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Breakdown (@fallensparrow)
[There was a singular, chilling, horribly recent memory that ran through Hana's mind as he frantically pushed forward the control schema of the mech that protected him from the Serengeti's unfamiliar climate. It was a voice, deliberate and definite, nagging, constantly, nagging in his head. It was the quarter on the train track, a perfect derailment, the absolute terror of tons of steel coming undone from the outside. It was the taste of actual and legitimate fear as it welled up from the inside of him. From the inside of his mech.]
The enemies of Talon will be eliminated.
[The ambush that occurred 0500 hours ago while on a Procedural mission to wipe out a small, but remote and well disguised outfit of the terrorist organization turned out to be a bust. Procedural, he remembers, Winston- who had called it Procedural just 0800 hours ago - was nowhere in sight. It left an ape shaped hole in his nerves.
The first wave was an EMP pulse. Hana had been trained to deal with those in the past. His baby, tons upon tons of steel and reinforced Korean national pride, was equipped for the chance an Omnic uprising would disable electronics and motors.
Within the mass confusion, there was a piercing noise from the speakers located outside of the foreman's door in the warehouse, in what sounded both beautiful in its French accent, and terrifyingly prophetic. This was orchestrated, an entire event planned to attack Overwatch. The old man commanded the order to evacuate- but it was too late. There was the sound of explosion, and a roof collapsing. Everyone separates, and the last thing Hana remembers is finding it to safety, out in the open unknown.
Wave 2 was sleeping gas.
He came to in the middle of nowhere. Well, technically, he was in the middle of Tanzania, which might as well have been the middle of nowhere. He checked his comm link, again. Busted. No sound through his headphones outside of the calm whir of machinery behind him. That beautiful sound. Elegant, perfected, engineered and deliberate. It was all the life he needed for now.]
First things first.
[He sighed, looking down at the panel just below his face. How many hours had he sunk to learn the controls? It was about the only thing that felt right about this mission.
That was, until something physically struck the exterior of his mech. It was electrifying, white hot pain. It felt like being split in two. The dashboard lit up like a river reflecting city stop lights, flashing 위험 over and over. He felt himself close to losing consciousness again, quickly trying his foot to hit the emergency release. It wasn't until he was outside did he realize there was something attached to the back of it. And suddenly it was quiet.]
What in the... hell?
The enemies of Talon will be eliminated.
[The ambush that occurred 0500 hours ago while on a Procedural mission to wipe out a small, but remote and well disguised outfit of the terrorist organization turned out to be a bust. Procedural, he remembers, Winston- who had called it Procedural just 0800 hours ago - was nowhere in sight. It left an ape shaped hole in his nerves.
The first wave was an EMP pulse. Hana had been trained to deal with those in the past. His baby, tons upon tons of steel and reinforced Korean national pride, was equipped for the chance an Omnic uprising would disable electronics and motors.
Within the mass confusion, there was a piercing noise from the speakers located outside of the foreman's door in the warehouse, in what sounded both beautiful in its French accent, and terrifyingly prophetic. This was orchestrated, an entire event planned to attack Overwatch. The old man commanded the order to evacuate- but it was too late. There was the sound of explosion, and a roof collapsing. Everyone separates, and the last thing Hana remembers is finding it to safety, out in the open unknown.
Wave 2 was sleeping gas.
He came to in the middle of nowhere. Well, technically, he was in the middle of Tanzania, which might as well have been the middle of nowhere. He checked his comm link, again. Busted. No sound through his headphones outside of the calm whir of machinery behind him. That beautiful sound. Elegant, perfected, engineered and deliberate. It was all the life he needed for now.]
First things first.
[He sighed, looking down at the panel just below his face. How many hours had he sunk to learn the controls? It was about the only thing that felt right about this mission.
That was, until something physically struck the exterior of his mech. It was electrifying, white hot pain. It felt like being split in two. The dashboard lit up like a river reflecting city stop lights, flashing 위험 over and over. He felt himself close to losing consciousness again, quickly trying his foot to hit the emergency release. It wasn't until he was outside did he realize there was something attached to the back of it. And suddenly it was quiet.]
