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The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: FeverInducedMadness on April 05, 2007, 03:08:44 AM

Title: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 05, 2007, 03:08:44 AM
I decided to take a little break from VoA today to start work on one of two new fanfics that I'll be working on alongside the first so that I won't get bored, or if I get blocked on one, I can fall back on the others. I'm not really sure where this story's idea really sprung from (I think it was because I fell asleep listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack one night. XD) and though the title's somewhat weird, I think it fits. This is not going to be as dark as VoA. In fact, there will be very little angst at all and a lot of romance and humor and fluffy things. (ROFFLE, I LIED. XDD) It puts the spotlight on the members of Berryz Koubou (Don't worry, those of you who voted for the Reina fic in the poll, you'll be getting it, I promise. I'm itching to work on that as well. :3) and is situated in an alternate universe and has nothing to do with Hello! Project. Or sci-fi. XD

This is just the prologue. I'll see how you guys respond to determine if I continue. Also, I'm trying something new, writing in first-person like this. It's kind of weird, but it's a little easier...

So um, enjoy! ^w^

::Heartbeat Tempo::

[::Table of Contents::]

--Sunday, The Day Before--

Prologue – The Train [You Are Here]

--Monday, Day One--

Chapter One – Magic Tricks (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg340437#msg340437)
Chapter Two – Dancing, Singing, Exciting! …Not. (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg342080#msg342080)
Chapter Three – T Stands for Trouble (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg342846#msg342846)
Chapter Four – Decided (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg343257#msg343257)
Chapter Five – This Place is Crazy (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg343437#msg343437)
Chapter Six – No Turning Back (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg343573#msg343573)

--Tuesday, Day Two--

Chapter Seven – Nice to Meet You, Too (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg344555#msg344555)
Chapter Eight – When Fate Caught Up to Us (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg344709#msg344709)
Chapter Nine – Dance With Me (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg345200#msg345200)
Chapter Ten – Disaster Strikes Again (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg345645#msg345645)
Chapter Eleven – It’s a Shot in the Dark, But… (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg345710#msg345710)
Chapter Twelve – The Breaking Point (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg345752#msg345752)
Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg346100#msg346100)

--Wednesday, Day Three--

Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg346221#msg346221)
Chapter Fifteen – We’re the Good Kind of Crazy (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg346695#msg346695)
Chapter Sixteen – Surprise…? (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg347102#msg347102)
Chapter Seventeen – It’s in Our Blood (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg347190#msg347190)
Chapter Eighteen – Let’s Pick Up the Pieces (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg347449#msg347449)
Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg347681#msg347681)
Chapter Twenty – Take a Chance With Me (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg348174#msg348174)
Chapter Twenty-One – Confused, But Happy (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg348728#msg348728)

--Thursday, Day Four--

Chapter Twenty-Two – Guess Who’s Back? (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg349317#msg349317)
Chapter Twenty-Three – Finally Getting Something Done… (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg349809#msg349809)
Chapter Twenty-Four – The Date (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg350243#msg350243)
Chapter Twenty-Five – Phantom of the Theatre? (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg351075#msg351075)
Chapter Twenty-Six – Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg351502#msg351502)

--Friday, Day Five--

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Duet (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg351950#msg351950)
Chapter Twenty-Eight – Persuasive Negotiation (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg353233#msg353233)
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Restless Calm (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg354346#msg354346)
Chapter Thirty – Elementary, My Dear Watson (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg354959#msg354959)
Chapter Thirty-One – Be Still My Heart (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg356043#msg356043)
Chapter Thirty-Two – When Evil Intentions Get Worse… (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg356590#msg356590)
Chapter Thirty-Three – Two Can Play That Game (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg357517#msg357517)

--Saturday, Day Six--

Chapter Thirty-Four – Koi no Vacance, Part I (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg358019#msg358019)
Chapter Thirty-Five – Koi no Vacance, Part II (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg360589#msg360589)
Chapter Thirty-Six – Koi no Vacance, Part III (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg362441#msg362441)
Chapter Thirty-Seven – Koi no Vacance, Part IV (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg363896#msg363896)

--Sunday, Day Seven--

Chapter Thirty-Eight – Watch Your Back (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg366190#msg366190)
Chapter Thirty-Nine – Manipulation (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg368468#msg368468)
Chapter Forty – Reward (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg369657#msg369657)
Chapter Forty-One – Unexpected Kindness (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg370022#msg370022)
Chapter Forty-Two – Bond (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg370847#msg370847)
Chapter Forty-Three – Just Looking Out For You (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg373800#msg373800)
Chapter Forty-Four – Moonlit Alliance (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg384301#msg384301)

--Monday, Day Eight (Current Day)--

Chapter Forty-Four – Distorted Sense of Justice (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10258.msg403880#msg403880)

[Prologue -- The Train]

When it all came down to it really…
We were just eight ordinary people, brought together by chance…
…the dancer…
…the outsider…
…the broken one…
…the rebel…
…the prodigy…
…the flirt..
…the musician…
…and the one that started it all.
But when our paths crossed…
…our lives changed forever.


------------

I hate trains.

There’s just something about the way that they rattle about and hiss and screech that’s so terribly annoying. And yet… here I am, on a train, sitting next to people that I don’t know, waiting to reach my destination. That’s another thing I don’t like: people. They’re loud and obnoxious and they get all up in my personal bubble.

I’m not a city girl. I live in a quiet place where you’ve got some elbow room, and there isn’t much going on. But I like that. It’s nice, and not at all stressful. Besides, I’m a bit of a homebody anyway, so it doesn’t bother me.

But somehow I got tricked into getting on this train.

I don’t really understand it. How does someone manage to interpret ‘no’ as ‘yes’? I distinctly remember telling her very firmly that I didn’t want to come. So how did I end up here, on this godforsaken machine?

It’s all my cousin’s fault really. Called me up the other day and said: “Oh, Momoko-chan, you haven’t come to visit in FOREVER… Why don’t you come down here for a couple of weeks? I want you to come and watch me perform…”

I sighed as I listened to her voice on the other side of the phone, imagining that that natural pout on her lips was growing more pitiful, because she anticipated my reply before I could even get it out.

“You need to get out for a while. See some new places, meet some new people. I shudder every time I think about you in that house of yours with nothing but your books and your writing… It’s not healthy, keeping yourself holed up like that.”

I wanted to argue with her at this point. I wanted to tell her that I was perfectly healthy because I ate right and I exercised everyday, and that I would have been glad to give her my doctor’s number if she wanted to check it out herself, but I figured that it was useless. I had tried before, and didn’t really want to waste my breath. And I knew that she was only saying what she was saying because she cared and because somewhere along the way she had gotten it in her head that I actually liked being social and whatnot.

Unfortunately, she decided to take my silence and interpret it as confirmation that I would indeed be visiting.

“Well, anyway, this is going to be so much fun, I just know it. I’ll get everything ready so that you can come and stay with me. I’ll send your train tickets in the mail. Love you~!”

And that was that. The phone clicked off after that, and I was standing there in the silence, trying to process it all. I don’t think I moved until a few days later, when the mail came in, and the tickets slid out into my hand. My brain still hadn’t reconnected, because somehow my body had moved to pack enough things for the trip and the stay, but I don’t remember doing any of that.

I don’t remember how I got down to the train station, either, but I did, and once I realized it I couldn’t very well just turn around and go home.

So that’s how I ended up where I am right now.

Oh, and by the way, I think I’m beginning to get a slight case of motion sickness. I just hope that it passes before my stomach decides to empty my lunch all over the little boy sitting across from me in the compartment. Not that I would mind, really. He’s been whiny and annoying for the past half hour.

You’re probably laughing at me right now. You probably think it’s ridiculous for a person to be so against traveling and visiting family members, don’t you? Well, it’s only because you don’t fully understand my situation.

See, Risako (That’s my cousin.) and I live in two totally different worlds. While mine is peaceful and quiet, hers is alive and busy and perpetually moving. Her life revolves around the stage, putting her heart and soul into her voice and dancing so that she can impress, awe, and inspire those who come to see her perform.

It’s something to be admired, I suppose.

But I left that world a long time ago.

And even though I’m only visiting—only going back because of her—I still have doubts about this little trip. My mother always used to tell me that once you left the stage, you could never really go back, but it would never really stop being a part of you, either.

I wonder if I ever was really there in the first place.

It’s supposed to be in my blood, like Risako.

Maybe I missed something important all those years ago… maybe I just didn’t get it. Maybe that’s why I’m not fit for the life she leads.

But then why… deep down inside…

Why am I so excited?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 05, 2007, 04:00:49 AM
Quote
Why am I so excited?

I know, 'cause it's a new story!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: ziggurat on April 05, 2007, 06:05:11 AM
Ah, I miss this new fic when refreshing. After reading the prologue (at first I use interlude, I wonder what my mind is thinking) , I like how you made momo related to risako as a cousin :D

Love momo monologue. Please continue this! (of course, I'm one of the reader that vote for this, so I want you to continue! :D)

Berryz Koubou, Ikuzee!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: Loser87 on April 05, 2007, 07:59:39 AM
kukukukukuku....*_*
So, you decided to go off and do a new story eh!?

WHO SAID YOU CAN START A NEW STORY WITHOUT WARNING ME!! *throws a very heavy tire at you, its kinda filthy too*
>_>.....but, its berryz...and it's new...and its shiny and sparkly (it kinda makes me jealous because I never sparkle and I'm never shiny)
So you best be updating often unless....you like being attacked by radioactive puppies! (I've ran out of radioactive kitties)

Not so much scolding today because I am sleepy and exhausted so you shall be spared today....
And because I am listening to such a happy, techno-y, up-beat, lovey dovey song I'll give you an apple (No sweets Today! You'll get cavaties!)

Must be quoted

Quote
…the dancer…
…the outsider…
…the broken one…
…the rebel…
…the prodigy…
…the flirt..
…the musician…
…and the one that started it all.

hmmmm...this made me think who is who...87% of me says the outsider is Maiha...50% of the flirt goes to Miya but the other 50% says that miya could be the prodigy...
Damn you for making my brain work at this late of hour!! DAMN YOU!!...
I'll scold you when I have more energy.. T_T;;...

Until then, WORK FASTER, POST NEW CHAPTERS!! YAH!! YAH!!! MUSH!!! MUSH!!!
*Throws some film, retainers, rubberband balls at you*
>=3
p.s. = good job >_>....
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 05, 2007, 04:56:57 PM
Miya kinda fits the dancer too? Man why does she fit everything?  :D
I wonder who's the broken one. Sounds so sad. From reading the prologue, it seems Momo was a performer too but gave it up? Am I right or did my lousy brain misunderstand something ???
So glad for this fic, especially since it starts off with Momo  :heart:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 05, 2007, 09:17:21 PM
I know, 'cause it's a new story!

Lol, I think that's just why YOU'RE excited. X3

Ah, I miss this new fic when refreshing. After reading the prologue (at first I use interlude, I wonder what my mind is thinking) , I like how you made momo related to risako as a cousin :D

Love momo monologue. Please continue this! (of course, I'm one of the reader that vote for this, so I want you to continue! :D)

Berryz Koubou, Ikuzee!

Lol, probably thinking interlude cuz I used that recently for VoA. And I figured that if Momoko were to be related to anyone, it would only be fitting for that person to be Risako, because they act kind of like sisters or something already anyway.

Glad you like. Because the whole story is from her point of view. :D

kukukukukuku....*_*
So, you decided to go off and do a new story eh!?

WHO SAID YOU CAN START A NEW STORY WITHOUT WARNING ME!! *throws a very heavy tire at you, its kinda filthy too*
>_>.....but, its berryz...and it's new...and its shiny and sparkly (it kinda makes me jealous because I never sparkle and I'm never shiny)
So you best be updating often unless....you like being attacked by radioactive puppies! (I've ran out of radioactive kitties)

Not so much scolding today because I am sleepy and exhausted so you shall be spared today....
And because I am listening to such a happy, techno-y, up-beat, lovey dovey song I'll give you an apple (No sweets Today! You'll get cavaties!)

Must be quoted

hmmmm...this made me think who is who...87% of me says the outsider is Maiha...50% of the flirt goes to Miya but the other 50% says that miya could be the prodigy...
Damn you for making my brain work at this late of hour!! DAMN YOU!!...
I'll scold you when I have more energy.. T_T;;...

Until then, WORK FASTER, POST NEW CHAPTERS!! YAH!! YAH!!! MUSH!!! MUSH!!!
*Throws some film, retainers, rubberband balls at you*
>=3
p.s. = good job >_>....

o_o -flails- Ididn'tknowIhadtoI'msosorrymaster! -pegged with tire- @w@
-shrinks- Nonopuppiesplease...

-cautiously reaches out for apple- >w<

Unfortunately, that 87% of you is wrong. X3
-glad that exhaustion is keeping you from scolding me- XD

-goes back to slaving-

Miya kinda fits the dancer too? Man why does she fit everything?  :D
I wonder who's the broken one. Sounds so sad. From reading the prologue, it seems Momo was a performer too but gave it up? Am I right or did my lousy brain misunderstand something ???
So glad for this fic, especially since it starts off with Momo  :heart:

There are so many facets of Miyabi's personality... ho hum. XD Out of the three things that you and Loser87 have listed (dancer, flirt, prodigy) one of them is right.
You're right about Momoko, though. <3 Good job.
And it will continue and end with her, too.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: Rick-e on April 06, 2007, 02:40:07 AM
ooh new fic! and it's about berryz! in an alternate universe!!!   :)

I like the intro, and since it's in first person it feels more... personal? anyways it has a nice feel.

is momoko the broken one? or the outsider? I'm thinking she might be one of the two :p
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 06, 2007, 03:03:20 AM
ooh new fic! and it's about berryz! in an alternate universe!!!   :)

I like the intro, and since it's in first person it feels more... personal? anyways it has a nice feel.

is momoko the broken one? or the outsider? I'm thinking she might be one of the two :p

Indeed! What combination could be better? <3

Yeah, I thought so too. It's easier to put yourself in the main character's place. :3

She is. ^w^

(New chapter coming in a few minutes...)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 06, 2007, 03:22:13 AM
I'm sort of taking my time with Chapter Seventeen of VoA right now, because it's rather important and I don't want to do a crappy job on it. So in order to keep all of you occupied while I gather my thoughts for that, here's another chapter for this story. It's much easier to write, for some reason.

(Though, I think I may have changed from present to past tense. Oh well. The prologue is allowed to be different. XD)

Enjoy.

[Chapter One -- Magic Tricks]

I had forgotten just how polluted cities were. As soon as I stepped off of the train, a gust of foul-smelling, smoke-choked air hit me in the face that made my eyes water and caused me to break out into a coughing fit.

It was horrible.

I was used to breathing in fresh, clean air, not the stale stuff that floated all around me. Unfortunately, I had to get used to it. For the next two weeks, I was stuck. I dreaded the thought, because I wasn’t sure if this was going to go well or not. I was uneasy and apprehensive, and I couldn’t decide whether or not to move, which was all well and good, because I realized at that point that I didn’t know where to go.

I had just assumed that Risako would meet me at the station. After all, if she didn’t, how on earth would I find my way around?

But the train had arrived at the station early, and so if she WAS going to meet me there, I was early. I stopped dragging my bag along behind me for a moment in order to gaze about at my surroundings.

People swarmed through the streets like a sea of insects, everybody rushing about with his or her own agenda, completely unconcerned about what was going on around them. Cars occasionally weaved in and out of this mass, their horns blaring whenever an aimless pedestrian strayed into their paths. Exhaust billowed out of the vehicles like wispy, flying snakes, and I made the connection as to why the air was so contaminated.

Normally, all of the hustle and bustle would have startled me, but there was a sort of rhythm to the noises that the city was making that it was almost sort of energizing to hear.

My eyes wandered farther, until I spotted a mass of people standing still, circled around a small, makeshift wooden platform, on top of which stood a boyish-looking girl with short messy hair and very tanned skin. I couldn’t tell what it was she was doing that had her audience so captivated, so out of curiousity, I decided to go over and get a better look.

I should inform you that I’m not very tall, and so it wasn’t until after I managed to squeeze my way near the front of the crowd that I actually saw anything.

The girl had this wild, crazed look in her eyes, like a rabid dog—only she wasn’t foaming at the mouth—and she and her clothing both appeared to be rather worn and dirty. Her hands were moving swiftly, fluidly, manipulating what appeared to be a single silver coin. She never said a word, but somehow the audience was completely transfixed by what she was doing, and I couldn’t help but stand there and watch as well.

In a matter of minutes, I saw the one coin multiply into three, and these she began to juggle in a rather comedic fashion. I don’t really know how she managed to do it, really, but by some form of slight of hand, more coins were being tossed into the air until she was juggling at least ten or twenty of them all at once.

The people around me began to let out appreciative ooh’s and aah’s at this display, and the girl only responded by letting a crooked sort of grin etch its way onto her face. Finally, she caught all of the money in one hand, clapping it together between her two palms.

When she opened her hands again, there was but the single coin that remained.

I clapped along with the other onlookers, and watched as the magician bent down to give the coin to a small child that had been viewing the entire performance with eyes as wide as saucers.

“She’s very good, don’t you think?” Startled, I turned to see a girl about my height and age standing beside me, and she was watching me with a very amused sort of grin on her lips. Like the magician, she had short black hair, but the way hers was cut it framed her face in a pleasant sort of way, and she kept it out of her eyes. She was wearing a pair of worn jeans and a dark jacket that looked to be much too big for her small frame. Though we were about the same size, she seemed to exude a sort of confidence and calmness from the very center of her being, which was something that I did not possess in the slightest.

“Ah, yes. I’ve never seen live magic before… It’s much better than anything I’ve seen on TV… Do you know her?”

It occurred to me that my sentences were coming out a little bit clipped, and I sounded as though I was annoyed that the other girl was even bothering to talk to me. Risako was always scolding me for that. I’ve never really been comfortable talking to other people, so I guess I just always sound uptight, even when I don’t mean to.

The girl didn’t seem to notice or care, however, and she merely continued to smile, nodding her head.

“Yeah, that’s my friend Tokunaga Chinami. I’ve known her for a very long time…” She trailed off at the last sentence somewhat mysteriously, and though I was curious, I decided not to pry. I didn’t even know this girl, after all. “Oh, but I’m being rude. My name is Shimizu Saki.”

She extended one of her hands towards me, and I hesitated for a moment before shaking it timidly.

“Tsugunaga Momoko…”

“You’re not from around here, are you? I mean, I’ve never seen you before, at least…”

“No, I’m not… I’m actually just visiting my cousin…”

Saki seemed to find my reply somewhat strange, and she tilted her head as though she was confused. “Visiting… a place like this? We don’t really get outsiders like you… What does your cousin do?”

“She’s a performer… sings, dances… things like that.”

“Ah… is she a part of that MS troupe, then? They’re very famous here within the city. What’s her name?”

“Yes… I think that’s what it’s called. Her name is Sugaya Risako, anyway.”

The other girl blinked at me. I wondered for a moment if my cousin was perhaps not the people’s favorite…

“You’re… related to Sugaya-san?”

At this point, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. “…Yes? Is something wrong?”

“Ah, no, of course not. She’s very talented. I was just thinking about something… It’s not really important.” Saki waved her hand about in a noncommittal way, brushing away the subject as if it hadn’t existed. I might have been inclined to question her further, had the girl not begun to panic at that point.

“Shit…”

“What is it?”

She was looking towards the makeshift stage, and I realized that the magician was gone. Saki didn’t seem happy about this, and before I could even say anything, she began to walk away. I felt the tiniest bit deflated at being abandoned, and let out a sigh as I bent down to pick up my bag again. I turned and was about to make my way back to the station to look for Risako, when the other girl started calling after me and I looked back over my shoulder to see her waving at me cheerfully.

“See you around, Tsugunaga-san!”

Despite the fact that I generally didn’t indulge in such childishness, I managed a tiny smile in reply, and I think I actually even waved back a bit.

As I waited for Risako, I felt as though my world had been made just a little bit brighter.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: Rick-e on April 06, 2007, 03:41:43 AM
nice! didn't expect a new chapter this fast :D
Quote
“Visiting… a place like this? We don’t really get outsiders like you… What does your cousin do?”
hint hint? :p

Wow Chinami's a street magician! and I think Saki has some history with Risako..
I'm looking forward to see where this is going ^_^ good job!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: Loser87 on April 06, 2007, 04:09:50 AM
>w<

Wahhh!! I, for some reason keep thinking Saki is going to kidnap Risako >_>
I don't know why, maybe its because I am playing FF9 again...

Hahaha, Saki said a bad word hahaha
I wonder if it really is bad that Chinami disappeared on Saki...hmm..must ponder and think..

Wah Chinami is a magician!!
Post faster, Post more, Post, post, post!!
or...*gives you the eyes of death*
You will find yourself sleeping next to roaches... %_%

I would like to comment and quote but...I've been uber sleepy lately...so..>_>
And...I also think, I've been too nice to you lately >_>...Giving you sweets and an apple..
so..ahem..fufufufufufu..
MUSH, WORK FASTER YOU BUM!!, WORK THAT BRAIN AND TYPE!!! TYPE 3 CHAPTERS PER NIGHT YOU WRITING MACHINE!! YAH!!
*Throws batteries at you*
KUKUKUKUKU!!!
FASTER YAH YAH!!!
*throws a live squid at you*
FASTER FASTER!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: ziggurat on April 06, 2007, 04:34:15 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Though we were about the same size, she seemed to exude a sort of confidence and calmness from the very center of her being, which was something that I did not possess in the slightest.

That is my captain :3

Quote
“Shit…”

Don't tell me, you're going to follow loser87 examples?!

Nice, I like this easy-going fic. Go on Momo, keep exploring the world!

(sorry, felt to say that.. lol)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: iacus on April 06, 2007, 09:11:30 AM
Sweet monkey babies! Loser 87 is mean.
I like what I see so far. I was wondering who "everyone's favorite Berry" was going to be, and it's Momoko, so, cool. Am I just imagining things or are there some hints of oddness afoot in the big city?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 08, 2007, 07:56:17 PM
nice! didn't expect a new chapter this fast :D

hint hint? :p

Wow Chinami's a street magician! and I think Saki has some history with Risako..
I'm looking forward to see where this is going ^_^ good job!

Lol. I was about to post it before you commented.

And yes, I did just answer the question of who the outsider is. Only seven left to guess! :D

Yeah, but there's a reason for that. And you think right. <3
Thanks very much! ^_^

>w<

Wahhh!! I, for some reason keep thinking Saki is going to kidnap Risako >_>
I don't know why, maybe its because I am playing FF9 again...

Hahaha, Saki said a bad word hahaha
I wonder if it really is bad that Chinami disappeared on Saki...hmm..must ponder and think..

Wah Chinami is a magician!!
Post faster, Post more, Post, post, post!!
or...*gives you the eyes of death*
You will find yourself sleeping next to roaches... %_%

I would like to comment and quote but...I've been uber sleepy lately...so..>_>
And...I also think, I've been too nice to you lately >_>...Giving you sweets and an apple..
so..ahem..fufufufufufu..
MUSH, WORK FASTER YOU BUM!!, WORK THAT BRAIN AND TYPE!!! TYPE 3 CHAPTERS PER NIGHT YOU WRITING MACHINE!! YAH!!
*Throws batteries at you*
KUKUKUKUKU!!!
FASTER YAH YAH!!!
*throws a live squid at you*
FASTER FASTER!

No... maybe... nah... well...?

It's VERY bad that Chinami wandered away. You'd probably start freaking out like Saki too, were you in her position.

-filters out all of the usual prodding and orders and projectiles because I am too sleepy-

x_x Yes, master...

That is my captain :3

Don't tell me, you're going to follow loser87 examples?!

Nice, I like this easy-going fic. Go on Momo, keep exploring the world!

(sorry, felt to say that.. lol)

Captain's so cool... <3

No, I'm not. XD Captain wouldn't use such language if she weren't really freaking out. And she's got a good reason to.

Go West, Young Momo, and grow up with the country!

(Sorry, I felt like saying that after reading what you put. XD)

Sweet monkey babies! Loser 87 is mean.
I like what I see so far. I was wondering who "everyone's favorite Berry" was going to be, and it's Momoko, so, cool. Am I just imagining things or are there some hints of oddness afoot in the big city?

Isn't she, though? T-T I suppose someone has to be, though. Otherwise I wouldn't get anything done: I am kind of lazy.

M'glad you like it. :3

And you're imagining the RIGHT things, as the city is a bit odd... hm...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 09, 2007, 06:47:48 AM
Oh........ so momo's the outsider. Seems like she's not going to have an easy time fitting in.
I was thinking about who Chinami and Saki might be. After pondering for the longest time, my guess is rebel for Chinami and musician for Saki. Am I close?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 10, 2007, 02:13:28 AM
Oh........ so momo's the outsider. Seems like she's not going to have an easy time fitting in.
I was thinking about who Chinami and Saki might be. After pondering for the longest time, my guess is rebel for Chinami and musician for Saki. Am I close?


Indeed she won't. Not at first anyway.
And unfortunately, you are not. But don't despair, perhaps some of the next few chapters will give you some more hints. :3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Prologue -- The Train]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 10, 2007, 02:16:50 AM
[Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! …Not.]

I had seen my cousin dance several times before, but never like this. It was almost as if she was trying to prove something to someone, which surprised me, because Risako really didn’t have anything to prove.

I could see she was going through the movements in her head, twisting and turning her lithe body as the music called for it, hitting every step right on time and making every expression on cue, the way she had been trained to do. Some of the others in the formation around her were having trouble, save for the one in the center, the theatre’s ace.

Her name was Natsuyaki Miyabi, as I had learned earlier on when I was asking Risako about the other girls in her troupe. She had pointed this girl out to me with a disdainful look on her face, and I assumed that the two of them weren’t on very good terms at the moment.

Perhaps my cousin was jealous of the other, because she had always been rather competitive, and not being the best was probably something new for her.

I waved the thought away and went back to watching the dance. Competition was good for Risako. It would make her better.

After a few minutes more of the complicated routine, the music was suddenly cut off, and I turned my head to see the troupe’s leader and instructor Takahashi Ai walk into the room. I had only met Takahashi-san once before, but my first impression of her wasn’t a very pleasant one, and so I wasn’t fond of the girl.

“Alright, we’re done for now… Go home and get some rest and don’t be late for the afternoon practice.” She announced to everyone in a stern voice, and a few of the girls scrambled out the door as quickly as they could, apparently wanting to put some distance between themselves and the theatre.

Risako started to walk over to me, trying furiously to dry her sweat-soaked hair with a towel. I had to admit, I envied my cousin sometimes. It wasn’t fair that she could still look so amazing even after such a hard workout like that. I would have been an ugly mess. And I don’t ‘glisten’ like that, either. She was about to start talking to me, when Natsuyaki approached us, scrutinizing me with those eyes of hers.

She was pretty too, with a long, mature face and a slender body, but she was giving off semi-evil vibes. Like the ones you get from girls you consider to be… well, bitches. There’s not really another word that comes to mind, and I don’t curse very often. Not even in my mind.

“So this is who you brought in to be Yurina-chan’s replacement? …She doesn’t look like much at all.”

I bristled at first, not at all appreciating that condescending tone of voice the girl was using. I had half a mind to draw myself up to my full height of five feet and teach her a lesson, when I rewound to freeze on the first part of what Natsuyaki had said.

“…Replacement?”

Risako had guilty written all over her face. She was looking at me as though she were very uncomfortable to be there at that point in time, and began to fidget a little, the way she always does when she gets nervous. I stared at her, expectantly waiting for an answer.

“This girl, Sugaya-chan? …I’m not so sure about your judgment in this case… This girl is smaller than Kumai… I don’t think she’ll be able to learn the moves or be able to catch up vocally in two weeks, even if we’re in dire need of someone to fill that empty spot…”

Takahashi-san had apparently overheard Natsuyaki talking, and had come over to join in the conversation as well. I was getting slightly annoyed. I had no idea what was going on here, and for some reason, I didn’t think I was going to like it when I found out, either.

“Excuse me, empty spot? I’m not here to replace anyone… I’m just visiting, that’s all. Right, Risako-chan?”

I never took my eyes off of my cousin. She looked like she wished that she could disappear into the ground, and now I was starting to feel a little bit betrayed. I could tell that she had promised these people that I would help out without asking me first, and had expected me to just go along with it all.

“I was going to ask you about it when we had a chance to talk, I swear… Yurina fell and hurt her leg a week ago, and she won’t be able to dance and rehearse before the performance… We really need your help, Momo-chan…”

Little cutesy pet names were not going to dig her out of this particular hole. Fortunately for Risako, Miyabi was there.

“Do we really? Even if she can dance, I bet she can’t sing at all.”

I turned my head to give Natsuyaki the hardest, angriest glare that I could possibly manage. It was definitely on, now. Risako seemed to be able to sense that, and looked on with curiousity, and perhaps a bit of excitement. I stood up to find that the other girl had a good two or three inches on me, and she was smirking at me evilly, as if she had wanted me to challenge her.

“You’re wrong… Want to find out just how much?”

She snickered, as if thoroughly amused by something. I decided right then and there that I didn’t like her that much at all.

“Yeah, sure. Impress me, Momo-chan.”

If I was a dog, I probably would have growled at her. But I’m not and I didn’t, and Takahashi-san went over to turn on the speakers in order to play the song the girls had been dancing to a few minutes earlier. The lyrics had been playing in the background for about two hours, and so I had the song pretty much memorized by now. It was one of those bubblegum, happy, bouncy songs that required a high vocal range, and an agile voice.

Thankfully, I happened to have both. Even if my voice was a bit rusty and hadn’t been used in a while. Takahashi-san turned to us, explaining that she was going to skip forward to the second chorus only.

“Miyabi, you take the first part of the chorus and… ah…”

“Tsugunaga Momoko desu.”

“Right… Tsugunaga-san, you can take the last half of it.”
She switched the sound on, and I listened as the combination of piano and artificial base and back-up vocals flooded the room. Natsuyaki smirked at me, and as the music led up to the chorus, she began to sing:

ichinen nara gaman dekiru
yume aru nara tokoton mezase
ofuro no toki neru mae to ka
chotto wa denwa shite!


Her voice was nice, I had to admit… but it didn’t fit a song like this. She sounded like she was straining, especially near the top. It was my turn now, and I had little time to mentally prepare myself before the lines came, and thus I acted on instinct:

gonengo demo ude wo kunde
jyuunengo mo ichaicha ichaicha
nani yori mo kono shunkan ga
sekai de ichiban suki
anata ga ichiban suki? suki! suki!


Risako was grinning at me with something like… I don’t know. Pride, I guess. I had walked all over Natsuyaki with that. She was staring at me with a different expression. Kind of like she was really angry and stunned and kind of jealous all at the same time. It was an ‘I really hate you right now’ look.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I enjoyed it.

Even Takahashi-san looked somewhat impressed… or amused. Whatever, it was good.

“Well, well… Perhaps I misjudged you… Be sure to show up for tonight’s rehearsal on time. Goodbye, ladies.”

The instructor left us, and Natsuyaki stood there for a moment, before shooting me another glare and stalking after Takahashi-san. She also managed to run into the doorframe on her way out, and Risako and I enjoyed a good laugh at her expense. But I wasn’t done with my cousin just yet, oh no.

“…I’m still not very happy with you about this… You could have just asked me instead of tricking me and making believe that you actually wanted to see me…”

That did it. Risako seemed to be struck with immense guilt after I said that. I was almost sorry for laying it on so thick. Almost. I did have to ‘punish’ her for this.

“I knew that you would have said no. …I know how you hate this place. I know that you only come when I ask you to… And I really did want to see you… I’m glad you’re here, Momo-chan. Honest. It’s been a really long time, and I’ve missed you.”

It’s not fair. She always turns it around on me like that.

“I might still say no. I don’t have to do this, you know.”

The color seemed to drain from Risako’s face, and I could tell that she was panicking inwardly. Before she could say anything about it, however, I held up a hand to silence her.

“…But… I’ll give it a try for a day or so… Who knows… I could change my mind.”

She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me so tight that I could almost feel the air being squeezed out of my lungs, and I was lifted slightly off of the ground. It’s not a pleasant feeling, should you ever be unfortunate enough to experience it. I hadn’t even said yes yet for goodness sakes.

I had mixed feelings about all of it.

Maybe I should have stayed at home.

*lyrics taken from the Berryz' Gyagu 100kai bun Aishite Kudasai. I don't own them, nor did I write them or anything crazy like that.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: Estrea on April 10, 2007, 02:31:59 AM
Oooo interesting, Risako the liar. XD Tricking Momo into coming to help replace Yurina. Poor Yurina, hurting herself...o_o; Miyabi sounds pretty bitchy here. XD

...I can't help but think of Kaleido Star here for some weird reason. Lol.

Should be interesting to see how practice goes later. :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: ziggurat on April 10, 2007, 05:34:00 AM
So, Risako, Miya and Yurina are originally the members of this group.

What can I say, Miya is really that evil :3

Hehe, Momo is the one that owns Gag. (well, in this case, the real universe :D)

Now, all I need is Maasa, Yurina and our beloved Maiha XD

Keep up the good work FIM! (trying to not throwing random thing :D )
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: Loser87 on April 10, 2007, 06:00:49 AM
I'm making this short because my internet is evil and I need to call the service later today to complain

HOORAY FOR NEW CHAPTER...FINALLY!
God It's so fun and cute, You need to update faster
There is no scolding for a while as I realized I have a pile of homework to finish and a crappy dsl line to fight with

Until then,
POST NEW CHAPTERS YAH!! *Throws a man at you*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 11, 2007, 05:05:30 PM
Yay! Berryz! As long as you don't start writing about Cute.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: Rick-e on April 12, 2007, 02:45:23 AM
Wow! momo's got spunk! I like it ^_^

and strict Takahashi as a troupe leader  :heart: :heart:

Quote
She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me so tight that I could almost feel the air being squeezed out of my lungs, and I was lifted slightly off of the ground. It’s not a pleasant feeling, should you ever be unfortunate enough to experience it
if it was me, I wouldn't complain one bit ^_^

overall it's areally fun chapter to read :D keep it up  ;)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 12, 2007, 03:16:33 AM
Oooo interesting, Risako the liar. XD Tricking Momo into coming to help replace Yurina. Poor Yurina, hurting herself...o_o; Miyabi sounds pretty bitchy here. XD

...I can't help but think of Kaleido Star here for some weird reason. Lol.

Should be interesting to see how practice goes later. :)

Lol. Bad Socko. She should be nicer than that, right? And don't worry about Yurina. She's just a little clumsy. <3 And yeah, that was the intent. XD She's probably not going to be liked during most of this story.

Practice will be... fuuuuuuun. >D

So, Risako, Miya and Yurina are originally the members of this group.

What can I say, Miya is really that evil :3

Hehe, Momo is the one that owns Gag. (well, in this case, the real universe :D)

Now, all I need is Maasa, Yurina and our beloved Maiha XD

Keep up the good work FIM! (trying to not throwing random thing :D )

Yup. ^-^

Yeah, she is. Her laugh scares me sometimes. o_o

Haha, I figured no one would argue with me about that.

Well, two of them will be showing up in this chapter I'm about to post.

XD Thanks for restraining yourself for my sake.

I'm making this short because my internet is evil and I need to call the service later today to complain

HOORAY FOR NEW CHAPTER...FINALLY!
God It's so fun and cute, You need to update faster
There is no scolding for a while as I realized I have a pile of homework to finish and a crappy dsl line to fight with

Until then,
POST NEW CHAPTERS YAH!! *Throws a man at you*

XD I have mixed feelings about your internet being evil. Happy because it means less scolding, but sad because it probably means less comments. ;-;

haha, you know this isn't going to be updated nearly as much as VoA, right?

-screeches at the man- DO NOT WANT! -flails- ;-;

Yay! Berryz! As long as you don't start writing about Cute.

Haha, I wasn't planning on it, but... why not? Would that be bad? X3

Wow! momo's got spunk! I like it ^_^

and strict Takahashi as a troupe leader  :heart: :heart:
if it was me, I wouldn't complain one bit ^_^

overall it's areally fun chapter to read :D keep it up  ;)

Hahah. Indeed. She isn't gonna take Miya's crap.

I figured she could fit the role. <3

And yeah, if I was in Momo's place, and da Socko was hugging ME... <3<3<3

Your wish is my command, for a new chapter is coming as soon as I finish typing this.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 12, 2007, 03:17:43 AM
[Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]

She’s late… like half an hour late…

The girl was standing there behind the garbage cans in the alleyway, hidden from passersby. She was wearing a leather jacket, a pair of ripped up jeans and a baseball cap that was about two sizes too large. She had the collar of her jacket popped up, partially to protect her face and neck from the cold, and partially to obscure her face from view of the people walking by. They thought she was just some punk kid up to no good.

And this was true.

It was exactly what she wanted them to think, because if they did, then they would ignore her and keep walking on by and they would mind their own business.

Damn you, Maiha. If I find out that you were just screwing around again…

“You know, they say that if you brood too much like that you start looking old faster, Maa-chan.”

Finally. The little rat had decided to show up. The girl in the leather jacket resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she turned to her partner in crime and prepared to give her a rather thorough scolding.

“First off, I’ve told you so many times not to call me that that I’ve lost count… Second, where the hell have you been? You can’t waste time talking to girls non-stop. You know Saki can’t take care of Chinami and find time to get food and money. That’s why she needs us.”

The one called Maiha grinned. It was a facial expression that annoyed Maasa to no end. That crooked, wolfish, disarming smile that made girls swoon and fall at her feet. Well, girls other than Maasa, anyway. It just made her want to punch the other girl in the face.

“I wasn’t wasting time. I was engaging in a very important conversation with a few of those theater girls, and I found some interesting things in their pockets, I’ll have to say.”

Idiot. Moron. Stupid. I bet you found a few other things to be interesting while you were doing that, too.

Nevertheless, Maiha was holding up a generous wad of cash, which Maasa took and stuffed into a pocket concealed on the inner lining of her jacket. She then took the liberty of giving the other girl a light slap to the side of her head.

“OW! What on earth was that for?!?”

“When people depend on you, you take it seriously, got it?”

“Okay, okay, got it… man… you just suck sometimes, Maa-chan…”

“Don’t care. I’m going to go get this to Saki. You stay out of trouble.”

“Yeah, whatever. I should be saying that to you. Next time you get caught by the cops, they’ll put you in jail.”

But Maasa was already walking away. She still didn’t care. They could put her in a cage but they’d never be able to keep her there. She was like a cat: she did what she wanted, went where she wanted, and hung out with whomever she wanted to. The only reason she tolerated Maiha was because she wasn’t as skilled at stealing things and getting away with it.

As she walked, she was acutely aware of her surroundings. Living on the streets meant that you were ready for anything. Especially in THIS city.

Her eyes were on the theatre, and she was particularly amused to see it’s ace, Natsuyaki, stalking out of it as though she was quite offended. Maybe someone had finally put that girl in her place… Then came the teacher, nose up in the air as always… Boring. She was about to change directions in order to get to the hideout, when she noticed two others exit the building. She recognized Sugaya, but she was not familiar with the shorter female at the performer’s side.

The girl was an outsider, obviously, but even if she hadn’t been wearing different clothing, Maasa would have been able to tell by how uncomfortable the female looked being in the city. She was cute, and perhaps Maasa would have even gone so far as to describe her as being pretty, but the girl was looking in her direction now, and she quickly turned away, darting into another alley for cover.

She mentally berated herself for getting distracted, and started to run to where she was headed, trying to forget about the whole thing.

Maybe it was because the girl seemed so out of place…

But no matter how hard she ran, she couldn’t get that face out of her mind.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Two -- Dancing, Singing, Exciting! ...Not.]
Post by: Estrea on April 12, 2007, 03:22:55 AM
Maiha the player! o_o; Lol. XD

Maasa being tough and not taking any crap huh? Is something wrong with Chinami cos Saki has to take care of her? o_o Hmm seems like a tough little city if that's what they're doing to survive. Hmm indeed.

Hmm Momo sure seems to attract a lot of attention. XD

More pwease. :P
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]
Post by: ziggurat on April 12, 2007, 11:10:54 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
The one called Maiha grinned. It was a facial expression that annoyed Maasa to no end. That crooked, wolfish, disarming smile that made girls swoon and fall at her feet. Well, girls other than Maasa, anyway. It just made her want to punch the other girl in the face.   

But.. but... I love that smile! (:D) Yeah, actually your description doesn't sound bad all..

Heh, I'm surprised to know that Maasa and Maiha are from the street. Er, Maiha still a girl? (or a boy in this fic) lol..

Interesting... please continue... I still can't make out how they will coss each other paths....
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 12, 2007, 12:37:23 PM
Wow Maiha a player? Gotta visualize that  ;D It seems loads of people are noticing Momo now. Who knows, she might become the new ace.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]
Post by: Loser87 on April 12, 2007, 09:01:51 PM
Wow, Maiha the player XDXD
Write more you writing slave WRITE!!

Hmm I do wonder what is up with Chinami that she has to be taken care of
Anyways, I COMMAND YOU WRITE FASTER YOU IMAGINATION PERSON THING!! O_O
*throws sushi at you*
Hurry up or NO FOOD FOR YOU!! >_>
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 02:49:37 AM
Maiha the player! o_o; Lol. XD

Maasa being tough and not taking any crap huh? Is something wrong with Chinami cos Saki has to take care of her? o_o Hmm seems like a tough little city if that's what they're doing to survive. Hmm indeed.

Hmm Momo sure seems to attract a lot of attention. XD

More pwease. :P

XD She always gets the rough end of the deal in all the other fics she's featured in, so I decided to give her a break... and the girls. hahaha

Yeah, something's wrong with the kid. But you'll have to wait and see as to what it is.

XD She's a little out of place.

In a few minutes, I'll be happy to oblige. <3

But.. but... I love that smile! (:D) Yeah, actually your description doesn't sound bad all..

Heh, I'm surprised to know that Maasa and Maiha are from the street. Er, Maiha still a girl? (or a boy in this fic) lol..

Interesting... please continue... I still can't make out how they will coss each other paths....

Me too... me too. <3

Yes, Maiha's still a girl. XD

New chapter should be up as soon as I finish editing it.

Wow Maiha a player? Gotta visualize that  ;D It seems loads of people are noticing Momo now. Who knows, she might become the new ace.

She's gotta get through Miyabi first...

Wow, Maiha the player XDXD
Write more you writing slave WRITE!!

Hmm I do wonder what is up with Chinami that she has to be taken care of
Anyways, I COMMAND YOU WRITE FASTER YOU IMAGINATION PERSON THING!! O_O
*throws sushi at you*
Hurry up or NO FOOD FOR YOU!! >_>

Writing, master, writing. ;-;

-nibbles on sushi- :3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Three -- T Stands for Trouble]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 03:32:26 AM
I'm not so sure about how I ended this chapter. Seems kind of sloppy to me.
XD
Oh well. Enjoy, since I've been neglecting this poor thing.

[Chapter Four -- Decided]

“So where are we going now?”

“Well, I thought since we had some time to kill… and since I’ve had the chance to shower and no longer smell like dancing… that we could go and visit Kumai-chan at her house.”

“Who’s that again?”

“Yurina. The girl you’re replacing, remember?”

Might be replacing. Maybe. I still hadn’t said yes to her yet. It all depended on that night’s rehearsal… and whether or not I had the willpower to pull it off.

Risako and I had left the theater not long after Natsuyaki and Takahashi-san in order to head over to her house so that I could drop off my things and so that she could ‘freshen up a bit’. Whenever I heard those words, I knew that I would be waiting a few hours before she got out of the shower. But it’s okay… I’m good at waiting. I can find things to focus on to keep me from getting bored.

Like when I had been waiting for my cousin to call a taxi, I started to people-watch in order to entertain myself, and I spotted this shady-looking girl across the street. I think she had been looking at us, but as soon as she made eye contact with me, she disappeared from my sight.

I’d been getting a lot of reactions like that ever since I made it into the city, so I didn’t really think much of it.

Oh, and by the way, riding in that taxi sucked. The leather was hot and kind of sticky and it burned basically every little bit of bare flesh that I had the misfortune of letting it touch. My arms still hurt every time I think about it.
So anyway, once Risako was done getting all pretty again—which I thought was pointless—she had decided to take me back outside for a walk, and soon after our little conversation ended, we stopped at this small, somewhat dilapidated house. I was beginning to wonder if the whole city was broken and sad like this… from what I had seen so far, the only nice places to be were the theatre, the train station, and Risako’s house…

It was really somewhat depressing.

As we walked up to the front door, I could hear a piano being played inside. Risako paused to listen to it for a moment, a grin on her face. I was confused.

“What?”

“Her admirer must have stopped by again today. She never gets into the music like this unless that person comes to hear her. Not that she isn’t amazing all of the time, but there’s something different about it after she gets visited by that stranger…”

I nodded while wearing my still-blank expression, and my cousin knocked on the door, receiving a shout “Come in!” from the inside. Apparently people in this city didn’t lock their doors, either. I suppose if you didn’t have much to lose, it didn’t really matter.

The inside of the house was basically the same as the outside, worn out and shabby, and in the corner of the room near the window was positioned an old piano. The girl was sitting at this piano, playing as if she were just an extension of the instrument. I swear, I had never heard anything so beautiful in all of my life, and I probably will never hear anything better.

She was tall, and had long, slender legs and arms that were better described as graceful rather than awkward. Which was why I wondered how on earth she had managed to get that bulky cast on her leg. Maybe she was a lot clumsier than she looked… I knew one thing for sure: she could really play the piano. Risako and I stood there for a moment quietly, as to not disturb her and let her finish playing the song and I found my eyes wandering to the girl’s hands.

They moved effortlessly across the keys, gliding along their ivory surfaces like a skater on ice. It was almost dizzying to watch, because she was playing a difficult piece that required her hands to move quickly and without error. The song quickly built into a crescendo, and as it ended I felt myself slightly out of breath.

Mother used to tell me that people didn’t just listen to music. You sort of invest a little bit of yourself in a song emotionally, which makes it more of an experience, rather than just a performance.

“Did you write that yourself? It was so beautiful…”

Yurina grinned at me shyly, nodding her head a bit. I could tell that I would probably get along with her a lot better than I had with Natsuyaki. Risako introduced us to each other, and then she pulled a couple of chairs over to the piano bench so that Yurina wouldn’t have to move much. In fact, she looked as though she was having trouble just turning around to face us.

So I was curious…

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking… how exactly did you manage to injure your leg?”

The tall girl seemed to be uncomfortable answering my question. “Well… we were rehearsing, a-and I…” Risako cut in at this point, and her eyes were filled with a bitter sort of fury that I had never seen her display before.

“It wasn’t an accident. Takahashi-san didn’t see it, so she didn’t believe me when I told her, but… Miyabi definitely tripped her when we were going through the routine. I know she did it on purpose, too, because I saw her watching Kumai-chan when we started to dance, and she never took her eyes off of her. It was like she was waiting for the perfect moment so that she could be sure she’d really hurt Yurina, and now our center’s got a broken leg…”

I couldn’t help but be so incredibly angry at Natsuyaki at this point. I didn’t even really know the poor girl sitting across from me, but… this wasn’t right at all. And the one who took her out was getting away with it, and was probably going to benefit from what she had done, too.

The injustice of it made me really mad. So mad, that I wasn’t really thinking through what I was about to say next.

“Well, don’t worry, Kumai-san… I’ll make sure that she regrets what she’s done…”

Risako blinked at me. So did Yurina.

“Does that mean… you’re gonna do it? Are you going to replace her?”

My eyes shifted over to the injured girl, who was regarding me curiously. She didn’t seem angry… more like… relieved.

“Yes… I mean, if that’s alright with you, Kumai-san… I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking your place forever. This is all a bit rushed for me, really…”

“No, it’s okay… To be honest, I only really perform so that I can have enough money to support myself… It’s just a job for me.”

“…You don’t like it?”

“Not really. I’d rather just play my piano all day, but that would never be enough to feed me or get me clothes and stuff.”

The city revolved around the charisma of the theatre. Unfortunately… musicians weren’t nearly as popular as the girls that sang and danced. They were lucky enough if people would stop and listen to them on the street. That’s what Risako told me once. It hadn’t always been like this, but for now, there wasn’t much hope for change. My cousin tried to lighten the mood by changing the subject.

“So, did she stop by here today again?”

A faint blush was crossing Yurina’s cheeks. “Y-yes… I still couldn’t make out what she looked like, though. She didn’t get close enough to the window. I think she actually climbed up into that tree out there just so she could listen…”

They were talking about that mystery person again.

“Does this happen often, or something?”

“Well… a few days a week… someone always comes and sits outside my window to listen to me while I practice. At first I was frightened, because I thought someone was trying to break in, but they left as soon as I was done. Then after the first week or so, I learned that it was a girl, because she spoke to me for the first time. She’s got a very quiet voice, and it’s kind of scratchy and rough, the way she speaks, but I think it’s kind of nice… different, you know? She told me she liked my music because it was very soothing and it helped her to relax… The only other things I know are what I can guess… She always sounds so tired… like she just wants to sleep… I think her heart’s really worn and broken, like something really bad made it that way. So whenever she shows up to listen, I put my all into my playing, because I like to think that maybe I can do a little bit to brighten up her life somewhat.”

Risako let out a little ‘aww” sort of noise, which made Yurina begin to blush even more furiously, and I watched as the tall girl fidgeted with her hands. It really was cute… even if maybe the idea of a stranger always hanging around would have personally freaked me out.

At least she wasn’t going to be bored while she took a break from dancing.

I was beginning to wonder, though… about all of this.

Shouldn’t I have been more careful…?

If I got too attached…

What if I didn’t want to leave after my two weeks were up?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: Estrea on April 13, 2007, 04:01:33 AM
O_o Miyabi the bitch. Tripping Yurina! Gah!

That girl who's been listening in on Yurina is Chinami, isn't it? Cos if something is wrong with Chinami, I gather that she's ill or something like that, so it kinda matches up.

Momo's definitely getting attached to the place, whether she likes it or not. Heh.

Can't wait to see how the rehearsal goes. I'm sure Miya will try to make life in the theater hell for Momo. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: Loser87 on April 13, 2007, 04:28:52 AM
Wow Miyabi is...quite..how do I say this..Deviously evil?
I bet it was Chinami, my entire 78% of me says its Chinami who is the secret admirer =D
Ah, Berryz fics are so entertaining >w<

But that's so sweet >w<
About Yurina and Chinami *squeel* X3
Okay so i think I figured it out, but i think i got some of them wrong..
I put it in white just in case I do get some right and some people don't want it to be ruined and stuff..

Starts here:
Chinami is the broken one..
Momo the outsider...
Yurina is the Muscian
Maiha is the Flirt
Miyabi is the Prodigy
Maasa is the Rebel
Saki is the dancer
and Risako is the one that started it all

Anyway I <33 you my slave for updating quickly! I say Encore!! XD
Who said you can eat the sushi I fling at you!? I THREW THE SUSHI SO THEY'D HIT YOU!
<_< Note to self : Don't throw food at FIM she'll just eat it..
ahem..Now, MUSH AND TYPE FASTER YOU MONKEY!!
YAH YAH!!
*Throws a katamari at you!* o_o....I <33 Katamari
Now my slave MUSH! YAH!!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 04:36:49 AM
O_o Miyabi the bitch. Tripping Yurina! Gah!

That girl who's been listening in on Yurina is Chinami, isn't it? Cos if something is wrong with Chinami, I gather that she's ill or something like that, so it kinda matches up.

Momo's definitely getting attached to the place, whether she likes it or not. Heh.

Can't wait to see how the rehearsal goes. I'm sure Miya will try to make life in the theater hell for Momo. XD

Yeah, it's Chinami. XD

She's going to have a hard time leaving... should she decide to... hm...

Oh, you know it. XD That's like, a given.

Wow Miyabi is...quite..how do I say this..Deviously evil?
I bet it was Chinami, my entire 78% of me says its Chinami who is the secret admirer =D
Ah, Berryz fics are so entertaining >w<

But that's so sweet >w<
About Yurina and Chinami *squeel* X3
Okay so i think I figured it out, but i think i got some of them wrong..
I put it in white just in case I do get some right and some people don't want it to be ruined and stuff..

Starts here:
Chinami is the broken one..
Momo the outsider...
Yurina is the Muscian
Maiha is the Flirt
Miyabi is the Prodigy
Maasa is the Rebel
Saki is the dancer
and Risako is the one that started it all

Anyway I <33 you my slave for updating quickly! I say Encore!! XD
Who said you can eat the sushi I fling at you!? I THREW THE SUSHI SO THEY'D HIT YOU!
<_< Note to self : Don't throw food at FIM she'll just eat it..
ahem..Now, MUSH AND TYPER FASTER YOU MONKEY!!
YAH YAH!!
*Throws a katamari at you!* o_o....I <33 Katamari
Now my slave MUSH! YAH!!!

^-^ I think that's being almost TOO nice to Miyabi. XD
That 78% is right.

There isn't enough YuriChina love out there... <3

Oh, and your list.. you're right. All of it. But a heads-up, if anyone's using the black forum skin (like me), they can see that anyway. XDDD

But... I like sushi. <3
I do NOT like katamari. Or... at least. I think I probably don't.
XD
-going to bed now-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: ziggurat on April 13, 2007, 04:37:59 AM
This a beautiful chapter I must say. Because it's made of Yurina beautiful piece, her beauty self and your style of writing.. :heart:

Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Whenever I heard those words, I knew that I would be waiting a few hours before she got out of the shower. But it’s okay… I’m good at waiting. I can find things to focus on to keep me from getting bored.

Heh, that's Risako for you.

This shady character sure interesting.. I bet she's Maiha :3 (heh, just read your comment and found I'm wrong  :depressed: , I suck with guessing)

Your description about Yurina really fits her. Love it so much!

Oh my, so the devil tripped Yurina ? This evilness is another level than previous chapters.. My view about this Miyabi has changed..  :scolding:

Can't tell if you have enough sweetness already or you're going to be overdose unconsciously by it.. To describe this chapter.  :heart:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 13, 2007, 09:48:02 AM
Wow weeeeee so glad I checked. There's a new chapter. Wow I can't believe Loser87 got all right. I messed up 2 of them. I love Momo so I wish she would stay but poor Yurina. Unless maybe, she's gonna get to play the piano for good somehow  :-\
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 03:32:42 PM
This a beautiful chapter I must say. Because it's made of Yurina beautiful piece, her beauty self and your style of writing.. :heart:

Heh, that's Risako for you.

Oh my, so the devil tripped Yurina ? This evilness is another level than previous chapters.. My view about this Miyabi has changed..  :scolding:

Can't tell if you have enough sweetness already or you're going to be overdose unconsciously by it.. To describe this chapter.  :heart:

Aww, thank you so much. ^_^

lol That drives me crazy about some people that I know. I can be ready in like, five minutes, and other people will take at least an hour. And I'm a girl, so they can't really use that as an excuse. XD

And it will probably continue to change as the story progresses, I bet. lol Like, when I get around to writing Chapter Six up...

Well, I don't know about OD'ing on sweetness, but I'll see what I can do. <3 The story will have it's angst, but I want it to be more fluffy than sad. :3

Wow weeeeee so glad I checked. There's a new chapter. Wow I can't believe Loser87 got all right. I messed up 2 of them. I love Momo so I wish she would stay but poor Yurina. Unless maybe, she's gonna get to play the piano for good somehow  :-\

Lol. I kind of made it easy to guess them all by trial-and-error at this point, even though I'm not sure that I really meant to. Oh well. XD

Well, we'll see how things all turn out for these girls, won't we... :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Four -- Decided]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 03:35:14 PM
Ya'll will probably be getting a double-update on this story today, because once again I'm stuck on VoA. D:

[Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]

“It’s so cold up here… I don’t understand how the two of you live here…”

Maasa was standing up in “The Loft”, which was the name that had been given to the hideout that served as a home to Saki and Chinami. There really was no better word to describe it, actually, because what it was was just that: the attic of a decrepit, abandoned building that the two of them had taken over.

Maasa didn’t really like it at all.

For one thing, she was pretty sure that the house had sustained major fire damage in it’s earlier years, and was standing on its last legs. One entire wall was missing, and it gave a person a rather good view of the city. The roof had holes in it everywhere, and the floor wasn’t much better. Only Saki and Chinami knew where to walk in order to keep from killing themselves. Maasa had fallen through to the dining room the first time she had visited, and would never again go much farther than the doorway.

She was much smarter than that.

Another thing she didn’t like was that the two girls basically only had rags and old coats to sleep on, assuming that they actually slept. Saki always looked tired, even if she was able to put up a very convincing cheerful front, and Chinami… well, she just doubted it.

“It’s not so bad, Maa-chan. You just float around so much that you’ve forgotten how it gets in this city.”

“Maybe so… Anyways, I brought you some stuff. Courtesy of the rat known as Maiha herself.”

She handed the smaller female a grocery sack filled with food, and Saki seemed to have to swallow a bit of her pride in order to take it. She liked to be responsible for herself, but Chinami was getting worse lately, and it was really hard to keep an eye on her and take care of the necessities at the same time. Thankfully, there were others looking out for them.

“I really appreciate this, Maa-chan, but… I don’t like that the two of you steal in order to help us out… The police may think Maihacchi’s a joke, so I’m not really worried about her, but they think you’re dangerous and-”

“Whatever, I get it already. What’s with everybody being on my case about that today?”

“I’m just saying… you and I and Chii-chan and Maihacchi all know that you’re innocent, but the police don’t, and they’ve still got it out for you around here. So just… be careful.”

Maasa snorted, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she turned to look out at the city. She really didn’t want to talk about this right now. Saki sighed, taking the bag and wandering over to the back corner of the upper room, where Chinami lay curled up beneath a pile of coats. Saki had managed to find her wandering around in the city, and had only just brought her back to the loft a few minutes before Maasa arrived.

She didn’t really know where it was that Chinami disappeared to all the time, but the other girl was careful to keep Saki from following her, and thankfully, she would always eventually turn up. The girl always seemed to be feeling a bit better after she got away, and for that at least, Saki was grateful.

She crouched down beside the tan girl’s prone form, and shivered a bit as Chinami’s blank eyes stared out at her. Saki knew that she wasn’t really looking in her direction, because when the other girl got like that, she wasn’t all there…

“Are you hungry, Chii-chan? Maasa brought us some food.”

“Not really, Captain.”

Chinami was the only one who called Saki by the name “Captain”. She never called her by her real name, and so Saki sometimes wondered if the other girl might have forgotten it. She didn’t ever correct the other, however, because for one it was useless, and for the other she didn’t have the heart to do such a thing.

Anyways, the girl was calm at the moment, and Saki merely nodded, deciding to leave her alone. Perhaps she would get some rest for once.

She set the bag down and walked back over to Maasa, staring quietly out at the city as well, before the other girl broke the silence to speak.

“Life might be easier for you if you went back to dancing, you know.”

“Aren’t you tired of trying to discuss this with me? We always arrive at the same end whenever we talk about it.”

“I’m just saying. That theater always paid you well enough so that the two of you could get by. And if you’re so worried about me and Maiha getting in trouble…”

“I can’t. It was easier earlier on because it wasn’t as bad, but now… I don’t even have enough time to really keep my skills up anymore because I have to keep an eye on her…”

“Then maybe give Chinami some space? Maybe she’d start feeling better if she felt that she had a bit more freedom…”

“She tried to jump off of the building yesterday, Maa-chan. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, she might have succeeded. And maybe it would be different if we lived somewhere else, but in this city… I don’t know… she can be fine one minute and the next something’s triggered an episode and she loses it.”

“She should be in a hospital…”

“She doesn’t want to be in a hospital. And even if she was willing, neither of us have the money to afford her stay. I’d love to even just get her some medicine if I could, but it’s so expensive…”

Maasa was silent for a moment, resisting the urge to kick what was left of the wooden frame beside her. It just wasn’t fair.

“What about performing on the street like how you let her do magic? You could probably get some nice change out of doing that…”

“No.”

“…Is this still about that girl?”

“…No.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it. Y’know, if this girl really liked you, or loved you, or whatever it is that you want it to be that she feels for you, then she wouldn’t care about where you’ve ended up.”

“She doesn’t know and I intend to keep it that way. She was so mad and hurt when she found out that I was just dropping out of the troupe without any reason at all, that I just… well… you didn’t see that face… she was so disappointed in me. I don’t think she even knows that I’m still in this city and that’s fine. I’d rather she forget about me.”

Silence from Maasa again. Saki had finished what she was saying so firmly, that the taller girl didn’t really want to press the matter much further. Instead, she decided to change the subject… Well, a little bit anyway.

“I saw some other girl with Sugaya today…”

“Huh, who?”

“She was short, kind of like your height… I don’t think she’s from around here.”

“Oh… that’s her cousin, Tsugunaga Momoko.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I met her this morning by some strange twist of fate, I guess. She said she was visiting or something…”

Now, THAT was interesting. Nobody just visited this kind of place. Maasa couldn’t help but be curious.

“What’s she like?”

“She was nice, I guess. Well, she was kind of stiff when I was talking to her, like she’s not used to the city yet, so I just kind of overlooked that. She didn’t really seem all that comfortable around people, either, so my guess is that she lives somewhere where a person’s got a lot of elbow room.”

“Huh…”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it.”

“Okay, but saying that to me doesn’t have the same effect as when I say it to you. Of course I know it’s a lie, but I’m not going to let you in on what I’m thinking.” Maasa was already climbing down the ladder that led up to the loft, and Saki couldn’t really do much other than watch her leave.

“Sometimes I wonder about you…”

“I don’t know why you waste your time. Not even you’ll be able to figure me out. Nobody can.”

“I hope one day somebody comes along and proves you wrong.”

“That’ll be the day that I stop wearing pants and start dressing up like a girl.”

“Well, I hope I can find a camera soon, then.”

“Whatever.”

Saki merely grinned as she watched Maasa retreat out of sight, and she sat down at the edge of the floor, letting her legs dangle outside. The sun was starting to drop lower in the sky, and she knew that about now, Takahashi would be drilling her students with some difficult routine. She sighed, and leaned back on her hands, closing her eyes. She just couldn’t help it. That aching feeling was back to gnaw at her heart again.

I wonder… do you ever miss me… the way that I miss you?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: ziggurat on April 13, 2007, 03:55:16 PM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Maasa had fallen through to the dining room the first time she had visited, and would never again go much farther than the doorway.

Lol Maasa.

Whoa, Chinami really has a weird sickness.. And look like only Yurina's music piece can reduce her pain or sickness..

Captain has a mysterious history... I wonder with whom she's in love... :3 Risako?

Double chapter always nice.. :D Thanks for the kindness :heart:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 13, 2007, 05:49:08 PM
"The Loft" reminds me of Aladdin's home xD And I personally think who Saki's thinking about is none other than the bitchy Miyabi xD Those two have great chemistry in a way xD

Though I look forward to this dance routine that Momoko's suddenly a part of. I can't help but think of Munasawagi Scarlet because the center's on Miyabi and Momoko xD I wonder what Momo'll think once she finds out that in 'the fishy move' (You know what I'm talking about xD The head swishing and going down the other's leg), her partner for that move is Miyabi xD. I'd imagine Miyabi won't be too thrilled at that either, roffle xD

I like the characterization you put into Momoko. Inevitably, I can see that by the end of this story, she'll be a nicer person and more happy than emo xD

Ai as the instructor makes me giggle for some reason xD I can't really imagine her as a strict teacher, she's more of a nicer teacher in my image of her xD.

Makes me wonder how many more H!P cameos you intend to make :]

Keep up the good work! -gives you the obligatory and famous hardhat to protect yourself from Writer's Block-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: Loser87 on April 13, 2007, 11:03:12 PM
gosh, they all pretty much live in crappy houses o_o

haha, I just realized the list you wrote out descended according to age order from oldest to youngest
Anyways, Chinami has episodes huh, now what happened that was so horrible that she'll have episodes like vietnam veteran hm..

I feel an obvious, SakiXMiyabi vibe going on >_>
But I want to bring my hopes up that high in case I'm wrong
But what I can do is squeel like a little girl because this story's romance vibe is just so damn adorable >w<

Quote
Maasa had fallen through to the dining room the first time she had visited, and would never again go much farther than the doorway.
Haha, I laughed so very hard here XDXDXD

Quote
“I’m just saying… you and I and Chii-chan and Maihacchi all know that you’re innocent, but the police don’t, and they’ve still got it out for you around here. So just… be careful.”

What is the reason for the police going after Maasa..
I'm guessing that she was obviously framed for a crime she didn't comitt..

Quote
I wonder… do you ever miss me… the way that I miss you?
*clinging onto life...Refusing to die from cute overload...*

Now, my slave Post faster!
MUSH YOU...You...you...*throws a water bottle at you* I have run out of clever or silly name callings for you!
POST!!TYPE!!BE THE FIC!! o_o....dude, scratch that last part <_<
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 11:25:08 PM
Lol Maasa.

Captain has a mysterious history... I wonder with whom she's in love... :3 Risako?

Double chapter always nice.. :D Thanks for the kindness :heart:

XD That was my favorite part to write.

I actually almost accidentally revealed who it was for a moment there. XDD Thank goodness I caught my mistake and went back to fix it.

;-; I actually don't know if I'll get to post the next one today now. It's storming a LOT outside and the power's going off like, every five minutes.

"The Loft" reminds me of Aladdin's home xD And I personally think who Saki's thinking about is none other than the bitchy Miyabi xD Those two have great chemistry in a way xD

Though I look forward to this dance routine that Momoko's suddenly a part of. I can't help but think of Munasawagi Scarlet because the center's on Miyabi and Momoko xD I wonder what Momo'll think once she finds out that in 'the fishy move' (You know what I'm talking about xD The head swishing and going down the other's leg), her partner for that move is Miyabi xD. I'd imagine Miyabi won't be too thrilled at that either, roffle xD

I like the characterization you put into Momoko. Inevitably, I can see that by the end of this story, she'll be a nicer person and more happy than emo xD

Ai as the instructor makes me giggle for some reason xD I can't really imagine her as a strict teacher, she's more of a nicer teacher in my image of her xD.

Makes me wonder how many more H!P cameos you intend to make :]

Keep up the good work! -gives you the obligatory and famous hardhat to protect yourself from Writer's Block-

Haha, it's totally what I was thinking of.

XDDD I might have to use that and put it in the story. I was going to write that they were dancing to some ambiguous song or whatever, but now.. that's... way too tempting. XDD

I'm kind of writing Momoko the way that I would act myself in such a situation. If that makes any sense. lol

Haha, but a nice teacher would not do for this story. And I'm not entirely sure if there will be any more cameos... perhaps maybe just one other... hm...

-slaps hardhat on to protect self from the storms outside- ...;-;

gosh, they all pretty much live in crappy houses o_o

haha, I just realized the list you wrote out descended according to age order from oldest to youngest
Anyways, Chinami has episodes huh, now what happened that was so horrible that she'll have episodes like vietnam veteran hm..

I feel an obvious, SakiXMiyabi vibe going on >_>
But I want to bring my hopes up that high in case I'm wrong
But what I can do is squeel like a little girl because this story's romance vibe is just so damn adorable >w<

Haha, I laughed so very hard here XDXDXD

What is the reason for the police going after Maasa..
I'm guessing that she was obviously framed for a crime she didn't comitt..

*clinging onto life...Refusing to die from cute overload...*

Now, my slave Post faster!
MUSH YOU...You...you...*throws a water bottle at you* I have run out of clever or silly name callings for you!
POST!!TYPE!!BE THE FIC!! o_o....dude, scratch that last part <_<

It's not a very fun city to live in. Basically, Risako and Miyabi are the only privileged ones.

lol. I tend to do that with the Berryz. I'm not entirely sure why.
And HM... HM HM... -sirens blaring- PERHAPS YOU MIGHT BE ON TO SOMETHING! -flails around and stuff-

Yay for romance. <3

Lol. I wonder if everyone can picture her falling through the ceiling as vibrantly as I did. Because it was pretty freakin' funny.

Oh me, oh my... what ever did Maasa doooooo? ^_^

I'll probably kill you with the cute sometime during this story. Just you wait.

-throws the water bottle back-
I think that today I will rise above and push YOU around instead!
-prods very hard with a stick-
GOUPDATEYEROWNSTORYMASTER! ><
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 13, 2007, 11:27:34 PM
I think you should only do comments when you're about to post the chapter, that way, I can time my infamous wedges in better xD

-wedge?-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 13, 2007, 11:29:06 PM
[Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]

I didn’t really know what to expect out of the dance lesson that night. I was somewhat nervous, you see… First off, I had to prove myself to Takahashi-san in order to even get the spot… second, I didn’t want to let either Risako or Yurina down by screwing things up… and to be honest, I was worried because I didn’t really remember a thing about dancing…

At least I had kept up the exercising at home. Otherwise it probably would have been rough.

Oh yeah, and the third thing? Natsuyaki was going to be there. I was just about as excited to see her again as I would be to see the doctor for a checkup. (Which isn’t very much at all. I hate going to the doctor. He’s trigger-happy with those syringes of his, and I am terribly needle-phobic.)

Risako and I entered the theatre for the second time that day, and much to my relief we were actually a bit early for practice, because only Natsuyaki and a few other girls had arrived so far, and they were all busy stretching and warming up. She gave me the most angry glare that I have ever received from any single human being, but I wasn’t going to let her bother me.

I merely glared back—something I’m pretty sure she wasn’t expecting, because she blinked a little bit—and then I dragged Risako off to another corner of the room so that we could start getting ready as well.

Takahashi-san arrived a few minutes later, and she didn’t say a word to any of the students as she prepared for the lesson. I assumed that this was just her nature. She didn’t come across as the sociable type to me, anyway. Soon, the stragglers also started to show up, and Takahashi-san clapped her hands three times, which—according to Risako—was  a sign that practice was starting.

I moved into the starting position for the formation of the song. I knew exactly where I needed to be because Yurina had explained everything about it that I needed to know, using my cousin to demonstrate the steps and moves that I would have to make within the routine. Plus, I had watched the troupe go through the entire dance earlier that morning enough times that I probably could have danced in any member’s place.

Takahashi-san must have been reading my mind, because she took that opportunity to drop a bomb on me.

“Umeda!”

The tall girl standing next to Natsuyaki turned her head to look back obediently at the dance instructor.

“Trade positions with Tsugunaga for a moment. The formation will look jagged with her in Kumai’s old spot, so since you’re about the same height, I need you back there instead.”

Well, crap. The girl named Umeda merely shrugged and wandered over to take my place without complaint, while I… I was left to face my fate. Umeda and Natsuyaki were both centers for this dance… which meant that now the evil girl was going to have to share some of her spotlight with me. She was looking oh-so-thrilled about that.

Looking on the bright side, I was now positioned closer to Risako as well, and she would keep an eye out for me.

The music started, and I quickly began to get the hang of the rhythm and the routine, and at first I was dancing through the song with ease. …Because that part wasn’t the problem. Natsuyaki was the problem, and I had to dance beside her during the entire song.

The tension I could feel at that moment was suffocating.

But it had absolutely nothing on what was about to happen next.

Originally—before Takahashi-san had gotten the bright idea to move me—Umeda had been Natsuyaki’s partner for a move that was slightly… well… it involved getting a bit too close for comfort.

I might as well just pause for a moment to tell you that I am what some people define as being ‘touch-phobic’. I don’t like it when other people touch me, and I keep my hands to myself. The only person I even tolerate coming within my personal bubble is Risako, and even she still makes me twitch sometimes. Plus, the only reason for it is because Risako’s the kind of person that would hug you even if you held a gun to her head and told her not to, so basically I couldn’t stop her from doing it anyway.

So this was going to be VERY unpleasant for me.

Basically, it started out that I had to get up behind her, and there was this weird head thing we had to do while we were rocking from side-to-side. And then I took my hand and starting at her waist, I had to slide it down her leg while she posed in a not-so-innocent manner.

I probably could have died right then. I think Natsuyaki was feeling the same because she looked flustered and for a moment seemed to have forgotten about wanting to murder me. And where was Risako during all of this?

In front of us, snickering, and doing a very bad job of covering it up.

I’m glad someone was amused.

It was bad enough that I had to do this, but even worse that we had to do it over and over again until Takahashi-san was satisfied. Again, Risako wasn’t much help, because my plight never ceased to be funny for her, and a few times, the instructor would stop us and start the song over because she couldn’t keep a straight face.

Soon—but not soon enough, in my opinion—the torture came to an end when Takahashi stopped the song for the final time.

“Good, good… we’re just working the bugs out for now, but this will be very impressive when it comes time to perform. Unfortunately, we have three other songs to work on as well, and they aren’t nearly as polished. I suggest you step it up a bit, because we only have thirteen days left after tonight. Now, go home and get some rest. I’ll see all of you bright and early in the morning.”

She got groans for reply, but she didn’t seem to care much, and turned to me instead.

“Excellent work, Tsugunaga-san. I haven’t seen anyone catch on that quick since Miyabi joined the troupe. I was a little worried that your dancing skills wouldn’t be up to par with your singing, but now… well, if you keep this up, I’ll be sad that you happen to only be a temporary addition to the team.”

I was a little at a loss for words. It had been a while since I had received praise from anyone. And even then, nobody had ever said anything like that to me before…

Takahashi-san walked away while I was mulling this over in my mind, and Risako took the opportunity to jump on me. Again, my lungs had to suffer my cousin’s abuse.

“Oh, I knew that you still had this in you, Momo-chan. Getting you to come here was an awesome idea. I must be a genius.”

Before I could reply—and scold her for her behavior during the lesson—Natsuyaki had walked up to the two of us, and I think that if I believed in spontaneous human combustion that she would have been smoking a little bit.

“You’re just soaking this all up, aren’t you, Momo-chan.”

Her voice was so bitter. Being in the front seemed to be important to her, and I think that she percieved me as a threat to her position. That, or she was jealous that for once, the instructor’s eyes weren’t on her. Either way, I didn’t want to deal with her and her issues with me at that moment. I had had a long, exhausting day, and I was just ready to go to sleep.

“Like a sponge, Natsuyaki-san. Like a sponge.” I replied, in the most sarcastic voice I could muster. “Come on, Risako… let’s go.”

The prodigy wasn’t expecting that, and so she merely stared at us as we left, her mouth gaping just the slightest bit. I had gotten the last word this time, but I figured that she wasn’t going to let go of the grudge she had against me, so it wasn’t over yet.

Believe me, I had no idea what I was getting into.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Five -- This Place is Crazy]
Post by: Estrea on April 14, 2007, 12:41:24 AM
Me senses Saki/Miyabi vibes too. XD

Is Chinami suffering from a...mental condition? So to speak, anyway...hmm.

Lol @ Maasa falling through the floor. XD

Anyway, write more soon. :P
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 15, 2007, 03:13:06 AM
Me senses Saki/Miyabi vibes too. XD

Is Chinami suffering from a...mental condition? So to speak, anyway...hmm.

Lol @ Maasa falling through the floor. XD

Anyway, write more soon. :P

Lol. We'll see, we'll see.

Something like that...

XDD

And I just edited the post above yours, so check it out. :3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: Estrea on April 15, 2007, 03:21:33 AM
Quote
Risako’s the kind of person that would hug you even if you held a gun to her head and told her not to

That made me grin. XD

Ahhh, Momo and Miyabi tension UPPPPPPP!!!! *does a happy dance* *trips and falls flat on face* XD Not very graceful here. Hahaha you really have it in for Momo...putting her in that place...XD I can't wait to see more. ^_^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: Loser87 on April 15, 2007, 03:41:01 AM
I keep imagining one of them is going to start something and have an all out brawl XDXD

I couldn't help but laugh at this

Quote
I might as well just pause for a moment to tell you that I am what some people define as being ‘touch-phobic’. I don’t like it when other people touch me, and I keep my hands to myself. The only person I even tolerate coming within my personal bubble is Risako, and even she still makes me twitch sometimes. Plus, the only reason for it is because Risako’s the kind of person that would hug you even if you held a gun to her head and told her not to, so basically I couldn’t stop her from doing it anyway.

So this was going to be VERY unpleasant for me.


XDXD

God, I love this story and of course I love VoA <333
Update my silly writer!!
XD

*Stares at you*
O_O
Update...
O_O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: ziggurat on April 15, 2007, 05:38:28 AM
:D

This is going into a war zone! This rivalry is scary..

Hmm, why I forgot about :heart: Captain x Miya :heart: like in real life.. So, it's not Risako? XD

Hmm, end of idea. Thank for this chapter! Dunno what to say anymore -_-"

Btw, be careful with the storm! Better offline than getting a fried modem :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 15, 2007, 09:50:16 PM
That made me grin. XD

Ahhh, Momo and Miyabi tension UPPPPPPP!!!! *does a happy dance* *trips and falls flat on face* XD Not very graceful here. Hahaha you really have it in for Momo...putting her in that place...XD I can't wait to see more. ^_^

XD Glad to be of service.

