Disrupted Vision (Tsukihime Crossover, Kenji) 6/13

[BobBobberson]

Would relegate this to my one-shot depository, but I might expand on this. Note that this is written all in one go with no proofreading or any of that usual crap that I don't do anyways. This idea came from my musings on Kenji's glasses.

Not going to be updated regularly.

"Hey Kenji, what do you look like without your glasses?"

Hisao asks what most would consider an innocent question, but to me, it's something that I can rarely do. I decide to try brushing him off with one of my usual excuses.

"Can't do that, Hisao. Can't let the feminists get a lock on my face. My disguises are useless otherwise!"

"But your glasses kinda give away whatever disguise you'd use...Come on man, let me see! Remember how much money I lent you that you never gave back?"

OK...damn it he's using logic again. Although I don't care about the money, I can pay him back, it's just he's never around when I do have money. Well...he is one of the few people I know who's willing to deal with my antics...I supposed it wouldn't hurt. Hopefully those insane tendencies won't arrive as soon as I take them off, although most people think I'm insane already.

"Alright, since you're one of my trusted brethren in the war against the feminists, I might as well."

I slowly take off my thick-rimmed glasses and place them on Hisao's bedside table. Come to think of it, how the hell did I end up in Hisao's room anyways?! But back to the point.

"Huh, Kenji you look really tired with those glasses." Hisao notes.

"Eh, when you're dealing with feminists all day long, it's hard not to be tired." I respond. Truth is, there's another reason why my eyes are so tired looking. When I took off my glasses, the lines started to appear. Black and red lines that run in everything I see, from animals to humans to inanimate objects like the bed I'm sitting on right now. Looking at Hisao, I see more lines than usual riddling his body, probably a consequence of his arrhythmia. All his lines converge at his heart, where a gaping black dot exists. Damn, he must be really fragile. I could poke him in that spot with a dagger and he'd die from his existence breaking up faster than from his damaged heart.

A light headache starts to appear, the consequence of seeing all these lines. The woman I ran across eight years ago told me never to take off those glasses except for special circumstances. Look at me today, taking them off because someone was interested in what I looked like without them.

"Can I get my glasses back? Before the feminists get a picture of me without them?"

"Ah, fine." Hisao acquiesces, handing my thick glasses to me. I put them on quickly, erasing the lines scattered about and my headache. That's better.

"I gotta go Hisao, I've got an important mission to undertake. I may call on your assistance if need be. Keep your eyes and ears open." I explain, getting up from the bed.

"Alright man." Hisao says, with a hint of sarcasm. "Just don't get caught by the vampire lurking around town. It's like what, his eighth murder by now?"

"Ninth." I correct, closing the door behind me and entering my own room. I make sure the five locks on my door are secured before flopping down on my bed, ignoring my laptop on the desk tracking the several surveillance bugs I've planted throughout town.

"Heh, feminists. Can't believe that's my excuse." I muse out loud. I'm not sure why I came up with the idea of a feminist conspiracy, but it does its job of making people steer clear of me. A job like mine requires being a loner. It's also a good excuse for why I go around with insane amounts of surveillance equipment. Well, not that I ever asked for this job. Hell, I think I'd rather deal with an actual feminist conspiracy than the situation that I'm dealing with right now.I mean the surveillance stuff was mostly for show until recently. If only I didn't have these damn eyes...Well, at least I have Aoko-sensei to thank for keeping me sane with these glasses she made me eight years ago. I'm not sure how she made them, but the results are undeniable: I've managed to stay sane and live as normal a life (as one who 'believes' in a feminist conspiracy) as I can. I wish I could run across her again today, she'd know what to do.

Gah, self pity and reminiscing about the past isn't going to help me now. I get up from my bed and head to my laptop. Contrary to popular belief, my eyes are only messed up normally. A normal pair of glasses would be fine for me, except I'd still be seeing those lines and probably go insane within a month or two of wearing them. I guess these glasses are thick because they stop me seeing the lines. Ah well, it's a fair tradeoff. I scroll through the views of each hidden camera I've placed, looking for something unusual. It's 10:39 PM right now, so the things that go bump in the night are definitely running around right now.

