SASO

Abe can hear Momoe’s loud voice before she even approaches him; she’s laughing boisterously, her footsteps heavy on the ground. Abe remains focused on the book in front of him until Momoe taps him on the shoulder. Abe looks up and sees a boy next to Momoe, looking down at the ground and fidgeting. “This is your new partner, Abe-kun,” Momoe says, clamping a hand on the nervous boy’s shoulder. “His name is Mihashi and you’d better treat him kindly.” <img src="http://i.imgur.com/XqcRStu.png" height="500" alt="MEETING"> The boy - Mihashi - looks at Abe and gives him a tentative smile. “H-hello, Abe-kun. I’m new to this, b-but. It’s nice to meet you.” Abe looks Mihashi up and down, assessing him. He turns to Momoe who’s standing tall, obviously satisfied with her matchmaking. “Partner? Why do I need a partner?” Mihashi visibly deflates and resumes looking down. Abe feels an inkling of regret at his words, but ignores it. Momoe frowns at him, “You know everyone has to have a partner, Abe-kun. Especially you.” “Especially me?” Momoe sighs and gently pushes Mihashi toward Abe. “You know why, Abe-kun. Now get acquainted with Mihashi, I know you’ll be a great team.” Abe stares at Mihashi, who refuses to look up at him. Abe slams his book shut and gets up from where he’s sitting. Mihashi shudders a little, eyes still downcast. Abe sighs. “Let me show you the grounds, Mihashi. You’re going to be here when we’re not out reaping souls, so you might as well become familiar with it.” Mihashi finally looks up at Abe, nodding slowly in agreement. Abe starts walking and pushes past the doors of the building, revealing a courtyard smothered in green -- trees, bushes, and flowers filled up the courtyard, leaving room for benches to sit and chatter on. Mihashi follows Abe, footsteps timid and quiet compared to Abe’s confident ones as he navigates. Abe keeps walking, weaving past the courtyard to a sparse area with more buildings than trees. When Abe realizes that Mihashi is lagging behind, he scales back and walks next to Mihashi, matching his pace. Abe spends the next few minutes pointing out important buildings, Momoe’s office, where he lives and where Mihashi will probably end up living. Mihashi says nothing throughout the entire tour, simply nodding in understanding. Eventually both Abe and Mihashi settle on a bench, taking a quick breather. Abe leans back on the bench and closes his eyes. “Has Momoe told you about how reaping souls works?” Mihashi is surprised by the question, but hums affirmatively. “Mmm, yes. She told me that it’s not as simple as taking their souls and leaving. She said that a lot of times, the souls don’t want to leave, so you have to talk to them. Momoe-san also said that she thinks I would be great at talking to souls, though I’m not very good with people so I’m not sure how.” Mihashi lets out a nervous laugh and twiddles his thumbs. Abe frowns. What made Momoe think such a nervous boy would be good at empathizing with souls? <img src="http://i.imgur.com/AZIyP6n.jpg" height="500" alt="COURTYARD"> “She told you about the gates, right?” Mihashi peers at Abe, eyes wide. “Gates? No?” “Well, there are seven gates but really all you need to worry about for now are the first three. Before First Gate is where the dead can essentially come back to life. People who are on the brink of death or have died but have been revived in a hospital are souls that have only been to the first gate. This is where we help the souls move on and keep them from being pulled further past the other gates.” “What if we accidently reap the wrong soul?” Abe chuckles. “You don’t need to worry about that, Mihashi. We get a list and usually, you just kind of know who needs to be reaped and who doesn’t -- it’s an instinct.” “So -- why only the first three gates?” “Ah well, mostly because once past the Third Gate, souls have lost most of what made them… human, I guess? Sometimes a veteran reaper will accompany you because if you’re not experienced, going past gate three is extremely dangerous. But if a soul refuses to move on, we should call a teacher. Souls… have a habit of becoming monsters, forcing their way back through the gates and into the world of the living.” Mihashi’s eyes sparkle at the wealth of information. “Thank you, Abe-kun. I know you don’t want a partner, but thank you for taking me on this tour and telling me about the gates.” Abe smiles, a real smile, for the first time all day. It’s small and tentative, but it’s a smile nonetheless. “I’ll always have your back.” <center>[[:: ::->The Neighbour]]</center>

