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Author Topic: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Chapter XX, 10/17]  (Read 53265 times)

Offline risa_ai

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #60 on: May 31, 2012, 01:06:04 PM »
I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS, OKAY. Risa did so much just for ai, yet ai never knew?! YOU SAY WHAT?! NONONONO, I TELL YOU, YOU COME BACK WITH A FAST UPDATE, AND SOME TAKAGAKI RABURABU! Or else a Risa_ai will come with a fuck-the-world attitude. xD Ohohohoho. But okay, seriously, I need a fast upate. I need Takagaki. Or I might die.

Offline kjpop

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #61 on: May 31, 2012, 02:21:11 PM »
Y U UPDATING SO FAST AND FIURIOUSLY~!?!??!?! *cries*

Offline kawaii beam

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #62 on: May 31, 2012, 04:54:07 PM »
gah best thing to wake up in the morning and see that there's an update! so much things make some more sense now!

i seriously just want to hug risa, it seems like whenever she trys to do some type of good, the wrong like comes and shoves her into a bad situation.>< i also feel bad abput mano XD in one fic she's a zombie, and now this one she's a junkie XD girl gets no love lol

the conection to jun makes more sense as well, and could it be that ayaya's gang were the ppl who did something to risa's parents? or that they know and want to rub salt in the wound?

the end brings me back to what i said before about risa, does good but ends up with crap >3> like her sacrifice for mano and maimi, it was a good choice but now she's bleeding and heading to jail ;3; 

i'd love to see a risa in jail omake too, maybe a more detailed omake about how everyone bared with finding out, and then dealing with the time risa was in jail? idk if im even making sense @~@ anywho i cant wait for the next one!
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Offline mochi.rini

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #63 on: May 31, 2012, 06:32:20 PM »
I knew going to bed early was a bad idea (>3<)  WH~HHHHHY Dx  And then I wake up late and only see stuff that says "Risa omake" and I get all sad Dx  Those people in my physics class were probably thinking "wtf?  Why is that little Asian girl twitching and spinning around in her seat?"  And now, I'm happily at home, re-reading about 20x more for the full effect :3

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"If nothing else persuades you, then realize that Rika also has the option of hurting you in other ways... Ways that don't even involve you. She knows who your friends are..." She paused a moment, then with more emphasis: "...who your friends are."
I was right!  Everyone was right!  That little....Rika no longer makes me HA~AAAAPPY anymore >.<  I hope...you get arrested...?

I wonder if Maimi is still in the gang?  She seems like too much of a good girl to still be in a gang...but then again, she might be in the same situation as Risa, who at least had herself an Aichan to radiate some positive influence. 

Lol @ Mano junkie :3  She always has glazed eyes if you ever see her profile pics :D

Nacchi is evil?  I knew it!  Behind that sweet babyface of hers is an evil diabolical mind just waiting to steal everyone's lines money!  Poor Papa JJ...he got pwned.  It seemed like he could easily defend himself against three girls...but now that there was some guys and an evil Nacchi involved?  ♫ I can see clearly now the rain is gone~ ♫

And now we know the truth, but there are still many questions.  Rndy's "Snitches get stitches" concept applies to Mano and Maimi still, but why didn't Risa at least report that it was the Matsuura gang?  And that she was trying to help Papa JJ (kind of "help" XD)  Wrong place, wrong time- that's for sure!

Man, I just wanna hug Risa now (; 3 ;)  PAPA JJ- Y U NO HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS? Dx

Okay...I'm good.  :D  Please update soon.  You make many people happy. 

Glad you liked the edit :D  I was scared I might get a "Rini, you suck GTFO!" in response ^_^;

P.S.  Risa jail omake= :twothumbs


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Offline Quietriot

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #64 on: June 01, 2012, 03:42:49 PM »
Y U UPDATING SO FAST AND FIURIOUSLY~!?!??!?! *cries*

Just popping in real quick to say I'm currently working on a buffer of chapters so I can update at a more regular and leisurely pace, so I wouldn't expect another chapter for a couple of weeks. So y'all can relax~ :cathappy:

Offline Quietriot

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #65 on: June 06, 2012, 08:06:20 AM »
@rndy:
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Worried? That the flighty junkie will corrupt Aika? I kinda thought the kid would have a stronger will than that...

She is still only just a kid, though. But we shall see what happens~

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Ah~ Now I really wanna know what the final pairings will be~  Either way, I'm sure it will be well worth the wait and drama!

I'm sorta interested in what people  think will happen. Maybe I'll put up a poll~

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Waaait a minute... Maimi? Hasn't she been mentioned somewhere before...? As Airi's crush?

Indeed~

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Does it make me weird if I say Risa being so vicious in her attack makes me swoon a bit? I think I just have a terrible Badass!Risa complex. Badass, and yet compassionate, too. Taking the fall for those kids instead of trying to drag them down... But why not try to take Matsuura's gang down instead?