Yeah. I'm not going to be giving her a break for a little while, the poor thing. But it'll all turn out okay. This story has a HAPPY ending. X3

I keep imagining one of them is going to start something and have an all out brawl XDXD

XDXD

God, I love this story and of course I love VoA <333
Update my silly writer!!
XD

*Stares at you*
O_O
Update...
O_O

Miyabi might... lol

I feel so blocked with the other story right now... I don't know why. Grr. >_<

Those faces are really creepy, btw... o_o

:D

This is going into a war zone! This rivalry is scary..

Hmm, why I forgot about :heart: Captain x Miya :heart: like in real life.. So, it's not Risako? XD

Hmm, end of idea. Thank for this chapter! Dunno what to say anymore -_-"

Btw, be careful with the storm! Better offline than getting a fried modem :D

lol Yup. I wouldn't want to get in-between those two, that's for sure.

-whistles innocently-

You're welcome. <3 And no problem, I'm not sure if there's really that much to talk about yet. XD

It's all good now. It passed by. Unfortunately, it's still freezing cold outside. ><


I'm about to post the ch.7 in the next few minutes.
So if a certain wedge would like to claim her spot, she should probably do it now. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 15, 2007, 09:57:54 PM
-WEDGE- :]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Six -- No Turning Back]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 15, 2007, 10:14:33 PM
[Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a long time to figure out where I was.

Possibly, this was due to the fact that I awoke to find the ceiling on the floor and vice versa. Somehow, I must have fallen asleep upside-down… But then I remembered that that couldn’t have been true, because I was pretty sure that I had gotten into a bed last night.

I tried to move, which happened to be a mistake. See, I was still partially in that same bed, but my legs were the only things keeping me suspended, and so… when I moved, I hit the floor, and my head. At that point, I was very much awake, and I stood up, now armed with a growing bump on the side of my skull.

How lovely.

I’m not much of a morning person. I tend to be very clumsy and grumpy soon after I wake up. That’s why I’m better off living by myself, I guess. And that’s why things like what happened next really annoy me.

“Good morrrrrrning, Momo-chaaaaaaaaaa~n!”

It was a very good thing that I wasn’t holding a weapon of any sorts, because I probably might have gone after Risako with it. Her annoying, perky little voice wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear right after waking up. So I did the best I could by giving her a twitchy sort of glare—as my eyes were still adjusting to the sunlight in the room. Stupid Risako. With her stupid being able to face the world every morning.

She was even dressed and ready for goodness sakes.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I made breakfast~!”

I grunted and pushed past her to the bathroom. It was too early for this. Or was it? I didn’t really know. As I looked at my rather disheveled appearance in the mirror, I decided to ask.

“What time is it?”

“A little after six.”

She was standing in the doorway, still wearing that very cheerful expression. I wanted to shut her out after hearing that response. Back home, ten would be the very earliest that I would even dare to start moving. Maybe it was because I wasn’t home that my internal clock was a little messed up.

“What time did you get up, then?!”

“I think it was four or something. I tried to wake you up, too, but I almost pushed you off the bed, so I just kind of left you like that.”

I merely glared at her. She dares to be the reason for my rude awakening, and then she bounces around all happy-like? I was starting to think that the reason I was so sore was her fault, too. She probably kicked me in her sleep. So, naturally, I shoved her grinning face out of the door with one hand and shut it promptly afterwards.

------------

Apparently people in this city had the same idea about sleep as I did.

After I had been given proper time to wake up and get dressed and eat, Risako and I decided to go for a walk, since we had a little bit of time to kill before the morning’s practice. There weren’t many people around at this time of the day, which was sort of surprising, considering how congested the streets had been yesterday afternoon.

Risako was being extraordinarily quiet. Whether it was out of respect for my personal space or because she had run out of things to say or because maybe she wanted to enjoy the quiet too, I didn’t know.

But I wasn’t going to question a good thing.

We continued like this for a while, before I spotted a figure up ahead. Whomever it was was just standing there on the sidewalk, staring up at the sky. It wasn’t until we got closer that I recognized the figure as the magician from yesterday; Tokunaga Chinami, if my memory was working right. She didn’t even seem to notice us as we approached. She just continued to stand there, apparently searching for something in the clouds.

It wasn’t until that moment that I began to suspect that maybe something was wrong with this girl. And maybe that’s why Saki had been so freaked out when she had gone missing yesterday.

I was starting to put two-and-two together (Risako of course, had no idea what was going on, and was just eyeing the female with a puzzled expression.) and so I decided that if Chinami was by herself again, it was probably a bad thing.

“Um, Tokunaga-san…”

No response. Then I did something REALLY, really stupid. And see, there wasn’t any way to have known that what I was about to do was stupid at that point in time, because I had no idea what was wrong with Chinami. So it was a perfectly innocent move.

I just poked her in the arm.

But it sure did set her off.

She jumped like I had prodded her with a hot branding iron, and gave me this wild, fearful sort of look like an injured animal or something, before she darted off in the opposite direction. I cursed at myself inwardly, and before I knew it I was running after her, shouting back at Risako to stay put.

…I am also not the most athletic of people. I’m okay with dancing. But sprinting, and jogging for long periods of time… I’m just really, really slow. Luckily for me, however, Chinami ran off into an alleyway, and when I caught up, she was still standing there, trapped. She was panting heavily—a cornered animal, now—and she was watching me with the most wary of gazes.

“Don’t be afraid of me… I just want to help. I bet Shimizu-san’s worried sick about you.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do at that point.

It didn’t really matter, because all of a sudden, two very strong arms grabbed me: one had me in a dangerously firm headlock, and the other was around my waist, and for a moment, my feet weren’t touching the ground. I was extremely frightened, because I couldn’t see my captor in such a position, and I could feel my heart pounding rapidly within my chest.

I didn’t dare to move.

“I’m going to put you down in a second…” It was a girl’s voice, I could tell, even though it was rather deep, and she was speaking very low right next to my ear, as if to intimidate me. “…And when I do, you better get your ass as far away from me as possible, because I have half a mind to kill you for freaking this kid out.”

So it was a misunderstanding. Maybe this girl was one of Chinami and Saki’s friends and had thought that I was tormenting the latter in some way. I supposed that it had kind of looked like that, what with me chasing after her and all…

“I was just trying to get her back to Shimizu-san, and then she bolted, I swear!”

“…Huh?”

My captor obviously didn’t expect me to say that, for I could feel her hold on me loosen, if only slightly.

“You know Saki?”

“Yes… well, not very well, I just met her yesterday.”

“Wait… you’re that girl… Sugaya’s cousin. The outsider.”

I wasn’t aware that I was such a popular topic. Did people really not visit this city that often? Fortunately, my captor seemed to believe me, and she set me back down on the ground.

I promptly turned around and before I could stop myself, I reached up (well, she was quite a bit taller than me) and slapped her very hard in the face. She didn’t flinch, but she was wearing a very stunned expression as we stared at each other for a moment.

“What the hell was that for?!?”

“You almost gave me a heart attack! There are easier ways of communicating with people!”

She merely frowned at me, rubbing the growing red spot on her cheek. I had hit her pretty hard, because you could almost make out a faint handprint there. Suddenly, I realized that this was the shady-looking female that I had spotted yesterday during the brief moment I had taken up people-watching. Now that I could see her close up, however…

Well, she looked dangerous, I guess. In a stereotypical sort of way. Like, she would fit someone’s average description of a gang member or some punk up to no good: the dark, ripped up clothes… she wasn’t wearing a hat today, and she was in serious need of a haircut. There was also this scar that she had that ran along one cheek from just below her eye all the way to her chin.

And those eyes…

They were darker than anything I could describe, and well… I never have been able to fully explain it. But looking into them… I wasn’t really scared of this girl anymore. For some strange reason… I was curious. About her.

“What is it?” She growled at me, apparently not too fond of the way that I was scrutinizing her.

“Nothing. But anyway, I think you owe me an apology.”

She snorted.

“I don’t owe anybody anything. Especially not some stranger like you.”

“Fine.” I held out my hand. “I’m Tsugunaga Momoko. You are?”

The girl looked at me as if I had grown an extra head. “What the hell? Why do you care?”

“Because if we introduce ourselves, we won’t be strangers any more and then you can apologize.”

“I never agreed to that.”

“Just shut up and tell me your name.”

She was scowling at me now, and stared at my hand as if it was some kind of snake or something. But after a moment—probably when she realized that I wasn’t going to leave—she sighed and rolled her eyes, taking my hand and giving it a half-hearted shake.

“Sudou… Maasa.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard.”

“Saki never told me that you were so damn annoying.”

“Am I? I really thought I was just being polite.”

“Whatever. Weird’s a better word for it.”

“Why is that?”

“Because normal people don’t try to make friends with people that put them in a headlock.”

“…are you implying that we’re friends now?”

“Why would I want to be friends with you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because you’re annoying.”

“Oh? I thought I was weird.”

She groaned in frustration, and I couldn’t help but grin. I didn’t know why it pleased me me to get under her skin like that. Maybe it was because when she looked so irritated, she was actually somewhat adorable, rather than frightening. I was feeling strange. Maybe I was sick or something. I wasn’t acting normal, that was for sure.

I didn’t have much time to think about such things, however, because Maasa was staring behind me with an expression similar to the one Saki had worn yesterday when she noticed that the magician had disappeared.

“What is it?”

“She’s gone…!”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: Loser87 on April 15, 2007, 11:14:57 PM
Wahh!! >w<

I'm sort of glad you have a sort of writers block on the other story at the same time I kinda don't you know?
I demand YuriXChii Wuv!! =w=!!

Maasa is...sort of....How do I say this, hmm..."Grr Arghh!"
That's the best I can describe her right now lol XDXD

Quote
"Sudou… Maasa.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard.”

“Saki never told me that you were so damn annoying.”

“Am I? I really thought I was just being polite.”

“Whatever. Weird’s a better word for it.”

“Why is that?”

“Because normal people don’t try to make friends with people that put them in a headlock.”

“…are you implying that we’re friends now?”

“Why would I want to be friends with you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because you’re annoying.”

“Oh? I thought I was weird.”

XDXDXDXD

P.S. - Stop copying my evil and devious ways! Get your own ways of prodding me!!
O_O
UPDATE~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: Rick-e on April 16, 2007, 12:03:58 AM
Woo, I'm behind on my reading :p stupid school...

Wow so Chinami's like that because she's got some kind of mental illness? aww >_< good thing Captain is there for her. wonder what caused it? I think she's a dancer too before, right? maybe something happened when she's performing or something? O_o

I'm loving the Miya x Momo rivalry even more ^_^ however I can't help but to think that something's going to go wrong on their actual performance :(

Great updates! thanks! :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: Estrea on April 16, 2007, 02:36:54 AM
Hah I knew it, a mental illness. Poor Chinami. Let's hope Momo and Maasa can find her!

-sits around and waits- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 16, 2007, 02:38:50 AM
So much to read! ChinamixYurina SakixMiya MomoxMaasa. But you put a Cute in there! Umeda's Cute, right? I swore that I would never be interested in any of the Kid's groups and I broke that with memorizing the Berryz. I can't do it anymore! I can't tell the Cute girls apart at all! It isn't fair! *sob*

*sob*

*sob*

*...*

Okay, you're going to update again soon, right?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: ziggurat on April 16, 2007, 02:57:35 AM
Heh, another annoying morning for Momo.. :D

Liking all the details.

Momo sure not a morning person.

Urgh, Maasa is a wrestler or something? lol. Momo is so brave to slap Maasa. She can kills you know!

Lol, Chinami ran away again.

Nice chapter FIM!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 16, 2007, 03:12:17 AM
Wahh!! >w<

I'm sort of glad you have a sort of writers block on the other story at the same time I kinda don't you know?
I demand YuriXChii Wuv!! =w=!!

Maasa is...sort of....How do I say this, hmm..."Grr Arghh!"
That's the best I can describe her right now lol XDXD

XDXDXDXD

P.S. - Stop copying my evil and devious ways! Get your own ways of prodding me!!
O_O
UPDATE~

XD You're probably going to like the beginning of this next chapter. I can tell, already.

lol. Grr Arghh. <3

What if I start posting dead faces instead? x_x

x_x

Woo, I'm behind on my reading :p stupid school...

Wow so Chinami's like that because she's got some kind of mental illness? aww >_< good thing Captain is there for her. wonder what caused it? I think she's a dancer too before, right? maybe something happened when she's performing or something? O_o

I'm loving the Miya x Momo rivalry even more ^_^ however I can't help but to think that something's going to go wrong on their actual performance :(

Great updates! thanks! :)

XD I hate school too.

Yup. Captain wouldn't abandon her like that. <3 And no, Chinami was never a dancer. Saki used to be a part of the same group that Yurina, Risako, and Miyabi are in, though.

It's worrying, isn't it? D:

No prob. Another will be coming along in a few minutes. <3

Hah I knew it, a mental illness. Poor Chinami. Let's hope Momo and Maasa can find her!

-sits around and waits- XD

She's in good hands, don't worry. :3

XDD

So much to read! ChinamixYurina SakixMiya MomoxMaasa. But you put a Cute in there! Umeda's Cute, right? I swore that I would never be interested in any of the Kid's groups and I broke that with memorizing the Berryz. I can't do it anymore! I can't tell the Cute girls apart at all! It isn't fair! *sob*

*sob*

*sob*

*...*

Okay, you're going to update again soon, right?

Yeah, I put a Cute in there... -shuffles feet- >w<
XDDDD

Yeah, update in a few minutes. :3

Heh, another annoying morning for Momo.. :D

Liking all the details.

Momo sure not a morning person.

Urgh, Maasa is a wrestler or something? lol. Momo is so brave to slap Maasa. She can kills you know!

Lol, Chinami ran away again.

Nice chapter FIM!

XD

Thanks, I'm trying not to make it too fast-paced.

Lol I kind of stole that from Loser87. =]

Nah, she's just tough cuz she's gotta be. Lol I don't think Momoko's afraid of her. haha

Yeah, but to a safe place. ^_^

Thank you very much. <3

(heads-up to the wedge if she'd like to make an appearance now)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Seven -- Nice to Meet You, Too]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 16, 2007, 03:22:44 AM
Double-update because I won't let my master show me up! -shakefist-
...and now I have to go because my parents are yelling about something. XD

[Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]

For Yurina, waking up had been extremely difficult and painful lately. She wasn’t yet used to manuevering with the bulky cast on her leg, and it was annoying to sleep in and drag around. The crutches that the doctor had given her were clumsy tools that didn’t help much, and were generally more of a hindrance than a help.

However, she wasn’t moving much more than she needed to everyday. The store that she got her food from was just down the street, but she wouldn’t have to visit it again for another week. Other than that, she only struggled out of her bedroom in order to get to her piano.

Her current situation was ver y stressful. Even though she knew that Momoko was only her temporary replacement… her job was on the line. She had heard stories about performers that would get injured and some of them were never able to fully get back into the swing of things.

And with her troupe… only the absolute best were accepted. Already, she was one of the weaker performers, and she had a feeling that after she recooperated completely… chances of still having a place at the theater were slim.

Yurina rested her fingers on the piano keys, letting out a sigh. She was about to begin playing in order to try and forget some of her worries, when she heard that familiar tapping at her window.

“Good morning, Yurina-chan.”

The tall girl couldn’t help but smile, and as she always did, she leaned over to try and catch a glimpse of her mysterious visitor. But as always, the other girl was hidden from her sight.

“Why do you always hide from me…? Am I ever going to get to see you?”

“…Probably not.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“…It’s more like… the other way around.”

Yurina was puzzled. “But I’m not afraid of you…”

“I know. I want it to stay that way.”

“I bet it’s not as bad as you make it out to be…”

“People are scared of me because they think I’m crazy. Somehow they assume that… just by looking at me. I don’t want you to see what they see.”

The tall female’s heart hurt for this poor stranger. Never before had she met someone so very broken. She wished that there was more that she could do, more than just playing the piano. But perhaps that the music was all that the other needed right now.

“…I’ve been writing something new lately. There aren’t any words yet, and it’s not quite finished, but… would you like to hear it?”

“Yes… I would like that very much.”

------------

Risako had caught up to me by this point, and as soon as she saw Maasa, she started to freak out just a little bit. And by that, I mean that she picked up this board that was leaning against the dumpster in the alleyway, and started waving it around like a maniac.

“Alright you big bully, back off! I got this piece of wood and… well… I don’t know karate or anything like that but I’ll kick your butt if you hurt Momo-chan.”

Both Maasa and I merely rolled her eyes, and the taller girl turned back to me, wearing a very aggravated expression on her face.

“Well, thanks to you, I have to go find Saki and tell her that I lost the kid.”

I frowned. “And just how exactly is this my fault?”

“If you hadn’t been distracting me, I would have never taken my eyes off of her, and we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.”

“Okay, first off, you were the one that went and grabbed me and all that, so that’s your problem, and then secondly, I didn’t see you around when I first walked up to Tokunaga-san, so obviously you weren’t watching her very closely to begin with.”

Maasa threw her hands up in the air, and it looked almost like she was trying really hard not to rip some of her hair out. But she didn’t answer me verbally, so I think that she couldn’t argue anymore because I was right. Risako had been watching our exchange with interest, and was still holding the board, just in case.

“Look, that doesn’t matter, though. You’re right in that we should probably tell Shimizu-san what happened.”

“What do you mean we?”

“Um… wait, Shimizu?” Risako had dropped the board, and she was now very interested in the conversation.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well… I used to know a girl with that name…”

“So?”

“So, she’s the reason why Miyabi’s such a bitch.”

------------

The prodigy was walking along towards the theatre like she did every morning, where she would be early and would have the stage all to herself for about an hour. There she could practice in peace and quiet, with no one to bother her.

Normally she didn’t stop for anything on her way to work. Didn’t look anyone in the eye or stop to say hello or to gaze at anything around her. She didn’t stop to watch the people performing on the street, because she thought they were beneath her and it was a waste of her time.

But today, something in particular caught her eye.

A small crowd had gathered around a girl who was dancing to some frantic, unknown rhythm that only she seemed to be able to hear. Her moves were complex, intricate, and fluid, and impossible for anyone else to repeat.

And in that moment, when Miyabi recognized just who that girl was…

She could have sworn that her heart almost stopped beating.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 16, 2007, 03:36:59 AM
Jeez, you are fast! ChinamixYurina is (young, so young) <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: Estrea on April 16, 2007, 03:38:29 AM
Aha! Saki/Miyabi! Risako thinks that Saki's the reason Miyabi's so bitchy now? Ooooh how interesting. XD I have a few inklings why that is so (I watch too many of this kind of anime and dramas ^^;) but I won't spoil it for the rest. XD

Yurina and Chinami make such a cute pair. I think Yurina's music has a kind of a healing, or at least a calming effect on Chinami. It should be cool when they finally get to really know each other.

Now I wonder what Miyabi's going to do to Saki. XD *hopes for pairing-ness eventually* XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: Loser87 on April 16, 2007, 04:01:17 AM
First off, You almost killed me...
This is by far one of my fav. chapters by far!
I of course love all of your chapters and stories but this one in particular just building up the tension and anticipation!
I can not wait for the 9th chapter >w<

2nd of all,
Quote
Double-update because I won't let my master show me up! -shakefist-
Haha, poor, poor slave of mine!
You can't beat me when it comes to updating, I am the queen of chapter related updates BUAHAHAA!!
I bet you haven't written out Chapter 9 yet did you?
fufufufufu, silly slave I HAVE AN ARSENAL OF CHAPTERS JUST WAITING TO BE POSTED KUKUKUKUKU!!!!
*in the best clint eastwood voice i can impersonate* I dare you to challenge me, come on make my day XDXDXD

Now time to quote your lovely chapter!

Quote
And with her troupe… only the absolute best were accepted. Already, she was one of the weaker performers, and she had a feeling that after she recooperated completely… chances of still having a place at the theater were slim

;+; Poor Yurina!! *hugs kumakuma* >w<

Quote
“Why do you always hide from me…? Am I ever going to get to see you?”

“…Probably not.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“…It’s more like… the other way around.”

Yurina was puzzled. “But I’m not afraid of you…”

“I know. I want it to stay that way.”

“I bet it’s not as bad as you make it out to be…”

“People are scared of me because they think I’m crazy. Somehow they assume that… just by looking at me. I don’t want you to see what they see.”

*Sigh* ChiiXYuri wuv is sure gonna be hard with their situation...>w<
It almost feels like Romeo and Juliet when they first met...I just hope they don't end in a tragic way like Romeo and Juliet >_O

Quote
Risako had caught up to me by this point, and as soon as she saw Maasa, she started to freak out just a little bit. And by that, I mean that she picked up this board that was leaning against the dumpster in the alleyway, and started waving it around like a maniac.

“Alright you big bully, back off! I got this piece of wood and… well… I don’t know karate or anything like that but I’ll kick your butt if you hurt Momo-chan.”

OMG I almost died laughing!! XDXDXDXD
My slave, I love your sense of humor haha
You brought me to tears, my sides hurt now ah~

Quote
“Look, that doesn’t matter, though. You’re right in that we should probably tell Shimizu-san what happened.”

“What do you mean we?”

“Um… wait, Shimizu?” Risako had dropped the board, and she was now very interested in the conversation.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well… I used to know a girl with that name…”

“So?”

“So, she’s the reason why Miyabi’s such a bitch.”

=O
This is exactly why I can't wait for your next chapter, the anticipation is making me kinda want to ditch school just so I can see if you updated or not >w<
I wanna know what happens!!
Hmm, I also wonder...
What will happen if Maiha met Momoko...
I do wonder what goes on in that imaginative head of yours >_>


Quote
She didn’t stop to watch the people performing on the street, because she thought they were beneath her and it was a waste of her time

Well, isn't Miyabi quite the stuck up >_>
You best make the next chapter good to make her into such a...female dog..(Refraining from using bad words, not very cute XD)
Because Miyabi is one of my fav. Berryz Member so you better have good reason!! *twirls around my crowbar in a threatening manner* O_O

Quote
A small crowd had gathered around a girl who was dancing to some frantic, unknown rhythm that only she seemed to be able to hear. Her moves were complex, intricate, and fluid, and impossible for anyone else to repeat.

And in that moment, when Miyabi recognized just who that girl was…

She could have sworn that her heart almost stopped beating.

Wow, Captain took Maasa's advice wow XD
But...This just tore me up and made me squeel like a silly little fangirl
I wonder, I wonder what captain and miya will do
A part of me says Captain will run away but another part says they'll probably argue =T
*sigh* I guess I'll have to sit put and wait =+=''

This is the longest comment I have ever done..
Appreciate it you nincompoop!

P.S. I will be updating very early, perhaps around 4:30 a.m. when I wake up for school, assuming my internet won't die and if it does die I'll double post again!!
TAKE THAT MY SLAVE FUFUFUFUFUFUFUFU!!!  :hiakhiakhiak: :hiakhiakhiak:

Until then I bid adeu  :byebye:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 16, 2007, 04:32:52 AM
I feel the urge to illustrate some scenes manga-style XD

-can't wait for the Captain x Miyabi scene -

And shit, I missed a wedge xD Oh well, my wedges are often one in ten xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: ziggurat on April 16, 2007, 05:33:58 AM
Every time  I read Yurina's part, you always put a beautiful wording for her (even if you don't, I always think like that :D) .. Omg, I'm mesmerized! I don't want she thinking about all that what will happens if she don't recover -_-" Wow, Chinami does know Yurina? She seem normal now with all the conversation.

Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
“So, she’s the reason why Miyabi’s such a bitch.”

Lol.

Urgh, it's nearly there!

Omg, the chapter ends! -_-"
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: ferrar1 on April 16, 2007, 06:10:54 AM
One of the best berryz fics out there. Nice character portrayal, and an interesting storyline that keeps me reading.

I guess Saki was one of the better dancers of the troupe but she quit to take care of Chinami and Miya is angry at her for quitting her dreams?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 16, 2007, 03:21:32 PM
Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh so Miya's so erm.... hard to get along (I shall not use the other suitable word  :lol:) is cuz of Saki? Wow didn't expect that. So they are one pairing, Chi/Yurina, maybe Momo/Maasa. That leaves Risako/Maiha?  :glasses:
I think your writing skills are awesome, I can feel every character. If only this was a real production with the Berryz acting *dreams*  :sleep:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: Amarghetta on April 16, 2007, 06:36:48 PM
You've been very busy lately, it seems. I'm liking how the story progresses, although I don't really know where it's going. It's all interesting, mostly because of the setting.

Keep it coming, I bet it's bound to get better.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 17, 2007, 02:59:51 AM
Jeez, you are fast! ChinamixYurina is (young, so young) <3

XD Only because I have competition. And a mad case of writer's block for the other. ><
And in this story, they aren't that young. lol (Well, that's kind of implied, I guess, since I doubt Momoko at her age now would be living on her own. XD)

Aha! Saki/Miyabi! Risako thinks that Saki's the reason Miyabi's so bitchy now? Ooooh how interesting. XD I have a few inklings why that is so (I watch too many of this kind of anime and dramas ^^;) but I won't spoil it for the rest. XD

Yurina and Chinami make such a cute pair. I think Yurina's music has a kind of a healing, or at least a calming effect on Chinami. It should be cool when they finally get to really know each other.

Now I wonder what Miyabi's going to do to Saki. XD *hopes for pairing-ness eventually* XD

Lol. Risako knows it.

Mhm. Chinami can seem to only speak normally around Yurina and her music now. Not even poor Captain can have a conversation with her much anymore. ;-;

Well... you'll find out in a minute... heh...

First off, You almost killed me...
This is by far one of my fav. chapters by far!
I of course love all of your chapters and stories but this one in particular just building up the tension and anticipation!
I can not wait for the 9th chapter >w<

2nd of all, Haha, poor, poor slave of mine!
You can't beat me when it comes to updating, I am the queen of chapter related updates BUAHAHAA!!
I bet you haven't written out Chapter 9 yet did you?
fufufufufu, silly slave I HAVE AN ARSENAL OF CHAPTERS JUST WAITING TO BE POSTED KUKUKUKUKU!!!!
*in the best clint eastwood voice i can impersonate* I dare you to challenge me, come on make my day XDXDXD

Now time to quote your lovely chapter!

;+; Poor Yurina!! *hugs kumakuma* >w<

*Sigh* ChiiXYuri wuv is sure gonna be hard with their situation...>w<
It almost feels like Romeo and Juliet when they first met...I just hope they don't end in a tragic way like Romeo and Juliet >_O

OMG I almost died laughing!! XDXDXDXD
My slave, I love your sense of humor haha
You brought me to tears, my sides hurt now ah~

=O
This is exactly why I can't wait for your next chapter, the anticipation is making me kinda want to ditch school just so I can see if you updated or not >w<
I wanna know what happens!!
Hmm, I also wonder...
What will happen if Maiha met Momoko...
I do wonder what goes on in that imaginative head of yours >_>

Well, isn't Miyabi quite the stuck up >_>
You best make the next chapter good to make her into such a...female dog..(Refraining from using bad words, not very cute XD)
Because Miyabi is one of my fav. Berryz Member so you better have good reason!! *twirls around my crowbar in a threatening manner* O_O

Wow, Captain took Maasa's advice wow XD
But...This just tore me up and made me squeel like a silly little fangirl
I wonder, I wonder what captain and miya will do
A part of me says Captain will run away but another part says they'll probably argue =T
*sigh* I guess I'll have to sit put and wait =+=''

This is the longest comment I have ever done..
Appreciate it you nincompoop!

P.S. I will be updating very early, perhaps around 4:30 a.m. when I wake up for school, assuming my internet won't die and if it does die I'll double post again!!
TAKE THAT MY SLAVE FUFUFUFUFUFUFUFU!!!  :hiakhiakhiak: :hiakhiakhiak:

Until then I bid adeu  :byebye:

Lol. Well I'll try to hold back. I wouldn't want ya dead, master. <3
And after you read the 9th chapter, you might not want it anymore... XD

Mrr... I'm going to try... really hard... ><;; You'll probably pass me in chapter numbers pretty soon, though.

She's got good reasons to be worried...

Erm... well... ^_^

XD I have a mad urge to draw her like that. I almost did.

Lol I go to school too, you know.
I only update in the mornings if I've written a chapter at night and didn't have enough time to post it.
Haha, Maiha's a troublemaker. You definitely haven't seen the last of her. <3
If only you knew what went on in this head... XDDD

Well... I probably would be too, were I in her situation.
Mrr... Well, I wouldn't call this next chapter... good... lol
I love Miya-chan, too. <3 But I can't really rate the Berryz against each other. It's too hard. I don't have a top favorite. ><

Lol. Maasa's... persistent.
You're about to find out what happens, though...

Very much appreciated. I did a little happy dance. :3

Mrr... I'll never get another chapter out tonight. XDDD

I feel the urge to illustrate some scenes manga-style XD

-can't wait for the Captain x Miyabi scene -

And shit, I missed a wedge xD Oh well, my wedges are often one in ten xD

If you do, I might do a little fangirl scream and hug you and love you forever. :3

It's a-comin'. :D

XD Hopefully you'll get another one in sometime. I try to wait if I can.

Every time  I read Yurina's part, you always put a beautiful wording for her (even if you don't, I always think like that :D) .. Omg, I'm mesmerized! I don't want she thinking about all that what will happens if she don't recover -_-" Wow, Chinami does know Yurina? She seem normal now with all the conversation.

Lol.

Urgh, it's nearly there!

Omg, the chapter ends! -_-"

:3 Yurina's the more elegant one out of the bunch.
And yeah, Chinami gets... well... seminormal around Yurina.

Well, don't despair, I'm about to post a new one! :3

One of the best berryz fics out there. Nice character portrayal, and an interesting storyline that keeps me reading.

I guess Saki was one of the better dancers of the troupe but she quit to take care of Chinami and Miya is angry at her for quitting her dreams?

Aww, thank you so much... That means a lot to hear. ;-;

Yeah, a little somethin' like that.

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh so Miya's so erm.... hard to get along (I shall not use the other suitable word  :lol:) is cuz of Saki? Wow didn't expect that. So they are one pairing, Chi/Yurina, maybe Momo/Maasa. That leaves Risako/Maiha?  :glasses:
I think your writing skills are awesome, I can feel every character. If only this was a real production with the Berryz acting *dreams*  :sleep:

XDDD Yeah.
Haha, I'm not sayin' anything about that last pairing, though. -sneaky-
-sniffle- Thanks... I don't think I'm that great, so that's very encouraging. And yeah... if this was real... that'd be so awesome... -fangirlsigh-

You've been very busy lately, it seems. I'm liking how the story progresses, although I don't really know where it's going. It's all interesting, mostly because of the setting.

Keep it coming, I bet it's bound to get better.

Aye aye! Next chapter as soon as I'm done posting this!


(Thank you all so much for these comments.
I cried a little bit [I know, I'm stupid.] while I was reading them, because these are some of the nicest things I've ever read.
Stuff like this makes me want to keep writing. :3)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eight -- When Fate Caught Up to Us]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 17, 2007, 03:06:30 AM
This chapter's kind of short.
But hopefully you'll want more after reading it. XD
[AND I ALMOST JUST DIED BECAUSE MY CONNECTION CUT OUT FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS HERE! -spazz-]

[Chapter Nine: Dance With Me]

“What do you mean she’s the… well, you know.” I proceeded to give my cousin a light smack on the shoulder. “Don’t use such language, Risako. You’re too young and it’s not adorable.” Only I could call Natsuyaki that, and even then, it was only in my mind.

She looked indignant at that and she crossed her arms, giving me her most ferocious look. You know those cute little teddy bears that everyone just wants to hug? Yeah, it was kind of like that.

“I’m not that young.” At that moment, she took a deep breath, and I really was beginning to regret bringing up her age. You see… Risako loved to respond to something like this in a annoying little singsong voice, and it would go like:

“♪I am sixteen, going on-♪”

Maasa clapped a hand over her mouth, very irked at this point. Between the two of us, my cousin and I could be a bit much for just one person to handle…

“-Seventeen, yes, now if you’re done, could we get back to the important stuff? Like how Chinami is wandering the streets alone, and we need to go and tell Saki like, now? And for everything else… I suggest you ask Saki herself about it rather than finding it out from this kid.”

Whatever frustrated reply Risako was trying to voice was muffled behind the taller girl’s hand, but I’m pretty sure it was something like ‘I’m not a kid’. But I didn’t care at that point. Maasa was right. We didn’t need to be wasting time there debating my cousin’s age.

“Okay, then you’ll have to lead the way.”

-----------

I’m doing this for Chinami.

There isn’t any other way, just like Maasa pointed out.

We can’t rely on everybody else forever.

It’s not because of me. It’s not because I’ve needed this.


At least, these were the things that Saki was trying to convince herself of while she danced for the crowd. The first three she had drilled into her head, but the latter two… She was having the time of her life for the first time in a long time, and she was realizing just how much she had missed that exhilarating feeling… It was wonderful.

The moves were unplanned, and for the most part she was just doing every and anything that came to mind. But the crowd was eating it up, and she had already earned quite a bit during the short amount of time that she had been there. When she finally stopped after a little while, they were cheering like crazy, and she couldn’t help but crack a smile as they started shouting for more.

And she hadn’t even broken a sweat yet.

So it was time to interact with the audience. A good performer always did, and back when… when she had been a part of all of that, no one could top her at keeping the crowd interested. They hadn’t needed emcee’s back then. They had Saki.

“Alright, alright, I’ve got an idea!” She shouted over the din, and the people quieted down a bit so they could hear what the small girl had to say. “Who wants to get up here and dance with me?”

This seemed to excite the crowd, and everyone was pushing to try and volunteer. But only one voice reached Saki’s ears.

“I’ll do it.”

It was a voice that she had not heard in a very long time, though it was tainted by a bitter sort of tone. The voice’s owner stepped up onto the makeshift stage, and the dancer felt her throat get very, very dry.

She couldn’t read what was there in Miyabi’s blank eyes, and that sent a shiver down her spine. This could not be good. The other girl said nothing to her, however, and seemed to be waiting for Saki to start.

The first step. The prodigy mirrored it with one of her own.

Another. Still, they were in sync.

It had always been like that. Though Miyabi was not quite up to Saki’s caliber of dancing, she was the only one who could keep up.

Throwing caution to the wind, the smaller female really began to move, throwing herself into another rhythm that the audience could not hear. But the other girl knew her much too well, and followed the dancer with little trouble at all. The crowd was watching them in a sort of stunned silence, as if they didn’t know whether or not to cheer at the display of talent before them.

And then things started to really heat up.
They were moving faster, more furiously, until the unknown rhythm stopped and they were within inches of each other, yet just not close enough to touch. Though the smaller girl wanted so very badly to just collapse against the other right then and there. Saki was panting heavily as she looked up into Miyabi’s eyes.

Those very, very angry eyes.

Say something to me, anything… please. Scream at me for being so stupid… for disappearing… for being here under your nose the whole time… for showing up here and now without any warning at all… anything… just speak to me…

And then the rug was pulled right out from underneath her. Miyabi merely turned around at that point and began to walk away, sliding past the bewildered members of the crowd with ease.

Not a single word.

Not even one last backwards glance.

Nothing had ever hurt so much before. At this point, she felt as though she could have been run down with a bulldozer and even that wouldn’t be able to compare.

The crowd had started to disperse, figuring out that the show was over for the day. But she didn’t care. She barely even noticed when she was all alone again, standing there on that wooden stage.

It’s so cold outside today…

------------

(And look, I even drew a picture (http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2en6ot5) of this one!)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: Estrea on April 17, 2007, 03:13:41 AM
Oh GAAAAAAAAAH. *tears hair out*

Omg, Saki has to make up with Miyabi immediately. Because it's better for both of them. But I know you won't let them do anything for now, because I know well enough that you would probably be evil enough to prolong their angst. I know I would if I were in your position. :P

Now I can't wait to see what's next. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: Loser87 on April 17, 2007, 03:19:21 AM
;_;....

That just mauled my heart around like a rabies infested dog...

Oh gosh, That was so worth the reading >_<
I <33 YOU!!

Even if you're my slave >_>
*kicks your shins just for the sake of our Master-slave relationship*

QUOTES!!

Quote
“Don’t use such language, Risako. You’re too young and it’s not adorable.” Only I could call Natsuyaki that, and even then, it was only in my mind.
XDXDXD Hahaha XDXDXD

Quote
“♪I am sixteen, going on-♪”

Maasa clapped a hand over her mouth, very irked at this point. Between the two of us, my cousin and I could be a bit much for just one person to handle…

“-Seventeen, yes, now if you’re done, could we get back to the important stuff? Like how Chinami is wandering the streets alone, and we need to go and tell Saki like, now? And for everything else… I suggest you ask Saki herself about it rather than finding it out from this kid.”

Ah, So they are older in this story so that would make Momoko and Saki 19 and the others 18, and Yurina 17 ne?

Quote
“I’ll do it.”

It was a voice that she had not heard in a very long time, though it was tainted by a bitter sort of tone. The voice’s owner stepped up onto the makeshift stage, and the dancer felt her throat get very, very dry.

She couldn’t read what was there in Miyabi’s blank eyes, and that sent a shiver down her spine. This could not be good. The other girl said nothing to her, however, and seemed to be waiting for Saki to start

Outch, Outch, Outch...;+;

Quote
Though the smaller girl wanted so very badly to just collapse against the other right then and there. Saki was panting heavily as she looked up into Miyabi’s eyes.

Those very, very angry eyes.

Say something to me, anything… please. Scream at me for being so stupid… for disappearing… for being here under your nose the whole time… for showing up here and now without any warning at all… anything… just speak to me…

And then the rug was pulled right out from underneath her. Miyabi merely turned around at that point and began to walk away, sliding past the bewildered members of the crowd with ease.

Not a single word.

Not even one last backwards glance.

Nothing had ever hurt so much before. At this point, she felt as though she could have been run down with a bulldozer and even that wouldn’t be able to compare.

The crowd had started to disperse, figuring out that the show was over for the day. But she didn’t care. She barely even noticed when she was all alone again, standing there on that wooden stage.

It’s so cold outside today…
That just did it for me
Like, wow...
I am at a loss for words
Just wow

;+;
One day, maybe perhaps you'll surpass me in updating MAYBE
You have a long way to go in the art of updating young grasshopper!

BUAHAHA!!
;+;
My heart feels mushy and pully thanks to this but it was worth it..
NOW GET BACK TO SLAVING YOU NINCOMPOOP!! YAH!! *Cracks Whip*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 17, 2007, 03:29:00 AM
Ah ha, so Saki did hurt Miyabi in the past to the extent of Miyabi gaining a bitchy persona xD Guessing Saki's feeling really guilty because of it. Aww :< -hugs-

As for the manga thing, I might only do it in scenes I think are perfect to draw rather than entire chapters xD So don't expect much from me xD! Here and there, I might do splash images too xD!

-pats your hardhat to make sure it's working great-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: ziggurat on April 17, 2007, 05:28:24 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
“♪I am sixteen, going on-♪”

Hehe, Risako.

Quote
I’m doing this for Chinami.

There isn’t any other way, just like Maasa pointed out.

We can’t rely on everybody else forever.

Captain, ganbare!

Quote
They hadn’t needed emcee’s back then. They had Saki.

@_@ , that is the Little Captain @_@

Quote
“I’ll do it.”

OMG!

Quote
Those very, very angry eyes.

...

Quote
Nothing had ever hurt so much before. At this point, she felt as though she could have been run down with a bulldozer and even that wouldn’t be able to compare.

Damn.. It hurt so much.. Urgh, my heart..

Hmm, what can I say. This chapter is really melancholic.
Thanks for the fast update.. I really can't keep up with both of you and loser87 fics, lol..

EDIT - Urghh, forgot to comment about your drawing... It's cute and awesome!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 17, 2007, 10:33:24 PM
Oh GAAAAAAAAAH. *tears hair out*

Omg, Saki has to make up with Miyabi immediately. Because it's better for both of them. But I know you won't let them do anything for now, because I know well enough that you would probably be evil enough to prolong their angst. I know I would if I were in your position. :P

Now I can't wait to see what's next. XD

XDD

Oh yes, I am that evil. There won't be a resolution anytime soon, I'm pretty sure.

I promise, this chapter is better. :3
Well... sort of. haha

;_;....

That just mauled my heart around like a rabies infested dog...

Oh gosh, That was so worth the reading >_<
I <33 YOU!!

Even if you're my slave >_>
*kicks your shins just for the sake of our Master-slave relationship*

QUOTES!!
XDXDXD Hahaha XDXDXD

Ah, So they are older in this story so that would make Momoko and Saki 19 and the others 18, and Yurina 17 ne?

Outch, Outch, Outch...;+;
That just did it for me
Like, wow...
I am at a loss for words
Just wow

;+;
One day, maybe perhaps you'll surpass me in updating MAYBE
You have a long way to go in the art of updating young grasshopper!

BUAHAHA!!
;+;
My heart feels mushy and pully thanks to this but it was worth it..
NOW GET BACK TO SLAVING YOU NINCOMPOOP!! YAH!! *Cracks Whip*

Ouch, my shins... <33 Thank you, master.

Yup, those are the ages. Good job.

XDD I'm workin', I'm workin', I promise. -flees the whip-

Ah ha, so Saki did hurt Miyabi in the past to the extent of Miyabi gaining a bitchy persona xD Guessing Saki's feeling really guilty because of it. Aww :< -hugs-

As for the manga thing, I might only do it in scenes I think are perfect to draw rather than entire chapters xD So don't expect much from me xD! Here and there, I might do splash images too xD!

-pats your hardhat to make sure it's working great-

Mhm, the poor thing. It's all really more or less a matter of miscommunication, though.

Sweeet! <3

It seems to be doing fine for this story. Now only if it'd work for the other... ._.

Hehe, Risako.

Captain, ganbare!

@_@ , that is the Little Captain @_@

OMG!

...

Damn.. It hurt so much.. Urgh, my heart..

Hmm, what can I say. This chapter is really melancholic.
Thanks for the fast update.. I really can't keep up with both of you and loser87 fics, lol..

EDIT - Urghh, forgot to comment about your drawing... It's cute and awesome!

XDD I couldn't resist. I've been wanting to do that for a while.

Yeah, that chapter was a bit more intense. This one should be much more lighthearted.

And thanks about my drawing. :3 Ignore the crappy bg, though, I have no idea what I was doing there.

(Update coming soon. Just need to edit the chapter a bit.)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nine -- Dance With Me]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 17, 2007, 11:06:50 PM
Gah... I'm so depressed right now...  :(
Enjoy this, though.

[Chapter Ten – Disaster Strikes Again]

When the three of us had finally made it to where Saki was supposed to be, the makeshift stage had been deserted. Maasa was very much concerned, and it was kind of amusing to watch her as she paced around on the stage like a little lost puppy looking for its mom.

“I don’t understand… there was like a freakin’ mass of people here just a few minutes ago… Why would she leave?”

I didn’t really know why she was so worried. Though she was small like me, Saki seemed like the kind of girl who’d be perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Especially since I got the feeling she had been doing it for a long time already anyway. Risako was looking worried too, though, and I felt a little bit left out not knowing what all of the history behind everything was.

But then I sadly reminded myself that this was not my home anyway.

I am an outsider. And this is temporary.

Just as I turned around to try and see if perhaps Saki was nearby somewhere, I came face-to-face with the most annoying person that I had yet to meet. She was grinning in a devious sort of way, and was very much all up in my personal space. Again, as I have told you before, I am not fond of other people touching me, and thus I didn’t quite know how to react at first.

Because I was stunned, the girl only grinned wider and slid her arm around my waist, closing the gap between us.

And when she began to talk, she wasveryclosetomyfaceandIdidn’tknowwhattodo.

“Hey there, gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here. Which means that you’ve been missing out on the greatness that is Ishimura Maiha.”

“MAIHA, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”

The reply to that came from both Maasa and Risako, and both the girl who was holding me (I was flustered at the time, so I didn’t really notice it at first, but her hands were wandering a bit too low for my comfort.) and I turned to look at them, confused.

And then the girl immediately let go of me… in order to slide right over to my cousin who was looking pretty livid at the moment. I was still a little dazed, so it was all pretty hard to follow.

“Haha, at first that was kind of like Maa-chan in stereo. I’ve heard that line so many times, but never like that. What’s goin’ on, Socko? Been missin’ me?”

“If by miss, you mean that I’ve been enjoying every moment that I don’t have to see your face, then yeah.”

“Ouch, I’ve heard that one before, too. But no big deal, I know how I can make it all up to you.”

Risako halted the girl’s progress towards her by punching the other very hard in the shoulder. Even Maasa seemed to wince a bit, and she barely reacted when I had slapped her earlier. I don’t blame them though. Risako can knock someone out with that right hook of hers when she’s in the right mood.

“The only thing you’ll be doing is going back to wherever you came from and please, stay there this time. Don’t you have these throngs of stupid girls elsewhere that you can flirt with?”

Maiha had backed off at this point, and was rubbing her shoulder tenderly. Looking at things optimistically, I figured she’d get off with just having a bruise there. It could have been worse.

“Jealous, Socko? I can get anyone I want, you know. But anyway, I heard that someone was doin’ some crazy-awesome dancing down here and I decided to investigate cuz… um… well... ah, this friend of mine can dance really good and so I thought maybe it was her, and then… I got here and well, well, lucky me, I found something better.”

Maasa climbed down from the stage, and she was standing in the position that I had come to associate with her: arms crossed, shoulders back, and she was wearing that annoyed look on her face again.

“They know about Saki, stupid. This girl here-” She gestured to me in a indifferent matter, “-met her yesterday, and I know that Sugaya wasn’t supposed to find out but that happened, too. The secret’s out. All that aside, the last thing I want to do is be around you and your crap right now. Plus, I think you just broke Momoko, idiot. She’s not from around here, and she’s not used to people like you. So don’t touch her again.”

She used my name. From what I had picked up, Maasa didn’t seem to call people by their first name very much. Just Saki. I wasn’t sure what that meant. It was kind of nice that she was scolding the lecherous newcomer for me, though.

“Oh? Is that so? Or is there more to it than that? You sound awfully protective, Maa-chan.”

But Maasa was already walking away, and she didn’t bother to reply to what Maiha had to say. Perhaps it was better that way. I wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to hear. Good lord, I was going crazy.

Maiha was still wearing that charming grin of hers when she turned back around to face Risako, and before my cousin could do anything about it, the weasel leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek before darting back out of reach and away from us. My guess was that she didn’t want to get killed. I was still really confused at this point, so I actually wasn’t that sure.

My cousin seemed stunned, and she touched her face lightly, and for a moment, I thought she smiled maybe just a little bit.

“Um, Risako?”

“Mhm?”

“I think we’re going to be late for dance practice…”

“Oh crap!”

------------

We ran all the way to the theater from that point, and burst through the doors, panting heavily and gasping for air. Surprisingly, however, only a few of the girls (including Natsuyaki) were there, and I didn’t see Takahashi-san anywhere.

“Is she late…?”

“No, Takahashi-san is never late. For anything. In fact, her definition of “on time” is actually “early”, so her “late” would be “on time.” This hasn’t ever happened before…”

At that moment, the girl named Umeda flew into the room behind us, and she had a panicked expression on her face.

“Everybody, I’ve got bad news! Takahashi-san’s in the hospital! She got hit by a car!!”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: Loser87 on April 17, 2007, 11:23:59 PM
...Oh...My...God...
I  :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: you so much right now! >w<

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! FIRST TO COMMENT YES!! BUAHAHAHAHAHA!!

QUOTES!!! YAY!!

Quote
But then I sadly reminded myself that this was not my home anyway.

I am an outsider. And this is temporary

>w<; Poor Momochi!! *hugs the outsider girl that she is..in this story* =+='

Quote
She was grinning in a devious sort of way, and was very much all up in my personal space. Again, as I have told you before, I am not fond of other people touching me, and thus I didn’t quite know how to react at first.

Because I was stunned, the girl only grinned wider and slid her arm around my waist, closing the gap between us.

And when she began to talk, she wasveryclosetomyfaceandIdidn’tknowwhattodo.

“Hey there, gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here. Which means that you’ve been missing out on the greatness that is Ishimura Maiha.”

I love Maiha that's all, no other words can express it just, I love Maiha XDXD

Quote
“MAIHA, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”

The reply to that came from both Maasa and Risako, and both the girl who was holding me (I was flustered at the time, so I didn’t really notice it at first, but her hands were wandering a bit too low for my comfort.) and I turned to look at them, confused.

Woah, I didn't expect Risako to say it too XDXD

Quote
“If by miss, you mean that I’ve been enjoying every moment that I don’t have to see your face, then yeah.”

“Ouch, I’ve heard that one before, too. But no big deal, I know how I can make it all up to you.”

Sarcasm..I love sarcasm *-*

Quote
“They know about Saki, stupid. This girl here-” She gestured to me in a indifferent matter, “-met her yesterday, and I know that Sugaya wasn’t supposed to find out but that happened, too. The secret’s out. All that aside, the last thing I want to do is be around you and your crap right now. Plus, I think you just broke Momoko, idiot. She’s not from around here, and she’s not used to people like you. So don’t touch her again.”

She used my name. From what I had picked up, Maasa didn’t seem to call people by their first name very much. Just Saki. I wasn’t sure what that meant. It was kind of nice that she was scolding the lecherous newcomer for me, though.

“Oh? Is that so? Or is there more to it than that? You sound awfully protective, Maa-chan.”

Well, ain't that quite the cute lovey dovey atmosphere ;3

Quote
Maiha was still wearing that charming grin of hers when she turned back around to face Risako, and before my cousin could do anything about it, the weasel leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek before darting back out of reach and away from us. My guess was that she didn’t want to get killed. I was still really confused at this point, so I actually wasn’t that sure.

My cousin seemed stunned, and she touched her face lightly, and for a moment, I thought she smiled maybe just a little bit.
The two rabbits had/have a fling do they?
<333
Please oh please more XD

Quote
“Everybody, I’ve got bad news! Takahashi-san’s in the hospital! She got hit by a car!!”

......XDXDXDXDXDXDXD Oh jesus on a cracker, I laughed hard and I don't know why XDXDXDXD

All in all, I love it
I love the sudden change in atmosphere from chapter 9's to chapter 10's
You rock mah socks yo~

*kicks you again, for the sake of our master-slave relationship*
Update O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
Update~

 :heart: :heart: :heart:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 18, 2007, 12:39:30 AM
I freaking love Maiha. xD Miki Jr.! xD

OHNOOHNOOHNOOHNO AAAAAIIII ;_______;!!!! I wonder who her replacement teacher will be. o_o

Loser87! You're not supposed stare in massive quantity! It's quality!

O_O...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: Estrea on April 18, 2007, 01:03:56 AM
Maiha!!! XD I love shameless flirts. XD

o_O You let Ai get hit by a car. o_o;;;; WHY?! -shakes you-

Now write faster!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 18, 2007, 01:58:49 AM
The two rabbits had/have a fling do they?
<333
Please oh please more XD

......XDXDXDXDXDXDXD Oh jesus on a cracker, I laughed hard and I don't know why XDXDXDXD

All in all, I love it
I love the sudden change in atmosphere from chapter 9's to chapter 10's
You rock mah socks yo~

*kicks you again, for the sake of our master-slave relationship*
Update O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
Update~

 :heart: :heart: :heart:

Maaaaaaaaaybe. XDDD

You're probably going to laugh harder during the next chapter.

Sweet, I love socks. -nibbles on-

You bruise me, and yet... <3

Updating in a few minutes, master...

I freaking love Maiha. xD Miki Jr.! xD

OHNOOHNOOHNOOHNO AAAAAIIII ;_______;!!!! I wonder who her replacement teacher will be. o_o

Loser87! You're not supposed stare in massive quantity! It's quality!

O_O...

XDD Following in The Great One's footsteps, she is...

Assuming that there is one...

o_o -shrinks away from the staring face of doom-

Maiha!!! XD I love shameless flirts. XD

o_O You let Ai get hit by a car. o_o;;;; WHY?! -shakes you-

Now write faster!!

She's so very fun to write. Ahah.

For the sake of the plot. <3

XDD 'Kay.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: jafeijai on April 18, 2007, 02:09:42 AM
[turns off lurker mode and waits patiently for next chapter] :lol:

Edit: ...Wow..Possibly unintentional wedge too :P

[adds comment]
MAIHA THE PIMP STRIKES ONCE MORE!! :lol: I hope you explain what happens to Takahashi in this next chapter ;D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Ten -- Disaster Strikes Again]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 18, 2007, 02:25:42 AM
^Yay, another reader! <3 XD You stole Yuuyami's wedge. hahaha

[Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]

“Everybody, I’ve got bad news! Takahashi-san’s in the hospital! She got hit by a car!!”

The silence in the room was deafening. I know it’s an oxymoron and all, but had you been there with me… you probably wouldn’t have been able to describe it any other way. Nobody dared to move at first, and I could see Risako paling a bit out of the corner of my eye.

Natsuyaki had this incredulous look on her face, as if she was having trouble grasping just what it was that Umeda had said.

“What do you mean, ‘hit by a car’?”

The tall girl bit her lip, and she started to fidget. Like she was uncomfortable with revealing what it was she had to say.

Or maybe she just had to go to the bathroom, I don’t know.

“A-ah, well… the story I was told is actually quite strange… s-see, there was this other woman there… Gaki… Gaki-something. And see, the doctors wouldn’t let her in to see Takahashi-san because she wasn’t family and she was freaking out all over them, and then they went inside the room and shut the doors. So it was just her and me in that hallway, and I asked her what had happened, because I figured maybe she was close to Takahashi-san… and apparently they had been drinking last night, and she… kind of… ran out into the street. The police didn’t find her until this morning… I think she’s going to be okay, but… we can say goodbye to our performance, that much I know.”

Dead silence again. My mind was still trying to process the story, and Risako looked like an alien had landed somewhere in front of us, her eyes wide with disbelief.

And then… Natsuyaki started cracking up. Hard. At first it was just a series of little giggles and then she completely and totally lost it, erupting into a fit of cackles and mad laughter. She even dropped to the floor at one point, clutching her sides as she continued with her hysterics.

…I failed to see what was so funny.

“What is wrong with you?! Takahashi-san is in the hospital! She could have died! And even though she’s going to be alright, our show is ruined without her!”

Risako was furious, and again, that indignant little teddy bear look had crept up onto her face. She was standing over Natsuyaki now, her hands balled up into fists at her sides, and I wondered if maybe she would kick the other girl. Now that would have made me laugh.

“She- drunk- hit by a car-” That was all I managed to decipher between Natsuyaki’s little episode, as she was still laughing uncontrollably. The more I thought about what happened, the more I was starting to see the hilarity in it.

Picturing a smashed Takahashi-san…

I giggled a little bit just then, earning a deadly glare from Risako. It was enough to shut me up, but still… I would laugh about it later, at least. If Natsuyaki and I had one thing in common, it was a strange sense of humor.

“Alright, so… we’re out then.” There were three other girls within the troupe that from the start I had considered to be… well… less-than-enthusiastic about the theatre. They hadn’t really pulled their weight at all yesterday, and were slow about getting started. And now…

“Out…? What’s that supposed to mean?” This was beginning to be a bit more than Risako could handle.

“You know we’re only here because we have to be. You and Miyabi-chan are the stars of it all, anyway. You don’t really need us. So… we’re out.”

The three of them then exited the building, brushing past Umeda, who looked like maybe she was going to faint or throw up or both all at the same time.

“W-what do we do now?”

The question hung in the air, and it didn’t seem as though it was going to be answered anytime soon. Risako continued to stare at the door after the girls had left. And although Natsuyaki had sobered up by this point, she was sitting up grimly on the floor.

I could only imagine what they were thinking. It was upsetting. Their teacher was out-of-commission, half of their troupe was now gone… and the performance they had been looking forward to… well, it probably wasn’t going to happen.

Um… hell no.

I didn’t come out all this way to participate in something only to have it disappear like this. Even if I had been tricked into it. That old flame inside of me had been rekindled, and it was burning so hot that I refused to let this go.

“We keep going. We practice hard for nine more days and then we give the people in this city a show they’ll never forget.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Naturally, Natsuyaki would be the one to oppose me. “Our routines were written for a group of seven, not four.”

“Then we’ll make up new ones.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. They won’t work for the songs we’ve got anymore.”

“Then we’ll get new songs, too.”

“Now I KNOW you’re crazy. None of us write music or play instruments. And we don’t have the money to go out and buy the rights to anyone else’s stuff. So yeah, you’re crazy.”

No. I’m a genius. I promise. Risako’s not the only one in our family that is. I turned to her, this great plan carrying itself out in my mind.

“Yurina writes her own songs, right? Lyrics and music, right?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Do you think she could write some stuff for the theatre before the performance? And perhaps play for it as well?”

“It’s possible, but… Momo-chan, I don’t feel comfortable asking so much of her.”

I grinned and walked over to Risako, putting my hands on her shoulders so that I was… well, somewhat level with her.

“She’ll be cooped up in that house all day for a while. And yesterday when we went to see her, already I could tell that she was tired of it. I have a feeling that she’d jump at this chance, Risako. And if she doesn’t, all she has to say is no. We can find another way if that happens.”

A slow smile started to spread across her lips.

“Momo-chan…”

I patted her shoulders, and then turned around to face the other two that were still in the room. Natsuyaki was frowning at us, and she had her arms crossed in front of her in a way that reminded me of Maasa. But Umeda, at least, seemed slightly hopeful.

“I-I’m up for this… I think that Takahashi-san would want us to do this…”

I turned to our resident evil girl.

“And what about you?”

She was regarding me now with a look that wasn’t as bitter as it had been last night. There was something like curiousity there… and perhaps maybe… just maybe… I had impressed her a little bit, and earned some of her respect.

“…I still don’t like or trust you… but this… this place right here… it’s all I have left to believe in. So count me in, too.”

I breathed an inward sigh of relief, while Risako went ahead and did it out loud behind me anyway. Everything was going to be okay, I told myself. It just had to be. I don’t know what I was trying to prove, or to whom I was trying to prove it. But I knew one thing for sure:

The show must go on.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]
Post by: Loser87 on April 18, 2007, 02:51:02 AM
Posting faster are we?
fufufufufu...
You still think you'll update faster than me...Wishful thinking isn't it though =O

But I like new chapters so <333

Quote

And then… Natsuyaki started cracking up. Hard. At first it was just a series of little giggles and then she completely and totally lost it, erupting into a fit of cackles and mad laughter. She even dropped to the floor at one point, clutching her sides as she continued with her hysterics.

…I failed to see what was so funny.

XDXDXDXD I just imagined Takahashi flying through the air XDXD
sick twisted humor
I <33 evil Miya

Quote
“We keep going. We practice hard for nine more days and then we give the people in this city a show they’ll never forget.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Naturally, Natsuyaki would be the one to oppose me. “Our routines were written for a group of seven, not four.”

“Then we’ll make up new ones.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. They won’t work for the songs we’ve got anymore.”

“Then we’ll get new songs, too.”

“Now I KNOW you’re crazy. None of us write music or play instruments. And we don’t have the money to go out and buy the rights to anyone else’s stuff. So yeah, you’re crazy.”

No. I’m a genius. I promise. Risako’s not the only one in our family that is. I turned to her, this great plan carrying itself out in my mind.

“Yurina writes her own songs, right? Lyrics and music, right?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Do you think she could write some stuff for the theatre before the performance? And perhaps play for it as well?”

“It’s possible, but… Momo-chan, I don’t feel comfortable asking so much of her.”

I grinned and walked over to Risako, putting my hands on her shoulders so that I was… well, somewhat level with her.

Motivational and inspriational =O

Quote
She was regarding me now with a look that wasn’t as bitter as it had been last night. There was something like curiousity there… and perhaps maybe… just maybe… I had impressed her a little bit, and earned some of her respect

Woah, good job Momochi XD

Now, if they get Yurina I'm guessing Maiha, Saki and Maasa(?) are to join
And major conflict and stuff are gonna go off
Oooh I just felt all warm and tingly inside! >w<

*Sigh*..For the sake of our relationship FIM..*flicks your forehead then kicks your shins again*
o_o...DEAD LEG! *kicks the back of your knee joint* WHOO!!

Update~ O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O

Quality and Quatity =D

O_O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]
Post by: Estrea on April 18, 2007, 02:59:46 AM
Wooo! Berryz unite to run the show! Yeah!!!

Go Momo!!! *breaks out the pom poms*

XDDD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 18, 2007, 03:19:43 AM
I wasn't planning on a triple-update today.
But I'm kind of emotional right now, and I decided to get this down while it was still in my head.

[Chapter Twelve – The Breaking Point]

It had taken Chinami nearly all day to make it back to the Loft after she had visited Yurina. For one thing, she really hadn’t wanted to leave the musician’s house at first, and long after the other girl has assumed she was gone, Chinami had spent her time resting contentedly up in the tree next to the house. Sure, she had felt bad for ditching both Saki and Maasa, but…

In that place, she always felt safe… and even though Yurina had not yet seen her, and did not know her name… somehow, she felt understood. Little by little, she felt that she was healing inside.

That she was growing stronger.

When Yurina played, she was able to reconnect to the world again, and it was during those times that she retained her grasp on reality. And every time she left, she felt herself holding on just a moment longer than the day before.

Perhaps, if the musician tolerated her presence that long… perhaps one day she wouldn’t have to worry about losing her grip on it at all.

For now, however, she would continue to fade in and out without warning…

The broken girl stumbled up the ladder that led into the upper room, trying really hard not to fall off of it. Though how tempting that would be… She couldn’t do it. Wouldn’t do it. She still remembered how upset the Captain had been a couple of days ago when she had climbed to the roof and…

She wouldn’t do anything else to strike such terror into her friend ever again. She promised this to herself. The frightening aspect of it was though, could she get ALL of herself to promise? Some of the others had trouble agreeing at times… Arguing amongst themselves like that… clouding her mind…

Finally she stumbled onto the wooden floor of the attic, and lay there at the entrance for a moment in order to catch her breath. She had part of her mind to just stay there and fall asleep… The wood was cool to the touch and slightly creaky, and she wouldn’t have to worry about getting hot and waking up in the middle of the night.

But a noise… or rather a series of noises caught her attention somewhat.

Saki was there. But that was a given, because the Captain was always there when she got home. She’d do that when she gave up on searching for her. Silly girl. But something was different about this atmosphere, here… Even in her crazed state of mind, Chinami could sense the despair in the room.

She could see the smaller female’s silhouette curled up in the makeshift bed of rags and coats with what bleary vision she had left at this hour of the day, and she sluggishly made her wobbly way over to Saki as best as she could. Once she was there, she crawled in beside the other girl, and because of the effort that had been made, she had to pause and rest again.

And that’s when she realized…

Saki was crying. She was crying a lot. But Saki never cried.

This greatly distressed Chinami, who was already confused most of the time anyway. She automatically assumed that the tears were her fault somehow, and she managed to clumsily pull the other female in towards her, hugging her to the best of her ability.

“I’m sorry, Captain.” She whispered, but the other girl only continued to cry, however comforted by her friend’s embrace. “For everything… all the time… you know…?”

Still nothing. In fact, she thought that maybe Saki was crying harder now.

“Please don’t hate me, Captain…”

That got Saki’s attention. “No… never… I’ll never hate you. Ever. I promise. Do you understand?” Her voice broke with every other word, and it was strained with tears, but Chinami believed her completely and nodded, burying her face into the other girl’s shoulder.

Saki managed to choke back the rest of the sobs that threatened to come, and lay there quietly for a moment, until she felt the other female relax against her body as sleep claimed her.

Thank goodness… heaven knows she needs to rest for once…

This had been a moment of weakness. She would have to be stronger in the future. But it was so hard, and she was no Maasa. She couldn’t turn her heart into ice at will like that… And she didn’t really want to. The small girl let out a sigh, closing her eyes as the moonlight flooded in through the holes in the ceiling.

Maybe I should just forget all about you… Especially if I want to survive.

…But won’t that tear up my heart even more?

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]
Post by: Estrea on April 18, 2007, 03:25:01 AM
Argh you really like angst. Sigh. Poor Saki.

And I think I understand what's wrong with Chinami now. Hmm. Poor girl.

Anyway, update more~~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 11 // Ch. 12 -- The Breaking Point]
Post by: Loser87 on April 18, 2007, 03:38:44 AM
DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!
DAMN YOU!
Now I know I'm going to spend half the night trying to write out as many chapters as I can just so you don't beat me
DAMMIT!!!
but no worries, despite my little 'dammit' outbursts, I'm not that worried..I'll probably will beat you in updating..I'll make sure of it >w<

QUOTES!!

Quote
But I'm kind of emotional right now, and I decided to get this down while it was still in my head.
;+;....What's up my slave?

Quote
For one thing, she really hadn’t wanted to leave the musician’s house at first, and long after the other girl has assumed she was gone, Chinami had spent her time resting contentedly up in the tree next to the house. Sure, she had felt bad for ditching both Saki and Maasa, but…

Rabu...It's rabu for sure >w< <333

Quote
She wouldn’t do anything else to strike such terror into her friend ever again. She promised this to herself. The frightening aspect of it was though, could she get ALL of herself to promise? Some of the others had trouble agreeing at times… Arguing amongst themselves like that… clouding her mind…

hmm..a schizophrenic or split/multi-personality? just guessing..
curious, but i <3 crazy Chinami *huggles*

Quote
Saki was crying. She was crying a lot. But Saki never cried.

This greatly distressed Chinami, who was already confused most of the time anyway. She automatically assumed that the tears were her fault somehow, and she managed to clumsily pull the other female in towards her, hugging her to the best of her ability.

So sweet ;+;
Miya must have hurt Saki like...a twisted child hurts wounded animals o_o
*huggles captain too * >w<

Quote
“I’m sorry, Captain.” She whispered, but the other girl only continued to cry, however comforted by her friend’s embrace. “For everything… all the time… you know…?”

Still nothing. In fact, she thought that maybe Saki was crying harder now.

“Please don’t hate me, Captain…”

That got Saki’s attention. “No… never… I’ll never hate you. Ever. I promise. Do you understand?” Her voice broke with every other word, and it was strained with tears, but Chinami believed her completely and nodded, burying her face into the other girl’s shoulder.

Saki managed to choke back the rest of the sobs that threatened to come, and lay there quietly for a moment, until she felt the other female relax against her body as sleep claimed her.

Thank goodness… heaven knows she needs to rest for once…

This had been a moment of weakness. She would have to be stronger in the future. But it was so hard, and she was no Maasa. She couldn’t turn her heart into ice at will like that… And she didn’t really want to. The small girl let out a sigh, closing her eyes as the moonlight flooded in through the holes in the ceiling.

Maybe I should just forget all about you… Especially if I want to survive.

…But won’t that tear up my heart even more?

I just have to know...I want the relationships, it's there but theres so much conflict!
It's driving me insane!
I gotta know what happens next I GOTTA! O_O

~Update
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O

P.S. - be happy smile! =)

*kicks you again*
All in the name of our Master-Slave relationship!! >;P
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eleven -- It's a Shot in the Dark, But...]
Post by: ziggurat on April 18, 2007, 05:01:28 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
The reply to that came from both Maasa and Risako, and both the girl who was holding me (I was flustered at the time, so I didn’t really notice it at first, but her hands were wandering a bit too low for my comfort.) and I turned to look at them, confused.

wth maiha is doing?! O_O

Quote
".. the weasel leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.."

omg, such a player.. lol

Quote
My cousin seemed stunned, and she touched her face lightly, and for a moment, I thought she smiled maybe just a little bit.

Lol, risako. I don't know what to say.

Quote
“Everybody, I’ve got bad news! Takahashi-san’s in the hospital! She got hit by a car!!”

Urgh, ai-chan...

I really can't predict where you're going lol. It's really interesting... Thanks for the new chapter and I hope your depression decreasing... (is that the right word?)

Nice chapter :D I want to beat Maiha to pulp lol. But, I don't think I can. Her strawberry face is :heart:

chap10comment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
chap11starthere

Quote
And then… Natsuyaki started cracking up. Hard. At first it was just a series of little giggles and then she completely and totally lost it, erupting into a fit of cackles and mad laughter. She even dropped to the floor at one point, clutching her sides as she continued with her hysterics.

Damn.. she's going insane..

Quote
..I giggled a little bit just then..

Momo?! lol, I'm confuse now..

Quote
..“Alright, so… we’re out then.” ..

I'm speechless.

Quote
I turned to our resident evil girl.

Lol.

Quote
The show must go on.

Yay.

Momo is taking control! I want to see how she'll solve this :3 And where is Captain and Chinami right now lol. Thanks for this fast update :D

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thispartchap11

Damn, what I'm thinking really happen. When I refresh the page, a new chapter pop up @_@ Going to read it now!

Quote
She wouldn’t do anything else to strike such terror into her friend ever again. She promised this to herself. The frightening aspect of it was though, could she get ALL of herself to promise? Some of the others had trouble agreeing at times… Arguing amongst themselves like that… clouding her mind…

That is it.. her problem..

Quote
She could see the smaller female’s silhouette curled up in the makeshift bed of rags and coats with what bleary vision she had left at this hour of the day, and she sluggishly made her wobbly way over to Saki as best as she could. Once she was there, she crawled in beside the other girl, and because of the effort that had been made, she had to pause and rest again.

Urgh... I can't really handle this moment... Captain!

Quote
That got Saki’s attention. “No… never… I’ll never hate you. Ever. I promise. Do you understand?” Her voice broke with every other word, and it was strained with tears, but Chinami believed her completely and nodded, burying her face into the other girl’s shoulder.

This scene.. I can't purge it out of my mind..

Quote
…But won’t that tear up my heart even more?

;_;

Sad chapter with Captain really hit me hard.

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 11 // Ch. 12 -- The Breaking Point]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 18, 2007, 07:53:16 AM
Yes YESSS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! No more 3 other girls so that means it's open for the rest of the Berryz!! You're a GENIUS Momo. That and I love you  ;D And you too, you wonderful author  :D

Why do I sense Miyabi turning nice after this whole episode? Keep up the good work ^^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 11 // Ch. 12 -- The Breaking Point]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 18, 2007, 10:38:55 PM
Argh you really like angst. Sigh. Poor Saki.

And I think I understand what's wrong with Chinami now. Hmm. Poor girl.

Anyway, update more~~

Well... not really. I'm just kind of angsty myself right now, so that's probably why.

Poor Berryz. I put them through so much. XD

M'kay. ;3

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!
DAMN YOU!
Now I know I'm going to spend half the night trying to write out as many chapters as I can just so you don't beat me
DAMMIT!!!
but no worries, despite my little 'dammit' outbursts, I'm not that worried..I'll probably will beat you in updating..I'll make sure of it >w<

QUOTES!!
;+;....What's up my slave?

Rabu...It's rabu for sure >w< <333

hmm..a schizophrenic or split/multi-personality? just guessing..
curious, but i <3 crazy Chinami *huggles*

So sweet ;+;
Miya must have hurt Saki like...a twisted child hurts wounded animals o_o
*huggles captain too * >w<

I just have to know...I want the relationships, it's there but theres so much conflict!
It's driving me insane!
I gotta know what happens next I GOTTA! O_O

~Update
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O

P.S. - be happy smile! =)

*kicks you again*
All in the name of our Master-Slave relationship!! >;P

XDD
I'm getting really far ahead of you, you'd better catch up somehow.

Shit happens, that's what. It's not anything that I can control.
It's just going to take a long time to heal and get through this.
And it doesn't help that it feels like stuff is piling up on me lately.

Maaaaaaaaybe. <3

Well, it's a little more complicated than that. Like, that would be one of the results of what she really has.

Yeah, pretty much. That's a good comparison.

Lol. I'm goin' pretty fast for you to be so impatient, silly. XDD

Scary faces... ><

But I don't want to smile... ><

-slinks off to continue updating and whatnot-

-ziggy wrote a lot of fun stuff here, but FIM is too tired to quote it after finishing with Loser's big-ass comment-

But, I do love and appreciate the fun stuff you have to say. <3
Always makes me smile.

Yes YESSS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! No more 3 other girls so that means it's open for the rest of the Berryz!! You're a GENIUS Momo. That and I love you  ;D And you too, you wonderful author  :D

Why do I sense Miyabi turning nice after this whole episode? Keep up the good work ^^

XDD You've got the idea. XD And thanks for the love.

It's not going to be that easy. XD

(New chapter in a few minutes, etc. you guys know the drill by now.)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 11 // Ch. 12 -- The Breaking Point]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 18, 2007, 10:43:16 PM
-WEDGE-


<3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 11 // Ch. 12 -- The Breaking Point]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 18, 2007, 10:49:22 PM
^Such a cute lil' wedge. :3

Not much really happens with this one. Just a bit of humor spiced with angst, I guess.
I've got the next one planned out, though, and it should be pretty big. X3

[Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]

I was about to be very, very pissed off. An annoying rapping noise had been persisting at Risako’s apartment window for the past few minutes or so, and my patience was wearing thin. At first, I had decided to just ignore it, in the hopes that it was some freak thing and that it would go away, but it only just got louder.

Finally, I rolled over in the bed, opening my eyes to view the blurred numbers on Risako’s alarm clock. They screamed “3:25A.M.” brightly at me, burning their image into my mind.

Someone is going to die.

I got up, pulling the blanket with me and wrapping it tightly around my body. Risako only continued to lay there, curled up like a kitten, undisturbed by this noise that was driving me insane. She could sleep through anything, that girl.

I stumbled over to the window and peered out of it, my eyes falling to land on that one girl… Maiha. The flirt. She was chucking small rocks up at the side of the building, and I don’t think she saw me in the darkness, because she continued to do this even as I stood there. I scowled, and began to trudge off towards the door that led out into the hallway.

I’ll take care of this.

Maiha was still throwing rocks when I stepped out into the cold night air, and she stopped only to look at me, confused. I wasn’t who she was expecting, I don’t think. She grinned in that perverted way, nevertheless.

“Momoko… right?”

She was going to say something stupid, but I didn’t care. I was exhausted, and cranky, and in a murderous sort of mood. So in the middle of her sentence I quietly walked forward and punched her very hard in the stomach. Maiha made this whiny sort of noise and doubled over, and I knew that it would leave a bruise. She recovered quickly, however, and I suspected that this wasn’t the first time someone had hit her like that.

“Holy crap that hurt… What’s your problem?”

This unearthly, animalistic screech-like noise erupted from my throat, and continued until Maiha was thoroughly frightened and trembling uncontrollably. I don’t speak in coherent sentences at this hour of the day. But I think I got my point across.

If you ever wake me up at three o’ clock in the morning ever again, I will -kill- you.

She grinned nervously before sprinting away, and I snorted, pulling the blanket tighter around my body as I turned to walk back inside the building. You don’t dare wake Tsugunaga Momoko up before she’s good and ready unless you have a death wish.

------------

I’m so… bored.

Maasa was trudging alone through the streets of the city, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets, and her head down low in an attempt to keep it a little bit warmer. The sun would come up in a few hours anyway, but… until then the temperature outside would be almost unbearable.

She still wasn’t used to it. She had been born and… well… she couldn’t really say raised here. More like, she had just grown up here. And then she had become a wanderer after all of the stuff with Chinami happened, floating from city to city in no particular pattern.

Maybe Saki’s right… maybe I do leave so much that I’ve just… forgotten.

She didn’t want to remember, however. She couldn’t stand those memories.

So instead of keeping them, she shut them out.

Whenever someone, like Saki, would try to talk about what had happened, she would either try to change the subject, or she would stop listening all together. Thankfully, not many people knew about it, and it wasn’t something she had to deal with all that often.

Maasa was interrupted from her musings by some grunting noises coming from up ahead, and as she continued on, she peered into the nearest alleyway to find Maiha leaning up against one of the brick buildings. The girl was rubbing her stomach tenderly, and when she became aware of Maasa’s presence, she narrowed her eyes at the other girl.

“Don’t. Say. A. Word.”

“I’m guessing that Sugaya wasn’t as excited to see you tonight as you thought she’d be, hm?”

“No, actually… I didn’t see her. The other girl… she came out instead and thus my stomach became very familiar with her fist. I don’t think she liked being disturbed… Man… she hits harder than Risako…”

Maasa couldn’t help but grin at this. The next time she saw that Momoko girl she was going to have to shake her hand. Wait, next time? Who said there was going to be a next time?

There wasn’t.

No.

End of story.

“You know, I bet there are easier ways of getting Sugaya’s attention other than throwing junk at her window in the middle of the night…”

“Says the girl who’s never been in a relationship and wouldn’t have any idea.”

Well, that was uncalled for. Maasa scowled and started to walk away, feeling the urge to kick something really really hard. Maiha soon realized her mistake and shot out of the alleyway and after the other girl.

“Whoa, wait, hang on! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that to you.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re right.”

“Aww, come on, Maa-chan… don’t be like that.”

“I’ve got feelings just like everyone else. Now shut up, leave me alone, and go find someone else to torture for a change.”

She continued onward without even bothering to look back, leaving Maiha standing there like an idiot. She forgot all about the cold, and about being bored. She just kept on walking, going nowhere in particular, and not really caring where she might end up.