Returning after failing their first outing is something that has despair welling in the back of Mihashi’s throat. He twists his hands nervously, eyes on Momoe’s back as she leads them down an empty hall. He can’t find it in himself to look at Abe, not when he is aware that their failure is on his shoulders. Momoe comes to a stop outside of an open door and ushers them in. She closes the door behind them, falling into one of the chairs in the middle of the room. There are three, and a desk off to the side. It looks like all the furniture has been moved, to accommodate the results of the first outings. Success or failure, you still get a speech. “Sit,” Momoe gestures to the two chairs across from her own. “Don’t let this outing get to you. It’s more common than not for first outings to result in failure. It’s a learning experience. There’s a reason we give you more than one chance.” “Your second outing will be soon, but you’ll have a little time to think about what you’ll do differently. Have a little more patience, you can’t push them. You have to listen, talk to them, make them want to go,” Momoe explains softly, a look of worry on her face. The words are familiar, ones Mihashi has heard time and again in his lessons, but up until this point, he hadn’t realized how much reaping depended on them. “When you’re not working in tandem with your partner, the soul will take notice. You have to work together to make them feel safe.” “Actively trying to bring a soul back is a lot different from reading about it, but experience is the best way to learn.” Momoe stands up, reaches out, and puts a hand on both Abe and Mihashi’s shoulders. “I know that the two of you can do this.” “Do you mind waiting in the hall? I have to talk to Abe-kun for a moment.” Momoe smiles down at Mihashi, and he feels himself shiver. He wants to cry, because she isn’t blaming them for failing, is only pushing them to use it as a learning tool, but he still knows that they could have passed, and he feels like it’s his fault that they didn’t. Instead of letting himself burst into tears, he nods bird quick, and shoots out of his chair, running into the hall. He sinks down against the wall outside the door, hiking his knees up, pressing his face against them. He doesn’t move, not even when he hears Momoe walk over to shut the door. Except he doesn’t hear the telltale click of it shutting completely. “This is your last chance,” Momoe starts, voice muffled, but Mihashi can still hear her. “I know,” Abe responds gruffly, and Mihashi tenses. He waits for Abe to blame him for their failure, but it doesn’t come. Last chance? He wonders, because even if they fail all three of their outings, they have an opportunity to try again. Another set of lessons, another partner, another shot. But Abe doesn’t? “You have to make this work with Mihashi. I know that you can do it.” There’s a pause, before Momoe continues. “This isn’t like it was with Haruna. You two can work together, I know you can. You can’t do this alone, despite what you think. “Listen to what he has to say, watch the way he talks to the souls. He’s good with them. Now get back out there!” There’s the sound of feet shuffling, moving towards the door. “Don’t hold your first outings against him.” Momoe pushes the door open, and this time, Mihashi looks up. She smiles, small and knowing, before she starts off down the hall on her own. Abe’s slow to walk out of the office, but when he finally does, he glances down to Mihashi before offering a hand. “Alright, let’s go give this another shot.” <center>[[:: ::->Mother Dearest]]</center>

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/QPd2fuL.jpg" height="500" alt="TITLE"> Abe strolls up to the First Gate, immediately spotting Mihashi. Lightly put, Mihashi is a nervous wreck. He paces back and forth at the entrance, gnawing on his fingernails. If Abe squints, he can almost see Mihashi vibrating slightly. "Hey there." Abe gives Mihashi a half-wave, trying to appear friendly, but Mihashi squeaks and practically jumps a foot in the air. Sighing, Abe takes his pace next to Mihashi and proceeds to drown out the instructor's voice with his own whirlpool of thoughts. Why is Mihashi so nervous today, of all days? Is it because of me? Did I really effect him that much? But we’ve been doing so well! What should I tell him to make him believe in himself - "...You may now begin." The droll voice of their instructor immediately cuts off his train of thought, replaced by the sound of spirits and reapers alike shuffling along. Mihashi glances at Abe, Abe glances at Mihashi, and they step through the gate to the other side. <center>[[:: ::->Kids Can Be Mean]]</center>