Haha only if I'm weird for feeling the same way. She's got a badass shell but is super soft on the inside. :heart: As for not going after Matsuura's gang, it's sort of still a matter of not squealing to protect the ones she loves. Though there's more to come on that, I assure you. XD

@risa_ai: *shifty eyes* but... its not a Takagaki fic... Is it?

@kjpop: I have... Lots of free time right now. XD

@KB:
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i seriously just want to hug risa, it seems like whenever she trys to do some type of good, the wrong like comes and shoves her into a bad situation.>< i also feel bad abput mano  in one fic she's a zombie, and now this one she's a junkie girl gets no love lol

Gaki has become a bit of a tragic character in H!P fanfics. XD it's too easy to make bad things happen to her. (This despite the fact she's one of my favorites, haha) And actually I love Mano too! I intend for her to get lots of love in Quicksilver whenever I get around to working on it again. haha

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could it be that ayaya's gang were the ppl who did something to risa's parents? or that they know and want to rub salt in the wound?

...who knows? *shifty eyes*

@Rini:
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Why is that little Asian girl twitching and spinning around in her seat?

LOL thank you for this image XD

Quote
I wonder if Maimi is still in the gang?  She seems like too much of a good girl to still be in a gang...but then again, she might be in the same situation as Risa, who at least had herself an Aichan to radiate some positive influence.

Good question. And if she is, what does it mean for Airi and by extension (sorta) Aika? ...Well, I mean, I know after all. XD 

So remember when I said I wouldn't update for a while? I lied. But it's not a "chapter" so technically I didn't lie? I do what I want. XD besides I feel angsty and y'all all asked for this and I felt it fit better here than later. So here's the short omake I didn't actually intend to write. And in Risa 1st-person POV as well! Enjoy~

Omake IV: Butterflies and Hurricanes

Every muscle throbbed and ached from overuse, and a spike of pain shot up my side, a reminder of the knife wound that hadn't had enough time yet to heal properly. Yet even as blood bubbled from a fresh cut on my lip, I kept grinning like a maniac, because I had figured out my opponent's weaknesses and now all I had to do was wait for the right moment.

She was much bigger than I, a huge, brutish creature that couldn't have had much of a fair start in life; but whatever pity I might have felt was far outweighed by my desire to hit something.

The spectators around us were shouting taunts and insults at me, making bets with money and phone cards and anything they managed to scrape together in this little hellhole. Some of them were about to lose everything that way.

I noticed while being used as a human punching bag that my opponent walked with a limp; it was so slight that I hadn't realized it when I was dragged into the lunchroom, but I was sure the girl was favoring her right leg. She lurched towards me, fists curled and aimed at my face.

She wasn't about to land a single hit.

Quickly I ducked and rolled under her swinging arm, placing myself dangerously close. But before the big bully could react, I twisted and slammed my foot against her right shin, causing her to buckle and tumble backwards. Riding on my momentum, and wanting to ensure that the girl wouldn't get up again for a while, I stomped down hard on the same leg, hearing a sickening, satisfying crack.

The girl roared with pain, writhing on the floor as the crowd around us broke out into a frenzy. Some of them began scuffling themselves, but I focused my eyes on the bully's pals, standing behind her with varying degrees of shock on their face. There was a great deal of fear there as well, and I realized I'd sent a message to them loud and clear.

"Leave me alone," I growled, just loud enough to be heard above the chaos, "Otherwise I'll break more than legs next time."

The leader of the group nodded slowly at me, and I spat crimson onto the ground before turning and walking away.

Four months in jail and already I'd been in more fights during that time than I'd been in my entire life.  As fresh meat, I walked around the compound with a target on my back, and the various gangs had been taking turns everyday trying to beat the living shit out of me. Fortunately, most of them were inexperienced with real street fighting. They were druggies and thugs and I was much faster and much smarter.

Still, I was definitely beginning to feel the effects of this daily struggle, and as I reached my cell I stumbled inside, sinking down onto my bed with no small amount of exhaustion.

I felt terrible. Fresh bruises overlapped ones that were fading away, and when I pulled off my shirt I noticed that the bandage around my waist was darkening.

Probably pulled out one of the stitches... Again...

It wasn't going to heal right this way, but I had little choice. It wouldn't be my first scar, anyway.

I groaned and laid back on the bed, staring up at the dull grey ceiling, taking note for the second time today of where the paint was peeling off. One year and eight months more of this.

Without Ai.

I hadn't seen her since my sentencing, and the time before that things had ended... poorly. How was I supposed to make her understand? Would she even believe me?

...Would you even listen to me now?

Tears stung the corners of my eyes as I remembered the look on her face as she confronted me. I knew I had broken her trust, and taking the hit for my gangmates seemed like betrayal.

I just wanted to protect you.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought me out of my mind and I looked up as one of the guards stood at my doorway.

"Niigaki Risa. You have a visitor."

----------

It wasn't who I wanted it to be, but still I couldn't help but smile when I saw Eri on the other side of that glass waiting for me. She grinned at me, but as I sat down I realized that something was off about her. Her eyes reminded me of Erina's, and instantly I knew what was wrong with my friend.