I rummage around my pockets and pull out the butterfly knife entrusted to me by a Frenchman wearing a red pinstriped suit with a matching red balaclava to boot at the hospital I was recuperating in eight years ago from the accident. I guess fate must've led the two people in red, Aoko-sensei and...what was the Frenchman's name again? Ah, right, he told me to refer to him as Spy-san. Looking back now, it was pretty odd calling him Spy-san, but since I was eight at the time, I didn't think much of it. I flick the knife open with my practiced hand, borne from years of learning to open it properly and about a couple of pints worth of blood from cuts received while learning to open it properly. With this butterfly knife, I can easily cut any lines I see with my eyes.

Looking back at the computer, I barely catch a glimpse of a pale figure running across an alley. Looks like she's looking for more prey today. Looks like it's my time to shine. I flick the knife back into it's 'off' position and rush out the door, not even bothering to lock the door. No one ever goes into my room anyways. I take the elevator down to the lobby and start running across the park. I have to intercept the figure while she's still out hunting for prey. There's no way I can catch her during the daytime. Thanking whatever higher deity is up there for only affecting my eyes and not my lungs or heart, I exit Yamaku's campus and make my way down the hill.

15 minutes later, I find myself at the streets of the unnamed town. The streets are empty, although I expected this because of the recent killings. No one in their right mind would want to wander alone at night with the so-called 'vampire' running around. But then again, I am packing heat. And by heat I mean a knife. There's no need for stealth, so I start to randomly run across streets and alleys, hoping to find the pale figure. As I wander around town, the emptiness of the town starts to become more apparent. An hour later, I'm pausing to catch my breath by the now closed Aura mart.

Goddamn, I can't find it at all! Although the fact that I haven't seen anyone else at all buoys me a bit, since it means that the killer will have a harder time finding prey, which means it should still be out right now. My gaze wanders over to the nearby park...oh wait, I haven't checked there too. I should probably give it the once-over, although common sense would dictate avoiding anywhere without light in the night, so no one should be there at this time. With my breathing back to normal, I pick myself up and walk over to the park.

In the park, it's nearly pitch black, the only illumination coming from the vending machine in the center and the full moon hanging overhead, guiding my way through the park's paths. Reaching the vending machine at the center of the park, I lean on it, trying to catch a view of anything suspicious. On the path opposite me, I see a human figure walking calmly towards the center of the park, where I'm at right now. I quickly dive behind some bushes, taking care to minimize noise. Poking out my head, I think of how well I'm acting my role as a conspiracy freak if Hisao or anyone from Yamaku was to see me now. Speaking of Hisao...it looks like it's him!?! He walks towards the vending machine I was just leaning on and buys a can of coffee. He then sits on a nearby bench, opening his can and sipping on it. What the hell is he doing here? Goddamn it, now I have to make sure he doesn't get hurt by the damn vampire. But then of course...

The pale figure I had a glimpse of on the surveillance cameras pops out of nowhere, materializing in the middle of the path Hisao just used. Getting a closer look at the person, with a jolt I realize its

"Rika? Where'd you come from? What're you doing out here at night?" Hisao asks uncertainly. She certainly does look different. Back in school, she had a certain air of calmness around her, as if nothing fazed her. Here, the opposite could be said for her, her Yamaku uniform disheveled and torn in several places. Her eyes, instead of emanating apathy like before, now exude a different aura, something I would probably label bloodlust. There's no doubt she's the vampire the news has been talking about for the past week. My camera picked up a pale figure with white hair hunched over a corpse four days ago. And after all, there aren't many young people with white hair dicking around town, is there? I quickly get myself combat ready, taking off my glasses and quietly flicking my knife open. The light headache reappears once again, but it's nothing I can deal with.

"Hisao, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to be running around town..." Rika says quietly, slowly walking towards Hisao. I slowly move alone as well, trying to close the distance between Rika and I as much as possible. I can't let her kill Hisao.

"Well, I didn't expect you as well..." Hisao gets up, leaving behind his half-finished can of coffee. Sensing that Rika's an enemy, he starts to sprint away from her, conveniently going down the path near the bush I'm hiding in. Rika, realizing that Hisao's trying to escape, immediately starts to chase him. Now's my chance!

I dash out of the bush I was hiding in and attempt to swipe at Rika's lines. Of course, she senses my attack and jumps back at the last second, avoiding my attack by centimeters.