What in the... hell?
no subject
Angela had crafted Genji's prostheses with the highest grade technologies that were available, and it was the only reason they didn't become entirely non-functional when the EMP hit. It still sent Genji to his knees, his body rebelling as his assisted organs were impacted as well. For a good few seconds he was helpless, his body out of control, and it was like the worst of his first days of adjusting to this body all over again. A bolt of true fear ran through him.
He'd heard the explosion, the collapse, had only a moment to look up and see the rubble, to see his life flash before him a second time, and then he knew nothing but black.
When he woke it was to a pleasant sense of nausea, stomach rolling even when he was doing nothing but lying still. It didn't bode well, but that didn't matter. What mattered was finding everyone else. Despite the aching in his body and the lingering unsteadiness in his limbs, Genji pushed himself to his feet and set about searching for any familiar face he could find.
It wasn't the fastest going. With his body still recovering from the EMP, Genji's mobility was hindered; no climbing straight up walls for the moment. Still he made his due. The Shimada knew how to adapt. He found his way to a better vantage point, settled above the surrounding area, scouting out what he could. It wasn't long before he spotted something promising, bright pink standing out among the natural colors.
There was only one person Genji knew who had something that was both big and bright pink. But spotting Hana's mech didn't mean everything was all clear yet. It wasn't moving, and he couldn't see Hana outside of it, which meant that Hana was either inside and lying low or...
Genji shoved the other possibility aside. He couldn't consider those thoughts now.
The thing is, what happened next could be summed up to an extreme embarrassment. More focused on watching for signs of movement in the mech than his own footing, Genji's foot came down at entirely the wrong angle as he crept closer, and Genji was dropping before he had time to do anything about it.
He would have given proper warning if their comms had still been in tact, or even if he'd intended to jump on Hana's mech in the first place. Unfortunately it was about as much of a surprise to Genji as it was to Hana. Genji's landing on the machine was heavy and ungraceful, left him winded from impact, and it was all he can do to find purchase against its shell before he slid right off and embarrassed himself further. He was still recovering by the time Hana ejected from the mech, but he at least lifted his head at the sound of Hana's voice, the burning neon glow of his visor fixing on the pilot.]
My apologies. I... [A brief pause, and Genji couldn't hide the sheepishness in his voice when he continued,] lost my footing.
[He could already hear the teasing that was impending. But that was preferable to not knowing how Hana had made it out of Talon's ambush, if he was safe. The relief Genji felt was practically palpable, pulling out the hooks of panic and concern that had hooked themselves into Genji after the EMP had gone off.
Genji took a breath to steady himself before he hopped down from the mech. His footing stayed steady this time. Small victories; the last thing he needed right now was faceplanting in front of Hana.]
Have you heard from anyone else?
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Nevertheless, he beamed a wide smile and impulsively moved closer. Hana didn't understand personal space that well, and for a brief moment, he was just happy to know another member of Overwatch was still alive. Brief, because he knew deep down the others were somewhere, safe. Probably being badasses and taking on waves of Talon one on one. These were his heroes, after all.
But for now, there was a celebratory hug to be had.]
GG, Genji-ssi! GG.
[Moving away, he motioned to scratch the back of his head, an unfortunate habit that he learned in his younger years that displayed an unintentional lack of confidence. Truly, he was relieved that Genji made it out and he wasn't going to be alone in the wilderness without his protective plating to keep him at an arm's length from rhinoceros-es and giraffes, or whatever was waiting for him out there.
Hana looked back from his busted mech to the other agent. Figures.]
You know, for a ninja, that wasn't very graceful. You couldn't have landed in the dust, like two meters away?
[He was trying to figure out why Genji looked so stiff, especially for someone that could put yogi level yoga masters to shame, until he remembered the EMP pulse. For a second, he felt bad, so he immediately changed the topic. You didn't insult the only company you had in the middle of a deserted wasteland.
But then again, this was Hana Song.]
Not a sign from anyone.
[Hands stood at his hips.]
...and my Mech is broke.
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Hana's smart mouth was something he'd become familiar with as well, whether the pilot meant it or not.]
I apologize. The next time I fall from a height, I shall be certain to not hit your precious mech.