They’ve been walking for a while with no soul in sight. Abe swears he can hear Mihashi's stomach start to growl. "Is… Is the soul really going to be here?" "We were told it would be, right? We just have to trust that it will. And hope it'll be an easier one." Abe grunts as he half-climbs half-scrambles over a particularly large rock. "After all, this is our second chanc - oh." Abe stumbles - behind the rock, sitting on the ground and sniffling, is their soul. To say he looks a bit under the weather would be an understatement. Tears and snot run in rivulets down his face and constantly get caught in the deep wrinkles. There are bags under his eyes, bruises on his legs, sores on his feet, and a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Christ," Abe mutters under his breath. "Hey, Mihashi. Come over here, but do it very slowly." "What is it? What happened - " Mihashi inches along the side of the rock until he catches sight of the soul, then lets out a combination of a squeak and a gasp. "Is… Is this our soul?" "Looks like it." Abe gently pokes the man. "Excuse me, sir. Were you looking for someone?" The soul turns around wildly. "Zelda? Have you seen my Zelda?" Mihashi inches out farther. "Z-Zelda? Is that your wife's name?" "Yes, yes, she's my wife. A beautiful woman, she is. Quite good at spending money." The soul lets out a hollow laugh. "I was supposed to bring our daughter back today. I was supposed to…. poor Zelda. Now she's all alone." Not one of those souls again, Abe internally groans. "When you say 'bring your daughter back,' you mean from the dead, right?" "Oh! Oh, yes. There was a… book. It was supposed to tell me how… I died, but before I could find it, I…" The soul trails off. Suddenly, he turns and grabs onto Mihashi's arm. "Tell me, young man. Is there still hope? Can I still do it? What I was supposed to do?" Mihashi squeaks and looks at Abe, who only blinks and shrugs. Shakily, he turns back to the soul, takes a deep breath, and starts talking. "Y-You know, i-if your daughter's..." Mihashi nervously sits down next to the soul. "You can f-find her." "I can?" The soul's eyes light up with something like renewed hope. "How? Can you help me?" Mihashi looks at Abe again, terrified out of his mind. Abe steps forward and takes the soul's hand, prying it away from its tight grip on Mihashi's arm. "Sir, we can help you. But you need to cooperate with us. Okay?" "Yes, yes, anything. Just… bring me… to my daughter…" "Alright. Now take a deep breath… and another one… focus on your daughter in your mind. That's good, keep taking deep breaths… and…" Mihashi watches as the soul starts to gently fade out, mouthing "thank you" just before he fades for good. Abe sits back, exhausted, but Mihashi can only stare at the spot where, seconds before, a lonely lost soul had been. "Hey. Mihashi," Abe calls out, eyes still closed. "You did well today." "But… But I froze." Mihashi seems to draw into himself. "You did the important part… you were the one that did w-well." Abe sighs. Here we go again. He opens his mouth, Mihashi cringes, and - "You're a natural at this, you know?" Mihashi gapes. "You really are. For our first soul, you were able to get through to them. I was the one who made it worse." "A-Abe-kun, what are you saying?" "You know, I was the one who reaped your soul. Of course, you probably don't remember. But I couldn't understand you at all. Here was a soul that was drifting about aimlessly, seemingly lost. I tried to ask you what you were looking for, but the only thing you said was 'I can't do this.' "And it pissed me off. Yeah, that probably wasn't the right reaction, but it did. It pissed me off. Because I couldn't understand what you couldn't do, I couldn't understand why you couldn't do it. I didn't even know where to start. In the end, it was Momoe that got you across; heck, Momoe is probably the reason you’re here, too. She's way better at this stuff than I am." Abe glances at Mihashi, who is sitting there, open-mouthed. "So don't you dare say that you're bad, because I've seen bad and I've seen good, and I know the difference between them. Trust me, you're a natural. You don't need to be so nervous all the time. Just… follow my lead, okay? And then do what you have to do." Abe pats Mihashi on the back. "I believe in you, Mihashi." <center>[[:: ::->Sorry]]</center>