Just because I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like the others doesn’t mean that it’s not there.

Maybe it’d be easier if it really wasn’t there.

Then maybe, the little stuff like this wouldn’t bother me.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 18, 2007, 10:56:03 PM
Hmm, so it seems that Risako and Maiha have been in a relationship before. Seeing their interaction thus far, they broke up and now Maiha's trying to win Risako back? xD

Love moody Momoki without sleep xD! I'd hate to wake her up, but I wouldn't mind her punching me xD

Maasa is an intriguing character here. She's one of the "tough nut to crack" characters that don't open up so easily like the others xD I wonder who eventually does make her open about herself xD

<3

O_O;
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Loser87 on April 18, 2007, 11:06:18 PM
DAMN YOU YUUYAMI!!!

But whatever >_> I'll survive

Now, why would Maiha want Risako to come out hmm?? *french accent* Ohohohohohohoho!! 'tiis love no?

I've become slow Damn! >_<
But I'll catch up I'll make sure of it!

QUOTES!!

Quote
I was about to be very, very pissed off. An annoying rapping noise had been persisting at Risako’s apartment window for the past few minutes or so, and my patience was wearing thin. At first, I had decided to just ignore it, in the hopes that it was some freak thing and that it would go away, but it only just got louder.

Finally, I rolled over in the bed, opening my eyes to view the blurred numbers on Risako’s alarm clock. They screamed “3:25A.M.” brightly at me, burning their image into my mind.

Someone is going to die.

*sigh* Thats me in the morning, irritated, annoyed, moody, and waiting to kill someone
I <33 grumpy-evil-not-a-morning-person Momoko >w<

Quote
She recovered quickly, however, and I suspected that this wasn’t the first time someone had hit her like that.

“Holy crap that hurt… What’s your problem?”

Well, flirts certainly do get hurt more >_>

Quote
Don’t. Say. A. Word.”

“I’m guessing that Sugaya wasn’t as excited to see you tonight as you thought she’d be, hm?”

“No, actually… I didn’t see her. The other girl… she came out instead and thus my stomach became very familiar with her fist. I don’t think she liked being disturbed… Man… she hits harder than Risako…”

Maasa couldn’t help but grin at this. The next time she saw that Momoko girl she was going to have to shake her hand.
XDXDXDXDXD

Quote
Just because I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like the others doesn’t mean that it’s not there.

Maybe it’d be easier if it really wasn’t there.

Then maybe, the little stuff like this wouldn’t bother me.

*sigh* poor Maasa ;+;

Now, now you know what I'm going to do right~

O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O

~Update~
And cheer up, my slaves shouldn't be sad, depite my Mean-ness >_>
So be happy~ c'mon, be happy *pokes you with a pointy stick* c'mon~

 :heart: :heart: :heart:

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: ziggurat on April 19, 2007, 01:24:14 AM
I'm glad my inconsistent blabbering getting read by you :3 Ok, here is more.

Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
I was about to be very, very pissed off.

Scary Momo is scaaary!

Quote
She could sleep through anything, that girl.

Lol.

Quote
She grinned in that perverted way, nevertheless.

This is cute, but she still a pervert XD A cute one..

Quote
If you ever wake me up at three o’ clock in the morning ever again, I will -kill- you.

Oh, damn! I remember about this.. Third time of her series of disturbed sleep ? XDD

Quote
You don’t dare wake Tsugunaga Momoko up before she’s good and ready unless you have a death wish.

Momo kowaii yo~!

Quote
Maasa couldn’t help but grin at this. The next time she saw that Momoko girl she was going to have to shake her hand. Wait, next time? Who said there was going to be a next time?

No next time? :D

Quote
“Says the girl who’s never been in a relationship and wouldn’t have any idea.”

Expect a German Suplex really soon.. XDD


Quote
Just because I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like the others doesn’t mean that it’s not there.

Maybe it’d be easier if it really wasn’t there.

Then maybe, the little stuff like this wouldn’t bother me.

Awww... Maasa always try to act tough.. But she still a girl :3

I've a pic of Maiha for this fic.

(http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07164/maihamomo30541.jpg.xs.jpg) (http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs414&d=07164&f=maihamomo30541.jpg)

She's such a flirt~♪

Thanks for the new chapter !
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 19, 2007, 03:07:34 AM
Hmm, so it seems that Risako and Maiha have been in a relationship before. Seeing their interaction thus far, they broke up and now Maiha's trying to win Risako back? xD

Love moody Momoki without sleep xD! I'd hate to wake her up, but I wouldn't mind her punching me xD

Maasa is an intriguing character here. She's one of the "tough nut to crack" characters that don't open up so easily like the others xD I wonder who eventually does make her open about herself xD

<3

-FIM snipped out the godforsaken scary face that was here before-

Mm... not exactly. I think it'll become clear in this next chapter. :3

XD I wouldn't mind either. Not at all. <3

Yup-yup. She's got a history just like the other girls on the street. Poor things, ne?

Now, why would Maiha want Risako to come out hmm?? *french accent* Ohohohohohohoho!! 'tiis love no?

I've become slow Damn! >_<
But I'll catch up I'll make sure of it!

QUOTES!!

*sigh* Thats me in the morning, irritated, annoyed, moody, and waiting to kill someone
I <33 grumpy-evil-not-a-morning-person Momoko >w<

Well, flirts certainly do get hurt more >_>
XDXDXDXDXD

*sigh* poor Maasa ;+;

And cheer up, my slaves shouldn't be sad, depite my Mean-ness >_>
So be happy~ c'mon, be happy *pokes you with a pointy stick* c'mon~

 :heart: :heart: :heart:

Maaaaaaybe. XD

You've got your work cut out for you.
Haha.

XDD She's so awesome like this. <3

Considering the line of work they're in... XDD

I know, right? ;-;

Bwah... I'm getting over it.
Or I will... eventually.
Thanks for the prodding. <3

I'm glad my inconsistent blabbering getting read by you :3 Ok, here is more.

Scary Momo is scaaary!

This is cute, but she still a pervert XD A cute one..

Oh, damn! I remember about this.. Third time of her series of disturbed sleep ? XDD

No next time? :D

Expect a German Suplex really soon.. XDD

Awww... Maasa always try to act tough.. But she still a girl :3

I've a pic of Maiha for this fic.

(http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07164/maihamomo30541.jpg.xs.jpg) (http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs414&d=07164&f=maihamomo30541.jpg)

She's such a flirt~♪

Thanks for the new chapter !

Well, it amuses me. :3

Isn't she, though? >w<

I wouldn't mind if Maiha was bein' a pervert around me. Nope, not at all. XD

Yeah, Momochi can't get a break. XD

Oh, you know she wants a next time, despite all of that.

...I actually pictured the suplex thing there. Ouch. ><

Yes... and we girls can try to be tough... but in the end...

Hahahahaha, that picture is SO FULL OF WIN! <3
Thanks for that. XD

[-thewedgecallgoeshere-]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Estrea on April 19, 2007, 03:08:01 AM
XDDDD Maiha cracks me up so much in this story. I loooooooooove unashamed flirts. Risako and Maiha? Interesting. XD And poor Maasa, I wanna hug her. o_o; Is she going to find someone...?

...I get the feeling she's going to end up with Momo for some reason. XD

More updates sooooooooooooooon~~~~

Edit: AND I WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDGE!!!!!!!!!! XD XD XD I win~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 19, 2007, 03:09:31 AM
Stole my wedge spot, eh, Essy? xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 19, 2007, 03:15:46 AM
^LOL Way to sneak into the wedge-spot, Estrea. <3

So I lied. The biiiiiiiiig plot stuff starts happening next chapter.
This one is kind of short by my standards for this story, but...
It felt more right to cut it off here.
Enjoy. <3

[Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]

“Oh, by the way, your girlfriend showed up last night.”

Risako choked on her drink, and gave me the most peculiar glare I have ever received. I shrugged and continued to eat the breakfast that she had made, now that I was fully awake and in a much better mood than I had been at 3AM. I’m not such a beast when I have food in my stomach.

“If you’re talking about Maiha, then you’ve got it wrong. She’s not my girlfriend.”

Again, I shrugged.

“Well, she’s got to be something to you from the way you guys were talking yesterday, so I only just assumed…”

“Yeah, well, you know what they say about when you assume things…”

“What’s that?”

“Well… you just… shouldn’t.”

That’s some good Risako-logic for you right there.

I smirked at her, putting down my fork to lean forward on the table, getting all up in her face. Risako was much too fun to tease, and thus I could not pass up this opportunity. She blinked at me, a wary expression on her face.

“What?”

“Are you avoiding the subject because you’re embarrassed because something really has happened between the two of you before, or because there’s something going on now and you’re trying to hide it?”

“No… nothing has happened. Ever. Not now. Not before. And it probably never will. So drop it.”

She seemed… disappointed… when she said all of that to me. Her face seemed to reflect a bit of the same thing, and for a moment, I felt bad for picking on her like that. Maybe there was more going on here than I realized…

“I can’t just drop it when you’re upset like this… Why hasn’t anything happened?”

Risako scrutinized me for a moment, and I could tell she was wondering whether or not to share this secret with me. At least, I had never heard anything about this ‘epic fling’, so I assumed that she hadn’t told anyone else about it either. Then again… Risako didn’t share everything with me, so…

“Well… Maiha’s not really into… commitments… like, if I really was her girlfriend… she’d still flirt with and mess around with all of the other girls… and even though I may… well… like her… just a little bit though, of course… I don’t do the whole sharing thing.”

She was being really sincere about all of this. I could tell that she had put a lot of thought into this.

Yeah… you only like her a little bit, Risako…

“I just think… that if I’m going to be in a relationship with someone… I want them to be just as devoted to me as I would be to them… That’s all.”

She was fidgeting uncomfortably at the end of her little speech, and wouldn’t remove her gaze from the table. I smiled and reached over to grab one of her hands, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

“Well, I think that’s very admirable, Risako-chan. Waiting for something like that is hard, but… it’s worth it. Especially since it means that you’ll end up with somebody who really cares about you.”

Risako seemed unsure, but she didn’t let go of my hand. I think it was slightly comforting to her.

“I just wish that…”

“You wish that Maiha could be that person.”

“Yeah… She may seem like an insufferable flirt… and well, she is, but… There’s a good heart in there… I think she’s just hiding it.”

“Have you talked to her about this?”

“We don’t really… talk. Maiha doesn’t live here anymore... Actually, I think she and that other girl… the really tall rough-looking one? They kind of wander around a lot. Yesterday was the first time that I had seen her in… a long time.”

Oh. Well then. So did that mean that Maasa didn’t live in the city, either? I think that at that moment maybe I looked just a little like Risako had just a few moments earlier. I don’t really know why, though… But when I get intrigued about something… I can’t really get it out of my mind.

A car honked outside, and Risako and I exchanged glances before we both got up to go over to the window, peering outside. Natsuyaki was standing beside this very nice-looking car, and was staring up at us from her position on the street.

“Come on, losers! We have to go pick up Kumai from her house now, remember?”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 19, 2007, 03:16:18 AM
Dibs on first comment! xD

Hot damn xD Are we starting a dibs war too?

I knew Risako had something big for Maiha xD But it is a shame that Maiha is a Fujimoto Jr. and Risako is a Risako :< Don't give up Risako~! Maiha will stick with you eventually~! <3

Roffle at Miyabi at the end xD

But I'm still curious of her and Captain's relationship back then =_=; I sense that Miyabi was the one with the crush on Captain, and felt betrayed when she left the troupe, ne? At least that was what my first impression :< Cover it quick!

-pets your hardhat to make sure its powers are in check- :]

O_O;
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirteen – Some Partner in Crime You Are…]
Post by: Estrea on April 19, 2007, 03:17:22 AM
Woo! So Risako definitely likes Maiha. XD And I was right, Momo feels something for Maasa. XD

Mmhmm, Miyabi. XD I like her, even if all she did in this chapter was drive up in a car. XD

-sits and waits patiently for the show to begin- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: Loser87 on April 19, 2007, 03:19:21 AM
Quote
Hot damn xD Are we starting a dibs war too?

Yes, it is the next great war...An epic battle through out galaxies called...DIBS WAR!! (Star wars geekiness kinda came out ew)

Anyway this chapter overall is uberly sweet and made my mouth full of cavaties!! >w<  :heart: :heart:

QUOTING TIME!! WHOO!

Quote
“Oh, by the way, your girlfriend showed up last night.”

Risako choked on her drink, and gave me the most peculiar glare I have ever received.

I pictured that entire scene and I loved it XDXDXD

Quote
“If you’re talking about Maiha, then you’ve got it wrong. She’s not my girlfriend.”

Right...If you say so >_>

Quote
“Yeah, well, you know what they say about when you assume things…”

“What’s that?”

“Well… you just… shouldn’t.”

That’s some good Risako-logic for you right there.

XDXDXD I love there logic XDXDXD

Quote
“No… nothing has happened. Ever. Not now. Not before. And it probably never will. So drop it.”

She seemed… disappointed… when she said all of that to me. Her face seemed to reflect a bit of the same thing, and for a moment, I felt bad for picking on her like that. Maybe there was more going on here than I realized…

;+; Hang in there Risako!! Maiha will come around!! Evantually!! MAYBE!!

Quote
“Well… Maiha’s not really into… commitments… like, if I really was her girlfriend… she’d still flirt with and mess around with all of the other girls… and even though I may… well… like her… just a little bit though, of course… I don’t do the whole sharing thing.”

She was being really sincere about all of this. I could tell that she had put a lot of thought into this.

>w<!! Risako is so adorably sweet!! *huggles* >w<

Quote
“I just wish that…”

“You wish that Maiha could be that person.”

“Yeah… She may seem like an insufferable flirt… and well, she is, but… There’s a good heart in there… I think she’s just hiding it.”

“Have you talked to her about this?”

“We don’t really… talk. Maiha doesn’t live here anymore... Actually, I think she and that other girl… the really tall rough-looking one? They kind of wander around a lot. Yesterday was the first time that I had seen her in… a long time.”

So in a small way they're sort of outsiders as well, Sort of..hnn...

Quote
A car honked outside, and Risako and I exchanged glances before we both got up to go over to the window, peering outside. Natsuyaki was standing beside this very nice-looking car, and was staring up at us from her position on the street.

“Come on, losers! We have to go pick up Kumai from her house now, remember?”

Ah~ Miya and her flashy entrance
I  :heart: it oh, so much

>w< ~Squeel~

Now, My slave prepare to lose!! O_O
also can't forget this

O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O

~Update Fimmy-poop o_o
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: ziggurat on April 19, 2007, 03:58:58 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
“Oh, by the way, your girlfriend showed up last night.”

Risako choked on her drink, and gave me the most peculiar glare I have ever received.

ROTFL!

Quote
“Well… you just… shouldn’t.”

That’s some good Risako-logic for you right there.

Their logic always make sense.. or not.. XD

Quote
At least, I had never heard anything about this ‘epic fling’..

Hehe, epic..

Quote
Actually, I think she and that other girl… the really tall rough-looking one? They kind of wander around a lot.

That tall rough-looking one name is Maasa -_-""" Learn to google! XD

Quote
“Come on, losers! We have to go pick up Kumai from her house now, remember?”

Damn.. That is too EVIL! Another side of me reading that as a challenge.. :D *take a look around*

Hehe, all the sweetness from the conversation between Momo and Risako made me full :3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 19, 2007, 07:23:33 AM
Too much to read! Argh, I can't keep up, with so much going on, I don't even know what to comment on. Except evil Momo, I like evil Momo.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: C60533 on April 19, 2007, 10:13:43 PM
Yay for angry, sleepy Momo!! And it's obvious that Risako and Maiha were together. Risako...let her flirt...you can get back at her later. Be "angry" and make her buy you things!  ;) And of course...Miyabi's one line rocked.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: TydusArandor on April 20, 2007, 12:18:43 AM
Hello! I've been stalking this fic for a while. I have no excuses for not commenting except for being lazy, sorry. But I've decided to come out of the dark to show my support :D

I only just got into Berryz recently, so I don't know much about them at all but I think this helped me keep my interest in them a lot! Everyone has pretty much said what I want to say about the recent chapters, so I'll start seriously commenting on the content next chapter (which I believe should be very soon if this rate of updating is continued o_o!). But Miyabi's awesome line deserves a mention right here right now  :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 20, 2007, 02:44:42 AM
Dibs on first comment! xD

Hot damn xD Are we starting a dibs war too?

I knew Risako had something big for Maiha xD But it is a shame that Maiha is a Fujimoto Jr. and Risako is a Risako :< Don't give up Risako~! Maiha will stick with you eventually~! <3

Roffle at Miyabi at the end xD

But I'm still curious of her and Captain's relationship back then =_=; I sense that Miyabi was the one with the crush on Captain, and felt betrayed when she left the troupe, ne? At least that was what my first impression :< Cover it quick!

-pets your hardhat to make sure its powers are in check- :]

XDD Silly girls.

It's funny how Maiha ended up to be Miki Jr. here... When in reality I see Miyabi in that position better. XD

It gets better. XDD

Hm... I cannot respond too much to your speculations... X3

It's a nice hardhat. Thanks for giving it to me. <3

Woo! So Risako definitely likes Maiha. XD And I was right, Momo feels something for Maasa. XD

Mmhmm, Miyabi. XD I like her, even if all she did in this chapter was drive up in a car. XD

-sits and waits patiently for the show to begin- XD

Oh you and your rightness. >3

XDDD

Would you like some popcorn while you wait? -offers-

So in a small way they're sort of outsiders as well, Sort of..hnn...

Now, My slave prepare to lose!! O_O
also can't forget this

-insert crapload of scaryfaces-

~Update Fimmy-poop o_o

Mhm, you've got the right idea...

And you should be the one preparing... Muahaha.

-slinks away, as is my routine-

That tall rough-looking one name is Maasa -_-""" Learn to google! XD

Damn.. That is too EVIL! Another side of me reading that as a challenge.. :D *take a look around*

Hehe, all the sweetness from the conversation between Momo and Risako made me full :3

You know, I've always wondered if the H!P girls were internet-savvy or not...

XDDD Nah, it's just Miyabi being mean.

Well, hopefully it will sustain you for a while. I don't know if there's gonna be any more fluff for a little bit.
(Humor, though. Lots of that. XD)

Too much to read! Argh, I can't keep up, with so much going on, I don't even know what to comment on. Except evil Momo, I like evil Momo.

Haha, the war between my master and me is getting intense... Maybe I'm updating too much. XD

Yay for angry, sleepy Momo!! And it's obvious that Risako and Maiha were together. Risako...let her flirt...you can get back at her later. Be "angry" and make her buy you things!  ;) And of course...Miyabi's one line rocked.

I want one. :3 (a Momochi, that is.)
Haha, maybe Risako will take your advice... Or maybe she'll be stubborn. lol

Hello! I've been stalking this fic for a while. I have no excuses for not commenting except for being lazy, sorry. But I've decided to come out of the dark to show my support :D

I only just got into Berryz recently, so I don't know much about them at all but I think this helped me keep my interest in them a lot! Everyone has pretty much said what I want to say about the recent chapters, so I'll start seriously commenting on the content next chapter (which I believe should be very soon if this rate of updating is continued o_o!). But Miyabi's awesome line deserves a mention right here right now  :D

Well, it's good to have you on board. :3
Glad you like my fic enough to come out of hiding. <3

Haha, sweet, we're starting a Berryz revolution with all of this fanfiction!

And a new chapter should be coming up... in a few... minutes... maybe. XD

[-Yuu-chan wedge-call- (Or whomever tries to steal the spot. XD)]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 20, 2007, 02:45:48 AM
-WEDGE-

<3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: Estrea on April 20, 2007, 02:48:52 AM
-Double WEDGE-

XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 20, 2007, 03:11:15 AM
[Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]

I was very much afraid for my life.

Risako was clinging to and cutting off the circulation of my arm as we sat in the backseat of Natsuyaki’s demon-mobile. The girl couldn’t drive. Period. So why were we there in the first place? Because the theatre was too far from both Risako’s apartment and Yurina’s house, and besides that we weren’t going to make the poor girl hobble around on her crutches when she didn’t have to.

So yesterday, when we had been making plans to set things in motion, Natsuyaki had offered to come and pick all of us up since she was the only one who could drive.

The only reason I don’t know how is because there isn’t really any need to drive around where I live. If there wasn’t a need, why bother?

Umeda had already been in the car when the two of them had shown up at the apartment, and she seemed to be the only one out of us that was brave enough to ride shotgun. Which was ironic, because I considered her to be more of the timid type…

“…Which way do I go again, Risako?”

“PLEASE WATCH THE ROAD, MIYA!”

I let out an involuntary shriek as we swerved a bit in order to get back into the proper lane. Natsuyaki had let the car drift a little when she turned back to ask my cousin the question.

“Haha~! Sorry. Which way, though?”

“T-turn left up here…”

I resolved that the only way to survive the rest of this ride would be to focus on something else… something else… my eyes landed on the row of buttons that was on the arm rest. Mustn’t touch them, Momoko… no matter how tempting… no… matter… how… I couldn’t help it, and my finger jabbed the one that had the down arrow on it. The window slid downwards accordingly.

Because it doesn’t take much to amuse me, I continued to make the glass slide up and down until Natsuyaki slammed on the brakes all of a sudden, causing all of the rest of us to squeal (or, in Risako’s case fall into the floor of the car, because she hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt).

“Haha, I almost passed the house… Well anyway, go in there and get her. We’ve got a lot of work to do today.”

Seeing as Risako was currently… well… cowering beneath the seat, I decided that Natsuyaki must have meant me, and so I got out of the car, trotting obediently up to Yurina’s door.

I could hear the piano going inside already, and I wondered if maybe the girl had forgotten about our plans today. We had stopped by yesterday after the incident at the theatre to enlist Yurina’s help, and she had agreed very enthusiastically to everything. (See, I told you I was a genius. I can read people pretty well.)

Perhaps her mysterious visitor was there…

Either way, I managed to knock on the door, and the playing ceased. I could hear shuffling going on inside, and after a minute or so, Yurina appeared at the entrance, propped up by her crutches. She gave me a sheepish little smile.

“Ah, sorry for making you wait…”

“It’s okay. Are you sure you’re going to be able to get around okay today?”

Determination spread over the slender female’s features. I was stupid to doubt her.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

That determination melted clean away once she realized whose car was parked outside, and her face turned very, very white.

“Oh… I forgot that Miyabi was driving…”

------------

When you leave five girls alone in an empty theatre with no supervision, bad things are bound to happen.

The idea had been that we were going to immediately begin to plan out the new routines to go along with the music that Yurina had for us, but Natsuyaki, it seemed, had difficulties with being serious for much too long, and she turned her attentions to tormenting poor Umeda.

Apparently, the tall girl was really, really ticklish, and Natsuyaki was amused by this fact, and so she started out by just poking her in the sides. After a while, her victim started to run, and they had disappeared into another area of the building, Umeda’s shrieks alerting us to their position every so often.

Yurina was seated at the grand piano that was on the stage, writing out notes on a stack of blank staff paper that Risako had found for her. She was so absorbed in doing this, that I thought it best to just leave her alone for a while. It was then that Risako called me over to her, and I could almost see the lightbulb hovering over her head.

“I just remembered something, Momo-chan… I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, but… I bet we could find some interesting things in the library backstage. Takahashi-san told me once that every piece of music that has been performed on this stage is in there. We might not be able to use any of it, but it’s worth checking out, don’t you think?”

I nodded. It was a brilliant idea. What did I tell you? My cousin and I are geniuses.

We left Yurina sitting there, and she led me behind the stage to this door that opened into a long, dark corridor. A gust of stale, cold air greeted us, and for a moment, I hesitated.

“I’m not going in there unless you have a flashlight, Risako-chan…”

“Oh hush, you… It’s not that bad. We’ll just leave this door open so that the lights from the stage can trickle in and stuff. The room isn’t that far down anyway…”

Well, okay… Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“I’m pretty sure, anyway… come on.”

She grabbed my hand in order to prevent me from fleeing, and I could do nothing but follow reluctantly after her. The farther we got from the door we entered from, the colder it got, and I traced along the wall with my other hand as we walked, not wanting to get too far away from it. You can imagine my surprise when I brushed against a cobweb.

Oh yeah, I screamed and jumped and spazzed out for a while there.

“How long has it been since someone’s been back here?” I asked, still feeling a bit twitchy after my encounter.

“Takahashi-san said that the room hasn’t been used in a while… There wasn’t much of a need for it when the theatre started to replace the orchestra with recorded music… Ah, I think I found it.”

I couldn’t see much in the darkness, but I could hear the creaky groan of a doorknob being turned, and Risako pulled me in along behind her. I had absolutely no idea what we were getting into.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fourteen – Secrets for Breakfast]
Post by: Estrea on April 20, 2007, 03:12:14 AM
Dibs on first! :D Haha I beat Yuu to it! XD

Miyabi the crazy driver! Fufufufu. Poor Risako, it must be truly shocking an experience. XD

I wonder what's inside the room. Probably something unexpected. XD

-sits and waits- Oh and thanks for the popcorn. :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 20, 2007, 03:13:22 AM
Dibs on second! xD

Oh my, unused library? Perhaps Miyabi scares the crap out of them, earning a slap/punch from one of the two xD!

That or they might find secret information of some sort o_o'

I love Miyabi's driving skills. Very much. :]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: C60533 on April 20, 2007, 03:25:57 AM
^....about that...all right....Okay...Third.
Ahem.
DRIVING MIYABI! Nice! Do you have any idea how entertaining it is to have a crazy driver who has know idea where they're going in your story for me? Reading that put a smile on my face. Reminds me of past experiences. I can only imagine how she learned how to drive. I assume video games...but who knows...But poor Risako. She had to give directions and ended up cowering under the seat (if she knew it was Miyabi driving, why didn't she put on a seatbelt?). And judging by Yurina's reaction...I take it Miyabi's driving is known. And it seems Umeda is a victim of Miyabi's teasing. Bored Miyabi is a serious threat too it appears. When is she not threatening? Somehow I doubt she's less of a threat while sleeping....
When you leave five girls alone in an empty theatre with no supervision, bad things are bound to happen.

Quoted for truth.

Cliffhanger...I'm afraid of heights though....
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 20, 2007, 04:18:27 AM
I love playing with the windows in cars. That's so much fun.

I wonder what they'll find in the library? ?_?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: Loser87 on April 20, 2007, 05:51:25 AM
Wahhh!!

New chapter yay!!
Now, I would do my quoting routine but I'll do that later tomorrow after school
~Sigh~ I must've been real tired...and of course asleep to be this late of a commenter ;+;

Damn..
Update
O_O O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

*kicks you* XDXD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: iacus on April 20, 2007, 06:44:14 AM
I wonder what they'll find in the library? ?_?

A unicorn?

fic comment time
THE HILARITY, OH GOD THE HILARITY *dies*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: ziggurat on April 20, 2007, 07:47:31 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Risako was clinging to and cutting off the circulation of my arm as we sat in the backseat of Natsuyaki’s demon-mobile. The girl couldn’t drive. Period. So why were we there in the first place? Because the theatre was too far from both Risako’s apartment and Yurina’s house, and besides that we weren’t going to make the poor girl hobble around on her crutches when she didn’t have to.

Lol, Risako clinging to Momo is cute :3 Miya devilish meter is hiking .. XD

Quote
That determination melted clean away once she realized whose car was parked outside, and her face turned very, very white.

Poor Yurina :D

Quote
Yurina was seated at the grand piano that was on the stage, writing out notes on a stack of blank staff paper that Risako had found for her. She was so absorbed in doing this, that I thought it best to just leave her alone for a while.

:heart: (only that can describe her :3)

Quote
I couldn’t see much in the darkness, but I could hear the creaky groan of a doorknob being turned, and Risako pulled me in along behind her. I had absolutely no idea what we were getting into.

Something good or bad ? Guess we will wait till next chapter then.. (My concentration lost for a while, maybe because I just had my lunch. Forgive me if the comments seem lame  -_-")
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 20, 2007, 11:01:31 PM
Dibs on first! :D Haha I beat Yuu to it! XD

Miyabi the crazy driver! Fufufufu. Poor Risako, it must be truly shocking an experience. XD

I wonder what's inside the room. Probably something unexpected. XD

-sits and waits- Oh and thanks for the popcorn. :D

XD Again, ya'll are crazy.

Hahaha, yeah. She can't stand the Miyabi-mobile. <3

For Momochi, it is...

No prob, Bob. [Haha, your name isn't Bob. XD]

Dibs on second! xD

Oh my, unused library? Perhaps Miyabi scares the crap out of them, earning a slap/punch from one of the two xD!

That or they might find secret information of some sort o_o'

I love Miyabi's driving skills. Very much. :]

Though that would be fun to write about, Miyabi doesn't make an appearance in this chapter.

Not secret information exactly...

XD I based that off of Yukari-sensei from Azumanga Daioh.

DRIVING MIYABI! Nice! Do you have any idea how entertaining it is to have a crazy driver who has know idea where they're going in your story for me? Reading that put a smile on my face. Reminds me of past experiences. I can only imagine how she learned how to drive. I assume video games...but who knows...But poor Risako. She had to give directions and ended up cowering under the seat (if she knew it was Miyabi driving, why didn't she put on a seatbelt?). And judging by Yurina's reaction...I take it Miyabi's driving is known. And it seems Umeda is a victim of Miyabi's teasing. Bored Miyabi is a serious threat too it appears. When is she not threatening? Somehow I doubt she's less of a threat while sleeping....

Cliffhanger...I'm afraid of heights though....

Lol I'm glad I can make someone else smile. <3 Yeah, video games would be a good bet. As for Risako's lack of seatbelt, one must assume that she was too frightened to even think about that. XD Miyabi's driving is like... infamous to members of the troupe.

I'm afraid of heights, too... ;-; -nod-

I love playing with the windows in cars. That's so much fun.

I wonder what they'll find in the library? ?_?

Indeed it is. It's something that I would do.

Something awesome. <3

Wahhh!!

New chapter yay!!
Now, I would do my quoting routine but I'll do that later tomorrow after school
~Sigh~ I must've been real tired...and of course asleep to be this late of a commenter ;+;

Damn..
Update
O_O O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

*kicks you* XDXD

XD You must be really, really tired. Usually your comments are full of more energy. XD

-kicks you back... with love- <3

A unicorn?

fic comment time
THE HILARITY, OH GOD THE HILARITY *dies*

Better than a unicorn.

Lol, Risako clinging to Momo is cute :3 Miya devilish meter is hiking .. XD

Poor Yurina :D

:heart: (only that can describe her :3)

Something good or bad ? Guess we will wait till next chapter then.. (My concentration lost for a while, maybe because I just had my lunch. Forgive me if the comments seem lame  -_-")

Aw, your comments aren't lame. I always appreciate them. :3

[Yuu-chan wedge call. Chapter soon after. <3]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 20, 2007, 11:02:33 PM
-WEDGE- <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 20, 2007, 11:06:20 PM
Haha, I don't have much to say except this:

thexxHERO (4:23:34 PM): lol I'm almost done... and then I'll start working on finishing up Chapter Sixteen.
Simply Shatten (4:23:48 PM): XD
thexxHERO (4:24:33 PM): which would be... now.
Simply Shatten (4:24:47 PM): !
Simply Shatten (4:24:59 PM): -heads straight for the forum to wedge it- <3
thexxHERO (4:25:11 PM): Iol... i mean that I'm going to start working on it... now...
thexxHERO (4:25:12 PM): haha
thexxHERO (4:25:16 PM): you're too excited.
Simply Shatten (4:25:28 PM): ...Oh you whore D:
thexxHERO (4:25:41 PM): hahahaha you're very amusing.
Simply Shatten (4:26:21 PM): >:C
Simply Shatten (4:26:22 PM): XD
thexxHERO (4:26:37 PM): I think I'm going to go downstairs to get some food and something to drink... just to make you wait a little longer.
Simply Shatten (4:26:48 PM): Can't wait for it, nonetheless
Simply Shatten (4:26:49 PM): O_O
thexxHERO (4:26:44 PM): hahahaha
Simply Shatten (4:26:51 PM): YOU
Simply Shatten (4:26:53 PM): FREAKING
Simply Shatten (4:26:56 PM): (*&$*$^#$(&#@)($)*@(*#_)@(*_#&^&
Simply Shatten (4:26:58 PM): X____X;
thexxHERO (4:26:58 PM): be right baaaaaack~!
Simply Shatten (4:27:09 PM): ;____;

[Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]

Saki wasn’t used to waking up in somebody else’s arms. That, and she wasn’t used to Chinami actually being around in the morning, especially since the younger girl was prone to running off at this time of the day. She wasn’t complaining, though. It just meant one less thing to worry about.

She carefully slid out of the tanned girl’s grasp, standing up to stretch and yawn and allow her eyes some time to adjust to the sunlight shining through the decaying roof. But the brightness outside was in sharp contrast with how gloomy she felt on the inside.

Maybe I should just go back to sleep… There isn’t really any point in going to the city today… Especially if Chinami’s getting some rest for once.

Saki was about to turn around and return to the comfy little pile of coats, when she heard a rather loud thud sound from somewhere beneath her. As she leaned over the edge of the Loft to investigate, she found herself peering down at one very intoxicated Sudou Maasa, who was lying on her back in the grass.

“…Maa-chan?”

The tall female squinted up at her for a few minutes, before a goofy smile spread across her lips and she began to giggle.

“I din’ know y’could fly, Sakiiii…”

Concerned, the small girl quickly made her way down the ladder and onto the ground, coming to a crouch beside Maasa. If her bloodshot eyes and slurred, broken speech weren’t enough to prove that the female was drunk, her alcohol-scented breath surely was…

“God, you must be really upset… How much have you had, Maa-chan?”

“Nyaaaaaaa~ah… lots las’night. Then this mornin’… more, cuz I had… -hiccup- a real bad headache…”

“Maasa, you don’t drink more alcohol to get rid of a hangover that you got from getting drunk!”

Maasa sat up, reeling a bit as she did so, because the sensation of her blood rushing back to her head combined with her current state was a bit overwhelming. She attempted to give Saki a really hard glare, but all she managed to do was cross her eyes, which wasn’t very intimidating at all.

“I’mma big girl… can have… -hiccup- s’much as I wan’…”

“Not really, considering it’s illegal!”

“’ve broken th’ law b’fore…”

“That doesn’t make it right… And I know you, you’ve only done this because something’s bothering you… what’s wrong, Maa-chan?”

The tall girl got to her feet with some difficulty, and Saki straightened herself back up, ready to try and steady Maasa if she happened to tip over… which wasn’t all that unlikely, because she had done it before. Maasa tried to focus on the smaller girl, but it was really hard to do while there were five of her floating around…

“Nothin’s wrong… nothin’s ever wrong… I’m always… -hiccup- okay.”

“Maa-chan…”

“I really… -hiccup- hate it when you look at me like that.”

“…Like what?”

“Like you’re searchin’ for somethin’… -hiccup- inside me… tryin’ to… -hiccup- find m’secrets… Stop it.”

That serious tone had crept back into Maasa’s drunken voice, and Saki knew that she was treading on thin ice now. The taller girl could be a really stupid, clumsy drunk, but she could also be a really mean, dangerous drunk. And no one in their right mind wanted to be hit by the powerhouse that was Sudou Maasa.

“Alright, I’ll drop it… are you going to be okay, though? Do you want to stay here until you feel a bit more… um… sober?”

Maasa shook her head roughly, and Saki watched as the other girl staggered off and nearly got herself entangled within the chain-link fence that surrounded the house. That was when she realized something.

…Did she fall off the ladder a minute ago?

------------

I hugged my arms tightly as Risako stumbled around in the pitch black room, searching for a light switch. …Assuming that there even WAS one in there… She was making an awful lot of noise, and I could hear things being knocked over every so often. Things that were probably fragile by the sound of it, mind you.

All of a sudden, bright light split through my vision, and I had to cover my eyes for a moment while they adjusted to the change. That didn’t stop me from scowling at Risako, though.

“A warning would have been nice.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know that I had found it…”

When my eyesight returned to me, I realized that we were standing in a very dusty room, the likes of which were covered in stacks and boxes of sheet music. It wasn’t very organized at all, but the mess had been made much greater thanks to Risako’s clumsiness, and several pages cluttered the floor as well.

“What were you planning on looking for when we got in here…?”

“Oh, you know… I thought we could just shuffle through all this junk… see if we could pick up anything interesting…”

She was hiding something from me. I could tell by the way she was speaking. And by the way she was avoiding my eyes. Was there something special hidden in this musical treasure room that she didn’t want me to know about just yet? I wasn’t so sure about this idea anymore.

I don’t really like surprises.

Risako must have noticed my hesitation, because she rolled her eyes at me.

“Oh, just help me look, Momo-chan.”

We started at one end of the room, pulling down a box from the top of a particularly large pile to begin with. We pulled it over to the center of the room, and sat down in order to try and file through the sheets of music. Some of them had started to yellow with age, and others I couldn’t even handle properly, because they were starting to fall apart.

“Nasty… This is probably not the best place to store this stuff…”

“Yeah, this is the really old junk… What we’re looking for is something that was performed only twenty or so years ago.”

I glanced at Risako with a raised eyebrow as she stood up again and began to dig through another pile of music.

“So we are looking for something specific.”

“Just be patient and wait.”

“I’d like to know what I’m waiting for, though…”

“Ah! I can’t believe I found it! Come and look Momo-chan, I think you’ll be excited!”

I let out a long-suffering sigh and got to my feet, brushing the dust off of my pants. Risako was holding a score of some song, and I walked over to her, peering over her shoulder in order to read the title at the top of the page. My eyes widened as I began to comprehend what it was that she held in her hands.

This is…
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Fifteen: We’re the Good Kind of Crazy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 20, 2007, 11:07:45 PM
Dibs on first comment! <3

Gotta love my spazzing from AIM xD

Aww at Chinami and Captain at the beginning.

Oh my, Maasa is certainly stubborn about keeping her touch image in front of everyone, drunk or not o_o; I wonder what her secrets really are... Hope Saki finds them soon xD

I think Risako and Momoko found Love Machine xD

...Or Anata nashi de wa ikete yukenai xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: Loser87 on April 20, 2007, 11:11:29 PM
WHOO!! >_<

I did it!! I made it faster! O_O

I wonder what music is the sheet music...>_> Bad engrish I know >_>

I wuv this chapter though! >w<
Maasa drunk and I bet I know why >w<

QUOTES!! =D

Quote
Saki wasn’t used to waking up in somebody else’s arms. That, and she wasn’t used to Chinami actually being around in the morning, especially since the younger girl was prone to running off at this time of the day. She wasn’t complaining, though. It just meant one less thing to worry about.

Well now, ain't that just flippin' adorable! >w<

Quote
“Nyaaaaaaa~ah… lots las’night. Then this mornin’… more, cuz I had… -hiccup- a real bad headache…”

XDXDXD I love her reason XD

Quote
“Like you’re searchin’ for somethin’… -hiccup- inside me… tryin’ to… -hiccup- find m’secrets… Stop it.”

That serious tone had crept back into Maasa’s drunken voice, and Saki knew that she was treading on thin ice now. The taller girl could be a really stupid, clumsy drunk, but she could also be a really mean, dangerous drunk. And no one in their right mind wanted to be hit by the powerhouse that was Sudou Maasa.
Maasa always doing the tough routine...She needs a hug!! >w< *Huggles the drunky*

Quote
Maasa shook her head roughly, and Saki watched as the other girl staggered off and nearly got herself entangled within the chain-link fence that surrounded the house. That was when she realized something.

…Did she fall off the ladder a minute ago?

I have no idea why but I laughed hard at this XDXDXD

Quote
All of a sudden, bright light split through my vision, and I had to cover my eyes for a moment while they adjusted to the change. That didn’t stop me from scowling at Risako, though.

“A warning would have been nice.”

Lol, I love the attitude XDXD

Quote
Just be patient and wait.”

“I’d like to know what I’m waiting for, though…”

“Ah! I can’t believe I found it! Come and look Momo-chan, I think you’ll be excited!”

I let out a long-suffering sigh and got to my feet, brushing the dust off of my pants. Risako was holding a score of some song, and I walked over to her, peering over her shoulder in order to read the title at the top of the page. My eyes widened as I began to comprehend what it was that she held in her hands.

This is…

THIS IS WHAT ?! WHAT IS IT!!??? >w<

~UPDATE I MUST KNOW!!

Quality and Quantity, Doofus!

O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O


~Update and who said you can kick me back!
*pinches your cheeks* RAWR!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: Estrea on April 21, 2007, 12:12:41 AM
Bah I was asleep when you updated. Meh, or I would have beat Loser to it. :P

Anyway, Maasa being a tough drunk wwas interesting. Her attitude's funny when drunk. XD I almost just want to shove her in Momo's direction and say "just hook up with her already!" XD.

Hmm I wonder what they found? If it's like Yuu said and they found Love Machine, I'll just die of laughter. XD

Update more soon! ^_^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 21, 2007, 03:15:28 AM
Dibs on first comment! <3

Gotta love my spazzing from AIM xD

Aww at Chinami and Captain at the beginning.

Oh my, Maasa is certainly stubborn about keeping her touch image in front of everyone, drunk or not o_o; I wonder what her secrets really are... Hope Saki finds them soon xD

I think Risako and Momoko found Love Machine xD

...Or Anata nashi de wa ikete yukenai xD

XD your spazzing is amusing.

I decided to give them a little break.

Lol Well, you'll have to wait and see...

Good heavens, no. o_o

...But that one will come later.

WHOO!! >_<

I did it!! I made it faster! O_O

I wonder what music is the sheet music...>_> Bad engrish I know >_>

I wuv this chapter though! >w<
Maasa drunk and I bet I know why >w<

QUOTES!! =D

Well now, ain't that just flippin' adorable! >w<

XDXDXD I love her reason XD
Maasa always doing the tough routine...She needs a hug!! >w< *Huggles the drunky*

I have no idea why but I laughed hard at this XDXDXD

Lol, I love the attitude XDXD

THIS IS WHAT ?! WHAT IS IT!!??? >w<

~UPDATE I MUST KNOW!!

Quality and Quantity, Doofus!

O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O
O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O


~Update and who said you can kick me back!
*pinches your cheeks* RAWR!!

Lol. Here's your update, master. You're fallin' behind. <3

Bah I was asleep when you updated. Meh, or I would have beat Loser to it. :P

Anyway, Maasa being a tough drunk wwas interesting. Her attitude's funny when drunk. XD I almost just want to shove her in Momo's direction and say "just hook up with her already!" XD.

Hmm I wonder what they found? If it's like Yuu said and they found Love Machine, I'll just die of laughter. XD

Update more soon! ^_^

I was asleep before I updated. XD

Haha, well... >3

NOT LOVE MACHINE. >< haha

M'kay.

[Yuu-chaaaaaaa~n!]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 21, 2007, 03:16:35 AM
-WEDGE- <33
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 21, 2007, 03:20:25 AM
NOTLOVEMACHINE. lol
The english translation to some of the lyrics to the song they found are in here.
I'll give a cookie to whomever names the song first.
Shouldn't be that hard, though. :3

[Chapter Seventeen –- It’s in Our Blood]

This is…

I really couldn’t believe my eyes. This was a song that I had never heard myself, but I had heard about it. The song that had made this theatre… this troupe… and perhaps even this city famous for the performing arts. Not because of the lyrics or the music… in fact, it had nothing at all to do with the song itself… but rather…

…the person who had performed it for the first time.

*♪“Embrace... this entire city! Embrace… these dreams!”♪

“Risako-chan… how did you… I don’t even…”

She seemed to be very, very proud of herself, and was grinning at me from ear to ear.

“You don’t even know what to say, do you? I remembered about this yesterday when you were talking about finding other songs… and so I thought I could surprise you with it.”

♪“You’re such a flirt tonight, aren’t you? Don’t tease me…”♪

“Can I hold it?”

It would have been strange for anyone else to be in awe of a score of music, but Risako understood how I was feeling, and she handed it over as delicately as possible. My fingers tingled just a little bit when they came into contact with the slightly worn paper, and it was all I could do to keep from trembling. I mean…

This was it.

Talk about holding your destiny in your hands. Not to mention the past…

♪ Heartbeat! A heart-pounding night! A night I’d never want to end- endless summer night!♪

She had written this song. Every lyric… every musical note…
She had planned out the dance steps in her head…
She took what had started out as nothing… and turned it into something beautiful.

And because of her, this once-dead city had started to thrive.

Before everything went wrong, anyway…

I snapped out of my musings to realize that Risako had been talking to me. I quickly tried to tap in to what she was saying.

“…And so I was thinking, since we aren’t doing the old show anymore that maybe you could be the one to dance to this. As a sort of tribute or something, y’know? I think that-”

“No.”

You don’t know what you’re asking of me… I can’t do this.

“-Eh…? What do you mean?”

“I-I just can’t… okay? It’s better if we just put it up and never think about it again, alright?”

“Momo-chan- wait, where are you going?”

“I think I’m going to take a walk outside or something… Get some fresh air, something like that. It’s kind of stuffy in here.”

“Momo-chan, wait!”

But I couldn’t stop running. Seeing that had brought the memories rushing back in an unstoppable torrent, and I couldn’t handle them all at once like this.

Risako just didn’t understand.

I can’t dance like she could.

I can’t sing like she did.

I’ll never even be half the person that she still is…



…Because I’m nothing like my mom.


------------

Maasa was feeling incredibly sick at the moment. Her stomach had been completely emptied of anything and everything that had been inside of it only minutes before, and she dared not walk just yet or her body would force her into a fit of dry heaving. She wasn’t sure how much more of that she could take before she passed out or something…

Needless to say, the good feelings were gone, and the alcohol was wearing off faster than she had wanted it to.

Her head felt like it had been pierced with several metal stakes, and she refused to open her eyes until her stomach quit acting up, because the sunlight only helped to make her even more queasy.

Never… never EVER again… Especially not if it’s free…

She hated this. She hated that she had let what Maiha said get her so worked up.

So what if you’re going to be a loner and a loser for the rest of your life, Maasa? It’s better than this… Throwing your insides up into a dumpster in an alley… this is just sad.

Maasa steadied herself against the metal container, working up the strength to crack open one eye. At least no one was around to witness just how sorry she was… All of her dignity didn’t have to go down the drain…

With a grunt, the tall girl began to stagger out from between the two buildings, struggling to ignore the lurching feeling inside.

Maybe I should go back and take Saki up on her offer of staying over… I’m gonna be out of commission for a couple of hours…

She was going to turn around and head back towards the loft, when a small body shot out of nowhere, colliding with her own very unstable one and knocking both of them to the concrete.




*I don't own these lyrics, blah, blah, blah, disclaimer, disclaimer. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Sixteen -- Surprise...?]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 21, 2007, 03:20:48 AM
FIRST DIBS <3

Figures it would be Elegies. I dance to that in the shower all the time xD

Oooooh, Momoko's mom used to be a part of this? I think Momo definitely understands the reputation O_O; Does this mean Ai was a part of this too? If that's the case, Ai's like, 30 in this story O____O; Or at least in her late 20s... o_o;

Maasa's losing that tough girl image. It's inevitable xD I wonder who really triggers her character development xD

Looking forward to the next chapter, Fimmy-chan!

O_O;
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: Loser87 on April 21, 2007, 03:30:48 AM
=O
 
Holy Crap!! =O

That was good! >w<

What gonna happen next huh huh huh huh huh?!?! *pokes you with a pointy stick* C'Mon!!!

Quoting quoting quoting yeah yeah yeah!! WHOO!

Quote
This is…

I really couldn’t believe my eyes. This was a song that I had never heard myself, but I had heard about it. The song that had made this theatre… this troupe… and perhaps even this city famous for the performing arts. Not because of the lyrics or the music… in fact, it had nothing at all to do with the song itself… but rather…

…the person who had performed it for the first time.

*♪“Embrace... this entire city! Embrace… these dreams!”♪

“Risako-chan… how did you… I don’t even…”

She seemed to be very, very proud of herself, and was grinning at me from ear to ear.

“You don’t even know what to say, do you? I remembered about this yesterday when you were talking about finding other songs… and so I thought I could surprise you with it.”

♪“You’re such a flirt tonight, aren’t you? Don’t tease me…”♪

“Can I hold it?”

It would have been strange for anyone else to be in awe of a score of music, but Risako understood how I was feeling, and she handed it over as delicately as possible. My fingers tingled just a little bit when they came into contact with the slightly worn paper, and it was all I could do to keep from trembling. I mean…

This was it.

Talk about holding your destiny in your hands. Not to mention the past…

♪ Heartbeat! A heart-pounding night! A night I’d never want to end- endless summer night!♪

=O Oh, my its really something to be treasured
But, I really can't figure out the song! >_<
Um...is it Summer Night out? ~ Morning Musume???
Am I right?
No I think I'm wrong DAMN!

Quote
can’t dance like she could.

I can’t sing like she did.

I’ll never even be half the person that she still is…



…Because I’m nothing like my mom.

=O...Poor Momo-chan!! *Hugs poor Momo* ;+;
Why must you make this dramatic!?
But drama is good I love drama!
Keep going!

Quote
Never… never EVER again… Especially not if it’s free…

Yeah...Right, I believe she'll drink..again...in one of the future chapters I think

Quote
She was going to turn around and head back towards the loft, when a small body shot out of nowhere, colliding with her own very unstable one and knocking both of them to the concrete

Momo and Maa-chan confrontation!! =O
Is it gonna be more maaxMomo moments is it!?
Momo is gonna see past Maasa's tough girl exterior right!?
Or is something going to intervene!?

I GOTTA KNOW!! >w<

UPDATE DAMMIT!!

O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O

=)

If you feel tired, you should sleep
It's the weekend whoo!!!!
=D

By the way,
>;P Who ever said I was falling behind? kukukukuku
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: Estrea on April 21, 2007, 03:58:29 AM
Ooooh, Momo's mom was involved? Wah. Must be quite a discovery for her.

And yay for Momo/Maasa collision....in more than one way hmm? XD

Post more soon! XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: ziggurat on April 21, 2007, 04:48:10 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Saki wasn’t used to waking up in somebody else’s arms.

Why Captain always seem cute although she just doing a simple thing :heart:

Quote
She carefully slid out of the tanned girl’s grasp, standing up to stretch and yawn and allow her eyes some time to adjust to the sunlight shining through the decaying roof. But the brightness outside was in sharp contrast with how gloomy she felt on the inside.

If she keep moving cutely I'll die before finish reading this X_X

Quote
Concerned, the small girl quickly made her way down the ladder and onto the ground, coming to a crouch beside Maasa. If her bloodshot eyes and slurred, broken speech weren’t enough to prove that the female was drunk, her alcohol-scented breath surely was…

WTH, I though you're just joking.. She /is/ drunk!

Quote
“Maasa, you don’t drink more alcohol to get rid of a hangover that you got from getting drunk!”

Lol, Maasa.

Quote
This is…

SPARTA! (someone should say it >_> LOL)

I'll be waiting for this legendary music piece (or something else) Loving cute Captain in this :3 Thanks FIM!

previouschap
--------------------------------
nextchap XD

Elegies - Inshouha Renoir no You ni ! Just... wow.. (yeah, i google the name because it's hard to spell -_-", i remember this dakishimete !)

I can feel Momo's feeling when she recalled back her most treasured memory... It is a great shock to her... (I'm typing with one hand, because my lunch is in the other hand lol.. it's so hard to quote -_-")
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: TydusArandor on April 21, 2007, 07:07:45 AM
Haha, "endless summer night" gave the song away :D Did Love MACHINE actually have similar lyrics?  :O

Momoko's mom? That would've been the last person I expected. Things are starting to get more mysterious now :o! Now I really want to know what happened before! >_<;;

Poor Maasa! I have a feeling she's not gonna be a loner for that much longer, unless if our dear author of this story is cruel enough to make her stay a loner.. >_<!! Which, of course, won't happen, right!? Right!?!?

Looking forward to some Maasa x Momoko next update :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 21, 2007, 04:23:06 PM
[-takin a break from reading through OCG to reply to comments and update-]


FIRST DIBS <3

Figures it would be Elegies. I dance to that in the shower all the time xD

Oooooh, Momoko's mom used to be a part of this? I think Momo definitely understands the reputation O_O; Does this mean Ai was a part of this too? If that's the case, Ai's like, 30 in this story O____O; Or at least in her late 20s... o_o;

Maasa's losing that tough girl image. It's inevitable xD I wonder who really triggers her character development xD

Looking forward to the next chapter, Fimmy-chan!

Lol It's an awesome song. Best shuffle ever, in my opinion.

Awesome speculation, but no, Ai wasn't a part of that. You can determine all of the H!P cameos ages the same way with the Berryz: (Basically, just add three years to the age that they WILL be after their birthday this year.) Which would give you Ai @ 24, Risa @ 22, and Erika @ 19. Since the song that they've found was performed about 20 years ago, Aichan would have only been four. X3

Well, images never last... eventually who you really are shines through.

Comin' soon. :3

=O
 
Holy Crap!! =O

That was good! >w<

What gonna happen next huh huh huh huh huh?!?! *pokes you with a pointy stick* C'Mon!!!

Quoting quoting quoting yeah yeah yeah!! WHOO!

=O Oh, my its really something to be treasured
But, I really can't figure out the song! >_<
Um...is it Summer Night out? ~ Morning Musume???
Am I right?
No I think I'm wrong DAMN!

=O...Poor Momo-chan!! *Hugs poor Momo* ;+;
Why must you make this dramatic!?
But drama is good I love drama!
Keep going!

Yeah...Right, I believe she'll drink..again...in one of the future chapters I think

Momo and Maa-chan confrontation!! =O
Is it gonna be more maaxMomo moments is it!?
Momo is gonna see past Maasa's tough girl exterior right!?
Or is something going to intervene!?

I GOTTA KNOW!! >w<

UPDATE DAMMIT!!

=)

If you feel tired, you should sleep
It's the weekend whoo!!!!
=D

By the way,
>;P Who ever said I was falling behind? kukukukuku

Haha, I'm glad I was able to deliver the awesome this time around.
And OW @ your pointy stick. .__.

Nope, not Summer Night Town. XD
It's Inshouha Renoir no You ni, as guessed by some of the others.

I make it dramatic to keep it interesting. <3

You're probably right about the drinking. That's kind of predictable, though.

You'll have to wait and seeeeeee~!

Ooooh, Momo's mom was involved? Wah. Must be quite a discovery for her.

And yay for Momo/Maasa collision....in more than one way hmm? XD

Post more soon! XD

Yup yup. :3

Hehe. <3

M'kaaaaay.

Why Captain always seem cute although she just doing a simple thing :heart:

If she keep moving cutely I'll die before finish reading this X_X

WTH, I though you're just joking.. She /is/ drunk!

Lol, Maasa.

SPARTA! (someone should say it >_> LOL)

I'll be waiting for this legendary music piece (or something else) Loving cute Captain in this :3 Thanks FIM!

previouschap
--------------------------------
nextchap XD

Elegies - Inshouha Renoir no You ni ! Just... wow.. (yeah, i google the name because it's hard to spell -_-", i remember this dakishimete !)

I can feel Momo's feeling when she recalled back her most treasured memory... It is a great shock to her... (I'm typing with one hand, because my lunch is in the other hand lol.. it's so hard to quote -_-")

Because everything Saki does is cute. :3

D: Don't die! lol

Yeah, she's really smashed there.

Well, first you have Momo-logic, then Risako-logic, obviously Drunk!Maasa-logic must follow.

I haven't seen 300. D:

No prob. :3 Thanks for always commenting.

Yeah, I could have made it so much easier to guess if I had put down the romaji lyrics instead... XD

XD Do you always comment on my story while eating lunch?

Haha, "endless summer night" gave the song away :D Did Love MACHINE actually have similar lyrics?  :O

Momoko's mom? That would've been the last person I expected. Things are starting to get more mysterious now :o! Now I really want to know what happened before! >_<;;

Poor Maasa! I have a feeling she's not gonna be a loner for that much longer, unless if our dear author of this story is cruel enough to make her stay a loner.. >_<!! Which, of course, won't happen, right!? Right!?!?

Looking forward to some Maasa x Momoko next update :D

Really? o_o I actually didn't even know that was what Reina sang in the song until I looked the lyrics up. And about Love Machine, I have no idea. I don't actually really like that song very much. ><

Well, I've actually scattered a few hints here and there that might have lead you to believe that Momoko & Risako's family is one full of talent... Plus Momoko mentions her mother's sayings every so often (twice so far, I think).

Hm... Am I cruel? ...I'm not sure. :D

But you'll get some Maasa x Momo in a few minutes. That I can promise you.
It's not much, but it's some. XD

[-wedge call-]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 21, 2007, 04:24:44 PM
-Wedge answered- <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 21, 2007, 04:27:38 PM
[Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]

Maasa could not move.

Part of this was because her head was now hurting ten times worse, and the pain was almost enough to make her start crying. And she had made a silent vow several years ago never to cry again, so you can imagine the kind of headache we’re talking about here. And in her dazed and hungover state, she couldn’t really grasp what had happened—or what had hit her, for that matter—and thus was very confused when she glimpsed the silhouette of someone hovering over her.

The sun was behind said person, and thanks to the fact that her senses were slightly impaired at the moment, she couldn’t tell who it was at all.

Did I die just now? Maybe I got hit by a car… Damn. So… would that be a demon, then…? …Or an angel?

The demon-angel was talking to her, and she strained to hear the words.

“I-I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going… Are you alright, Sudou-san?”

Wait… That wasn’t any kind of otherworldly being… she recognized that voice. It was that girl… the one from yesterday. What was her name again? It wasn’t easy to remember things when your mind was still clouded by an alcoholic haze. Well, whomever it was sounded very shaken up at the moment…

“…Sudou-san… Maasa?”

Even if Maasa wanted to reply, she couldn’t think straight enough at the moment to formulate a response. Besides that, the energy required to speak would have irritated her skull-splitting headache. Something soft and cool brushed against her forehead, and after a moment or so she realized that it was the other girl’s small hand. The touch was soothing, and she almost felt as if she could have gone to sleep right there.

“Your face is pale… and you’re really warm… and… uh, you smell a lot like alcohol.”

The hand pulled away, and Maasa in her inebriated state was very sad to see it go. She knew what would happen next. The other girl would just leave her there and walk away in disgust. And-

“Well… I can’t just leave you here like this… I guess I can take you back to Risako’s apartment… it’s not that far from here. But you’re going to have to try and get up, because you’re bigger than I am and I can’t carry you.”

…What?

Maasa could feel Momoko tugging at her hands, and after a brief struggle, their combined efforts got the taller girl to her feet. She was very very unsteady at this point, however, and had one arm around Momoko’s shoulder, so that the smaller female could support her.

Maasa was much too exhausted to question any of it, and the two of them made their way slowly but surely towards the apartment complex.

------------

The grand piano’s rich tones flooded the main room and hallways of the theatre, carrying the melody that had been playing in Yurina’s head for a couple of weeks now. She wasn’t exactly sure where this particular song had come from, or how she was able to write it down, but it was there, and she could play it with ease and knew the lyrics by heart. She had wanted to play it for the stranger today… but the mysterious girl hadn’t shown up this morning…

Quietly, she sang along as she played, but only because she was sure that none of the others were around.

“♪Sono mama de dakishimete yo, stop by me… Unmei wa koko ni atta wa. Omoide wo koushin shitai, everyday… Isshou anata no koto…♪”

She caught sight of Miyabi reentering the room from the corner of her eye, and quickly brought the song to a close, the final word remaining only in her thoughts.

Aishitai…

Miyabi looked like she had just finished being up to no good, and was wearing an extremely pleased grin on her face. Yurina knew that grin well, and her eyes widened as she realized something.

“Miya… where is Erika-chan?”

The devil girl sat down on the other side of the piano bench, still grinning from ear to ear. She nudged Yurina with her elbow.

“Guess.”

“What?!?”

“Just guess. I’ll tell you if you get it wrong three times.”

“Did you tie her upside down somewhere?!?”

“Nope, but I’ll keep that in mind. Guess again.”

“…You didn’t lock her in a closet, did you?”

Silence. That mischivous grin…

“DID YOU?!?”

Miyabi smirked, letting out a slight cackle. She was very, very proud of her evil deed.

“Oh yeah.”

“Miya, she’s claustrophobic!”

“Yeah, sure, if you want to get technical. But that’s only because she still believes in monsters and thinks that they’re going to eat her in the dark.”

Before Yurina could scold the devil girl, Risako came out from behind the stage, looking slightly out of breath. Both the tall girl and Miyabi stared at her, like some wild animal was standing in her place instead.

“Have you guys seen… Momo-chan?”

“I thought she was with you…”

“Well, she was, but… I think I might have upset her a little bit, and she ran out just a few minutes ago. I was going to try and go after her, but I kind of… got stuck… under a box.”

Yurina blinked. Miyabi blinked. And then a lightbulb went off in the former’s head.

“Oooooooooh. So that’s who dashed by earlier… I was so busy writing that I didn’t even look up. I just assumed that it was Miya or Erika.”

Risako sighed, and put a hand to her forehead. Her cousin could take very good care of herself, that wasn’t what she was worried about. This city wasn’t really a good place to wander around in if you weren’t familiar with it or if you weren’t tough enough to handle it.

“Well, we need to go find her…”

Miyabi immediately shot up from the piano bench and started to head for the door.

“Great, let’s get goin’ then!”

“NATSUYAKI MIYABI, YOU GO AND GET ERIKA-CHAN OUT OF THAT CLOSET NOW!”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: Estrea on April 21, 2007, 04:28:24 PM
I stole first comment yay! -bounces around hyperly-

And anyway, haha Momo is such a nice girl. XD Helping Maasa to Risako's apartment? Mmhmm, I wonder what Risako would think (I frankly don't think she minds all that much but ehhh...).

Miyabi is evil. I love her. XD Locking Erika in a closet when she's claustrophobic. That's just sadistic. XD

Now I wonder where they will start looking for Momo...? ^_^

Update more soon!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Ch. 16 - Surprise...? // Ch. 17 - It's in Our Blood]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 21, 2007, 04:30:04 PM
Aww! Momoko's kind :] So will the pairing be Maasa x Momoko? I don't think Momo should have trouble carrying Maasa, that girl's got serious muscles o_o; That and her pinkies of doom probably work out too xD

Roffle at Erika being claustrophobic and Miyabi being mischievious xD Glad to know she has another side from being bitchy, that side that causes mischief XD

I wonder what would happen with Maasa and Momoko in Risako's apartment xD

Write more <3

I've decided not to use stares anymore, it's not that fun.

Instead...

-gets out whip- :]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Loser87 on April 21, 2007, 06:11:19 PM
Gosh Miya is so evil O_O

That's meeaaannn XDXDXD

I would do my whole quoting thing but I have to go and take my ID picture then go to my friend's house so I'll edit this post later!
O_O

Edit: Quote: =)

Quote
Did I die just now? Maybe I got hit by a car… Damn. So… would that be a demon, then…? …Or an angel?
So cute >w<

Quote
“Well… I can’t just leave you here like this… I guess I can take you back to Risako’s apartment… it’s not that far from here. But you’re going to have to try and get up, because you’re bigger than I am and I can’t carry you.”
*squeal* >w<
RABU!! O_O

Quote
The devil girl sat down on the other side of the piano bench, still grinning from ear to ear. She nudged Yurina with her elbow.

“Guess.”

“What?!?”

“Just guess. I’ll tell you if you get it wrong three times.”

“Did you tie her upside down somewhere?!?”

“Nope, but I’ll keep that in mind. Guess again.”

“…You didn’t lock her in a closet, did you?”

Silence. That mischivous grin…

“DID YOU?!?”

Miyabi smirked, letting out a slight cackle. She was very, very proud of her evil deed.

“Oh yeah.”

“Miya, she’s claustrophobic!”
She's so evil Oh my god! XDXDXDXD

Quote
Miyabi immediately shot up from the piano bench and started to head for the door.

“Great, let’s get goin’ then!”

“NATSUYAKI MIYABI, YOU GO AND GET ERIKA-CHAN OUT OF THAT CLOSET NOW!”
Just like a villain, thought she could get away with it too! >=O
XDXDXDXD

I wonder what will happen between MomoXMaasa >;P
C'mon Update faster *pokes with my pointy stick again*
C'mooonnn~ *prods prods w/ a pointy stick*

O_O O_O O_O O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update
*Cracks a whip*
MUSH YAH YAH YAH!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Tanachan on April 22, 2007, 01:52:59 AM
WHOO Finally caught up with it all!

FIM...you...are...THE GODDESS!!!!!!


*demotes Yuu to A goddess, gives you THE Goddess*

But anyways...

AWWW CHINAMI AND SAKI!!!!!!!!

Damn, I feel sorry for Maasa...and especially for Momo for having to carry her xD

Miya the completely un-road-educated-Umeda-hating-primped-up-prodig bitch.

RRRRRRRIIIIIISSSSSSAAAAAKKKKKKOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Damn that logic, I can't compete with it!

Still...this fic completely made my day. More than my dad being attacked by my goose while playing golf today. Which is very funny...Imagine a balding guy throwing golf clubs at and subsequently being attacked by geese.

*throws biig box with...
Onigiri
Gyudon
Melon Candies
Cookies
H!P CDs
H!P DVDs
VERY BEAUTY outfit
Chocolate covered strawberries
Sushi
Loser87 to get on your back so she can throw stuff at you and make you write*

Update some more please!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 22, 2007, 01:58:12 AM
Why can't you be polytheistic so that we're The Goddesses xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Loser87 on April 22, 2007, 02:05:01 AM
Quote
Loser87 to get on your back so she can throw stuff at you and make you write*

O_O....AHHH!! *on FIM's Back.*
Well, ain't this just quaint...
*Pulls your ears*
Update dammit~~

Hey, what about me tanachan, I am a god of cheesecakes you know ;+;

*continues to pull FIM's ears and yet still manages to do her hair too* >_>
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: ziggurat on April 22, 2007, 03:16:09 AM
The introduction scene about drunk Maasa feel likes she's in heaven :D With a headache lol. Momo is like an angel that descend to earth to help Maasa :3 I agree with Yuuyami, Momo will has no problem carrying Maasa XD

Yurina! :heart: Her anata nashide wa ikite yukenai piano solo sending a chilling sensation to my bones. At first, I though Miyabi following it with the Aishitai line, but it just the word that stucked in her head ^_^ OMG, Miya is so evil! ( I don't really count how much i said that earlier XD, maybe she'll changes after captain embrace her back :heart:)

Alright, time to look out for Momo! (because Yurina play the piano, this is a beautiful chapter too :heart:) Keep up the good work FIM !

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 22, 2007, 03:19:56 AM
I stole first comment yay! -bounces around hyperly-

And anyway, haha Momo is such a nice girl. XD Helping Maasa to Risako's apartment? Mmhmm, I wonder what Risako would think (I frankly don't think she minds all that much but ehhh...).

Miyabi is evil. I love her. XD Locking Erika in a closet when she's claustrophobic. That's just sadistic. XD

Now I wonder where they will start looking for Momo...? ^_^

Update more soon!

haha, you've had too much candy.

Nah, Risako wouldn't care. She'd probably help Momochi, were she there.

XDD I thought it was funny.

Dunno.. it's not in this coming chapter. :3

Kay. <3

Aww! Momoko's kind :] So will the pairing be Maasa x Momoko? I don't think Momo should have trouble carrying Maasa, that girl's got serious muscles o_o; That and her pinkies of doom probably work out too xD

Roffle at Erika being claustrophobic and Miyabi being mischievious xD Glad to know she has another side from being bitchy, that side that causes mischief XD

I wonder what would happen with Maasa and Momoko in Risako's apartment xD

-gets out whip- :]

-is obvious- XD

She is the elder Ebiru, after all.

Nothing like THAT. ...yet? o_o XDD

-glares at whip- ...><

Gosh Miya is so evil O_O

That's meeaaannn XDXDXD

I wonder what will happen between MomoXMaasa >;P
C'mon Update faster *pokes with my pointy stick again*
C'mooonnn~ *prods prods w/ a pointy stick*

O_O O_O O_O O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update
*Cracks a whip*
MUSH YAH YAH YAH!!

Lol you know you laughed. XD

Well, you'll find out in this latest chapter... >3

-Tanachan's praisings and throwing things and overall awesomeness that has made FIM's day-

Haha, I think I love you. <3 -struts-

Why can't you be polytheistic so that we're The Goddesses xD

Because I'm the Goddess now. You've been demoted. >D

O_O....AHHH!! *on FIM's Back.*
Well, ain't this just quaint...
*Pulls your ears*
Update dammit~~

Hey, what about me tanachan, I am a god of cheesecakes you know ;+;

*continues to pull FIM's ears and yet still manages to do her hair too* >_>

OUCH... .__.

MY EARS ARE ATTACHED!

...MY god of cheesecakes. -clings to possessively- ;-;

The introduction scene about drunk Maasa feel likes she's in heaven :D With a headache lol. Momo is like an angel that descend to earth to help Maasa :3 I agree with Yuuyami, Momo will has no problem carrying Maasa XD

Yurina! :heart: Her anata nashide wa ikite yukenai piano solo sending a chilling sensation to my bones. At first, I though Miyabi following it with the Aishitai line, but it just the word that stucked in her head ^_^ OMG, Miya is so evil! ( I don't really count how much i said that earlier XD, maybe she'll changes after captain embrace her back :heart:)

Alright, time to look out for Momo! (because Yurina play the piano, this is a beautiful chapter too :heart:) Keep up the good work FIM !

Haha of course not. Momo's a tough kid. :3

We'll see... Miyabi's probably still gonna be kind of horrible for a few more chapters, though. I haven't worked that out yet. XD

Thanks. <3 I shall, I shall.

[wedgecall]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Tanachan on April 22, 2007, 03:20:25 AM
-wedges in there like Eri-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 22, 2007, 03:22:06 AM
WEDGE? O_O

Oh, I hate sharing spotlights xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 22, 2007, 03:24:19 AM
[Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]

I woke up in a bed. At least, I’m pretty sure it was a bed. I wouldn’t know, because I’ve never had a bed before, and so this was new to me. I didn’t want to open my eyes at first, because it was so incredibly comfortable. It was fluffy and soft, and I could smell something like flowers all around me…

That’s when I began to feel uneasy. I was definitely someplace that I didn’t know. I didn’t sleep a whole lot, but when I did, it was never in a safe, comforting place such as this.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, gazing up at a white ceiling. The walls were a soft blue color, and there was a small table beside the bed upon which rested a very bright alarm clock. Even though light filtered through the room’s windows, the numbers on that thing were pretty darn intense.

I was going to try and get up when I realized that I was not alone in this room.

There was a girl sitting over in a chair by the window, and she had what looked like a photo album spread across her lap and was flipping through it. Now that I had rested and was quite a bit more sober than I had been before I passed out, I could remember her name.

Momoko…

She didn’t seem to notice that I was awake yet, and so I took the opportunity to quietly study her while I still had the chance. It was strange that I wanted to do so, because I’m not really interested in people as a whole, because for the most part other human beings are annoying and remind me of stupid sheep.

But this girl…

She wasn’t like other girls that I had seen before. I mean, she had arms, and legs, and a head and other… assets like the rest of them, but… there was something else about her. Some quality that made her different. She was beautiful in a very delicate sort of way, and the way the sunlight from the window outlined her body made her look soft and fragile.

I knew better than that, though. Especially after being slapped. The girl had guns in those little arms of hers.

I guess fragile wasn’t really the word to describe her with… She was strong in a quiet and determined sort of way, and she also came off as being extremely intelligent. But you could pretty much get the latter by just looking at her face. Her eyes were sharp and reflected a depth that I didn’t know any one person could contain. And when I had talked to her the day before, she wore this continuous… almost passive expression on her face. She had only gotten expressive when she slapped me, and even then the shock and slight fear that she had displayed then was mild.

I had also gotten the feeling that she analyzed just about everything that went on around her, and so maybe she calculated the emotion she would show before letting anyone else in on how she was feeling at the moment.

It was strange, and yet I could relate. I wasn’t the only one who put up some kind of front. Hers was just much more subtle.

I continued to watch her, and found the activity to be almost addictive. Funny, how just the simple movements her graceful fingers made as they turned the pages of the album had been able to captivate me in such a way. Maybe I wasn’t as sober as I had previously assumed…

Either way, I felt as though if I had to spend the rest of my life laying there, watching her… I’d never get bored.

But it felt strange to me, and so I decided to relieve myself of the awkwardness by alerting her to the fact that I was awake. I sat up in the bed, and immediately regretted the decision because my headache—though much more dull than it had been before—came back as soon as I did, and as a result I felt the nausea return. I could hold as much alcohol as some of the toughest guys I knew, but even so, I’d probably win the award for having some of the worst hangovers ever.

She turned her head to look at me, and closed the photo album as she began to speak.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, but I’m not exactly feeling awesome, either…” My voice was groggy and it sounded terrible, but at least it was working now. “Where am I?”

“This is my cousin… Risako’s apartment. She’s not around right now, but I figured that she wouldn’t mind if I brought you here…”

“I dunno, she seemed ready to hit me with a piece of wood just yesterday…”

Momoko smiled at me. It wasn’t a big one, and I’m not sure if it was really genuine, either. Granted, I’m not the best at understanding people because I tend to be a loner and because I don’t like them very much, but I’m not that stupid. I could tell that something was bothering her. Curious, I decided to try and coax it out of her…

Assuming that she’ll talk to someone like me…

“What were you running away from…?

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, as if she was trying to decide whether or not to share whatever was on her mind… Then she got up from the chair and crawled onto the bed to sit beside me, flipping open the photo album. It was a little bit worn, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary as far as I could tell. Then again, it wasn’t my photo album so it didn’t mean anything to me.

Momoko stopped on a page and moved the album so it was in my lap, too, and she pointed to a particular picture. The image was of a stage, or really, a dancer on a stage in the middle of a performance. The woman in the picture was incredibly pretty, and I had the feeling that I had seen her somewhere before… Not to mention that she reminded me of a slightly older version of the girl sitting right next to me.

“That’s my mom, Tsugunaga Shiori.”

Say… what?

I think my eyes just about popped out of my head. I knew why the woman was so familiar now… Even if you weren’t really into the theatre, if you had lived in this city or happened to merely be passing through, you were going to hear about Shiori-san at least once if not multiple times.

The woman was a freaking legend.

And I was sitting by her daughter.

…Wait, why hadn’t I made the connection before? …Damnit. I felt really stupid at that point for not realizing this fact earlier. Saki was probably already aware of this…

“So you’re not just some normal outsider, then…”

“Well… I guess not, if you want to look at it that way. Then again… this is the first time I’ve been back in this city in several years… It’s nothing like it used to be.”

“You used to live here too, huh…”

“Yeah. But it was a while ago.”

Momoko sighed and closed the album, setting it beside her. That was interesting and all, but… it still didn’t explain why she was so gloomy.

“So were you a performer once, too?”

“Yes… but…”

“But…?”

“It’s really complicated.” Okay, so she wasn’t going to open up that fast. I could respect that, being the same way. “Long story short, though… Things happened with my family, and I moved out of here a few years back. I live by myself out in the country, and the only reason I came back was because of Risako. And it turned out that she tricked me into acting as a replacement for one of the girls in her troupe… which now barely exists because the instructor got hit by a car, and now… I’m trying to hold everything together and I don’t even know why I want to, because I never wanted to dance ever again!”

Whoa. If I wasn’t already lost before, I sure as hell was now. I didn’t know that someone could talk that fast… She was breathing heavily after that little outburst, and so I reached over to pat her gently on the back.

“Breathe, Momoko, breathe…”

“It felt so good to get that out just now… you have no idea.”

Yeah… I bet.

“Okay, so rewind for a moment… let me get all of this straight… you’re going to dance with Sugaya and those other girls… But isn’t the performance only a week or so away?”

“Yeah… that’s why it’s kind of like a race to the finish right now. We have to come up with new songs and new dances because three of the girls quit after hearing the news about the teacher…”

I blinked. Well, of course, THAT would complicate things just a little bit.

“I don’t mean to be rude at all or anything, but… I don’t see what the big deal is. Why don’t you guys just cancel the performance and wait until the teacher has recovered?”

“Well… according to what Risako told me when we were walking yesterday… we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Apparently… the theatre isn’t gaining enough profit anymore. So the people that own it are wanting to shut it down. They’ve basically issued an ultimatum: either attract bigger crowds with this one last shot or it’s over.”

…Alright, so now I guess I understood the gravity of the situation she was in. Or rather, the situation that she had been tricked into. Then again… if this was something she was having to do against her will… why did she seem to care so much? Maybe she was getting more attached to the thing she didn’t want to do anymore than she realized…

“But… why were you running…?”

She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh.

