Mending Fences

[NPC: Male]

[Note: Kankorou is being used through an NPC account since his original owner hasn’t been active for over a decade due to life circumstances. For the purposes of Mitsuko’s storyline, Mitsuko needs to talk to her brother, and to tie up some loose ends.]



Kankorou had returned to Diabolic Domain after being away for a decade. Dragon Riders were known to enjoy the freedom of the skies and not staying in one place for very long, and Kankorou was no exception. He loved being a nomadic, and going where ever the wind and his red dragon Gora took him. Not being locked down on land made it so Kankorou would have new adventures every single day, and it was also a great way for him to train.

But his occupation as a Dragon Rider came with a few sacrifices- namely with his sister Mitsuko. He hadn’t done a very good job in keeping in touch with her over the years and wasn’t present for her wedding and birth of her son. The last time he saw Mitsuko was when she was stabbed by their horrible father, and a battle took place. Kankorou was present for the and after, but had left afterwards thinking that his sister was in the very best of hands.

He didn’t check in on her because his immaturity had said to him that his little sister had all of this support available to her. But that was the wrong way to think because he was still her brother. He was still her family. Hell he didn’t even know that she was so badly injured that she lost her ability to use her wings and more recently was struggling with depression. Mitsuko had tried to reach out in the past but either her calls, and texts went unanswered to the point where she stopped reaching out. She just redirected her focus to her family, and to her marriage.

Truthfully, Kankorou was in his early twenties at the time and was so intoxicated by being a dragon rider and the freedom it brought him that he wasn’t thoughtful for what he promised Mitsuko. He didn’t always have to be in person with his little sister to be there for her, but he could have done a better job by using the technology that was available to keep in touch with her, and not just using the whispers of the domain to keep track of what she was up to. He could have taken more initiative in seeing how SHE was doing in return, but Kankorou chose not to. The older brother does have regret with how he treated his sister, and while he understands that their relationship will not have the same closeness, he hopes that by meeting with her today they can at least bury the hatchet.

Kankorou arrived at the Loier Strip located in Evnae and called Mitsuko up to ask her to meet him. He felt horrendously guilty. But she hoped that she would answer his phone call. She had a giving heart afterall. He couldn’t see why she wouldn’t answer.

[Mitsuko]

Mitsuko was getting ready for her shift as a nurse in Gradia and had heard her cellphone ring. It was a number that she hadn’t seen appear across her screen for years, and she knew who was calling her. Her brother Kankorou. Mitsuko was hesitant to answer at first, and she was so tempted to just decline the call, but she decided to answer. When she answered she didn’t sound like her cheery self- after many conversations with Zero about the situation with her brother she had started to mentally move on from wanting contact with her brother. Her eyes were closed as she greeted her Kankorou over the phone. “What do you want Kankorou? I’m very busy at the moment getting ready for work.” She listened to her brother and he invited her to the bar in Loier Strip.

He wanted to talk to her.

“Alright here’s the deal. If you are gone by the time I get there, then I’m getting in my car and heading straight to my shift. Then if you call me offering a million apologies by how sorry you are for having to leave because you had to head out on your next adventure, I’m not going to listen. This isn’t good for my mental health Kankorou. I’m at a point in my life where I need stability, not to have people coming and going in my life like this.” Mitsuko put her foot down and then she ended the call, got in her car and started the drive to meet with her brother.

[NPC: Male]

Kankorou heard the dial tone before he could respond to his sister. She was understandably pissed but he was thankful she didn’t yell at him. She stood up for herself as Mitsuko had the right to. “Ouch. I don’t know exactly what I had expected when I called her, but I didn’t expect her to end the call so abruptly.” He sighed. “I’ve really messed up with her.”

‘What did you expect? You had many chances to communicate, initiate, and even visit her and her family. You have a niece and nephew you know. There was a lot you could have done at a distance to show you care. But you did nothing. You chose to do nothing, and to be frank, even the kindest and most patient of hearts reach their limits. She is just responding by the way you treated her. For a time she made excuses for you. Showed you empathy. If you want to make things right then you need to take accountability.’ Gora scolded his rider since he had a great respect for Mitsuko. Even he knew that this wasn’t right.