Guilt settled thick in my throat as I reached for the phone.

"Hey, Kame."

"Hi, Gaki-san, it's been a while."

I watched her fingers tremble as they curled around the receiver, both hands clutching it to keep it steady. I had done this. I had taken away the one thing that was helping her cope with her shitty life and now...

I'm so sorry, Eri.

I pulled myself together, trying to sound strong and reassuring for her sake.

"Yeah, it has. How are you?"

"Nevermind me, the real question is how are you?" She surveyed me quietly, as though she just noticed my condition, "You look like... Did someone beat you up?"

"Trust me, I came out on the winning end." I replied with a chuckle, rubbing sheepishly at one of the bruises on my arm.

We talked for a while, about various random things, and I kept my eye on the clock, not wanting our time to run out before I had the chance to bring up the topic of my girlfriend.

"I miss Aichan."

The words hung heavy in the air between us, interjected into a sudden lull in the conversation. Eri shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and for the first time during the visit seemed unable to meet my eyes. That was when the cold spike of worry traveled down my spine.

"Listen... Gaki-san... I have something to tell you about Aichan... and Sayu."

----------

The next time I stumbled onto the bully alone, I completely lost it. I shattered her jaw and ripped my knuckles raw beating her up. It took two guards to pry me off, and a third to restrain me.

I was all white-hot fury and rage and desperate sadness rolled into one package, and from that point on the other prisoners steered clear of me, because anyone unfortunate or stupid enough to cross my path ended up in the infirmary.

Were I given the choice I would have picked getting abused by those thugs every day over nursing my shattered heart.

The worst part was, I still loved her.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 07:47:11 AM by Quietriot »

Offline risa_ai

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #66 on: June 06, 2012, 09:34:20 AM »
I know you love her... I love you guys too. Why not get 2gether again. T.T SAYU IS A DISTRACTION, RISA!! Please... Don't kill me. Ai loves you too~

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #67 on: June 06, 2012, 05:40:56 PM »
Quote
As for not going after Matsuura's gang, it's sort of still a matter of not squealing to protect the ones she loves.
Ah I figured I would have answered my own question on that.

So, we get a Risa's time in jail omake... I have a feeling I caused this one XD Or maybe I'm being too arrogant. Still, poor girl, having to deal with being fresh meat, then finding out her girl is sleeping with someone else. After only four months! Damn Ai, that's quick.

Will we get a non omake update soon? I miss Reina a bit.

Offline Dswizzle10

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake III, 5/31]
« Reply #68 on: June 06, 2012, 07:31:05 PM »
Gaki has become a bit of a tragic character in H!P fanfics. XD it's too easy to make bad things happen to her. (This despite the fact she's one of my favorites, haha) And actually I love Mano too! I intend for her to get lots of love in Quicksilver whenever I get around to working on it again. haha

I know this is pointed at me too.  :mon lmao:

But sorry it's taken me so long to comment or anything on anyone's stories. I just don't know what to say!
Hmm. Well I was thinking up a story about Gaki being in a gang before I joined up XD Great minds think alike? *eyebrow wiggle* But holy crap this is amazing.

"Sayu, leave her alone. She's not going to be able to sing with you trying to get in her pants before every rehearsal."

The rabbit pouted at that, feigning offense, but not once taking her eyes off me.

"I wouldn't do such a thing~"

"Yes you would," Niigaki responded, unamused, "Just so you could say you've slept with everyone in the band again."

Probably my favorite line of the whole story. XD

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@risa_ai: *shifty eyes* but... its not a Takagaki fic... Is it?

IT BETTER BE! I'm with you risa_ai!  :angry1:

And I'm sorry Quietriot! I never mean to make you cry when I write new chapters. T.T

Offline mochi.rini

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #69 on: June 08, 2012, 01:38:18 AM »
:gmon tears::gmon tears::gmon tears:
Poor Risa~  She's just living a crappy life now huh?  You'd think the guards would do something if the poor girl is getting attacked everyday....nope.  How cruel [; A ;]  And besides all that anger, now she's filled with even more guilt!  WHY IS IT SO MUCH FUN TORTURING THIS WONDERFUL GIRL!? :depressed:


At least fighting all these bullies prepared her to knock Sayu's teeth out for stealing her girl...too bad Aichan most likely wouldn't let her Dx  DARN IT!  Four months....you are one heck of a horny girl Aichan Dx I OFFICIAL SUPPORT TANAGAKI IN THIS FIC NOW  :deco:

I hope Risa gets a happy ending...and doesn't die at the end of this >w< :farofflook:

Totally ready for the next chapter :3
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Offline kjpop

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #70 on: June 08, 2012, 05:15:25 PM »
I seriously started reading this last night since I knew I had a day off today and that was like the biggest mistake of my freakin life since I couldn't sleep after reading halfway through it. But then I somehow passed out anyway LOL


So now I'm back and I've FINALLY caught up and like HOLY BALLS I CANNOT EVEN.