“I… Risako… she was trying to surprise me, but… see, she ended up finding this song… and it’s not just any song… I mean… this is like THE song. It started everything… Mother wrote it… and she performed it. And that’s the reason why that theatre even exists today. It’s the reason why people can dance and sing and play on that stage. And Risako… She asked me if I wanted to… if I wanted to be the one to present that song during the show…”

Ah, now we were getting somewhere.

“It would be a big honor, wouldn’t it…?”

“Yes, but…”

“The responsibilty of it… the weight that it carries for you… you don’t think you can handle it, right?”

She looked at me with those deep, dark eyes of hers and I stared back, trying not to get lost in them. I thought that maybe I saw a little bit of myself reflected in there… Maybe she saw the same thing.

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“And so… you tried to run away from it.”

Momoko didn’t have to say anything. I already understood. Perhaps she and I had more in common than I had originally thought… Maybe people have more to them if you give them a chance.

“But you know… eventually you’ll have to face your problem. Otherwise it’ll just keep haunting you and… running away gets to be really exhausting after a while…”

“…What are you running from, Maasa?”

She said my name. I liked the way it sounded, coming from her. It wasn’t like the annoying nickname that Saki and Maiha pinned on me. It felt like she was treating me like a person, instead of a protector, or a punk, or “that really big, tall girl”.

…or a criminal.

But she had read me well, and I could feel myself putting up those walls again. She was getting in too deep, and was treading into waters that I didn’t want a kind person like her to drown in. Those secrets…  they were already really hard for me to carry… I wouldn’t wish them on anyone else. Saki knew. Maiha knew. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her tortured mind, Chinami knew too… but I don’t think that she would remember anytime soon.

“…I’m a monster.”

I tried to turn my head away, to look anywhere but at those eyes, but her gentle hand stopped me, and I couldn’t escape her gaze.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 22, 2007, 03:24:28 AM
DIBS O__O;

Roffle and Momoko and her guns joke xD

I think I have more of an idea of Maasa's past now. Perhaps she did something so immoral that she's caused herself to close up like that. I think Chinami might've been involved too, considering she's 'the broken one' so to speak.

Maasa kissed Momo! OMG O___O;

I hope Momo carries on with the performance. Shiori's kid and all xD

-cracks whip- Write more!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
Post by: Loser87 on April 22, 2007, 03:24:43 AM
DIBS
*SQUEALS*

>w<
*hugs You!!*
I <33 you so much now!!

WHO CARES ABOUT THE OTHER QUOTES!
ONLY THIS ONE MATTERS!! >w<

Quote
And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.

XoX I am..dying..Can't..Must..Continue...to..LIVE..
To read until the end and..Defeat..FIM...In..war..GAH!!

Feel better my slave if you are like..uberly sick
If not, SUCK IT UP! >=O

*still on your back soooo Continues to pull your ears*
UPDATE!! Or I'll start pulling hair! >;P

O_OO_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O__O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update doofus
*Cracks whip too*
GO MY SLAVE GO!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: Estrea on April 22, 2007, 03:31:17 AM
Whoa Maasa! XDDDD -breaks out the cookies- Here Fimmy! XD

I likey this chapter. ^_^ -ish lazy with my comments-

-sits and waits for more- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: Tanachan on April 22, 2007, 03:45:35 AM
WAAAAAAA~~~~
...
...
...
*starts singing Hyokorri Hyoutanjima*

So sweet! *teeth fall out from cavities* But at the same time...so sad and angsty *is actually crying*

*throws another box, but this time has Momoko and Maasa inside instead of Cheesecake-chan*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: ziggurat on April 22, 2007, 04:16:30 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Insert Maasa monologue here..

I love how you describe her feeling here... It gives out a warm and beautiful feeling.. How she watches Momo's every single movement, how she finds out that she's not bored watching Momo all the time..

:heart:

Quote
“Breathe, Momoko, breathe…”

In a serious conversation with Momo, suddenly I found this part is really funny :D

Quote
And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.

OMG!  :imdead:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: TydusArandor on April 22, 2007, 11:05:12 PM
Oh! I never knew we had this emoticon: :imdead: Oops, okay, back to the chapter <_<;;

When I was reading through the chapter, it was like "yay, Maasa x Momoko! :heart:" and then the last sentence came and it was like "OMFG, MAASA x MOMOKO! :heart: :heart: :heart:" ^^;

I wonder what happened to Maasa in the past? Hmm, I'm sure some time in the future Momoko'll be told (which means we readers will know too, hopefully ^^;; ) Looks like this story is getting really interesting now! (Of course, I don't mean it wasn't interesting before or anything!)

Can't wait for next update ^_^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 23, 2007, 02:05:21 AM
DIBS O__O;

Roffle and Momoko and her guns joke xD

I think I have more of an idea of Maasa's past now. Perhaps she did something so immoral that she's caused herself to close up like that. I think Chinami might've been involved too, considering she's 'the broken one' so to speak.

Maasa kissed Momo! OMG O___O;

I hope Momo carries on with the performance. Shiori's kid and all xD

-cracks whip- Write more!

XD well, I couldn't help it.

You're thinking along some pretty good lines there with those speculations... but you'll have to wait and see.

^-^ You pestered me to do it. XD

There wouldn't be a story if the show didn't go on. lol

-writingwriting-

DIBS
*SQUEALS*

>w<
*hugs You!!*
I <33 you so much now!!

WHO CARES ABOUT THE OTHER QUOTES!
ONLY THIS ONE MATTERS!! >w<

XoX I am..dying..Can't..Must..Continue...to..LIVE..
To read until the end and..Defeat..FIM...In..war..GAH!!

Feel better my slave if you are like..uberly sick
If not, SUCK IT UP! >=O

*still on your back soooo Continues to pull your ears*
UPDATE!! Or I'll start pulling hair! >;P

O_OO_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O__O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update doofus
*Cracks whip too*
GO MY SLAVE GO!!

Haha, I'm so going to beat you. Forget about this secret arsenal of chapters you've got. There's no way. In fact, I don't believe you. PROVE it to me. >D

Whoa Maasa! XDDDD -breaks out the cookies- Here Fimmy! XD

I likey this chapter. ^_^ -ish lazy with my comments-

-sits and waits for more- XD

-snuggles and nibbles on a cookie- You're my favorite, you know? Not mean like Yuu-chan and Loser. <3

WAAAAAAA~~~~
...
...
...
*starts singing Hyokorri Hyoutanjima*

So sweet! *teeth fall out from cavities* But at the same time...so sad and angsty *is actually crying*

*throws another box, but this time has Momoko and Maasa inside instead of Cheesecake-chan*

YAY A BOX WITH MOMOXMAASA IN IT! XD

I love how you describe her feeling here... It gives out a warm and beautiful feeling.. How she watches Momo's every single movement, how she finds out that she's not bored watching Momo all the time..

:heart:

In a serious conversation with Momo, suddenly I found this part is really funny :D

OMG!  :imdead:

^-^ Thanks.

Haha, I can imagine Maasa doing something like that, though.

Lol I'm killing people with that kiss.

Oh! I never knew we had this emoticon: :imdead: Oops, okay, back to the chapter <_<;;

When I was reading through the chapter, it was like "yay, Maasa x Momoko! :heart:" and then the last sentence came and it was like "OMFG, MAASA x MOMOKO! :heart: :heart: :heart:" ^^;

I wonder what happened to Maasa in the past? Hmm, I'm sure some time in the future Momoko'll be told (which means we readers will know too, hopefully ^^;; ) Looks like this story is getting really interesting now! (Of course, I don't mean it wasn't interesting before or anything!)

Can't wait for next update ^_^

Oh noes, my fic has been littered with corpses of my readers... ><;;

You will find out about Maasa.. but it'll be a while. That's all I can say right now. :3

Coming in a few minutes. :3

[Yuu-chaaaaaaaa~n!]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 23, 2007, 02:05:57 AM
WEEEEEEDGE <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 23, 2007, 02:07:10 AM
[Chapter Twenty: Take a Chance With Me]

Risako was concerned. No, well, that was a nice way of putting it. She was worried. Very worried. Forget all that stuff about Momoko being capable of handling herself. She wanted to find her cousin, and she wanted to find her soon, because she wanted to be sure that Momoko was safe and sound. Even though the two of them hadn’t always been together, she was very close to her cousin, and treated her like a best friend or a sister instead.

Their parents had always teased that perhaps they had been separated at birth or something like that.

Miyabi was getting bored with the search, and kept lagging behind to try and mess with Erika, who had taken refuge behind Yurina and her metal crutches. The injured female was starting to get fed up with the evil girl, and it seemed to be taking up all her self-control to keep from hitting Miyabi.

Risako might have found the situation amusing, were she not so intent on finding Momoko.

The small group continued along the streets, stopping under the big, shady umbrella of an empty vendor’s stand in order to allow Yurina to rest a little bit. Risako was still scouring the area with her eyes from where she stood even as they waited there, until a head poked down from on top of the umbrella, obscuring her view.

It was a familiar face, one that was grinning wildly and had a single rose secured in it’s lips, and Risako didn’t know whether to be surprised or to roll her eyes.

“Maiha! Get down from there!”

The flirt only smiled wider and rolled off of the top of the umbrella, landing cat-like on her feet. She took the flower from her mouth, and in one swift move, she was kneeling in front of Risako, holding it out to the other girl.

“Oh, Socko… my love for you burns with-”

“Yes, yes, the white-hot intensity of a bunch of suns, I know. Look, Maiha… can this wait? I’m kind of busy right now.”

“No, dearest, it can’t. I want you to go on a date with me.”

Risako’s face burned as she heard Miyabi giggling from behind her, and she almost wished that she could dig a hole right there in the concrete so that she could bury herself. On the other hand, another part of her wanted to accept that offer… it screamed at her… and she could only do her best to ignore it.

“For the last time, Maiha, no. I won’t go out with you.”

“Oh.” The other female didn’t look at all upset. Rather… like she had planned on Risako saying something like that. “Well, I guess I’ll have to get one of your friends here to have lunch with me tomorrow instead.”

“What?!?”

Maiha sauntered up to Miyabi first, getting her pride stepped on a bit as the evil female only snickered at her.

“Haha, there’s no way. I wouldn’t even bother trying with me.”

“Okaaaaaaaaaaay…” She turned to Yurina, but quickly dismissed the thought. “I’m getting ‘I’ll kill you if you touch me’ vibes from you… so that’s a no go…” And that left…

Erika.

The shyest girl in the troupe found arms around her as she was swung into a low dip, Maiha’s face hovering above her own. It was a rather compromising position she found herself in, and after all that she had been through today—what with enduring Miyabi’s incessant torture and being locked in a closet—this was about all that she could take.

“Ah, such a lovely young lady you are… would you consider accompanying me on a date tomorrow? I’ll take you wherever you like and we’ll go… well… as far as you’ll let me.”

Erika’s face turned a bright shade of crimson, and she began to stutter, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Maiha, put her down before you make her faint or something… We really don’t have time for this!”

Risako seemed genuinely concerned for her troop member’s well-being, but then again, Maiha could also detect tones of jealousy in the younger female’s voice. Which was perfect and just what she wanted. She carefully detached herself from Erika, making sure the tall girl wasn’t going to fall over before she backed away, and then she turned to face Risako.

“What’s got you in such a hurry that there’s no time for me?”

“Momo-chan ran off… I’m afraid that maybe she’s lost somewhere in the city.”

“Oh, well in that case, I’ll help you look for her! I wouldn’t mind seeing that girl again, she had nice-”

“No, Maiha. Not a good idea. Just… go away.”

The flirt was grinning devilishly, and Risako was reminded of Miyabi. Probably because the evil girl was watching all of this take place with a similar expression on her face.

“You know how you can make me go away?”

“How?”

“Say you’ll go out with me.”

“Maiha…”

“It’s just one date, Socko. One date. It won’t kill you, I promise. You might even actually have fun with me.”

I know I’d probably have fun with you, Maiha… That’s what I’m worried about. I like you a lot, you know… probably more than you know…

Risako was getting frustrated. Every minute they wasted there talking about that nonsense was another minute that Momoko could get lost even farther, or worse: something bad could have happened to her. Anything was possible in this city. She groaned, and finally gave up, mumbling a response.

“Fine… I’ll go on a date with you…”

Maiha looked like she was the happiest person in the world right then. She was resisting the urge to jump up and down like a little kid. Instead, she leaned forward to tuck the rose—being careful of the thorns, of course—behind Risako’s ear.

“I’ll find you tomorrow. Don’t forget about it, okay?”

And just like that, as quickly as she had appeared, Maiha was gone again. Risako sighed. It was the kind of sigh that was one-fourths happy, one-fourths relieved, one-fourths aggravated, and one-fourths unsure. A person could express a lot in a sigh, and Risako was an expert in that kind of communication.

Of course, the day wouldn’t have been complete were Miyabi not to start teasing her about it.

“Well, well… your girlfriend is an… interesting person.”

“She’s NOT my girlfriend. Now come on, let’s keep moving. Momoko could be anywhere by now…”

-----------

The sun was starting to set, and the girls still hadn’t spotted the newcomer to their group anywhere. Miyabi wanted to give up, and Miyabi and Erika were starting to get really tired, but still Risako pushed them on. Without Momoko… they didn’t have any hope. And she wasn’t ready to give up hope yet.

She also wasn’t expecting to run into Shimizu Saki, either.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 23, 2007, 02:07:43 AM
Aww! This chapter was so cute!

The scene of Maiha doing the fishy pose with Erika is so hilarious to imagine, Erika's so much taller than Maiha xDDDDDDD

Maiha seems so desperate to get Risako on a date with her, is she really what Risako says and will throw all that away for more women? ;_; Seeing how she hasn't really said "I love you" to her yet, I guess she will throw it away :/

Write faster! -cracks whip multiple times-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: Loser87 on April 23, 2007, 02:14:50 AM
oh My~

I <33 it oh so much
I love it oh so much XD

Are you feeling better though? hn?~
If you are then..*pulls your ears* WORK HARDER!!
If not...*Pulls your ears* GET BETTER!!
O_O

Quotes

Quote
“Oh, Socko… my love for you burns with-”

“Yes, yes, the white-hot intensity of a bunch of suns, I know. Look, Maiha… can this wait? I’m kind of busy right now.”

“No, dearest, it can’t. I want you to go on a date with me.”

Risako’s face burned as she heard Miyabi giggling from behind her, and she almost wished that she could dig a hole right there in the concrete so that she could bury herself. On the other hand, another part of her wanted to accept that offer… it screamed at her… and she could only do her best to ignore it.

*ssexy beast**ssexy beast*
I wanna see RiiXMaiha date >w<
So Hurry up or I'll kick yer ass!

Quote
“Say you’ll go out with me.”

“Maiha…”

“It’s just one date, Socko. One date. It won’t kill you, I promise. You might even actually have fun with me.”

I know I’d probably have fun with you, Maiha… That’s what I’m worried about. I like you a lot, you know… probably more than you know…

Risako was getting frustrated. Every minute they wasted there talking about that nonsense was another minute that Momoko could get lost even farther, or worse: something bad could have happened to her. Anything was possible in this city. She groaned, and finally gave up, mumbling a response.

“Fine… I’ll go on a date with you…”

Haha, Risako knows she wants too XD

Quote
“Well, well… your girlfriend is an… interesting person.”

“She’s NOT my girlfriend. Now come on, let’s keep moving. Momoko could be anywhere by now…”
Not yet anyways XDXDXD

Quote
She also wasn’t expecting to run into Shimizu Saki, either.
*gasp* CONFRONTATION YAY!!!!
HURRY UP AND POST!!~

~C'Mon~ *pokes pokes pokes pokes*
I said hurry up!!
O_O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: ziggurat on April 23, 2007, 02:47:56 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Miyabi was getting bored with the search, and kept lagging behind to try and mess with Erika, who had taken refuge behind Yurina and her metal crutches.

XDDDDD

Quote
It was a familiar face, one that was grinning wildly and had a single rose secured in it’s lips, and Risako didn’t know whether to be surprised or to roll her eyes.

lol Maiha.. casanova!

Somebody please give her a lesson! >w<

Lovey dovey :heart:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 23, 2007, 04:29:09 AM
Argh! I wanted to know about Momo and Maasa! Cliffhangers! Yerg... *retreats to shadowy recesses to await the next chapter* Evil people...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: Estrea on April 23, 2007, 06:12:02 AM
Yay I'm your favorite because I don't threaten you? XD -gives you more cookies- XD

Haha at Maiha being so persistent. ^_^ That move with Erika made me LOL. So...cliched. XD Maiha needs better pickup lines. ;) Can't wait to see her date with her beloved Socko. XD

Now I totally want to see what happens with Miyabi/Saki. Fufufu.

-spreads out a blanket and lies down to wait-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: Tanachan on April 24, 2007, 12:53:56 AM
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

*deathly chokingly hugs you*

Hehe...Maiha flirting with Erika...that's gotta be so funny!

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 24, 2007, 03:09:37 AM
Aww! This chapter was so cute!

The scene of Maiha doing the fishy pose with Erika is so hilarious to imagine, Erika's so much taller than Maiha xDDDDDDD

Maiha seems so desperate to get Risako on a date with her, is she really what Risako says and will throw all that away for more women? ;_; Seeing how she hasn't really said "I love you" to her yet, I guess she will throw it away :/

Write faster! -cracks whip multiple times-

XDD That's what makes it funnier.

You'll just have to wait for the date, now won't you?

Bah, you and yer whip.

oh My~

I <33 it oh so much
I love it oh so much XD

Are you feeling better though? hn?~
If you are then..*pulls your ears* WORK HARDER!!
If not...*Pulls your ears* GET BETTER!!
O_O

Quotes

*ssexy beast**ssexy beast*
I wanna see RiiXMaiha date >w<
So Hurry up or I'll kick yer ass!

Haha, Risako knows she wants too XD
Not yet anyways XDXDXD
*gasp* CONFRONTATION YAY!!!!
HURRY UP AND POST!!~

~C'Mon~ *pokes pokes pokes pokes*
I said hurry up!!
O_O

Ow... It's always tough love with you, isn't it?

XDDDDD

lol Maiha.. casanova!

Somebody please give her a lesson! >w<

Lovey dovey :heart:

That somebody won't be me, because I'm about as romantic as a sock. XD

Argh! I wanted to know about Momo and Maasa! Cliffhangers! Yerg... *retreats to shadowy recesses to await the next chapter* Evil people...

Well, check out this next chapter, then. <3

Yay I'm your favorite because I don't threaten you? XD -gives you more cookies- XD

Haha at Maiha being so persistent. ^_^ That move with Erika made me LOL. So...cliched. XD Maiha needs better pickup lines. ;) Can't wait to see her date with her beloved Socko. XD

Now I totally want to see what happens with Miyabi/Saki. Fufufu.

-spreads out a blanket and lies down to wait-

<33

XDD

It's not lovely, I'll give you that much. :3

... >< Can I sit with yew? ^w^ -begs-

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

*deathly chokingly hugs you*

Hehe...Maiha flirting with Erika...that's gotta be so funny!

-deathchoked- x_x

[wedgecall? anyone?]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 24, 2007, 03:12:34 AM
Well, I can't wait for slowpoke wedges.
This is the longest chapter yet.
It's like 6 3/4 pages in Word. WOO!
Enjoy~!

[Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]

For a few minutes it felt like I was in heaven. I hadn’t expected my first kiss to be so warm and soft… and gentle. Then again, I hadn’t expected that I would get my first kiss that day, either. Or from a girl that I barely knew. Her lips left mine, and she leaned forward so that our foreheads touched, letting out a quiet sigh.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that…”

I smiled, closing my eyes. How somebody could feel so guilty over something like a little kiss was beyond me. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t have pulled away, and to be honest, I hadn’t wanted to. So I was just as ‘guilty’ as she was. I didn’t know what I was doing… and I didn’t know where this was going, but… if this was how it started out then I was curious to see where it might lead.

“You regret it already…? I didn’t think that I would be that bad at kissing…”

“N-no… it’s not that… it was nice…”

I was glad she couldn’t see my face just then, because I’m pretty sure it was getting pretty pink right there. However, I waited for the ‘but…’ that was sure to come. Those ‘buts’, always shoving themselves in where they weren’t wanted.

“But… I’m not sure that I want anything to happen here… So… I’m sorry, I didn’t want to send out mixed signals like this. I really shouldn’t have done that.”

She sat back up straight again, moving away from me. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so disappointed if she wasn’t so… wonderful. She was being very honest with me, but I think that the conflict that I held in my eyes was reflected in hers. Though she was telling the truth… she was holding back something, too. Obviously, she had a reason for putting up these walls and pushing me away…

There wasn’t much I could do but respect that and leave it alone, no matter how confused I was at the moment. This wasn’t the time or place to get into a relationship with anyone, anyway. I had too many things on my mind already, and I wasn’t here to stay…

Maasa got up off of the bed and staggered a little bit as she stood on her own two feet again. Anyone else might have been concerned, and I was, but I was able to read her well enough to know that she would probably refuse any help that I would try to offer, and so I just watched her silently.

“Are you leaving now?”

Of course you are…

“I think I’m going to go check up on Saki.”

A lie, but… I don’t belong in this place here with you.

“Be careful, then…”

I’ll probably never see you again… will I?

“Yeah, I will. Oh, but one more thing… About that song… the one your mom came up with? I think you should go for it. Don’t let the past keep you from moving ahead in the future.”

Maybe… I should take my own advice sometime.

“…I’ll think about it. Goodbye, Maasa.”

Goodbye, Momoko.

I sat there as she closed the door behind her without a word, and I pulled one of the pillows next to me in my lap, hugging it for comfort. The photo album lay open in front of me, and I reached forward to trace my fingers tentatively across the picture of my mother.

Would you have believed in me, too, Mom?

I gathered up what remained of my determination and courage, and hopped off of the bed, leaving the apartment to go and find the rest of the troupe.

------------

“Ah- Risako-chan…”

Even though some part of Saki was happy to see her old friends again… another part of her was telling her to run as fast as she could in order to get away from them. Unfortunately, there was a problem. Miyabi had already spotted her, and was giving her the most venomous look that she could muster.

“You don’t have the right to speak to her any more… or any of the rest of us, for that matter. What are you doing here?”

Miyabi’s voice was cold, and her words definitely cut into Saki’s heart, but she preferred them to the silent treatment.

“…I live in this city, and I was just taking a walk… Is there a problem with that?”

“Where have you been for the past two years, then?”

It was the question. The one that Saki had been waiting for. The one that she knew she couldn’t answer without expecting this girl to be angry at her. She deserved all of this hatred, though, she supposed… after all, she had been the one to walk away.

“I’ve been here.”

“I haven’t seen you once since before yesterday, so I’m not sure that I believe you.”
“Well, for one thing, I didn’t want to be found, so that was kind of the point, and for another, why does it matter to you, Miyabi?”

“Because I want to know if I’m going to have to avoid seeing your face again.”

Another sharp dart, laced with poison. But no matter how badly it hurt, Saki wouldn’t lash back out at the other girl. It simply wasn’t her way. She would take the hits everytime and then try to move on. But… how much more would she… or could she take? Not anymore today, that was for sure. She had other things to worry about.

“Don’t worry about that… I’ll make sure to stay out of your way, if that’s what you want.” She mumbled quietly, walking past Miyabi and making sure not to make eye contact. As she was leaving, however, she felt a gentle hand grab onto her wrist, and every ounce of her being hoped that it might have been Miyabi.

Turning around to see Risako’s kind face wasn’t bad, either. The younger girl said nothing, but Saki could see something like forgiveness in those eyes, and as she glanced at Yurina and Erika, she saw that they were mirroring the same expression.

At least, not everyone hates me…

She smiled sadly at them, before continuing on, wanting to put all of that behind her. Once she was gone, Miyabi immediately turned on the youngest member of the troupe.

“What the HELL did you do THAT for? You’re going to make her think that everything’s okay now, and it’s NOT, Risako.”

“You’re the only one who had a problem with her leaving, Miya…”

“Because she dropped everything that was important to her and abandoned us! We were at the top of our game and we lost our best performer, and for what? Oh, that’s right, we don’t know, because she didn’t have an explanation, so that must mean there’s no freakin’ reason at all.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And YOU do?”

Risako was doing an impressive job of standing up to the intimidating Miyabi, and even though she was frightened of the other girl, she wouldn’t dare back down now.

“I trust Saki-chan. I don’t need to know the reasons why she does what she does. She’s my friend, and I’ll love her anyway. And honestly, I think you’re mad because something happened to you personally, and so you’re trying to take it out on the rest of us because you didn’t get what you wanted-”

The force of the slap was enough to knock Risako to the ground, and the sound of it echoed off of the buildings nearby. Risako didn’t know that something could sting so badly, and she felt her eyes begin to water. Miyabi was standing over her now, and after receiving such a blow, the younger girl had started to tremble.

“Don’t ever talk to me like that again. You don’t know what happened, and so you have no business talking about it like that. I’m still the leader of this group, and so I’m going to treat the lot of you however I want to. Oh, and guess what? You have your beloved Saki to thank for that, too, because if she hadn’t left, you wouldn’t be in this mess. How does that make you feel, Rii-chan? Hm? It kind of sucks to think about it that way, doesn’t it? Suddenly, Saki’s not so great anymore, huh.”

Risako was crying now, but she still had a little bit of fight left in her, and she managed to glare up at the older girl through her tears.

“You’ll never be even a fraction of the person she is…”

The younger girl flinched as she saw Miyabi’s hand swing back again, but something stopped her from slapping Risako a second time.

That something was me.

I had my hand closed tight around Natsuyaki’s wrist, and even though I wanted really badly to pull backwards and send the girl sprawling to the ground, I am a better person than that. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t entirely there thanks to what had happened with Maasa. Either way, I was willing to negotiate before I sent my new rival into a world of pain.

“Touch her again and you’ll regret it, Natsuyaki.”

“Let go of me, Tsugunaga.” She replied, through gritted teeth. I wasn’t exactly feeling threatened, though. More like, amused, because try as she might she couldn’t get her arm free of my grasp. Oh, and she had stopped using my nickname as an insult, I guess.

Which was good, because I didn’t like to hear it coming out of her mouth.

“I’ll let go of you when I’m good and ready.”

Just to emphasize my point, I twisted the girl’s arm so that it was pinned up against her back, and she let out a yelp of surprise and pain.

“Now, I don’t know what’s going on over here… I don’t really need to know, because it doesn’t really matter. But, I couldn’t help but overhear that you think that you’re still leading this group. And while that’s fine and nice and all, I’m here to inform you that a leader doesn’t treat her group like this. So if you insist on acting like this towards them, I’m going to let you know right now that I will step up and intervene. So grow up, or get out of my way. As much as I don’t want to say it, as a part of this group, you are needed. And if you don’t get your act together, it could be the end of this. All of this. The theatre… this group… your dream… everything. And you know I’m right.”

Natsuyaki had stopped struggling halfway into my speech, and I could tell that she was listening and thinking hard about what I had to say. Good, it meant that maybe I had knocked some sense into her. I let go of her hand, and watched as she let it drop limply to her side.

“We’re going to keep on working hard for this show. No matter what. I ran off today… but it won’t happen again. I am just an outsider… and I’ll leave once this is over. But until then, I’m committed. And I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure that the theatre doesn’t get closed down.”

I walked over to Risako and bent down to help her up. Her cheek was red, and she was looking at me through bleary eyes. I wiped a tear off of her face with my thumb, and smiled at her in a reassuring way. Then I turned to the rest of the group.

“Go home. Get some sleep. Forget about what happened today, because tomorrow we’re starting this thing for real. And be ready for some serious work.”

I got nothing but silence for a reply, but I could tell that we were all in agreement, albeit a reluctant one. I nodded, and then tugged Risako along behind me to leave.

I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep at this point.

What a rough day…

------------

“I’m really sorry about it you know…”

“Go to sleep, Risako-chan…”

I felt the bed shift as she sat up beside me, and I groaned and rolled over, burying my head beneath a pillow to try and block her out.

“No. I’m not sleeping until I know for sure that you forgive me.”

“I wasn’t even mad at you to begin with…”

There wasn’t a reply, and so I wondered if she had even heard me through the pillow. Considering that this was Risako I was talking about, probably not. I sighed and sat up as well, turning to look at her.

“Listen… I’m not mad at you for what you did today, and I never was. When I got upset… it wasn’t about you… it was because of the weight… the pressure that I felt at that moment… well, it was just too overwhelming for me to handle. That’s why I ran out, okay?”

“I know, and I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, I swear, I just thought that-”

I held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks.

“You thought it would be nice to offer. And it was. I just didn’t know how to handle what you had given me… but… when I got away… and had time to think about it… I think I’m going to go ahead and do the solo. But only if the others are okay with it.”

She gave me a toothy grin, and I knew just then that I would never hear the end of it.

“Oh, I already talked to them about it when we were looking for it. Even Miya seemed to be interested in the idea… but I don’t know if her opinion’s changed since you gave her a good talkin’ to… By the way, where did that come from. You were so awesome out there, Momo-chan…”

I know, I know. I can be much too amazing for my own good sometimes. It didn’t hurt to hear it from someone else for a change, though.

“She hurt you… and nobody’s going to treat you like that when I’m around.”

Especially not when I’m around. I had a feeling that that wasn’t the first time Natsuyaki had bullied my cousin, either. She and I would be having a long talk if she tried to pull something like that again.

Risako smiled at me again, before laying her head back down on her pillow.

Finally… maybe now I can get some sleep.

I rolled back over, getting all situated and comfortable again, and was ready to let sleep claim me in order to escape from the thoughts racing through my mind. …That’s when she started to talk again.

“…So what made you change your mind?”

I really didn’t want to discuss this with her or anyone just yet… But since I had my back to her, and she couldn’t see me… I let a little smile creep onto my lips.

“Oh, nothing… just a random change of heart, I suppose.”

“With you? There has to be something more.”

“Okay then, how about you tell me where you got that rose that’s sitting on the table over there?”

“Goodnight, Momo-chan!”

Haha, good night, Risako.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Loser87 on April 24, 2007, 03:32:51 AM
DIBS

WHOO-HOO~
I Finally get first comment!
Well, that was a nice long read
What you can't handle tough love doofus?
Fine, I'll be 'nice' in today's post since you did an uberly good job  :heart: :heart:

I thought I'd be unable to quote this chapter because as soon as I finished reading it, I got all speechless and all sorta' drooly amazed XD
But, I managed and I managed to quote like a crazy person =O

Quotation time!! YAY!!

Quote
For a few minutes it felt like I was in heaven. I hadn’t expected my first kiss to be so warm and soft… and gentle. Then again, I hadn’t expected that I would get my first kiss that day, either. Or from a girl that I barely knew. Her lips left mine, and she leaned forward so that our foreheads touched, letting out a quiet sigh.

~Meet the mushiness that is me~
That was so mushy and cute and *Squeelin'* that you made me as mushy as a sponge cake o_o ew..

Quote
“I probably shouldn’t have done that…”

I smiled, closing my eyes. How somebody could feel so guilty over something like a little kiss was beyond me. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t have pulled away, and to be honest, I hadn’t wanted to. So I was just as ‘guilty’ as she was. I didn’t know what I was doing… and I didn’t know where this was going, but… if this was how it started out then I was curious to see where it might lead.

MomoxMaasa is so cute of a couple >w<
Why must you be so good at squishy mushy sweet oh so sweet scenes?!

Quote
“You regret it already…? I didn’t think that I would be that bad at kissing…”

XDXDXD Momochi rules

Quote
I was glad she couldn’t see my face just then, because I’m pretty sure it was getting pretty pink right there. However, I waited for the ‘but…’ that was sure to come. Those ‘buts’, always shoving themselves in where they weren’t wanted.

“But… I’m not sure that I want anything to happen here… So… I’m sorry, I didn’t want to send out mixed signals like this. I really shouldn’t have done that.”

Aww ;+;...Come on, it'll work out!! *huggles momochi and maasa* ;+; poor young couples in love!

Quote
“Ah- Risako-chan…”

Even though some part of Saki was happy to see her old friends again… another part of her was telling her to run as fast as she could in order to get away from them. Unfortunately, there was a problem. Miyabi had already spotted her, and was giving her the most venomous look that she could muster.

Confrontation, confrontation, outch outch outch >_o;;

Quote
“You don’t have the right to speak to her any more… or any of the rest of us, for that matter. What are you doing here?”

Miyabi’s voice was cold, and her words definitely cut into Saki’s heart, but she preferred them to the silent treatment.

That was harsh >x<;; outchies...

Quote
“Where have you been for the past two years, then?”

It was the question. The one that Saki had been waiting for. The one that she knew she couldn’t answer without expecting this girl to be angry at her. She deserved all of this hatred, though, she supposed… after all, she had been the one to walk away.

“I’ve been here.”

“I haven’t seen you once since before yesterday, so I’m not sure that I believe you.”
“Well, for one thing, I didn’t want to be found, so that was kind of the point, and for another, why does it matter to you, Miyabi?”

“Because I want to know if I’m going to have to avoid seeing your face again.”

Stinging, burning, outchies! >xO But must continue,...Gotta..KNOW...What..Happens..NEXT!! O+O

Quote
Another sharp dart, laced with poison. But no matter how badly it hurt, Saki wouldn’t lash back out at the other girl. It simply wasn’t her way. She would take the hits everytime and then try to move on. But… how much more would she… or could she take? Not anymore today, that was for sure. She had other things to worry about.

“Don’t worry about that… I’ll make sure to stay out of your way, if that’s what you want.” She mumbled quietly, walking past Miyabi and making sure not to make eye contact. As she was leaving, however, she felt a gentle hand grab onto her wrist, and every ounce of her being hoped that it might have been Miyabi.

Turning around to see Risako’s kind face wasn’t bad, either. The younger girl said nothing, but Saki could see something like forgiveness in those eyes, and as she glanced at Yurina and Erika, she saw that they were mirroring the same expression.

The better person of it all  :farofflook:
*Sigh* I love your portrayal of Captain >w<

Quote
“What the HELL did you do THAT for? You’re going to make her think that everything’s okay now, and it’s NOT, Risako.”

“You’re the only one who had a problem with her leaving, Miya…”

“Because she dropped everything that was important to her and abandoned us! We were at the top of our game and we lost our best performer, and for what? Oh, that’s right, we don’t know, because she didn’t have an explanation, so that must mean there’s no freakin’ reason at all.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And YOU do?”

Risako was doing an impressive job of standing up to the intimidating Miyabi, and even though she was frightened of the other girl, she wouldn’t dare back down now.

“I trust Saki-chan. I don’t need to know the reasons why she does what she does. She’s my friend, and I’ll love her anyway. And honestly, I think you’re mad because something happened to you personally, and so you’re trying to take it out on the rest of us because you didn’t get what you wanted-”

Oh boy, Major tension building up between Miyabi and Risako
I knew it wasn't going to end well with them >x<;;

Quote
The force of the slap was enough to knock Risako to the ground, and the sound of it echoed off of the buildings nearby. Risako didn’t know that something could sting so badly, and she felt her eyes begin to water. Miyabi was standing over her now, and after receiving such a blow, the younger girl had started to tremble.

“Don’t ever talk to me like that again. You don’t know what happened, and so you have no business talking about it like that. I’m still the leader of this group, and so I’m going to treat the lot of you however I want to. Oh, and guess what? You have your beloved Saki to thank for that, too, because if she hadn’t left, you wouldn’t be in this mess. How does that make you feel, Rii-chan? Hm? It kind of sucks to think about it that way, doesn’t it? Suddenly, Saki’s not so great anymore, huh.”

Risako was crying now, but she still had a little bit of fight left in her, and she managed to glare up at the older girl through her tears.

“You’ll never be even a fraction of the person she is…”

The younger girl flinched as she saw Miyabi’s hand swing back again, but something stopped her from slapping Risako a second time.

 :stoned: :shock: :OMG: :frustrated:  :depressed: :gyaaah: :tantrum: :pleeease: :err: :fainted: <---My range of emotion felt when reading this part in that order, I think that's enough said =+=''

Quote
I had my hand closed tight around Natsuyaki’s wrist, and even though I wanted really badly to pull backwards and send the girl sprawling to the ground, I am a better person than that. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t entirely there thanks to what had happened with Maasa. Either way, I was willing to negotiate before I sent my new rival into a world of pain.

“Touch her again and you’ll regret it, Natsuyaki.”

“Let go of me, Tsugunaga.” She replied, through gritted teeth. I wasn’t exactly feeling threatened, though. More like, amused, because try as she might she couldn’t get her arm free of my grasp. Oh, and she had stopped using my nickname as an insult, I guess.

Which was good, because I didn’t like to hear it coming out of her mouth.

“I’ll let go of you when I’m good and ready.”

Just to emphasize my point, I twisted the girl’s arm so that it was pinned up against her back, and she let out a yelp of surprise and pain.

Holy mighty cheesecakes! Momochi kicks major booty! OxO!!!

Quote
What a rough day…

No kidding! >_<;;

Quote
“I’m really sorry about it you know…”

“Go to sleep, Risako-chan…”

Aww Risako is so cute >w< She still felt bad about before! >w<

Quote
“…So what made you change your mind?”

*cough*Maasa*cough* <_<;;

Quote
“Oh, nothing… just a random change of heart, I suppose.”
liar, liar pants on fire!! Sort of ;;>_>

Quote
“With you? There has to be something more.”

“Okay then, how about you tell me where you got that rose that’s sitting on the table over there?”

“Goodnight, Momo-chan!”

Haha, good night, Risako.

XDXDXD PWND!!!!

Phew! THAT was long!
I practically quoted the entire chapter!
But that's good, it means I enjoyed the chapter a lot!

Now, I expect you to update soon, please with a cherry on top!
If you do I just might treat you to some ice cream~ =]
(See I can be nice and I guess sweet but, if you prefer evil me...)

Evil me-mode!!

*Grabs your cheeks and pulls really, really hard*
I SAID UPDATE FASTER YOU BAFOON!!
YOU TOOK THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' DAY YOU DOOFUS!!
WHAT KINDA' QUICK UPDATE IS THAT!?
NOW GET BACK TO WORK! YAH YAH!!

*kicks your butt and cracks my whip*
MUSH!
*throws a typical obese New York child at you*
TAKE THAT!

*gives you the Mighty EVIL STARE!*
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O

*Throws some radioactive kitties at your head*

~ UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!

~YAH!! >;P
Fufufufufufufu...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Estrea on April 24, 2007, 04:42:43 AM
Of course you can sit down next to me! XD

Mmhmm Maasa was all nice about it. :D Nice person, right there. Something's chaining her back, and I don't like it. I'm sure you have a way to resolve it though, so I'll wait around and see how you handle it for now. ^_^

Gah Miyabi needs to get over the whole "Saki abandoned me!" thing. Sure, she said Saki abandoned "us", but I'm fairly sure she means "me". XD Evil, isn't she? Hitting Risako like that o_o. Luckily Momo stopped the next one. Strong girl, our Momo-chan. XD

Still looking forward to the Maiha/Risako date, when it happens. XD

-hands you some tea- I think it goes well with all the cookies I gave you. :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 24, 2007, 05:20:26 AM
Awesome Momoko! I have official like for her now. I was hoping that maybe Maasa would consider giving Momo a go and maybe open up to her a little, even if just as friends. Then again, I'm kinda glad you didn't go that route.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Tanachan on April 24, 2007, 11:41:17 PM
That was soo wet and mushy. Like a pool of sponges!
...
...
...
*jumps into pool and splashes sponge on everyone*

But yeah...I feel so sorry for Maasa and Miya! Both heartbroken...makes me think of someone I know...
But Momo holding down Miya...that's gotta be hard...she's probably off the ground holding onto Miya for dear life xD

*throws the YuriChina box*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 25, 2007, 03:09:39 AM
I'm too tired to fully reply to these quotes so I'm probably just going to write little snippets of stuff. XD

-Master wrote nice and awesome things in here for once and it made me really happy. :3-

Yar, BUT YOU'RE STILL GOING TO LOSE!

-Estrea's my favorite, and we can have a picnic together with the cookies and the tea and other nice things. <3 And Yuu-chan and Loser can't come. >D-

Risako/Maiha date probably will come in the chapter after next. :3

Awesome Momoko! I have official like for her now. I was hoping that maybe Maasa would consider giving Momo a go and maybe open up to her a little, even if just as friends. Then again, I'm kinda glad you didn't go that route.

Momochi owns us all. <3 Well, if I had gone that way it wouldn't be as much fun. XD

-Tanachan writes cool stuff and throws me neat things. I like that. <3-

YURICHINABOX! :D

[wedgecall]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 25, 2007, 03:10:23 AM
Wedge answer!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 25, 2007, 03:11:48 AM
[Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who’s Back?]

“Airin, you’re fidgeting.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t help it… You know how much I hate the dark… there are probably bugs and all sorts of other detestable things back here…”

“One would think you would be used to detestable things by now.”

Two pairs of eyes peered out at the city from the back of a shadowed alleyway, watching the civilians who were passing by, going about their own business. The eyes belonged to two females, both of whom had this dangerous sort of aura about them.

The younger, more restless one was crouched down beside a rotting wooden crate, so that her body was partially obscured by it, and she would be harder to spot. The girl had this anxious, shifty expression on her face, as if she had done something wrong and wanted to keep moving in order to avoid the consequences. She was slightly dirty, but that was mostly from the nature of the travel she and her partner had done over the past few weeks.

Beside her stood a taller, slightly older girl who didn’t seem to mind at all if she was seen by any passers-by. She had dark, wavy hair that settled on her shoulders, and was actually rather stunning, which was why she looked out of place standing in such a shady part of the city. Unlike her partner, she exuded a sense of both calm and patience.

“We’re so close now I can taste it…”

“I can’t believe they wanted to keep on running the place after what we did. Pretty gutsy…”

“That’s the thing about hope, Airin… If you don’t completely smother it, that little flicker that remains can always roar back into a brighter flame…”

“What are we going to do about it, Miracle?”

The elder of the two looked down at her partner, a twisted smirk turning her otherwise beautiful face into something warped and horrible.

“There’s more than one way to put out a flame… Personally… I prefer suffocation to the other methods… But… I think that I want to manipulate this particular flame before rubbing it out… make it burn for something much more… beneficial. Before we steal away the oxygen it needs to live.”

A similar expression passed across the younger female’s face, and she was starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her head.

“It’ll be so nice to see Sudou-chan again… I’m sure that she’s missed you terribly.”

“Yes… but patience. All of this will happen in good time, Airin… all in good time.”

------------

I can’t believe they took away my car…

Miyabi was in a horrible, agitated mood. Her parents had taken away her driving priveleges for a week, once they had noticed the scratches and slight dents on its’ surface, most of which had been acquired the day before. Apparently, she wasn’t taking good enough care of what she owned, and so she had to be punished like this. She had tried to argue, but her father had told her that since she hadn’t been the one to buy the car, and since she wasn’t the one making the payments on it, she had no say in the matter, and it would be left at that.

It wasn’t that she really minded walking… she usually did that anyway. She just didn’t think it was right that she had to be punished for something so small and insignificant. Miyabi felt bad for Yurina at first—or as bad as one could feel for the person they had previously injured—but she had called Erika, and the quiet female had said that she would take care of things somehow.

The prodigy continued along the sidewalk, kicking at any rock or small thing that had the misfortune of straying into her path. It was so nice to start the day out like that. Especially with her mind and thoughts being so conflicted from yesterday… Really, her foul mood was actually understandable.

She was coming up on the small makeshift stage that the street performers frequented, and could see Saki sitting there on the edge of it, waiting for a crowd to draw near. Seeing that girl again for the third day in a row only grated on her nerves. And she needed someone to siphon off her feelings into, so the dancer would have to do.

Miyabi walked over to Saki, fully intent on verbally tearing the girl apart. That is… she was… until the dancer became aware of her presence there, and regarded her with a worn, tired gaze. The small female didn’t look as though she had slept at all the night before, and Miyabi felt a pang of guilt tug at her inside.

Why do I feel sorry… for you?

“…what do you want?”

The tone Saki was using wasn’t angry, or impatient, or accusing… she sounded exhausted, and that only made Miyabi feel even worse. She didn’t really know what to say… or to think at that point.

What do I want?

“I don’t know… but… there’s still something here… isn’t there?”

Saki lifted her head a little bit, looking at the prodigy thoughtfully. She didn’t need to ask what the other girl meant because she already knew. Even if they weren’t on the best of terms… nobody knew Miyabi like she did… and vice versa. She let out a little sigh before replying. Who knew saying just one word took up so much energy?

“…Yes.”

“And you still want it, just like I do.”

“…do you?”

“…Yeah. I guess I do. I still think about you everyday… Even if sometimes it makes me sick, or angry, or…” She faltered for a little bit there, unable to say what she was thinking in her mind.

Even if sometimes I sit in my room and cry until I fall asleep…

“…But… I’m not going to let myself get hurt by you again. When you decide that… or if you want to fix things… You know where to find me… Sakitan…”

Without another word, Miyabi continued past the smaller female on towards the theatre.

------------

The voices were being exceptionally loud today. Perhaps after getting the same amount of rest that she had, they were feeling a bit more chatty. It was starting to give her a headache, the way they clouded her thoughts and mind, and she almost wondered if maybe it would have been a better idea to just stay behind at the Loft and sleep the rest of the day.

But no. She was on a mission. She wanted to talk to Yurina again… To sit in that tree and listen to the soothing music that the elegant girl could produce from her fingertips… everytime it was heaven. And she wanted to feel that sense of normalcy return again… even though she knew it would be brief.

Plus… there was one more thing. It was a letter…

She had written it by herself, without Saki’s help… during those brief moments when she entered back into reality. At first, she had worried that she would forget everytime the madness came to claim her again, but miraculously, the words would always come, and she had managed to capture them on paper.

And after several long hours… she had finished it, and was satisfied.

Her plan was to slip it under Yurina’s door after they were done talking for the day, so that the girl might find it before she went to bed, or whenever she happened to walk around the room.

She hadn’t expected the tall female not to be there when she arrived…

Chinami peered through the dust-covered window… nothing. The house was empty. Surely nothing horrible had happened there, for there were no signs of a struggle or anything like that, but… if Yurina was alright… where would she go? Had she found something better to do with her time…?

…Does she not want to talk to me anymore?

The broken girl just didn’t understand it. Yurina was usually waiting eagerly for her to show up… So why wasn’t she there today?

Maybe she’s mad because I wasn’t there yesterday… Maybe I upset her…

That idea tore at Chinami’s already worn out heart. She didn’t want to do anything to hurt the person that she cared about most… She clutched the letter to her chest, managing to make a decision somewhere within the crazed signals of her mind.

…I hope that this will fix whatever I’ve done…

Chinami shoved the envelope under Yurina’s door, taking care to make sure that it was fully inside the house. She took one last glance around her before darting off out of sight, unaware of where her feet would take her next.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Loser87 on April 25, 2007, 03:12:19 AM
Dibs

Whoo 2x's in a row I get to be first to comment! XD
Well this was an uberly sweet chapter all together, The only complainin' I got is You update way too late at night!
UPDATE EARLIER!

Now for quotes =]

Quote
“Airin, you’re fidgeting.”
Airi!! <33

Quote
Beside her stood a taller, slightly older girl who didn’t seem to mind at all if she was seen by any passers-by. She had dark, wavy hair that settled on her shoulders, and was actually rather stunning, which was why she looked out of place standing in such a shady part of the city. Unlike her partner, she exuded a sense of both calm and patience.
At first I guessed Maimi

Quote
“What are we going to do about it, Miracle?”
But I guessed wrong obviously XDXD

Quote
“There’s more than one way to put out a flame… Personally… I prefer suffocation to the other methods… But… I think that I want to manipulate this particular flame before rubbing it out… make it burn for something much more… beneficial. Before we steal away the oxygen it needs to live.”
And You made koharu quite cynical now =O

Quote
“It’ll be so nice to see Sudou-chan again… I’m sure that she’s missed you terribly.”

“Yes… but patience. All of this will happen in good time, Airin… all in good time.”
oh? and Maasa knows them, maybe they're the ones who framed her =O

Quote
I can’t believe they took away my car…
GOOD! You suck at driving anyways! >_>

Quote
Why do I feel sorry… for you?

“…what do you want?”

The tone Saki was using wasn’t angry, or impatient, or accusing… she sounded exhausted, and that only made Miyabi feel even worse. She didn’t really know what to say… or to think at that point.

What do I want?
It's rabu and you want the rabu <33

Quote
“I don’t know… but… there’s still something here… isn’t there?”
:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

Quote
Even if sometimes I sit in my room and cry until I fall asleep…

“…But… I’m not going to let myself get hurt by you again. When you decide that… or if you want to fix things… You know where to find me… Sakitan…”

 :( :( :( :(

Quote
She had written it by herself, without Saki’s help… during those brief moments when she entered back into reality. At first, she had worried that she would forget everytime the madness came to claim her again, but miraculously, the words would always come, and she had managed to capture them on paper.
HOORAY FOR CHINAMI!! >w<
Finally you mention Chinami again >:[

Quote
She hadn’t expected the tall female not to be there when she arrived…

Chinami peered through the dust-covered window… nothing. The house was empty. Surely nothing horrible had happened there, for there were no signs of a struggle or anything like that, but… if Yurina was alright… where would she go? Had she found something better to do with her time…?
Aww poor Chinami ;+;

Quote
Maybe she’s mad because I wasn’t there yesterday… Maybe I upset her…

That idea tore at Chinami’s already worn out heart. She didn’t want to do anything to hurt the person that she cared about most… She clutched the letter to her chest, managing to make a decision somewhere within the crazed signals of her mind.

…I hope that this will fix whatever I’ve done…
it gets better! I hope ;+;

I'll edit this post tomorrow, I'm a bit tired and wanna sleep too <33
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 25, 2007, 03:12:59 AM
Dibs for second xD

Airi and Koharu have something to do with Maasa? I'd imagine they were involved with her traumatizing past o_o;

I knew it. When Miyabi and Saki are alone, Miyabi shows that side of her that still loves her beloved Captain-chan xD Though with others, like last chapter, she keeps on a bitchy front xD

Awww! Chinami ;___;

PS. Still looking forward to Risako and Maiha's date :]

-wraps whip around your neck and places foot on your back- keep writing deary <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who's Back?]
Post by: Estrea on April 25, 2007, 03:40:32 AM
Awww Miyabi is soft with Captain when the others aren't around. XD You know you wub Captain, just cave in and grab her. XD

Hmm what will Airi and Koharu do to Maasa? All that talk about suffocating and manipulation and what-not...o_o; Should we fear for Maasa's safety and sanity? x_x

Hmm Chinami's condition seems familiar. I read about it somewhere before. Let's hope she doesn't get into trouble wandering around like that. :S Poor girl...

And now we wait eagerly for the Risako/Maiha date. XD

And yay for tea party. -prepares sweets and sandwiches- You get more if you write more. ^_^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who's Back?]
Post by: Tanachan on April 25, 2007, 10:50:30 PM
Yay! *delivers SakiMiya box*

Ah...Koha is actually philosophical...daaaaaaaaaang...

And HA MIYA! JUST DESSERTS FOR YOU! *points and laughs*

Maybe a little bit too much...*gets SakiMiya cake, pops in the tape he made of Heartbeat tempo, and breaks down eating and crying like a depressed teenage girl*

Awwww China-cha~n! *hugs Chinami, who happens to be his birthday twin*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who's Back?]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 26, 2007, 03:14:09 AM
I'm not sure what to say about this chapter. I read it, took it in, and thought it was good for set-up. I felt worried for Maasa, and something for Saki and Miyabi, and a little scared for Chinami. What else?

Post another chapter soon, I guess.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who's Back?]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 26, 2007, 03:35:00 AM
Tired. Had to clean house. >< Terribly sick.
No time for comments. But I love all of you anyway. <3
This is short... and I'm not entirely happy with it...
But the next chapter will be better, I swear.

[Chapter Twenty-Three – Finally Getting Something Done…]

“One, two, three, four…”

I was watching the rest of the group run through the choreography for our newest song, counting off aloud to keep them together. Practice had been running very smoothly… so far…

It was called “Dokusenyoku”. Risako had pulled it out of that dusty old library when she returned to get my mother’s song, and thought perhaps it would be interesting to try. Yurina had taken one look at the music, and had been able to play and modify it to her liking within a matter of minutes. And while it was easy for her… the steps that Natsuyaki and I had come up with were complicated.

Umeda had picked up on the routine fairly quickly after watching me do it a couple of times… but Risako…
She was having trouble keeping up. Perhaps we were making progress faster than she was used to moving. Either way, she was behind during the entire routine, and I noticed that she was starting to look extremely frustrated with herself.

Before I could stop the three of them in order to address this problem, however… a bigger one surfaced.

“OW! What the HELL, Risako?!”

“DAMN IT!”

“Y-you guys are making it hard to breathe being on top of me like this…”

I hadn’t so much as blinked, and the girls were in a pile on top of each other, having turned what had previously been a formation into a tangled mess of limbs and bodies. Risako had misstepped again, tripping over her own feet to collide with Natsuyaki, who in turn toppled over on top of Umeda. The domino effect. It might have been humorous… were we not so pressed for time…

“Alright everyone… let’s take a little break then… Five minutes. Get something to drink and cool off and we’ll come back and do it again.”

Risako remained there on the floor as the other two detached themselves from her person, and I walked over and crouched down beside her. She was upset, and I could tell that much before she even started speaking.

“I just can’t get it… It’s different from the stuff Takahashi-san made us do… this is… harder.”

“We can tone the steps down a bit if we need to, Risako-chan… That-”

She interrupted me, shaking her head vigorously.

“No. It’s really, really good. I don’t want it to change… I just want to get it right. You can do it… so I want to be able to do it too.”

Ever since we were children, Risako had always placed me on some sort of untouchable pedastal, as if I were the best of the best. She considered me to be the standard that she wanted to reach, and would always try to emulate the things that I did. And while it was flattering… I thought she was just fine the way that she was. Because Risako had things that I didn’t. She was constantly happy, and outgoing, and could make friends with almost anyone.

The one thing that we shared, though, was our determination, and I saw that flame burning in her eyes just then. It made me smile.

“You will. Do you want me to dance with you this time?”

She smiled back at me, relieved, and gave a small nod. At that point, Natsuyaki and Umeda had returned, and I helped my cousin to her feet so that we could start again. At least, that was the intent, before…

“Oh, laaaaaaadies~! Do you think you could help meeeeee~? I’m looking for my dearly beloved Socko-chan… Have any of you seen her?”

An intruder had wandered into the theatre. The flirt that was so enamored with my cousin was standing in front of the stage, looking up at us with a wolfish grin. Risako looked like she wanted to jump off and strangle the other girl, and I couldn’t help but watch, extremely amused by this turn of events.

“Go away, Maiha! We’re in the middle of practice!”

“Oh, but darling, you owe me a date, remember? …I told you I’d come and get you, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but this is sort of an inappropriate time…”

Oh no, you aren’t going to slide out of this THAT easily, Risako. I saw it fit to cut into the conversation at that point, so that I could help the situation along.

“What are you talking about, Risako-chan? We were just about to take a break for lunch, remember? Isn’t that right, everyone?”

I turned to the others for backup, and while Umeda just looked confused and Yurina didn’t seem to care, Natsuyaki seemed to catch on and she wore a mischievous grin, more than willing to help me out.

“Yeah, she’s right. You’ve got plenty of time to go on your date before we come back to afternoon practice, Rii-chan.”

Risako’s eyes grew wide, and she began to get flustered. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting us to gang up on her like that, and now she didn’t really have an excuse to get her ardent romancer to go away. Or, at least, not one that Natsuyaki and I couldn’t shoot down.

“Well, I’ll have to change first…”

“Come on, Rii-chan. First off, you could work really hard all day long without stopping and still barely break a sweat, not to mention that you would still smell just as wonderful as before, and secondly, just go already, it’s tiring to have to keep on answering your excuses like this.”

That Maiha girl was still grinning, obviously pleased with the fact that things were turning in her favor. So Risako finally let out a sigh of defeat, and stepped down from the stage to join the other girl. As the two of them walked out, she looked back once to give us that adorable teddy bear glare again, and Natsuyaki and I burst out into a fit of laughter.

Well, I guess we really are taking a break for now… oh well. If things work out for them, I’ll be satisfied…

I heard the piano begin to play, and looked over to see that Yurina was hard at work developing that secret song of hers again. She would never play the whole thing for the rest of us, and I had yet to hear its lyrics… I wondered if perhaps she was writing it for someone else… And so I didn’t press her on the matter. Umeda was sitting beside her on the piano bench, watching the tall girl play with interest.

I had observed that Natsuyaki would leave the poor girl alone as long as she was next to Yurina. Probably because the pianist could use those crutches as effective weapons, and Natsuyaki was smart enough to keep from getting beaten in the head.

Speaking of the evil girl… My eyes wandered over to where she was dancing alone in a corner of the stage. Something about her… was different. I could see something like conflict in her eyes, and maybe… just maybe she was starting to think about the type of person that she was. Or maybe it was something else that was none of my business.

Either way… in that one moment, I started to think of her as a normal person rather than my rival, or “the evil one” or even “Natsuyaki”.

I started to think of her as Miyabi.

It felt almost like I was intruding on something by watching her dance, and I didn’t want to go over and disturb Yurina, either, so I decided that I would go outside and take a walk. Just a nice walk to clear my head.

It wasn’t as though I hoped to run into anyone in particular.

Nope, it wasn’t that at all.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Two: Guess Who's Back?]
Post by: Loser87 on April 26, 2007, 03:35:48 AM
dibs

Okay, overall that was uberly cute >w<
I'm not going to do my quote thing today because...well...I feel like dying so >w<

I <3 everything about the chappie >w<
Like how Miya and Momo ganged up on risako XDXDXD

Anyways continue...Or I'll make you even sicker! *Coughs on you* TAKE THAT!!
GET SOME ASIAN DISEASES!! *Coughs on you more*
Update~ *prods by coughing on you* >;P
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 26, 2007, 03:47:10 AM
So are you going to cover the date in the next chapter or make us suffer?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: Estrea on April 26, 2007, 06:05:36 AM
^Agreed with rndmn, we really want to know how the date turns out! :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: Tanachan on April 26, 2007, 09:44:07 PM
Hehe...Miya is finally normal!

*SockoMaiha box'd joo!*

And that date is going to be like...

Maiha: *flirting with other girls*
Rii: *repeatedly slapping Maiha*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…
Post by: TydusArandor on April 27, 2007, 12:48:45 AM
^LOL, so true, so true.

[Chapter 22]

Whoa, Airi and Koharu have something to do with Maasa? It seems to complicatedly complicated (!?!?) now, my head hurts  :dizzy: Tell us the whole story soon! But damn, this better not mess with the budding Momoko x Maasa relationship. (this is impossible, isn't it T_T)

[Chapter 23]

Cute how Risako looks up to Momoko like that  :heart: Hehe, loved how Momoko and Miyabi ganged up on Risako! I guess even enemies can work together towards a common goal (!?)

That date better be in the next chapter! I already can't wait for it  :shy2:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…
Post by: Rick-e on April 27, 2007, 02:16:36 AM
Finally! thanks to exams I've been really behind on my reading xD

I've finally catched up with your updating xD You're updating really fast! not complaining though, hehe ^_^

I love the developments! the girls are getting serious practice, the bad guys have shown up (koha? haha never saw that coming)

And dates! whoo I think Risako's not the only one :) Momo will meet Maasa, right? xD

Can't wait for the next chapter :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 27, 2007, 02:55:59 AM
dibs

Okay, overall that was uberly cute >w<
I'm not going to do my quote thing today because...well...I feel like dying so >w<

I <3 everything about the chappie >w<
Like how Miya and Momo ganged up on risako XDXDXD

Anyways continue...Or I'll make you even sicker! *Coughs on you* TAKE THAT!!
GET SOME ASIAN DISEASES!! *Coughs on you more*
Update~ *prods by coughing on you* >;P

-gentle pats-

Poor master. I understand the feeling. T-T

Lol and I don't think you can make me any sicker than I already am... so that's an empty threat.

So are you going to cover the date in the next chapter or make us suffer?

As much as I would LOVE to make you suffer...

^Agreed with rndmn, we really want to know how the date turns out! :D

Have no fear, FIM-chan is here! ...with a chapter that should please you! XD

Hehe...Miya is finally normal!

*SockoMaiha box'd joo!*

And that date is going to be like...

Maiha: *flirting with other girls*
Rii: *repeatedly slapping Maiha*

I have all of the Berryz-in-a-box now! -collects and cuddles- MINE! <3

XD You won't be expecting this, then.

^LOL, so true, so true.

[Chapter 22]

Whoa, Airi and Koharu have something to do with Maasa? It seems to complicatedly complicated (!?!?) now, my head hurts  :dizzy: Tell us the whole story soon! But damn, this better not mess with the budding Momoko x Maasa relationship. (this is impossible, isn't it T_T)

[Chapter 23]

Cute how Risako looks up to Momoko like that  :heart: Hehe, loved how Momoko and Miyabi ganged up on Risako! I guess even enemies can work together towards a common goal (!?)

That date better be in the next chapter! I already can't wait for it  :shy2:

Oh, you know it's going to screw stuff up between Momo/Maasa. That's kind of a given with me. XD

And yeah, the date's comin'. <3

Finally! thanks to exams I've been really behind on my reading xD

I've finally catched up with your updating xD You're updating really fast! not complaining though, hehe ^_^

I love the developments! the girls are getting serious practice, the bad guys have shown up (koha? haha never saw that coming)

And dates! whoo I think Risako's not the only one :) Momo will meet Maasa, right? xD

Can't wait for the next chapter :)

Well, thanks to exams coming up I'll soon be behind on my updates, so enjoy while you can... XD >w<;;

This next chapter is all about the Risako/Maiha date. I had intended to make it a little longer, but I'm going to cut off the extra part I wanted to add and just move it to the next chapter.

I'll be updating in a few minutes. Just need to finish looking through it again.

[wedge!call]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: Estrea on April 27, 2007, 03:03:26 AM
WEDGE!!! (since Yuu is sleeping) XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Three -- Finally Getting Something Done…]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 27, 2007, 03:05:57 AM
^Way to pick up the slack, m'dear. XD

Enjoy this, everyone. This is probably the last update you'll get until late Saturday. <3

[Chapter Twenty-Four: The Date]

It’s just lunch. One lunch. One time. And afterwards I can leave and forget all about her and go back to my normal life… right?

…Right?


Risako was having lots of doubts about this little outing. In fact, she had started to feel uneasy about the whole thing just a few minutes after Maiha had asked her on the date yesterday. But… if she was so anxious about the situation, then why…

Why am I letting her hold my hand?

The flirt had immediately laced their fingers together as soon as they had exited the theatre, and she was now tugging the younger girl along to some location that she hadn’t yet been informed about. Each time Risako asked where they were going, Maiha would only grin and tell her to wait a little bit longer, and each time that answer got more and more frustrating to hear.

But Risako was stubborn, and something like that wasn’t going to stop her from asking the question one more time.

“Maiha… where are you taking me?”

“You don’t give up, do you, Socko? Can’t you just enjoy taking a nice little walk with me? We’re almost there, anyway… I think it would be better for you to be surprised.”

Risako groaned inwardly, but finally decided to keep silent. Maiha could be stubborn too.

They continued onward in a peaceful kind of silence, which might have been enjoyable were Risako’s mind as quiet as her surroundings. This was starting to feel like a real date. A normal date. And Maiha was anything but normal, so it only served to heighten her suspicions. Other girls passed them on the sidewalks, and the flirt paid them absolutely no attention. Not even a sideways glance out of her eyes.

Who are you, and what have you done with Maiha?

She felt a tug on her arm, and was brought out of her thoughts to realize that the other girl had already stopped, and was smiling at her.

“You don’t have to keep walking, Socko… We’re here.”

Maiha had brought her to a small café in the middle of the city, one that could be easily overlooked in such a busy, crowded place. As soon as they walked through the doors, Risako’s sense of smell was flooded with the rich scent of coffee and sweets, and her mouth almost began to water with the sensation.

Really now. Who ARE you, and WHERE is MAIHA?

The atmosphere in the place was a very relaxing one, calm music floating through the air, and there were various businesspeople and artists scattered about the tables, working, reading, and sketching as they enjoyed nice cups of coffee. It seemed to be a nice little spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, as well as the dropping temperatures outside.

Maiha led Risako over to a small table near one of the windows, and began to flip through the little menu that lay there.

“Order whatever you want to. I’m paying for it. And don’t even try to argue with me, because I’ll win, or I’ll keep you here until you agree with me.”

Well then. That was the end of that before it even started. Not that Risako could have made a valid argument anyway, considering she had left her things at the theatre and therefore had no money TO pay with. So in the end it worked out for her well anyway. Maiha was the only one out of the two of them to actually eat anything, however, as Risako was content to order a nice hot chocolate. It warmed her up, and wouldn’t make her sick later when she returned to practice. She always ate a big breakfast and big dinner anyway, and was never really hungry during the middle of the day.

They had lapsed into a sort of comfortable silence, and though her warm drink was making her feel a little bit drowsy, Risako was still on her guard. This was almost too nice to be happening…

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re just waiting for me to do something wrong.”

“Can you really blame me? You probably should have been expecting that…”

“I suppose… It’s just… amusing, I guess.”

Maiha flashed the younger girl a toothy grin, leaning back in her seat.

“I mean, I may have this reputation for being perverted…”

“Maiha, I watched you grope my cousin the other day, and-”

“Okay, okay, so maybe I am, but I like to call it an ‘appreciation of the female figure’.”

“Is that why you’re so fascinated with me, then?”

Because if it’s the only reason, I might as well just get up and leave now.

The flirt watched Risako thoughtfully for a moment, before turning her head to look out the window. She seemed to be thinking over her response carefully, and it was one of the very few times Risako had ever seen her act serious about something.

“…No. I mean, I’m not gonna lie to you, that was definitely it at first, but… you were the first person who had ever turned me down for a date. You probably remember when we met…”

How could I forget? Only two seconds into the conversation and already your hands had started to wander.

“I didn’t really know how to handle it, because nobody’s had ever done that to me before. So at first, I couldn’t really believe it. That’s why I kept coming back to try again. And then I wanted to know what made you different. Like, I wanted to know why you weren’t like all the others who would have jumped at the chance to be with me. But I think maybe I’ve got it figured out…”

Oh really…?

Maiha put a hand over her heart, and Risako could tell that it was about to get just a little bit dramatic.

“I, Ishimura Maiha, am terribly persistent, and I will not give up until I win you over. Even if it drives me insane.”

And then the flirt leaned forward over the table, getting very close to Risako’s face. The younger female’s heart leaped frantically into her throat, and she didn’t really know what she would do if the gap between them was closed. The flirt was wearing a devilish grin, and nothing good would come of that.

“I’m going to find out what makes you tick, Risako. I’m gonna do this right this time, and by the end of it, you’re not gonna be able to resist me at all. So… leaving you with that… I’ll see you around…”

With a final smile, Maiha was gone, and Risako was left sitting there at the table, her lips aching for what had been mere centimeters away… so close and yet…

…When exactly did we turn this into a game?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: Estrea on April 27, 2007, 03:09:31 AM
Dibs! XD When Yuu is away, Essy plays~ XD

Quote
Who are you, and what have you done with Maiha?
I like this line. XD

Hehe Maiha wants something she can't get. The best way to get her attention is to reject her. XD Poor Risako is going to be in way over her head in this "game", because we ALL know Maiha's gonna win her over...but it seems to me that Maiha isn't going to win as easily as she thinks....in winning there's always an element of loss...hehehe....

Can't wait to see what you do to this couple.  :heart:

And what's this, no update until late Saturday? ;_; Oh well, that gives me enough time to go work on Chapter 21 for my own story. XD Look forward to seeing your next chapter! Oh and here. -gives you candy- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 27, 2007, 03:56:02 AM
Risako was worried about Maiha not being faithful, but what if she gives up flirting for Risha? Risako would have to fall totally for her then, right?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: Loser87 on April 27, 2007, 03:56:50 AM
~Sighs..dibs on 3rd comment.. and will be edited on friday 4/27~
Stupid..computer..

--Edit--

Haha, I forgot about this ^^;;
I'm a poop-head, yes I am XD

Well, the date was quite not what I expected but it was <33
So I don't care XDXD

I <33 their itty bitty love XD

My comments have become shorter...OH NOES!!
MY EVIL-NESS HAS DECREASED!! WTH!?!?!

>_<;;
*throws a rock at you*
Did that make me evil-er?
*throws a cat*
Now?

Oh well, UPDATE!!!
O_O
And you get a cookie >w>
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: lil_hamz on April 27, 2007, 06:57:32 AM
Wow there's a good 5 pages of new stuff since the last time I checked :ding: GRRRRR to stupid term papers. Otherwise I would have checked earlier. I still have another one left but I couldn't wait any longer. I might not be able to commenting after finishing everything, that's if I can even before someone finds out I'm not studying :sweat: Just wanna say you're doing a really good job and I love reading every single word 
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: shimako on April 28, 2007, 01:32:40 AM
finally caught up *pant* i regret not finding this story earlier  :fainted:

all i can say is that i love your story  :hee:

and yay for maiha xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: mode107 on April 28, 2007, 02:45:40 AM
Great chapter, o dang Risako was expecting a kiss?! XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: Tanachan on April 28, 2007, 07:37:25 PM
Ohohohohohoho~! This'll be fun. :luvluv2: :luvluv1: :luvluv2: :luvluv1: :luvluv2: :luvluv1: *glompage*

*YuriChina box VER 2 with CD box collection!*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 29, 2007, 12:14:46 AM
Dibs! XD When Yuu is away, Essy plays~ XD
I like this line. XD

Hehe Maiha wants something she can't get. The best way to get her attention is to reject her. XD Poor Risako is going to be in way over her head in this "game", because we ALL know Maiha's gonna win her over...but it seems to me that Maiha isn't going to win as easily as she thinks....in winning there's always an element of loss...hehehe....

Can't wait to see what you do to this couple.  :heart:

And what's this, no update until late Saturday? ;_; Oh well, that gives me enough time to go work on Chapter 21 for my own story. XD Look forward to seeing your next chapter! Oh and here. -gives you candy- XD

Mhm, interesting way to look at it. You'll have to wait and see how they work out, hm? XD

Yeah, I didn't go to sleep until five this morning, so I'm surprised I'm even THIS much awake enough to post. haha. -munches on candy-

Risako was worried about Maiha not being faithful, but what if she gives up flirting for Risha? Risako would have to fall totally for her then, right?

The problem is... can Maiha really give up flirting? XD

~Sighs..dibs on 3rd comment.. and will be edited on friday 4/27~
Stupid..computer..

--Edit--

Haha, I forgot about this ^^;;
I'm a poop-head, yes I am XD

Well, the date was quite not what I expected but it was <33
So I don't care XDXD

I <33 their itty bitty love XD

My comments have become shorter...OH NOES!!
MY EVIL-NESS HAS DECREASED!! WTH!?!?!

>_<;;
*throws a rock at you*
Did that make me evil-er?
*throws a cat*
Now?

Oh well, UPDATE!!!
O_O
And you get a cookie >w>

Lol why did you throw the rock first, and THEN the cat? XDDD

Cookie? ;-; I finally am getting rewarded for once? TwT How wonderful...

Wow there's a good 5 pages of new stuff since the last time I checked :ding: GRRRRR to stupid term papers. Otherwise I would have checked earlier. I still have another one left but I couldn't wait any longer. I might not be able to commenting after finishing everything, that's if I can even before someone finds out I'm not studying :sweat: Just wanna say you're doing a really good job and I love reading every single word 

XDD thank you so very much. <3

finally caught up *pant* i regret not finding this story earlier  :fainted:

all i can say is that i love your story  :hee:

and yay for maiha xD

Haha, wow, nice to have another reader on board. :3

Great chapter, o dang Risako was expecting a kiss?! XD

lol Well, can't really blame her... XD

Ohohohohohoho~! This'll be fun. :luvluv2: :luvluv1: :luvluv2: :luvluv1: :luvluv2: :luvluv1: *glompage*

*YuriChina box VER 2 with CD box collection!*

XDDD

Version two?! Ohmai! -hugs-

[-wedgecall-]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 29, 2007, 12:16:35 AM
Weeeedge answered~!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 29, 2007, 12:17:47 AM
Yay, another long chapter. XDD
The title has nothing to do with most of it, though. hahaha

[Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]

It was going to take me a while to get used to the city’s cold temperatures. Where I live, it’s usually hot all year long, and the only relief comes from the cool little breezes that blow through every so often.

…So the constant chilling, bitter wind was new to me.

Had I been aware that I was going to suffer so much, I would have brought warmer clothing.

Thanks Risako. Nice warning you decided to give me there.

It was stupid, being out there like that. I didn’t even know what I was doing… let alone thinking. This was ridiculous, searching for someone who had made it pretty clear that she wanted to put some distance between us. Maybe it was because I just didn’t understand the whole thing.

I thought I had figured it out, too. I thought I had convinced myself that I was going to drop it and leave it alone because I was too busy and she seemed to have a reason for backing away from me, but…

The whole thing… it kept me second-guessing myself. I felt like I had split into two different people, and they were having a heated debate in my head over the whole thing.

Rational!Momoko kept telling me that I was going to be gone in nine days, anyway, so I shouldn’t have still been dwelling on it. Optimistic!Momoko wanted to find Maasa as soon as possible for a repeat. I think I should have named my second alter ego Horny!Momo instead, even though I found it easier and more amusing to listen to her…

Stop making those faces at your computer screen. I’m not crazy.

Anyway, me, myself, and I kept right on walking down those freezing cold streets when I bumped into a familiar, and actually quite welcome face.

“Well well… I haven’t seen you since you got here, Tsugunaga-san. How’s it going?”

Saki was looking a little worse for wear than she had seemed the first time I met her, and I wondered if she had slept at all in the past few days. Her hair was messy and her eyes were tired, and even though I DID feel really sorry for her, I couldn’t help but think she was just the cutest little thing I had ever seen.

…Even though we were the same height. You know what I mean.

I took a deep breath, holding up one of my hands so that I could count off on my fingers all that had happened so far.

“Well… let’s see… I got tricked into dancing with my cousin… The teacher got hit by a car, so we’ve had to start completely over, which doesn’t help with the performance being so near… I found your friend Tokunaga-san and almost got strangled by this one girl for chasing after her… and then after I had a bit of a crisis I managed to stumble upon that same girl, only the second time she was suffering from a bit of a hangover… I guess it was a lapse of judgment that told me to take her inside my cousin’s apartment, but I did, and when she came to and we talked for a little bit, she kissed me. Now, being the intelligent, sane person that I am, I should be able to let that go and move on with my life, but for some reason I can’t, and so now I’m just confused and tired, and I’m actually kind of worried about Risako-chan right now because she’s on this date with some pervert, and I thought it was funny at first, but after thinking about it for a little while, I’m just slightly concerned.”

I was developing this habit of holding everything in and then letting it all flow out of me in one rushed sentence. But boy, did I feel better after that. Saki seemed to be amused at my long outburst, and she gave me a tired little grin.

“Would this girl’s name happen to be Sudou Maasa?”

“…Yes. Wait, do you know her?”

“Yeah, Maa-chan’s a good friend. She’s had it rough, and she’s done some stupid things, but… I wouldn’t trade her for anyone else.”

Saki sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, motioning for me to take a seat beside her. I did, even though the cold of the concrete seeped through the fabric of my jeans and made it slightly uncomfortable. She was quiet for a moment, before she turned over to look at me, still wearing that smile. It had changed, however, and I could tell that this smile was sad. It didn’t really give me the encouragement that I had been looking for…

“…You really don’t know what you’re getting into…”

Oh. That part I knew already. What else was new?

“That’s okay… I don’t think that she really knew either, when she decided to kiss me like that.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“…I’m not really sure. I don’t even know if I’ll see her again before I leave.”

Saki sighed and nodded her head a little bit.

“If Maasa doesn’t want to see somebody… she does a really good job of keeping away from that person. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see if she does anything. If not… well… just don’t get your hopes up too high, okay?”

Yeah… okay. But isn’t it a little too late for that? Considering I came out here… for a particular reason?

I wanted to change the subject at that point. There was a question that had been nagging on my mind ever since Risako had mentioned it. And since I was curious…

“Risako-chan… told me that you were the reason that Natsuyaki Miyabi acts the way that she does. I don’t want to be rude or anything, but… you look a little off today, and that just made me wonder… does she have anything to do with that? She was especially… angry yesterday—she really came down on my cousin hard—and even though I didn’t hear all of the conversation, I heard enough to make assumptions… I just wondered if maybe I was wrong.”

The girl was staring blankly at the ground, and for a moment I wondered whether or not she would answer me. Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked something like that… There were times when my sense of tact left me… She startled me when she actually did go ahead and speak up.

“I guess I don’t mind telling you this… since I think I can trust you not to discuss this with anyone else, but… about three years ago… I used to be in that troupe with those girls. I used to dance on the stage and perform with them all the time. I was happy, and we were a very close-knit little group… but… I really liked Miyabi in particular. Even before I found out that she had something of a crush on me. But I always knew that in the back of my head that my feelings for her were stronger and ran deeper than the ones that she appeared to have for me. And it even got to the point where I admitted to myself that… I love her.”

