SOUL
Seika (a.k.a. SOUL)
Relationships
History
It isn't hard to believe that Soul used to be scared of Kinra. For a long time, Kinra wasn't sure what to think of Soul, either. Being so frightened by the hybrid, Soul rarely ever showed up when Kinra was around for the first year of knowing each other. Whenever Soul would watch from afar, he saw how the narcissism just seeped off him, how he sneered and carried himself so confidently like the weapon of mass destruction he was. It took Kurou's insistence that the fox wasn't all that terrible for Soul to start showing up. "He's no worse than Utada", Kurou had said. The first time Kinra had actually seen Soul, he'd been stunned. Numerous things threw Kinra off about Soul --- from the obvious bristling anxiety rolling off him, to the shock of knowing this had participated in a revolution. It was a tense encounter, but in good conscious, Kinra at least tried to be gentle with him. Soul was far too frightened by those prying, inhuman glaring eyes to show up for another couple months, after Kinra was starting to really integrate himself into the friend group. Soul, getting over his anxiety as he was, had gotten used to Nurse and Utada - Utada, he figured, couldn't be too much worse than Kinra. So, a couple of times, he would show up casually. Conversations were brief, if any, but it was a start. Kinra figured out quickly that what the others said about Soul was an understatement, with how jumpy he was, and knew in those same moments it would take him a while to get any solid ground with Soul. Thankfully, the two found enough in common and worked alongside each other long enough for an actual friendship to blossom. It took far less time than Kinra had expected - he still questions if Soul is lying about not being afraid of him any more, but Soul has become just as comfortable as he is with everybody else.
Nicknames & Petnames
N/A. Generally, they just call each other their code names - more often than their real names.
Relationship Reasoning
Originally, it was out of mutual friends. However, it developed into an independent friendship of its own.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Hobbies wise, other than music, Kinra and Soul don't have very much in common. However, Kinra has taken interest in the chemistry Soul has learned, and the weapons Soul has developed absolutely fascinates him.
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody who is part of SHADE and The Council.
History
Surprisingly, it didn't actually take Soul very long to warm up to Sanjiro. As big and scary as she was, he learnt very quickly that she was gentle-handed and softspoken. On the other hand, Sanjiro surprised herself with just how gentle she could be with a person other than her brother or Mumu. She took one look at Soul, and she saw a child --- not a 19-year-old or so teenager, but a small, scared child. Sanjiro acted accordingly, and that must have been all that Soul needed. Sanjiro quickly became Soul's #2 safe person, second only to Kurou himself. Sanjiro herself quickly got used to having Soul hiding under her arm, or slipping behind her when overwhelmed. It became a sort of second-nature instinct that persists to this day. It wouldn't be that far off to say Soul sees Sanjiro as a big sister of sorts, and the feeling is reciprocated. Even well into adulthood, the two remained inseparably close. When Sanjiro lost Soul, it was like she had lost Sora... Except, it felt worse. At least she found him, but Soul...?
Nicknames & Petnames
They call each other by their code names more often than their real names. Soul in particular refers to Sanjiro by "Kao", as he is unable to pronounce her real name (Kaoru/Kaori) reliably.
Relationship Reasoning
It started out as a matter of mutual friends, but quickly grew into an independent relationship where they both rely on one another.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Both of them have taken interests in chemistry and physics. In fact, the duo bonded a lot over Soul teaching Sanjiro what he had learnt about chemistry, and vice versa. Soul had a very broad imagination, and the two had great fun discussing the most volatile mixtures of chemicals. Prior to their separation, they spent a lot of time together making explosives. Soul had a large hand in developing the gadgets that helped Sanjiro set off explosives from afar as well.
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody who is part of SHADE and The Council.
