Shibuya Snapshots

Beloved

This one made me sad :(

They love each other so, and they always will. They will love each other as beloved partners, in life, death, and Erasure.

-xXx-

Nao isn't as dumb as people think she is. She wouldn't consider herself as super intelligent, per se, but she was fairly observant. And, she knows what she wants.

And Sota, her beloved boyfriend who she loves dearly, had trouble speaking his mind, she noticed. Struggled on finding the right things to say. So, she would dumb herself down at times when they were with others to have Sota take the lead in conversations to help him improve. And little by little, he gets better.

She doesn't think she loves anyone more than she loves Sota. The two are always together and work hand in hand. They had planned on getting married as soon as they had the chance and funds for it, but the chance never came. Even still, they love each other in life and in death. They hold hands when their car crashes, not screaming, hands squeezing tight in terror as they declare their love for each other in what might seem like their final moments.

So it's really no surprise to her when the Conductor frowns at them both in the white space, trying to find a solution. He was supposed to be claiming their entry fees, as he had explained, but found himself at an impasse.

An entry fee is what someone holds dearest to their heart, what is most beloved to them, what they love the most. And the problem was that their entry fee is each other, so if one was claimed, the other could not participate. And apparently, there wasn't enough time for them.

"Why not, like, have both of us play? At the same time," Nao suggests.

Sota is on board with the idea. "Ooh! Nice thinking Nao!"

The Conductor considers this, hand raised to his chin in thought. "Considering the Composer's current rules... your wish can be granted. However," he says, before they can interrupt. "It does not matter if one of you survives and makes it to the end and the other does not. Due to the nature of your entry fees, both of you survive, and both of you return to life. Similarly to the nature of partner pacts, if one of you is erased, then the other follows seven minutes later. Are we clear on this rule?"

So just make sure the other doesn't die? Simple enough.

"Totally clear!" Nao nods. Sota grips her hand and smiles at her. Then, they're in Shibuya and they decide to make a pact together to make the rule of the other not dying far more simple. Better not foist their troubles on anyone innocent.

They make it to 104 on the first day, an easy mission, Nao notes. But if this was truly like a game as it was named after, then the missions are only going to get harder.

On the second day, the mission is much more complicated. Nao doesn't understand math or science all that well, but they talk it over with another pair who do and they figure out that they need to win the Tin Pin Slammer tournament at Molco.

So, they hurry off in that direction. They end up getting into a few battles with the Noise, but they're starting to get into the groove of fighting so it isn't all that bad. Sota uses speed to crash into the crabs and kangaroos, and once they're dazed, Nao takes them out with her force rounds.

Sota enters the tournament since he's proven to be better at Tin Pin than she is in the times they've had matches together. She's concerned about the boy who defeated the last contestant (she thinks it might be a player that he beat, but she hasn't gotten the chance to actually check), but she believes in Sota.

And she was right to believe in him as the boy, Shooter the announcer said, fails to eject his pin and loses, Sota winning by default. They receive a golden pin that neither she nor Sota can sense power from or figure out how to use it. Sota suggests they find another set of players who can use it, so they hang onto it.

Sota is so thoughtful.

They don't receive a mission the next day, so they spend it wandering around the city, taking advantage of the fact they no one can see them and of the fact that they can sell pins that Noise drop for money, so they also get some food while they're at it.

They encounter a frightening batch of black Noise and end up having to make a run for it.

The following day there's still no mission, so they decide to walk by Molco and encounter the player who lost to Shooter and his partner.

The orange-haired boy named Neku seems sad. His partner Joshua explains why, but in a mean-ish tone that Nao isn't sure she knows how to feel about what happened.

And the truth of only one Player not getting to come back is sad and cruel and she isn't sure herself what to say to cheer him up. But then Sota speaks, voice determined and confident, and tells Neku that it isn't his fault. Nao joins in and tells him that they'd play the Game a hundred times each for each other, and that his partner becoming his new entry fee means that he cares about her.

The surprised and confused look on Neku's face and the slightly astonished one on Joshua pushes them to really hone in on their points. Nao hands Neku the pin they won from the slam-off as a reminder that they can get through the Game and that he can get his old partner back.

They wave goodbye to Nekky and Josh-Josh and continue on their way, not wanting to attract any Noise.

"That was really kind of you, Sota," Nao smiles at him, looping her arm with his.

"You think so? I was just thinking that, y'know, he's just a kid, and having his partner get taken as his entry fee must really suck. And he looked so torn up and guilty about it. And I know you and I are kinda in a similar situation, except that we're both playing at the same time. So I'm not gonna ruin his chances of saving his partner, or anyone else from escaping, by snipin' them. Y'know what I mean?" He's sheepish now and Nao might somehow be falling even deeper in love with him.

"Yeah! We'll all make it through this together!"

Two days later, on the sixth day, the mysterious black Noise start to storm through the city as they finally get a mission again. They have no idea what it means, but they have no time to think it over as they are forced to run from the black Noise. A Reaper calls it 'Taboo Noise' and they almost get Erased, but Sota and Nao take the risk and manage to Erase them all with the Reaper's help.

As thanks, he tells them what the mission means, taking out a boss Noise at both the Scramble and Udagawa, then departs, wishing them luck.

Udagawa is closer, and when they check the progress of the mission, the one at the Scramble is already taken out. Nekky and Josh-Josh are probably the only other players left besides them, so she mentally thanks them and keeps going.

They're at Tipsy Tose Hall, two blocks away from Udagawa, when they get ambushed by Taboo Noise and find themselves unable to escape.

They fight as hard as they can, trying to cover each other's backs, but in her dying moments, she can only apologize to Sota.

They already know that they love each other, so the words don't need to be said.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Neku and Josh are running towards them, panic in both of their eyes. But then everything fades to static and she's gone. Sota is erased seven minutes later due to the entry fee and empty partner pact.

They love each other so, and they always will. They will love each other as beloved partners, in life, death, and Erasure.

-xXx-

Sota and Nao are so damn amazing and it sucks that they died (at least in the anime, they get brought back to life in the end). Imagine if Joshua gave them another chance and put them into the Game during Neo and they joined the Wicked Twisters. That'd be interesting.