She said those words with such emotion in her voice… and with the present tense, too. It was almost a sacred thing to know just how strongly she felt about this other girl that I knew I wouldn’t be sharing her secret with anyone else. I also felt slightly honored that she trusted me enough to tell me something like this…

“Then… something really horrible happened. I can’t tell you what it was, because it’s not really my story to tell, but… Chinami was never right again after that day… and I knew that she needed me to be the one to take care of her. So I had no choice but to leave the theatre. I couldn’t tell them what was going on, either, for various reasons, and Miyabi got really angry with me. She saw it as me giving up my dreams and abandoning the rest of them… and she spent a really long time yelling at me. I felt horrible, but I don’t do what I want to because it feels right… I do what I must, because it is right. She stormed out after that, and I didn’t really know what was gonna happen.

“Later that night, though… when I was alone in the theatre, gathering up the rest of my things and reminiscing about what I was going to leave behind… she showed up. Her makeup was all messed up, and her eyes were red… and she was crying a lot. …She begged me to stay… and it was all I could do to keep telling her no. And then, in the quietest, most sincere tone of voice I have ever heard Miyabi use… she told me that she loved me. And I was so happy in that moment that I could have started crying… It was what I had wanted to hear for a long time…

“But… I was also afraid… because I wasn’t sure if she meant it… or if she was trying to use it to manipulate me into staying… no matter how honest she sounded. And I wanted so badly to just drop everything right there and tell her how I felt, but I couldn’t… and it hurt. So I had to make the most painful decision of my life. I had to push Miyabi away from me completely… So I…”

Saki choked a little bit on her words, and I noticed that her eyes were starting to water. I wanted to give her a hug or something, but I was afraid that if I touched her she might completely lose it, and then I’d want to cry too. So I waited until she regained composure and started to talk again.

“I told her that I hated her. And that I never wanted to see her again. I didn’t mean a word of it, but I knew that if I didn’t make Miyabi hate me, then she would only end up getting really hurt in the long run. But… it was so painful. I hurt her so deeply… I could tell because of the way that she looked at me after hearing that… and I could feel the wounds that I had caused bearing down on my own heart… But somehow I managed to leave the theatre that night, and I left her there alone. I had intended to keep hidden from her for the rest of my life… but… lately, I’ve had to dance on the streets to get some extra money for food… and the other day, she spotted me.

It didn’t go well at all… and the second time I saw her… when your cousin and the others were around… it was worse, but she actually spoke to me then. And then… this morning… we met again. And it was different… maybe because we were alone this time… but… there’s still something there… and I don’t know what I’m going to do, or how I’m going to go about doing it, but…”

She smiled at me, and it was the happiest that I had ever seen Saki. And when she was smiling like that, it was hard not to be happy, too.

“…there’s hope again. And that’s enough for me.”

-----------

Night had started to cover the city by the time I returned to the theatre. I had been given a lot to think about, and so I wanted to delay coming back as long as I could manage. When I finally got there, though, the others were already working, and I couldn’t help but smile at how much effort they were putting into this.

If that kind of work continued, the performance was going to be a piece of cake.

Risako wasn’t having any trouble with the steps she had been screwing up earlier, but I noticed that she seemed distracted and bothered by something. I could only assume that something had happened on that date of hers, and I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

I was about to pull everyone together so we could start the routine again, when the ceiling lights began to flicker and soon after went out all of a sudden, leaving us in complete and total darkness. It was eerie, and I could hear Risako and Umeda whimpering quietly in response to the blackout.

“They probably just shorted out or something… it’s no big deal.”

And then I heard it. Sharp, bone-chilling laughter that pierced through the darkness. It made me shiver and I could feel Risako latching herself onto my arm. I welcomed this, however, because I was just as frightened as she was…

“I thought I had taught all of you a lesson the last time… when I tell you to do something… you do it. Or you face the consequences. Isn’t that right…?”

The voice sounded like it was coming from all around us, and as soon as it had finished speaking, something that had been lit ablaze plummeted from the ceiling, and it landed in the middle of the stage. It looked like a newspaper, and since Risako wouldn’t let me get any closer to it, I could only make out the bold letters of the headline as they began to burn and melt away.

“Theatre owners die in raging fire; daughter also presumed to be dead.”

The newspaper went up almost as quickly as it had been lit, and once again, we were covered in darkness.

“You didn’t listen to me the first time. And someone paid for that. This is your final warning. Disband and leave this place or I’ll make sure that your next performance will be your last…”

And just like that, the light returned to us. The others were disoriented and seemed to be very much upset. Even Yurina, who was usually the epitome of calmness, looked distressed after what had just happened. I couldn’t really blame them, because I was freaked out, too.

“Well, that’s that, then… We’ve got to stop.”

Miyabi seemed to have taken the warning very seriously. In fact, she was already starting to gather her things in order to leave. I knew that she and the others were spooked… but I couldn’t let what we had been working so hard on go just yet. It was going to take a lot more than a burning paper and a mysterious voice to keep me away from that performance.

“No. We’re gonna keep going.”

“Are you crazy? Did you hear the same thing I heard? That didn’t sound like some kid just playing a prank. That was a real threat, Momoko.”

“Yeah, I heard it. And if we let it get to us, whoever just threatened us has gotten what they want. So we’re going to keep going. We’re going to continue to work, and we’re going to perform. I can read you, Miyabi… you don’t want to quit. So don’t. Maybe I’m a hopeless optimistic, but… nothing bad is going to happen to us.”

She seemed to be thinking over my words very carefully. The others were watching her do it, too. I began to realize that there was a pattern here… Miyabi would disagree, I would say something, and she would think it over and eventually agree with me somewhat. It was like until the two of us settled on something, the rest of the troupe would take back seats and wait to see what it was that we would decide.

“Okay… I’ll stay. And the rest of you had better stay too.”

There were worried glances all around, but nobody seemed to disagree with the finality of that statement. We had jumped into this together at the beginning, and we would stay in it together until the end.

But… we’re taking a risk… I just wonder… at what cost now?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Date]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 29, 2007, 12:25:50 AM
Horny!Momo made me giggle very much xD

O_O;

Oh my, things really are going by serious now :x

Airi and Koharu sure know how to play villains xD Assuming that it is them who threatened them o_o

But hawt damn, fire? And killing the owners and presumably the daughter (Which I'm assuming is Chinami being psychologically scarred?)? Really harsh, why would they do such a thing? Unless they were some rival city dance competition or something.

SAKI AND MIYABI ;________________________________; Saki still loves you mucho Miyabi! LOTS of lovin' for you Miyabi! No acting like a bitch anymore~! ;____; -wonders when they'll make up/out soon-

WRITE MOOOOOORE ;_____; -ties whip around your neck and places foot upon your back to exert force when required-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Loser87 on April 29, 2007, 01:47:15 AM
dibs

You made me mushy, I finally figured out why I've become less evil!
It's your damn story, so flippin' mushy it makes the evilest person into a some-what kind decent sweet happy person
DAMN YOU!! *Shakes fist*

Anyway, I really <3333 Saki and Miyabi's wittle rabu story ;___;
It made me go all sad inside and then happy when saki said there was still hope! >w<

So basically reading this chapter I went --squee-- --squee--- -squee-- every second >;P

Quote
I think I should have named my second alter ego Horny!Momo instead, even though I found it easier and more amusing to listen to her…
XDXDXDXDXD I think I love you XDXDXD

I <33 MaaxMomo, SakixMiya Riixmaiha and ChiixYurina *-*
This story needs more Chiixyurina love *cough* *hinthint* *cough*..>w>

Like I said, You get a cookie if you update~

Now, just so you know I'm not very good at cooking and the things i make may turn out...Burnt...or..under-cooked..or even soapy or may have stuff that aren't suppose to be in there BUT I made it doing my best sooo... *gives you my home-made cookie!* ^w^ Eat it or else! >=(

*throws another rock at your head*
I still gotta be a bit evil you know >;3

~UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Tanachan on April 29, 2007, 02:15:05 AM
KYAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

So sweet and awesome! *glomp*

But yeah, hope that sleepover was fun, and I think lack of sleep increases your flow xD

Have fun and stay up a while! Maybe this'll help...


*Berryz and Cookie box, with 700 individual packs of Pocky :heart:*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Estrea on April 29, 2007, 02:34:26 AM
Lack of sleep? I understand. I went to bed at 5 too, writing All Aboard. T_T

Gah, my brains are too frazzled to give a proper comment, but I'll try my best.

Saki and Miyabi's story made me sad. Sigh. When duty comes over love...
Momo and Maasa...heh. Let's hope Maasa sorts it out soon and comes looking for Momo.
I get the feeling that the new villains are not Airi and Koharu...gut feeling. Argh, my head is too spinny to think clearly. @_@

Anyway, waiting as usual for the next chapter.

-takes aspirin-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 30, 2007, 02:45:22 AM
Horny!Momo made me giggle very much xD

O_O;

Oh my, things really are going by serious now :x

Airi and Koharu sure know how to play villains xD Assuming that it is them who threatened them o_o

But hawt damn, fire? And killing the owners and presumably the daughter (Which I'm assuming is Chinami being psychologically scarred?)? Really harsh, why would they do such a thing? Unless they were some rival city dance competition or something.

SAKI AND MIYABI ;________________________________; Saki still loves you mucho Miyabi! LOTS of lovin' for you Miyabi! No acting like a bitch anymore~! ;____; -wonders when they'll make up/out soon-

WRITE MOOOOOORE ;_____; -ties whip around your neck and places foot upon your back to exert force when required-

I so have the greatest idea for a drawing of that... XDD

It was Koharu and Airi, alright... And you're also right about Chinami being the daughter. Nice thinking. <3 But as for the rival city... nope. But good guess. :3

Haha, you'll like this chapter, I hope.

T_T Why do people abuse me so?

dibs

You made me mushy, I finally figured out why I've become less evil!
It's your damn story, so flippin' mushy it makes the evilest person into a some-what kind decent sweet happy person
DAMN YOU!! *Shakes fist*

Anyway, I really <3333 Saki and Miyabi's wittle rabu story ;___;
It made me go all sad inside and then happy when saki said there was still hope! >w<

So basically reading this chapter I went --squee-- --squee--- -squee-- every second >;P
XDXDXDXDXD I think I love you XDXDXD

I <33 MaaxMomo, SakixMiya Riixmaiha and ChiixYurina *-*
This story needs more Chiixyurina love *cough* *hinthint* *cough*..>w>

Like I said, You get a cookie if you update~

Now, just so you know I'm not very good at cooking and the things i make may turn out...Burnt...or..under-cooked..or even soapy or may have stuff that aren't suppose to be in there BUT I made it doing my best sooo... *gives you my home-made cookie!* ^w^ Eat it or else! >=(

*throws another rock at your head*
I still gotta be a bit evil you know >;3

~UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!

Lol. I made you mushy. <3

More ChiixYurina, you say? >D

-chokes on cookie- x_x

-pelted with rock- x_x

KYAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

So sweet and awesome! *glomp*

But yeah, hope that sleepover was fun, and I think lack of sleep increases your flow xD

Have fun and stay up a while! Maybe this'll help...

*Berryz and Cookie box, with 700 individual packs of Pocky :heart:*

-glomped- :3

XD I think that's just you being optimistic...

POCKY!!!!

Lack of sleep? I understand. I went to bed at 5 too, writing All Aboard. T_T

Gah, my brains are too frazzled to give a proper comment, but I'll try my best.

Saki and Miyabi's story made me sad. Sigh. When duty comes over love...
Momo and Maasa...heh. Let's hope Maasa sorts it out soon and comes looking for Momo.
I get the feeling that the new villains are not Airi and Koharu...gut feeling. Argh, my head is too spinny to think clearly. @_@

Anyway, waiting as usual for the next chapter.

-takes aspirin-

XDD You're silly. <3

Lol I think your brain's leading you down the wrong direction. Maybe you shouldn't try to comment when you're so tired. -patpat-

Aspirin? >> Gimmegimme!

[wedgecall]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 30, 2007, 02:46:37 AM
-flutters around in wedge space-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on April 30, 2007, 02:48:11 AM
[Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]

Yurina was exhausted when she finally got home. Her leg was throbbing in a painful way, and she wanted nothing more than to just collapse on her bed and fall asleep. A small white envelope on the floor greeted her as she walked in, however, and curious, she bent over to pick it up.

There wasn’t anything written on the outside, and so she wondered if it were meant for her to read at all… Nevertheless, the tall girl laid her crutches up against the wall and sat down on her bed with the letter in hand, and she took care as she opened the envelope.

Yurina didn’t believe in making unnecessary messes.

“Yurina-chan…

It’s taken me a while to get all of what I’ve wanted to say down on paper… but I finally managed to do it. …I’ve really liked spending time with you and listening to you play the piano these past few weeks… I mean, of course it’s a horrible thing that that girl broke your leg, but… then again… if she hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have walked past your house that day to hear your beautiful music.

There are so many things that I want to tell you in person… but if I keep this wall between us… it’s difficult. So I want to see you… and I want you to see me. No more hiding in that tree in your backyard. ^__^

So… I’m gonna stop by your house tomorrow morning like I usually do. Please wait for me? I don’t know where you’ve been lately… and I miss you. And I don’t want to be any trouble for you, either, but I really want to see you. I’ll get there really early and wait until you wake up if I have to.

I’ll see you then… right?



The tall girl’s heart skipped a beat, and she clutched the note to her chest, glad that it was dark and that no one was around to see her cheeks as they turned bright red. She smiled a little bit, unable to completely contain the excitement that bubbled up inside of her.

I finally get to meet her… and she’s missed me…

Yurina let out a contented sigh, turning to lay down on her pillow. She was tired, yes, but it was going to be hard to sleep now that she had something like this to look forward to tomorrow.

I wonder… what will happen?

------------

For some reason…. I’m always the first one to get to the theatre and always the last one to leave it. I don’t really know why, but it’s always been that way. I guess there’s just this thought in the back of my head that I want to be the one who spends the most time here. Like it’s my territory.

Even though I’ve been tolerating Momoko lately—and well, it’s kind of hard not to, because she really does know what she’s doing—as soon as she’s gone, I’ll be making sure that everyone is aware that I’m the leader. And they won’t forget it this time.

Anyway, I was busy trying to perfect a few of the moves for the routine we had set up when the others finally left. If I’m not doing a dance in just exactly the right way, I practice until I get it flawless. Even if it takes me an entire day to do it, and I get so exhausted that I want to collapse.

Part of that… comes from Saki. She was the best. She still is the best, judging from how she danced the other day, even if she was a little sloppy… I’ve always wanted to be as good as her… but I’ve always come just short of that standard.

Seeing her lately was… hard. I tried really hard to just erase her from my mind. And even though I wasn’t able to do it completely… it didn’t hurt as bad afterwards. But then… she showed up in my life again. And all those feelings… they just came back in a rush. At first, I didn’t even know what to do. I was emotionless. And then… I got really angry… after that, I was upset…

But now… I’m not sure… I guess after being mad for so long… I don’t have the strength to keep on feeling that way.

“…Miyabi?”

I kind of had to make up my mind how I felt really quickly… because even as I turned around, I knew whose voice that was. I was surprised to find her smiling at me, because I didn’t feel like I really deserved that smile anymore. I was also surprised… that she had actually showed up.

“…Yes?”

“Dance with me?”

I smiled a little bit. I don’t think that that had been my intention… but it slipped out anyway.

“…Sure.”

Dancing was how Saki communicated. It was like a secret language of hers that somehow I had come to understand. Everyone else would see steps. But I would hear words. A tentative movement to the right, and a little bit closer to me meant: “It’s been a long time…” I answered, mirroring the way she moved.

“Yes… yes it has.”

She didn’t apologize to me verbally, but in this silent conversation, I could tell that she was really sorry for what she had done. We were moving faster now, getting closer, and I wasn’t really sure how to respond.

Should I forgive her?

I was confused. She didn’t seem to expect anything from me at all. Not acceptance… not kindness… not forgiveness… not anything. I realized that the only reason that she had come here was to tell me that she was sorry.

And sooner than I realized it, we had stopped, and we were a lot closer than I had expected to end up… She was staring up at me with those dark, gentle eyes of hers, and I could have reached out and held her if I wanted to… and so I did. I pulled that strong little body close to mine, and she stood up on her toes to meet me as I leaned my head down to kiss her.

I pulled away only briefly, to whisper in her ear.

“Apology accepted.”

------------

“Y’know, as pretty as roses are… that girlfriend of yours could stand to be a little more creative.”

“She’s NOT my girlfriend!”

“…Taped them to the door with duct tape, too… that kind of ruined it.”

“GOOD NIGHT, MOMOKO!”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Yuuyami on April 30, 2007, 02:48:53 AM
This chapter made me melt *___*

Yurina and Chinami are so cute <33333 Wonder how their meeting will go.

I.

Freaking.

Love.

This.

Miyabi.

x.

Saki.

Scene.

So.

Freaking.

Much.

*_______________________________________________________________________*;;

I love how they communicate wordlessly, and then kiss <3333333333 It's so... them xD

Lmao at Momo teasing Risako about her beloved Maiha's lack of creativity xD I can just imagine it clearly in my head <3


WRITE MORE -cracks whip furiously- WE NEED MORE LOVIN'!!!!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Five -- Phantom of the Theatre?]
Post by: Loser87 on April 30, 2007, 02:50:20 AM
dibs
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]
Post by: Estrea on April 30, 2007, 03:03:49 AM
XDDDD

Miyabi and Saki make me smile. <3 Wordless communication is such a rare gift, only bestowed to people with a good connection with one another. <3 Ahhhhhh, so Miyabi will be slightly less bitchy? Still evil though, I hope? XD

Yurina and Chinami...hmm, I look forward to their meeting, especially if Chinami actually manages to make it. I have a feeling something might happen...or maybe I'm just pessimistic.

And LOL at Momoko's comment at the end. Maiha is so unimaginative. XD And Risako has no idea how to rebut properly, does she? XD

Write more soon~

-gives you candy floss-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]
Post by: Tanachan on April 30, 2007, 10:16:12 PM
Wow...nice chappie, srry, gotta run, brother being a tard and is on mky back about the internet cord. I'll let my actions speak for me...

*throws Berryz box*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 01, 2007, 02:56:49 AM
This chapter made me melt *___*

Yurina and Chinami are so cute <33333 Wonder how their meeting will go.

I.

Freaking.

Love.

This.

Miyabi.

x.

Saki.

Scene.

So.

Freaking.

Much.

*_______________________________________________________________________*;;

I love how they communicate wordlessly, and then kiss <3333333333 It's so... them xD

Lmao at Momo teasing Risako about her beloved Maiha's lack of creativity xD I can just imagine it clearly in my head <3


WRITE MORE -cracks whip furiously- WE NEED MORE LOVIN'!!!!!

Lol. I guess I did good then. And, more lovin', you say? Well okay then.

dibs

Lol, I ain't got much to say about that.

XDDDD

Miyabi and Saki make me smile. <3 Wordless communication is such a rare gift, only bestowed to people with a good connection with one another. <3 Ahhhhhh, so Miyabi will be slightly less bitchy? Still evil though, I hope? XD

Yurina and Chinami...hmm, I look forward to their meeting, especially if Chinami actually manages to make it. I have a feeling something might happen...or maybe I'm just pessimistic.

And LOL at Momoko's comment at the end. Maiha is so unimaginative. XD And Risako has no idea how to rebut properly, does she? XD

Write more soon~

-gives you candy floss-

Oh yes. You can never take the evil out of a girl like Miyabi. <3

Well... something's gonna happen alright... probably not expected really, either... I'm not sure. XD

XDD Nah, when it comes to wit, Momoko wins.

Wow...nice chappie, srry, gotta run, brother being a tard and is on mky back about the internet cord. I'll let my actions speak for me...

*throws Berryz box*

XD It's okay, I know how brothers can be.

[wedge... call? -looks around-]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]
Post by: Loser87 on May 01, 2007, 03:01:35 AM
wedging dibs =P
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Six -- Love Notes, Dancing, and Roses]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 01, 2007, 03:01:59 AM
Well, I think this just might be the longest chapter yet... maybe. I haven't checked.
But it almost reached a full seven pages in Word.
I was in a bit of a funk today, and this almost ended up being a big ball of angst, but I think it turned out to be really sweet.
And I also cut out the "OMGWTFBBQ" part I was going to put in this chapter, and decided to save it for the next one instead, to let you savor the fluff.
So enjoy. <3

[Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]

“Gooooooooood morning, everyone~! It’s finally Friday, and…”

I could have cried right then. What was the point of Risako even having an alarm clock when she were capable of sleeping through a typhoon? I turned my head, making out the symbols that, when put together, read 6:00A.M.

Damnit.

With a tremendous effort, I lifted my hand and slammed it down on the little machine, tugging on it hard enough to pull its plug from the outlet in the wall. I then promptly dropped it on the floor, and was greatly satisfied to hear the loud clatter it made when gravity brought it down.

That’ll show you to wake me up at an unearthly hour of the day…

It couldn’t be helped at that point, though… I was awake, and wouldn’t be getting back to sleep any time soon, especially since the sun was coming into view through Risako’s apartment windows.  I didn’t share my cousin’s heavy napping habits, and so I was forced to roll over and get out of the bed. The room was cold, and I quickly made my way over to the closet, fumbling through it for a few minutes before I found a suitable outfit to pull on. That helped a little bit, but there was no way I was going to sit in that freezing apartment for the next couple of hours, waiting for Risako to wake up.

So I searched until I stumbled upon a dull pencil and a receipt for takeout, and scribbled a little note on the back of it that said I was at the theatre, practicing. I then paused, trying to think of where I could put it so that Risako would be sure to find it…

With a smirk, I reached over to the bouquet of roses that Maiha had left behind, and taking the duct tape from them, I stuck the makeshift note on my cousin’s forehead before sliding out the door.

Now that’s a creative way to get someone’s attention…

------------

Yurina Kumai looked like she had seen a ghost.

Or rather, was seeing a ghost, because the girl that was standing in front of her had been announced dead nearly two years ago. Granted, she had grown since then, and had this lean, slightly wild look about her now, but… Yurina was sure that it was the same person.

“Y-you… you…”

“Hello again, Yurina-chan.”

For someone that looked as though they were holding onto their last bit of sanity… Chinami sounded fairly normal. A lopsided sort of smile appeared on the girl’s face, almost as if it were painful for her to make any sort of expression at all. Yurina felt tears burning in her eyes, and without really thinking about it, she moved forward to pull the other girl into a tight hug.

“B-But… the fire… they said… y-you….”

Chinami twitched a bit at first with the contact, but miraculously, she managed to keep calm and repressed those psychotic instincts of hers. It was a miracle, since if your name wasn’t Shimizu Saki and you happened to touch Chinami, she’d end up bolting or sending herself into a panic attack, neither of which were very pleasant.

“…Nobody’s supposed to know… Saki said that until the ones that did it got caught… I probably wouldn’t be safe if people knew.”

“Saki-chan…? Is this why she left us?”

Chinami felt a guilty pang jolt across her heart. She had always felt bad for the way things had ended up, and even though Saki always told her that none of it was her fault, she usually blamed herself for everything anyway.

“…Yes… She left… to take care of me… even though the doctor let me leave the hospital… he said I was sick… but… there wasn’t any money, so… I couldn’t get any treatment for it. Saki’s been trying her best, but I know I’m a burden… I’m never… myself. Sometimes I start out somewhere, and I end up in places without knowing how I got there or how long it’s been since I was where I began.”

Yurina was listening to the story quietly, stroking the other female’s back gently with her hand. It was more or less to comfort herself, but the motion had a calming effect on Chinami as well.

“…I don’t think that you would, but… I have to ask you to keep what I’ve told you a secret… The other girls at the theatre never met me… and I don’t think they need to know…”

“I won’t tell anyone… I promise.”

Chinami smiled again, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. It felt good to have let all of that go. After not being able to talk about it for so long… it had kind of weighed her down. And then, to have someone accept her for who she was now… well, it had been a while since she had felt so happy.

“What about my letter, though…? Did you read all of it? I wrote a lot on the back, too…”

Yurina wore a smile to match that of the other girl’s, and she tugged Chinami gently over towards the piano bench—ignoring just how badly her leg throbbed in response—and she pulled the other girl to sit down beside her. She placed her slender hands on the keys, and as the music began to flow, she started to sing.

♪ “Hanshin hangi na kurai umaku iku no tte narenai…”♪

------------

I could understand why Miyabi liked getting to the theatre so early when I was greeted by that empty stage. It was quiet, and peaceful, and somewhat nostalgic… And let me tell you, concentration is much, MUCH easier with no one else around.

The words I had etched into my brain after the first day. I could play the music in my head after hearing Yurina go through it on the piano just once. The only thing I was still having problems with… was the dance. I didn’t know how it was supposed to go. And I wanted to do it exactly as my mother had invisioned it. …Which was kind of hard… since I didn’t know how it had been done before.
She had never performed it after I was born, and so the only way I had even found out about the song was through my father, who had told me stories about it. It was one of the reasons they ended up meeting, after all.

“Everything else in comparison to that one dance was dull. When you watched her… it was like she wasn’t singing to anyone particular, and yet, she was speaking directly to your heart at the same time. And if you can do that—no matter what song it is that you happen to be singing—you have truly reached the top. She could have been talking about dirt for all I cared, and I still would have fallen in love…”

The memory made me smile, but then I had to snap out of it and remind myself that I was still angry at him. But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was learning this dance that I had never seen before.

So there wasn’t much else that I could do but start moving, with the foolish hope that maybe the moves would come to me out of thin air. Perhaps she had passed them down onto me when I had been born… Or perhaps I was crazy. Either way… there wasn’t any way to know until I tried it.

And then, as if magic… while I moved and sang the words aloud quietly, a sequence of steps began to come to me…

♪ “suki yo HORA
mite yo SEXY
yabai DEKAI
kitai…”♪

“The music… the words… the dance… all of it is an extension of your body and mind. Once you realize that and are able to tap into that power and project it outwards, everything else comes naturally. You could have the most complicated rhythms… the most soul-grabbing lyrics… the most heart-pounding dance… and yet, if they aren’t powered by what’s inside of you, then they are useless. Learn this… and you will be great one day, Momoko-chan.”

♪ “suki ni SHITE
ii wa DEMO
yasashii HODO
kowai…”♪

For once I stopped to think about the words that I was singing as I danced along to the beat in my head. And for some reason… I couldn’t keep my thoughts from wandering over to her…

♪ “mou dare mo inai
kono umi to sora
fukanou nante arienai to
kanjita yoru datta…”♪

I forced myself to stop, landing hard on my knees. I was breathing hard, and I could feel my heart racing. What exactly am I doing here? Why can’t I just let it go and accept the fact that I am meant to be alone and that I will never ever-

“Why’d you stop? You were just starting to get into it.”

…ever see her again.

I jumped a bit at hearing that voice, and looked up to see Maasa watching me lazily from one of the empty seats in the audience. From the relaxed position she was in, I figured she had been there for a while… but I hadn’t even heard or seen her come in. All of a sudden, I was embarrassed… I wasn’t exactly at my best this morning, and thus, she had probably just watched all of what was a very mediocre performance.

“That song I was talking about… I decided to go through with it… Only I don’t know the dance and so… I’m trying to make something up.”

I smiled at her sheepishly, and she gave me a look that said that she was mildly impressed. Maasa got up from where she was sitting, and slowly made her way up the steps onto the stage, stopping beside me.

“That reminds me of something Saki would say… she’ll come up with this really awesome routine and then tell me that it was crap or that she was just practicing for the real thing.”

She was holding out a hand as an offer to help me up from the floor, which I readily accepted, getting to my feet. I had a question burning in the back of my mind… but I was hesitant to ask it, because I didn’t want to scare her away… still, curiousity won out in the end.

“What are you doing here, Maasa?”

The other girl blinked at me for a moment, before shoving her hands in those jacket pockets and adopting a timid sort of look that I would have thought to be uncharacteristic of her.

“I dunno… I was just walking around… and I saw you come in here, so I kind of followed you, because I wanted to talk… and then you started dancing, so I decided to wait until you were done.”

“Wanted to talk…? About what?”

Maasa brought her eyes up from her shoes to look at me again, and she smiled a little bit, as if she were somewhat amused by something.

“Well… I met this girl a couple of days ago… Actually, she found me, because I was still just a little bit drunk at the time… and anyway… when I woke up, I caught myself watching this girl… sitting there, looking through her photo album. It was a normal thing for a person to do, but I found myself being captivated just by that… I was frightened by that, because never before had someone’s every little movement taken my breath away… And then I got to talk to this girl… and pretty soon after she started to speak I realized that not only was she very beautiful… she was different in that she saw people for what they were on the inside rather than taking them at face value. And that in itself was also very beautiful.

…Then, I kissed her. It was such a wonderful feeling… I can’t even describe it to you properly, because there aren’t really any words. But as wonderful as it was, and as badly as I wanted to stay there with that angel… there was something holding me back. Something, that until recently—with the help of my very perverted, yet well-meaning friend—I wasn’t able to let go. And so I left that girl there… and every minute since then, I’ve regretted walking out that door because I can’t get her out of my mind. I can’t stop thinking about her…”

Optimistic-Horny!Momoko (She resented the latter title by itself, and was only content when I offered to let her use the hyphen.) was cheering in my head, and Rational!Momoko was setting off warning sirens. I couldn’t really hear either of them, though, because my heart was pounding so hard at that point that I wondered if Maasa could hear it.

“…So… if you see this girl anywhere… could you let her know that I’m looking for her?”

She was grinning like a mad fool, and I couldn’t help but punch her lightly in the arm. It wasn’t like it would hurt her, anyway.

“Maasa!”

“I couldn’t help it… Maiha is my best friend, you know…”

I laughed a little bit at that, getting caught off guard when I was lifted into the air all of the sudden by Maasa’s strong, yet very gentle arms. She held me by the waist, so that I was looking down into her eyes, and I had to steady myself by holding onto her shoulders. I smiled at her sadly.

“You know that I’m not going to be here for much longer.”

“If it gets to that point… I’ll follow you if I have to. And you know that… There is something that I haven’t told you yet… that might be a problem later?”

“Well, we’ll deal with that when we get to it.”

And like that… I guess that’s when our fate was sealed. Whatever it is that draws two people like us together is powerful… whether it’s just attraction, or love, or a combination of things… She held me, and kissed me like she had before, and I realized that I was right about one thing: I was crazy.

I was definitely crazy about this girl.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: Loser87 on May 01, 2007, 03:05:12 AM
--dibbers--

*cough* *cough* Houston...we have a problem
It seems like I've caught the cold + Allergies but...
My mom got allergy medicine sooo...it's Cold + Minor Allergies = A slightly less crappy, runny nose, me =]

.....THERE ISN'T ENOUGH TOKUMA LUUUUURRRVVVEEE >w<
Which reminds me...I haven't written about them in a while myself >_>
Anyways, Back to commenting of the chapter

I squeeled, I squeeled more, then I worked out, then I came back and squeeled again =]

I <33 the couples *sigh* So very very cute >w<
I <333 MaaxMomoko >w<
It was so adorable GYAH!

I will die soon because of you =+='

but, I gotta be alive for your next update...WHICH HAS BETTER BE SOON!!!

YAY!!!
UPDATE!!
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O >_O O_< O_O;;......... >w< >_< >~<;;....>O<!!!

*sneezes on you*
.....Mmm...yummy...asian infested snot..o_o;;...
Update~ XDXD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: Estrea on May 01, 2007, 03:30:50 AM
Ahhhhh. Many things explained here. :D

First off, Yurina/Chinami <333333333333333 XD

Momoko sticking the note on Risako's forehead. XD

And then Momoko/Maasa <3333333333333

Quote
with the help of my very perverted, yet well-meaning friend
I like this description of Maiha. :D

Sorry for the lack of anything but <3333 reactions. XD You say there's an OMGWTFBBQ moment coming up next chapter? Holy. XD -cross fingers-

Now next chapter kthxplz. XD

-gives you chocolate- ^_^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: C60533 on May 01, 2007, 03:36:54 AM
Fluff! Now I have something to rest my head on as I go to sleep tonight. And LOL at the makeshift post-it. Variety is the spice in life...or in this case Jam for the Berryz.

So...Chinami go stuck in a fire due to arsen caused by Airi and Koharu who Maasa used to know. Then Captain left to take care of crazy Chinami so Miyabi was pissed. Then Miyabi tripped Yurina which brought in Momo. Who is cousin to Risako who is being pursued by Maiha. And then Ai got drunk and is now in the hospital so everyone is interacting with each other in some way, shape, or form. That is interesting.

Wait..so did Miyabi trip Yurina so that they needed another dancer which would've been Captain?

Everything seems so happy and peaceful now, but I don't know for how long. I mean, they're human teens prone to emotions. So would that mean that when everything is revealed to the characters Miyabi will get angry at Chinami which would make Yurina angry and leave Saki uncomfortable. And Maasa would be feeling guilty so that would make Momo sad. And then Risako would be sad cause Momo's sad and then Maiha'd be sad. Wait...what if Miyabi and Chinami got into a fight? No. That won't happen. I don't want it to. It's the calm before the storm cause they haven't met Airi and Koharu, but they will not get into a fist fight. They already were brooding in the beginning. No more brooding. More happiness and fluff so that I can get a good nights sleep...my body is completely sore. Ack! I just put too much suspense in my head....better use the fluff now...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: Tanachan on May 01, 2007, 12:40:57 PM
Awww how cuuuuuute! MaMo is hawt <333333333 and I've actually done a makeshift post-it...except I smashed it down on my brother's family jewels to get revenge for him attacking me with 7 bottles of AXE. And...YURICHINA <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 *dies of hawtness*

*is watching Godzilla vs Mothra and can't help seeing Saki as Mothra and Miya as Godzilla*

*and Maasa and Momo as the Shobijin xD*

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 03, 2007, 03:47:24 AM
Holy awesome hell-ness! This story is so sweet, that I think three teeth just fell from my mouth. I can't wait to see how you finish this up.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: mode107 on May 03, 2007, 04:15:19 AM
MomoXMaasa<3 One couple i never really thought of,  but you make it work  well 
looking forward to the next chapter :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 04, 2007, 02:49:22 AM
--dibbers--

*cough* *cough* Houston...we have a problem
It seems like I've caught the cold + Allergies but...
My mom got allergy medicine sooo...it's Cold + Minor Allergies = A slightly less crappy, runny nose, me =]

.....THERE ISN'T ENOUGH TOKUMA LUUUUURRRVVVEEE >w<
Which reminds me...I haven't written about them in a while myself >_>
Anyways, Back to commenting of the chapter

I squeeled, I squeeled more, then I worked out, then I came back and squeeled again =]

I <33 the couples *sigh* So very very cute >w<
I <333 MaaxMomoko >w<
It was so adorable GYAH!

I will die soon because of you =+='

but, I gotta be alive for your next update...WHICH HAS BETTER BE SOON!!!

YAY!!!
UPDATE!!
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O >_O O_< O_O;;......... >w< >_< >~<;;....>O<!!!

*sneezes on you*
.....Mmm...yummy...asian infested snot..o_o;;...
Update~ XDXD

-pats- Get better soon, okay master? <3

yeahyeah, why don't YOU write some awesome somethings before you go and nag me about it, HUH? O_O

Haha, lots of squealing. I kind of expected that.

<333

Haha, I was actually slow on this update... and I have a feeling I'll be hated after it. XDD

Ahhhhh. Many things explained here. :D

First off, Yurina/Chinami <333333333333333 XD

Momoko sticking the note on Risako's forehead. XD

And then Momoko/Maasa <3333333333333
I like this description of Maiha. :D

Sorry for the lack of anything but <3333 reactions. XD You say there's an OMGWTFBBQ moment coming up next chapter? Holy. XD -cross fingers-

Now next chapter kthxplz. XD

-gives you chocolate- ^_^

:3

^________^

Momoko is much more clever than Maiha. >D

:3

XDD Yeah... I wouldn't be crossing my fingers if I were you, though... XD It's not a GOOD OMGWTFBBQ.

-nibbles on chocolate while she's still being fed-

Fluff! Now I have something to rest my head on as I go to sleep tonight. And LOL at the makeshift post-it. Variety is the spice in life...or in this case Jam for the Berryz.

So...Chinami go stuck in a fire due to arsen caused by Airi and Koharu who Maasa used to know. Then Captain left to take care of crazy Chinami so Miyabi was pissed. Then Miyabi tripped Yurina which brought in Momo. Who is cousin to Risako who is being pursued by Maiha. And then Ai got drunk and is now in the hospital so everyone is interacting with each other in some way, shape, or form. That is interesting.

Wait..so did Miyabi trip Yurina so that they needed another dancer which would've been Captain?

Everything seems so happy and peaceful now, but I don't know for how long. I mean, they're human teens prone to emotions. So would that mean that when everything is revealed to the characters Miyabi will get angry at Chinami which would make Yurina angry and leave Saki uncomfortable. And Maasa would be feeling guilty so that would make Momo sad. And then Risako would be sad cause Momo's sad and then Maiha'd be sad. Wait...what if Miyabi and Chinami got into a fight? No. That won't happen. I don't want it to. It's the calm before the storm cause they haven't met Airi and Koharu, but they will not get into a fist fight. They already were brooding in the beginning. No more brooding. More happiness and fluff so that I can get a good nights sleep...my body is completely sore. Ack! I just put too much suspense in my head....better use the fluff now...

Mm... Jam. XDD

Haha, wow. That's basically the story in a nutshell. If anyone wanted to know what's going on so far, all they'd have to do would be read that. XDD

And no, Miyabi just tripped Yurina to be mean. T_T She wasn't aware that Captain was still around. :3 (But if she had been, perhaps those would have been her intentions.)

Ah... Yeah, everything is good now... but you're right in that it's the calm before the storm. I don't think that I plan on letting them get into fist-fights or anything, but I can't reveal too much, and I can't promise anything, since the ending keeps changing. I will say that I'm planning for the ending to be happy. (Or at least bitter-sweet. It won't be completely sad, I know that for sure. There will be a rainbow or a silver lining. :3) Enjoy this fluff while you can... because this next chapter is definitely a polar opposite of 'Duet', unfortunately.

Awww how cuuuuuute! MaMo is hawt <333333333 and I've actually done a makeshift post-it...except I smashed it down on my brother's family jewels to get revenge for him attacking me with 7 bottles of AXE. And...YURICHINA <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 *dies of hawtness*

*is watching Godzilla vs Mothra and can't help seeing Saki as Mothra and Miya as Godzilla*

*and Maasa and Momo as the Shobijin xD*

XDDD I laughed for about ten minutes when I read that 'family jewels' bit. XDD I didn't get it at first, but when I did, OH BOY was it funny. <3

Holy awesome hell-ness! This story is so sweet, that I think three teeth just fell from my mouth. I can't wait to see how you finish this up.

^_^ Thank you so very much. I smiled a lot when I read the first part of this comment. XD

MomoXMaasa<3 One couple i never really thought of,  but you make it work  well 
looking forward to the next chapter :)

Really? Well, that's a relief to know. ^_^; If I was screwing it up, I'd be distressed. lol
<3

[wedge... call?]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Seven -- Duet]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 04, 2007, 02:57:22 AM
Mm... I meant to have this chapter done yesterday, but I've really screwed up my back and so it's kind of hard to sit here for a long time and write. I think it's just like a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle or something like that, so it should get better, but it still hurts like crap. XD And I have very little pain tolerance...

Anyways. Enjoy.
(Or, probably not, since this isn't exactly fluffy stuff right here.)

[Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]

I felt like I was walking on clouds as I left the theatre after that.

And I didn’t even care how mushy or stupid that sounded in my mind. I don’t really think about fluffy, cuddly things, so this was something big, and I was kind of freaked out about it. I didn’t know what was gonna happen next… or what should have been happening next.

I made a mental note to discuss this with Maiha. Despite her philandering ways… and how most of what she does is just like a game to her… when she decides to get serious… she knows what she’s doing.

Like the whole thing with Sugaya.

At least… I hoped she knew what she was doing. It still seemed like she was playing a game… but this one was much more dangerous. Sugaya actually liked her back, I was pretty sure, and if Maiha screwed up, she’d hurt the girl.

And see, I’m smart, so I figured out how that would affect me in the long run rather than just brushing it off. Momoko and her cousin were close, and if one of them was unhappy, the other one probably would have been too.

…Which meant that I wouldn’t be very pleased, either.

I rounded the corner of a nearby brick building, slipping into the comfortable familarity of the city’s network of alleyways. At least… it had felt comfortable at first… until I spotted two shadowy silhouettes a little farther on down the way, standing there silently.

Now… when you’ve been living on the streets like I have for your entire life… it takes a lot to scare you. Being able to fight is a necessity, not a choice, and you get used to seeing things like guns and knives. But… I wasn’t expecting to see who I did when those figures walked out of the shadows towards me, and I felt my blood run cold and my heart stopped beating.

“It’s so very nice to see you again, Maasa.”

My mouth and throat felt dry, and I was finding it hard to breathe. Even if I could have found the right words to say at that point in time… they wouldn’t have made it past my lips.

The taller one out of the pair started walking towards me, but I was paralyzed and rooted to the spot. No matter how loud my mind screamed “run” at me, I was unable to move. And believe me… I wanted to be anywhere but there. She had affixed that predatory stare of hers on me, and it was enough to make my skin crawl. It was as though she had this ability to make a person feel violated with just her eyes.

I felt even more sick when she moved forward to snake her arms around my neck, and with a great effort, I turned my head to the side to feel the kiss that was meant for my lips brush against my cheek. My stomach lurched as I heard that all-too-familiar evil little chuckle, and I closed my eyes shut in a futile attempt to try and make her and her little crony disappear.

She leaned in closer to me, and I could feel her warm breath against my ear as she began to whisper to me in that dangerous, seductive tone of hers.

“My, my… aren’t we a little bit standoffish today… No kiss hello? Not even a hug? …Aren’t you happy to see me?”

If I had been able to answer, I would probably shouted a very loud “hell no” at her. Regardless of the fact that I had suddenly gone mute, she didn’t really seem like she wanted an answer, anyway.

“Well, no matter… I’m not here to talk about that.”

Thankfully, at that point she detached herself from me, stepping back to smirk and look me squarely in the eyes. And I wanted to look anywhere but, though somehow I managed to hold her horrible gaze… Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that her little pet was keeping watch for something, which led me to assume that the police were aware of their presence here in the city…

“Let’s get right to the point, then. I plan on shutting down that stupid old theatre for good. Now… I can do it with… or without force. And even though I’d prefer the latter… I am a diplomatic sort of person, and am willing to give those silly performers a chance to think about it before I strike.”

Diplomatic… sure… if by that you mean manipulative, then I’ll go with that.

“I’ve even already warned them to stop… a little light show and a couple of flames… I think I scared them enough to get them to consider my words…”

That sick, twisted smile had taken over her face, and it only added to my repulsion. …I don’t know what had compelled me to want to be with her before… I suppose that phrase ‘love is blind’ has a lot of truth to it… I just didn’t realize that until it had been too late…

“However…”

There’s a however?

“…There is one girl who seems to be particularly defiant… She didn’t seem to be fazed by my little demonstration at all, and I think she could prove to be a problem if she keeps the rest of the group together… I find it annoying when people get in my way.”

She was moving towards me again, and I wondered how much more abuse my stomach could take before I lost my breakfast or decided to black out.

“…And… you know what happens when people get in my way…” I jumped a bit as her cold fingers slid just under the edge of my shirt, tracing along the length of that hidden,  painful scar on my side. Though it had been healed for about two years now… it burned like fire when she touched it. “…don’t you, Maasa.”

I just wanted her to stop touching me.

She moved away again though, much to my relief, and seemed to be nearing the end of what it was that she wanted to tell me.

“If you care about her at all… which… I think you do from what I’ve seen…”

A chill ran up my spine and I felt an almost animalistic growl start to build up in the back of my throat, as if it wanted to erupt from me in a rage. She had been watching me… watching us…

“…Well, I’d be planting certain ideas in her head to get her to stop… you know… just in case something terrible were to happen.”

Her little pet was looking over at us with sudden interest, as if she wanted to leave as soon as possible. I hoped that maybe the police were snooping around. That would get them to leave…

“Miracle… we should go.”

She nodded, but never once did she take her eyes off of me. It was only when she turned around to leave that I was relieved of that piercing gaze, and I could still feel those orbs burning into me even when the two of them were out of sight. I forced myself to start moving, and soon I broke out into a hard run, heading towards the part of town where I knew Maiha would be.

I wanted to get away from that place as soon as possible.

And those haunting eyes and sinister laugh followed me the entire way.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: C60533 on May 04, 2007, 03:13:16 AM
The storm approaches....I'm very intrigued as to how you made Koharu a evil, crazy pyromaniac. And what's this I read about a scar? Let me guess....Koharu is the daughter of some politician. j/p What makes me wonder most is Maasa's past. I mean...the others are pretty much left open to inference, but Maasa's has more of a veil around it. So...does that mean we'll get a chapter about how Koharu and Maasa tie in to each other?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: Tanachan on May 04, 2007, 06:00:15 PM
ZOMGAAAAAAA!!! *huddles in corner away from evil Koha* This has such a potential to have a completely twisted and creepy ending. Nice job on the horror aspect, btw *thumbs up* Now for your treat...and btw, hope your back feels better!

*throws MomoMaasa box filled with sushi, ice packs and every H!P PB in existance*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 04, 2007, 10:45:17 PM
Oooohhhh, this is interesting :]

Maasa's obviously connected to Airi and Koharu, that and she seems to also have been involved with the fire those years ago. It also seems that Maasa and Koharu once had something special together, but eventually, they drifted apart (how they did probably has to do with Maasa's scar) and now Maasa's found some lovin' in Momoko, I bet Koharu's secretly pissed and wants to do something about it xD Or Koharu is slightly surprised and puts it away because it's in the way of Airi and Koharu's true intention of taking down the theatre xD

Anywho, I look forward to the evil people of doom :]

That and Saki x Miyabi.

And Risako x Maiha.

Anywho.

-wraps whip around your foot and hangs you upside down over a dramatic rock-with-waves-crashing-against-it scenery- WRITE OR SUFFER

:]

<3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 07, 2007, 01:00:16 AM
The storm approaches....I'm very intrigued as to how you made Koharu a evil, crazy pyromaniac. And what's this I read about a scar? Let me guess....Koharu is the daughter of some politician. j/p What makes me wonder most is Maasa's past. I mean...the others are pretty much left open to inference, but Maasa's has more of a veil around it. So...does that mean we'll get a chapter about how Koharu and Maasa tie in to each other?

XD I dunno how I managed to put Koharu in that role... I think it just sort of happened. For the most part this story has been planned out bit by bit, but her appearance in it was kind of random. And now she's stuck there, so there isn't anything I can do about it but continue on. lol We all know the Miracle's got this dark side to her, though... >D Maasa actually has two scars (besides the one on her side, she's got a really long one on her face). One she got through a rather humorous accident (which will be mentioned eventually, I think. XD) and the other Koharu gave to her. It'll be revealed later on, though. This chapter I'm about to post reveals a little more about Maasa's past, but not enough to remove the veil completely just yet. I'm trying to keep it suspenseful until the very end. :3

By the way, I love your comments. I think you speculate about things more than anyone else, and that makes me ha~ppy! XD

ZOMGAAAAAAA!!! *huddles in corner away from evil Koha* This has such a potential to have a completely twisted and creepy ending. Nice job on the horror aspect, btw *thumbs up* Now for your treat...and btw, hope your back feels better!

*throws MomoMaasa box filled with sushi, ice packs and every H!P PB in existance*

Lol. The ending is gonna be either good or bittersweet. Not twisted. I already mentioned that. XD And yes, my back feels a lot better. Thank you. :3

XDD

Oooohhhh, this is interesting :]

Maasa's obviously connected to Airi and Koharu, that and she seems to also have been involved with the fire those years ago. It also seems that Maasa and Koharu once had something special together, but eventually, they drifted apart (how they did probably has to do with Maasa's scar) and now Maasa's found some lovin' in Momoko, I bet Koharu's secretly pissed and wants to do something about it xD Or Koharu is slightly surprised and puts it away because it's in the way of Airi and Koharu's true intention of taking down the theatre xD

Anywho, I look forward to the evil people of doom :]

That and Saki x Miyabi.

And Risako x Maiha.

Anywho.

-wraps whip around your foot and hangs you upside down over a dramatic rock-with-waves-crashing-against-it scenery- WRITE OR SUFFER

:]

<3

I have pleased the Yuu-chan! :D

The scar really isn't all that important. XD I mean it is, but then again it isn't. lol Koharu is both of what you think she's feeling plus something else. Which you won't find out until a few more chapters have gone by. XD

-suffering- T_____T

[wedgecall!]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 07, 2007, 01:00:47 AM
-weeedge <3-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 07, 2007, 01:08:06 AM
Woo, this is officially the new longest chapter. XD
Eight full pages of goodness.
It actually feels more like filler to me, but ah well. Some things are explained, some are not. Some of it is just humorous.
Still building up the suspense, you know.
Also... I was kind of disappointed in the lack of comments I got for the last chapter... ;-; It was a big chapter, too... (Yuu-chan, C60533, and Tanachan are my new favorites now. :P)

T-T Comments are what keep me going, you know?
I don't want to have to require a certain amount, so please do review?
I work hard on this, and part of it is for me, but the rest of it is so that all of you can enjoy it.
If I have to, I could just stop updating it for good and send what I continue with to only the people that seem to actually care. XD
But I don't want to do that, either.
I want everybody to be able to read it.

Now I kind of feel like I sound really whiny, so I'm going to shut up. XD
I'm just an ungrateful writer who should work harder. lol

Enjoy.

[Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]

They were back again…

I saw them by accident when I had left Yurina’s house. I was watching the city from the rooftops like I always do… And I heard voices from beneath me. At first, I merely passed it off as nothing more than being one more of those chronic signs that I was slipping farther and farther into insanity… But then I realized that the voices weren’t my own, and so, curious as I was, I decided to investigate.

Stumbling over towards the edge of the brick building I was on top of, I got down on all fours and peered cautiously into the dark alleyway below, able to barely make out the shapes of three figures below. They were talking to each other… or, more like… one of them was talking, one was listening, and the other was standing more towards the entrance to watch out for something.

I couldn’t make out what it was that they were saying, but the sinister tone in that voice had already given me bad feelings about the whole thing. I watched this go on for a few minutes, and then suddenly, the figure that had served as a lookout wandered over to the other two, and soon after left with the person who had the low, manipulative voice. I was kind of concerned about the one they left standing there, but I decided to follow the other two instead.

I’m really kind of on the small side. I don’t mean that I’m short or anything… but I don’t eat a whole lot, and so I’m very skinny. Captain says sometimes that my weight sorta scares her. But at least I haven’t stopped eating all together. I don’t really like food much. It doesn’t seem to have much taste to it anymore…

Anyway, because of this, I was able to maneuver from rooftop to rooftop with ease (it also helped that buildings in this city were so close together) in my pursuit of the strangers, and I almost fell off of one of them when I saw the two figures step back out into the light.

They had changed… they had grown up… and yet, to me, they were completely the same.

Vile, horrible people.

I felt this burning anger flare up inside of me, and yet at the same time my anxiety was brought to new heights and I could feel that flame being smothered by a chilling fear. What were they doing here? Now, after so long? Perhaps it was like the Captain feared, and they had somehow learned that I was still alive… and maybe they had come back to finish the job.

I was starting to feel very sick… The trembling had returned to my body again, and I wondered if I would have some sort of episode right there on the spot. I wasn’t exactly in the appropriate place to start feeling like that…

Nightmarish whispers started flitting through my mind, and I struggled to keep on top of the situation before my body decided to trigger that defense mechanism that would take me somewhere else. But by that point, it was out of my control… I was fading again, and the stronger, more dangerous me was taking my place.

Bad things tended to happen when she showed up…

But there wasn’t any way to stop it now.

------------

“Mm… Practice gets more and more interesting each day…”

“Well, Momoko-chan… in our defense, everything has been interesting ever since you showed up.”

“…Touché.”

Risako, Yurina, Erika (as I finally learned was Umeda’s given name) and I were walking along the city’s sidewalks, enjoying the start of our lunch break after the morning’s practice. So far… this day had gone rather well for me.

Almost as soon as Maasa had left the theatre I started to miss her, but then things began to happen that kept my mind at least slightly preoccupied. Miyabi showed up at about her usual time, and to my surprise, she had brought a guest with her. Saki had tagged along with her to practice, and though I hadn’t expected such a turn of events, I was pleased: both for Saki’s sake and for the fact that perhaps Miyabi would tone down the evil a little bit.

She was in a much better mood, that was for sure. And Saki looked very happy.

Risako joined the three of us about half an hour later, and Erika appeared soon after that, wearing a very confused expression on her face. Yurina wasn’t with her—as she usually was, because with Miyabi’s lack-of-car, Erika had been helping the tall girl get to practice—and when I asked about it, she merely replied that Yurina had called and said not to worry about picking her up, because she would be late.

…That wasn’t like Yurina at all. So naturally, the small group of us worried over it, discussing possible explanations for the most responsible member’s absence.

What we came up with was: 1) She had been possessed by some unearthly creature. 2) She had been hit by a car like Takahashi-san, and had suffered only minor scrapes and bruises… we hoped. 3) The mysterious stranger that we all knew about but had never met had something to do with it.

I personally had been placing my bets on option number three… and my decision had been sealed when Yurina walked in about forty minutes or so late, a starstruck sort of look on her face. It was the same look Risako adopted every time she talked to me about or was around Maiha, and the same look that I suspected I probably got while thinking about Maasa.

She definitely had it bad for someone

But since Saki and I were the only such perceptive ones out of the group, and neither of us would stoop to the level of teasing the gentle, good-natured Yurina, no one really seemed to catch on.

Besides that… a much bigger distraction would arrive to take our attention away from Yurina.

Sometime near the middle of our practice, Maiha had slipped in (perhaps that’s where Maasa had learned such an ability… or maybe vice versa), and she watched us (or, rather, she watched Risako) dance from the audience seats for a good amount of time, never once saying a word to anyone. My cousin seemed to be hellbent on attempting to ignore the intruder, though I was fairly sure that she knew that Maiha was there, and I could have sworn I saw Risako steal glances in the other girl’s direction quite frequently while we worked.

It was pretty amusing, but soon I was immersed in the dancing again.

Once I was exposed to Saki’s godlike dancing skills, I stepped aside for once, and let her help with teaching technique and she even came up with some improvements for the routines that Miyabi and I had put together. Her expertise… would have been very useful if I had known about her talent from the start. I mean, after hearing her story, I was aware that she could perform, but… this had been something else.

I made a mental note to ask her for help with my mother’s dance later on. Maybe she could figure out what it was that I was missing.

But even as I thought about that, I knew that it was probably hopeless… The problem lay somewhere inside of me… until I found it and figured it out, I wasn’t going to make any progress with that solo dance.

And then we had finished. I had lost track of time because I was so focused… Saki and Miyabi slipped out together after assuring the rest of us that they would be back in time for the evening practice, and I couldn’t help but be the slightest bit envious. Maasa was like a cat: she would come and go as she pleased and stay as long as she wanted, with no promise of return…

Perhaps that was one of the reasons I was so drawn to her. She was unpredictable and mysterious, and that intrigued me. …It didn’t hurt that she was dangerously attractive, either, like the stereotypical rebel good girls like myself were supposed to stay away from.

I stopped myself. I was thinking about her more than I thought about anything else lately… I wondered briefly if perhaps she thought about me as often, but then I warned myself that if I wasn’t careful, that I could cross the line into obsession.

…Optimistic-Horny!Momoko didn’t really see that as a bad thing.

But Rational!Momoko hit me in the back of my mental head and I snapped out of my musings back into reality. Risako was staring intensely off into the audience, and at first, I thought maybe she and her sometimes sweetheart were having a contest… but then I followed her line of vision to realize that Maiha wasn’t there at all. She must have slipped in a similar way to how she had arrived… unnoticed.

So, being the genius that I am, I put two and two together and realized that that was the reason for my cousin’s distress. And it annoyed me greatly. I still hadn’t decided whether or not I approved of the flirt, but the way she was acting lately was swinging my opinion more or less towards the latter.

Then again… it really wasn’t any of my business… If worse came to worse I would just beat the little punk up.

Anyways… after all of that, the four of us that remained ended up wandering out of the theatre, and were now walking together in an amicable silence, with the intent to find something to eat. Well, at least, the others had that intention. I told them I had other things to take care of.

So when we reached the end of the block, they waved goodbye to me—Risako was still giving me an unsure look—and I told them I’d catch up later. I waited until they were out of sight before I turned to head towards my destination.

It was time to play Sherlock Holmes and unravel a bit of the mystery surrounding this city and what was going on. Everything seemed to be loosely connected. The threat… the theatre… the dancers… I had it narrowed down: something had happened a couple of years ago to make someone angry enough to kill the previous owners of the theatre. I assumed that that same someone was back, and they were gonna finish the job this time.

The only clue I had to go on was a scrap of newspaper that I had salvaged from the burnt mass left by the intruder, and I couldn’t believe my luck when I realized that the paper’s date was still intact.

My mission was simple now: I needed to find out exactly what had happened on that day, and trace the events back to the people involved. Perhaps then, I would be able to discover who had been responsible and get them put behind bars before a sequel to the first tragedy was written.

I slowed to a stop in front of the doors to the city’s small, one and only police station.

-------------

Maiha knew that she was going to be in some serious trouble if Maasa happened to wander home anytime soon. But being a reckless optimist, she really didn’t care, and figured that it was worth getting yelled at to spend some quality time with not one, but two very lovely young ladies.

See, Maasa had this rule thing… about how Maiha could freeload as much as she wanted as long as she didn’t bring girls into the house. Well, it actually wasn’t much of a ‘house’. A much more accurate term would have been ‘basement’. It was part of what had once been a pretty large apartment complex, that had been condemned soon after it went bankrupt when people started to gravitate towards the center of the city.

The intent was to tear it and a few of the surrounding buildings down to put new ones in their place, but once some of the less… honorable citizens started to take over that part of town and turned it into a makeshift ‘red light district’, the rebuilding part of the project had been abandoned. The city’s limited police force simply could not control the amount of crime in the area, and so it had become a haven for criminals and people who simply had ill intentions.

Anyways, the duo stumbled upon the basement several years ago, and after working hard to clean it out (Maasa took care of that part) it was a comfortable place to live in (Maiha was good at that part). They had furnished it with various things that they had either stolen or found in the other broken down buildings nearby, and thanks to Maiha’s mental library of things most other people didn’t know, they were able to siphon off electricity from some of their oblivious neighbors.

Miraculously, they also still had running water. But Maiha suspected that a certain incident involving one of the city’s officials and a particularly irate young delinquent had insured them that the facilities wouldn’t be shut off ever again. Apparently they had figured out that it was better to keep the crime in a controlled area of the city rather than  forcing them to filter back into the main area where more civilians would be at risk.

Back to the annoying rule thing. It was something that was frequently ignored and broken, since Maasa didn’t really enforce it beyond giving the other girl a long lecture and kicking her out for a night or two. Her ‘probation’ never lasted longer than that, however, because Maasa would always start to feel guilty and would welcome her unrepentant friend back with open arms.

…Which was why Maiha was sitting on the old couch in the underground room with a pair of girls that she had found while wandering about outside. She knew nothing about them other than the fact that they were hot, and that the one that she was currently making out with was particularly skilled at what she was doing.

She probably should have been feeling guilty at that point. But Maiha had learned long ago how to toss away all feelings of remorse about basically everything. It was dangerous, and got her into all sorts of trouble, but in a way, Maasa was her safety net, and so she had never really gotten to experience any of the consequences to her actions.

Just as her hands were starting to wander in an interesting direction, she heard someone enter the room, and knew almost instantly that the other girl was home, and so she quickly slipped out of the compromising position that she happened to be in. Maiha froze as Maasa came into view, but her fear quickly turned into confusion, as she noticed that the taller girl had a distant, distracted look on her paled face, and was surprised when Maasa didn’t even seem to pay her or the visitors an ounce of attention.

This was strange behavior for Maasa, and so (however reluctantly) Maiha ushered the other two females out of the basement-house in order to talk to her best friend.

“What’s wrong with you…? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’…”

“…Not exactly, but that’s pretty close…”

Maasa’s voice was rougher than normal, like it pained her to say even just one word. This startled Maiha, and for once she was worried…

“Did things go bad with that girl of yours…?”

“No… things are wonderful, actually… Something happened after that. I ran into someone I wasn’t expecting to see.”

“Who? Someone prettier?”

For the first time since she had entered the room, Maasa showed some emotion by flashing Maiha a glare before she slumped down on the couch, rubbing her temples with her fingers in a stressed sort of manner.

“This might sting a bit, but I must inform you that I’m not as shallow as you happen to be when it comes to girls.”

“Ouch,” But the now-grinning Maiha seemed unaffected, and with cat-like ease, she swung her legs over the back of the couch, sliding into place beside the other girl. “So who did you see, then?”

“…Airi… … …Koharu. They’re back in the city.”

If a truck had slammed into Maiha at that moment, she wouldn’t have even noticed. What had just hit her was much, much more forceful than some big semi…

“…Y-you really suck at jokes, Maa-chan… and that one wasn’t funny, so… stop screwing around and tell me what really happened.”

But Maasa wasn’t paying attention anymore. She had her head buried in her hands, and if Maiha’s eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, she could have sworn that the older female was… trembling. That was when the gravity of this new turn of events really hit Maiha.

“But why? Why would she come back after being away so long? What could there be left that she wants? People already fucking died because of what they wanted, and as far as she knows, there isn’t anybody left, so why did she come back?”

“She doesn’t want them to perform at the theatre anymore… she’s even already threatened them by telling them that if they don’t leave, something bad will happen…”

Maasa’s voice was muffled, and there was a slight shake to it, but Maiha could make the words out nevertheless. She had a feeling that there was something her friend had left out, but she decided not to push it, considering the other girl’s current emotional state.

“…So even after everything that happened… she still wasn’t satisfied…”

“Apparently not.”

“What are we going to do?”

The older female slowly sat back up straight, running a hand through her hair with a sigh. “I don’t know. There isn’t much that we can do. Those girls… they won’t leave that place. Which means that they’re all in danger… I have a feeling that Koharu’s taking this time a little bit more seriously.”

“We could find her first and take her out of the picture…”

“I don’t need anything else to make me feel like more of a murderer than I already am!” Maasa snapped, having gotten to her feet, bristling with anger now. The room was dead silent after that, and Maiha cringed at the smouldering look her best friend was giving her.

Really, really bad direction to go in… I need to learn to think about what I say before I say it…

“…You didn’t kill them, Maasa… Koharu and Airi did. It wasn’t your fault.” She tried, using a quiet, cautious voice so as not to further stoke the fires of Maasa’s bear-like anger.

“I’m just as much to blame. You know that.”

“You tried to stop them in the end. That’s what counts. Because of you, they had to hurry, and that might have been the thing that saved Chinami’s life…”

“Because of me, she relives that nightmare constantly, every single day. You can’t tell me that she’s glad she gets to go through what she has to go through…”

“Damnit, Maasa, will you stop blaming yourself for this?! We’ve had this conversation over and over, and it still can’t seem to penetrate your thick skull!”

“That’s because it’s not supposed to! I can’t believe something that isn’t true!”

“You were manipulated, Maasa. There was no way you could have known how things were going to end up!”

The tall girl growled in frustration, throwing her hands up and walking around the couch towards the exit, grabbing her jacket off of the floor along the way. Maiha quickly got to her feet, tripping as she turned to watch her friend leave.

“Where the hell are you going now?”

“Somewhere, anywhere, I don’t even care at this point.”

“If you’re gonna go and get drunk, I’d rather you not come back here. I don’t like to deal with your sorry ass when you get like that, it’s not attractive.”

“Good thing you’re not the one I’m trying to impress.”

And with that, Maasa was gone. It could be days before she ever came back… or it could be just an hour or so… She just needed to cool off before she punched someone in the face. Still, Maiha was very apprehensive about the entire situation. Those two… were the last people she ever expected to see in the city… and were also the last people on earth she wanted to see, period. Maasa was generally a level-headed person, but Maiha had this horrible feeling that she could end up doing something very foolish…

“Momoko-chan… where ever you are right now… I know you can’t hear me, but if by some miracle you do…”

Please… You have to help Maasa. I think you’re the one she’s needed for so long… Even if neither of you ever realize just how much.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Persuasive Negotiation]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 07, 2007, 01:09:24 AM
FIRST DIBS XDD

Wow, Maiha brings home women? Roffle xD

Nn, I stick by what I said before, Maasa was definitely involved, and apparently she probably were the ones who killed the owners and had a change of heart when Koharu and Airi wanted her to kill Chinami as well, and went against them. Poor Maasa needs a shoulder to cry on :< -lassos in Momoko with the whip- :]

Koharu and Airi want to finish the job eh? I do wonder what the owners and Chinami did to piss them off so much o_o... Unless they were blinded by fury or gangsta-entertainment o_o;

-does the same fishy move with holding you over the sea- WRITE <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: Loser87 on May 07, 2007, 01:42:19 AM
dibbers

*sigh*
That was an amazing read ~w~
I'm sorry I didn't reply to your previous chapter, things came up >w<
But To make it up, I'll be nice...In this comment lol
No, throwing rocks, no radioactive kittens, no evil throwing or staring or pulling, pushing, sneezing of any kind!
Honest! Girls scout honor! (I was never part of the girls scout lol)

Anyway, Maiha!! JEBUS!!!
>w<
She's such a...A...UMPH!!
Like...Grr and and..Touchy feely Argghh!

Koharu and Airi are so evil, jebus..>w<
But You gotta' have villains in a midst of a ragtag group of heroes

I'm trying to imagine what would Chinami do, something crazy? Like how Niki becomes Jessica in Heroes?
Or Something barbaric and just all out rage like the Hulk?
Or just bent on emotion of revenge like Venom >w<
Yeah I'm a geek but I'm a cute geek so BLAH!

Update please!!~~

~Prods you with the non-pointy stick of non-doom~

^w^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: C60533 on May 07, 2007, 01:59:29 AM
And Chinami is going to burst and go on a Hulk rampage. I'm not serious, but she seems to be prone to that course of action when she's angry or stressed. Poor Chinami....she has to deal with the people who almost caused her to die again. On a lighter note, when I read that she was running on rooftops, my mind jumped to Spider-Man. Blame the fact that I watched it 2 days ago. (Marvel's getting to me)  But Chinami hears voices? What do they say to her? Is it like the little leprachaun (sp?) that Ralph has that tells him to burn things? Oh wait, no that's Koharu. So what do they say? Does it have anything to do with what to do with Yurina?

Go Momo!! You must play the part of Sherlock Holmes san the British accent. A Watson might not be too bad though. You know Momo, if you listen to Rational!Momoko for a while, she might let Optimistc-Horny!Momoko take over every now and then.

Okay...Maiha if you want to get Risako back...stop bringing back women. Just work with Risako. I hear that younger people are a bit easier to manipulate in these situations.

Maiha knows something. She knows what happened. Even though she is a bit of a player, she means well. But she needs to act soon. Momoko needs to find a way to get Maiha to tell her what happened and they need to act. People can mean well, people can want good things to happen, but if they don't do anything, no good will come of it.

I also don't think that going to the police station will be of too much help. I might be wrong, but if they treat Momo like a kid, and she doesn't get any info from them, will she ask the dancers? Like Maiha?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: Estrea on May 07, 2007, 04:25:05 AM
Whoa sorry I forgot to comment last chapter... >< Forgive me...? -gives you cookies-

Anyway, interesting. I get the feeling Maasa used to hang out with Airi and Koharu and was manipulated into helping them with the fire. But evidently she must have backed out and tried to stop them in the end, which saved Chinami's life as it turned out. Hmm.

I look forward to where you take the plot. Here, have some sweets. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: TydusArandor on May 07, 2007, 06:59:42 AM
Holy crap! I haven't been able to comment for like the last gazillion chapters! Stupid homework >_<.I don't think anyone wants to hear me rambling on and on about each chapter, so I'll just go with the latest chapter.

Rofl at Momoko's "I'll just beat the little punk up" XD. I can't imagine Momoko beating Maiha up. I can't imagine Momoko beating ANYONE up (even though she has muscles) >_<. I guess Momoko has to go beat the crap out of Maiha now. I was scared that Maiha would just go "win" Risako and get back to her player days but it seems that I underestimated her.. she didn't even win her yet but she's already messing around with someone else? Stupid Maiha  >:(

Looks like more mysteries are being revealed! Maasa was manipulated to kill someone? I didn't expect this fic to go in a dark direction. I wonder what Koharu and Airi wanted in the first place? So scared about what might happen to the girls >_<.

Haha, I predict that Momoko will sneeze in the next chapter because of Maiha <_< gosh, I'm so retarded  :D

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 08, 2007, 03:19:02 AM
FIRST DIBS XDD

Wow, Maiha brings home women? Roffle xD

Nn, I stick by what I said before, Maasa was definitely involved, and apparently she probably were the ones who killed the owners and had a change of heart when Koharu and Airi wanted her to kill Chinami as well, and went against them. Poor Maasa needs a shoulder to cry on :< -lassos in Momoko with the whip- :]

Koharu and Airi want to finish the job eh? I do wonder what the owners and Chinami did to piss them off so much o_o... Unless they were blinded by fury or gangsta-entertainment o_o;

-does the same fishy move with holding you over the sea- WRITE <3

XDD Yeah, Maiha's the player. <3

Hm... not quite, but sort of. You're getting there. XD [Momoko: -flailing in the whip- I'll go willingly, you know...]

um.. Dun dun dun? XD

I don't like the sea... T_T

dibbers

*sigh*
That was an amazing read ~w~
I'm sorry I didn't reply to your previous chapter, things came up >w<
But To make it up, I'll be nice...In this comment lol
No, throwing rocks, no radioactive kittens, no evil throwing or staring or pulling, pushing, sneezing of any kind!
Honest! Girls scout honor! (I was never part of the girls scout lol)

Anyway, Maiha!! JEBUS!!!
>w<
She's such a...A...UMPH!!
Like...Grr and and..Touchy feely Argghh!

Koharu and Airi are so evil, jebus..>w<
But You gotta' have villains in a midst of a ragtag group of heroes

I'm trying to imagine what would Chinami do, something crazy? Like how Niki becomes Jessica in Heroes?
Or Something barbaric and just all out rage like the Hulk?
Or just bent on emotion of revenge like Venom >w<
Yeah I'm a geek but I'm a cute geek so BLAH!

Update please!!~~

~Prods you with the non-pointy stick of non-doom~

^w^

Your comment fills me with great joy~
-skips about happily-

And Chinami is going to burst and go on a Hulk rampage. I'm not serious, but she seems to be prone to that course of action when she's angry or stressed. Poor Chinami....she has to deal with the people who almost caused her to die again. On a lighter note, when I read that she was running on rooftops, my mind jumped to Spider-Man. Blame the fact that I watched it 2 days ago. (Marvel's getting to me)  But Chinami hears voices? What do they say to her? Is it like the little leprachaun (sp?) that Ralph has that tells him to burn things? Oh wait, no that's Koharu. So what do they say? Does it have anything to do with what to do with Yurina?

Go Momo!! You must play the part of Sherlock Holmes san the British accent. A Watson might not be too bad though. You know Momo, if you listen to Rational!Momoko for a while, she might let Optimistc-Horny!Momoko take over every now and then.

Okay...Maiha if you want to get Risako back...stop bringing back women. Just work with Risako. I hear that younger people are a bit easier to manipulate in these situations.

Maiha knows something. She knows what happened. Even though she is a bit of a player, she means well. But she needs to act soon. Momoko needs to find a way to get Maiha to tell her what happened and they need to act. People can mean well, people can want good things to happen, but if they don't do anything, no good will come of it.

I also don't think that going to the police station will be of too much help. I might be wrong, but if they treat Momo like a kid, and she doesn't get any info from them, will she ask the dancers? Like Maiha?

Hm... oh my... I can't touch most of these speculations. XD
I plead the fifth here. lol
But you're getting on the right track.

Whoa sorry I forgot to comment last chapter... >< Forgive me...? -gives you cookies-

Anyway, interesting. I get the feeling Maasa used to hang out with Airi and Koharu and was manipulated into helping them with the fire. But evidently she must have backed out and tried to stop them in the end, which saved Chinami's life as it turned out. Hmm.

I look forward to where you take the plot. Here, have some sweets. XD

Of course I forgive you. You're my most favorite. [Hey, I can be fickle, too. X3] -nibbles on cookies-

Lol That's basically what Yuu-chan said. And, same with her, it's slightly wrong.

Mm.. sweets. <3

Holy crap! I haven't been able to comment for like the last gazillion chapters! Stupid homework >_<.I don't think anyone wants to hear me rambling on and on about each chapter, so I'll just go with the latest chapter.

Rofl at Momoko's "I'll just beat the little punk up" XD. I can't imagine Momoko beating Maiha up. I can't imagine Momoko beating ANYONE up (even though she has muscles) >_<. I guess Momoko has to go beat the crap out of Maiha now. I was scared that Maiha would just go "win" Risako and get back to her player days but it seems that I underestimated her.. she didn't even win her yet but she's already messing around with someone else? Stupid Maiha  >:(

Looks like more mysteries are being revealed! Maasa was manipulated to kill someone? I didn't expect this fic to go in a dark direction. I wonder what Koharu and Airi wanted in the first place? So scared about what might happen to the girls >_<.

Haha, I predict that Momoko will sneeze in the next chapter because of Maiha <_< gosh, I'm so retarded  :D

Lol.. I don't mind rambling. I enjoy it. XD

Everyone's jumpin' on the 'Let's Hate Maiha' train... And yet, I haven't yet given you a chapter from her POV, so you really don't know what she's thinking... :3

Lol... I didn't expect it to go in a darker direction, either... So basically I lied when I said it wasn't gonna be that angsty. ><;;

[wedgecall, but I'm not gonna wait]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty-Nine -- Restless Calm]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 08, 2007, 03:21:19 AM
This didn't turn out quite like I wanted to, but meh... Oh well.
I was looking forward to getting it over with so I can move on to the NEXT chapter.
Which should be much more fun. <3

^_^ Chapter 30 at last! And I'm not even halfway done yet. <3

[Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]

It was warm inside the station, and there was this faint scent of stale coffee that drifted through the air, making me feel a little less nervous about what I was possibly getting myself into.

The walls were cluttered with notice boards that had various bits of paper pinned to them… clippings about missing persons, items, and animals… wanted posters… newspaper articles… an ad for a restaurant that had been opened about ten years ago… Basically anything and everything…

Once I was bored with that, I took the time to examine the rest of the room. There was a long desk at the end of the main room, and a few other tables off to the side, various papers scattered about them as well. I could see doors that probably led to smaller rooms, and hopefully one of them held the information I was looking for.

There were two girls seated behind the long desk… Or rather, one of them was more or less laying in a somewhat awkward position across the arms of her rolling chair, and I think she was asleep. I’m pretty sure that she was, because even though her face was obscured behind her uniformed hat, I could hear light snoring.

The other female was deeply engrossed in some kind of magazine, absently twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers while she produced a rather large bubble from the gum that she was chewing.

This was going to be so much fun…

I sighed, and decided that I would try talking to the one that was awake first. I cleared my throat, and only her eyes moved, flitting up from the pages of the magazine to scrutinize me. Her gaze was like that for a moment, before she judged me to be unimportant and returned to reading. A jolt of annoyance shot through me, and I frowned before clearing my throat again, a bit louder this time.

She rolled her eyes and popped the bubble she had made, pulling the gum back inside of her mouth with her teeth and tongue so that she could talk. But she didn’t look up at me again.

“If you need somethin’, kid, ask Tanaka. I don’t feel like dealin’ with you right now.”

My eye twitched a little bit after that. Of all of the rude things someone could say to me… That just about took the gold medal for being the most impolite. I was fully aware that I was… vertically challenged, but… I was an ADULT, damnit! At least… in some countries, anyway… It wasn’t like she even looked any older than I did… well, anyway. I didn’t even bother to argue, because I didn’t think that it would get me anywhere.

So I turned to the sleeping female, weighing my remaining options in my mind. I could either wait until someone more kind or competent showed up and have them help me… or I could attempt to wake this girl up and get her to do it instead.

…Unfortunately for her, I was impatient at that point, and in the end, the latter of my two options won out. I leaned over the desk, carefully lifting the hat from the girl’s face. She was cute, and her eyes were a little bit uneven… the word ‘wonky’ came to mind out of nowhere. She looked so small, though, and there was no possible way that she was much older than me, either.

“Ah… miss?”