History
Thankfully for Soul, by the time they met, Sora had largely calmed down and mellowed out. For sure, he still had some of that rebellious fight in him, which was why Kurou took to him so much. He had mellowed out just enough for Soul to not be too frightened by him, thank the Stars. It was a rather similar situation to what happened with Sanjiro, where Soul was once scared of Sora... but not for long. After finding out he was Sanjiro's brother, it was through that association Soul really started to trust him. Seeing how highly Kurou thought of him helped too, of course. Sora felt similarly to Sanjiro - even though Soul was older than him, he saw crystal clear a scared and lonely child. It wouldn't be a lie to say Sora saw a bit of himself in Soul. That was what made Sora so adamant in his mind that he would help Soul open up. Out of all of them, Kurou excluded, Sora might have just been the one Soul spent the most one-on-one time with. They had a very similar energy, and were on the same wavelength when it came to a lot of things. Sora's mellow demeanor was a great relief for Soul, as much as he cared about his energetic friends. Sora himself also was quite relieved to have someone who he could quietly converse with after all the socialising of a busy day. When they became part of SHADE, they always had eachother's backs. If Soul was there, it was a good chance Sora wasn't very far behind Kurou. When all went sideways, and they were separated, Sora didn't expect to feel Soul's absense as much as he did. Soul, much as everyone loved his company, was always a very quiet presence... they thought, anyway. Sora always finds himself opening his phone to send Soul a text, or heading down the hall to his room, only to remember. How his sister has reacted hasn't helped, either. Sora knows she saw him as another little brother, even if she never said it aloud.
Nicknames & Petnames
Relationship Reasoning
At first, it was a matter of a mutual friend. However, it quickly developed into its own independent thing, making for an iconic duo. A hell of a threat, too, if you're on the opposing end.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Honestly, they both basically shared a sister, even if it was never outright stated. Soul, as a mechanic himself, also had a hand in customizing Sora's iconic rifle. He aided in creating the unique bullets as well, as well as the concoctions that went with each of them (with Nurse's input as well). Sora would occasionally join Soul's missions as a wingman, and with his pinpoint accuracy, they made for quite a team. Like everybody else, they had a shared interest in music as well. Prior to being shut down, Soul and Sora had planned on doing an album together, as their fans had requested several times that they do more duets together. It was kept secret from the others, and Sora still holds onto it, hoping that one day Soul will be able to complete it with him.
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody who is part of SHADE and The Council .
History
You literally cannot get more polar opposite than these two. Red and blue, hot and cold, aggressive and passive, artificial and natural, it just goes on. Both were sent running for their lives upon the deaths of their parents, and were lost for years with a target on their head. Really, the only difference between them was their backgrounds - one as a runaway cursed before birth, and another as an innocent rich boy who's family had enemies - and how they reacted to their situations. Neither took it well, both came out afraid, but with very different reactions to that. When they learnt of these similarities, neither of them knew what to do with it. Soul had taken one look at Luz and knew something was wrong with him, having picked up on Hana but not quite knowing it just yet. Luz wasn't sure how he felt about Soul, but Hana sure made her distaste known. Hearing that they both went through such similar traumas broke that ice, though. "You, too?" "Yeah." They actually learnt a lot about each other. Soul was one of the first to really figure Luz out - how tired he was behind all that bristling energy and hyperactivity. And Luz? Luz saw Soul as an opportunity to unwind. Luz could never get rid of that unending thrill, but he could manage it far easier when he had Soul around him. Soul was quiet, not relaxed at all, but it was nice practice for Luz to tone himself down. The two also learned how to cope together - not without Luz cracking 'jokes' about finding the people who tortured Soul and returning the favor, of course, but Soul was ultimately fine with that. Actually, that's where Soul's 'dry humor' comes from. With time, Soul got much more used to Luz's energy. Luz is still a lot more careful around Soul, avoiding being as rough as he is with everybody else, but it was Soul who really broke that ice and forced Luz to finally calm the fuck down. You can hear the difference in his voice like night and day, how it softens right up when he turns to address Soul. It's completely subconscious. Luz and Soul both really feel each other's absense. While Luz and Soul both had stronger bonds with KUROU for their own reasons, it might as well have extended to the two of them as well. You can't have Kurou without Soul, and really, you rarely have Kurou without Luz and Amaki. Luz knows something has happened to Kurou. He felt it, a deep stabbing pain in his heart that nearly wrenched out his entwined souls. He has yet to know what, but knowing of the connection the two have... he makes himself sick thinking about how Soul might be doing.