[Mitsuko]

It was a long commute to reach Loier Strip but she entered the bar once she arrived and parked her car safely. She made her way to where her brother was sitting and drinking a small shot of scotch. “I’m here Kankorou. What do you want to talk about? I’d prefer it you keep it straight to the point as I don’t have all day. I’m already running late for work. But I prioritized you. So let’s talk.” She sat down across from him, a quiet fire shown in her blue eyes.

[NPC: Male]

“No hello how are ya?” Kankorou tried to crack a joke to ease the tension but it just made Mitsuko feel worse. “I’m sorry Michi. I was young, and was just enjoying being a dragon rider, I should have made more time for you once in a while. Uh… congratulations on getting married! And having kids! Zero probably hates my guts.”

[Mitsuko]

Mitsuko sighed. “This is no time for jokes Kankorou. You’ve missed out on a lot of milestones. The wedding to my husband, the birth of my son.” She sighed shaking her head. “Forget about what you missed with me, I’m more concerned about my children. How could you not be an uncle to them? Jake makes time to say hello every now and then, why can’t you? Please tell me you are a good father to your son at least.” The angel was dead serious about this statement. Even if he couldn’t be there as an uncle or a brother she hopes that his lust for freedom didn’t affect the relationship with his own son. “How old is he now? Three, four?”

[NPC: Male]

“Ah my son Raphael! Yeah I have a good relationship with him. You don’t need to worry about that. And my girlfriend and I got your gift to him when he was born. Thank you. You showed us.. my son kindness. It’s more than I deserve. I hope that you and I can stay in touch..” Kankorou took another swig of his drink.

[Mitsuko]

“I did it for your son. That child is innocent. Zero and I wouldn’t treat Raphael any differently just because our relationship with you is strained. Zero helped out with the gift.” Mitsuko didn’t want this conversation to take too long. “On to my question. What is your purpose of apologizing? Are you doing it because you realized that you messed up, or are you doing it because you feel guilty?”

[NPC: Male]

Kankorou sighed. “Both. But I understand that you have to do what’s best for you, but are you open to repairing our relationship over time? We will go at your pace that’s healthy for you.” He then looked at his sister, and he could see how much stronger she had become. Just stating her thoughts and feelings took a lot of courage. And he wasn't angry with her. He totally understood.

[Mitsuko]

“Alright. We will go slowly. But my family comes first. I have two teenaged kids. I have a marriage to take care of. My energy is now with my family but you and I will keep minimal contact, and we will keep an eye on how things go okay? Thank you for reaching out to me. And I’m sorry for being cold to you over the phone.” Mitsuko stood from her chair. “I’m really late for work. But I’d like to send my best to Gora. Tell him for me please.” With that the angel walked away from her brother and headed to her car. Once inside her car she called Zero immediately and they started talking about the meeting Mitsuko had with her brother, on her way Jowston Hospital where she worked. 

Zero could tell that the bond that Mitsuko had with her brother may not be repaired easily. But at least they finally communicated. Kankorou’s actions broke their connection, so it will take time for it to heal. But Zero doesn't regret giving Kankorou a piece of his mind the first day he met him. Sure, he could have dialed back his anger towards his wife's brother, but at least he was Mitsuko's voice at the time. He was her voice when she was scared to state what was on her mind. Mitsuko's husband reminded her not to feel pressured to mantain a close relationship with her brother if she didn't feel ready. He wanted her to prioritize her mental wellbeing above all else, but at least she met with Kankorou before he just disappeared again.

[NPC: Male]

Kankorou watched as his sister walked away from him and sighed. “I guess I deserve that one. But I can’t expect her to be warm and fuzzy with me overnight. I can also see that she married the right guy. Zero brings out a stronger side to her, so that way she learns boundaries and speaks up for herself.”

Just about anything can break connection and Kankorou learned this the hard way. He stood up from his chair exited the bar and got on Gora’s back, soon flying high in the sky. From overhead they could see Mitsuko’s car as she drove it along the roads. This was a parting of ways for now, but he will always care for his sister, he just had to do a better job in showing her and who knows? Maybe they will become close again in the future.

[END THREAD]