Mihashi swallows nervously as he steps once more into the spirit world. It’s the first time that he and Abe don't have an instructor with them. Adding in the fact that this reaping decides if they actually graduate, he is beside himself. He feels a soft, brief touch on his forearm - Abe’s attempt to calm him down. He answers with a meek look, biting his bottom lip. It’ll be fine. He isn't alone. Abe is smart and confident - he’ll know what to do if something happens. They don't need to travel down the river for too long before they see their spirit, its faint form standing thigh deep in the icy water. Mihashi glances at his partner following a step behind. Abe answers his look with an acknowledging noise. As they approach the spirit, she raises her head to look at the pair. “Hello,” she says, her bright voice contrasting the dreary surroundings. “Hello,” Mihashi replies, stopping at the edge of the water. “I'd like to t-talk to you.” The spirit simply stares at him, blinking slowly. Then, she reels back and seems to shrink a little. “I'm not going.” “You have to, you - ” Abe starts, cut off by a look from Mihashi. He let out a small huff before continuing. “You should come with us.” The girl had been in her late teens before she died. “No,” she says. “No, I won't,” she repeats, her voice much firmer. “I want to- I need to see her again. I- I- I can't leave her like this. She needs me and I need her, I can't - I won't.” “Who is she?” Mihashi asks, crouching down. “She's my… lover, I guess. We’ve known each other since we were kids.” Abe shifts his weight around, swallowing down a sigh. They wouldn't be making any speed records but, for now, he needed to trust Mihashi. He knew that he wouldn't be much help. “We were caught. Her parents… we could barely speak to each other. We were just about to get out from it all, when -- fuck,” the spirit huffs in an angry breath. “We got so close to being happy and then - ” she mumbles. Mihashi turns to look at Abe, who clearly realizes what he’s thinking. Silently, Abe mouths a firm ‘No.’ Turning back to the spirit, he sighs. He isn't sure if he'd be able to help the girl forget, her anger and frustration are strong. If he lets her stay, her spirit will eventually become corrupted, and dangeous. He has to decide which is more important: the rules, or her happiness. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/VwoWEY4.png" height="500" alt="CHOICE"> <center>[[Reap Her]] or [[Lead Her Back]]</center>

<center>It's The Side Effects That Save Us</center> <center>Team Abe Takaya / Mihashi Ren</center> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/l3VbOi6.png" height="700" alt="TITLE" <center>[[:: ::->The Start]]</center>

Mihashi takes in a sharp breath and lets it sit in his lungs for a second. “What’s your n-name?” He asks. “Elena,” she answers. “Will you help me?” Mihashi nods. Then, he steps into the river, his legs disappearing into the murky waters. “Of course,” he says softly, closing the distance between them. The water is just as icy as he remembers, stealing the warmth from his body as it rushes past him. When he’s standing in front of her, he offers her his hands. After giving him a questioning look, she places her hands on his palms. “Mihashi,” Abe calls. “Are you sure?” Mihashi hesitates for a moment. “Is there a-any other way?” He asks. Abe glances down into the waters, to the girl, and then back to Mihashi. A few seconds pass. “What is it?” Elena asks, nervous. Her eyes flicker between the reapers. “What - ” “Do it,” Abe says finally. “Do what?” she asks, panic seeping into her voice. Mihashi swallows. “I’ll h-help you. Don’t worry,” he says, trying his best to mask his own uneasiness. Before the girl has time to pull away, he focuses on her memories. Meticulously, he picks out every single one related to her lover and removes them. As soon as he is done, he opens his eyes again. “What’s wrong?” Elena asks. Mihashi feels a little woozy - tampering with memories takes quite a bit of energy. “I-I’m fine,” he answers, glancing at Abe, whose face doesn’t reveal much of anything. “More importantly… It’s t-time for you to go.” Her face softens into a smile. “Thank you for helping me.” <center>[[:: ::->End One]]</center>