Nicknames & Petnames
Out of everyone, Soul probably struggles with Luz's name the most. Soul refers to Luz as 'Lu', seeing as he struggles with the hard 'z' sound, but he fumbles the 'L' sound just as often.
Relationship Reasoning
At first, it was a matter of a mutual friend. However, it quickly developed into its own independent thing, making for an iconic duo. A hell of a threat, too, if you're on the opposing end.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
The two are polar opposites in every way other than backstory. They have almost nothing in common. One of their only shared interests is music - they made several songs together, as duets and with others, and Soul always had a great time with it.
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody who is part of SHADE and The Council .
History
Soul did not like Nurse as a first impression. Nurse didn't even know Soul existed for the first five months or so. Soul knew why Kurou liked him - it was another starchild. Sure, it was mesmerizing to watch him work, and the nebulae which would seep from Nurse's fingers never ceased to amaze him, but Soul did not like his attitude. The snark, the defensiveness, the clipped retorts, Nurse never gave Soul a reason to like him... not that Nurse knew he existed, but still. It was worse when Nurse found out about Soul. Why? It was a complete accident. It wasn't like Kurou was deliberately hiding Soul from him - Kurou just knew Nurse wasn't on Soul's good list yet, and decided maybe to keep that hush-hush for a little longer. Kurou only referred to him as a "backstage helper" during the revolution, so Nurse never thought much of it when he slipped into the back of the base in search for medical equipment. Kurou was nowhere to be found, and while he said Nurse shouldn't go into the back without his permission first, the situation was urgent. He was in a rush, and hadn't had enough time to react when he turned a corner and ran straight into a frail, young boy. One glance at him made Nurse sick to his stomach with memories. Unfortunately, one glance was really all he got, as Soul had bolted right off the next second. Thankfully, not all was lost, as obviously Soul did end up warming up to Nurse. Kurou sure didn't think it would ever happen after Soul refusing to be anywhere near Nurse for the rest of the revolt. With the new opportunity, though, Nurse decided to apologise in the only way he figured he could; he baked cupcakes for Soul, asking Kurou to send him an apology note from him with it. Since Soul had been exposed to more people, he recognised the sincerity. It worked, even if it took Soul a while to get the courage to come out of hiding for Nurse the first time. Once they got to talking, Nurse knew in an instant that Soul had been through a lot. Nurse saw those young boys from his village, scared, desperate for salvation, too scared to go near even their loved ones. All of that softness and patience from before resurfaced, and it was only uphill from there. Soul could tell he was genuinely trying, and terrible first impressions and prior experiences aside, that's what mattered. Once they got into spywork, they surprised each other with how well they worked together. A chemist and a medic, both so unassuming? Impressively effective. These days, in their separation, Nurse and Soul frequently question each other's whereabouts. They have no idea just how close they were to finding one another, and maybe it's a good thing they do not know how tragically close they were.
Nicknames & Petnames
Out of habit from their idol days, Soul still occasionally calls Nurse 'Doc'.
Relationship Reasoning
Originally, it started as a matter of Kurou's reassurance that 'Nurse isn't all that bad!', and developed into its own independent friendship - by some miracle.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Nurse and Soul both have a way with chemicals. They are usually the duo behind the chemical mixtures, from gases to injections to other healing or damaging serums. They're the ones who developed Sora's unique bullets, lethal and non-lethal.
Shared Secrets
While not necessarily unique to them, Nurse has gone into detail about what his illness entails. The effects, what it does to him physically and mentally, and what he knows of how it came about. The hope was that they could find some kind of answer, and maybe some kind of cure. But, if the stars couldn't - or couldn't be bothered - what hope did they have?
