. After the case life seemed to fly. Souji returned home, she returned to her career with new fortitude and became one of those rare idols who wrote their own music. She finally let out all those many, many songs she had written in her little book—songs about the friends she had made here in Inaba, song about the ones she had met in Death City, songs she had written with Matt.
Before she knew it three years had passed as if they were nothing. It was painful. There were so many times when she wanted to leave and go to Canada but she had still been a minor then. Sure her job brought her to many other place—particularly the United States (which made her remember with a smile on her face, Alfred) but Canada always remained out of reach. Always in the corner, always in the peripheral, so invisible to the world that it tried to turn her head away; but she never forgot. Of course she didn't, and she awed people with her sudden knowledge of everything pertaining to the country on the other side of the world. It's history, it's culture, even the odd stereotypical quirks and mannerisms. She spoke of it as if she were Canadian herself—lovingly, patriotically. She would speak of its forests and mountains, of its beauty. Stranger than all that was when she'd get such a distant look in her eyes, as if she was no longer around and she would talk about other things. Things like specific rivers or ponds, certain areas in certain forests that no amount of searching through books or the internet could bring up. It forced everyone to ask the question that had been on their minds: Just when the hell had Rise visited Canada? Then she'd just throw back her head and laugh, saying of course she had just been pulling their legs, how could they fall for it every time? After all, that was her and Matt's little secret.
Two more years passed and her career came to an end. After all a teen idol was only one as long as she was a teen, and Rise had been able to push the envelope thanks to her youthful appearance and popularity. Rise didn't mind. She was happy with everything that she had done, and it didn't mean she couldn't still sing or act in movies. Besides that it meant she was finally free to do what she had always wanted to do since returning home. It meant that she could finally begin her search for Matt.
The very day her career as an idol ended was the very day she bought a one-way ticket to Canada and boarded the plane.
She had been feeling it for a while now, but the moment her feet finally touched the ground Rise was filled with such a sense of homecoming and completion, that to her embarrassment she started to cry. It startled some people around her, and a couple stopped to ask if she was okay and she nodded; they didn't understand that she was crying because she was so happy. She could have danced and sung right then and there because being here gave her that feeling that she always did when she was around Matt. Like everything was just right or would be, a true giddiness and exhilaration for who she was and what she was doing. She spent that day running around Ottawa remembering all the things that she had been taught by Matt, excited to finally see it with her own eyes. She felt so silly, here she was, a twenty year old (technically twenty-three year old) acting like a child on Christmas. She was prancing through the streets completely unaffected by the cold and enthusiastically greeting everyone she passed by with a huge smile—it was a surprise that no one called the cops on her. She spent that day by herself, just wanting to see with her own eyes everything he had told her. It was exhilarating and when Naoto called her, worried about her 'sudden and inexplicable disappearance' she had to assure the other girl that yes she was fine, and no she was not drunk or high.
The next morning came and she awoke a little less enthusiastic than before. Now was the time to finally go to the place she had been aiming towards for the past five years of her life. She pulled out the faded and worn book she had bought in her first year in Death City, the one where she had written so many of her songs, and written so many little notes. Stupid silly things at first—like about twenty or more crossed out hues of yellow before she had finally settled on the one she thought was closest to Matt's hair color. A catalog of all the different kinds of smiles he had. Looking back on it she was almost mortified because it had started out as such a typical stupid little fangirly crush. On the last page, neatly stapled and tape was the small piece of paper Matt had given her on their last day. His address written in his own handwriting.
She went through her morning process even more meticulously than she usually did. If she was going to see him, it would be the first in five years, and Matt was the only person who could make her feel a little self conscious, especially considering that most of the women he never probably didn't age.
The house wasn't too far away but Rise walked slowly. He had said to search for him, but she knew that that didn't assure that he would actually be there. Matt might not exist in her world. Chances were that he didn't--but if he did, making sure of it was worth everything. Unfortunately, however slow she walked she found herself there faster than she would have like.
She took the deepest breath she ever had, and rang the doorbell.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four.
Someone was on the other side. She could hear them fiddling with the lock. The door began to open and she bit her lip in anticipation and.
Saw herself looking at messy blonde hair, and blue bespectacled eyes.
Her heart drop and she lowered her head to look down at the young boy who looked back at her with a frown. Her turned and yelled over his shoulder "MOM! There's a weird lady at the door."
If she wasn't so disappointed Rise might have been insulted.
A woman came to the door and shooed the boy away "Peter. Don't be rude," she turned her attention to Rise and smiled warmly, "can I help you, sweetie?"
The woman looked like she was probably in her late forties or fifties. Still quite young. Rise hesitated for a moment before asking: "Does someone by the name of Matthew Williams live here? Or around here."
The mother looked momentarily thrown before shaking her head "No, I'm afraid not."
"...Canada?" Rise ventured, desperate.
Now the woman was frowning at her. "I beg your pardon?"
Rise laughed and shook her head "Nothing. I'm sorry. I guess I just got the wrong address."
The woman looked concerned, and unconvinced but left it at that. "I hope you find who you are looking for." She quietly closed the door.
So that was that. Five years of wishing and waiting squashed in less than five minutes. Rise remained there on the porch for almost an entire minute more before she realized that Peter was eyeing her suspiciously from the window. She gave an apologetic smile and began to head back to her hotel.
It was okay. Matt wasn't gone, he was all around her. He was Canada after all, and that's where she was. From the people around her to the cold breeze to the ground that she stepped on; it was all him.
And she tried, oh how hard she tried, to convince herself that that was enough.
But anyway you look at things and try
The lovers are losing