She didn’t even twitch, continuing to sleep as if nothing had happened. I tried again, my voice a little louder the second time, and I received the same results. Immediately I was reminded of Risako, and if this girl could sleep like my cousin did, there was really only one thing left to do…

So I took the hat and hit her hard in the shoulder with it, which caused the girl to jump about three feet out of the chair, and when she landed again, both she and it toppled over in a very ungraceful sort of manner. She shot back onto her feet soon after she was reunited with the ground, and instantly started to slap the crap out of the other officer, who could do little more than defend herself with the magazine.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, NONO?!”

“I didn’t do it, I swear! It was that girl- OW, WATCH WHERE YOU’RE HITTIN’, WOMAN!”

I watched their quarrel for a minute, slightly amused, before I decided to intervene. There were more important matters at hand. But trying to get their attention with my voice didn’t work, and so I brandished the hat like a weapon for the second time, slapping them both in the head with it. They rubbed their new bruises morosely, and the wonky-eyed female glared at me, snatching the hat from my hand to put it in it’s proper position on her head.

“Do you have a death wish, kid? Because usually people who wake me up are lucky to get away alive.”

“I’m not a kid. And no, I’m not looking for an early grave… I was actually wondering if you could help me with something. I need some information.”

She blinked at me, before letting out a short, sharp laugh, as if I had said something really absurd. Her voice adopted a lazy sort of slur and tone, and I realized that she didn’t think very much of me at all.

“Kid, we got more important things to worry about than some little research project, so why don’t you just move along and-”

“TSUJI! TANAKA!”

A loud, roaring voice burst forth from somewhere in the back of the station, and the two young officers quickly slid into their assigned positions, trying to straighten up and look as though they had been hard at work all along. One of the doors behind the desk slammed open, and out walked a rather intimidating woman who I automatically assumed to be the head of this little station. Her hair was a funky shade of blonde that I knew wasn’t natural, and I thought for a moment that her eyes were a little bit discolored before I realized that she was wearing greenish-blue contacts.

“Why the hell is there so much noise in here, hm? I’M THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO GIVE THE CIVILIANS TROUBLE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!?”

She gave the two of her subordinates each a good thump to the back of the head, and they mumbled quiet apologies. She seemed to be satisfied with that for the moment, and she turned to appraise me with those fake contacts of hers.

“And who are you, hm? We live to serve the people, but if this really WILL be a waste of my time, I suggest that you turn around and leave right now.”

Her voice was constantly loud, and it was kind of growly with the way that she rolled her ‘r’s and such. But she didn’t really scare me at all, because it seemed to be mostly for show and to keep the other officers in line, and since I wasn’t them, I had no need to worry. I pulled the scrap of newspaper from my pocket and handed it to her, speaking while she scrutinized it carefully.

“Something big happened on that day… Something that I need to know about, so I’d be very grateful if you could help me out anyway you can. I assume that you keep records here in this place?”

The police captain was stroking her invisible beard, and after a few moments of silence she turned and began walking towards one of the doors in the back, beckoning for me to follow. I swear I heard the wonky one snickering behind me.

We entered a large file room, and unlike the theatre’s music library, everything in it had been meticulously organized and alphabetized and any other –ized that you could think of. The woman wandered over to one of the steel cabinets and simply kicked it at it’s base, causing one of the drawers to slide out effortlessly. This she began to sift through until she pulled out a tan folder and tossed it onto a nearby table. She walked over and sat down at that table, waving at a chair at the opposite end. As soon as I was also seated, she began to talk.

“Only one thing happened on that day, two years ago… I remember it very clearly in my mind, because I was one of the first ones to arrive on the scene when it all started to happen.”

She opened the file, and pulled out a newspaper identical to the one that my scrap originated from, handing it to me. Eagerly, I began to scan through the story, now that I knew that I was going to get some answers to the questions that were swimming through my head.

Theatre owners die in raging fire; daughter also presumed to be dead.

The latest proprietors of the city’s only still-operating theatre for the arts perished last night in a fire that claimed not only their lives but their entire home as well. Though it has not yet been confirmed whether or not the fire was an accident or intended arson, witnesses to the event have claimed to have seen at least three unidentified figures fleeing from the scene.

Police arrived at the house after much of it was already engulfed in flame, only to discover that the owners had already passed away. The whereabouts and condition of the daughter are currently unknown, but officials say that it is quite likely that she suffered the same fate as her parents…”


It was eerie, reading through that… I had a feeling I was about to learn something that I didn’t want to hear, and yet… still I pushed for those answers.

“…What happened to the girl?”

“Well, technically this is classified information, but… we don’t normally get kids like you that wander in her and ask for specific things, so I don’t mind bending the rules a bit, considering how I’m the boss and all. Apparently she survived the attack, but after spending time to heal in the hospital, some stuff came up and she started acting weird… they diagnosed her with something… oh, shit… some acronym… P-something. No idea. Anyway, turns out she didn’t have enough money to pay for any therapy or medicine or anything since she lost it all in that fire, and they ended up letting her leave with this friend of hers…”

I’m pretty sure I had stopped breathing at that point. My throat was very dry and I choked as I attempted to ask another question.

“Do you know what her name was?”

“Tokunaga… Chinami? Chi-somethin’. I dunno. Apparently the media lost interest in her and the fire pretty quickly, and so they never announced it to the public that she survived. Probably a good thing, too, being so sick like that…”

I really, really didn’t want to know anymore. I felt kind of sick, like my stomach was trying to eat itself. However… I had to learn all that I could if I was going to piece together what had happened to try and stop it from happening again.

“What about the three suspects that the witnesses saw? Did anyone ever catch them or identify who they were?”

“Oh yeah. But we kind of suspected at first, it being arson and all… See, back then, there was one kid who basically controlled all of the crime goin’ on in this place. They called her the ‘Miracle’. Not because she had caused anything wonderful to happen… but because of how she always managed to slip just out of reach of being slammed behind bars. That, and because I think everyone sort of forgot about her real name somewhere along the way. The stories about her are numerous, each one much more wild and fanatical than the rest. But they say that there are three things about the girl that have always been true:

She can get someone to do whatever she wants just by looking at them.

She doesn’t believe in mercy, and if she considers you to be a liability, she’ll just mow you down.

She is completely and utterly obsessed with anything that has to do with fire.


They say she was only somewhat insane. Like in a mad genius kind of way, where she wasn’t really all there, but somehow managed to think of these brilliant plans that kept her one step ahead of the law. We know she was one of the ones that started the fire: she always left her mark on the things that she burned, leaving at least some area untouched so that she could carve into it. She got away that night, though… We’ve been trying to track her ever since, but have always turned up empty-handed.”

Okay… so there’s one. This… ‘miracle’. Obviously the mastermind behind it all. Probably the most dangerous, too.

“One of the others involved was this girl named Suzuki Airi. She had been a part of the theatre at some point in time, but they ended up kicking her out because she got involved with the wrong crowd—Miracle mainly, I’m told. Apparently she even tried to beat up one of the other dancers thanks to the influence of some of her new friends.

I guess resentment was one of her motives, but either way, she helped out. I’m pretty sure that’s she was just another one of the Miracle’s pawns, but you’d have to be a fool to label her harmless. We actually ended up apprehending the kid after chasing her down, but she slipped out somehow…”

The woman slammed her fist down on the table at that point, gritting her teeth like she was still angry about ‘the one that got away’. I wouldn’t want to be in that criminal’s shoes if this captain ever got a second chance to deal with her…

Suzuki Airi. Hot-headed… could probably beat me up. That’s comforting.

“There was one more, though… She got away too… I always have trouble remembering her name…”

She began to sift through the file in front of me, and was in the middle of pulling out a sheet of paper when a short blonde woman burst into the room, wild and out of breath. I could see fear and panic in her wide eyes, and perhaps even more alarming was the fact that blood was running down from a wound beneath her hat, somewhere on the side of her head.

“Captain- they’re back- and- I just- ran into them around the corner. I tried to bring them in but- the younger one grabbed me- nearly beat the shit out of me- I got away, though- came straight here.”

It was hard to make out what she was trying to say through that jumbled mess, but the police captain seemed to understand, and immediately she and the other officer darted out of the room, leaving me behind without so much as a goodbye. I really was insignificant after all that, though, and so I guess I understood… The file remained open on the table, and the paper that the captain had been trying to show me before the interruption was face down… tempting me.

I almost reached out to turn it over, but resisted. These things were classified… and I wasn’t about to go breaking the law… I had gotten most of what I needed anyway, and so I walked out of the room, leaving the now empty station.

I wonder… if I had learned what I know now… at that point … would things have turned out the same way?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: Loser87 on May 08, 2007, 03:23:36 AM
dibs

Oh god, Police Yuko, Reina, Nono, and (obviously) Mari are ftw!! >w<

I love it, I love you for including them like that XDXD
I am afraid of the whole MaaxMomo relationship, What'll happen when she finds out ;+;
Trouble in paradise! >w< NOOOoooOOooooOoooo....ooooOOoooo.......oo...

I laughed so hard at the thought of Airi beating up (obviously) cop Mari
XDXD

But Koharu you made her so...so...Evil o_o

And You said, this story will barely have any drama in it and that it was pure fun, comedy and fluff!
YOU LIED!!
But it's awesome anyways
Every good story needs major drama and uber angst every now and then

Anyway UPDATE BRAT!!

YAHH!!! *slaps you around* GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!
O_O O_O O_O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: Estrea on May 08, 2007, 03:53:04 AM
Aha....police captain = Yuko? Lol. And the short blonde woman in the end...Mari? XD

Hmm Momoko playing Sherlock. Should be interesting. I want to see what happens next. And also, this police station seems pretty darn funky. :P

Update soon!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: Amarghetta on May 08, 2007, 05:20:34 AM
Oh, you included the seniors also! :D I was wondering if you'd go for it...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: iacus on May 08, 2007, 06:57:32 AM
The thought of a Airi vs Mari fist fight fills me with great joy. So does the dirty miracle girl, never seen that side of her before.
This fic is going in a completely different direction than I thought it would. I'm a bit surprised.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: TydusArandor on May 08, 2007, 07:25:18 AM
(I hope "fun" for the next chapter is more of "temporary fluff relief" than "EVEN MORE angst" <_<)

THANK GOD MOMOKO DIDN'T LOOK AT THE FILE! I mean, stuff like this would probably be better coming from the person herself. I fear for Momoko x Maasa  >_<.

And rofl at Airi beating the crap out of who seems to be Mari :D My mind is being corrupted with weird images of H!P members being violent now <_<.

This police station sure works at its own pace  :-X
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 08, 2007, 04:59:45 PM
Will the cops have more screen time? That'd be interesting.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 09, 2007, 10:00:27 PM
-reserved for when I decide to go back and reply to comments-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 09, 2007, 10:03:09 PM
I've had a really rough day today [hence, the lack of replying to comments and the lack of overall angst in this chapter] so I wanted to finish this bit and post it here before going on. It's overall fluffy, I think. Or at least, I hope it is. It's kind of filler, too, but I needed a distraction.

Enjoy. <3

[Chapter Thirty-One: Be Still My Heart]

I was dreaming.

I had to have been, because this… to me it felt like it was almost too good to be true.

I was afraid that if I made even the slightest movement—if I were even to breathe or to blink—that I could somehow ruin the moment and it would disappear from me forever.

But miraculously, when I could no longer hold my breath and when my eyes got too dry to continue keeping them open, she was still laying there on the grass with her head in my lap, gazing serenely out at the river beside us.

I had been surprised when she stopped by me earlier that morning and asked me to come with her to practice. But it wasn’t really from the fact that she asked me as much as it was from the way that she has asked me. Miyabi isn’t really a timid sort of person, but when she spoke to me, it was in a quiet, hesitant way, like she wasn’t sure of herself. It was very unlike her, and even though I was still kind of worried about not returning to the Loft to check up on Chinami… I figured that one day wouldn’t hurt.

Chii-chan had been slipping out more frequently lately anyway, and she always came back just a little bit better. A little bit more… herself. Whomever she was going to see was helping her, whether they realized it or not, and I wasn’t about to stop such a good thing. As long as she came home unscathed, I was fine with it.

Perhaps Maasa had been right about her needing some space.

It was nice to get to practice with my old troupe again, though… Risako wasn’t as clumsy as I remembered… In fact, she didn’t seem to be having any trouble with the pretty difficult routines that Momoko and Miyabi had come up with at all. Memories of how I would have to take her aside after the morning practices to help her out came back to me, and to see how much she had improved without my assistance over the past few years… It was a pleasant surprise, though, and I couldn’t help but be very proud of her.

Erika was still as shy as before, but I noticed that she was a little more talkative now, as if she had come out of her shell a bit. That was just who she was, and they say that some things never change.

I hadn’t really noticed that Yurina had been in a cast when I saw her a couple of days ago, and I wondered what had happened that had caused her to break her leg. She was possibly the most graceful person that I knew, and so I thought it must have been some freak accident. Miyabi had noticed me staring at the cast, and when I looked back over at her, she turned away. It was strange… but I didn’t ask about it. Anyway, Yurina was finally putting her talents to good use, and I was amazed by the amount of skill she had with that piano…

I supposed that a part of me assumed that Momoko was a born performer the day I met her outside the train station, but I was still very impressed by the way she danced and sang. She made it all seem so effortless, like she had never had to practice a day in her life… Really inspiring to watch.

Out of all of them, though… I have to admit that it was Miyabi that I was focused on the most. I guess I was being blatantly obvious about it, too, because she caught me staring at her several times during practice. I couldn’t help it, though… I hadn’t seen her in so long… She had definitely grown up. And I… had pretty much stayed the same. I just got a little scruffier, that’s all.

…I deemed myself unworthy for such a girl.

I’m not sure I had been worthy before, either.

But now I was definitely undeserving. Still… she seemed to be very eager to be with me after we had sort of patched things up… I wasn’t even sure about that, either. It was like we had started all over again. I didn’t mind that, because I knew deep in my heart that I would go to the end of the world and do whatever it took just to be within five feet of her, but…

Was it the same from her point of view?

I loved her then. I still love her now. And she had said it back then… but what about now?

She wanted to spend time with me alone after practice and pulled me away from the others, and so I decided that I was just going to enjoy it and worry later if the need arose. We walked through the city together, holding hands and never saying a word. But we didn’t really need to. She and I didn’t have to speak in order to talk to each other. The two of us continued in that manner until I realized that we had walked so far that we were nearing the outskirts of the city.

It was then that I figured out where we were headed.

There was a river that flowed along the edge of the city limits, over which a bridge had been built for cars and pedestrians to cross. The water in it had always been clear and beautiful, and so the grass around it was healthy and strong and soft. It was in sharp contrast to the technological, crowded, busy city, and so all those years ago, it became our favorite spot to get away from everything else.

She and I had spent many days talking there… positioned like we were now: me on the edge of the grass, feet dangling in the water, and her using me like a pillow. Only, this day, she was quiet, content to just watch the river flow by. For a moment, the link our minds had was severed, and I wondered what it was that she was thinking about. It must have been something serious, for her to be so calm like that.

“Are you ever going to tell me about what happened back then…?”

Oh. It was that question again. But she had asked it in a different way, and I sensed that perhaps this would be the final time she brought it up. That maybe she would finally accept whatever answer I offered her. So I thought very carefully about my answer before I decided to reply.

“…Maybe someday.” I started with the truth. I couldn’t give her any promises, and so that was the best I could give her at that point. “I wish I could tell you right now, because you want to know right now, and I want to make you happy… but I also need to keep someone else safe.”

She seemed to be taking that in, processing it. I think that for the first time, she believed that I couldn’t give her any more information than that. I assumed that she was done talking, because she didn’t say anything else for a while, and so I occupied myself by stroking her hair and staring off blankly at the city.

“…Someone more important than me?”

That question caught me a bit off guard. I wasn’t really sure how to fully respond to it, either. Not without upsetting her somehow.

“Someone who needs me.”

Miyabi accepted that simple answer, but still a sad little smile took control of her lips.

“I need you too… Sakitan.”

I was struck speechless at that. She never once showed me any indication that she was dependant of me for anything. So to hear that now… was kind of a shock. I guess my sudden silence amused her, because a real (albeit small) smile replaced the sad one, and she turned her head to kiss my hand that was resting beside her shoulder after I had stopped stroking her hair. The gesture was meant to be reassuring, I assumed, and so I somehow figured out how to talk again.

“I won’t leave you like that again… I promise. Some day… I’ll tell you everything. Hopefully then… you’ll understand.”

I just hope that that day could come sooner than later…
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty -- Elementary, My Dear Watson]
Post by: Loser87 on May 09, 2007, 10:08:38 PM
dibs

Ahhh MiyaSaki lurve... >w<
Its giving me cavaties!!
Your gonna have to pay for my dentist bills!
After all it's your fault for making things so sugary sweet!

Either way, You need to write more lurve scene MORE I SAY MORE!!!
Hurry before I throw godzilla at you o_o
or worse...THIS!! TA-DA~ *A katamari!!*
O_O

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF LURRRRRVVVEEE~~
Or else you get your ass kicked and the real 100% evil me will come out..
The one that first made it's appearance when I first commented you ever!
And that was pretty gosh darn mean!

Now Update! *pokes you with my Pointy stick of pointy doom!!* (My pointy stick's name is Mr. Pointy..RESPECT MR. POINTY!)
O_O
Update!
*Prods you to update with Mr. Pointy..Prodding Prodding..*
O_O
Botha'
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-One -- Be Still My Heart]
Post by: Estrea on May 09, 2007, 11:29:58 PM
Nice Miyabi/Saki scene! <333333333

Sorry just woke up so reply will be incoherent. :D

I do so hope that these two patch it up properly minus the secrets soon. :D

Yeah and waiting for next chapter. No pressure though. ^__^ -gives you chocolate again- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-One -- Be Still My Heart]
Post by: Tanachan on May 10, 2007, 12:09:08 AM
Awww so cute! You write such great filler, FIM! But yeah, I can relate. Taking refuge in other activities to escape the bad days. I read a lot of the time. But anyways, hopefully you'll have a better day after this

*throws Miki-in-a-box, with push-up bras and realistic groping action!*
*and a customized Piriri to Yukou outfit, and the bus from the PV*
*and some sparklers and all the H!P DVDs*
*and Miya and Saki*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-One -- Be Still My Heart]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 10, 2007, 03:27:48 AM
Sweetness. I died.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-One -- Be Still My Heart]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 10, 2007, 10:59:59 PM
dibs

Ahhh MiyaSaki lurve... >w<
Its giving me cavaties!!
Your gonna have to pay for my dentist bills!
After all it's your fault for making things so sugary sweet!

Either way, You need to write more lurve scene MORE I SAY MORE!!!
Hurry before I throw godzilla at you o_o
or worse...THIS!! TA-DA~ *A katamari!!*
O_O

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF LURRRRRVVVEEE~~
Or else you get your ass kicked and the real 100% evil me will come out..
The one that first made it's appearance when I first commented you ever!
And that was pretty gosh darn mean!

Now Update! *pokes you with my Pointy stick of pointy doom!!* (My pointy stick's name is Mr. Pointy..RESPECT MR. POINTY!)
O_O
Update!
*Prods you to update with Mr. Pointy..Prodding Prodding..*
O_O
Botha'

Rofl, I don't even have enough money to buy a candy bar. XD I'm broke.

T-T Unfortunately, there's probably no more fluff until the next day in the story...

o_o;;;

-greatly botha'd to keep writing- ><;;  <33

Nice Miyabi/Saki scene! <333333333

Sorry just woke up so reply will be incoherent. :D

I do so hope that these two patch it up properly minus the secrets soon. :D

Yeah and waiting for next chapter. No pressure though. ^__^ -gives you chocolate again- XD

XDD It's okay, incoherent or not, you're still my favorite. :3

YAYCHOCOLATEOMGSH. <3

Awww so cute! You write such great filler, FIM! But yeah, I can relate. Taking refuge in other activities to escape the bad days. I read a lot of the time. But anyways, hopefully you'll have a better day after this

*throws Miki-in-a-box, with push-up bras and realistic groping action!*
*and a customized Piriri to Yukou outfit, and the bus from the PV*
*and some sparklers and all the H!P DVDs*
*and Miya and Saki*

XDD Thanks. :3 And yeah, my day today was better.

ROFL. Realistic groping action. XDD

<3

Sweetness. I died.

o_o;; ohnoes! -attempts to revive-

[wedgecall.]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-One -- Be Still My Heart]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 10, 2007, 11:03:50 PM
Ah, I forgot to put my usual author comments up here. XD
Um, this is still kind of filler since it was originally meant to be the other half of 31, but I didn't want to post any angst yesterday.
So it's kind of short. :3

[Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]

“Man… I didn’t realize how hungry I was until we got there… I feel a lot better now.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat so much, Kumai-chan. You’re like a-”

“Don’t say bird, Erika-chan. Just don’t say it. I know you’re gonna say it. Just don’t. Just say no.”

“…duck?”

“…Are you saying that I waddle around, quacking all the time?”

“No, no! I didn’t mean it like that! …But you said not to say bird… so duck was the only thing that came to mind…?”

“… … You couldn’t think of a less-awkward flying creature to blurt out?”

“Ah… sorry…”

Yurina, Erika, and Risako were wandering around the city after a pretty satisfying meal, bored, and with nothing much to do. Though the two taller females seemed to be quite fine chatting with each other and poking fun, Risako had been extremely quiet the entire way, which was pretty unusual for her. Usually she was the loudest and most upbeat of the group…

She wouldn’t respond when either of her companions attempted to speak to her, either, and so they were beginning to grow worried. Yurina leaned over as close to Erika as her crutches would permit while she hobbled along, keeping her voice low. It wasn’t as though Risako would have noticed, anyway.

“What do you think is wrong with her…?”

“Maybe she’s upset that Tsugunaga-san didn’t want to come with us?” Erika suggested, shrugging and stealing a glance at their younger friend over her shoulder. Risako was staring down at the ground as she watched, almost as if she was counting the cracks in the sidewalk or something.

“I’m not sure if that’s it… Momoko-chan hasn’t been with her the entire time, and she hasn’t acted like that before… I’ll bet it has something to do with that girl…”

“What girl?”

“The particularly lecherous one.”

“Oh… that girl.” Erika hadn’t quite been able to shake that experience from her mind just yet. She had nearly fainted during the encounter with Maiha. And, as if by magic, or some strange twist of fate that had been listening to Erika’s thoughts, the flirt rounded the corner, and she and the trio stopped, staring each other down.

Well… Yurina and Erika were mostly just blinking… The other two were the ones having a stare-off. Risako looked indignant and upset, and Maiha showed absolutely no expression for the first few seconds or so. Then, slowly, an amused smile spread across her lips, and as if nothing had happened there at all, Maiha turned around and began to walk away without a word.

Risako obviously hadn’t expected that, and as soon as she regained her composure she started to call after the flirt.

“What the heck was that! What are you trying to do, Maiha?!?”

But Maiha never turned around, and she kept on walking, like she couldn’t hear a word that the other girl was saying. Risako let out a frustrated groan, and turned around, stalking off in the opposite direction…. leaving Erika and Yurina behind, both confused and at a loss for words.

“…Should we go after her?”

“If this was a normal occasion, I wouldn’t really care but… now that Momoko-chan’s around, we should probably keep her cousin out of trouble, or she’ll kill us. Come on, Erika-chan.”

-----------

“Shit…”

“Airin… would you mind moving away from me a bit? You’re starting to bleed on me, and I can’t stand the smell of it.”

The fire escape platform of the dilapidated building creaked as the younger female shifted to comply with her partner’s wishes. Her scuffle with the small police officer had earned her arms a few scrapes and cuts, thanks to the fact that the cop had knocked her onto the concrete in an attempt to take her in. They were still bleeding a bit, and stung like crazy. The only pleasure she got from it was knowing that she had given that officer a nice souvenir that would probably scar later…

“What the hell are we doing up here anyway, Miracle?”

“Patience… I thought it would be proper to let you rest a bit after our little run in with the law…”

“Like hell you did… I’m not stupid. What’s the real reason?”

Koharu stood up and began to descend from the platform, ignoring the shrieks of protest the ancient metal was giving her with every step. Airi followed after her without a word, and the two of them slipped out of the alleyway, merging effortlessly into the city’s ever-moving crowd and blending in with ease. The younger female was soon able to figure out what they were doing, as she spotted a familiar figure walking along a ways ahead of them, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed.

“I thought you wanted her out of the way… If that was the case… wouldn’t we be dealing with her later on with all the rest of them?”


Koharu made no attempt to mask her twisted grin.

“I do… but… a thought has occurred to me… I didn’t really think about it until we ran into our old friend back there in the alleyway.”

No emotion passed over Airi’s face.

“…What are you thinking about?”

“Well… she does happen to be rather attractive, doesn’t she…? If Maasa doesn’t manage to keep her from the theatre… then I might just have to steal her. Not only does it hurt our dear Sudou-chan… but I win a little bit more in the end as well.”

The older girl was chuckling deep in her throat, and Airi did little more to nod in reply. She had learned a long time ago never to let Koharu know how she was really feeling on the inside, because her partner percieved it to be weakness, and Airi knew how the other girl dealt with… weakness. You ended up like Maasa. She was bristling with something similar to jealousy on the inside, however, that this outsider had managed to catch Koharu’s attention.

But there wasn’t much she could do about it. Once again, she had just been made painfully aware that she was just a tool to be used by Koharu, and would never be anything more than that.

A pawn in this chess game of life… I am…

…disposable.


------------

Overwhelming anger. It’s rising to the point where I feel like maybe it’s gonna crush me…

I think I’m running now. I can’t tell. I’m much too desensitized to know that right now. I’m not sure that I really care, either. I think even that other part of me wants to get away from everyone at the moment. The one that I pushed back into my subconscious… the weak one.

She was… upset. So I took control away. It’s better for me to be in charge while she’s like that, so she doesn’t have to suffer through the nightmares… if only for a moment. It’s weird. She and I are one and the same… but still I continue to refer to her as a separate person entirely.

Perhaps I’m getting even worse…

I can smell blood. I think it’s mine. I slipped a little bit when I was climbing back off of that building. The pain will come later, though… I won’t even feel it until I become her again. That’s probably the only reason I can keep on running… I’m not exactly sure where I got hurt.

Doesn’t matter. I can see the fire everywhere now, and I need to get away from it.

…I just need to get away…
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: Loser87 on May 10, 2007, 11:06:56 PM
DIBS

Oh gosh ._.
Goshy, Goshy-gosh-gosh!!

;+; MAIHA WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN!!! >w<

Anyway, that was a good post >w<
That was indeedy, I feel bad for Airi ;+;
Poor, Poor, Airi...

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE EVIL LIKE THAT FIM!? *throws random stray cat at your head*
GO CAT-SCRATCH!!

But back to the story, No, No, No!!!~
They can't take Momo!! NoooooOOooo...MAASA SAVE HER!!!
O_O

And the last part..With Chinami...Split personality o_o
Holy crappers..
o_o...What's going to happen now?

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE POST POST POST POST
LONGER CHAPTERS!!!!!!!! I COMMAND YOU I COMMAN THEE!!!! *throws a pig at your head*
C'MON!!!~~

*pokes with mr. Pointy*
~UPDATE!~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: Tanachan on May 11, 2007, 12:05:19 AM
Wow...Koha's crazy...and I feel sorry for Airi! Has to mask her true feelings in this, and she's just like a pawn to Koha...Ah well...

WHOO

*H!P in a box*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: Estrea on May 11, 2007, 03:31:56 AM
Hmmm, poor Airi. o_o

Chinami with a split personality! o_o

Too hungry and tired to reply properly. -hands you custom plushies of the Berryz-

Can't wait for more. :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 11, 2007, 06:24:29 AM
I live again! So much is just simmering beneath the surface here, waiting to explode. I almost can't take it.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: mode107 on May 11, 2007, 09:13:38 PM
“Well… she does happen to be rather attractive, doesn’t she…? If Maasa doesn’t manage to keep her from the theatre… then I might just have to steal her. Not only does it hurt our dear Sudou-chan… but I win a little bit more in the end as well.”


Oh woah, a sick and possibly twisted Koharu...... :nya:

Love it
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...
Post by: whytphyre on May 12, 2007, 12:56:43 AM
And now a completely random, never before posted person appears onto the scene, to say:

WHEEE! I love this fic with all my heart. Koharu scares me, but I love pyros... and... and..... wheeeee! This is so cute!

*waves* hihi! :wriggly:

And yes, these emoshi-cons amuse me. That's right, emoshi-cons.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...
Post by: shimako on May 12, 2007, 12:58:22 AM
mou...[whimpers while waiting for the next chappy]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 13, 2007, 01:49:58 AM
DIBS

Oh gosh ._.
Goshy, Goshy-gosh-gosh!!

;+; MAIHA WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN!!! >w<

Anyway, that was a good post >w<
That was indeedy, I feel bad for Airi ;+;
Poor, Poor, Airi...

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE EVIL LIKE THAT FIM!? *throws random stray cat at your head*
GO CAT-SCRATCH!!

But back to the story, No, No, No!!!~
They can't take Momo!! NoooooOOooo...MAASA SAVE HER!!!
O_O

And the last part..With Chinami...Split personality o_o
Holy crappers..
o_o...What's going to happen now?

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE POST POST POST POST
LONGER CHAPTERS!!!!!!!! I COMMAND YOU I COMMAN THEE!!!! *throws a pig at your head*
C'MON!!!~~

*pokes with mr. Pointy*
~UPDATE!~

Lol. Your Maiha's just as bad, so don't complain to me about mine. XDDD

Wow...Koha's crazy...and I feel sorry for Airi! Has to mask her true feelings in this, and she's just like a pawn to Koha...Ah well...

WHOO

*H!P in a box*

Lol That makes me think of the H!M box.
With Momoko and the "Please do a sexy pose." clip. XDDD

Hmmm, poor Airi. o_o

Chinami with a split personality! o_o

Too hungry and tired to reply properly. -hands you custom plushies of the Berryz-

Can't wait for more. :D

-pats- It's alright. Regardless of the size of the comments, I still love and appreciate them. :3

I live again! So much is just simmering beneath the surface here, waiting to explode. I almost can't take it.

XDD Good, I'm doing my job.

“Well… she does happen to be rather attractive, doesn’t she…? If Maasa doesn’t manage to keep her from the theatre… then I might just have to steal her. Not only does it hurt our dear Sudou-chan… but I win a little bit more in the end as well.”


Oh woah, a sick and possibly twisted Koharu...... :nya:

Love it

Something wicked this way comes...

And now a completely random, never before posted person appears onto the scene, to say:

WHEEE! I love this fic with all my heart. Koharu scares me, but I love pyros... and... and..... wheeeee! This is so cute!

*waves* hihi! :wriggly:

And yes, these emoshi-cons amuse me. That's right, emoshi-cons.

ROFL, hello 'random' person. XDDD

I'm so glad that you like it. :3 Especially that you liked it enough to read it all in one day. XDDD

mou...[whimpers while waiting for the next chappy]

-pets- Daijoubu. <3 I promised a happy/semi-happy ending for this, didn't I?

[wedgecall?]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...
Post by: kitaoji on May 13, 2007, 01:52:15 AM
Hi,

I'm... uh, answering a wedgecall. :)

I'll follow up with a review... next week.  Finals does that to you >_<
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 13, 2007, 01:57:21 AM
^XDD I giggled a lot reading that for some reason. I guess I must be really tired.
And don't worry about the review. :3 I'll still be here. This story's only barely getting to the halfway point. I know how you feel, too, since I got slaughtered by an exam on Friday. ><;;

Anyways... This chapter took forever to write.
I've got a headache now.
But you get some fluff, and not so much angst for once, so be appreciative. XDD

Enjoy. <3

[Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]

“Are you coming out into the city with us tomorrow? I know that Miyabi’s bringing Saki-chan, and I think Rii-chan’s coming, too.”

“I don’t know… I think I might, if my leg’s feeling any better. I think it’s been doing me some good to get out of the house lately, though.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure that the others know, and we’ll stop by here in the morning to see what you want to do.”

“Thanks, Erika-chan.”

“Good night.”

I waved as the car drove off, shifting around on the metal crutches so that I was in a better position to try and get back into my house. My leg was aching painfully, and had been ever since Erika and I followed Risako just about all over the city. It’s rare to see her angry like that, but when it happens, it takes her a while to cool off. And when she finally WAS done being upset, it had been time to go back to the theatre for the evening practice.

Thanks to Erika and her father, I hadn’t had to walk home after all that. I feel guilty for being such a burden to her, even if she tells me that it’s no trouble at all. Then again, she’s always kind of been the big sister/mom-type to the rest of us, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she enjoyed taking care of things like this.

It took a while for me to dig my keys out of my pocket, and after that came the complicated task of balancing on one crutch in order to unlock the door with my other hand. Ever since it happened, I tried hard not to resent Miyabi for injuring me like that, but… It’s really hard to be the nice one all the time. It wasn’t easy to dislike her lately, either, since she was beginning to be a bit nicer to everyone around.

Minus the small pranks and stuff like that, of course. But that was to be expected.

I finally managed to shove the key into the hole, and with a satisfying click the lock released, and I twisted the knob to open the door and step inside. That was when I sensed a change in the room. When you live by yourself, you know what to expect, and something was different about the house, to me at least… I looked around for a bit, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, and when I glanced over at my bed I jumped a bit, startled to see someone sitting there staring quietly back at me.

“Chinami! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Ah, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you.” She didn’t move an inch, and the moonlight reflected off of her eyes in such a way that they almost glowed. Something was wrong with her. She was different than she had been that morning… “I didn’t think that you’d mind.”

“I don’t, really… It’s just… what are you doing here? It’s really late, you know?”

I hadn’t meant for that to sound the way it had, like I was accusing her of something, but something was off, and I was a little bit apprehensive about it. She didn’t seem to notice, anyway.

“The Captain never came home… it was cold and lonely… so I couldn’t sleep.”

She let out a little sigh, and that strange glint in her eyes seemed to fade away, and I could tell at that point… my Chinami was back. She looked up at me, that crooked little smile a bit sheepish, like she was a bit embarrassed that she was afraid of something like that. I moved to sit down beside her on my bed, and I could feel her twitch a little bit before she finally settled down. She wasn’t quite used to being touched yet, I guessed.

“You can stay here with me tonight if you want to… I wouldn’t mind.”

“…Really?”

“Of course you can…”

I smiled at her, and she seemed to be very relieved by that idea. By then, however, my eyes had adjusted to the little light that there WAS in this house, and I realized that she had some sort of cloth wrapped around her arm, and it was stained with dark red splotches.

“Ah, Chinami! You’re bleeding…”

“I-I’m sorry, I swear I didn’t get any on the bed, I was really careful not to…”

“Oh, who cares about the bed?! You’re hurt!”

Instantly I was up on my feet—well, foot- er, crutches, ah, you know what I mean—and I raced into my bathroom, coming back only after I had retrieved a sufficient amount of gauze wrap—after breaking my leg, I was prepared for anything—and a damp cloth. I sat back down beside Chinami, who was watching me with a puzzled expression on her face.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to fix that up for you.”

She pulled her arm away as I attempted to remove the cloth from her wound. I frowned at her, and she merely regarded me with neutral eyes.

“It looks really bad. I’m not sure that you want to see it.”

“After performing with someone as clumsy as Risako for so many years, I’ve seen it all, so I’m pretty sure I can handle this.”

I don’t think that she really believed me, but I stared at her harder, and finally she extended her limb towards me obediently. I was careful when I began to pull the cloth away, because there was a good chance that it would take some of the dried blood with it and irritate her wound further. But Chinami didn’t even so much as wince while I was doing this, and so I took that as a sign that it was safe to keep going.

I managed to choke down the gasp that was threatening to escape me. She was right when she had said it was pretty bad. There were a few deep lacerations on the back of her arm, running along the side of it… Whatever had cut her, I was glad that it had managed to miss some of the more vital veins…

“What happened to you?”

“…I fell.”

I tried to ignore the hiss of pain she gave me as I began to lightly dab at the cuts with the wet cloth. I knew it hurt, but I had to clean this up before it got infected. I also knew that the wounds probably needed to be stitched up, too, but I doubted that Chinami would be willing to go to the hospital or anything like that.

“Nobody falls and gets hurt like this… what really happened?”

“I really did fall! …just… not the way you’re thinking I did. I was climbing down from this building… I slipped, and I sort of got clipped by someone’s window ledge on the way down… Wasn’t my fault it was broken and all funky and jagged like that…”

“Why were you on top of the building in the first place, Chinami?”

“I like to watch the city…”

She trailed off at that, and I decided not to push the conversation any further, because she looked like she was distressed and didn’t want to talk about it. I made sure that her injuries were completely cleaned and dry before I began to gently wrap up her arm. I could feel her eyes on me while I did this, and I tried very hard not to blush as I finished bandaging the wound.

“…Where will I be sleeping?”

“In the bed. That’s what it’s for, you know…”

“You’re not sleeping on the floor.”

“That’s right, I’m not.”

Obviously, Chinami was confused by my logic, and I finished securing the wrap to her arm, grabbing my crutches in order to stand up again. It would hit her in a moment, I was sure, and so I wandered back into the bathroom to change into my nightclothes. Regardless of whether or not she figured it out, I had had a long day, and was going to go to sleep.

When I was done, I made my way back to where she was sitting and slid under the covers, which was quite a feat for someone like me to accomplish since I had that bulky, annoying cast on and since she was sitting on top of them. She turned her head to look at me in a peculiar sort of way.

“What are you doing?”

“…I’m going to sleep, Chinami…”

She seemed to still be processing that, and I was trying really hard not to laugh.

“Wait… you mean… You want me to sleep with you?”

I thought about that sentence for a moment… Had I been perverted, I could have taken that out of context. But I’m not, and I didn’t. …Shut up.

“Well… I’m not letting you sleep on the floor. Or out on the streets. And I’m sure not going to sleep on the floor, either. But… if you’re uncomfortable with it, I can figure something else out, I bet…”

“N-no, it’s not that… It’s just… I have a lot of trouble sleeping… I move a lot… Sometimes I talk or scream if the dreams are bad… You won’t rest very well with me here…”

“I promise, it won’t bother me. It’s just one night, I’m pretty sure I can manage.”

I slid over a little bit to make room for her, and after a moment she slid hesitantly under the blanket beside me, and she was making absolutely sure not to come into contact with any part of my body. I supposed it was more or less out of respect for my personal space, but it would have sounded awkward if I told her I didn’t mind her touching me. And, no, I wasn’t thinking about it like that, thank you very much.

She turned so that her back was facing me, and mumbled a quiet goodnight to me. I smiled, and whispered the same in reply to her, closing my eyes and letting the gentle rhythms of her breathing lull me to sleep.

------------

A single light was on in Risako’s apartment, even though it was getting rather late, and she was usually asleep at this hour of the night. However, her thoughts had made her restless, and so she was seated at the table near the window, attempting to read a book. It was hard, considering how distracted she was at that point in time, and she found herself re-reading the same line over and over again.

Risako groaned, and looked up to glance over at Momoko, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed, oblivious to the younger female’s predicament. Momoko, the outsider who hadn’t even been there a week yet, and had gone through day after chaotic day, was the one who was getting a good night’s sleep. Risako couldn’t help but be the slightest bit jealous of her cousin…

She was going to give up on the book, when she heard something that sounded strangely like a rock hitting the window, and she looked up again, startled. The noise continued for a bit, and finally she put the book down to go investigate, peering out her window to spot Maiha on the street below. Risako scowled, and slid the pane up in order to stick her head out, narrowly avoiding getting hit by one of the projectiles herself.

“What is your problem?!” She hissed, glaring down at the older girl.

Maiha merely grinned, crossing her arms.

“Hey beautiful. I’m glad I got you this time instead of Momoko… I still have a bruise from last time…”

“If you wake her up, I won’t stop her when she comes out there to kill you!”

“Aw, come on, you’re not still mad at me, are you? Come down here so we can talk… Please?”

Risako considered shutting the window and going on about her life as if Maiha didn’t exist, but she heard Momoko stir a bit behind her, and sighed. There wasn’t really any other choice…

“Fine. I’ll be there in a second.”

She slid the window shut and wandered out of the apartment, taking care to make as little noise as possible to keep from interrupting her cousin’s sleep. After all… her cousin didn’t share her rock-like sleeping skills.

When she finally stepped outside, she realized just how cold it was, and regretted the fact that she was only wearing sweatpants and a tank top. They were nice for sleeping in, but not nice for walking around in these kinds of temperatures. Maiha was wearing an only slightly repentant look on her face, and before Risako could protest, she slipped out of her jacket, stepping forward to drape it over the younger female’s shoulders.

“Ah… thanks… I guess…” Risako mumbled grudgingly, unable to overlook the kind gesture. There were times when Maiha could be exceedingly sweet and caring, and moments like that caught her off guard. It didn’t help that the jacket was completely saturated with the flirt’s intoxicating scent, which was like some sort of fiery wildflower that she couldn’t identify. It was taking all her willpower to remain focused.

“I was only messing with you earlier, you know… I didn’t think you’d want to hang out with me when your friends were around, since it embarrassed you so much the first time…” Maiha started, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Risako almost felt bad about getting angry at her… almost.

“Yeah, well… ignoring me is worse… It really upset me, you know?”

“Sorry… I won’t do it again.”

An awkward sort of silence drifted over the two of them. One that only a person like Maiha could figure out how to break.

“So… what are you doin’ tomorrow? You’ve got the day off cuz it’s Saturday, right?”

“Yeah, but… we’re all gonna hang out in the city together. Miyabi got her car back early.”

“So Saki gets to come, but I’m not invited?”

Risako raised an eyebrow at the other girl.  “I don’t think that that would be a very good idea…” She replied dryly, putting her hands on her hips. Maiha waved her hand around in the air in a noncommittal sort of way, rolling her eyes.

“Why don’t you just ditch them and come play with me, instead?”

“I don’t think THAT would be a good idea, either.”

“Why? You like me, don’t you?”

Risako had to think really hard about her answer. If she wasn’t careful, Maiha would twist it to sound like she wanted it to sound.

“Yes… but… Then I would be leaving Momoko alone with the rest of those girls and I’m not sure if she’d want me to do that.”

Maiha laughed.

“Laaaaaaaame excuse, Socko. From what I’ve seen, your cousin can take care of herself, and she seems to be pretty good friends with the others.”

The younger female scowled at the other girl indignantly. She wasn’t mad becaues Maiha happened to be right… she was mad because she couldn’t think of another excuse to use. Plus, she wanted to get back at the flirt for how she had ignored her earlier that day, even if it had been out of respect for her dignity.

“Well, regardless… I’m not coming with you, because that’s what you want me to do…” She closed what little distance there was between herself and Maiha, who was startled but both amused and pleased with this sudden turn of events. Risako was dangerously close to her lips, now, and it was all Maiha could do not to take her right then. She was barely aware of it when the younger girl started to whisper something to her, so hypnotized by the warm breath she was feeling on her lips.

“Since you turned this whole thing into a game… I’ve decided that I’m going to play too.”

And just like that, Risako moved away from her, turning around to reenter the apartment building without another word… leaving Maiha there, stunned and somewhat disappointed.

Man… I don’t know if I should be freaked out or turned on by that…

She smiled quietly to herself, chuckling a bit as she headed off towards nowhere in particular.

…She never gave my jacket back, either.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: Tanachan on May 13, 2007, 02:02:04 AM
DIBS <3

Ahh, a beautiful chapter. More Yurichina goodness! <3 And more MaihaKo love <3

Aww...Koma-chan's so sweet <3 Sharing her bed with Chinami ^^

*gives you a spa box, with berryz members doing different spa jobs, since they wanted to learn the value of work*

<3!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Two -- When Evil Intentions Get Worse...]
Post by: Loser87 on May 13, 2007, 02:02:45 AM
dibs

*sighs*
YurinaxChinami goodness...MORE I DEMAND MORE!!
IN FACT I DEMAND THEIR FIRST KISS!! COME ON >w<

And the MaihaxRisako >_>
I wanna know what happens next, tell me...
C'mon post faster, faster, faster

I NEED TO KNOW!!! >w<

I DEMAND MORE FLUFF, SCREW THE KOHARU DRAMA!!
XDXDXD

Update~
*prodding with Pointy sick of pointy doom*
Update~ O_O I COMMAND YOU~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: whytphyre on May 13, 2007, 02:21:31 AM
Wooo! Another chapter!

I said this before, but I <3 Risako. She's just so adorable! ^^;;

I also love the whole first scene... Okay, I love the whole of the fanfic, but I love that scene the most. Chinami=kawaaaaii ^^
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: Estrea on May 13, 2007, 02:26:55 AM
Hehehe the Risako/Maiha scene made me giggle. Risako will play this game too! Haha and the leather jacket...XD Something tells me Risako's going to treasure that jacket a lot secretly. XD

Awwww and Yurina/Chinami is cute. XD Man, Chinami really knows how to accidentally get hurt. o_o And they are sleeping in the same bed! <3 Cute. XD Now what will happen when next morning the girls come to look for Yurina and find Chinami in the bed too? XD

Looking forward to your next chapter~ -gives you a lollipop- I'm running out of gift ideas. XD Update soon~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: ziggurat on May 13, 2007, 04:09:56 AM
I'm back.

:3



Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
“Wait… you mean… You want me to sleep with you?”

Haha, what the hell..

Quote
I supposed it was more or less out of respect for my personal space, but it would have sounded awkward if I told her I didn’t mind her touching me. And, no, I wasn’t thinking about it like that, thank you very much.

Yes, Yurina.. I know you aren't .. Only the writer :3

Quote
She turned so that her back was facing me, and mumbled a quiet goodnight to me. I smiled, and whispered the same in reply to her, closing my eyes and letting the gentle rhythms of her breathing lull me to sleep.

Simple and cute description. No need exaggeration >_<

Quote
She slid the window shut and wandered out of the apartment, taking care to make as little noise as possible to keep from interrupting her cousin’s sleep. After all… her cousin didn’t share her rock-like sleeping skills.

Rock like, lol. So momo is water-like ? :p


Quote
“I was only messing with you earlier, you know… I didn’t think you’d want to hang out with me when your friends were around, since it embarrassed you so much the first time…” Maiha started, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Risako almost felt bad about getting angry at her… almost.

Warning, fluffy road ahead!

Quote
“Since you turned this whole thing into a game… I’ve decided that I’m going to play too.”

And just like that, Risako moved away from her, turning around to reenter the apartment building without another word… leaving Maiha there, stunned and somewhat disappointed.

Somehow I smile contently reading this. A nice and brilliant turning point :3 Maiha is going down!

Quote
…She never gave my jacket back, either.

XDXD

I like this chapter..
:3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: mode107 on May 13, 2007, 03:25:00 PM
If I were Yurina, I probably would have gone up to chinami and slapped her, I hate getting scared like that. but good thing she didnt, and nursed chinami. Aww, thats a sweet Yurina though
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 13, 2007, 06:51:51 PM
Will we get a continuation of the YuChi sleeping scene? They're so sweet.


Go go Socko-o! Don't let Maiha have you so easily!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 14, 2007, 12:36:20 AM
DIBS <3

Ahh, a beautiful chapter. More Yurichina goodness! <3 And more MaihaKo love <3

Aww...Koma-chan's so sweet <3 Sharing her bed with Chinami ^^

*gives you a spa box, with berryz members doing different spa jobs, since they wanted to learn the value of work*

<3!

:3 Glad you liked.
YAY BERRYZ SPA! XD

dibs

*sighs*
YurinaxChinami goodness...MORE I DEMAND MORE!!
IN FACT I DEMAND THEIR FIRST KISS!! COME ON >w<

And the MaihaxRisako >_>
I wanna know what happens next, tell me...
C'mon post faster, faster, faster

I NEED TO KNOW!!! >w<

I DEMAND MORE FLUFF, SCREW THE KOHARU DRAMA!!
XDXDXD

Update~
*prodding with Pointy sick of pointy doom*
Update~ O_O I COMMAND YOU~

ROFL, Good things come to those who wait, y'know.

Oh, and pointy 'sick' of doom? EW.

Wooo! Another chapter!

I said this before, but I <3 Risako. She's just so adorable! ^^;;

I also love the whole first scene... Okay, I love the whole of the fanfic, but I love that scene the most. Chinami=kawaaaaii ^^

I <3 Rii-chan, too. :3 Ask Loser. XDDD

I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic. ^_^

Hehehe the Risako/Maiha scene made me giggle. Risako will play this game too! Haha and the leather jacket...XD Something tells me Risako's going to treasure that jacket a lot secretly. XD

Awwww and Yurina/Chinami is cute. XD Man, Chinami really knows how to accidentally get hurt. o_o And they are sleeping in the same bed! <3 Cute. XD Now what will happen when next morning the girls come to look for Yurina and find Chinami in the bed too? XD

Looking forward to your next chapter~ -gives you a lollipop- I'm running out of gift ideas. XD Update soon~

Haha, you betcha. But she won't admit that to anyone.

XDD Well, they can't get into the house...

YAY! -sticks the whole thing in her mouth- <333333

I'm back.

:3



Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
“Wait… you mean… You want me to sleep with you?”

Haha, what the hell..

Quote
I supposed it was more or less out of respect for my personal space, but it would have sounded awkward if I told her I didn’t mind her touching me. And, no, I wasn’t thinking about it like that, thank you very much.

Yes, Yurina.. I know you aren't .. Only the writer :3

Quote
She turned so that her back was facing me, and mumbled a quiet goodnight to me. I smiled, and whispered the same in reply to her, closing my eyes and letting the gentle rhythms of her breathing lull me to sleep.

Simple and cute description. No need exaggeration >_<

Quote
She slid the window shut and wandered out of the apartment, taking care to make as little noise as possible to keep from interrupting her cousin’s sleep. After all… her cousin didn’t share her rock-like sleeping skills.

Rock like, lol. So momo is water-like ? :p


Quote
“I was only messing with you earlier, you know… I didn’t think you’d want to hang out with me when your friends were around, since it embarrassed you so much the first time…” Maiha started, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Risako almost felt bad about getting angry at her… almost.

Warning, fluffy road ahead!

Quote
“Since you turned this whole thing into a game… I’ve decided that I’m going to play too.”

And just like that, Risako moved away from her, turning around to reenter the apartment building without another word… leaving Maiha there, stunned and somewhat disappointed.

Somehow I smile contently reading this. A nice and brilliant turning point :3 Maiha is going down!

Quote
…She never gave my jacket back, either.

XDXD

I like this chapter..
:3

YAY, Ziggy-kuuuuuuun~ I missed your comments. XD

If I were Yurina, I probably would have gone up to chinami and slapped her, I hate getting scared like that. but good thing she didnt, and nursed chinami. Aww, thats a sweet Yurina though

XD I probably would have too.
But Yurina's much much kinder than that.

Will we get a continuation of the YuChi sleeping scene? They're so sweet.


Go go Socko-o! Don't let Maiha have you so easily!

Yes, yes actually you will! XD
And Risako's stubborn, so of course it will be difficult for our flirt to win her over.

[wedgecall!]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 14, 2007, 12:36:52 AM
Weeedge xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 14, 2007, 12:44:16 AM
Ah, and finally time for some extra-fluffy chapters.
And they're not even filler, either! :3
All of the chapters for the story's Saturday will be labeled as Koi no Vacance, because it's basically gonna be one big chapter split into a bunch of parts.
I guess they KIND of have something to do with the song, considering it means something like "love's vacation" and the girls are all off enjoying their break, but really I just chose that for the chapter title because I was listening to the song when I started writing it. XD

Enjoy. :3

[Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]

The sun was up again by the time Maiha returned to the basement-home that she shared with Maasa, and even though the temperature outside was still of a freezing nature, she showed no indication that she cared or could even tell that it was so cold. She slipped down the hidden entrance and immediately wandered over towards the couch, tumbling over the back of it to flop onto the cushions with a contented sigh.

The flirt could hear the gentle sounds of snoring from the basement’s side room, and sat up abruptly, surprised. It had to have been Maasa… but she couldn’t recall a time when the other girl had gotten over being upset so quickly… Curious, Maiha got up from the couch and wandered into the other room, spotting a lumpy mass of blankets on top of the old mattress that no doubt concealed her best friend’s sleeping form.

A mischievous smile tugged at Maiha’s lips as an idea sprang to mind, and without a warning of any sort, she leapt on top of the other girl with a ferocious battle cry.

“AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!”

“Wha- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, MAIHA!?!?”

Fortunately for the flirt, her companion was much too sluggish in the mornings in order to fight back, and after a few moments of attempting to get Maiha off of her back so that she could strangle her, Maasa gave up, pulling a pillow over her head.

“What do you want…?”

“Aww, got a hangover, drunky?”

“For your information, not one drop touched my lips yesterday, thank you very much.”

“Oh really…”

Maiha leaned forward and jerked the pillow from her best friend’s hands, getting very close to Maasa’s face and making exaggerating sniffing noises like a dog would. The older female merely snorted, giving her an annoyed glare in response.

“Do you MIND?”

“No, not at all. And that’s surprising… you don’t SMELL like alcohol…”

“That’s because I didn’t HAVE any!”

“Huh… where’d you go yesterday, then?”

“I just walked around a lot. I thought about it, but… I came back here instead. Where have YOU been?”

Maiha grinned, sitting back upright on top of Maasa, with absolutely no intention from moving from that spot. It wasn’t like the older girl was gonna do anything about it anyway…. Maiha wasn’t that heavy, but it would have taken too much energy at this hour of the day in order to push her off.

“Oh… nowhere.”
 
“What happened to your jacket?”

“Hm…?”

“Your jacket… you never take it off.”

“Oh, I gave it to an angel and she neglected to return it to me…”

Alright, that was enough. Maasa could only handle so much of the other girl’s horrible romantic side, and talk like that was more than enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. With a great effort, she sat up, forcing Maiha off of her body and onto the bed. She yawned a bit before rolling over to the side in order to get to her feet.

“You ought to just leave Sugaya alone, Maiha… She’s a good kid, and you’ll just end up hurting her, playing the stupid games you play…”

Maiha rolled her eyes.

“Thanks for the warning, mom, but you needn’t be concerned.”

“I’m serious.”

“Yeah, I know, okay?”

It was Maasa’s turn to roll her eyes, and she did so as she began to change into clothing much more suitable to walk around in. She was aware of Maiha’s eyes on her as she did so, and even though she could have cared less and would have walked around the house naked if there wasn’t always the possibility of one of the younger girl’s many love interests dropping in on them, it felt like the flirt was almost sort of studying her, and that was somewhat annoying.

“What are you looking at? Nothing you haven’t seen before, you know…”

“Hm, oh… I dunno. Just admiring, I suppose. I was just wondering… If I was half as toned as you are… could I increase the percentage of girls that DON’T walk away from me by at least a little?”

“…On second thought… do whatever you want with Sugaya. I’d rather have you hitting on her than staring at me, it’s kind of creepy.”

Maiha grinned at her deviously, climbing off of the bed to walk towards Maasa just as she was pulling a shirt down over her head. The flirt slid her arms around the other’s waist before she could do anything about it, and rested her cheek against Maasa’s back as she hugged her from behind. The taller female stiffened at first, expecting something stupid that she was gonna have to hit Maiha for.

“…I’m really sorry for yelling at you yesterday. I know you don’t want to talk about what happened or what could happen, but… I’m just… I’m sorry. I just thought that you should know that, at least. I don’t like fighting with you…”

The older girl sighed, placing her hands over the ones around her waist and giving them a gentle squeeze.

“You’re my best friend. I forgave you the second I walked out of this house yesterday.”

Maiha chuckled, the sound muffled against Maasa’s back.

“Good. Where are you going, anyway? Socko told me something about how her and the other theatre girls are all goin’ out today, so you-know-who probably won’t be home…”

Maasa began to walk out of the room, with the other girl still attached, and she paused by the couch to pry Maiha off and deposit her onto it. She then moved to grab her jacket, sliding into it with ease.

“It never hurts to check, right? Now try to keep yourself out of trouble for the rest of the day, okay?”

“Okay, okay… jeez… I’m not a baby, you know?”

------------

I woke up in an unfamiliar place that morning, but strangely enough, I wasn’t afraid or worried about anything bad happened to me. A warm body was entwined with mine, holding me, as if to keep me safe from anything that could possibly happen to me. At first, I had assumed it was Saki, but once I began to wake up a little bit more, I realized that this person was much, much taller than that, and it was then that I remembered where I was.

Slowly, I opened one of my eyes, thankful that the sun hadn’t risen enough for the light inside the room to be blinding. I let my other eye open at this point, and I yawned as my vision started to focus.

…She was very beautiful when she was sleeping. Not that she wasn’t extremely gorgeous awake, but in that moment, it was as if she had become something very delicate… almost untouchable.

I suddenly felt very insignificant next to her. I didn’t have a lot of time to speculate about that, however, because I was startled by the loud honking of a car outside, followed by several rapid-fire knocks on the door.

“Eh, Kumai-chan? Are you awake? We came by to see if you still wanted to come…”

It was a female’s voice, and I barely recognized it as belonging to one of those girls that danced with Yurina. I could hear the car honk again, and a few more voices called out towards the house, but since they were farther away, I couldn’t distinguish what was being said. I supposed that her friends wanted her to go out with them… and the right thing to do would have been to wake her up and tell her that they were here.

…But I couldn’t bring myself to disturb the beautiful girl beside me, partially because she looked so peaceful, and partially because I was feeling somewhat selfish and I didn’t want her to leave me. Fortunately for me, the girls outside gave up after a minute or so, and it was quiet again.

I snuggled closer to her, flinching as she stirred a little. I thought perhaps I had accidentally interrupted her sleep, but she merely held me tighter, a gentle smile crossing those graceful lips of hers. She whispered something, and at first I didn’t realize that she had been talking in her sleep.

“Chinami…”

I could feel my heart pounding harder in my chest, and begged for it to stop, because to me it sounded as though it could have been loud enough to wake her up. And then I wondered if she really HAD heard it, because she laughed gently, but she was still dreaming, still blissfully unaware of everything else.

…I smiled, closing my eyes to join her.

------------

Quite frankly, I was somewhat glad that I had decided not to join Risako and the others to explore the city today. After getting a good night’s sleep for the first time in about five days, I came to the conclusion that I was completely worn out. Though I was enjoying my time here, it had taken it’s toll on me, since I wasn’t used to dancing every day or investigating mysterious happenings…

Or falling in love…

Thinking about THAT frightened me. Was I really falling in love with Maasa? Was it possible to feel that way about someone I had only met a few days before? I wasn’t going to rule out the possibility of course, but… I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like a silly crush or some crazed infatuation… but was it strong enough to be labeled as love yet? I found myself constantly wanting to be around her, even though it was nearly impossible, because she came when she wanted to, and left in very much the same manner.

But I still wanted it. I wanted to talk to her, to hear her talk to me… I wanted her to hold me again… kiss me again…

I missed her even though I had seen her just the day before… it felt like an aching sort of pain that I couldn’t get rid of, because there wasn’t really anything I could do about it. I had no idea where she lived or where she would be… but even though looking for her would have proved pointless… I was getting to the point where I was seriously considering it.

A sigh escaped me, and I laid out across the apartment floor, ignoring the fact that I was wrinkling several of the papers that I had scattered around me. I had been attempting to go over some of the lyrics for another song Yurina had written before I wandered off onto that train of thought, and had been seated on the floor to do so, since the table was boring, and the bed would have made me fall asleep again.

I’m so pathetic… What would she think if she could hear thoughts like these coming from my mind? Probably less of me…

There was a knock at the door, interrupting my lovesick state of mind. I sat up, puzzled.

Who’d be coming to talk to Risako here…? Unless it’s that Maiha girl again… Ugh…

I wasn’t fond of that idea at all. The flirt would probably attempt to ravage me as soon as I opened the door… But still… it was rude to ignore whomever happened to be outside, especially since there was a chance that it WASN’T Maiha, and so I sighed, getting to my feet and walking over to answer it.

Almost immediately, I was lifted off of my feet by this hungry beast that had come to ‘attack’ me, and somehow she managed to shut the door behind her and move farther into the room with me all while claiming my lips with her own. Quite a talented beast, I had to admit. Even if she was up to no good.

I pouted against my will when the kisses stopped, and I felt my cheeks grow hot and a shiver ran down my spine as I looked up to see just how intensely she was staring back at me. Obviously, she hadn’t wanted to stop, either, but I had a feeling that she had pulled away for a pretty good reason…

“I missed you, too…” I attempted, the words coming out shaky, because I was still somewhat drugged by the affectionate kisses I had received. She smiled at me, and I wasn’t afraid to look back into her eyes this time, because those flames had disappated, and had been replaced with the strong calmness that I was used to. But she didn’t respond to me verbally, and instead leaned down to kiss me again. However, this time was much sweeter, much more gentle, like the first time she had kissed me.

I could have melted right then and there, but she pulled away before I could turn into a puddle, and set me back down on my feet again. Thankfully she didn’t let go of me, though, because I had a feeling if she had I might have fallen over. Her eyes wandered curiously over towards the mess of papers on the floor.

“What were you doing before I showed up…?”

“Mm… looking over some song lyrics for the performance…”

Maasa was still curious, however, and she tugged me along by the hand to go sit where I had been just a few minutes before, pulling me gently down into her lap. I didn’t mind that one bit, because she was warm and comfortable and actually quite cuddly for someone who looked so rough.

“What’s the song called?”

I began to search for the first page, but I was having trouble concentrating because as soon as my attention was diverted towards the music, she started to nibble on my ear, which was rather distracting. I gave her leg a light slap, and Maasa stopped, looking at me innocently.

“What~?”

“Behave yourself.”

“But it’s so hard…”

“Yes, well, you’re making it hard to focus.”

She gave me a look of faux hurt, but complied with my wishes and settled for leaning forward and resting her head on my shoulder instead. I tried really hard not to laugh at her.

“Anyway… the song…”

"Samidare Koi Uta…"

[To be continued...]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 14, 2007, 12:45:43 AM
Dibs xD

Aww, Maiha's sweet side xD And her horrific romantic side >_o My gahh, I wonder how those romantic interests put up with those 80's pickup lines xD

Chinami and Yurina turned my insides into skittles :3

Maasa is a completely different person when it comes to Momochi, eh? xD Completely disregarding all threats of hurt those days before :x... Oh well, it's cute and sweet anyway <3

Looking forward to the next chapters xD

-feeds you macaroni and cheese instead of acting my usual torturing self-

:]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Three -- Two Can Play That Game]
Post by: Loser87 on May 14, 2007, 12:47:18 AM
DAMMIT DIBS! ><

Damn you Yuuyami!! >_<

Back to comment

That was overly sweet of Maiha..all sorry and stuff to maasa...A little tacky but still sweet o_o
I demand more RiixMaiha scenes >_>
I DEMAND MORE!!

The ChinamixYurina Was overkill >o<
I DIED YA' HEAR ME!?? DIED!!! D-I-E-D
READING THEIR SHORT BUT SO FLIPPIN' SUGARY SWEET PART!

And the MaasaxMomoko Oh god..
How is it possible to kill someone when you've already killed them!?
You drive me to the brink of insanity with your uber sweet stuff >_>
I should..like..find..an anti-sugar hard hat..so..I don't die...

Btw...*squirts blood*
TYPE MORE OR ELSE!! BUAHAHAHAHAHA!!
~update~
O_O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: mode107 on May 14, 2007, 02:10:58 AM
The whole Momo/Maasa reunion is just so........... :shy2:  :nya: :luvluv2:

I can't even describe it in words. These icons for me is worth 1000 words.(I almost wrote 1000 bucks cuz I was thinking of that  family guy episode) :)

for a sec I thought it was that psycho Koharu that grabbed Momo, praise the lord that it wasnt

nice update!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: Estrea on May 14, 2007, 03:01:59 AM
Awwww fluff! -dances around throwing confetti-

Best friend moment between Maiha and Maasa = XD!
Yurina/Chinami = :heart:
Momoko/Maasa = -DEAD- :heart: :heart: :heart: -flatlines again-

So sweeeeeet! Fluffy fluff fluff! -hands you sugar cookies- Too sweet! XD
Update soon~ :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: TydusArandor on May 14, 2007, 03:43:01 AM
...

 :imdead:

Gosh, I can't keep up with the amount of updates! This has to be one of the most frequently updated fics I've ever read.

I hope Saturday occurs often!  :heart: :heart:  I can live with the angst as long as I know Saturday will come! FLUFF! ARGH! :imdead: (again, not that I was revived earlier) Maasa/Momoko = UNSTOPPABLE! TRY WHATEVER YOU WANT, KOHARU! IT WON'T WORK!  >:D

Rofl, at the Yurina/Chinami scene, I half expected the girls to bust in and catch them snuggling XD. And Maiha/Maasa best friends scene totally wins too  :heart:

I don't think I can think (and type) coherently right now, so I'll stop here  :-\ I don't think my whole comment here was coherent at all  ??? LOOK WHAT THIS FIC DID TO ME! But who cares, nothing wrong with being incoherent  :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: ziggurat on May 14, 2007, 06:21:59 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness"
“AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!”

“Wha- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, MAIHA!?!?”

Lol, a flashy entrance.. (well, not actually an entrance.. nvm.)


Quote
“For your information, not one drop touched my lips yesterday, thank you very much.”

She preserved the kiss :D

Quote
“Oh, I gave it to an angel and she neglected to return it to me…”

Maiha's angel <3

Quote
She was aware of Maiha’s eyes on her as she did so, and even though she could have cared less and would have walked around the house naked if there wasn’t always the possibility of one of the younger girl’s many love interests dropping in on them, it felt like the flirt was almost sort of studying her, and that was somewhat annoying.

o_o;;

Quote
“You’re my best friend. I forgave you the second I walked out of this house yesterday.”

I love this part T_T Maasa such a forgiving being... She made me feel bad..

Quote
…She was very beautiful when she was sleeping. Not that she wasn’t extremely gorgeous awake, but in that moment, it was as if she had become something very delicate… almost untouchable.

<3 X 100

Quote
I snuggled closer to her, flinching as she stirred a little. I thought perhaps I had accidentally interrupted her sleep, but she merely held me tighter, a gentle smile crossing those graceful lips of hers. She whispered something, and at first I didn’t realize that she had been talking in her sleep.

*melting rapidly*


Quote
…I smiled, closing my eyes to join her.

------------

Damn, it ends.

Quote
There was a knock at the door, interrupting my lovesick state of mind. I sat up, puzzled.

I though the "other" part of Momo will awaken like before XD... look like "she" is busy

Quote
I pouted against my will when the kisses stopped, and I felt my cheeks grow hot and a shiver ran down my spine as I looked up to see just how intensely she was staring back at me. Obviously, she hadn’t wanted to stop, either, but I had a feeling that she had pulled away for a pretty good reason…

I don't know what to say.. O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;  "shivers"

Wow.. I really can't say any words.. <3 Later..
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 14, 2007, 04:22:01 PM
NOOOOOOO!!! You evil! You can't use W songs and not put W in the story! Bad bad bad! Bad!....


.....


......


BAD!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: shimako on May 14, 2007, 10:09:01 PM
 :luvluv2:

*wags tail happily*  :luvuluvu:

can't wait til next chaaapppyyy...though i could never really keep up with all them updates ^_^;;
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 19, 2007, 08:17:11 PM
Dibs xD

Aww, Maiha's sweet side xD And her horrific romantic side >_o My gahh, I wonder how those romantic interests put up with those 80's pickup lines xD

Chinami and Yurina turned my insides into skittles :3

Maasa is a completely different person when it comes to Momochi, eh? xD Completely disregarding all threats of hurt those days before :x... Oh well, it's cute and sweet anyway <3

Looking forward to the next chapters xD

-feeds you macaroni and cheese instead of acting my usual torturing self-

:]

XDD I think perhaps you're giving her love interests a bit too much credit.

Mm... taste the rainbowwwwww.

Lol It's not gonna be all sunshine and unicorns for them forever, you know...

-MACARONI!-

DAMMIT DIBS! ><

Damn you Yuuyami!! >_<

Back to comment

That was overly sweet of Maiha..all sorry and stuff to maasa...A little tacky but still sweet o_o
I demand more RiixMaiha scenes >_>
I DEMAND MORE!!

The ChinamixYurina Was overkill >o<
I DIED YA' HEAR ME!?? DIED!!! D-I-E-D
READING THEIR SHORT BUT SO FLIPPIN' SUGARY SWEET PART!

And the MaasaxMomoko Oh god..
How is it possible to kill someone when you've already killed them!?
You drive me to the brink of insanity with your uber sweet stuff >_>
I should..like..find..an anti-sugar hard hat..so..I don't die...

Btw...*squirts blood*
TYPE MORE OR ELSE!! BUAHAHAHAHAHA!!
~update~
O_O

XDD Risako and Maiha don't get anymore together time for a little while. Be patient.

Haha, death toll at this point: 1

xDDD

-runs away from the squirty blood- ><;;;

The whole Momo/Maasa reunion is just so........... :shy2:  :nya: :luvluv2:

I can't even describe it in words. These icons for me is worth 1000 words.(I almost wrote 1000 bucks cuz I was thinking of that  family guy episode) :)

for a sec I thought it was that psycho Koharu that grabbed Momo, praise the lord that it wasnt

nice update!

XDD That would have been creepy if it WAS Koharu... o_O;;

Awwww fluff! -dances around throwing confetti-

Best friend moment between Maiha and Maasa = XD!
Yurina/Chinami = :heart:
Momoko/Maasa = -DEAD- :heart: :heart: :heart: -flatlines again-

So sweeeeeet! Fluffy fluff fluff! -hands you sugar cookies- Too sweet! XD
Update soon~ :)

Death toll: 2

<33 -nibbles on cookies-

...

 :imdead:

Gosh, I can't keep up with the amount of updates! This has to be one of the most frequently updated fics I've ever read.

I hope Saturday occurs often!  :heart: :heart:  I can live with the angst as long as I know Saturday will come! FLUFF! ARGH! :imdead: (again, not that I was revived earlier) Maasa/Momoko = UNSTOPPABLE! TRY WHATEVER YOU WANT, KOHARU! IT WON'T WORK!  >:D

Rofl, at the Yurina/Chinami scene, I half expected the girls to bust in and catch them snuggling XD. And Maiha/Maasa best friends scene totally wins too  :heart:

I don't think I can think (and type) coherently right now, so I'll stop here  :-\ I don't think my whole comment here was coherent at all  ??? LOOK WHAT THIS FIC DID TO ME! But who cares, nothing wrong with being incoherent  :D

Death toll: 3

XDD Saturday... <3

lol as for incoherency... I'm feelin' that... right about now... lol

Quote from: FeverInducedMadness"
“AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!”

“Wha- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, MAIHA!?!?”

Lol, a flashy entrance.. (well, not actually an entrance.. nvm.)


Quote
“For your information, not one drop touched my lips yesterday, thank you very much.”

She preserved the kiss :D

Quote
“Oh, I gave it to an angel and she neglected to return it to me…”

Maiha's angel <3

Quote
She was aware of Maiha’s eyes on her as she did so, and even though she could have cared less and would have walked around the house naked if there wasn’t always the possibility of one of the younger girl’s many love interests dropping in on them, it felt like the flirt was almost sort of studying her, and that was somewhat annoying.

o_o;;

Quote
“You’re my best friend. I forgave you the second I walked out of this house yesterday.”

I love this part T_T Maasa such a forgiving being... She made me feel bad..

Quote
…She was very beautiful when she was sleeping. Not that she wasn’t extremely gorgeous awake, but in that moment, it was as if she had become something very delicate… almost untouchable.

<3 X 100

Quote
I snuggled closer to her, flinching as she stirred a little. I thought perhaps I had accidentally interrupted her sleep, but she merely held me tighter, a gentle smile crossing those graceful lips of hers. She whispered something, and at first I didn’t realize that she had been talking in her sleep.

*melting rapidly*


Quote
…I smiled, closing my eyes to join her.

------------

Damn, it ends.

Quote
There was a knock at the door, interrupting my lovesick state of mind. I sat up, puzzled.

I though the "other" part of Momo will awaken like before XD... look like "she" is busy

Quote
I pouted against my will when the kisses stopped, and I felt my cheeks grow hot and a shiver ran down my spine as I looked up to see just how intensely she was staring back at me. Obviously, she hadn’t wanted to stop, either, but I had a feeling that she had pulled away for a pretty good reason…

I don't know what to say.. O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;  "shivers"

Wow.. I really can't say any words.. <3 Later..

XDD But at least you didn't die from this. hahah. Unless melting counts. XD

NOOOOOOO!!! You evil! You can't use W songs and not put W in the story! Bad bad bad! Bad!....


.....


......


BAD!

Bah, I'll use whatever songs I want. XD
And W IS in this story.
Nono's just the only one that has appeared yet.
I have PLANS for Aibon. PLANS. (Good plans. XD)

:luvluv2:

*wags tail happily*  :luvuluvu:

can't wait til next chaaapppyyy...though i could never really keep up with all them updates ^_^;;

:3 -pets-

[Yuuuuuuuuchan? :D]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 19, 2007, 08:18:38 PM
Fimmy-chaaaaaaaan? xD

-wedged-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 19, 2007, 08:26:30 PM
^ <333

It's been a while since I updated. Oh well. I don't hear anyone gripin' about it. XD -shrugs-

Enjoy. XD

[Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II

The tension building up in the rundown alleyway was… powerful, to say the least. It was enough to keep everyone present quiet, waiting with baited breath to see what their respective leaders would do.

On the one side stood Koharu, a faintly amused expression on her face, while Airi stood close behind, taking on a much more stoic appearance. Opposite of the two of them was a group of about five girls, all looking as though they were ready for a fight. The tallest of this group was out in front, and though she was perhaps the calmest next to the other females behind her, her eyes carried a dangerous warning that something would happen if the pair decided to get any closer.

“I don’t see why you have to be so hostile about this, Maimi… I would have assumed that you would have wanted to be the first to help me out…”

“Maybe in the past, Miracle… but… what you pulled last time was crazy. Not only that, but I hear that the cops are on your tail this time. You can’t outrun them forever, no matter how good you are… We… no… I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore.”

Koharu laughed quietly to herself, shrugging in a nonchalant sort of way. Her cold eyes were not carefree, however, and the leader of the big group—the girl called Maimi—had to surpress a shiver when those black orbs darted in her direction again… piercing, evil, murderous things…

“How… unfortunate… I would have liked to have included you in this… but I guess that’s not going to happen… It’s too bad I have to dispose of all of you now, too… It’d be too risky if you were to let what transpired here leak out to the wrong people…”

“Dispose of…?”

Maimi’s eyes immediately shot to Airi, who had moved out from behind Koharu and was slowly closing the gap between herself and the group. The younger female was pulling something out from beneath the folds of her clothing, and the tell-tale glint of metal told Maimi that it wasn’t nice and cuddly…

“Don’t take too long, Airin… we’ve got other things to take care of, you know…”

And as soon as Koharu disappeared around the corner, the pawn dove into the group of girls without warning, brandishing a pair of deadly, six-inch knives. Though she caught the small gang by surprise, she was horribly outnumbered, and the fight would be in their favor… at least, that’s what Maimi thought at first. Airi wasn’t the only one who had been concealing a weapon.

Things moved quickly, and two of the females had managed to back Airi up into a corner of the alleyway. She was breathing heavily, but to Maimi’s surprise, the girl didn’t have a scratch on her. There was this horrible glint in the pawn’s eyes… similar to the look she had gotten from Koharu. Almost like she was consumed and controlled by some sort of powerful bloodlust…

The two girls that had her cornered seemed to notice the dangerous look as well, and they were frightened by it, attempting to take a few steps backwards as if they wanted to put distance between themselves and this little demon.

…They barely had enough time to scream before their lives were ripped from them by the blades of the knives.

Maimi had even less time to mourn their deaths, for Airi targeted her next, and she thanked instinct and reflexes for saving her life, because without them, she’d have never gotten her arms up in time to block the attack. The force of it surprised her, coming from someone smaller than herself, and when she felt her back connect with the ground below she couldn’t help but let out a startled yelp. She was pretty sure her arms had been sliced during the collision, too, but the pain wouldn’t hit her until she had a moment to think about it.

The little demon was on top of her in an instant, and she felt her brain shift into autopilot, relying on the instinct of self-preservation to keep alive. Somehow she managed to avoid getting stabbed by those gleaming knives, and used all her force to kick Airi in the ribcage, this sickening, cracking sort of noise following to tell her that she had aimed well.

Maimi scrambled to her feet as the other girl staggered backwards, and looked around, dismayed to find that her two still-living companions had fled, leaving her to fend for herself. Then again… she couldn’t really blame them. She could feel her anger flaring up as she glanced over the fallen, lifeless forms on the ground not too far away, and before her good judgment could stop her, she flew at Airi, ignoring the shockwaves of pain that traveled up her wounded arm when she punched the other girl in the face.

Without even skipping a beat, she drew her other fist back and was ready to deliver an equally powerful blow, but this time it didn’t connect, because Airi had recovered, and was much faster than the taller female. So fast in fact, that not only had she dodged Maimi, she had retreated, completely disappearing from sight.