[His tone held nothing but dry amusement, more than willing to meet Hana on the verbal battleground. But the humor left as quick as it came, Genji's head turning toward the mech in question as Hana rattled off the details. A lack of communication from Overwatch wasn't much of a surprise; the EMP must have blown out everyone's commlinks, and who knew where they'd all been scattered to. But the broken mech was a far bigger concern. Hana could handle himself out of the mech, but it was his primary weapon. It was much safer for him inside of it. Nothing to be done for it for now.]
We shall have to call for pickup once we find the others. [The mech could serve as a landmark, but unfortunately at this point it was more likely to draw Talon attention rather than Overwatch. Staying near it would be a bad idea.] We need to move. Do you have your pistol?
[Genji would trust himself to protect Hana adequately if he wasn't still regaining proper function after the EMP pulse. He was certain he could fight when the need arose - and it was when, not if whenever Talon was concerned - but he wasn't going to be anywhere near top shape. Hana needed to be able to defend himself in some way if it came down to it.]
The EMP effected my prostheses. I won't be in top condition if we run into Talon.
no subject
[Hana marches back towards his mechanical disaster, rummaging through the mess and pulling out his pistol and a holster belt from the confines of the side paneling. He feels dumb, admittedly, that he hadn't done it the second something "fell from a height" into his vehicle. With a slight click, it was belted around his thin waistline, the charm attached to the weapon dangling and hitting his thigh as he walked from the direction of his mech to his partner.
He heard the warning: Genji was not ready to slice through an army, if they were prone to attack. They'd be overwhelmed completely. Which was, as Hana thought, a shame. He always got a certain thrill watching impossible things happen around the ninja. Before joining Overwatch, he had never seen someone deflect a bullet with a blade. He had taken mental note of it, and it became all too apparent early on that Genji could deflect more than just projectiles: words.
It always made him feel matched, and Hana loved a good game.]
Wait up... do we need to move?
[He looked at the other, worried that there wasn't a chance to outrun. There were injuries, and then there were handicaps. Genji recovering from an EMP blast was the latter. Did his anatomy regenerate energy to the extremities with time, like his mech regenerated its own shielding? If that were the case, Hana wanted to buy more time. He looked over to his old, crapped out friend, sitting there busted and unable to provide him any support (the mech, not Genji of course). And then it hit him.
Two things were sure: he couldn't leave the machine there, as it was teeming with top tier Korean engineering. He also wasn't about to hand the keys to his Mercedes Benz over to the enemy. The second was that he was almost certain he could figure out a way to make it self destruct.]
What if we lured them? And then blew my mech up in their faces?
[The Korean government, somewhere, in a dark room filled with some of the world's brightest tinkers, were having one giant collective massive coronary.
Hana smiled furtively at Genji. He had never thought of it before, but the fusion cells in that bad boy were enough to light up the sky in all sorts of weird, beautiful colors.]
no subject
That should be saved as a last resort. A blast like that would attract a lot of attention, good and bad. And we don't know how long it would take to get a new mech delivered.
[With Overwatch still operating illegally, getting Hana a new mech wouldn't be impossible, but it'd certainly be incredibly difficult aside form the already present challenge of getting it delivered all the way from Korea. At least with it only damaged, there was a chance it could still be repaired and used once it was brought back to base. Despite this, Genji added on a thoughtful,] It is not a bad idea, however.
[The last thing any of them needed was Talon getting their hands on designs like this. The Shimada had used the tactic themselves, choosing to destroy valuable intel or designs before the enemy could make use of it. And it gave them an option to fall back on if they found themselves overrun.
Genji knew that part of Hana's concern likely had to do with what he'd just revealed. Not that Genji could blame him; he hadn't exactly given an encouraging presentation by falling into Hana's mech as he had. But he reached out, rested a hand on Hana's shoulder.]
I can still fight, and I will recover. I'm counting on you to cover me until then.
[Hana was young, but Genji knew better than to assume that meant he was powerless outside of his mech. Even if he hadn't witnessed Hana's ability with his pistol before, the boy wouldn't have been sent to war if he couldn't handle himself. But there was likely a certain amount of vulnerability in play; Hana was used to being safe in his mech in the field. Being forced out of it like this, with nothing more than a pistol and a body suit for protection, must be uncomfortable for him. Genji had to do what he could to settle him.]
We can do this.