"Hmph, a mere human dares to attack me. And....Kenji?!" RIka changes course with the stereotypical 'Dare to challenge me' speech when she notices me. She quickly gets back into character though. "Well this should be easier than I thought. And you don't even have your silly thick glasses. At least no one will miss you."

RIka charges forward again, her fangs bared. Yeah like a frontal attack is going to work on- Wait no, it did. I underestimated her speed, as she managed to pin me to the ground with remarkable agility. My knife flies out of my hand, making a clinkin sound as it collides with the vending machine. Shit, that's my only weapon I can use down the drain.

"I wonder how you''ll taste like." Rika says, showing off her fangs. Ugh, even without them, she definitely could've passed off for a vampire beforehand. She moves her head down for the kill, but before she can bite me, three oversized swords knock her off me and pin her to the vending machine. i don't take any time to consider myself lucky, getting off the ground and quickly picking up my knife, which was laying near the vending machine.

"What?! Who attacked me?!" Rika snarls, trying to escape the swords. They're embedded in her too deeply, and one of them is pinning her right arm, so she can't escape at all. I ready my knife and aim at her point of death, which is in her abdomen.

"Well, you're not a feminist, but I suppose getting rid of a vampire is pretty cool too." With that cool quip, I shove my knife through her point. Rika immediately starts to disintegrate into ash.

"But...how..." is all she can get out before she dissipates.

Now that I've dealt with the immediate threat, I look around for my savior. Standing on top of a tree is a figure dressed in a dark robe. The moonlight just barely illuminates her blue hair. Even though it's the wrong time, my mind still idly wonders why she dyes her hair blue. Maybe she's trying to be like those anime characters? From her hands, I see three swords like the ones that impaled Rika sticking out between her fingers, akin to a certain Marvel superhero whose name I can't quite recall at the moment. Seeing that her job is done, she jumps off the tree and into the rooftops with near-superhuman strength.

Weird...I consider chasing after her, but a distraction runs up to me.

"Kenji? What the hell are you doing here? Did you...kill RIka?" HIsao asks, shocked at the turn of events.

"Ehh, yeah I did. Although apparently you missed the flying swords." I gesture towards the vending machine that clearly doesn't have swords impaled on it...wait where'd the swords go?

"What swords? But seriously, Kenji, what the hell's going on? Why were you here?"

"It's a long story, Hisao. I'll explain it to you on our way back. And, no it doesn't involve feminists. Hell, that's the first thing I should clear up."

Wrapping my arm around Hisao's shoulder, I start to drag him with me back to Yamaku. Looks like I'll really be having another comrade in case another incident like this happens again. I have a feeling that when it does happen, that blue-haired chick's going to be involved as well...

Damn, 3 hours down the drain that I could've spent on Running Interference. Oh well.

[Mirage_GSM]

Tsukihime... Kenji... Glasses...
All you really have to read to know what the story is about
Still quite entertaining.

[Oddball]

Tsukihime... Kenji... Glasses...
All you really have to read to know what the story is about

I know two of the three!

[BobBobberson]

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away...

Akira Satou, accomplished businesswoman, is walking down a side street in an unnamed city, briefcase in hand. Passing by an electronics store, she can hear tidbits of the news report blaring from the TV.

"The police has uncovered yet another body of a woman who's been drained of their blood in the town near Yamaku Academy. It's the serial killer's 7th victim so far..."

"Huh, the world's getting more dangerous these days, aren't they? I hope Lilly's staying safe." Akira muses out loud to herself, continuing down the street towards the bus stop. Normally, she'd drive her car, but it's in the shop today.

She continues to meander down the city street, weaving through the evening crowd with ease. But when she gets to her bus stop, she's greeted with a surprise.

A foreigner in a purple skirt and white turtleneck sits at the stop's bench, leafing through what appears to be a wad of money. Even from this distance, Akira can tell that she's a looker, with her blonde neck-length hair and silky white skin, not to mention the curves that even her baggy turtleneck fails to conceal. Akira takes a seat on the same bench, giving the foreigner a bit of space as per the unspoken code of conduct when taking seats in public areas.

Taking out her phone, Akira idly wonders whether she should call on Lilly when a poke on the shoulder interrupts her train of thought.

"Excuse me, can you help me with something?"

