backyardbbq | MORE AONO IDIOTS

MORE AONO IDIOTS

[Idiots. All of them.

Bon was tired. After a day of tending to the sick, as well as tending to family obligations, there was not much else to do but take a bath and sleep. But there was so much to worry about: the mess with Todo, where this sickness was coming from, Rin's demon heritage...

Bon frowned. Rin was a constant worry. As if there weren't enough troubles in Bon's life already, now there was one more idiot to worry about. He was lazy, he was stupid, and he happened to be the son of Bon's sworn enemy, the one Bon was going to defeat.

But somehow, Bon couldn't be mad at him. Mad at the lies, yes, but not at Rin's heritage. He couldn't help it, right? It wasn't like a child could do anything about who their parents were. Rin was at fault just as much as Bon was at fault for the Suguro family problems.

Speaking of family problems...

Bon looked left, then right. Nobody else was in the changing room. Good. Carefully, Bon lifted up the sweater and shirt, and carefully pulled them off. The bindings on her chest were still holding strong, though they were becoming uncomfortable as time passed. She was growing, she figured. Pretty soon she would no longer be small-chested enough for bandages, and she would have to use actual bras.

It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with being a girl. No, Bon was fine with that. But what she wasn't fine with was all the assumptions that went along with it. Girls did this. Girls did that. Girls didn't get their ears pierced, or dyed their hair, or acted in the way Bon always had.

Bon wasn't about to change who she was just because society told her to, but the pressure was on her. Especially since she was a scholarship student, too: Nobody expected a tomboy to be tough and smart. So, it had just been easier to hide her gender under bandages and pants. It was only three years, after all. Once she graduated and got her Meister, how she acted wouldn't matter at all. Once she was an exorcist, nobody could take that away from her. She could be who she wanted.

But for now, she could pretend to be a boy. Shima and Koneko knew, by virtue of having grown up with her. Her teachers (including Yukio) and the staff at the school knew, since her actual gender was listed on her school records. But everyone else? They had no clue.

At least, as long as nobody saw her topless, they wouldn't know. Hopefully no idiot boys would wander in to the changing room and stumble upon her in her half-dressed state.]

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[Well...okay, that's a good enough answer for Bon. She'll let go of his shoulder.

But she is going to clear up one thing.]

I grew up around here. Most of the people from the temple already know, including those two.

[Meaning Shima and Koneko.]

But they also know why I'm doing this, so they're not going to say anything to anyone. Just like you.

[She's still not sure how much she trusts Rin, after the whole 'lying about being Satan's son' thing. But he at least sounds somewhat sincere.]

... oh.

[Well... it was probably better than he chased them off anyway. They didn't need to turn the entire thing in to a bigger mess than it already was.

He knows they're still having trouble trusting him after what happened, but he sees this as another chance to prove that if anything the only lie he ever wanted to tell was the same one meant to keep himself alive long enough to become an exorcist.

His tail twitches behind his back, and he nods silently, staring to move away from the door.

He stops though, turning to shove the water bottle at Bon.]

... for whatever it's worth, I wouldn't've cared either way.

[Plus, Bon really didn't need Shima staring at her boobs.

Again.

it's funny how one of her best friends continuously manages to 'stumble upon her' in various states of undress.

Spoilers: that's why Shima comes to class with black eyes sometimes.]

Well I'd hope not. I'm not any different because of that one thing.

[That might come out a bit snippy, but it's because she knows it matters to way too many people. She wouldn't be cross-dressing if it didn't matter.]

[Wow Shima you are the actual worst.]

I'm guessin' not everyone sees it that way, right?

[Otherwise why go to this much trouble? Again, Rin is dumb, but he's not utterly oblivious. He can tell it's a big enough issue just by how she's behaving over it.]

[Bon just gives Rin a look. Because really, it should be obvious. Girls and boys are treated very differently even in normal schools. What chance would Bon have to excel if everyone had different expectations of her? ]

No. No they don't. Just watch how people around here act, and you'll see.

[Except Rin didn't really see it that way.]

What about Shiemi? And Izumo? Even Paku, when she was still with us. They were girls, and no one told them they couldn't be exorcists. I think you're not seein' the forest through the bushes.

[Trees, Rin.]

Just 'cause your family acts like you're doin' somethin' that a girl shouldn't do doesn't mean exorcists see it the same way. Hell, my mom was an exorcist!

[And she got pregnant by Satan but details.]

It's a different environment, Bon.

You think it's really equal? That there's no difference in how boy and girl exorcist are treated?!

[ Whoops Bon is still quick to anger, especially when it comes to stuff like this. ]

If it's so equal, then how come boy exorcists outnumber girls four to one? How come most of the girls we DO have are tamers or doctors? And even in those two fields, they half to work twice as hard to get half as much recognition! And why do so many girl exorcists quit once they get married?

'cause they probably think the same way you do and don't do anythin' to rock the boat! I bet if you showed 'em a girl exorcist can be just as badass as a boy one they'd have no choice but to respect you!

Hell, I already know you're way more badass than I am! No one else guy or girl can spout verses in the line of fire like you can!

[ Bon might have stayed and argued it, but she's been through this crap so many times before that she just doesn't have it in her to argue the point anymore, especially with someone she's already angry at.