Can I just say, thug life Risa with her tattoos, battle scars, and smoking habit are so f*cking attractive I don't even wanna put my pants on anymore? LOL TMI but foreal. Every time she pops up in your fic, this song just comes on and I'm OH HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YEAH.




I'm totally down with Reina and Gaki getting down n dirty n serious LOL Aichan can go be a manipulative little biatch with her horny bunny in a goddamn corner for all I care. I never thought I'd be capable of disliking either until I read this fic LOL Like, Takagaki? PSH whatevs yo. Give me GANGSTA-GAKI and Reina and I'll go to my grave smiling.

And Eri being some sort of junkie...is also kind of a turn on LOL I have some f*cked up tastes. But seriously, the messed up history that added some crazy depth into all of them is kind of addicting. I can't stop reading. I AM A JUNKIE FOR YOUR FIC. A DAMN JUNKIE. THEY TRIED TO MAKE ME GO TO REHAB BUT I SAID NO NO NO.

More junkies and badass Gaki please. PLEASE. Because let's put it this way. Your updates are my fix. Your periods of going away, not updating, and leaving us hanging is like sobriety period (and junkies don't like that lol). I WANNA RELAPSE. GO GO GO.




Btw, all this BADASS gaki talk in this fic and from *cough*Black and Blue*cough* have inspired me to pull some crazy badass Gaki sh!t of my own for quid pro quo ;D AHHH UPDATE DAMNIT.


One more thing: I might be outright vocalizing my dislike for Ai in this fic since she's a two-faced ho (joking, of course) but man, she's just so easy to mold into a horrible person sometimes LOL I'm glad someone else likes doing that to her hahah makes me feel less alone~

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #71 on: June 09, 2012, 08:04:00 AM »
New chapter plox? [insert hopeful expression here]

Offline mochi.rini

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #72 on: June 09, 2012, 08:07:04 AM »
I SECOND THAT MOTION!  I refuse to go to bed >w<

P.S.  the magical green dot says you're currently online...:)
Hi~iiya!~  (>^_^)>
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Offline Quietriot

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #73 on: June 09, 2012, 08:11:35 AM »
Guys. gUYS. What the heck. Go to sleep.

I have one more section to write and I'm not sleeping until its done... But no promises that'll be all that soon?

I PROMISED NOTHING~

Offline Koei

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #74 on: June 09, 2012, 08:23:59 AM »
GAAAHHHH !!!!! Quietriot-sama !!!!  :heart: :heart: :heart:  so much updates and so fast I CAN'T KEEP UP !!!! AND I'M LOVING IT!!! Ok let's see... I've read them all but my reply time is so short... I'm ashamed of myself!

First. Reina's attack with the spoon had me clutching my sides from the pain brought on by pure ammusement.

Second. I can so understand Risa...like on a personal level so I can surely say that her portrayal is pretty close to real and human. And the tat...dang it mochi.rini!!! Beautiful just doesn't cover it !!!  :heart: :heart: it's just like I imagined it !! and funny thing it's on the same picture I had in my mind lol

Third. (maybe I should go by chapters???) Sayu is smart as heck and the pain she feels is hidden by her poison tounge so well that even her bandmates don't notice since they're too engrossed with Risa and Reina.

Fourth. Eri and Aika... Aika can heal Eri with her innocence but that can only be done when Eri reaches the lowest of the low. If Aika can cope then no doubt she will be destined with her.

Fifth. Ai kind of worries me... there's something big she's hiding from the others and it's the one that has the potential to attempt the band's success but mostly... she seems to be hiding something that could take away her life...(insert paranoid me whilst reading)


Dang it!! So much stuff and so little way for my mind to come up and reply about them!!! The only thing to reply is: PLEASE CONTINUE !!!  :bow: :bow:

Offline Quietriot

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Omake IV, 6/6]
« Reply #75 on: June 09, 2012, 09:15:57 AM »
Check back for an edit for comment replies tomorrow, I'm sleepy~ I know the chapter is what you're more interested in anyway bahaha


@risa_ai: oh the tangled love-web I've woven~ and it only gets more complicated from here on out in my opinion, so, ah, buckle your seatbelts. :cathappy:

@rndy: haha you definitely started a rally for the omake, at least. But no worries, I think doing it this way turned out easier in my grand scheme of things. XD also holy crap I feel the need to defend Ai. Maybe gonna have to write an omake after the halfway mark to get behind her POV. -flails-

@Dswizz: I have bestowed upon thee a nickname because I'm too lazy to type the whole thing out. Besides, it's moar gangster that way~ and heh, yeah you've got Gaki-angst happening in your fic too. Happens to the best of us. ;) Sorry to steal your thunder on the gang bit, tho! The only reason I put that element in Rockstar is because it is technically a spiritual successor to my old fic Heartbeat Tempo. Actually I've borrowed several elements from HT to use here. Most are ones that never made it into that fic. XD but I digress. Glad you're enjoying the story~