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody who is part of SHADE and The Council.
History
Utada did not like Soul, and Soul did not like Utada. Soul despised the raging narcissism and better-than-you demeanor, and Utada found Soul to be a foolish coward they wanted nothing to do with - a liability. For a long time, neither of them understood each other. They only met after Sanjiro's intervention, so one can only imagine how it'd have gone if they met before. But, at the very least, Utada was trying to be a little more considerate (mostly thanks to Sanjiro threatening them), and that was probably the only thing that saved their friendship. To place someone avidly confrontational and someone who hates even being looked at in the same room is a recipe for disaster. That is exactly what it was for many, many months. Sanjiro and Sora's friendship with Utada, though strained as it was at the time, was the only reason Soul gave them a chance. Utada was never good at being gentle with Soul, but patience was something they had mastered. They just had to bite their tongue. Not nearly as much as they expected, though. Despite his situation, in Utada's eyes, Soul was a lot smarter than they gave him credit for. That was only enhanced when he suddenly showed genuine interest in their work. Truthfully, Soul had always been curious about the mechanics of how things worked, something Soul admitted hesitantly. However, he was never given the opportunity to really dig into it, literally and figuratively, thanks to what his parents did for a living. He listened quite attentively, and retained everything that Utada would talk about. Utada had gotten so used to people only listening to be polite, or out of fear, that such sincerity took them off guard. Soul remembered the last project Utada told him about, and could recall the details with solid accuracy. He even bounced back with ideas, ideas that weren't increduously bizarre. Before they knew it, the two had started to bond over it. Many times, you could find Soul and Utada sitting together, quietly discussing the next project or something entirely unrelated. Utada was never the greatest teacher back then, seeing as they found no point in teaching such complexities to those with simpler minds, but showing Soul how to work and repair tech brought an entirely different feel to it. When they got into spywork, Soul and Utada collaborated on a lot of things. They collaborated on a lot of the tech that SHADE used for their missions, adapted weapons to each of their preferences, and so on. Utada is by far the better engineer, but Soul is not inadequate by any means, either. His expertise still lays in piloting, but he can substitute for Utada almost seamlessly if need be. Utada also ended up becoming an excellent wingman and pilot with Soul's guidance, though they definitely prefer to leave it to Soul. And all of this led up to the now. Utada feels Soul's absence on the regular. Walking into their workshop has not been a comfortable experience ever since being separated. Utada always finds themselves glancing to the side, expecting to spot the pilot pulling apart his weapons, only to find nothing but empty space and messy shelves. They always mutter to themselves as they work, but sometimes they pipe up with an idea, absentmindedly asking for the opinion of a man who wasn't there. Not even an echo of their own voice. Just... silence. Utada always used to enjoy the silence when they worked. Not anymore.
Nicknames & Petnames
Soul rarely ever refers Utada by 'U-san', even in professional situations. It just never crosses his mind.
Relationship Reasoning
It started as a matter of mutuals, but even that was faulty. Utada never made themselves likeable, not until they both decided to put aside their impressions of each other. While on the outside, they seem like colleagues exclusively, that's far from the truth.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Chemistry and mechanics. Utada and Soul both had hands in developing all of their weapons. Notably, Utada developed Sora's gun, and Soul and Nurse developed the unique bullets - which later ended up being used for other weapons. Utada helped Soul develop his wings, visor and jet, and Soul had his input on their mechanical arms, spy-der bots, and several other smaller inventions. That is far from the only thing they've collaborated on, but they are some of the most significant.
Shared Secrets
With Soul's growing experience, he's begun to notice something... off, about Utada. Everybody knows there is something up with Utada, but Soul took notice of something specific far sooner than anybody else. Soul was never able to ask them directly. Will he ever get to? He doesn't know. Maybe it's too late.
Shared Acquaintances
Everybody in SHADE and The Council.