Not so tough… when you decided to come after me, huh…

The gang leader clenched her hands into tight fists at her sides, only vaguely aware of the blood dripping down from the wounds made by the knives.

The next time you show your face, Miracle… there will be hell to pay… Make no doubt about that…

------------

“Ugh…”

“An… amusement park? Aren’t we a little old for this? I was expecting to do something more along the lines of… well, shopping, or something like that.”

“Aw, hush, Erika-chan. It’ll be fun. You’re never too old for a roller coaster.”

“Well, actually…”

“No more discussion! We’re here now, and we’re gonna have fun, and you guys are gonna like it! If you want to leave, that’s fine with me, but I’m the one with the car, remember?”

Erika and Risako shared a dismayed, reluctant sort of look before turning back to gaze at the sight before them. Twisting steel tracks and other large metallic structures that no doubt held some of the more terrifying attractions jutted up from the earth, looming over them in an ominous fashion. The cars rolled by on the tracks with impressive speed, carrying with them the excited and frightened screams of those riding. Miyabi didn’t seem to be intimidated by the sight of it at all, and if Saki was afraid… she wasn’t showing it.

The other two members of the group were both obviously not too keen on the idea of entering the park, but Miyabi had a point… so there wasn’t really much they could do about it. They were much too far away from their respective homes at this point to even think about walking…

Erika sighed as she watched Saki and Miyabi wander off by themselves, realizing that she was stuck with having to watch out for Risako until the others saw fit to leave… She was already in a crappy mood because Yurina hadn’t come along, but… to have to keep an eye on the accident-prone, life-endangering youngest member of the troupe was bound to wear on her nerves.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Risako… she just wasn’t all too close to the other girl.

“…So what do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really care.”

It seemed that her companion was in a similar sort of mood. The girl had been distracted ever since the day before, and she looked upset when she told the others that Momoko had decided not to come with them, either.

This is gonna be so much fun…

“Come on, then… Let’s find something that won’t make us throw up or dislocate some body parts… Eh, Risako?”

As soon as Erika turned back to face the younger female, she noticed that the girl was gone, and a jolt of fear shot up her spine. She was beyond dead if anything happened to Risako… beyond dead.

“Rii-chan!”

She called out, looking around frantically in a futile attempt to catch a glimpse of the other girl… but Risako had obviously taken the opportunity to get away from her as far as possible as quickly as possible, and was nowhere in sight. It was easy to hide in a huge amusement park like this, especially since it was crowded with people…

…Why me?

-------------

“Samidare Koi Uta…”

“A love song?”

“Mm… Yurina is a bit of a romantic, I suppose…”

I scanned over the music sheet Momoko was holding, never moving my head from her shoulder. I had been told to behave… and so I would for now… but most people considered me to be a rebel, and those aren’t really known for… behaving. It didn’t help that I was still completely fascinated with her and the things that she did, either.

But I wasn’t Maiha… and so I could hold out… for a little while longer, anyway.

“Will you sing it for me?”

She shifted against me, turning her head to look at me with those brilliant eyes of hers, the faintest shade of crimson coloring her cheeks in a light blush. It was almost too adorable to handle, really… how it was possible for someone to be so cute, I’ll never understand.

“A-ah, well…”

“Oh, come on… don’t tell me you’re nervous about singing in front of me. You’re a performer, you’re not supposed to have stage fright around anyone.”

“It’s not that… it’s just… this song is meant to be a duet. It wouldn’t sound like it’s supposed to if I sang it by myself.”

“I’ll sing with you, then.”

Momoko gave me a curious look, as if she was trying to figure out whether or not I was lying to her. Maiha had taken on a similar expression the first time I told her I could sing, but at least Momoko looked like she could believe it somewhat. Maiha just laughed at me. It was getting really annoying to elicit that same reaction out of people every time, though… maybe I should have just stopped telling them about it.

“Saki did teach me a few things back when she used to perform, you know… I just don’t make it a point to broadcast what I can do. I’m not that untalented…”

“Oh, you know I wasn’t thinking like that. Isn’t it fair for me to be surprised, considering I’ve only known you for about five days now?”

Alright, touché. There were still a lot of things that we didn’t know about each other.

“Do you want me to sing with you or not?”

“You’re the one who wants to hear the song…”

I let out an exasperated groan, swiping the music out of her hands with ease and earning a mischievous giggle as my reward. I suppose she hadn’t gotten tired of trying to get under my skin like that, being smart and all. I didn’t mind so much anymore, though… it was much more playful than annoying now.

My eyes wandered over the pages that I had apprehended, following the notes on the staff and the words beneath, trying to decipher what part I would have to sing. It seemed like I would have to stick with the lower, main part, because my vocal range would definitely not be able to handle the other.

I became aware of Momoko’s eyes on me at that point, and I looked up from the page to meet her gaze. She was staring at me curiously again… but this time it was almost like she was somewhat impressed about something.

“You can read the music, too…?”

“Yeah… it was one of the things Saki taught me how to do. But… it wasn’t ever really like she gave me lessons on it… it was more like, whenever we hung out and were bored she’d show me something new. I never forgot any of it…”

She didn’t say anything at that, and she was still staring as if she was looking for something else… My ears were growing hot under all of the scrutiny, and so I had to look away before I blushed like she had a little while ago. I was not small and cute, and therefore would have appeared stupid rather than adorable.

“Let’s just… sing now.”

“…Alright.”

Momoko slid out of my arms and stood up, leaving a cold and empty space where she had been, but I resisted the urge to tell her to come back, because that would have sounded strange… She walked over to a bag that was sitting on the table near the window, digging through it for a moment before she pulled out a CD, which she took over to a… well, the nice words for the player would have been “well used”… and slid it into the machine, waiting for it to load.

Funny… I hadn’t even noticed the thing when I had been over at the apartment the first time. Then again, it wasn’t Momoko’s apartment, and other than Momoko herself, I really could have cared less about what was in it. Maiha would have been interested, but that was a completely different story.

And something told me that she wasn’t going to be setting foot in there anytime soon.

“We’ve been recording all of Yurina’s piano tracks with some of the equipment in the theatre… It’s not like… amazing quality or anything, and it definitely doesn’t measure up to hearing her play live, but it helps when practicing…”

Almost as soon as she finished speaking the sounds of the piano filtered out of the stereo, sounding much clearer than I would have expected it to, all things considered. I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about when she said the quality of the recording wasn’t good… but judging by just how amazing that piano sounded… I assumed she was right when she said that it couldn’t compare to hearing the music live.

As the song started, she walked back over and sat down in my lap again (much to my relief… I was getting lonely) and I handed her the music so that I could look over her shoulder and we could both read it.

She didn’t even have to tell me when to start, because somehow… I just knew.

*“♪Koi makura, koizakura
koi no hana ga chiru  (aa aa yurara)♪”

I was surprised at how well our voices blended and merged together, and I think she was thinking somewhere along the same lines, because she turned to look at me, amazement reflected in her eyes. I smiled, and we continued to sing:

“♪Koi no iro, koi no ame
samidare uta…♪”

“♪Yatto wasure kaketeta…♪” I've finally made myself forget… “♪(Mae no shitsuren…)♪” (My last broken heart…) “♪Koi no kizuato…♪” The scars of love… “♪Kioku ga modoru…♪” Make my memories return…

Suddenly I felt a pain jolt at my heart, because the words… they were hitting very near to home… I kept on singing, not wanting to think about it.

“♪Kokoro midare (midare)
hitori yurare (yurarete)
kaeru densha no naka made♪”

My heart is restless (restless)
I tremble alone (I tremble)
Even in the train going home


“♪Ah, samidare (midare)
ah, nagasareteku (nagarete)
namida, namida, furitsuzuku wa…♪”

Ah, early summer rain (disturbs)
Ah, it flows away (flows away)
My tears, my tears continue to rain down…


I couldn’t sing anymore after that… Even though the track continued to play, we sat there quietly, as Momoko had picked up on the sudden change in my mood, and was now looking at me, concerned. I could feel her delicate fingers brush across my cheek, and I closed my eyes, trying to block it out.

“…And… you know what happens when people get in my way …don’t you, Maasa.”

 “If you care about her at all… which… I think you do from what I’ve seen…”

 “…Well, I’d be planting certain ideas in her head to get her to stop… you know… just in case something terrible were to happen…”


“…Maasa?”

I opened my eyes again, her quiet voice pushing that terrible, painful other one out of my head. She was still watching me with a troubled expression, and I cursed myself inwardly for allowing myself to make her worry…

“It’s nothing… Just, a beautiful song, that’s all…”

She didn’t believe me, I could see that in her eyes, but for some reason… she didn’t push it. She let it go, and for that I was grateful, but… Why hadn’t I just told her the truth right there…? What was I afraid of?

Losing her…

“Mm… well… I’m glad you like it. I’ll be sure to tell Yurina that it’ll be good for the performance, then.”

It was awkward between us at that moment, and I could feel her stiffen against me, as if she didn’t really want to be that close but wouldn’t move away in order to keep from hurting my feelings or something. It wasn’t like Momoko expected anything from me, but… She could tell I had lied to her, and I suppose in that way I had told her that I didn’t trust her.

It’s not that… I just want to keep you safe. I want you to be able to leave this city in the end…

I sighed, laying my head forward on her shoulder again. I needed to think more before I did things… Still, she seemed to relax at that, and I saw her smile a bit out of the corner of my eye as she turned her head to kiss me on the cheek.

“Come with me…”

“Where?”

She stood up, grabbing my hand as I got up along with her. I didn’t really care where we were going, but the question was asked more out of reflex than actual concern. But she didn’t answer at first, merely smiling as she led me out of the apartment.

“I have something to show you…”

*I don't own this song, I didn't write it, blahblahblah, don't sue me and all that jazz. XDD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Four -- Koi no Vacance, Part I]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 19, 2007, 08:27:13 PM
Dibs xD

Airi = Assassin of doom?

Maimi and her gang eh? I'm assuming it's the rest of C-ute that were not introduced yet o-o. You killed two people, Airi?! o_O For your beloved master, right? I think that's cute :] (loves relationships like that) Anywho, what I find odd is that Koharu had wanted to enlist the help of people to do something... Which probably means whatever she's planning, it's big o_o;

Amusement park? I love the amusement park :D

I wonder where Risako went off to xD

Why do I get this sinking feeling that Erika's going to run into a bad doobie? >_>;

Momo and Maasa are cute as usual xD Song's lovely too :]

<3

-feeds you pasta-

<3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 19, 2007, 09:31:41 PM
Were the two who died C-ute's? If so, yay! :P
Risako's channeling Crazy!Chinami, quick, to the Cap'n mobile!
Aw at the MaMo! New favorite couple.


Quote
Bah, I'll use whatever songs I want. XD
And W IS in this story.
Nono's just the only one that has appeared yet.
I have PLANS for Aibon. PLANS. (Good plans. XD)

Rawr, now samidare?
Nono's appearance was so tiny I almost forgot that she was there... lol.
Now when you say you have plans for Aibon, do you mean just Aibon and Nono fades into a life of obscurity? Or a Two Top combination plan?


Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: Estrea on May 20, 2007, 12:15:30 AM
Wow, vicious Koharu and killer Airi. o_o;

Am I weird if I say that a ruthless Koharu is kinda hot? XD

Momo! And Maasa! <3 I wonder what Momoko wants to show her? Hmm.

And oh yeah, I wonder what happens to Risako, and what of Erika who's trying to find her. -has a bad feeling-

Anyway, update soon! I'm totally running out of gift ideas. XD -hands you cheesecake- XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: ziggurat on May 20, 2007, 03:53:03 AM
Damn, the first part is scary. I'm glad Maimi survive the evil Airi attack .. If she dies .... I'm gonna kill you FIM!

And why Airi flee? I though she supposed to kill all of them? Hmm...

Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
She was already in a crappy mood because Yurina hadn’t come along, but… to have to keep an eye on the accident-prone, life-endangering youngest member of the troupe was bound to wear on her nerves.

XD

Quote
As soon as Erika turned back to face the younger female, she noticed that the girl was gone, and a jolt of fear shot up her spine. She was beyond dead if anything happened to Risako… beyond dead.

Heaven? XD

Quote
She shifted against me, turning her head to look at me with those brilliant eyes of hers, the faintest shade of crimson coloring her cheeks in a light blush. It was almost too adorable to handle, really… how it was possible for someone to be so cute, I’ll never understand.

@_@ <- glittering eyes.

Damn, it's so sweet when both of them start singing together and keep exchanging glance of each other.. @_@


Quote
I sighed, laying my head forward on her shoulder again. I needed to think more before I did things… Still, she seemed to relax at that, and I saw her smile a bit out of the corner of my eye as she turned her head to kiss me on the cheek.

>_< ( I try not to die..)

I'm happy you wrote a new chapter.. :D


Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: Loser87 on May 21, 2007, 08:57:25 PM
Honestly I wasn't going to comment because I was gonna' be lazy but I'm commenting now so celebrate!

It was in one word gurgle...
I'm gurgling in a pile of mush that is me..(ew)
*_*

The Maimi/Airi Battle made me almost break my vow not to swear again! Basically you had me saying "OH SHIIII--...ZZLE!!!"
Now that's saying something =O

Oh gosh I can imagine Risako causing a disaster in an amusement park by "accident"
I wonder if there's gonna be captain/miya mush in the next chapter ><

I demand more momoxmaasa!!
I DEMAND MORE OF EVERYTHING!!!
RAWR!!!

(We need more rivalry bitter grr and arghh-ness!!)

*Cracks whip* UPDATE YOU BUTT-HEAD!! *throws a cat* YAHHAHHA!!~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: Tanachan on May 21, 2007, 09:26:06 PM
Damn, did I have a blonde moment reading these chapters.

Sorry I missed the last one! Thought I reviewed it but apparently not. Anyways, I died repeatedly while reading this, like leaving a controller to shoot yourself repeatedly in a video game amount of dying. So sweeeeeeet! <3333333 But the fight made me want to kill Airi, and it takes me a LOT to turn on my second favorite C-ute member. And Sev would've taken care of Koharu for me xDDD.

*throws bigass box that folds out to a live of Otome Gocorro, members included*

*and comes with Sushi and pasta*
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 24, 2007, 03:40:45 AM
Dibs xD

Airi = Assassin of doom?

Maimi and her gang eh? I'm assuming it's the rest of C-ute that were not introduced yet o-o. You killed two people, Airi?! o_O For your beloved master, right? I think that's cute :] (loves relationships like that) Anywho, what I find odd is that Koharu had wanted to enlist the help of people to do something... Which probably means whatever she's planning, it's big o_o;

Amusement park? I love the amusement park :D

I wonder where Risako went off to xD

Why do I get this sinking feeling that Erika's going to run into a bad doobie? >_>;

Momo and Maasa are cute as usual xD Song's lovely too :]

<3

-feeds you pasta-

<3

Actually, I haven't decided who's dead yet. I had it figured out at first but now I'm not so sure. I suppose you'll find out when it gets to that point... >D And you know it's gonna be big... Koharu's gotta regain control of her city, after all...

XDD I don't.

-nibbles on pasta-

Were the two who died C-ute's? If so, yay! :P

Rawr, now samidare?
Nono's appearance was so tiny I almost forgot that she was there... lol.
Now when you say you have plans for Aibon, do you mean just Aibon and Nono fades into a life of obscurity? Or a Two Top combination plan?

Again, not sure if they're C-ute's yet or not. Previously, that was going to be the case... now I'm not so sure. XD

You can't have W without both 'you's. XDD

Wow, vicious Koharu and killer Airi. o_o;

Am I weird if I say that a ruthless Koharu is kinda hot? XD

Momo! And Maasa! <3 I wonder what Momoko wants to show her? Hmm.

And oh yeah, I wonder what happens to Risako, and what of Erika who's trying to find her. -has a bad feeling-

Anyway, update soon! I'm totally running out of gift ideas. XD -hands you cheesecake- XD

Not weird at all. <3

XDD Most of this has already been answered since I posted the chapter. XD

YAY CHEESECAKE! (I'm not sharing with you, Loser. =P)

Damn, the first part is scary. I'm glad Maimi survive the evil Airi attack .. If she dies .... I'm gonna kill you FIM!

And why Airi flee? I though she supposed to kill all of them? Hmm...

Fortunately... I don't plan on killing Maimi. <3 I like her too much. XD

Well... seeing as the others also ran away and since Maimi more than likely broke a couple of her ribs with that kick... I think it's safe to say that Airi was outmatched. XD

-Loser wrote stuff here and I read it and yay. :3-

I'm too tired...... >__<;

Damn, did I have a blonde moment reading these chapters.

Sorry I missed the last one! Thought I reviewed it but apparently not. Anyways, I died repeatedly while reading this, like leaving a controller to shoot yourself repeatedly in a video game amount of dying. So sweeeeeeet! <3333333 But the fight made me want to kill Airi, and it takes me a LOT to turn on my second favorite C-ute member. And Sev would've taken care of Koharu for me xDDD.

*throws bigass box that folds out to a live of Otome Gocorro, members included*

*and comes with Sushi and pasta*

-buried under box and sushi and pasta- XDD

I'm too tired to really respond to these after seeing Pirates. I'll do better next time. XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Five -- Koi no Vacance, Part II]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 24, 2007, 03:43:55 AM
@_@ -zombie- Sleeeeeeeeep... goooooooood. ><;;
Ennnnnnnnjooooooooy.

[Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]

I felt kind of bad for ditching Erika-chan at the amusement park… but there wasn’t any way that I was gonna stay in that place much longer than I had to. Besides, she was treating me like she was my babysitter or something, and I wasn’t gonna have any of that.

I’m not a kid anymore…

I didn’t really have any idea where I was going… but at least I wasn’t lost. I decided that I would just wander around until I assumed that the others were done riding roller coasters and stuff like that (as if that was what they were REALLY doing), and then I’d make my way back to the park.

Somehow… I managed to end up in front of the local hospital. Maybe it was because somewhere in the back of my mind I felt guilty for not having visited Takahashi-san at all since her incident, but I wasn’t believing that I had stopped there by coincidence. Besides… I had nothing else to do.

I strolled right into the building with no problem, and helped myself to locate the room number that belonged to my instructor. If there was one thing consistent and true about this entire city, it was that no one seemed to be too particularly responsible for anything. Like the hospital… the staff could have cared less if I had walked in carrying a gun and asked them where a certain person was staying…

They wouldn’t have been able to tell me, but that’s not the point.

Anyway, if I wasn’t used to this sort of thing, it probably would have scared me just how easily I was able to make my way up to Takahashi-san’s room. But really… I thought nothing of it.

I knocked on the door, hearing the faint sounds of voices coming from behind the wood. I wondered if she had visitors, and thought I should come back at another time, but I heard Takahashi-san call for me to come in, and so… I was stuck. I opened the door a bit, poking my head into the room. My dance instructor looked like in some pretty bad shape, even though she really had suffered only minor injuries. She had a cast on one of her arms, since the car had clipped her there and shattered most of the bone, and most of the rest of her skin (that I could see, anyway) was covered in bandages. She had apparently taken a nasty fall upon being hit, and so I assumed the bandages were to help any scrapes heal a little quicker.

Takahashi-san wasn’t alone in the room (as I had assumed), and my eyes shifted to a young woman about her age sitting beside the bed, who regarded me with an equally curious expression.

“Ah, Sugaya-chan… How are you?”

Her voice was tired and soft, not at all like what I was used to during practice. Still, I expected it to a point, because even though Takahashi-san was a pretty strict person, she was also very kind to and supportive of all of her students… outside of the theatre, at least.

“I’m fine… But the real question is, how are you? We were all worried when Erika-chan came back to tell us the news…”

The young woman beside my instructor leaned forward to whisper something in Takahashi-san’s ear and kissed her on the cheek before standing up, nodding at me as she left the room. I supposed that she wanted to give us some time to talk, and I kind of appreciated that, because it was awkward with a stranger around. Once she was gone, though, I walked over to sit in the chair she had been occupying. After all, it wasn’t like she needed it anymore. Takahashi-san smiled at me.

“I’m doing okay. I’m more embarrassed about it than anything else… I suppose no one thinks much of me anymore, hm?”

“Nah… We all make mistakes, I guess. I’m just glad you’re alive. It could have been worse.”

“Still… I apologize for letting all of you down… That performance was the last chance…”

I grinned at her. I guess Erika hadn’t told Takahashi-san about all of our plans.

“We’re still going through with it. Momoko-chan pulled all of us together and we’ve set up a whole new show. You should see what we’ve been working on… It’s going to be amazing.”

She smiled back at me after that, reaching out with her not-mangled arm to pat my hand. I suddenly sort of missed having her teach us, even though Momoko… truthfully… was doing a much better job of running things than Takahashi-san ever had.

“Good. Make me proud.”

“We will, I promise.”

The two of us lapsed into silence, though I think it was much more awkward for me than it was for her. I didn’t really know what else to say to her, horrible as it sounds, and I was about to leave before she spoke to me again.

“Is something bothering you, Sugaya-chan…? You’re not usually so quiet.”

How… perceptive. Am I really that transparent?

“Well, it’s kind of stupid, actually…”

I paused at that point. I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk about what was going on. Maiha was a frustrating topic to me right now… I was confused and… well… no, mostly just confused, and… actually, perhaps Takahashi-san was the best one to talk to… she was an unbiased third party after all.

“I’m kind of having… girl troubles.”

Takahashi-san eyed me like I had suddenly sprouted a third head. (Not a second, a third. I think the second had sent her into a state of shock, but the third was the one to elicit that incredulous look.)

“See… I told you it was stupid…” I muttered lamely, feeling quite embarrassed and wanting nothing more to crawl into a hole. To further my predicament, my instructor began to laugh at me, and I glared at her with an indignant expression, awaiting her explanation.

“No, no, it’s not that at all. It’s just… with you being you and all… The last thing I would have expected you to have would be relationship problems of any sort… But if you’re having problems, it’s not stupid… tell me what’s going on.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean ‘me being me’?”

“Oh, Sugaya-chan… You could have any of the girls in this city—not to mention the hordes of boys that would die to come within a foot of you—at your every beck and call in a second…”

I could feel my face getting hot and I turned to look out of the room’s window, hoping to keep my mortification from being shown. People were always saying things like that about me. I didn’t really like the praise… because I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about. I was perfectly normal, just like all of the other girls in this city.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“My… don’t tell me you’re so blind that you can’t see it… If I looked anything like you, I’d be taking advantage of it… Well, maybe not… Gaki-san would get jealous, but… what she doesn’t know…”

“…This is about my girl problem, remember?”

“Oh, right… which is…?”

“Well… I like someone… a lot. And I’m pretty sure she feels the same way… somewhat. But instead of just dating me or something simple like that, she’s making it complicated… one second she shows up at practice to watch… and then she disappears… and won’t even look at me the next time I see her… and then after that she starts throwing rocks at my window again to apologize… and it was really sweet, but… I think I’ve made it even more difficult by confirming that I want to play this game that she’s come up with, too…”

Takahashi-san was giving me that look again. It was starting to annoy me. Just slightly.

“Well, yes, that would seem like quite a predicament you’ve gotten yourself into…”

Going back to my previous assumption… you are very perceptive…

She sat up a bit in the bed, and I felt sorry for her, because by the look on her face it was quite a painful feat.

“Do you really like her?”

It was an incredibly simple question. One that I was able to answer without hesitation, despite the fact that my mind was clouded with confusion.

“Yes… I really do.”

“Then… my advice is to stick with it. All relationships require work. Some… you have to work harder at than others, but I think… at least, if this girl likes you back the way you think she does… in the end, it’ll have been worth it.”

I smiled at her, and she smiled back, which was good, because it meant that I was doing a good job of faking her out this time. Part of me hoped that everything she had said would come true… but then the other part of me knew that with Maiha… it could be unpredictable.

“Thank you, Takahashi-san… I’ll remember that.”

“Good. I hope everything goes well for you.”

I nodded and stood up, and we chatted a little bit more before saying our goodbyes and I headed out the door.

Where I would end up next I didn’t know… but I was kind of looking for trouble…

Maiha and trouble often went along hand-in-hand…

------------

Out of all of the places I could have picked to spend the day… I decided on an amusement park, which, at day at least, was one of the most unromantic places imaginable. Then again, it wasn’t really like I was paying much attention to the park at all…

Saki was towing me along behind her like a kid with her mom in a candy store, wanting to look at every little thing and play any random game that she happened to spot. It was as if she had transformed into a completely different person before my eyes: her quiet, still self had been replaced with a more hyper, excited version… She was incredibly adorable like this, and so obviously, I wasn’t going to do anything to stop her.

If anything, her distraction made it easier for me to think, because when she was busy she wasn’t focused on trying to read me. And I didn’t really want her to examine my thoughts at the moment…

I was thinking… about us. On the one hand I was extremely excited and happy and it felt almost too good to be true… but then on the other… I wondered if it really was too good to be true. I mean… she had promised that she wasn’t going to leave me, and I believed her… But…

These secrets between us… They didn’t belong there.

It was like a wall… I hadn’t run into it yet, but I could sense it’s presence there, threatening to drive a wedge between what we had been wanting for such a long time. So I just wondered… if the wall never got torn down… what would happen to us?

I trusted her. It was my imagination that was making me doubt things.

I just wanted to know… what had been so important… what had happened to make her push me away like she did… I didn’t even like to think about that day… I didn’t like to remember it, because it had been so painful. But as I stood there, sifting through my thoughts, it came back to me regardless of whether or not I wanted to think about it.

“You can’t just… leave…”

It was hard to see the blurred image of the small figure packing up her things through all of the tears, but the girl didn’t dare look away from what was going on in front of her, in case the little dancer attempted to slip out without saying anything else. She knew that she looked a mess, because she could feel the trails running down her face, but when Saki stood up and turned around, her face showed no indication that she noticed the condition the other girl was in.

“For the last time… I’m done here, Miyabi… You can’t stop me.”

The taller female grew very quiet at that, though the silence continued to be punctuated by the sounds of her sniffling and sobbing. She took a deep, shuddering breath, as if she was gathering up any ounce of courage she had left.

“I-I love you, Sakitan…”

The other girl didn’t seem to react at all to those words, and that alone sliced painfully into Miyabi’s heart. She wasn’t at all prepared for the pain that was to come.

“Unfortunately… I don’t love you. In fact… I think what I feel for you is just about as close to hatred as a person can get. I have to leave… and even though it’s not because of you, I never want to see you again.”

At that point, the color drained from Miyabi’s face, and she looked like she couldn’t breathe. The tears continued to stream from her eyes, but she stood there in shock, motionless. Saki turned to pick up the bag she had been loading up with her things, and slung it over her shoulder before she quietly walked out, leaving the other girl there hurt and alone.


I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to shudder. I wanted to completely erase that day from my memories. For now, I just wouldn’t think about it. I was going to have fun here with Saki and just block it out.

“Hey, Miya-chan…?”

I snapped out of my thoughts to realize that she was looking at me curiously. I hoped that she hadn’t been staring for too long… Fortunately, that seemed to be the case, because she smiled at me, waving it away like I had just spaced out or something.

“Hm?”

“Wanna go get some cotton candy?”

I nodded, not even bothering to push away the questionable ideas that popped in my head or the smirk that crawled onto my face as she pulled me over towards the vendor.

The title “Ebiru” isn’t just for show, after all…

-------------

It was difficult to dance with her watching me so closely, and I’m pretty sure that I was shaking a little from how nervous I felt, but I continued with the steps, hoping that I would reach the end of the routine before I fell or something equally stupid were to happen.

I had wanted to show her… the dance that she had persuaded me into coming up with.

…The dance that she had inspired.

And I, being the perfectionist that I was, was kicking myself mentally for once again pulling off an average performance. Maybe I was a bit rustier than I thought… I had never gotten stage fright of any sort before… So why was it holding me back now?

Of course, while I was dealing with inner turmoil, Maasa was leaning up against the wall nearby, calm, cool, and collected. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking by just looking at her, but her eyes hadn’t moved away from me once since we had entered the theatre. …At least she was paying attention.

The routine came to an end and I stood there in the final pose, the last whispers of the lyrics echoing in my head.

Dakishimete…

It was quiet for a moment, the sounds of my heavy breathing and pounding heart the only things audible. Actually, those two things alone seemed so loud to me that I wondered how I wasn’t deaf because of them. Thankfully, however, Maasa spoke at that point, distracting me.

“It seemed… I don’t know… kind of… forced.”

I blinked at her, relaxing into a much more normal stance and letting my arms fall to my side.

“What do you mean?”

“When you danced to it the other day… when I was here… I could really feel the energy and power of the song coming from you… now it feels like it’s stiff… like it’s missing something… It didn’t look like you were enjoying it.”

…Still? Even after all of that… you think it’s kind of empty, too?

I knew deep inside that she was right, though, and I sighed in defeat, sinking to my knees and burying my face into them. Maybe it wasn’t stage fright at all. Maybe it was because the dance was still incomplete. She was right. I hadn’t been enjoying it at all. But what was it lacking? There wasn’t anything at all wrong with the routine… I had even had Saki give me a few pointers and suggest some changes… So perhaps… the dance wasn’t the problem. Maybe I was.

Maybe I wasn’t cut out for something so big, after all.

Gentle arms encircled my small frame and I felt myself being lifted up into a warm embrace… I don’t think I’ve ever felt so tiny and helpless and insignificant as I did right there in that moment, and I sighed, closing my eyes as I rested my head against her chest, listening to the soft rhythm within.

“I don’t know what else to do, Maasa… Everything else has been working just fine… but this song… maybe only one person was meant to perform it. Maybe it was supposed to stay locked away in that room back there…”

She didn’t say anything at all, much to my surprise and dismay… and so I grew quiet, confused… until she set me down on my feet, and took one of my hands in hers, looking down at me with a determined expression.

“No… I think you were meant to do this. …But maybe you need to approach it in a different way.”

“What do you-”

She took a step sideways away from me, and with one fluid, skillful motion, tugged effortlessly on my hand in such a way that I was forced to spin in towards her, so that before I knew it I was wrapped up in her arms again. Maasa was grinning at me now, probably amused at the flustered, awestruck expression I was sure I was wearing.

“Singing wasn’t the only thing that Saki taught me how to do.”

…I was right. I wasn’t cut out to perform this song.

…By myself.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 24, 2007, 04:27:53 AM
I'd almost forgotten about Takahashi and am pleased you included Takagaki in this chapter. And SakiMiya. And MaaMo.


Quote
…I was right. I wasn’t cut out to perform this song.

…By myself.

Score!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]
Post by: mode107 on May 25, 2007, 02:24:10 AM
“Oh, Sugaya-chan… You could have any of the girls in this city—not to mention the hordes of boys that would die to come within a foot of you—at your every beck and call in a second…”

I jumped to this weird conclusion that Takahashi was hitting on Risako for sec.I find myself jumping to conclusions a lot in this story.

Nice convo between the two, gave a sisterly feeling to it IMO.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]
Post by: whytphyre on May 25, 2007, 02:42:33 AM
You got me addicted to fluff!

Seriously though, you did. I *finally* read the chapter, then started in on a chapter of my own and found that it was verging away from the original plot and going all fluffy on me.

That's how addicted ^^

And I <3 it so damn much!

And yes, I love the chapter too!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 27, 2007, 03:52:55 AM
I'm really tired and I don't actually have time to reply to comments right now since I'm supposed to be asleep, but I wanted to post this before I went to bed. <3 Last part of the Koi no Vacance bit of the story. Most of this chapter is fluffy, but it gets a little morbid near the end. o_o

Enjoy. <3

[Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, Part IV]

I’ve always loved this part of town. It’s always been so… alive, I guess. There’s always something to do, something to see… It’s best at night, though. When the music is loud and the lights are flashing just enough not to turn us all in to epileptics… That’s when things really start to heat up.

Maybe part of it is because I’ve always been kind of wild. I can’t be content just sitting around and leading what other people call a ‘normal life’… I’m too restless for that. Growing up on the streets does that to you, though, because my life has never been anything close to ‘normal’.

It’s like… you’re always one step away from starvation… or freezing to death… or getting mugged or shot by someone. So you always want to live life to the fullest in case your next breath happens to be your last. Not that I’m afraid of dying or anything… But I’d like to have as much fun as I possibly can just in case.

And so that’s what I was doing, floating in and out of that sea of bodies on the dance floor, each one moving to a rhythm all their own while staying entirely connected to the music that was blasting through the speakers on either side of the club. The air was tainted with the scents of alcohol, sweat, and… well… you’d have to be a fool not to believe that some people were getting a little bit ‘friendly’ with each other in the darker corners of the building…

This was the atmosphere in which I was most comfortable, because I could let loose and be myself completely… plus, Maasa refused to follow me into places like this, and so she wasn’t there to scold me or tell me what to do.

It wasn’t like I was doing anything horrible, anyway. I try to stay away from alcohol, because I know what it does to Maasa and I don’t ever want anything like that happening to me. And even though I’ll admit that I’m terribly perverted and will… ‘observe’ women as I please… I’ve never done anything… well… I’ll just say that it never goes beyond just making out. I’m mostly just into the whole chase aspect of the thing. After that I get bored. It’s not like the ones I go after are interested in me personally, anyway, so there’s not really any point in keeping them around after I get them.

People just assume things about me… Generally they assume the worst… So I have this pretty rotten image. But… I’m not really sure that I care. I wasn’t going to change the way that I was for any of them, and even if I did, their opinions of me would probably stay the same.

Anyways… I had been dancing for a while that night, and so I was trying to make my way out of the mass of people over to the side where the tables and chairs were set up to rest up or play card games or… whatever. That’s when I ran into someone who was obviously quite inebriated by the smell of things, and I had to react quickly to keep the girl from falling over.

It was kind of hard to keep my groping urges in check at that point, because I had caught the girl in a rather awkward manner, but at least she was drunk enough not to notice. I couldn’t really get a good look at her, either, because it was darker on this side of the club, and her head had slumped forward—probably because she couldn’t hold it up anymore.

Somehow I managed to drag her over towards a table (Well… I wasn’t Maasa. She called me scrawny a lot, but I preferred the term lean.) and sat her down in a chair, before attempting to lift her head up in order to get a look at her face.

“…Hey, are you alright- Eh… What the- Risako?!?”

There was my girl, staring up at me with glazed-over, bloodshot eyes, a goofy-looking smile on her face that wasn’t really meant to be there. She was smashed… really plastered with the stuff. Maasa never even got off this bad. I wondered how she managed to get in the club anyway… she was too young.

However… the bouncers were known for letting people slip in without ID on occasion, if they happened to be particularly charming… or if they had a substantial sort of bribe to give.

Regardless, I was going to kill them for letting her in, and then I was going to take out whoever gave her something to drink… or rather, a lot of somethings to drink.

She hiccuped a bit, her generally pleasant voice staggered by an alcohol-induced slur.

“Maiiiiiha-chan~ Izzat you? Mm… I din’t know you had a twin…”

Ugh. I kind of wished that she would keep her mouth closed. This was only a shadow of the girl that I was crazy about. The kind that you had to squint at really hard just to make out the shape. I had firmly made up my mind at that point to get her out of this place as soon as possible, so I leaned over to grab her arm and pull it over my shoulder, while sliding the other one around her waist in order to support her weight.

“Come on… I think you’ve had enough fun for one night, Socko.”

She mumbled some kind of incoherent protest, but made no effort to try and push me away or to escape my hold on her. I suppose that I was pretty lucky that she wasn’t a violent drunk.

We slowly made our way out of the club, and as soon as the cold night’s air hit us she began to complain a bit more loudly, while making less and less sense as we went on. I let her babble about whatever she wanted to, though, for the fear that I could trigger something by opening my mouth. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she was wearing my jacket still, and couldn’t help but smile at that.

I wasn’t really sure where to take her. Risako’s apartment was on the other side of the city, and there wasn’t any way I would make it there without her passing out on me along the way. I assumed that Maasa probably wasn’t home yet (She was probably going to stay with Momoko as long as possible… Which also pleased me a great deal.) and so I reluctantly began to help Risako along in the direction of the basement.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help her out by letting her stay the night… it was just that… For one thing, when she woke up in the morning she was definitely going to draw the wrong conclusions… and for another… Risako probably wouldn’t approve of the place in which I lived.

There wasn’t much I could do at that point, though. Her safety was my priority.

The hard part was getting her down into the house without dropping her on the floor. She couldn’t seem to figure out how to use the ladder in the state she was in, and so I had to climb down first and help her descend after me, getting kicked in the face a few times for my effort.

I was very glad when we were both inside, safe and sound.

At least… I was until she started staring at me in a strange, obviously alcohol-induced way. I backed up further into the room a bit, feeling slightly nervous when she only followed after me.

“Mm… Maiha-chan…”

“…What?”

I hadn’t noticed that I was nearing the couch until I backed into it, and it startled me so much that I tumbled over the back of it, barely managing not to roll off of the cushions and onto the floor. She leaned over the back of the couch and stared down at me, a grin spreading across her features that was just about as odd as the look she was giving me. However, what really got me was the fact that she was starting to slide out of my jacket, and looked as though she was going to continue on to remove her shirt as well.

“It’s kinda… hot in here…”

I’m pretty sure that the look on my face at that moment was comparable to that of a deer caught in the headlights, and I quickly sprang up off of the couch, trying to think of some way to get her to stop… or figure out where I could hide. I didn’t want to see her like this. She wasn’t herself and I didn’t like it.

Someone else might have taken advantage of a situation like that, but even if I was an incurable little lecher I still respected certain boundaries and was much too noble to even consider it.

“No, no, it’s actually kind of cold in here, Socko-”

Obviously, she wasn’t listening to me, because before I could continue with my sentence her shirt hit me in the face, obstructing my vision. I’m kind of glad it did, because I wasn’t sure how long it would take for her to get rid of any more of her clothing. And that thought made me panic a little bit. So I did the only reasonable thing that I could think of. I darted into the closet, slamming the door shut behind me and locking it.

All I had to do was wait in there until she gave up and fell asleep…

That wouldn’t take too long… would it?

------------

I hadn’t wanted the day to end.

I suppose it was a silly, futile sort of thought, but lately I found myself believing in dreams again, and so I had hoped that somehow time would stop and leave me in that moment forever.

But unfortunately… reality is a cruel thing, and the reality of it was that the night had come and it was time to head home again. I suppose that the only relief I found was that I would see her again tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on… Well… I wasn’t so sure about that ‘so on’ part… We hadn’t yet figured out what was going to happen after the performance.

I didn’t want to worry about that yet. There was time to sort things out later.

I was going to enjoy the few minutes I had left with Maasa before we reached Risako’s apartment and I had to say goodbye for the day, so I had no time to think about trivial matters like going back to my real home.

She was walking quietly beside me, her fingers intwined gently but firmly with mine, as if she didn’t want to let me go. And I was perfectly fine with that, since I wasn’t planning on letting go, either. We hadn’t spoken much since we had left the theatre together, but I think she was enjoying the peaceful quiet as much as I was, and so neither of us wanted to spoil that with words.

I had to admit that I was getting really sleepy, tired out from all the work we had done, and so as much as I didn’t want to leave her, I was looking forward to the fact that there was a warm bed waiting for me. Just thinking about it made me yawn, and she looked down at me with that cautious, concerned sort of expression that I was beginning to think she had reserved only for me.

“Tired…?”

“A little bit, but we’re almost-”

As soon as I had confirmed her question she stopped and picked me up bridal style, fully intent on carrying me the rest of the way. I guess I should have expected that, but I wasn’t going to complain. She was soft and warm and so I laid my head against her shoulder, playing absently with the uneven strands of the hair that curled around her neck.

“Doesn’t it bother you to carry me like this? I know I’m smaller than you, but I do still weigh something.”

“Not to me. It’s almost scary, because it feels like I’m carrying a pillow. Are you sure you’re eating enough…?”

I glared up at her, and she responded by grinning back at me, a winning expression that could have made me melt right then and there. My cheeks were burning again, and I hoped that the moonlight wasn’t bright enough for her to see it. She stopped walking a few seconds after that, and I looked up to see that we were finally there. I sighed a little, not really wanting to enter the building, and it was considerably difficult to remember that I had to go inside when I felt her lips brush against my cheek.

“Do you want me to come inside with you for a little bit?”

Optimistic-Horny!Momoko materialized within my head at that point, screaming “Yes, yes I do!” over and over again, and for once I actually considered not ignoring her. However, it was Rational!Momoko that won out in the end. If I let Maasa inside, I probably wouldn’t be able to let her leave, and that would prove to be awkward whenever Risako got home.

“No, it’s fine… I’ll be okay.”

She set me down on my feet again, and I looked up at her, smiling in a sad sort of way. It wasn’t like it was the end of the world, because I was going to see her again tomorrow, but still the thought of being away from her for any amount of time at that point was unbearable.

Maasa seemed to pick up on my reluctance and smiled back at me, a chuckle escaping her throat.

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning, I promise. For now, you need to sleep, and I need to go make sure that Maiha hasn’t killed herself since I last saw her.”

I giggled a little at that, and so I was a bit distracted at first when she leaned over to kiss me… but she made sure I was aware of what was happening before the end. It was heated, like the way she had kissed me earlier that morning, and when she pulled away I felt as though my ability to breathe had been stolen away.

“Goodnight, Momoko…”

She started to leave me then, but I wasn’t ready just yet and so I grabbed onto her hand, and she turned back to look at me, confused. I closed the gap between us with a tight hug, snuggling against her as she slid her arms around me to return the embrace. There was something that I wanted to say… something that I was dying to say… but I wasn’t sure if that was the right time to say it… After a moment, though, the courage to say it that I had built up was gone, and so I whispered a ‘goodnight’ back to her instead. She laughed a little bit, releasing me before she began to walk away, looking back only once to smile at me.

I watched her leave for a little while, before I forced myself to enter the complex. It was then that I realized just how tired I was, walking up the flights of stairs to Risako’s apartment. My legs felt like lead, and I wished that I had let Maasa come with me, if only to carry me up to the room…

Somehow I made it inside, and as soon as I shut the door behind me I wobbled over to the bed, flopping down on it lazily. Risako was probably still out with the rest of the group so I didn’t think much of her absence.

In fact, I was so tired that my blurry vision failed to notice that the little red light on the answering machine on the bedside table was blinking rapidly...

------------

The pain was almost unbearable, and the air around her was filled with the smell of her own blood. Usually… she could stand the punishment she had to receive… But she also usually wasn’t injured this badly when judgment was unleashed, and so she was actually finding it hard to stand at the moment.

The knife blade glinted under the moonlight in a macabre fashion, slick with the crimson stain of her new wounds. The punishment she had ‘earned’.

Koharu wouldn’t kill her, but she would certainly leave a mark. It was to teach her a lesson: she was disposable and failure was not tolerated. And she had certainly failed to do her job of getting rid of the gang members. Regardless of whether or not she had an excuse, nothing but absolute success would placate her master’s anger, and so she had to grit her teeth and bear it.

Airi winced as the weapon swung in her direction again, tearing through her skin like water, and it was all she could do not to cry out. Something like that would only cause the torture to last longer.

It was already hard to breathe thanks to the few cracked ribs that the gang’s leader had awarded her, and one side of her face was completely swollen because of Maimi’s forceful punch. And each new cut that Koharu dealt to her body with the dagger only added to her misery.

She dared not to even breathe a sigh of relief when the other girl put the knife down, apparently done for the night. Her master would say something snide about the whole thing and then leave her for a moment, and she would take the time to gather her wits and rest from the ordeal.

“Hn… clean up this mess, Airin… you’re getting that horrible stuff over everything… I’m going to step outside… I need some fresh air.”

As soon as Koharu was out of sight, Airi collapsed onto her knees, regretting it instantly as a jolt of pain spiked from her ribcage. Her breath came out in shuddering gasps, and no matter how skilled she was at concealing her emotions, she couldn’t stop the tears that spilled from her eyes as she gripped at the cold, tiled floor.

I’m sorry… I’ll try harder next time…
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Six -- Koi no Vacance, Part III]
Post by: Loser87 on May 27, 2007, 03:53:27 AM
Nyahahahahahaha~ XDXDXD

Drunk Risako is funny..But I have to wonder why is she drunk in the first place? hnn...
Seriously though, Is Maiha so much of a wimp that she has to hid in the closet until everything is good and done?

The fluff that is MaaMomo >w<
So cute, sooo *squeal* XDXD

And then the sadistic, grrr and arghh of Koharu >_>
Airin should like..Up and leave if...it weren't for the fact that she's attatched to Koharu and stuff...

Back to the point though!
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!!!!!

*Throws som rabies infested puppies*
UPDATE YOU STUPID CHILD RAWR!!!

EYES OF DOOM!!

O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O
O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O O_O

UPDATE~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, (Final) Part IV]
Post by: Estrea on May 27, 2007, 04:38:36 AM
Oh. Grah. Koharu. o_o
So sadistic. Mm. I somehow like her for it... o_o;;;

And I look forward to when Maasa returns to the basement to find a very drunk Risako there with Maiha. XD I think it's likely that many misunderstandings would follow. XD

Momo/Maasa fluff was nice. :D If only Momoko knew that Risako wouldn't have come back that night, so she could have just invited Maasa in. XD As it is, this way we'll get to see more interesting scenes. :)

Can't wait for your next update! -hands you ice cream- Mm :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, (Final) Part IV]
Post by: rndmnwierd on May 27, 2007, 06:15:45 AM
Lol, poor Maiha. Happy MaaMo, but ouch at Airi. Next please!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, (Final) Part IV]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 31, 2007, 10:24:26 PM
Nyahahahahahaha~ XDXDXD

Drunk Risako is funny..But I have to wonder why is she drunk in the first place? hnn...
Seriously though, Is Maiha so much of a wimp that she has to hid in the closet until everything is good and done?

The fluff that is MaaMomo >w<
So cute, sooo *squeal* XDXD

And then the sadistic, grrr and arghh of Koharu >_>
Airin should like..Up and leave if...it weren't for the fact that she's attatched to Koharu and stuff...

Back to the point though!
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!!!!!

*Throws som rabies infested puppies*
UPDATE YOU STUPID CHILD RAWR!!!

Lol Of course Maiha is. If someone was drunk and losing clothes in front of me, I'd probably hide in a closet, too.

<3 Enjoy that. It might not last much longer.

Unfortunately, it'll just get worse for Airi~

Oh. Grah. Koharu. o_o
So sadistic. Mm. I somehow like her for it... o_o;;;

And I look forward to when Maasa returns to the basement to find a very drunk Risako there with Maiha. XD I think it's likely that many misunderstandings would follow. XD

Momo/Maasa fluff was nice. :D If only Momoko knew that Risako wouldn't have come back that night, so she could have just invited Maasa in. XD As it is, this way we'll get to see more interesting scenes. :)

Can't wait for your next update! -hands you ice cream- Mm :D

XDD Nice. <3

Lol that part was SUPPOSED to be in this next chapter, but I decided to chop it off and save it for the next one, since this was getting lengthy.

Mm... Yes. Again, savor that fluff. The story's going to start building intensity again after all that.

YAYICECREAM! :D

Lol, poor Maiha. Happy MaaMo, but ouch at Airi. Next please!

As you wish~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, (Final) Part IV]
Post by: Yuuyami on May 31, 2007, 10:26:16 PM
Weeeedge xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Seven -- Koi no Vacance, (Final) Part IV]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on May 31, 2007, 10:31:38 PM
Woo~ Finally, ne?
It seems to be taking me longer to post chapters lately...
Then again, school's kind of rough as I near the last three days... SCORE!

Plus, I've been doing more planning than writing.
I want to make sure I don't hit any major snags or fall into plot holes along the way.
That and... I'm trying to make sure I can lead into the sequels properly.
No, no, your vision ISN'T failing you. You read that right. Sequels. And by that I really do mean sequels, as in, more than one. lol

This chapter should probably settle the fears of those who were afraid that some C-ute girls were dead. XD

Enjoy.

[Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]

“I can’t believe you idiots just left her there… If anything’s happened to her… I’ll strangle the both of you.”

The errant gang members cowered before the smallest member of their group, who was pacing back and forth within the hideout, a terrible rage burning in her little body. It was a comical sight, really, her tiny hands clenched into fists and her posture stiff and rigid, but the reality of it was that this girl was known to be pretty explosive when she needed to be, and it was that side of her that was frightening.

“Maimai… you don’t understand… This kid… she was like some kind of demon… she took out the others without any hesitation… cut them down like they were nothing…”

The younger of the two on the floor had a tremble in her voice as she said this, her usually cherubic face contorting into a pained expression. Her companion seemed to be much more collected, but her eyes showed grim agreement towards what the other was speaking about.

“…Maimi’s the only one out of us who could stand up to someone tough like that. You and Chisa-chan would have wanted to run away, too.”

A short-haired figure who was leaning beside the opening to the hideout in order to keep watch turned to look at the others at this point in the conversation, and she narrowed her eyes at them, snorting derisively before she went back to what she had been doing before. The room fell quiet for a moment, the sounds of the youngest’s shuffling feet as she continued to move about anxiously the only thing keeping it from complete and total silence.

Then the girl acting as lookout straightened up, her eyes widening as she spotted a figure limping towards them. Even though it was a little after three in the morning and the only light she could see by was coming from the dim candles in the room behind her, she’d recognize that form anywhere.

“Maimi’s back…”

As soon as the whisper escaped her lips, the two girls on the floor and the one who was pacing all shot out of the opening, hurrying to meet their leader halfway. Maimi was covered in dirt and dried blood stains, and under the moonlight, she might have frightened anyone who didn’t know her because she looked terribly similar to what most would describe as a zombie.

…Obviously, her companions were considerably concerned. Maimi grunted as the others began to worry over her, checking for wounds and whatnot, and after a minute of tolerating the attention she detached herself from the others with an annoyed little growl.

“I’m fine, I’m fine… Most of this isn’t my blood… the little demon only cut my arms.”

“If it isn’t yours… whose is it?” The smallest asked, causing the gang leader to flinch a little bit under her scrutinizing gaze.

“…I had to bury them… I wasn’t going to just leave them there like that.”

“Maimi…”

“Ugh, stop looking at me like that, you guys. And- dear lord, Saki, don’t start crying. I came back in one piece, didn’t I? Taught that punk a lesson, too. Broke a couple of her ribs and I bet she’ll have a nice bruise on her face…”

“But… we left you there… K-Kanna and I ran like cowards… W-we should have stayed and helped…”

Maimi shook her head, a dark frown spreading across her features.

“No… I’m glad you two got away… As much as I hate to say it… I think something’s about to happen that’s way over our heads. We should probably just stay out of it.”

“So it’s true, then…?” The girl that had been playing lookout had quietly joined the group unnoticed, and so her voice caused everyone except for Maimi and the youngest to jump a little bit. “…What Saki and Kanna were telling us… Suzuki and the Miracle are back?”

“Unfortunately… yes…”

“What did they want with us?”

The gang leader paused for a moment, rolling her shoulders back and listening as the vertebrae in her spine shifted against each other with a satisfying crack. She was really too tired to deal with these kinds of things so early…

“…I’m not entirely sure… Something about that old theatre again. Just like last time. But… I think she’s planning something bigger… something much more dangerous. I could tell… she wants control again, like she had before. Heck… She even had Fujimoto’s respect back then…”

The smallest, Maimai as she was called, was wearing a scowl on her face after hearing that.

“You think she’ll go to them since you refused to help out?”

“…Probably.”

“What do you think they’ll say?”

“…Yoshizawa will most likely ignore her. She’s got her own agenda to deal with, so I doubt she’ll want to add the Miracle’s plan to that list. Fujimoto might help her, but knowing her, she’ll probably try to twist it in some way that it’ll benefit her own self the most. Ishikawa’s really the wildcard here… But I’m leaning more towards her saying no as well.”

“But still… even if Yoshizawa and Ishikawa both say no… Fujimoto alone can help the Miracle stir up enough trouble for it to be a real problem…”

Maimi nodded and pushed past the group, limping towards the hideout. “Yes… which is why we’re all staying out of this.” Her voice had grown much wearier at that, and all she could think about was sleeping as the days’ events started to finally catch up with her and weighed her down.

The others seemed to pick up on that and decided to let the subject drop, following after their leader to join her in catching up on some well-needed rest. All… except for the lookout. Her senses seemed to be sharper than those of her companions, which was why she was extremely good at the task that always fell to her. Because of this, she spotted another dark shape approaching in the moonlight, one that she recognized…

She hesitated at first, because she wasn’t too entirely sure ot the person’s intentions… Perhaps the other was just headed home, because in order to do so, she’d have to come through that way… but the lookout had never seen that particular person wandering around in their territory so late at night.

“Maimi…”

The gang leader paused just as she was about to enter the hideout, turning her head to gaze curiously at her subordinate.

“Hm…? What is it, Chisato?”

“…Would it be weird if I told you that Sudou-chan is wandering this way…?”

“What?” Maimi was instantly at the other girl’s side, squinting in an attempt to see what Chisato saw. At first, she could only see darkness, but after a while her eyes were able to catch Maasa’s outline using what dim light there was, and at that point she felt wary and alert again. The approaching female had her hands stuffed into her pocket and appeared to be staring off nowhere in particular—it didn’t even look like she noticed the group up ahead…

Still… after what had happened earlier… Maimi wasn’t taking any chances.

“Hey!” She barked suddenly, causing Maasa to look up from where she was, and Maimi was almost certain she saw the younger girl’s lips slide into a frow. She approached the other confidently, knowing that her companions would stay put unless they saw that they were needed. This had nothing to do with them.

“What the hell’re you doin’ in our part of town, Sudou? Lost, maybe? It’s awful late to just be taking a stroll…”

Maasa snorted at that, though she seemed to tense up quite considerably when Maimi stopped a few feet away, the muscles in her jaw tightening as she clenched her teeth together.

“I’m just going home, Yajima… What do you want from me?”

“I’m the one asking questions here, jackass.”

“Bitch.”

“Your face is ugly.”

“Yeah? Well, you are ugly.”

“…”

Somewhere during the middle of that conversation, the two of them had started to inch closer until their faces weren’t that far apart. One could almost see the sparks flying between their intense glaring match, but the tension was broken suddenly as both of them broke out into hysterical laughter.

Maimi slung her arm around the slightly taller female’s shoulder in an amiable manner, grinning wildly as the rest of her group started to approach them.

“It’s fun, this game we play, Sudou-chan.”

“You really suck at it, though. Still sound kind of awkward when you’re trying to cuss me out. Maybe you ought to get Maiha to help you out with that…”

The gang leader laughed, letting go of Maasa to stand in front of her instead, nodding her head at that statement.

“Maybe, maybe… Anyways… What have you been doing that has you up at this hour, hm? Found a special friend, have you~?”

Maasa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“It’s really none of your business, now is it? However, I was with a friend of mine…”

The rebel trailed off, eyebrows knit together as she really began to think about what it was that she was saying.

What… what is Momoko to me? …Not just a friend… right? No… she’s more than that… would she be my… girlfriend? But… I think that I might… l-

“Ah~ so you were off misbehaving…”

Maimi’s playful taunting brought Maasa out of her thoughts and the younger female groaned in an annoyed sort of way, giving the gang leader a glare that would have burned a hole right through steel. Maimi seemed to get the hint and decided to move on to a different subject…

“So… Are you aware that the Miracle and her little pet are back in the city?”

Maasa was carefully guarding her emotions, so that not even a flicker of what she felt about that showed. While most of the others seemed not to pick up on the sudden change in her mood, Chisato had an eye for detail and noticed the way that the rebel’s posture became rigid. However, this time it wasn’t for show or for play, like it had been with Maimi.

“Yes… I am.”

“Has she tried to speak with you?”

“She did…”

“Did she tell you what it was that she was planning?”

“In a limited sort of way, I guess… She’s going after the theatre again.”

Maimi sighed, running a hand through her hair and staring up at the moon for a moment, trying to clear her head.

“…That doesn’t help us much, then, I’m afraid… I hoped maybe she would tell you of all people a little more about what was going on… She wanted to get all of us involved in on it, too… I guess this time around she’s gonna be a little smarter about what it is she’s trying to do…”

“Is that why you look like shit, then?”

“Hey~ Enough with that… I had to bury two of my girls tonight, I’m not really in the mood to be picked on anymore.”

“Ah… I’m really sorry…”

Chisato’s eyes flickered to Maasa’s hands that had fallen to her sides somewhere during the talking, and watched the muscles in the girl’s arms flex as her fingers curled up into tight fists.

“Mm… Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it’s your fault, anyway. We’re all sad about it, but we’ve got to move on. Such is our lot in life.”

“Well… I don’t like it. Listen, though… Maimi… You seem to understand that things could get pretty bad once… her plan gets underway… I know that some of my friends could be in real danger, and although I don’t like asking… I might need your help…”

Maimi grinned impishly, turning her head to look at the group of girls behind her, each one giving her a determined look of their own in response.

“Well, you know where to find us. You need me and my girls, just send the word. We’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Maimi-chan.”

The older girl nodded, and took Maasa’s hand in a firm shake as if to reassure the other of her loyalty.

“Don’t mention it. Anyways, I guess you ought to be heading out now… I need to get all of this crap off of me before I start to smell like this permanently…”

“Yeah… I’ll see you guys around…”

“Oh, and Maasa?”

“Hm?”

“Tell Ishimura that she still owes me 20,000 yen.”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: whytphyre on May 31, 2007, 10:53:27 PM
Wheee Yo-chaaaaaan!

This was a random yet awesome chapter! ^^;;
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: Estrea on June 01, 2007, 12:57:35 AM
The seniors are gang/crime lords? o_o That's the impression I got from Maimi talking about Yossi, Rika, and Miki. XDDD

I like Maasa's and Maimi's friendship. XD Trying to out-insult each other...hey wait, that sounds familiar. :P Like Maki and Miki in mine. XD

Maiha owes Maimi money? Oh yeah, that was mentioned by Maiha before...something like that anyway...XD Can't wait to see what happens next. :D

Post soon~ :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: rndmnwierd on June 01, 2007, 02:53:21 AM
The plot thickens.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: mode107 on June 01, 2007, 03:03:50 AM
“Tell Ishimura that she still owes me 20,000 yen.”
\

lol, what the hell did Maiha do

and  :mon exhaust:   Kanna and Saki survived. :)
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: Loser87 on June 04, 2007, 03:34:35 AM
God, I must really be losing my mind
I thought I commented here >_> But it looks like I didn't..until now

Anyway!
ok all C-ute members so far seem a-okay and breathing!
Well the ones we've seen so far..minus Airi..whose you know..bleeding and stuff >_>

I <33 the idea that a lot of the older members are gangsters! XD

Maiha must have done something >_>..20,000 yen? that's a lot of money *cough*

Anyways...
~ UPDATE

MEET THE EYES OF DOOOOM

O_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_OO_O........<(update)

update of else one of these will happen! ---->  :mon uggh: :mon taichi: :mon zoom: :mon cweepy: :temper: :shifty: :mon baby:

o_o.....yeah...
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 06, 2007, 05:04:01 PM
Wheee Yo-chaaaaaan!

This was a random yet awesome chapter! ^^;;

XDD <3

The seniors are gang/crime lords? o_o That's the impression I got from Maimi talking about Yossi, Rika, and Miki. XDDD

I like Maasa's and Maimi's friendship. XD Trying to out-insult each other...hey wait, that sounds familiar. :P Like Maki and Miki in mine. XD

Maiha owes Maimi money? Oh yeah, that was mentioned by Maiha before...something like that anyway...XD Can't wait to see what happens next. :D

Post soon~ :D

Indeed they are~

XD I think Maasa and Maimi are being much more playful than Maki and Miki were in your fic. (That's a lot of M names. XDDD)

lol Was it? I went back to look, but I don't remember writing that she owed anyone money. XD Then again, you'd expect that of her, wouldn't you? XDDD

lol I'm bad with the word soon.

The plot thickens.

Just like caramel. Mm... caramel.

“Tell Ishimura that she still owes me 20,000 yen.”
\

lol, what the hell did Maiha do

and  :mon exhaust:   Kanna and Saki survived. :)

XDD Probably'll be explained sometime soon. <3

Yup, they survived. :3 I can be a merciful author sometimes.

God, I must really be losing my mind
I thought I commented here >_> But it looks like I didn't..until now

Anyway!
ok all C-ute members so far seem a-okay and breathing!
Well the ones we've seen so far..minus Airi..whose you know..bleeding and stuff >_>

I <33 the idea that a lot of the older members are gangsters! XD

Maiha must have done something >_>..20,000 yen? that's a lot of money *cough*

Anyways...
~ UPDATE

Again, it only gets worse for Airi, so you should probably just get used to that. XD

Well, someone had to be running all the crime while Koharu was away~

XDD Well, it could be that she's run up more than one debt, y'know. XD I've got a friend who owes me a crapload of money because she asks for a dollar like, all the time. haha
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Eight -- Watch Your Back]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 06, 2007, 05:07:48 PM
Ah~ why are these taking so long to write, now? XD
I guess it's just because I'm writing more per chapter than I was at the beginning.
Which means that instead of getting a LOT of updates in small doses...
Ya'll get fewer updates in large doses...
XD I'm not sure which is better. Probably the first since there's less waiting.

Oh well, I'm out of school now, so I have more time to write. :3
Still givin ya little bits and pieces of the plot... building up the suspense... what will happen next?
...I know. :3

Enjoy. <3

[Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]

It’s not everyday you come home to a half-naked girl on your couch.

Especially not one that happens to be related to the girl you’re romantically involved with.

And yet, there I was, standing in the main room of the basement house that I lived in from time to time, staring curiously at Sugaya’s sleeping form. Thankfully, she had rolled over onto her stomach, and thankfully, she still had pants on. However, the reason why she was even there in the first place and why she was somewhat indecent still remained a mystery to me.

I could think of but one answer to the problem.

Maiha… what did you do this time?

I frowned and slid out of my jacket, draping it over the young girl napping on my couch. That was when I noted that she smelled strongly of alcohol—a scent that I’m not proud to admit that I’m pretty familiar with—and I put two and two together to realize something…

If drinking had been involved, it probably wasn’t Maiha’s fault. She absolutely could not stand the stuff. But then again… there wasn’t any possible way that Sugaya would have made it into the basement without some help, so Maiha had to have been the one that brought her here…

Ugh.

It’s not that I’m stupid or anything, but… I’m not one for figuring out mysteries… The only way to solve something like this was to find Maiha and ask her about it.

If I was Maiha and I had a girl in the house, where would I hide?

…In the closet of course.

I made a beeline for the small door that concealed various things that Maiha and I couldn’t find any other place for (old junk, new junk, clothes, pack rat sort of stuff) and opened it, watching with amusement as my friend’s curled up self rolled out with about as much grace as a drugged-up armadillo.

She looked pretty rough—though, I can’t imagine that sleeping in a closet would be comfortable—and she turned to glance at me with a vacant expression at first, as if she wasn’t awake just yet.

“Wha’…”

“Maihacchi…” I started, speaking slowly and in the clearest tone that I could manage, “…Do you realize that your potential love interest is in our house…?”

She was still under the influence of the deep sleep I had jolted her from, and so she was staring at me quietly, somewhat cross-eyed. I sighed, because I knew it was going to take a while before she realized what was going on. At least she was hearing me, because after a moment she finally responded.

“Socko’s here?”

“Yes… Are you aware that most of her clothes are gone and that she’s going to have a terrible hangover when she wakes up?”

It took a little bit, but I was sure Maiha was fully alert when I saw the color drain from her face and the panic fill up in her eyes. She jumped up from the floor so quickly that I barely had time to react and grab her in order to keep her from running away from me.

“I swear I didn’t do anything to her, Maa-chan!”

“Maiha-”

“I was just hangin’ out in the club like I usually do…”

“Maiha.”

“And all of a sudden I bumped into her and she was so freakin’ drunk and I…”

“Maiha!”

“I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I couldn’t leave her there…”

“Maiiiiiiiiiiiiiiha.”

“So I brought her back here, and she started actin’ funny and once her shirt came off I panicked and I ran into the closet and-”

“MAIHA!”

“What?!?”

I had grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so that I could look directly into her eyes. If Maiha wasn’t making eye contact with you, she probably wasn’t listening, so that was the only way I could think of to get her attention.

“I believe you. But the fact still remains that when she wakes up she’ll be pretty damn confused and then we’ll have a hell of a time explaining all of this to Momoko.”

As if it was possible for her to get any paler… well… Maiha looked like a ghost after I said that.

“She’ll kill me…” Maiha squeaked, and I rolled her eyes as I felt her tremble a little bit. No matter how easy it was for her to strut about and act tough, she really was just a big softie and somewhat of a coward on the inside. Well, at least until a serious threat rolled along. …She could be strong when she needed to be. There were so many faces to Maiha: She could laugh, flirt, scream, cry… all within a matter of minutes if the situation called for it. I guess having a mercurial temperament was what made her such a good friend for me.

I was pretty much the same… all the time.

“No she won’t… I’ll explain it all to her later. Right now… It’s really, really late… and I’m exhausted, so I’m going to bed. We’ll worry about Sugaya at a more sane hour of the day.”

As I turned to walk into my room, I was met with resistance in the form of her clinging very tightly to my arm. I grunted in an aggravated sort of way, but that didn’t seem to scare her much at all, and so I lifted my arm above my head, raising her effortlessly off of the ground and bringing her to where she was eye level with me.

“You are keeping me from my well-deserved rest, and you know how grumpy I get without sleep.”

“But Maaaaa-chan… She’s sleeping on my couch… And being in that closet made me all sore… Can I sleep with you? Just tonight?”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Can you keep your hands to yourself that long?”

That familiar wolfish grin spread across her lips and a mischievous glint took control of her eyes.

“Well… I dunno, that’ll be kind of hard, all things considered-”

I shook her roughly, which made her only cling tighter to my arm and let out a distressed wail of sorts.

“Okay, okay, I’ll behave, I swear! Just please, I’m tired of being in the closet!”

“…Fine. But if your hands wander too far away from my waist in either direction I am so pushing you out of the bed.”

------------

For once it wasn’t the sun or Risako’s annoying alarm clock that pulled me so rudely from my sleep.

This time, I awoke to the sound of an electronical ringing coming from somewhere in the corner of the room, and as I reluctantly let myself slide out of the wonderful dreams I had been having, I realized that it was the phone that was making such a sound. Upon coming to that conclusion, I sluggishly rolled out of the bed and trudged over towards the device, managing to catch it just as the final ring was ending.

“Moshi-moshi? Tsugunaga Momoko desu…”

“Ah, Momoko-san. It’s me, Erika.”

“Mm? Erika-chan? Is everything alright? Why are you calling so early?”

“Early? Ah… Momoko-san… you do realize that it’s a little past nine, right?”

I blinked and turned to glare at the devil of an alarm clock that I hated so much, and sure enough, Erika was right. Perhaps I had slept much more soundly last night than I really realized…

“I guess it is. Sorry… Anyways, are you okay? You sound a bit… upset about something.”

“I was just wondering if Risako-chan made it back to her apartment… She sort of… disappeared while we were all at the amusement park, and I couldn’t find her for the rest of the day so I just assumed that she went home…”

And… that’s when it occurred to me, actually… Where was Risako? I hadn’t even realized that when I woke up she wasn’t there… I thought she had just been out late with the others, and would have snuck in in the middle of the night, but… I never even entertained the idea that there was a chance she wasn’t coming back at all.

So naturally, I started to panic a little bit. Inwardly, of course, because I wanted the girl on the other side of the line to remain as calm as I would seem to be.

“Ah… Well… she actually isn’t here… I thought maybe she had come in while I was asleep, but I guess not… Don’t worry about it, though. I’m going to go out and look for her. Knowing Rii-chan, she probably either lost track of time or decided to be a little bit rebellious. I’m sure she’s fine.”

I heard Erika let out a sigh of relief, obviously taking some comfort in what I had to say.

“Okay, Momoko-san… I hope you find her. Please call if you need help, though. I’m going to tell the others just in case you get lost and we have to go looking for you too.”

Yeah… that was probably a good idea.

“Alright. I’ll talk to you again later when I find her.”

She wished me good luck and then we both hung up, and I stood there, feeling much more awake and much more… apprehensive than I had been feeling before. I should have just stayed in bed with my dreams. It was safer there. But being as close to Risako as I was meant that I was considerably worried about her well-being and that if anything bad had happened to her, there was going to be hell to pay for the people involved.

I could hope that she was safe and sound… but knowing her… she had probably gotten herself into a lot of trouble.

Or she was asleep somewhere.

Either way… It was my job to go out and bring her back, and then give her a good scolding afterwards.

Even if I didn’t have any idea about where to start looking…

------------

“Hey Nono? Could you like… chew your gum with your mouth closed for once? That smacking noise is starting to get on my last nerve.”

The elder of the two officers snorted and looked up from the magazine she was reading to glare over at her companion, who was reclined lazily in her chair, staring up at the ceiling as if she was waiting for something amazing to happen.

“Well, excuse me, Miss Yankii-Pants. I’m sorry that the way that I chew my gum bothers you. Perhaps if you were off somewhere, making yourself useful, you wouldn’t have to sit here and listen to it, hm?”

Well, that hit a nerve.

Nozomi watched as Reina turned her head to give her one of the most angry expressions she had witnessed all day, and that was a miracle in itself, considering her chief happened to be the infamous Nakazawa Yuko. In fact, she wondered if their captain would be proud to know that her little yankii-in-training was glaring hard enough to rival the big dog herself.

…Nah. She’d probably just kick Reina and tell her to get back to work.

“It isn’t my fault that you and I are stuck here together all day, everyday, seven days a week, twelve months a year, but the truth of the matter is is that until the captain sends us out there, that’s how life’s gonna be, m’kay? We don’t have the power to get tangled up with the city’s crime lords between just the four of us, so the best we can manage is keeping the small stuff to a minimum, as boring as it is. And until the higher-ups give us more funding so that we can add some extra manpower to the force, all we’ll get is what we’ve got now. So I suggest—since this is the boat we’re in—that you knock it off and do what you can to keep from annoying me or I’ll tear a new mouth-hole into your face, got it?”

Reina had risen out of her chair during that ardent exchange of words, and inched closer and closer towards Nozomi until the older officer was forced to slide down into her seat and was pressing against the cushion of it like she wanted to sink into it and disappear. Thankfully, as soon as the younger female was done she returned to her own seat and flopped down into it, taking to her former position as if nothing had happened.

Nozomi didn’t relax until she was sure that the other girl wasn’t going to bite her head off for doing so, and she realized just how hard she had been gripping the armrests of her seat.

For future reference… Reina’s a little sensitive about work right now… steer clear of that subject for a while, Tsuji…

As the room returned to silence, she decided that she didn’t have any desire to return to browsing throw her magazine, and as she marked her place and began to put it away, both she and Reina were alerted to the station’s front doors as a figure stepped inside. Nozomi’s eyes widened as her mind registered who the person was, and almost immediately she leapt out of her seat and over the side of the desk (she had been through training, of course, no matter how inactive things were at times) in order to run over to the newcomer and take her in a tight hug.

Such a reaction might’ve been considered unnecessary, but when your best friend and partner had been away for over a year doing detective work… well, you tended to react just like that.

“Nono!” The girl laughed and returned the officer’s embrace just as tightly, though she didn’t seem like she was holding on for fear that the other could disappear into thin air at any second. “Well, I missed you, too.”

“Probably not half as much as I missed you, Aibon…”

Nozomi pulled back from the hug to hold the other girl out from her at arms’ length so that she could subject her to brief, but intense scrutiny. Ai hadn’t changed much appearance-wise, though she noted that her former partner was looking a bit thinner than normal… perhaps the stress of the job she had taken was a bit overwhelming. However… she looked much happier than she had been before, holed up in this small station with the rest of them. Nozomi couldn’t help but be just the slightest bit jealous… but she understood better than most how good Ai was at what she did, and had been the one to encourage the other girl to take the opportunity that had been offered to her.

…So she was slightly confused as to why the other was back, unannounced like this.

Apparently Reina was wondering the same thing, because she had walked up behind the two and cleared her throat, trying to get their attention.

“Well… y’know… I hate to break up this mushy… um… thing that’s going on here… And it’s not that I’m not glad to see you, Kago-chan, but… What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off solving mysteries and junk like that?”

Nozomi turned back to look at Ai, the same question mirrored in her eyes, and the other girl opened her mouth to respond when Yuko entered the room, answering for her.

“I called her in. We need the best-of-the-best to catch the Miracle this time, and who better to help than her? Besides… having only one half of our infamous duo this whole time has been useless…” She continued to stroll over towards the group, and Mari materialized from the room the captain had been in, trotting along obediently behind her with a small stack of papers in her hands. Yuko stopped as she neared the others and slung an arm lazily around Reina.

“We’re only at our most efficient when we’re a team… the whole team.”

…Nozomi was really resisting the urge to tackle her captain in a fierce hug and declare just how awesome the woman was, but… she decided against it. She wanted to keep all four of her limbs intact.

“So… what’s our assignment?”

“We got a report about some dead bodies found in the red light district. Some of Yajima’s group. …Care to investigate?”

------------

I… was an idiot. I had absolutely no idea where I was going, and at that point I couldn’t have gotten back to Risako’s apartment on my own even if my life depended on it. There were just too many people around and too many buildings that all looked exactly alike.

The only thing I was entirely sure about was that I hadn’t found my cousin yet.

And even though I had taken the liberty of ‘borrowing’ her cellphone just in case… I refused to call Erika for help. The girl had sounded worried enough at first, and I didn’t want to make that any worse for her. Besides, I shared a bit of Risako’s stubbornness in that I was sure that I could do this on my own.

Still… I was getting very frustrated. I let out a groan and flopped down onto a bench next to a large fountain, resting my feet while searching my mind for some sort of solution to my problem.

…I had no idea that help would come to find me so quickly.

“Excuse me… miss?”

I was pulled from my thoughts by a pleasant, cool voice, and I turned to look up at two girls standing in front of me, both appearing to be roughly my age. The taller of the duo was grinning at me in a friendly sort of way, and I couldn’t help but notice just how charming she was. Her dark eyes were deep and innocent, and I felt myself calming down almost immediately as I looked at them.

Her companion was also very pretty, but she seemed to be stiff and uncomfortable, her posture rigid as she stood patiently behind the other girl. She would fidget and play with the ends of her long-sleeved sweater every now and then, and her eyes had this dull, uninterested look about them, like she was extremely bored and wanted to be elsewhere. I noticed that there was a fairly dark bruise that colored one of her cheekbones, but she was wearing a baseball cap and so I assumed that perhaps she was athletic and had gotten it by playing sports.

I was so deep in my examination of them that I hadn’t realized that my mouth was hanging slightly open and that I was staring, and as soon as I finished and became aware of this, I blushed a bit, embarrassed.

“Yes…?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here before… Are you lost, maybe?”

I let out an inward sigh of relief. Perhaps I was getting a break and these two would help me out.

“Yes, actually… I was looking for my cousin, but… I don’t know my way around very well, and so… well… I ended up here. Wherever here is…”

“Would you like some help? Kirari-chan and I aren’t really doing anything, and I bet with our help we could find your cousin faster and get you back home in no time.”

I thought about her offer really hard. Charming strangers or not, they were still strangers… And yet, my intuition was telling me that I was in absolutely no danger at all, and was being silly by even considering that these two would do me any harm. After all… who could say no to such a welcoming, kind expression? …Not me, apparently.

“Yes… I would like that very much.”

I got to my feet, returning that brilliant smile with a happy one of my own.

“My name is Tsugunaga Momoko.”

The taller of the two only grinned wider and nodded, turning to put an arm around her companion and pulled the much-less-enthusiastic girl towards us.

“This is my friend, Tsukishima Kirari-chan.”

The stoic female only offered me a grunt and what I took as a glare in response to my polite smile, but I shrugged it off. Perhaps she was just having a bad day…

“And what do they call you?”

“Kusumi Koharu, at your service.”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: whytphyre on June 06, 2007, 05:38:06 PM
I get to say it !

Woo!

Ready, ready ready?

DUN DUN.... DUUUUUUUUM!

 :kekeke:

Oh what do you have planned? hmm hmm?  :dunno:

Guess there's only one way to find out, huh?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: rndmnwierd on June 07, 2007, 03:07:33 AM
Da 'Bon is back!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: Loser87 on June 07, 2007, 03:19:28 AM
Kago = <33

Momoko + Kusumi =  :OMG: :frustrated: :gyaaah: :pleeease: :scared: :shock: :scolding: :stoned: :tantrum: :temper: :fainted: :imdead: :mon ref: :mon annoy: :mon lurk: :mon cry: :mon emo: :mon zoom: :mon cweepy: :mon whine: :mon scare: :mon closeup: :mon spit: :pig cry: :mon ko: :mon duh: :mon waterworks: :mon tweaker: :mon POd:...All that...