@Rini: I think it's fun to torture Risa because it's easy? People don't tend to put girls like Reina or Ai (unless you're kjpop XD) into the same situations, I guess. See my reply to Rndy for my thoughts on Ai... Haha oh boy I've completely villainized her haven't I... And I make no promises about the ending. ;)

@kjpop: (I need a nickname for you, bro, this ain't workin. Must establish my LOVE AND AFFECTION with fun names OKAY.) Um anyway, can I hug you? XD Risa up and decided she was gonna be a badass when I started planning this story and I was like, "Okay~ <3" True story. I definitely appreciate her a lot more after writing this fic, that's for sure. And you guys have no idea how much this poll and everyone's opinions about the pairings are giving me the lulz~ I wonder what people will be saying say, four chapters or so from now... UPDATE YOUR OWN DAMN STORY! I stayed up until 2AM for y'all... (But I'm cool with it, cuz the writing bug bit me and yeah I don't sleep anyway~) :heart:

Some comment about Rndy and Rini being insane and not sleeping... The little green dot is not always telling the truth~

@Koei: Long time no see! Sorry there was an avalanche of updates in your absence, I can get carried away as I think everyone is aware of by now. XD -bows- no need for the -sama, bro, I'm just like everyone else. :3 all I gotta say about your comments is... Your insight is pretty spot on. ^^

(Guys I love you so much, for real, your support is fantastic and it makes me super happy. T___T thank you for supporting me and this fic!)

Chapter XIII: What I Have Done

I wasn't sure how to react to everything she'd just told me. After all, it wasn't a story full of sunshine and rainbows and I certainly understood the girl beside me now better than ever. Her surliness was nothing more than a front to hide the hurt she had endured, and maybe she was good at fooling everyone else, but from now on I knew the truth.

I chewed anxiously on my bottom lip. How was I supposed to comfort someone I barely knew, who disliked me (mildly at least), when I was terrible at it? And I figured she neither wanted or needed my pity.

The air was tense, and I could almost feel Risa's eyes burning on me as she waited. My reaction to her story would say a lot, and she seemed to be preparing herself for the worst again, almost as though she expected me to be disgusted and write her off.

I suspected a lot of people wrote her off at first glance.

Still, I was convinced every bit of her story was true. She may have been an ex-gangster and was rough around the edges, but she seemed a poor liar to begin with and I had a built-in bullshit meter that worked 98% of the time. And though she'd been obviously uncomfortable revealing all of this to me at first, I knew she was trusting me with something big. A liar wouldn't have cared.

But there was still one thing I didn't understand.

"...Did you tell all of this to Takahashi-san?" I asked quietly after a few more minutes of silence, unintentionally causing Risa to jump at the sound of my voice.

Looks like the badass bit only runs so deep...

"I've tried," She responded, and for once I saw a crack in her armor, pain flooding her eyes as she stared out of the car at the city's skyline in the distance, "But every time... It just never comes out right. Either she refuses to listen or I stumble over my words and we fight... And after two years without her, I'm grateful that she's even my friend."

"But you still love her." It was a statement, not a question, and her silence confirmed it. Cue moment for me to forget tact and open mouth, insert foot. "...I think you should never stop chasing the person you love."

"Hey, she's the one that tossed me out of her life like trash, okay?" Risa snapped back at me, her voice growing louder as she defended herself, "I was gonna do whatever it took to make her trust me again--fix things--make it right. But four months gone and she's in Sayu's bed. And now she's even chasing after your skirt."

My face and ears grew hot and I stammered out a response, remembering the incident from the other day.

"I didn't know! I-I thought she was just being kind... And I couldn't have known what was between you two..."

"Do you like her?" Risa asked tauntingly, and I didn't know how to respond. I felt like the way I physically reacted to Ai was very different from the way my mind flew red flags at every thing she said and did and now with all of this new information in my head I just didn't know what to think. Did I respect her? Yes. Did I find her impressive? Yes. Smooth? Yes. Attractive? Yes. But did I like her? Want more from her?

My head was beginning to hurt and I couldn't come up with a coherent response, so Risa drew her own conclusions, letting out a huff of breath and leaning back in her seat.

"Of course you do. And I'm not surprised she has her eye on you, either. Innocent princess from the middle of nowhere, and ready to take on the world, like a breath of fresh air." The bassist dug around in her pockets, pulling out her lighter and a cigarette. "You two would look fuckin' perfect together. Definitely an upgrade from convict or 'exotic dancer,' that's for sure."

Sometimes I thought my sense of self-preservation may have been broken, because when she lit that cigarette I instinctively leaned over to snatch it from her hands and tossed it out the window. This brought me within close proximity to her, and I was having trouble ignoring the fact I'd brushed against her as I returned to my own seat. Risa stared at me like I was the bravest idiot in the world.

"Might as well throw yourself off a bridge if you're going to nurse that habit," I stated shakily, trying to compose myself under her fierce gaze, "Would be a quicker way to kill yourself, anyway."