[Genji had learned early on how to work around the limitations of having his face hidden, so although his smile was hidden, the warmth in his voice should do well to convey reassurance and belief. He offered a small squeeze to Hana's shoulder to punctuate his point.]
We'll move on your mark.
no subject
Hana's eyes met the green glow of line from Genji's visor, his hand crossing his chest appreciatively as he placed it on top of the ninja's. He smiled, softly, without the unintentional challenging determination that usually came with it. Something that he hadn't felt since the operation's abrupt coup, confidence, was ebbing back into him. Did Genji sense how he felt?
For someone who was acclimated to being the solo star of everything, the familiarity of having someone to watch your back, and having someone's back to watch, was a life lesson he wouldn't forget.]
Let's get the heck out of here.
[Retracting his hand from his own shoulder, he drew his pistol from his belt. He'd have to worry about survival first, and his mech later. This isn't a game, he reminded himself, we'll get through this.]
no subject
A flick of his wrist, and three shuriken were flipping out from their place in his arm, slipping smoothly between his knuckles. The lights of his armor flickered and went out, stealth mode engaged as he started off through the brush with Hana behind him. Despite his condition, it was instinct to lead the way; Hana was younger and unused to being outside of his mech. Genji wanted to be the first target anyone aimed at in case they ran into Talon.
He kept an ear out for any noises in the jungle aside from the wildlife, anything that might notify him to the presence of enemies - or allies. He couldn't even be certain that anyone was around, but he needed to hope. Otherwise they would be in far more trouble than Genji had predicted. He kept them to the brush, tracing a careful path in an attempt to make as little noise as possible, until -
a crack. A twig broke not far from them, the sound sending a flock of birds in the treetops into flight at once. Genji halted immediately, holding an arm out to stop Hana, keeping them hidden within the underbrush. Watching as a Talon squad emerged, four soldiers in tac gear, communicating only through hand signals. Genji felt himself tense, his free hand instinctively moving for the hilt of the shorter blade on his back.
That confirmed one thing, at least. Talon was present here.]
no subject
This must have been the plan. Create a diversion at the mission objective. They were so much greater the sum of their parts that it was almost possible to win in a fair fight. Separate them, one by one. Disable them, one by one. It was part oddly brilliant and equally cheap. Hana could only hope that the others were alright. That they had each paired up at rendezvous points, or were already together. That just left him and Genji.
Hana readied his pistol, holding it close to his chest and readying it for the inevitable conflict. The adrenaline was pulsating through his body in lightning pace. Holding the gun forward, he closed one eye and followed the projectile path with the other.
No going back now.
He pulled the trigger just as he saw one of their brutish heads come into distance.]
no subject
Still, the effect of the EMP was visible to someone who'd watched him fight as much as Hana had. There was a second or two of delay between movements that wouldn't have existed otherwise, a moment where Genji fumbled a sidestep and had to lash out all the faster for it to keep the enemy from noticing. But between the surprise and coming up against someone far more used to fighting up close than they were, it wasn't long before the Talon squad was laid out.
Genji muttered a cursed under his breath in his native language, sheathing his blade before looking back toward the brush where Hana hid. He shot a thumbs up toward the younger man before he crouched down, searching for a communications device that he could take; it would allow them, at least, to pick up what Talon was hearing. It could help them figure out what areas to avoid, find out where the other Overwatch agents were and what was going on here. Keep them from walking straight into an ambush, information they needed until Genji's coordination had been fully restored.]
We got lucky with this one. I doubt all of their forces will be this small.
[If they were expecting the Overwatch agents to still be split up, it made sense. But likely they would have some larger squads roaming with them, either for the harder to handle agents, such as Winston, or on the chance that they had grouped up again. It would be foolish for Talon to not cover all possibilities.
Finally he found a Talon agent with an ear comm, pulling it from his head with a small noise of triumph and holding it out to Hana.]
I am leaving you in charge of information.
[Not like Genji could exactly wear it with his helmet on, after all.]
and when i ult as genji i usually slash at the wall 6 times stupidly
Geez, Genji... I almost feel bad for them.
[He didn't, really, but he took the communicator in hand before shuffling off his headphones to place the unfamiliar device to his ear. Considering they were in a jungle, the worry of sanitary hygiene kind of breezed through like an afterthought.