Mihashi looks over to where Abe is sitting, because he knows what he has to do. He can’t become a reaper at the cost of someone unwilling to be reaped. It didn’t sit right with him, but at the same time, how could he jeopardize Abe’s career for the sake of this soul's feelings? “Abe,” Mihashi starts, looking over to his partner of these last few outings. He stands up from where he was crouching, turning fully towards Abe. He twists the words he wants to say around in his head, trying to find a way to say them without ruining everything. The words come out more confident than he expects, but in this, he’s sure. “I want to take her back, but I won’t do that unless you’re with me.” Abe looks from him, to the soul, and clenches his fists at his side. He looks torn, confused. “If we don’t reap her, I fail, and I don’t get a second chance.” Mihashi nods, understanding, despite how his emotions are spiraling in turmoil. “Okay, we’ll r-rea-” “No,” Abe cuts him off before he can continue. He runs a hand through his hair, looking upwards, and tugging on the dark brown strands. “You don’t get it. I don’t get a second chance if we do this, but...” Abe lets out a growl of frustration, a sound wounded enough that Mihashi flinches back, and the girl makes a sound of fear. The growl turns into a laugh, edged with hysteria. “Momoe’s not going to let me live this down. Shit, I can’t believe I’m doing this. “Fine, we’ll lead her back, but I’m telling everyone that this was your idea.” Abe stomps over to the spirit, reaches out a hand for her to take, ignoring the way the water is lapping at his feet. “Come on, this idiot thinks we should take you back to the world of the living. He’s a bleeding heart. Let’s get you back to your girlfriend.” The spirit hesitates, but one glance at Mihashi, who’s looking at Abe in open wonder, and she’s taking his offered hand. She smiles, and laughs, the sound so genuinely happy that Mihashi knows that they’re making the right choice. Abe reaches out his free hand towards Mihashi, not for the first time, and waits for him to take it. “Let’s ruin our careers.” <center>[[:: ::->End Two]]</center>

A few weeks later, Abe and Mihashi are sitting in one of the huge sofas in the lounge, fresh out of school. “Do you… t-think I did the right thing?” Mihashi asks, his voice shaking a little. He’s sinking into the sofa, picking at his sleeves. He’s uneasy - doubting his choice. “You did. She was about to start panicking and we could’ve lost her for good.” “B-But… what if she wasn’t going to? What if we could’ve just… gotten t-through to her?” “... I don’t know. But I trust your choice, and mine. Besides, it’s in the past now, isn’t it?” Mihashi sighs, pulling off one of the unraveling strings. “Promise m-me. Promise me that we won’t do that ever again. N-Never.” “...I promise.” <center>The End</center>

“That wasn’t exactly what you were supposed to do. Actually, it was pretty much the opposite.” Momoe taps her fingers against her desk, a heavy sigh escaping her. “I’m supposed to scold the two of you, but honestly, you worked together. “Normally, this is where the two of you fail, but that was a hard one. Even the best of reapers would have struggled with that girl’s honesty.” Mihashi sinks down into his chair, waiting for Momoe to drop the axe. “As that is the case, you’re getting another shot. One more outing. Now get out of my office -- you won’t get another chance like this.” “What?” Abe asks, leaning forward in his chair. “I’m not going to tell you again. Go get ready.” Abe is out of his chair quickly, turning to face Mihashi, and he’s smiling. It’s bright, and Mihashi finds himself floored. A laugh bubbles up, and he can’t help himself, because he didn’t mess this up. He did what he thought was right, and he didn’t mess everything up. <center>The End</center>