Risa gave me a look that clearly said she had had enough of me for one day, and I sighed quietly as the bassist turned on the car and began driving us back to the parking lot.

----------

The chalk scraped unpleasantly along the sidewalk as Aika made various marks against it in an attempt to make a portrait of Eri in her style. The noise made the junkie twitch with every pass against the pavement, but enough of her previous high still lingered that it wasn't painful yet. Besides, she had been having a good day so far; days hanging out with Risa were always nice, and she definitely liked being around Reina. She was finding the yankii's kid sister to be an interesting character as well; the girl had a soothing presence much like her sister, and thus far Eri had been able to keep her mind off of the drugs for the majority of the time.

"Kamei-san, you're moving again." Aika scolded plainly, but when she looked up, she had a good-natured smile on her face. Eri smiled back apologetically.

"I warned you, I'm not known for sitting still."

"Well, at least I'm almost done." The artist relented, turning her attention back to the pavement. The kid had multi-colored dust all over her arms and knees now, and Eri suspected it was probably a pretty natural state for her to be in.

"Do you always carry chalk with you?"

"I always have something with me, since you never know what you might need." Aika replied, tongue sticking out slightly as she concentrated on what she was doing, "But I tend to switch out the materials in my bag daily for a bit of variety. It forces me to work with what I've got. You can look through it if you want."

The artist gestured lazily towards the messenger bag next to Eri, who curiously dragged it to herself so she could dig inside it. Today Aika was carrying a set of watercolors, various brushes, a bottle of ink, and several sketchbooks, most of which Eri noticed were at least half full.

She pulled one of these from the bag and began to flip through it, genuinely impressed by the skill of the young girl in front of her. Most of the drawings were portraits--a random guy dozing off on a park bench, an older woman carrying groceries, a little girl playing with her new puppy--like snapshots of the world around her.

"These are very good... Is this what you wanna do with your life?" Eri questioned, looking over at the girl when she reached a blank page.

"I dunno, I think I'm still a bit young to figure something like that out." Aika replied, rocking back to sit on her knees so she could survey her work, "Besides, mom and dad aren't so happy about it... And Rei's supportive but she wants me to finish the whole school thing right now so I guess I'll get through that first and decide."

Eri nodded in understanding, reaching beside her to pat Charles on the head. He was dead asleep all curled up on the sidewalk, paws swiping at the air as he chased some imaginary squirrel in his dreams. It was probably really nice to be a dog, having people feed you and pet you and not caring about anything. Charles was lucky.

"Well you should definitely never stop doing this." Eri mused after her mind returned to the present, "You have a gift."

Aika hopped to her feet, the faint pink that colored her cheeks unnoticed by the drummer. She would have passed it off as chalk dust anyway.

"Well... Thank you. Anyway, I'm finished."

As the artist moved off a ways to pat the dust off of her hands and clothing, the junkie rose and moved around to where she could see the work Aika had done on the ground. It was a startlingly accurate representation of herself, every contour of her face mapped out on the pavement. Even her expression was perfect, though painfully real for Eri to look at; she was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Is that how I always look?

The familiar ache was becoming more prominent in her head, and she swallowed a bit as Aika came up beside her, anxiously awaiting her opinion.

"Well? I may have messed up a few things but I'm no master yet, after all...."

"Nah," Eri replied, fighting to ignore the tremors in her hands, "I think it's dead on."

The artist's face broke out into a happy grin, and Eri shakily sat back down on the curb as Aika collected her things, glad the girl seemed oblivious to her condition. She hoped Risa and Reina returned soon; the bassist had become eerily skilled at noticing when she was close to meltdown. Still, she gritted her teeth and tried to focus her attention on other thoughts.

"Hey, um... Kamei-san?"

"Hm? You know, you can call me Eri, I don't mind. It's not like I'm that much older than you."

"Ah, okay. Eri... Well, it might be a weird question and you can totally say no, but..." Aika flopped down beside the older girl, tossing her chalk into her bag, "I have tickets... For the Buono! concert tomorrow night. But Reina doesn't want to go and my friend Koharu-chan is sick and, well, I don't really have any other friends, so..."

"So you're asking me?" Eri questioned, surprised enough to temporarily forget the burning in her head. Aika fidgeted with the strap on her bag.

"I mean, you don't have to. I just thought- I liked hanging out with you today and you're cool, so..."

"Sure, I'll go." The drummer cut in with a smile, "I've been curious to see them at their own gig anyway, they've mostly just been an opening act up until now. I'll come pick you up after tomorrow's rehearsal?"

The artist nodded her head, looking equal parts relieved and excited. She began to babble on about something like what she was going to wear, when Eri heard the sound of screeching tires approaching. The red sports car came into view, grinding to a halt nearby. Risa immediately stepped out of the vehicle, looking more pissed than usual as she stalked towards the two of them.

"Get in the car. I'll be there in a second after I smoke over here so that damn woman doesn't toss it out the window again."