He hoped that he proved himself useful, even though he only took out 25% of the team before Genji did the cleanup effort. The last thing Hana ever wanted was to be the damsel in distress, waiting to be saved, and useless. He wanted to kick ass just as well as the other did, which he decided would take a lot more practice. It was invigorating, that thought. Hana didn't understand it, why he wanted so hard to push himself, or even why he found humor and relief in the assassin's return to his side. Still, he couldn't help but look over his armor, examining, trying to learn more about him. And of course, it was infinitely harder to get a gauge of a person without ever seeing their face, but... maybe that was the point? He holstered his pistol, calmly, and tried to file his emotions away for later. The image of him cursing in Japanese danced in his head.]
I'm getting something.
[Raising his hand to push the headset closer to his ear, he strains to listen to what's going on at the other end. These voices are all unfamiliar, but distinct. None of them Overwatch.]
I think we need to keep moving. We'll know if we're still in range of Talon if we can pick up sound from this. An EMP would've knocked out the majority of satellite enabled devices, so this must be short wave and activated after the blast. If we stay at the perimeter of range, we can still hear jumped signals.
[He paces, in thought, almost talking to himself.]
The downside will be nightfall. The sun's beginning to set. We probably can't move too much, but there are natural dangers and the threat of being scoped from infrared sight. At least we'll know if they're near. Any thoughts?
honestly same, i cannot represent my boy at all in game
That's what they get for making an enemy of a dragon.
[After that he fell silent, watching Hana pace, listening to the information he relayed. The mention of nightfall had Genji's gaze turning toward the boughs hanging above their heads. It was true; while it was difficult to see the sun through the thick canopy, Genji could see it getting darker around them. He had the ability to see in the dark thanks to his visor, but Hana did not. Proceeding at night, with Genji recovering from the EMP and Hana armed with nothing but a body suit and a light pistol, would be extremely unwise.]
We make as much progress as we can off of Talon's information as we can before nightfall.
[Hopefully they would be sending out info about the other Overwatch agents sooner rather than later. That, aside from Talon squadron movements, was the information Genji was most after. He and Hana needed some sense of direction or they'd be wandering the jungle for absolutely no reason, which could only spell disaster when they had none of the supplies on them for extended leave from base. The mission was supposed to have been quick. None of them had been prepared for this.
Genji shook that thought for now. They could worry about food and water tomorrow, if it became necessary. With any luck it wouldn't come to that.]
When night comes, I will be able to get us into the trees. Keep us away from any patrols or animals that may come past us.[A wry tone slipped into his voice as he continued,] Not the most comfortable of sleeping arrangements, but hopefully you will be able to make due.
[When your codename was D.Va, Genji couldn't help making some cracks about it. But there was no bite to his words; it wasn't a serious accusation.]
no subject
Eish.... Yeah, just keep the dragon in your pants tonight, then. I don't need it poking its head out while I'm catching beauty Z's.
[He drew a Z in the air as if Genji needed an illustration.
Hana, the epitome of maturity, making sex jokes nearly after losing his life for the second time that day.]
Although, maybe it won't be too bad. At least I'll have a night light.
[There was a crookedness to his smile, one that asked to be challenged. Hana was great at making those. Rivals back in the video game industry always found it infuriating. He dug into the pocket of his suit, pulling out a stick of gum, careful to unwrap it and not leave behind evidence on the floor. Popping it in, he started walking, using the radio signal in his ear like it were a radar for Talon proximity. It was lucky that Genji managed to swipe this thing.
Food and provisions would be scarce. He also wondered if it got much colder at night, despite the suit being perfect for insulation in either hot or frigid weather (another one of those ideas thought up by middle aged engineers in the war room of an government office). Pop, he blew a bubble. What he wouldn't give to be back at the base.]
Seems like they're searching for the other members too. One of them's been calling for a unit... I'm guessing that was the patrol we took out. The good news is, they don't seem to have a location on us.
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I shall have to check if 'night light' is within my armor settings. I'm sure I can find something.
[He followed after as Hana started walking, allowing the younger to take the lead. The access he had to Talon's communications meant it only made sense. But Genji is certain to keep his attention on their surroundings and a hand on the hilt of his shorter blade; who knew what could leap out at them from the brush. He wanted to be prepared to strike when needed. Hana was a soldier, a capable one, but Genji still felt no small measure of responsibility for his well-being.]