So she starts to yell back, but then she stops and makes an irritated noise as she runs a hand through her hair. ]

If you really think that, then watch how the girls are treated tomorrow. Then come to me and tell me how equal everything is.

[God bicker more children...]

Fine, I will!

[All the bickering. All of it.

But Bon will turn and walk away after yelling at Rin one more time.]

FINE!

[And she goes off to stew in her anger and be grumpy for the rest of the night.

Soon enough, 'tomorrow' is 'today,' and everyone is back to treating the sick. Bon is working at the inn today too, instead of being tied up with family things for a good part of the day. She is dressed like a boy again, and she makes no effort to correct anyone when they call her a guy.

But, if Rin is watching, she does get treated differently. Some of the Kyoto exorcists (most notably the Shimas and some of the other big families from the area) talk to her differently. Never rudely, of course, just differently.

And sometimes, without meaning to, they ask Koneko, or occasionally Shima, for stuff involving all three of them. But never Bon, it's always one of the other two. Bon only ever gets asked to do stuff when it is her specifically.

There are also whispers that can be heard, said by people who think nobody can hear them but aren't taking a demon's hearing capabilities into account. Whispers about Bon, and about 'coming of age soon'. Tensions are high not only because of the sickness, but because of something else too. Something that is probably the source of a lot of Bon's problems.

Bon herself just works, not complaining at all. Because nobody is treating her terribly, just different. And she's had to live with it all her life, so she just frowns and bears it, while telling herself that she only has three more years to go before it's all over.]

[And of course Rin can hear it. He hears it, he sees it, and the more he does the more it pisses him off.

He hadn't noticed it before, because the True Cross branch is a little better about it, but he realizes almost painfully that if he thinks back to enough conversations he can see the differences there, too.

Was his mom treated the same way? Was this something that drove her to Satan in the end?

God, it actually pisses him off. A lot.

And at some point he happens to be standing there when Bon asks an older exorcist something, and the reply is directed at him as if he's going to magically understand it better.

And that's when he snaps.]

HEY! Bon asked you that question, not me!

[The older exorcist backs off once Rin snaps, and starts to stumble over a half-hearted apology while looking between Bon and Rin.

Bon is absolutely horrified, and she utters a quick apology to the older exorcist before grabbing Rin to go drag him somewhere private. Because apparently he has started noticing, but Bon had forgotten that Rin is a loud idiot.]

Just what do you think you're doing?

[The question is whispered harshly to Rin, as the 'private place' that was nearby is actually just a gap between two buildings.]

[whoops dragged]

Exactly what it fuckin' looks like. Nothin' is ever gonna change if you don't raise hell about how you're bein' treated!

Did you ever stop to think that maybe there's a reason I don't speak out against it? That maybe, just maybe, anything I do will affect more than just myself?

Tch. That's such bullshit.

And here I thought you'd understand that most things in this world are bullshit.

[Bon lets go of Rin's shirt, though it's a little forceful.]

When I told you to watch, I meant that. Watch. Once you're an adult, then you can work at changing things. But you don't want to get involved in the nonsense going on here.

There's a reason me, Koneko, and Shima went all the way to True cross for school.

[He stumbles a little, but doesn't bother fixing his shirt after.]

So you wanna be miserable for the rest of the time you're a kid?

Did I look miserable on the camping trip?

[Even though a large part of her life is a huge secret at school, she still does enjoy being there. It's just hard to see sometimes, with how much she frowns.]

Well--! ... n... no, I guess not...

[There, see? Proof that she can be happy sometimes!]

I'm not unhappy. This stuff is a pain in the ass, and sometimes I wish I didn't have to pretend to be a boy just to get what I want in life, but it's not something I can't live with for now.

Just...If you want to help, don't yell at old people. Treat me 'n Moriyama 'n Kamiki like equals, like friends, and that'll be enough.

I--...

[But it's still going to piss him off whenever he sees it!

Still... she's asking for the only thing he wants, too. To be treated like a friend.]

... okay...

[With that, Bon will finally let Rin go and return to work. Because they have a lot to do, after all.

Up until the night the second eye is stolen and they have to bust Rin out of the jail cell, of course. Everything up until they meet Karura goes as normal, but there is much more resistance to letting Bon take on Karura's contract with Tatsuma, even though the demon says Bon can still manage it.

And when she and Rin are up on the mountain, riding Kuro to get up close to the Impure King, that's when Bon has her doubts.]

Okumurua, I don't know if I can do it!

[You picked a great time do start doubting, Bon. Considering what Rin went through in that fucked up jail of Mephisto's, and just how much he's doubting himself right now...

But he has to try. For his friends. He wants them to survive, he wants everyone to survive.

He wants to see Kyoto, in all it's glory, not ruined by the rot of the Impure King.]

We can do this!

[Yeah, she's just holding onto him, trying her best not to fall off of Kuro's back.]

We're just students! What if we mess up?

[Sure, Bon's got the barrier, and Rin's far stronger than most students, but what if it's still not enough? What if the Impure King gets out anyway?

Rin still can't draw his sword anyway, so once Bon gets the barrier up, they'll be stuck.]

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phone tagging get awww yeah

o/

also the code push seems to have fixed the text box problems!

huzzah!

Re: huzzah!

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