The bassist continued stomping on past them and Aika and Eri watched her with the same confused expression on their faces.

"...My friend... Doesn't exactly play nice with other people all the time..." Eri explained after a moment of silence, almost as if to apologize for Risa's behavior. Aika smirked softly.

"Neither does my sister."

----------

I collapsed onto the couch when we made it home, letting out my exhaustion and frustration into the cushioned armrest in the form of a loud groan. I didn't want to think any more today; I had a headache and I couldn't process anything, and we had rehearsal early tomorrow since it was the weekend. I could hear Aika chuckling at me as she shut the door behind her.

"Well, that was interesting. I can't wait to meet the other two."

I groaned again. There was no way in hell I would let Michishige within a mile of my sister. And then Ai... Well... Like I said, I didn't want to think any more about it.

"You and Niigaki-san seem to get along well." She continued sarcastically, lifting my feet up so that she could slide onto the couch, resting them in her lap. I started to say something to the effect of Risa getting hit by a bus for all I cared but I stopped myself. It wasn't true anyway, I was just tired and irritated.

"It's been a long day." I stated, flipping over so that I could lay on my back and face her.

"I assumed as much. Eri showed me the pics on her phone."

I closed my eyes, wincing and reminding myself to grab the drummer's cell and delete the evidence when I had the chance. Not that it would stop her from coming in and taking more pictures the next time it happened, but it would have made me feel a little better.

"By the way, she's coming with me to the concert tomorrow." Aika continued carefully, her eyes fixed on my face. Had she just said it outright I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it, but I knew my baby sister as well as she knew me, and realized she was acting a bit strange. I also knew how she was when she was crushing, and boy was she being obvious here; trying to keep her voice cool, gauging my reactions, faint blush...

Oh, but I wouldn't let her know I knew. Not yet. Payback was in order for the teasing I endured about Ai. I smiled sweetly, nodding my head.

"Sounds good. I'm sorry I'm not going myself, but after rehearsing all the time, I just want a little break from band stuff."

"Oh- no, that's fine!" Aika quickly responded, and I had to fight to keep my expression from morphing into a smirk, "I get it, you've been really busy, so I understand."

"I'm glad. You'll have a great time, I'm sure." I replied, making a mental note to bug her after the concert. Then on a more serious note, I added: "I'm sorry I've been so busy lately... With work and the band and stuff. I don't want you to feel left out or neglected or anything."

"Rei, I'm not a baby, I know you're working hard," She decided to curl up beside me, and I relaxed as she snuggled into my back. I wasn't the only one tired from working hard, apparently.

"But if you feel that way, you promise to say something, right?"

"Of course," Aika replied, stifling a yawn, "Besides, since when does anyone in our family hesitate to say what's on their mind?"

She had me there. The Tanakas were blunt and direct. Always had been. Likely always would be.

"Speaking of family..." I started, remembering what Eri had said to me during the car ride that first time we met, "What do you think mom and dad would say about all of this?"

Another loud yawn muffled against my shoulder.

"About you being in a band?"

"Yeah."

"They'd probably go psycho on you." She said with a small laugh, and I couldn't help but giggle a bit myself. "But you're an adult now after all... They'll just have to accept it, I guess."

I grunted affirmatively, but inside I wasn't all too convinced. I had no plans of calling our parents up to break the news to them, of course, but with Wild Musume being famous, it wasn't as though I could hide it forever either. I was about to ask Aika what to do when I realized her breathing had evened out, and I lifted my head to see that she had drifted off to sleep.

I smiled gently, watching her innocent face for a moment before carefully sliding out of her grasp. My baby sister may have been taller than me, but I wasn't about to let her spend the night on the couch. With great effort I collected her into my arms and moved her to her bed, rolling my eyes affectionately when she let out a snore and clung to one of her pillows. Silly kid.

I wandered into the bathroom after that, popping a couple of aspirin before dragging myself into the shower, more than happy to wash the day away.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 07:49:01 AM by Quietriot »

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Chapter XIII, 6/9]
« Reply #76 on: June 09, 2012, 09:27:36 AM »
Yes!! >.<


Quote
I wasn't sure how to react to everything she'd just told me.
Reina read the omakes, too. XD

Quote
My reaction to her story would say a lot, and she seemed to be preparing herself for the worst again,
Well, it's understandable that Risa doesn't have a lot of faith in humanity. I certainly wouldn't after all that and perhaps would have even gone back to the gang.

Quote
Cue moment for me to forget tact and open mouth, insert foot
Feels like the beginning of a Tanagaki theme, there.

Quote
I felt like the way I physically reacted to Ai was very different from the way my mind flew red flags at every thing she said and did and now with all of this new information in my head I just didn't know what to think.
...is this the whole 'girls like assholes' thing I've heard so much about? All the red flags going off and a part of her still wants Ai. For now, at least.