Good. [A mutter more than anything else, his visor turned toward the jungle around them before moving to the canopy above. Keeping track of how long it was before they'd be forced to climb up into the branches and settle in for the night.] We need to put as much distance between us and the unit as we can. We don't want to risk being around if they get tracked down.
[He'd have to trust that the mech being inoperable to Hana meant that they would have more than enough warning if Talon came across it, whether through the stolen commm or from the means Talon would be forced to employ to move the mech. Even better if they managed to overlook it completely.]
You are certain none of the other Overwatch agents have been found?
no subject
Still, wandering out as it turns dusk has its definite dangers. There's always the threat of animals, encounters with hostiles, and of course, the occasional snag against a weirdly hung branch that Hana gets the arm of his suit snagged by as he walks. He's not surprised, but like any piece of expensive clothing, he wants to take care of it and make sure it's always in pristine shape. Heaving a sigh, he complains about it mentally as his attention drifts from his companion's words to the tiny rupture. He continues on. Such a brave little soldier.]
Right. And if they have backup, it won't be as easy as Mr. Lite Bright swinging through and chopping them all down this time. Not that it's a bad thing. You were kinda amazing back there.
[Hana hears something in the earpiece.]
They're talking again.
[His heart stands still for a moment]
Looks like they've realized a squad's went MIA. No, two squads. Two? Genji, that means...
[Maybe it was a little premature to be happy, but it was a definite feeling of relief. If anything, he wanted to be back at the base. And he had to figure out something to do with his mech. He couldn't decide what he wanted more, but bother were equally important to him at that moment. He was sure eventually he'd hear about the busted contraption over the comm link at some point, and then it was only a matter of time.]
no subject
I do my best to impress.
[But Genji is quick to silence as Hana speaks again, stilling as he waits for the news from the comms. The news of another squad down from the one they'd taken out is a welcome thing, though Genji keeps himself from cheering too much from the idea. As good as it is to have some sign that the others are out there, relatively close by, they still have the jungle and Talon to contest with. They're all still in danger until they can find a way to come together.]
Did they give a location for the second squad?
[Of course, whatever agent, or agents, had taken them out would be quick to move on, just as he and Hana are now. But it's a start. It's something more than idly wandering and hoping. But to keep things realistic, he has to add a word of caution on.]
We won't be able to pursue it tonight, not unless we can get our bearings and the location is close to ours. But it will give us somewhere to start tomorrow.
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Nah, no location. I imagine they're gonna get a little more quiet on this thing now that they know the line's been compromised.
[He leans over and flicks the string of soft material like it was actually Genji's hair.]
Well... if I were a certain cowboy I'd probably say something like "Well, darlin'. You're looking mighty pretty in this here moonlight."
[That has to be the worst impression of McCree ever, considering how thick his Korean accent is to begin with. His voice is always a higher pitch when he speaks English, so it's rough trying to instill a deeper tonality when he makes his impression.
He starts moving again, and time passes by as it would any other moment when danger was abound everywhere and there was little to hope in sight: insanely fast. He has no idea what looks like a good place to stop, but a dense area of trees is probably as good as anything else.]
Let's make camp? Come on, you can tell me stories from your youth.
[He gives a thumbs up, smiling in his attemptingly cheery self]
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And, well, since Hana wants stories...]
I used to do this often, [Genji says, almost seemingly apropos of nothing, until he continues with,] climbing trees. There were plenty both in our family's courtyard and around the castle. I would use the cover to dodge my brother, or whatever staff or elder was most irritated with me that day.
[There was a time when Genji couldn't bring himself to speak of his family or youth without feeling rage or grief choking him; he's thankful that Hana had never had to witness that side of him. Genji hadn't been kind at all in his pain. Now there's nothing more than nostalgic amusement in his voice as he speaks of the memories.]
I would excuse it as 'an exercise of my training' whenever I was caught. Predictably, very few thought it as clever as I did.
[Honestly, thinking back on it now, Genji can easily see why Hana had grown on him so quickly. The young man reminds him much of how he used to be: carefree, always ready with a comment or jab up his sleeve, confident in the face of the world. Thankfully Hana is a better man than Genji used to be at his age.]