Turning around, Akira sees that the foreigner has sidled over next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. The foreigner then glances down at the wad of money she has, as if uncertain with what to do with it. With this closer perspective, Akira's prediction that this woman was attractive is correct. The only thing that's unusual is the red eyes that this woman has, although it somehow makes the stranger even more alluring.

"What do you need help with?" Akira responds politely.

"Umm..." The woman glances down at her money again. "How much do I need to pay for the bus...fare? I think that's what you call it."

"Well it's 200 yen. For that, the bus will take you anywhere on its designated route." Akira explains to the foreigner.

She looks back down at her wad of cash again, flipping through it before fishing out a 1000 yen bill.

"Hmm, this is the smallest number bill I have. You don't suppose it's a bit much?" The stranger asks.

Akira internally sighs. What kind of person hasn't encountered any kind of public transportation in their lifetime? But Akira quashes this thought. If she's clueless about money and buses, might as well do some early prevention before this woman causes a scene. Reaching into her briefcase, she pulls out 5 100 yen coins and a 500 yen coin.

"Yes, it's too much for the bus' machine to make change. Here, I'll give you 1000 yen in coins for that 1000 bill." Akira says, offering the coins to her.

"Oh, OK than! Thank you!" The woman says happily, taking the coins and replacing them with the 1000 yen bill.

"Not a problem." Akira replies, waving her hand. "Anyways, what's your name? You don't look like you're from around here."

"Well, I'm Arcueid. What's your name?"

"Arcueid? That's an unusual name, but I like it. Has a nice ring to it. Anyways, I'm Akira. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" Arcueid exclaims happily. "You're right about me not being from around these parts though. I'm on what you people might call a business trip."

"A business trip, eh? I get too many of those. Sometimes I just wanna stay home and be with my sister."

"Hmm, well my trips aren't exactly...frequent, so I suppose it isn't bad for me. You mentioned a sister, though?" Arceuid inquires.

"Yep, my baby sister Lilly. She goes to Yamaku Academy. She's also got a friend who I consider a second sister as well." Akira says. She's not sure why she's opening up to a stranger, but her gut instinct tells her that this Arcueid is trustworthy.

On hearing Akira's explanation, Arcueid's face saddens.

"Must be nice, having someone to look forward to seeing..." Arcueid mutters, just loud enough for Akira to hear.

"Yeah, sometimes the thought of Lilly is what drives me through my day." Akira says. She wants to say something to console Arcueid, if even a little. But she doesn't know what words would help.

A bus pulls up at the stop, but it's not the one Akira's waiting for, so she keeps seated. Arcueid, however, gets up.

"Bus 39...Akira, this bus goes south, right?" She asks, turning to Akira.

"Yep, it'll pass through the town next to Yamaku."

"Ah, than this is my bus. It was nice meeting you, Akira." Arcueid starts to move towards the open bus door.

"Arcueid, wait!" Akira calls out, rummaging through her briefcase. She pulls out a business card and holds it out to Arcueid.

"Here's my card. It has my contact information on it. If you're in a pinch, hit me up." Akira says, hand outstretched.

Arcueid takes the card and glances through it for a moment before putting it away in one of her pockets.

"Thank you, Akira. I'll be sure to keep it in mind." Arcueid smiles, turning back towards the bus. She gets on the bus, and the doors promptly close behind her. As it pulls away, Akira waves goodbye at the bus, hoping that Arcueid's looking back.

Now that Arcueid is gone, Akira's left with her thoughts once more. Although this time, instead of Lilly, she's thinking about Arceuid.

"Why did I give her my card?" Akira asks herself. "She was just a stranger...But still, when in doubt, trust your instincts. I have a feeling I'll see her again."

I love Arcueid. Not sure why. I love Hisui more, but it'd be pretty damn hard to write a plausible situation in which she appears.

[Mirage_GSM]

My favourite is actually Akiha, but there wouldn't be any plausible reason for her to be there either...

[BobBobberson]

My favourite is actually Akiha, but there wouldn't be any plausible reason for her to be there either...

Not unless I made Kenji into a Kenji Tohno. And that would make no goddamn sense at all! I didn't like Akiha actually, especially on Kohaku's route when she gets all incestuous (well not really since they're not related, but still they grew up together) and she's like all 'fuck me or i'll kill you!'...and now I have an idea for a Hanako fic. dafuq