 Or maybe Reina's just really slow... XD

Quote
"Of course you do. And I'm not surprised she has her eye on you, either. Innocent princess from the middle of nowhere, and ready to take on the world, like a breath of fresh air." The bassist dug around in her pockets, pulling out her lighter and a cigarette. "You two would look fuckin' perfect together. Definitely an upgrade from convict or 'exotic dancer,' that's for sure."
Is that jealousy I detect? Of Reina or of Ai?

Quote
Sometimes I thought my sense of self-preservation may have been broken,
Good way to get into a scuffle, that's for sure. Maybe we'll see more of the broken thing getting Reina into trouble later?

Quote
This brought me within close proximity to her, and I was having trouble ignoring the fact I'd brushed against her as I returned to my own seat.
More than bonding!

Quote
Risa gave me a look that clearly said she had had enough of me for one day, and I sighed quietly as the bassist turned on the car and began driving us back to the parking lot.
Somehow I think it's not hard to get that particular look.

Quote
The noise made the junkie twitch with every pass against the pavement, but enough of her previous high still lingered that it wasn't painful yet.
Aww, Eri...

Quote
"So you're asking me?"
Ha! I so saw that coming! I'm so interested in this dynamic!

Quote
"...My friend... Doesn't exactly play nice with other people all the time..." Eri explained after a moment of silence, almost as if to apologize for Risa's behavior. Aika smirked softly.

"Neither does my sister."
They're perfect together! XD

Quote
She decided to curl up beside me, and I relaxed as she snuggled into my back.
That is so frickin' cute.

Quote
With great effort I collected her into my arms and moved her to her bed, rolling my eyes affectionately when she let out a snore and clung to one of her pillows. Silly kid.
Daww~

Quote
I wandered into the bathroom after that, popping a couple of aspirin before dragging myself into the shower, more than happy to wash the day away.
Don't be too eager to wash away the memory of that sexy badass all pressed up against you now. :inlove: XD
« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 10:01:24 AM by rndmnwierd »

Offline risa_ai

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Chapter XIII, 6/9]
« Reply #77 on: June 09, 2012, 12:22:55 PM »
Dawdeedeedoo~ is all i'm gonna say. xD

Offline kjpop

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Chapter XIII, 6/9]
« Reply #78 on: June 09, 2012, 01:41:48 PM »
I JUST SHAT MY GUTS OH MY GOD BRB WHILE I CRY AND READ


Ok, I wasn't like, waiting in anticipation like a dog or anything. Nope, not at all...


Yeah ok I'm finished with lying. SO LIKE, TANAGAKI SEMI-BONDING. Whoa, heavy  :shocked

And I know the entire point of that portion was you know, to give us insight on some of Reina's thoughts and how her relationship with Gaki would be from now on, but I was kind of totally being distracted with Risa smoking  :doh: Like, whoa LOL I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not down with the whole smoking biz (too much of a runner for that LOL), but unffff you make it sound so damn attractive it hurtssssssssss

Aika+Eri is interesting. Took me a while to like take the hint LOL but then I remembered the present day scene with grannies Aika and Reina, and now it kind of makes sense  :cry: Kind of sad to think about, but I'm still interested to see how that works out.

Tanaka sister love  :deco: Mega dope, yo. I wish my sister loved me like that  :lol: But foreal, now I'm curious. Since Reina's got all the dirt on errbody in the band, I wonder how rehearsal will be the next day. Will smooth operator Ai keep up with her personal mission with corrupting Reina? Will Sayu pull through with bangin' the girl like it's her job? Will Gaki throw a bitchfit when she sees what's going down? Will Eri...idk lol just be stoned out of her mind and not give a rat's ass what's going on? AHHH THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDORESS~

So with that, I wanted to dedicate a song to you. This probably just shows how old I am, but whatever LOL I thought it fit with the whole "band" sort of thing anyway.



Now, hurry up and update again (TEEHEE JK) so we can grow old together  :wub:



...And I suppose this counts as an update from you. Hmm, guess it's my turn to fork over another chapter? Idk yo, this "vacation" is a little to sweet  :bath: i reckon you'll be begging first  8)
« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 04:50:42 PM by kjpop »

Offline kawaii beam

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Re: The Rockstar's Guide to Growing Up [Chapter XIII, 6/9]
« Reply #79 on: June 09, 2012, 04:32:24 PM »
omg this morning is getting better and better! D: XD it seemsl ike tanagaki bonding took some kind of weird turn in the wrong direction now ^^; and it didnt help at all when reina took the cigeret away just like a certian monkey did all those times before shit went down ^^; then again i can see why risa would be pissed/jelly i mean reina's like the holy virgin wile we got 2 girls who's innocent days are way long gone. im sure risa wouldnt mind going back to when everything wasnt so messed up as it was now. like everyone's screwed in the head here...

erika(thats what im calling them now XD) is legit cute in this ;3; im wondering what it was that really led eri to start taking drugs, it must be more than family troubles right? i cant wait to see how this date-imean outing goes for the 2 of them XD plus i wanna see how tense and awkward band rehersal will be now ^^;

NOW GIVE KIWI MORE PLZ~! :deco:
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