>_>...we both got really lazy....
Have you started on wordy's challenge yet? I didn't...=+=;;I'm dead...
<_< and I need to update on my own fic..DAMN!! O_O

Update~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: mode107 on June 07, 2007, 03:56:57 AM
"W00T! Momoko finally meets the psycho. Now the fun can begin
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: Estrea on June 07, 2007, 10:17:59 AM
-stares at last line-

Two words: Oh shit.

Still looking forward to Risako waking up though. XD And I want to see what you let Koharu and Airi (I'm assuming that's Airi next to her, whatever the name. No one else is as crazy as to follow Koharu anyway. :P) do to Momoko. Mm.

Don't worry, soon is a relative term. I haven't updated mine either yet. >_< Just keep working at it! XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: Yuuyami on June 08, 2007, 01:02:43 AM
So Maiha DOES have an uke side to her xDDDDD So cute how she was hiding in the closet and all xD Wonder what Risako would think had she still been awake through it all xD If only Risako knew... xD

Erika's panicking = <3

Glad to see the police trying to take action now <3 Detective Aibon... xD

Let's pray Momoko doesn't fall prey to Koharu x_o The Miracle Eyes have already gotten into her X___X; MAASA! GO SAVE YOUR LOVIE! ><!!!!!!

But I do wonder what Koharu has in store for Momo... Purposely trying to get into a relationship so that Momo would betray Maasa? Or somehow get Momo and Maasa to become enemies? Hmm. =-=

-feeds- Write more!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 10, 2007, 03:02:42 AM
I get to say it !

Woo!

Ready, ready ready?

DUN DUN.... DUUUUUUUUM!

 :kekeke:

Oh what do you have planned? hmm hmm?  :dunno:

Guess there's only one way to find out, huh?

Indeed there is... -cackle-

Da 'Bon is back!!

And better than ever. :3

Kago = <33

Momoko + Kusumi =  [lots of emoticons]

>_>...we both got really lazy....
Have you started on wordy's challenge yet? I didn't...=+=;;I'm dead...
<_< and I need to update on my own fic..DAMN!! O_O

Update~

What's this we you speak of? I'm updating! XD

"W00T! Momoko finally meets the psycho. Now the fun can begin

I'm not sure if Momo will find it fun... XD

-stares at last line-

Two words: Oh shit.

Still looking forward to Risako waking up though. XD And I want to see what you let Koharu and Airi (I'm assuming that's Airi next to her, whatever the name. No one else is as crazy as to follow Koharu anyway. :P) do to Momoko. Mm.

Don't worry, soon is a relative term. I haven't updated mine either yet. >_< Just keep working at it! XD

XDD Well, you'll get to find out what happens to Risako now, anyway...

And yes, 'Kirari' is Airi. She just needed a fake name. Koharu doesn't because few people know her real name. Most just know her as the Miracle.

So Maiha DOES have an uke side to her xDDDDD So cute how she was hiding in the closet and all xD Wonder what Risako would think had she still been awake through it all xD If only Risako knew... xD

Erika's panicking = <3

Glad to see the police trying to take action now <3 Detective Aibon... xD

Let's pray Momoko doesn't fall prey to Koharu x_o The Miracle Eyes have already gotten into her X___X; MAASA! GO SAVE YOUR LOVIE! ><!!!!!!

But I do wonder what Koharu has in store for Momo... Purposely trying to get into a relationship so that Momo would betray Maasa? Or somehow get Momo and Maasa to become enemies? Hmm. =-=

-feeds- Write more!

XDD Risako probably would have teased her.

Well, someone has to care. XD

You know that I'm the one writing this story, right? You should probably expect the worst. XD

[Yuu-chan...]
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Thirty-Nine -- Manipulation]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 10, 2007, 03:07:17 AM
Lol This was supposed to be longer, but I decided to cut this part off and start the last bit in the next chapter.
Just to give ya'll a bit of fluff before we delve into the super serious again, ne?
Plus I'm taking forever to update. XD

Enjoy.

[Chapter Forty -- Reward]

When I was younger, I remember going to the doctor once and hearing him say that I would die at an early age because of how stressed I let myself get all the time. If what he said was true… then Chii-chan was going to be the death of me.

Now, I was all for giving her a bit more freedom to roam the city as she pleased, because she really did seem like she was doing a lot better, but… I hadn’t seen her since Friday morning, and usually when she was gone it was only for half a day or so… And she always came back to the loft afterwards.

If she was happy and having fun, then I was glad for her, because she hadn’t been that way in the longest time… I just could have been more at ease if I knew where she was and that it was a safe place to be. So because I didn’t know for sure… I was worried.

And that’s why I was slipping in and out of the pulsing crowd that always filled the city’s streets, searching for any sign of my friend. It was a pretty futile effort, considering Chinami was very much like Maasa in the sense that when either of them didn’t want to be found… they were impossible to locate.

Since I was a normal person and was not equipped with a built-in Chii-chan radar… I was pretty much out of luck.

Still, I had to try, because sitting at home by myself with my thoughts was driving me absolutely insane, and at this point, anything was a welcome distraction. And I suppose had I not been out looking for her, I never would have spotted Momoko with a pair of girls that… well… basically the sight made my hair stand on end.

I had never seen them before, and my instincts were telling me that they were up to no good, no matter how harmless they looked or how at ease Momoko seemed to be around them. I found it suspicious… and started to follow them at a distance, making sure to keep out of sight. Not that it really mattered if Momoko saw me or not, but I didn’t really want her new companions to be aware of my presence.

Maybe I was just paranoid, but…

Something told me to keep an eye on her while she was with them.

…Just in case.

------------

The first thing Risako was greeted with when she woke up that morning was a skull-splitting headache. The little sunlight that filtered in through the room from the basement’s opening caused twinges of pain to shoot through her eyes and she groaned, feeling a wave of nausea pass over her at that. Her mind was numbed from the aftereffects of the alcohol she had consumed, and so it took her a moment to register that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

She quickly sat up, ignoring the obscenities her aching head was screaming at her in order to observe her surroundings. It was definitely not her apartment, and she rapidly came to the realization that most of her clothing was missing and that the jacket draped around her shoulders didn’t belong to her.

And so, she pulled it tight around her body and did the only thing that she could think to do at the moment.

She screamed as loud as her lungs and throbbing head would allow her to.

Maasa appeared from the other room almost immediately, her eyes wide as if she expected to find someone dying or being mauled by some sort of wild beast. Risako hadn’t really anticipated to see her, however, and let out a startled shriek, grabbing the nearest object to hurl it at the other female’s head.

It happened to be a shoe, and fortunately Maasa’s reflexes were better than most, even after only being awake for a minute or so, and thus she was able to drop down and avoid being hit. Maiha, on the other hand, was not as quick or as lucky, showing up behind Maasa just in time to get pegged in the head by the makeshift projectile. Risako had a good arm, and thus the force of it was enough to send her backwards to the floor.

Leaving Maiha with what was sure to become a nice bruise, Maasa slowly straightened back up, giving Risako a wary look. She didn’t want any more items to come flying in her direction, of course…

“What the hell is your problem?”

“Oh, excuse me, it’s not everyday that I wake up half-naked in a really strange place, I’m sorry if I overreacted a bit.” The younger female snapped, getting to her feet and backing away from Maasa a few steps to put some distance between herself and the other girl.

“Just calm down… it’s really not what you’re thinking.”

“What am I supposed to think?”

“You were very drunk last night when Maiha found you, and because it was so late she decided to bring you back here instead of taking you home. You slept on the couch, and she was actually in the closet when I got here. We’ve been in the other room the whole time, I promise.”

“Then why am I not fully dressed?”

“Apparently you got a bit… friendly before you passed out.”

Risako blinked and gazed over at Maiha who was peering at her cautiously from behind Maasa’s shoulder, rubbing her now very tender nose. The youngest turned a very vibrant shade of pink and pulled the jacket tighter about herself, letting her eyes fall to the floor.

I really don’t remember… anything that happened last night.

“Do you really think that either of us would do anything like that to you?”

Risako looked up again to see Maasa giving her a somewhat impatient, irritated look, and Maiha refused to meet her eyes, as if she was afraid to see any little indication that that was indeed what the younger female was thinking. And after a moment, the reason why suddenly dawned on Risako.

Other people… probably always think the worst of these two…

They were obviously offended that she was following the same stereotypical train of thought. She scolded herself inwardly. It was wrong to accuse them and jump to conclusions so quickly. Especially since neither of them (though Maiha had proved that she could possibly be unfaithful and weird and stupid) had done anything to her to make her feel as though she couldn’t trust them…

At least, not with something like this.

And she had to admit, no matter how ashamed of it that she was… the stale taste of alcohol still lingered in her mouth, and though the details were blurry, she was beginning to remember walking into that club last night.

“No… I guess I don’t. I’m sorry for even considering it. And… I’m sorry I threw that shoe at you, Maiha.”

The flirt didn’t seem as though she was convinced and she remained behind her taller companion for protection, still eyeing Risako as though she could explode like a bomb any second. Maasa merely rolled her eyes, and the youngest took that as some sort of weird sign that her apology had been accepted.

“Um… Not that this place isn’t… um… cozy and all, but… I bet Momo-chan is worried about me, and… I really just want to get home now…”

Maasa turned to look back at Maiha, whose eyes widened in response as if to say ‘Please not me.’ And so… the girl turned back to Risako and let out a tired, long-suffering sigh. Barely any sleep, and this was what she was rewarded with.

If this is any indication of how much I like you, Momoko…

“Fine… I’ll get you there… Just… you’re gonna have to put your clothes back on… I dunno about Maiha, but I do want my jacket back.”

After that blunt little statement, Maasa left Risako (who probably couldn’t have turned a brighter shade of red even if she tried) to make herself decent again while dragging Maiha (who suddenly decided to start talking again and was protesting very loudly) into the other room for a moment.

Risako wasn’t exactly sure how long the older female could keep the flirt occupied, and so she quickly located every article she had discarded throughout the night and tried to make herself look at least somewhat presentable. And she did… well, as best as she could while suffering a hangover and feeling like an idiot. Just as she was ready to call Maasa in to the room again, she felt as though something was missing, and did another check to make sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything.

She spotted Maiha’s jacket lying on the armrest of the couch and hesitated for a moment, biting down gently on her lower lip. It wasn’t really hers, regardless of whether or not Maiha seemed to miss it much, and yet she knew she could expect it to be freezing cold outside… even though if deep down inside she wanted to wear it for a much less practical reason than that.

Aw, screw this…

Risako slid into the jacket anyway, walking over to the room that the other girls had disappeared into, poking her head in. She was greeted with a comical sight, the older of the two seated on top of the flirt in order to keep her from going anywhere but there. And Maiha was being very vocal about how she was feeling about the situation…

They didn’t seem to notice her, and so she cleared her throat.

“Um… I’m ready to go now.”

Maasa looked up and slowly got off of Maiha, holding the flirt back with a single hand so as to not get decked in the face with one of her companion’s flailing arms. Not that it would have mattered much, but she wasn’t in the mood to return the favor.

“Alright, let’s leave, then.”

The taller female brushed past Risako and started for the entrance, obviously having no intention of waiting any longer if there wasn’t anything left to wait for. But… Risako would have to just catch up. There was something she had to take care of first.

She turned back around to face Maiha, who raised an eyebrow at her, looking both slightly hesitant and curious all at the same time.

“You should go… Maa-chan’s not very patient with most people…”

“I just wanted to thank you…”

“For…” Maiha trailed off as the younger girl slowly walked up to her, and found herself backing up, gently bumping into the wall when she had no more room to continue doing so. She was confused by the roller-coaster sort of way Risako treated her at times, and wondered if perhaps it was payback for being such a flirt before. If that was the case… she had definitely met her match.

“For keeping me safe during my sudden… lapse of judgment.”

The flirt seemed to forget about her momentary discomfort in order to scowl a bit, adopting a slightly concerned tone that was somewhat uncharacteristic of her.

“You shouldn’t be out here… especially not alone… You could have really gotten hurt, Socko…”

“Mm, well…” Maiha felt her breath catch as Risako leaned in a bit, putting them in the same position they had been in several times before, after which she was always disappointed. “I guess it’s a good thing you were there, huh? It’s not so bad if I have you here to rescue me.”

And then, finally, the younger girl sealed those last few centimeters with a gentle kiss, and Maiha had to keep from pinching herself in order to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming. It was over quickly, and yet the sweetness of it all lingered, causing a goofy sort of grin to spread across the flirt’s lips.

Risako smiled impishly, pulling away and skipping out the door without another word.

But as far as Maiha was concerned, that was okay.

She had lost her ability to speak for the moment anyway.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty -- Reward]
Post by: Loser87 on June 10, 2007, 03:41:42 AM
I promised myself not to post my 801st post unless it was for my next chapter...
BUT SCREW THAT!

This chapter was FTW!!
I'm gonna' do what I haven't done in a long time and give a decent post!
I expect the same from you >_> *cough*

Quote
When I was younger, I remember going to the doctor once and hearing him say that I would die at an early age because of how stressed I let myself get all the time
The doctor can just shove it >_> *cough*

Quote
Maybe I was just paranoid, but…

Something told me to keep an eye on her while she was with them.

…Just in case.
Captain just..is awesome..

Quote
And so, she pulled it tight around her body and did the only thing that she could think to do at the moment.

She screamed as loud as her lungs and throbbing head would allow her to.
:on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol:

Quote
It happened to be a shoe, and fortunately Maasa’s reflexes were better than most, even after only being awake for a minute or so, and thus she was able to drop down and avoid being hit. Maiha, on the other hand, was not as quick or as lucky, showing up behind Maasa just in time to get pegged in the head by the makeshift projectile. Risako had a good arm, and thus the force of it was enough to send her backwards to the floor.

Oh god...Risako is the best yes, she is  :wahaha: :wahaha: :wahaha: :wahaha:

Quote
Risako looked up again to see Maasa giving her a somewhat impatient, irritated look, and Maiha refused to meet her eyes, as if she was afraid to see any little indication that that was indeed what the younger female was thinking. And after a moment, the reason why suddenly dawned on Risako

Maiha's such a wuss  :bigdeal:

Quote
She spotted Maiha’s jacket lying on the armrest of the couch and hesitated for a moment, biting down gently on her lower lip. It wasn’t really hers, regardless of whether or not Maiha seemed to miss it much, and yet she knew she could expect it to be freezing cold outside… even though if deep down inside she wanted to wear it for a much less practical reason than that.

Aw, screw this…

Risako slid into the jacket anyway, walking over to the room that the other girls had disappeared into, poking her head in

It's love  :heart: :heart: :heart:

Quote
The flirt seemed to forget about her momentary discomfort in order to scowl a bit, adopting a slightly concerned tone that was somewhat uncharacteristic of her.

“You shouldn’t be out here… especially not alone… You could have really gotten hurt, Socko…”

“Mm, well…” Maiha felt her breath catch as Risako leaned in a bit, putting them in the same position they had been in several times before, after which she was always disappointed. “I guess it’s a good thing you were there, huh? It’s not so bad if I have you here to rescue me.”

And then, finally, the younger girl sealed those last few centimeters with a gentle kiss, and Maiha had to keep from pinching herself in order to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming. It was over quickly, and yet the sweetness of it all lingered, causing a goofy sort of grin to spread across the flirt’s lips.

Risako smiled impishly, pulling away and skipping out the door without another word.

But as far as Maiha was concerned, that was okay.

She had lost her ability to speak for the moment anyway.

..........For the god damn 'effin win..
 :luvluv1: :luvluv2: :shy1: :shy2: :wriggly: :mon lovelaff: :imdead:
About god damn time too!!

Now all we need is some YurixChina lovin' and I'm effin' ready to be good and buried!
I DEMAND MORE FLUFF BEFORE ALL THE DRAMA STARTS!!! I DEMAND IT!!!  :mon blowhorn: :mon uggh: :mon zoom: :scolding: :angry1:

~UPDATE!!  :mon baby:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty -- Reward]
Post by: Estrea on June 10, 2007, 10:13:07 AM
WOO FLUFF!

I knew Risako was going to freak out first thing. XD Luckily they set her straight soon enough. Hehe.

Risako keeping Maiha's jacket was awww. XD
Risako kissing Maiha as a reward was just <33333333333333333

And for the first part, thank goodness Captain's on the case. I feel a little better if she's watching Momo's back. Now I can just sit back and enjoy the show...while nursing my headache. I feel like I've had a hangover...shouldn't have worked overnight trying to finish my chapter...

Well, keep working! :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty -- Reward]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 11, 2007, 04:50:56 AM
-will edit w/ comment replies in the morning-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty -- Reward]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 11, 2007, 04:53:14 AM
XD I had to cut off part of this chapter, too. It was getting so long. haha

[Chapter Forty-One – Unexpected Kindness]

I had never slept through an entire day like that before. I hadn’t really thought it possible, considering the fact that I was really… more or less a prompt kind of person. I got up at the same time every morning, not a minute earlier or later. Then again, technically I was supposed to be getting lots of rest in order to speed up the healing process for my leg, and these past few days had made that impossible for me, working with the others again and all…

Still, it was nice to feel needed and useful again, and I wasn’t going to let the rest of the troupe down. To me, it didn’t really feel all that much like work since I was getting to do what I loved and was basically free to compose whatever I wanted to. There was no way I was slowing down with that in mind.

I guess it came with a price, though… I hadn’t realized just how worn out I was. Plus… it was really hard to leave my warm, cozy bed with Chinami dozing peacefully in my arms. But hunger drove me to do just that, and I had managed to reluctantly slip away from her and into the kitchen. I hummed gently to myself while I cooked, making sure to prepare enough just in case my guest happened to wake up and was hungry.

Until then, I would let her sleep. The poor girl had looked exhausted when I found her in my home, and I had my suspicions that it wasn’t often she got good rest like that. It would probably be good for her.

I smiled a little bit as some of the memories from when I had first met her began to drift back to me again. She had been so energetic and full of laughter back then… It had been hard not to smile whenever she was around. And she seemed to take every opportunity that she could to be around a lot. Her parents only came by every so often to check up on the theatre, but she would always sneak in to watch the rest of us dance.

The sneaking came from the fact that Takahashi-san didn’t like interruptions during practice, and often times would kick Chinami out if she caught her.

I had been as shy as Erika back then, though… And she was almost too much for a timid person like me to handle. …Almost. There were times when she was calmer and I found her approachable, and the two of us would talk so much that I often had to go without a lunch break. I didn’t mind that much, because she would always make it up to me by bringing in a snack afterwards.

It was special, the time I spent with her then. She had never introduced herself to the other girls, save for Saki, and so to feel like I mattered a little more to someone else… Well… I hadn’t felt that before.

And then… everything just turned upside down. I’ll never forget that day, when Takahashi-san came in to practice with that pale, grim look on her face, telling us what had happened… I had cried so much afterwards… I remember how Miyabi had told me to shut up and pull it together. I didn’t get mad at her for it, though… Saki was going to leave us, and I knew just as well as the others of her feelings.

It all felt surreal to me now, though, because I understood how the puzzle pieces were supposed to fit together. As if out of nowhere she was back in my life again, and I… was happier than ever, really. But Chinami was different now… broken. The things that had happened to her had crushed her spirit, and I felt that it was my job to help her heal… or at least give her a place to do that.

The only piece that I still couldn’t find a place for… was why someone had wanted to go so far with things. Not only that, but why on earth were they back to try and do it again? I shivered a little bit as I recalled the flames from the warning we had received in the theatre only a few days before. If I had been in Chinami’s position… I probably wouldn’t have come out of it half as well as she had… The thought of being stuck in a fire was almost enough to paralyze me.

I felt thin arms wrap around my waist and a wiry form pressing against my back in a warm hug, and the momentary terror that had gripped me evaporated in that instant. I smiled, stopping what I was doing in order to place my hands on top of hers.

“Good morning…”

I heard a mumbled, sleepy response as she buried her head into my shoulder, and I giggled a little bit. How adorable…

“You could have slept in a little longer if you were tired, you know…”

“You weren’t there when I woke up…”

I felt a little guilty after hearing how lonely her voice sounded. I just had to go and be all practical all the time… Way to go, Yurina.

“I made us some breakfast… Are you hungry?”

Chinami paused and stood up a bit on her toes so that she was peering over my shoulder now, and I froze as her cheek brushed against mine. I tried really hard not to blush, but it happened anyway, though as sleepy as my companion was I don’t think she seemed to notice. She was much more interested in the food.

“Yeah… a little bit… It smells really good…”

I smiled, and was about to usher her over to the small table, when I heard some knocks coming from the front door. Chinami flinched and almost immediately I could feel her entire body tensing up, so I slipped my hand into hers and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Yo~ Yurina-channnnn… Ya home, lazy butt?”

“Miyabi… That’s kind of rude, you know…”

“Aw, she knows I’m just playin’ around…”

“It’s not very funny… OW! Hey! Don’t poke me!”

“My hand slipped~”

Chinami gazed up at me quietly, and even though I didn’t want her to leave, I couldn’t just continue to ignore my friends. They would start to wonder… and then draw their own conclusions about the situation. It was better that I set them straight before anything like that happened.

“Do you want them to see you?” I whispered, knowing what the answer would be anyway.

“I’ll just go sit outside in your tree until they leave.”

“It could be a while… they like to talk a lot.”

“It’s okay… I don’t mind waiting.”

I must have pouted or something at that point, because somehow my expression elicited a rough chuckle out of her. I really felt bad that she couldn’t hang around with the others here… but she would have probably frightened them… Plus, if she wanted to stay hidden, it was her decision. Whatever had to happen to keep her safe… I was all for it. Still, didn’t mean she couldn’t take some food with her, so I fixed up a plate for her and shoved it into her arms before she could protest or refuse.

I then quickly ushered her over towards the window, making sure she was safely out of sight before I limped over to the door to answer Miyabi, who was starting to sound impatient from the other side.

She and Erika glanced at me curiously as I stepped aside to let them in… but I merely regarded both of them with a semi-annoyed sort of glance.

“What’s up, guys?”

“Eh, we just came over to make sure you were alright, since you didn’t come with us yesterday.” Miyabi responded, making herself at home by flopping down into a chair. She was never hesitant about this sort of thing… though at times she kind of came off as being slightly rude… to me, at least.

Erika, on the other hand had manners, and would wait until I sat down before even looking to find a chair. I detected just the slightest bit of hurt in her eyes, and I suspected that maybe she hadn’t had the best time on their little outing without me around. Because, when I wasn’t there, she would either be subject to Miyabi’s teasing, or stuck babysitting Risako… Suddenly, my annoyance about their sudden visit seemed to fade… I couldn’t really be mad at them. Especially not if they were genuinely concerned about my well-being.

So I smiled a little bit and pulled my tall friend into a light hug before leading her over to sit beside me on the bed so that the three of us could talk.

“Sorry I missed out… I kind of… slept in…”

Miyabi shot me a knowing look, her trademark evil grin spreading across her lips.

“Oh, I’m sure you did… I’ll bet you had your secret admirer over here the whole time and that’s why you didn’t want to come with us.”

I scowled at her, but it was hard to form a response when I felt Erika’s eyes on me as well. It was bad enough that I had to keep all of this from my best friend… Still… It was better for me to deny everything.

“…Nobody’s supposed to know… Saki said that until the ones that did it got caught… I probably wouldn’t be safe if people knew.”

“It’s nothing like that, Miya… I was just tired… It’s hard running around with all of you with my leg like this.” I glared at her, implying something with my tone, and I could tell that it made her uncomfortable by the way she shifted in her seat and coughed nervously. It was kind of mean of me to do that, since in my mind I had already forgiven her for the incident (had I not been stuck in my house, there was a chance I might not have been reunited with Chinami) but sometimes… I just have to stoop down to that level in order to get Miyabi to back off.

The three of us drifted into an awkward silence, before Erika cleared her throat beside me and attempted to get the conversation going again.

“You missed quite a bit yesterday though, Kumai-chan…”

“Yeah… Erika lost Rii-chan~”

“I didn’t lose her… she just kind of… wandered off.”

“Hah~ same thing, dork.”

I blinked at my tall companion, who seemed to be the one feeling uncomfortable now, fidgeting the way that she was. I could tell that she was upset, but I would have been feeling the same way if I was in her shoes. Risako was the youngest of the group, and we all took careful measures to make sure that she was always safe and… well… spoiled. Every group needed someone to baby, and she just happened to be that person.

“So… is she okay?”

“We don’t know… I called Momoko-san this morning, and she said that she was going out to look for her, and that she would call if she needed help or got lost or ended up finding her. So I guess now we just wait until she calls…”

I nodded quietly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Momoko would find her. It was so easy to believe in the small girl that had come in and changed all of our lives for the better… She just seemed to make things happen.

“So what did you guys do then, if there were only three of you…?”

“Actually… I left after Risako… um… misplaced herself, but Miya and Saki had already gone off by themselves way before that…”

I followed Erika’s curious gaze over towards the prodigy, who was looking at both with the most innocent expression that she could muster… a sign that something had obviously happened between her and our former troupe captain. She was determined to play the “I don’t know what you’re talking about” card, though, and blinked at us.

“What?”

“Oh, you know what… Though, if I had been you… I would have taken her to a much more romantic spot than some amusement park…”

“We rode rides, ate some cotton candy, I have absolutely no idea what you’re trying to get at, Yurina-chan.”

“Well, there was a fireworks show afterwards, Kumai-chan. At least, I could see it going on from my house.”

“Ah~ well, then that’s a bit better.”

“Ugh, I swear… I hate it when you two get like this…”

------------

I was starving. Perhaps it had been a bad idea for me to go on a quest to find my cousin without filling up with some breakfast first… I couldn’t very well ask my new companions to stop in order for me to get some food, though… I didn’t want to take up any more of their time than I needed to.

Even though Koharu seemed to be very interested in my well-being and kept insisting that we stop every so often in order to rest and take a break. Her friend Kirari didn’t seem to care as much, and would make sure to walk on the other side of Koharu as we made our way through the city in order to put the most amount of distance between her and myself as she could.

…I wasn’t really sure what I had done to offend her so much…

“Ah, we should stop again for a bit, hm? You look a little worn out, Momoko-chan.”

The charming girl must have mistaken my hunger for fatigue, and I offered her a weak sort of smile, failing to mask what I was really feeling.

“I’m alright, really. We can keep going for a while. The sooner we find Risako, the better…”

“Still… Tell you what, though, I want to stop and get something to eat, I’m a little hungry. Is that alright? I promise it’ll be quick and then we’ll be on our way. I don’t mind buying you something too, if you’d like.”

It’s like she can read my mind…

The thought of food made my mouth water, and truthfully, though I was against letting anyone spend money on me… I hadn’t brought any with me, and so… I was going to have to take her up on her offer.

“That sounds fine to me. And yes, I’d like that very much.”

Koharu chuckled and flashed me a brilliant smile before leading Kirari and me into what seemed to be a breakfast bakery of sorts, where the warm smell of bread drifted through my nose and intensified my hunger. The tall girl walked up to the counter, waving the two of us towards a table and telling us to sit and that she’d be sure to get something good.

And so Kirari and I waited, seated awkwardly across from each other. She refused to look at me, and was lightly drumming her fingers on the table. The tension bothered me, and so I hoped to alleviate it by attempting to talk to her.

“So, um… do you like sports much?”

I really couldn’t think of anything else to ask her, and I wanted to confirm my suspicions about the bruise on the girl’s face before assuming the wrong thing… Her eyes flicked towards me for a moment, before returning to continue staring off at the wall. I wondered if she was going to ignore me, but then she opened her mouth to speak.

“No, not really.”

It was a curt response… but a response nonetheless… Still, now the injury was a mystery for me. And I was a pretty curious person…

“Ah… I was just wondering… because of your hat… and that bruise you’ve got on your cheek. It looks like it hurts…”

“Just an accident, nothing more. And it’s really not that bad.”

She was still being kind of terse with her replies, trying to keep them short and closed in an attempt to get me to shut up, I guess. But I realized that she was looking at me in a somewhat interested way, like she was bored and had nothing better to do. But it was a start.

“Must have been some accident…”

“Let’s just say that I’m a little bit… rough at times, hm?”

The corners of her lips tugged upwards just slightly enough so that I almost missed it, but I was sure that she was giving me a mischievous kind of grin. Perhaps she didn’t hate me at all. Maybe she just had to warm up to me first was all. Koharu walked over to us with a tray full of bread and donuts and pastries and I had no idea what else but it looked amazing and I was starving and I could have hugged her to death right then.

She slid into the seat beside Kirari and the three of us started to nibble at the food, although in my case I was a bit more… ravenous. Koharu picked up on that and laughed a bit, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Hungry, Momoko-chan?”

“Ah… just a little…”

“You should have said something~”

I shook my head. “No, you two are already doing a lot for me. I don’t want to put any more of a burden on you than I already have.”

“It’s really no problem.” Koharu replied, finishing off a donut, “We really weren’t doing much today until you showed up, so this makes the day a bit more interesting, I guess.”

My eyes wandered back over to Kirari for some reason, but she didn’t seem to care much for conversation now with her friend here, and was quietly enjoying her food. I was pretty good at reading people, and I wondered if there was some sort of deeper connection between the two girls that I had met today. And then Koharu gave me a chance to investigate after a moment or so, getting up and excusing herself to the restroom.

“So… how long have you known Koharu, Kirari-chan?”

She eyed me warily, as if she wasn’t sure whether or not to trust me with the answer to that question.

“For a few years now… why do you ask?”

“I don’t know… I just notice things, I guess… You get really quiet whenever she talks to me and you were kind of standoffish at first… I’m not going to steal her away or anything crazy like that, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I thought I could see a faint blush cross the other girl’s cheeks, but she recovered quickly, looking at me seriously.

“…It’s not like that… she and I… well… It’s just not like that.”

“But you want it to be?”

She grew quiet again and turned her head to stare out the window, carefully considering how to answer my question.

“…I’m afraid there’s just too much that you wouldn’t understand.”

“Some things don’t have to be so complicated, you know…”

“…And yet… some things just are.”

I dropped the topic then, turning to stare out the window with her as we waited for Koharu to come back.

If only I had known…
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: Loser87 on June 11, 2007, 05:15:20 AM
Dibbers

--Hugs precious Yuri/china lovin'--

Quotes <33

Quote
it was really hard to leave my warm, cozy bed with Chinami dozing peacefully in my arms

I want more luvin'  :mon lovelaff:

Quote
And she seemed to take every opportunity that she could to be around a lot. Her parents only came by every so often to check up on the theatre, but she would always sneak in to watch the rest of us dance
Maybe she wants to be part of the troupe =O

Quote
The sneaking came from the fact that Takahashi-san didn’t like interruptions during practice, and often times would kick Chinami out if she caught her
Aww, I can't help but feel bad and think of it somewhat cute at the same time <33

Quote
There were times when she was calmer and I found her approachable, and the two of us would talk so much that I often had to go without a lunch break. I didn’t mind that much, because she would always make it up to me by bringing in a snack afterwards
I'm melting!! I'M MELTING!!..--goo--

Quote
I felt thin arms wrap around my waist and a wiry form pressing against my back in a warm hug, and the momentary terror that had gripped me evaporated in that instant. I smiled, stopping what I was doing in order to place my hands on top of hers.
  :luvluv2: :shy1: :shy2: :nya: :wriggly: :luvluv1: :mon lovelaff: :mon inluv: :mon angel:

Quote
Chinami paused and stood up a bit on her toes so that she was peering over my shoulder now, and I froze as her cheek brushed against mine. I tried really hard not to blush, but it happened anyway, though as sleepy as my companion was I don’t think she seemed to notice. She was much more interested in the food.
They need to kiss..They really do..I demand their kiss right now!

Quote
“Yo~ Yurina-channnnn… Ya home, lazy butt?”

“Miyabi… That’s kind of rude, you know…”

“Aw, she knows I’m just playin’ around…”

“It’s not very funny… OW! Hey! Don’t poke me!”

“My hand slipped~”
Miki-clone...>_> that was such a miki-excuse..

Quote
I followed Erika’s curious gaze over towards the prodigy, who was looking at both with the most innocent expression that she could muster… a sign that something had obviously happened between her and our former troupe captain. She was determined to play the “I don’t know what you’re talking about” card, though, and blinked at us.

“What?”
XDXDXD

Quote
“Well, there was a fireworks show afterwards, Kumai-chan. At least, I could see it going on from my house.”

“Ah~ well, then that’s a bit better.”

“Ugh, I swear… I hate it when you two get like this…”
Lol Miyabi is lurve XDXD

Quote
“I don’t know… I just notice things, I guess… You get really quiet whenever she talks to me and you were kind of standoffish at first… I’m not going to steal her away or anything crazy like that, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I thought I could see a faint blush cross the other girl’s cheeks, but she recovered quickly, looking at me seriously.
=O Airi loves the psycho!!
>_< unrequited love sucks ;_; so tragic..

Quote
“…It’s not like that… she and I… well… It’s just not like that.”

“But you want it to be?”

She grew quiet again and turned her head to stare out the window, carefully considering how to answer my question.

“…I’m afraid there’s just too much that you wouldn’t understand.”

“Some things don’t have to be so complicated, you know…”

“…And yet… some things just are.”

I dropped the topic then, turning to stare out the window with her as we waited for Koharu to come back.

If only I had known…
Fimmy-chan~ You're evil...You need to update faster!
MUSH!! MUSH!! I need more!!
MOORRREEE I TELL YOU!!!  :mon zoom: :mon zoom:

Update~  :mon baby:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: Loser87 on June 12, 2007, 02:30:08 AM
I am posting again, see?
does it count if I post again?
I think it does!
Would you like it if i rallied people up?
*brings out microphone*
COME ONE COME ALL AND SEE THE NEW CHAPTERS BY FIM!!!
BE AWED AND AMAZED WITH A SIMPLE DONATION OF A COMMENT!!
COMMENT YOU DAMN LURKERS!! >_O

Happy?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: Estrea on June 12, 2007, 02:44:27 AM
Ahhh, new chapter <3

I was not lurking too! I just forgot to comment the first time I read it. XD

Yurina/Chinami <33333 Somehow the mental image of Chinami sitting in a tree makes me giggle. XD

Hmm, funny how Momoko picks up that Airi likes Koharu. XD I look forward to see what evil you can come up with soon. XD

And I second Loser's comment. YOU NEED TO UPDATE SOON! And it's not negotiable. XD

Love ya lots FIM-chan~ XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: ziggurat on June 12, 2007, 03:19:12 AM
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
I had never slept through an entire day like that before. I hadn’t really thought it possible, considering the fact that I was really… more or less a prompt kind of person. I got up at the same time every morning, not a minute earlier or later.

Tell me the secret, dear kumai-chan~ :heart:

Quote
I guess it came with a price, though… I hadn’t realized just how worn out I was. Plus… it was really hard to leave my warm, cozy bed with Chinami dozing peacefully in my arms.

Lovely! :heart:

Quote
I hummed gently to myself while I cooked, making sure to prepare enough just in case my guest happened to wake up and was hungry.

Kumai-chan is my favourite chef!

The flashback about Chinami is really sad T_T She is such a happy go lucky person and now... *sighs* Goddamn bastard need to be punish to hell!

Quote
I felt thin arms wrap around my waist and a wiry form pressing against my back in a warm hug, and the momentary terror that had gripped me evaporated in that instant. I smiled, stopping what I was doing in order to place my hands on top of hers.

:OO Superbeautifulovelyworthdyingfor scene!  :imdead:

Quote
I heard a mumbled, sleepy response as she buried her head into my shoulder, and I giggled a little bit. How adorable…

"How adorable" is my line!

Quote
Chinami paused and stood up a bit on her toes so that she was peering over my shoulder now, and I froze as her cheek brushed against mine. I tried really hard not to blush, but it happened anyway, though as sleepy as my companion was I don’t think she seemed to notice. She was much more interested in the food.

KEKEKEKEKE (no, not a zerg rush.. I'm laughing in korean now, an excited and happy laugh :3)

Quote
“Yo~ Yurina-channnnn… Ya home, lazy butt?”

Huh!  :tama-mad:

Quote
I followed Erika’s curious gaze over towards the prodigy, who was looking at both with the most innocent expression that she could muster… a sign that something had obviously happened between her and our former troupe captain. She was determined to play the “I don’t know what you’re talking about” card, though, and blinked at us.

Lol, Miyabi. Why she still want to hide the obvious thing?

I hate koharu and kirarin o_o Maasa, go save Momo!

Thanks FIM for providing us with fluffy new chapter ! :3

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 13, 2007, 04:14:34 AM
I want more luvin'  :mon lovelaff:

XD They aren't really the focus of the story, though. haha

Quote
Maybe she wants to be part of the troupe =O

Maybe, ne?

Quote
Aww, I can't help but feel bad and think of it somewhat cute at the same time <33

XDDD You know Chinami wouldn't be very good at sneaking.

Quote
I'm melting!! I'M MELTING!!..--goo--

XDD -resists the urge to say something snarky here, because I love you~-

Quote
They need to kiss..They really do..I demand their kiss right now!

Haha, you can't rush sweet things like this!

Quote
Miki-clone...>_> that was such a miki-excuse..

At least she's not at the groping stage just yet.

Quote
Lol Miyabi is lurve XDXD

XD She can't really help it when the two towers of H!P gang up on her like that, though.

Quote
=O Airi loves the psycho!!
>_< unrequited love sucks ;_; so tragic..

Just so you know, you're probably going to hate me when the story gets a little farther along.

Ahhh, new chapter <3

I was not lurking too! I just forgot to comment the first time I read it. XD

Yurina/Chinami <33333 Somehow the mental image of Chinami sitting in a tree makes me giggle. XD

Hmm, funny how Momoko picks up that Airi likes Koharu. XD I look forward to see what evil you can come up with soon. XD

And I second Loser's comment. YOU NEED TO UPDATE SOON! And it's not negotiable. XD

Love ya lots FIM-chan~ XD

XD It's alright. <3

I wonder if Chinami could even really GET herself into a tree. Seems too clumsy for that to me. Probably would break a leg. [ROFL. XD]

Momoko is fairly intuitive in this fic for the most part. XD As for the evil, you'll have to wait and seeeeeeee.

XDDD Yes, Estrea-sama. <3

Tell me the secret, dear kumai-chan~ :heart:

Kumaichou: o_o? An internal alarm clock?
XD

Quote
Kumai-chan is my favourite chef!

I'd definitely let her make breakfast for me, that's for sure. :3

Quote
The flashback about Chinami is really sad T_T She is such a happy go lucky person and now... *sighs* Goddamn bastard need to be punish to hell!

Totally polar opposite of what she used to be, ne? ><;; Thankfully she's in good hands now.

Quote
:OO Superbeautifulovelyworthdyingfor scene!  :imdead:

XDDD

Quote
Lol, Miyabi. Why she still want to hide the obvious thing?

Pride and her image, of course. XD

Quote
I hate koharu and kirarin o_o Maasa, go save Momo!

Thanks FIM for providing us with fluffy new chapter ! :3

XD It seems like no one has faith in Momoko to be able to take care of herself...
[Then again, knowing me, that's probably the way you all should be feeling. XDDD]

No problem! S'my job. <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 13, 2007, 04:20:49 AM
Mrr. Tired.
Fun times in this chapter.
Still building up to get to the good stuff, though.
No Momoko with the evil kids in this one.
Gotta make you wait in suspense to see what happens to her.
Got three comments for the last chapter (no Loser, your double post does not count).
FIM-chan is saddened by that. (Though she appreciates the ones that took the time to do it. :3 She loves you. <3)
But she updates anyway, because Loser-chan will probably kill her if she doesn't.
(FIM-chan tried to go on silent author strike but was threatened. XD Then she lost internet connection. Computer's out to get her too.)

Sleep now...

Enjoy~

[Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]

“Could you possibly walk a little bit slower?”

You could walk faster.”

“Actually, I can’t. I’m walking pretty fast as it is. It’s not my fault you’ve got longer legs than I do…”

“Perhaps if you had kept up from the beginning you wouldn’t be in this position.”

I scowled at this beast of a girl that I was stuck with for the moment, but there wasn’t much I could do but try my best to struggle along behind her, because without her I’d have been stuck in a very shady part of the city… and, well… I had no trouble believing  that if we ran into some lowlife that she’d be able to protect us both.

Still, other than that advantage… I couldn’t see anything else about her that was even remotely likable. So why Momoko could stand to be around her really was beyond me. She was rough and impatient, and not exactly people-friendly. I guess appearance-wise she was okay, but… I wasn’t interested. But then again, I had Maiha to think about, so there wasn’t really any reason for me to be interested.

My head was still killing me, and I wondered if there was a chance I could pass out along the way. That would have been oh-so-convenient for her… She seemed to give up on keeping ahead of me after a while, though, and slowed down to match my pace, walking quietly beside me.

I actually couldn’t decide whether or not I was glad for that… She was quite a bit taller than I was, and very intimidating. And though she was looking straight ahead the entire time it felt like she had eyes in the side of her head that were focused intently on me and it was kind of… unnerving.

“Relax… I’m not that frightening.”

I jumped a bit, startled by her voice. Could she read my mind or something?!?

“I’m not scared of you…” I replied in a tone that was a mixture of sharp and shaky—not very menacing at all—attempting to scowl at her again. Strangely, she seemed to be unaffected…

“Sure… Your eyes were getting so wide for a minute there that I wondered if they were gonna pop out or something… And, well… you’re already going to have fun explaining to Momoko what happened, so… I don’t think we need to add that on top of things.”

Ugh, how annoying… I was really glaring at her now, but she still never once actually looked in my direction. So I decided to finally mumble what was on my mind.

“I don’t know how she puts up with you…”

“Really? I was thinking the same thing about you and Maiha.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!?”

“You’re so obnoxious… so young. How old did you say you were again?”

Sixteen, thank you very much. I’m not that young and I’m most definitely not obnoxious!”

“Complete polar opposite of Momoko… are you sure that the two of you are even related?”

“Alright then, let’s list off your faults, shall we? You’re rude, a little violent, and what’s with the ‘me against the world’ attitude, huh? Definitely does not fool me. And-”

Maasa stopped suddenly, grabbing my arm to pull me to an abrupt halt and turning me forcefully so that we were facing each other.

“You just don’t like me because you think I’m going to hurt Momoko somehow.”

I scowled. That definitely wasn’t it. I actually hadn’t thought about what was going on between them all that much. Momoko could take very good care of herself, and until she came home upset or crying or something like that, I wasn’t really concerned.

“That’s like saying you don’t like me because you think I’ll hurt Maiha-chan, and we both know that it would be the other way around in that kind of situation.”

“Then what’s your problem?”

“It’d just be nice if you’d treat me a little better, that’s all. I know we don’t know each other well, so you don’t have to like me, and I don’t have to like you. But with the way things are going, it looks like we’ll probably be seeing a lot more of each other, so we might as well build up some sort of tolerance level.”

“You won’t have to worry about that, because as soon as Momoko leaves, I’ll be gone, too.”

That… hit me pretty hard. We glared at each other for a bit before she roughly let go of my arm, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets and turning to stare off down the street. I kept forgetting that my cousin’s stay here was temporary… that after the performance was over she’d be gone again. I suppose a foolish part of me hoped that somehow there’d be someway that she could stay here. But my apartment was really only meant for one person, and I was pushing it with my landlord by letting her spend just the two weeks in it with me anyway.

The only solution I could really see was if she were to keep dancing again permanently, but… was that something that she wanted?

I sighed and looked over at Maasa, who had an unreadable expression on her face. I got the feeling that I wasn’t the only one who wanted Momoko to stay… But it made me curious about something…

“What exactly… is going on between you two?”

“I… don’t really know.”

“What, haven’t you guys talked about it…?”

“Not… really. I’m not sure if I want to, either.”

That surprised me a bit. For a moment, it almost sounded like… maybe she was scared to find out just where their relationship could end up. Maasa didn’t look like the kind of person who would really be afraid of anything.

“Well, what do you want it to be?”

She groaned in frustration, narrowing her eyes at me before running a hand through that wild mane of hers.

“I don’t know…”

“It’s not that complicated a question. How do you feel about Momo-chan?”

“How is that not complicated?”

“Just answer the question.”

“How ‘bout you answer it first! How do you feel about Maiha?”

I felt a blush spread across my cheeks, and my eyes fell to the ground as a reflex. It didn’t make much sense for her to continue drawing parallels between her relationship and mine, since we were really different people, but… the answer seemed to be much clearer for me than it appeared to be for her.

“I like Maiha. A lot. Probably more than I really need to. And even though she has her faults… if she were to ask me out I would say yes without hesitation. So see, I have no trouble admitting the way that I feel. You know exactly what you’re feeling, but you just can’t get yourself past that mental barrier in order to come out and answer the question the way that I have.”

Maasa had a mildly surprised expression on her face in response to that, but she soon replaced it with another scowl and looked away from me. I allowed myself to grin a little bit. Momoko wasn’t the only one with a talent for reading people…

“Well anyway… I hope you’re able to figure things out for yourself soon enough… Preferably before it’s too late, hm? But if we’re done talking about this, I’d like to get home soon… My head is killing me.”

She nodded quietly at me and we continued to walk in silence for the rest of the way, Maasa in deep contemplation, and I in painful suffering as the consequence to my actions last night.

Ah, Momo-chan~ You’re so lucky to have a cousin like me that’s willing to help give things a little push for you…

------------

This part of town gave Nozomi the creeps. It wasn’t often that she or her teammates had to venture so far into the shadier area of the city, but the investigation she and Aibon had been assigned to called for them to do just that. She might have been a little less apprehensive about the job were they dressed like civilians, but she and her partner were in uniform, which meant that they stood out against their rough, decaying surroundings.

“Tell me again, Aibon…” The elder of the two whispered, tagging along close behind her companion and licking her lips nervously as she felt the eyes of a couple of punk kids who were hanging around next to a broken down car follow them dangerously while they walked.

Ai, sensing her partner’s nervousness, grabbed onto the other girl’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze in order to reassure her. She never let go, either.

“It’s just simple routine, Non-chan. We’ll just check out the scene, figure out what went down, and be back in the station before you know it. Piece of cake for you and I.”

“Maybe for you… I’m a little rusty, y’know… Yuko can’t even really afford to send us out anymore because we’ve been so short-handed…”

The younger female smiled at her rather identical friend, stopping to give the other girl a quick peck on the cheek. Nozomi immediately turned a bright shade of red, blinking at her partner in surprise.

“Nobody can figure stuff out like we can, Nono. Plus, it’s like riding a bike, you never forget. I’m sure it’ll still be just as easy for you now as it was back then.”

If you say so, Aibon…

The two young women made their way towards the remains of a demolished house, picking a careful path through the pieces of wood and warped metal sticking up out of the earth at dangerous angles. Once they were closer towards the center of the once-dwelling, however, they began to move much slower, examining every inch of the ground below them for any kinds of clues.

Nozomi was the first to spot anything. Her eyes landed on a dark, splotchy stain not too far from her foot, and when her gaze wandered a little farther ahead, there was a trail that lead on ahead and had apparently started outside from a different place than where she and Ai had entered.

“Aibon…”

“Hm?” Instantly, the other girl was at her side, dark eyes widening at the trail. “Ah… I think this is what we’re supposed to be looking for… come on.”

The two of them advanced carefully along the thick blood stains on the ground, coming upon two large lumps of uneven earth that were clear signs something possibly human-sized had been covered under each of them. That’s when Nozomi started to panic just a bit.

“Um, when the report said dead bodies… I thought that it meant that we were going to actually see dead bodies. Not graves… If Yuko wants us to dig these up…”

“No… I don’t think she does… I think we can solve this without having to go to those kind of measures.”

“You won’t be solving anything.”

The duo quickly turned their heads to spot Maimi standing behind them a few yards away, accompanied by Saki on one side and Kanna on the other. Judging by how tense her body language was, the gang leader was terribly angry, but somehow she managed to keep her facial expressions from reflecting that, and instead was staring at the two detectives with just a hint of a warning in her eyes.

Nozomi’s hand went instinctively to the gun nestled in her belt, and Ai watched as Kanna’s hand twitched in a similar way, the younger female’s fingers slipping into her pocket for something that probably wasn’t a piece of candy.

Before the situation could escalate into something much more dangerous, however, the gang leader turned her head only slightly, giving her subordinate a sharp look out of the corner of her eye, and almost immediately Kanna relaxed, allowing her arm to fall back limply at her side. Ai took that as a sign that the other girls weren’t looking for trouble if it could be avoided, and she carefully put a hand on her partner’s shoulder, watching as Nozomi reluctantly released her grip on the gun handle.

“Ah… you must be Yajima-san.”

“And you must be really, really stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows not to be wandering around in my territory…” Maimi replied, narrowing her eyes at the two.

Nozomi snorted derisively, crossing her arms.

“Actually, the police don’t really consider you and the kids you take care of much of a threat… food theft and small crimes like that aren’t really high on our list of priorities right now.”

“Whatever. I don’t really care how much of a threat you guys think we are… what I want to know is what the hell you’re doing here, snooping around the graves of people who were my friends.”

Upon hearing the tone in Maimi’s voice, Ai shot her partner a warning glance that said she was pushing it and stepped forward to take care of asking the questions.

“It’s part of our job to investigate civilian deaths… if there’s a murder, we have to learn all we can about it in order to make sure that other lives aren’t at risk of being taken, too.”

“Riiiiiiight. And it has nothing to do with the fact that the Miracle’s back in town?”

Ai grinned. “Well, I don’t know, you tell me. These were your friends… I’m sure you’d know how they died, hm? Perhaps for a little information, you could get us to leave and then we’d all be happy.”

The gang leader frowned, eyeing the older female warily.

“I don’t trust people like you. For police, you sure do a shitty job of keeping this city safe.”

“Well, with your help maybe we could be one step closer to getting rid of a big problem.”

“Do it yourself. I don’t owe you anything.”

Ai sighed, shrugging her shoulders a bit. “Well, I guess Non-chan and I don’t have much of a choice other than to take you in…” She nodded at her partner, who had her gun out and ready before any of the others could react. “See, as it is now, you’re obstructing justice by refusing to cooperate, and so I have to treat you and those two behind you just like any other suspects.”

Maimi bristled at that, and yet held her hands out to keep Saki and Kanna from moving forward. Knives and fists were no match for guns…

“So if I tell you what happened, you’ll leave us alone?”

“I can’t really guarantee that… but what I can tell you is that if you help us out, you can be sure that you and your girls won’t be at any risk of being thrown in jail tonight.”

“…Tell me what I have to do.”

-------------

Finally… After an hour or so of listening to ‘Are we getting close?’ and ‘I think I’m gonna throw up…’, we had made it to Sugaya’s apartment. I was so happy about it, that if I didn’t have to keep up my image of being cool and all, I might have bent down to kiss the sidewalk in front of the complex.

But… I also wasn’t so sure what Momoko would think about something like that. I was sure she probably wasn’t the jealous type, but you never know~

“Do you want to come in?”

I blinked, turning to face Sugaya, who was smiling at me in that adorably annoying way that I wasn’t even barely tolerant of yet. I had almost forgotten all about her while celebrating the joys of making it to the apartment. Almost. She wasn’t someone you could exactly ignore.

“Uh… What?”

“Do. You. Want. To. Come. In? Momo-chan would love to see you, I’m sure.”

I thought really long and hard about that for a moment. On the one hand, I really was dying to see Momoko again. On the other, Sugaya would be there with us, which didn’t really amount to a lot of privacy as far as I could tell. Still… the urge to be in that calming presence again outweighed how opposed I was to the idea of being around Sugaya any longer than I had to be.

“Sure… if it’s okay with you, anyway.”

She rolled her eyes and nodded at me, motioning for me to follow her as she walked inside the building. We made our way up the stairs slowly, as the kid seemed to still be dealing with this beast of a hangover and was a little wobbly where climbing was concerned. Though, it could have been worse… at least she was walking…

Somehow we managed to finally get into the apartment, though, and to say that I was disappointed to discover that it was devoid of the person I was anxious to see was… an understatement.

Sugaya seemed to be equally dismayed, and she walked over to the table beside the bed, leaning over to pick up a little note that was stuck to the alarm clock. She seemed to be having some trouble deciphering what was written on it, and after a moment of watching her struggle, I groaned, snatching it out of her hands in order to read it aloud.

“Rii-chan…

Apparently you ran off at the amusement park and are now missing… So I’m out looking for you. If you get back before I do, don’t go anywhere, okay? I’ll be fine, and if I don’t have any luck I’ll come back before sundown. Hopefully I’ll have found you or you’ll have returned by then. I’m serious, though, if you read this and leave to come looking for me I’ll strangle you. So just stay put.

Love, Momoko.”


I frowned, reading over the note again silently before looking over at Sugaya, who didn’t seem to really know what to think. She had a pretty guilty look on her face, though.

“I hope I didn’t worry her too much… She doesn’t even know her way around… I hope she’s okay…”

To be honest, I was hoping the same thing, since this city wasn’t exactly the safest place to be, and I actually wanted to leave right then to go out and bring Momoko back. But… I figured that she wouldn’t exactly be pleased with me were I to leave Sugaya alone, and I knew that if I tried to leave, the other girl would want to come with me.

Well… on the bright side… Momoko’s got enough common sense to keep herself out of trouble, right…?

“What should we do?” Sugaya asked me, those big eyes of hers flooded with worry. Were I not immune to such charms, that kind of face probably could have gotten me to do anything.

“We’ll wait until she comes back. It’s what she wants you to do, right? And… since I’m not entirely sure I trust you to keep from running off, I’m going to stick around too.”

The kid bit her lip anxiously, but she didn’t seem like she was going to try and argue with me. That, and I think she was kind of glad that I wasn’t going to leave her alone by herself, either. I sighed inwardly.

Several more hours of endless fun with Sugaya. Oh boy.

“So, uh… wanna watch some TV, then?”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: Estrea on June 13, 2007, 04:22:31 AM
DIBS

Ahhhh I love how Maasa and Risako talk to each other. XD

Ah, return of W! XD So the C-ute girls are cooperating with them? Mm. I wonder what they can do. XD

x_X Maasa's staying with Risako, but what about Momo? :S I mean, Captain's following them, but still. x_x Could use a little backup....x_x;;;

Can't wait to see what you do next. <3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Loser87 on June 13, 2007, 04:43:05 AM
^ Damn you!!!! I wanted to be one ;_;

Dibbers --will edit after I wake up...again..*cough* what?--

Okay~ now....Quotes will have to wait because...I'm being just a little bit lazy
But COMMENT TIME YAY!! well...half of it anyways *cough*

W!!! They live!!!!!!! >_> Not that they died in the first place but it had a dramatic feel when I wrote that *cough*
I didn't know Maimi would easily give in like that o_o but then again..for the protection of the others..I guess I can see why.

I <33 Risako and Maasa's covo it is pure love
But I heart Risako driving Maasa crazy even more XDXDXD

But what will happen to Momo!?!?
WHAT!? O+O

UPDATE FASTER DAMMIT EVEN THO YOU GOT KICKED OFF BY YOUR BROTHER!!
USE YOUR TELEPATHIC POWERS!!!O_O

btw..ewww...you're going to be all peely XDXDXD

~Update!!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: rndmnwierd on June 13, 2007, 06:42:41 AM
W!!! W!! W!  :w00t: :inlove:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-One -- Unexpected Kindness]
Post by: iacus on June 15, 2007, 07:18:43 AM
Got three comments for the last chapter.
FIM-chan is saddened by that.

Sorry 'bout that.
I know I haven't commented for the past twenty or thirty chapters. But I have been reading (and enjoying) everything you have written so far. The plot took a slightly different turn than I thought it would have. And I can't really see where it's going now either, especially if there's a couple sequels on the way.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on June 19, 2007, 01:42:05 AM
Just so everyone knows...
I'm having some issues here at home, and so it may be a LONG while before I update this story again.
It's not going down the drain, but until things settle down, I'm not going to feel like (and perhaps be able to, depending on what happens to me) writing.
So please be patient, and don't worry...
Hopefully I'll have something within the next few weeks or so.
...Assuming they don't take JPH!P away from me, too. ><
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Loser87 on June 21, 2007, 06:57:41 PM
‘Kay, so… um… You’re probably wondering why I [FIM-chan] am not the one that’s posting this chapter… Long story short… and for reasons I’m not going to discuss here… I’m not allowed to get on JPH!P anymore. Luckily for all of you readers, I’ve decided that it’s worth the trouble to continue updating on it anyway, and thanks to some wonderful ladies (Loser-chan, Estrea, and possibly Yuu-chan at times if the other two aren’t around to bother with this.) the chapters will still be posted here on the forum. However, even though I’m not here to read your comments, they’ll be sent to me anyway, and when it comes time to update, I’m still gonna respond to them like I used to. <3 But BECAUSE I’m not able to visit JPH!P anymore, I’d like a minimum of five comments for every chapter from now on. I need to know that you guys care enough to still want to read this, and if you don’t, that’s fine, but if that’s the case I’ll just send the chapters to the people that do care to read it instead of getting others to go through the trouble of updating for me. Thank you for sticking through the story this far, anyway, though. :3 It’s because of everyone that’s read it that I even began to consider continuing to update, and that I still plan to finish this story AND it’s sequels. Sorry for the wait. Enjoy. <3

[::Chapter Forty-Three – Just Looking Out For You]
I watched as Koharu and Kirari walked away from me, waving happily after their retreating forms. The three of us together had absolutely no luck finding my cousin… but other than that I had enjoyed a rather pleasant day. It was nice to know that I had somewhat of an ability to still make friends, and nicer still to know that there were people in this city as amiable as they had been.

The two of them had led me safely back in the direction of the apartment complex before we said our goodbyes (and I thanked them profusely for all their help). I was walking along the sidewalk, humming to myself, when a familiar voice called out to me.

“Momoko-chan! Wait up!”

I turned around quickly, smiling as my eyes caught sight of Saki jogging up to me. She smiled back as soon as she was at my side, but I detected a hint of apprehension in her eyes, and wondered what on earth it was she was worried about.

“Ah, Saki-chan! What a surprise, how are you?”

“Fine, really… Actually, uh… I’ve kind of been following you around…” She admitted sheepishly, causing me to blink in confusion. It didn’t seem like her to be a… well… stalker.

“Why would you do that?”

“I saw you walking with those girls and… well, I just got a bad feeling about it… Not to say that I know everything, Momo-chan, but… My intuition usually isn’t wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were okay while you were with them.”

The idea that Koharu and Kirari were out to get me in any way struck me as incredibly funny, but I supposed that if Saki felt any reason to worry, then it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus, it was really sweet of her to care enough about my well-being to keep an eye on me like that. …I supposed.

“Well, um… thanks, I guess…”

She nodded, and we slipped into an awkward, yet still companionable silence. It was easy to be around the dancer, because she was always so calm and confident about everything that in her presence I felt the same way. I decided to try and make conversation, because I hadn’t seen her since the last practice.

“You look like you’re feeling a lot better. Happier, I mean. Are things with you and Miyabi okay, then?”

Immediately I wondered if that was the right question to ask, because Saki grew very quiet and adopted a very serious expression. I was about to apologize and tell her to forget about it, but before I could, she answered me anyway.

“…Yeah. At least, I hope so.”

“…Hope so?”

“Well… let’s just say…” Saki looked over at me quietly for a moment, before shaking her head. “Actually, nevermind. I’m not really ready to talk about it yet.”

I nodded, not wanting to make her feel anymore uncomfortable than I already had. I had formulated a guess about what had happened, but I wasn’t about to voice that assumption out loud. Instead, I tried to change the subject.

“That’s okay. What about Tokunaga-san, then? Is she doing any better?”

“Actually, I can’t find her. I haven’t seen her since the night before last. I know she’ll turn up, but it’s not like her to be gone for an entire day without checking in to say she’s alright… Hopefully she’s with whomever she visits so much…”

Poor girl. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Between all of us, it seemed that she had a lot to deal with… I leaned over and draped an arm around her shoulder in a light hug, attempting to comfort her somewhat.

“I’m sure she’s fine. You just worry too much.”

Saki laughed at that. “I do, don’t I? I guess I can’t help it.” She smirked at me a little bit as we stopped in front of the complex, taking a step back and crossing her arms. “All of you are way too accident-prone for me to rest easy…”

I couldn’t really argue with that, and so I smiled at her.

“Just take it easy, okay? They say stress kills.”

“You sound like that doctor I used to go to…”

“I’m serious, Saki-chan…”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll see ya later, Momoko-chan.”

I nodded and waved goodbye as she slipped away, turning back to the apartment complex and letting out a deep sigh. The sun was setting, and I could only hope that by some miracle Risako was safe inside, and in one piece.

There was only one way to find out…

I climbed the stairs to my cousin’s apartment and fished the spare key from my pocket, unlocking the door with a simple twist and stepping inside. What I found there was… both surprising and ten times more amusing than anything I think I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Maasa was seated on the floor, her eyes focused intently on the TV (which I hadn’t actually really hadn’t noticed before that point, since Risako and I weren’t really in the apartment all that much) and my cousin was sprawled contentedly across her lap, very much asleep.

It was such an adorable scene, especially since Maasa was clutching at the carpet beneath her hands like she absolutely couldn’t stand to be in that position much longer. It was that mischievous side of me that couldn’t help but tease her, because she hadn’t seemed to notice my arrival just yet.

“Well~ I suppose I’ll just leave the two of you alone, then.” I announced, putting my hands on my hips and grinning madly as Maasa looked up at me, rolling her eyes. She looked very happy to see me, though, in a “thank goodness, no more babysitting” kind of way.

“Help me get her off… I wasn’t sure how to do it without waking her up…”

I giggled at her a bit. I was curious as to how they got in such a position in the first place, but… questions could wait.

“Rii-chan can sleep through anything. Just pick her up and put her on the bed.”

Maasa blinked at me, as if she didn’t believe that it would be that simple. When I offered no further advice, however, she decided to try it, carefully rolling Risako off of her lap at first. She seemed to gain a bit more confidence when she realized that my cousin really was as dead as a rock at that point, and she stood up, lifting the younger girl off of the floor.

…That was when she started to act the slightest bit ridiculous, suspending Risako upside down by her leg and swinging her a little bit, all with this incredulous look on her face. She might have gone a little further to see what else wouldn’t wake my cousin up had I not cleared my throat and shot her a warning look, causing her to drop the sleeping girl on the bed obediently.

As soon as she had rid herself of that baggage, however, her attention shifted completely over to me. But it seemed almost as if she were hesitant to approach me at first, and she  leaned over to give me a sweet, gentle kiss. Suddenly everything that I had done that day paled in comparison to that single moment, feeling her arms slide lazily around my waist. But something was off, and she was looking at me carefully, as if she were seeing me for the first time again.

I wasn’t really sure what to say, knowing that she’d probably avoid any question that I had… I was learning that when she wanted to tell me something, she would, and if she didn’t want to… pushing her was kind of pointless. So I momentarily let it go, because I needed to get the answers to the questions burning in my head about where Risako had been all day.

“So… What happened to Rii-chan, then? Erika-chan called me this morning to tell me that she disappeared at the amusement park, and she never came back here while I was asleep, so… how did you end up with her?”

“Actually, I didn’t, at first… Apparently Maiha found her in a club, smashed drunk, and so she brought her home.”

Though I wasn’t sure what the flirt’s true intentions might have been… I supposed it more noble of her to try and take care of Risako than to just leave her in such a place. Besides, I preferred the thought of her safe with Maiha than with some random stranger who might have done her quite a bit of harm…

“So, she was okay when you got there?”

Rii-chan and I are going to have a very long talk as soon as she wakes up…

“Yeah, she’s fine. Just wiped out. She had a rough hangover this morning and had to walk all the way from our place to here. Then we found your note and I didn’t want to leave her alone like that, so I stayed, and she fell asleep an hour or so ago. By the way, your cousin can talk a LOT…”

I giggled a bit, aware of just how true that was. If Maasa was annoyed with my cousin’s chatter after just one day with her…well… there wasn’t much help for her, because the better Risako got to know a person, the more she talked. And judging by the scene that I had walked in on… she must’ve become at least somewhat attached to Maasa.

“Thanks for taking care of her, Maasa. That was very sweet of you.”

“Well, she’s important to Maiha… but mostly she’s important to you, and so I guess that means I have to care about her at least a little bit. She’s not… that annoying… once you get used to her, anyway.”

I smirked, leaning up to give her a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re lying through your teeth.”

Maasa grinned in response, as if she had no remorse for feeling like that at all.

“Well, only partially. At least… I hope she’ll get less annoying eventually…”

The two of us drifted off into a comfortable silence for a moment, with her strong arms holding me close, until I looked up to study her face. She was wearing that strange expression on her face again, and being the curious girl that I am, I couldn’t help but ask…

“Maasa… what’s wrong?”

I could feel her body grow slightly tense, and she looked back at me, the cloud of emotions in her eyes disappearing quickly behind that mask she was so good at putting up.

“Hm? …It’s nothing… Don’t worry about it.”

“You’ve already tried to use that line… And maybe it’s not… really any of my business, but… you know I’m smarter than that. I know it’s not nothing… something’s bothering you… What is it?”

A sigh. Maasa closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, I could tell that the mask she had been wearing was gone.

“…What are we?”

“…What?”

“I mean… what is this…” She moved her hands away from my waist to make a motion refering to us, “…what am I to you, Momoko?”

And then… dead silence. The question that had been rolling around both of our minds… Perhaps mine more than hers, since she was probably more concerned with what I was to her… but… it was the same concept, anyway. I wasn’t really able to meet her eyes at first… because I knew what I wanted my answer to be… but…

“There’s something I want to say… something I almost said last night… but I’m not sure if I’m ready to say it… or if it’s the right time to say it… Because… those words can ruin so much if they’re said before it’s time…”

“Are you afraid that I wouldn’t feel the same way…?” She whispered to me, in a small, sad kind of way that was painful to listen to.

“I think that… you would… or, at least you want to, but…” I slid one of my hands up to rest gently above her heart, feeling the faint pace quicken beneath my fingertips. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who had a rabbit-like pulse at times… “There’s something in here that’s still holding you back. Something that I don’t know about, and may never know about, but… until you let it go… I can’t say those words yet.”

She slipped her hands around my waist again and pulled me close, and I could sense that she was upset. Which, in turn, made me feel terrible, because that was the last thing that I wanted to happen… My eyes watered a little bit, and I was about to apologize, before she started to speak instead.

“I’m sorry… I just… can’t yet… I don’t want to hold on to this, but…”

“No… it’s okay. I don’t know what happened to you, Maasa… I probably can’t imagine, because for most of my life I’ve lived in a safe little country house with nothing but the occasional cow to worry about… But…”

“You’re being honest with me at least… I wish that I could tell you….”


“Until you’re ready to talk about it… don’t worry, okay? I’m not going anywhere right now.”

That only caused her to hold me tighter, and I blinked, looking up at her. Her eyes betrayed what it was that she was thinking… But I wasn’t sure what to say anymore after that…

Six more days… Already a week has passed by so fast… Would you really follow me? …Is it even fair to ask that much of you? You’re much too untameable for the quiet place that I live… aren’t you? But then… if that’s true… then what if I stayed here…? Would that be… worth it?

Something told me that it would be… But that rational side of me was saying that it was much too soon to think about these things…

…wasn’t it?


After a few more moments of silence, Maasa spoke up again, startling me and breaking through the quiet with her rough voice.

“Anyways… I should probably go… You two need to get some sleep before practice tomorrow, right?”

I sighed, nodding a bit before sliding reluctantly out of her embrace. A thought came to mind that I had almost forgotten, and as she was about to leave I called out to her.

“Maasa?”

“Hm?”

“…Do you want to meet me at the theatre during lunch? The others will be gone, and we could work on the dance together again… I want to keep it a secret until the performance.”

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, before a small smile spread across her lips.

“Sure… I’ll see you then, Momoko.”

And just like that… I was alone. Well… not completely, I suppose… I sighed and flopped down next to the snoring Risako on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to think with the dull roar of her sleeping going on beside me, and so I frowned and rolled over, reaching across her lump of a body to pick up the phone. I waited a moment after I dialed in the number, listening to the electronic ring before the other line was finally picked up.

“Moshi-moshi~ Umeda Erika desu.”

I could hear the sounds of girlish giggles and a loud squeal that sounded oddly like Miyabi’s voice in the background, and assumed that Erika was not alone.

“It’s Momoko… What’s going on over there?”

“Oh… Miya-chan and I are at Kumai-chan’s house. We decided to check up on her since she skipped out on the fun yesterday like you did, and- ah, Miya~!”

I could hear the sounds of a struggle, and then a slightly evil giggle filtered through to my ears, a sign that Miyabi had probably wrested the phone from poor Erika’s grasp. Which was good, I guessed, since it meant that she was most likely in a playful mood rather than an angry one.

“Who’s this?” She asked, as if she thought perhaps Erika was talking to a secret lover and trying to tease her of it.

I rolled my eyes.

“It’s me, Momoko.”

“Momo-chan~ What’s up?”

Oh yeah… Very playful mood, especially if she was happy to be talking to me. The two of us hadn’t quite settled our differences JUST yet, even though we tolerated each other a bit better… so I could assume that Yurina had made them something to eat that contained quite a bit of sugar…

“I was just calling to tell you guys that I found Risako.”

“Really? What happened? Is she okay?”

“It’s a long story, and I’m kind of tired, so I’ll let her tell you tomorrow if she wants to… but yeah, she’s fine… She’s sleeping now.”

“Haha~ That’s Rii-chan for ya. Anyways, we’ll see you guys bright and early in the morning for practice, ne?”

“Yeah… Make sure that the three of you don’t stay up too late, okay?”

“Aw, we’re not staying anyway… Just messin’ around before Kumai-chan kicks us out.”

“Regardless…”

“Yeah, yeah. ‘Night, Momo-chan~”

“Uh… Goodnight, Miyabi.”

I blinked as I hung up the phone, turning over to look at Risako, who was still very much asleep and completely oblivious to her surroundings. I sighed, getting up to turn off the lights in the room.
…After all that I had been through… I was going to bed early.

---

Loser87: You people better comment! >O
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: iacus on June 21, 2007, 08:51:33 PM
I would personally love to read more of this story. I'm sure many others would as well. Thanks to everyone involved for going through the trouble of posting this up.

I just now realized that Saki doesn't recognize Koharu and Airi. I think you mentioned that a few chapters back but it just now sunk in. Are Maasa and Chinami the only ones who know who they are?
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: whytphyre on June 22, 2007, 12:37:22 AM
I refuse to comment. Not because it's Fimmy, but because it's you....

J/K I'll comment.

This is what made me like de Miya-chan. Miya est lurve.

And *snicker* Momo's turning into Rii-chan's mommy.

And I hate your situation Fimmy. DID I MENTION I HATE YOUR SITUATION BECAUSE I HATE YOUR SITUATION IT R NOT GOOD!

I'll stop the unintelligable now.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Estrea on June 22, 2007, 12:45:25 AM
Oodles...GO GO FIM-CHAN!!! XD

Ahem. Anyway. Fluff. <3 Sort of. XD Maasa and Momoko are cute together, but I sense something brewing underneath the surface. Secrets between a couple, or a budding couple, are usually not a very good way to get started. I wonder what will happen later...? Especially since Momoko seems to sort of trust Koharu now....o_O;;;

I agree with iacus. Saki doesn't seem to recognise Koharu and Airi. So their identities are only known to a select few eh? Interesting. I wonder what Koharu will do next. Hmm.

And anyway Fimmy, you know we support you! Keep on writing~ Fighto~ XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: mode107 on June 22, 2007, 04:40:37 AM
I love this story, and I'll still remain a devoted reader    :D

Anways,  I hope w/e Maasa has to say doesnt put a strain on her relationship with Momo  :-\

lol, I wanna see the talk Momo has with Risako after she wakes up. Her sleeping reminds me of a short clip i watched of her falling asleep.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Yuuyami on June 22, 2007, 11:27:30 AM
It's been forever since I've commented, sorry for not being a loyal fan xD I'll keep commenting now :]

So now, Koharu and Momo's relationship have been established, and Momo's unaware of ill intention :0 And is apparently still oblivious even when Saki points out her uneasiness about the other two :0... Must be the magic of Koharu's eyes :0... -wonders if Momo will still be manipulated regardless, or if she is, she might cut herself off while being manipulated.-

Momo x Maasa are cute by the way xD

Can't wait for more of the story xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: rndmnwierd on June 23, 2007, 02:04:48 PM
Whatever the situation may be, I hope it works out and I'll still hang around in hopes of catching an update or two. I really love this story. Really. Like, a lot.

A lot a lot.

So good luck on everything and keep up your spirits or something equally as comforting.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: lil_hamz on June 24, 2007, 06:05:49 AM
Yeah I 2nd rndmnwierd, I hope things get better for you, like really really soon.

About the story, so far you have paced everything nicely. There's a nice bit about every couple and some great character developments as well. I'm impatient to read what Koharu and Airi are gonna do to Momoko though and what Maasa has to let go.
 
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Estrea on July 21, 2007, 05:08:34 PM
iacus- ^__^ Thank you very much. That’s encouraging to know. XD I’ll try my best to WRITE more of this story. XD And yes, a round of applause for the people who keep me connected to JPH!P. <3

Bingo. Saki never saw Koharu, so even though she gets a bad feeling about the two of them, she doesn’t recognize her. Koharu and Airi did a pretty good job before of keeping their identities secret and destroying anything that might aid in their capture (the police files don’t even have pictures of them). So yes, Maasa and Chinami know who they are, and Maiha would recognize Koharu, at least. Good question. :3

whytphyre- Lol Don’t be hatin’ on Loser-chan. <3

Miyabi is indeed love. :3

XD SOMEONE has to watch out for Risako. She’s trouble waiting to happen.

Lol I hate my situation too, but there’s not much I can do about it… other than hate it. >>

Estrea- Aww, turning into my cheerleader, dearest? XD

Yay fluff. :3 And of course there’s something going on underneath it all, it’s me, remember? Momoko’s trust in Koharu will definitely complicate things… you can be sure of that…

-replied to the Koharu thing in iacus’s comment- <3

^__^;; -keeps on fighting?- XD

Modesta107- :3 Thank you. I appreciate it, even though I’m sometimes not the most devoted writer. XD

Mrr.. XD All in good time… they’re not quite exactly in trouble yet.

XD The popcorn clip, maybe? I love that. It looks so fake, and yet it being Risako, kind of believable… Though… I can’t see how anyone would fall asleep while they were eating like that… XD

Yuuyami- -jabs Yuuchan with stick- Bad you~ XDD Just kidding. If it weren’t for your constant prodding, I’d probably get nothing done. <3

XD Blissfully unaware… like that Aika-face you do. It’s like in one of those horror movies where you’re all like “DON’T GO IN THAT DOOR!” but the actor does it anyway and then shit happens. XD

<333

rndmnwierd- Thank you… It means quite a lot to me to hear something like that. I’ve been kind of off ever since things happened the way they did to me… but for the most part I’ve learned to adjust and so I think I’m going to be alright. Which means that this story will keep on moving along… albeit at a slower pace, it seems. XD

^___^;;

lil_hamz- Thank you. :3

Haha~ Well, I should probably try and pick up the pace on my writing then in order to keep you from waiting so long. <3

------------

Woo~
How long has it been since the last one?
Fimmy-chan doesn’t even remember.
But she apologizes profusely for the long wait.
A combination of laziness and writer’s block pretty much brought me to a screeching halt, and it seemed like every day I’d get up and not want to write.
Thankfully, however, I think I’m getting back into the swing of things, and so I’m going to try hard not to let such a gap come between updates again.
Thank you for all your kind comments and your patience.
Enjoy. <3

------------

[Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]

She was so cute standing there, leaning against the window frame and peering out at me with the most apologetic look on her face that I had ever seen sent my way. Her friends had finally left the house, and though it had only seemed like minutes to me, I had actually been sitting outside for several hours…  I wasn’t upset, though. It was worth the wait to get to be around Yurina.

I was standing just outside of the window (having had a hell of a time getting out of the tree with my arm the way it was, mind you), resting my arms on the frame while allowing her fingertips to trace gentle patterns on my skin. It was so relaxing… No one other than Saki had ever been able to touch me without it feeling like I was being burned or something…

“I’m sorry that you had to sit out here for so long… I couldn’t figure out how to get them to leave… Miyabi talks so much sometimes that it’s hard to get a word in edgewise…”

Wasn’t that the truth… the evil girl started talking the moment she got into the house and didn’t shut up until she left with the other one… Not that I had been eavesdropping or anything like that.

“It’s alright, really…”

“Still… I feel bad for making you wait…”

“Don’t. For you, I’d wait forever.”

It may have sounded really stupid, but I meant it. I was completely and totally in control of myself at that moment, and when I looked up to meet her eyes… I think she believed me, too. After a second or two I could have sworn she blushed, but it was hard to tell once she looked away.

“Chinami…”

“But… I should probably go home for a little while. I’ve never been away for this long before, and Saki might be worried… I don’t like to cause her so much trouble, after all she’s been through for me.”

“…Will you come back again soon?”

She turned her head back to face me again, and the look in her eyes… coupled with that tone of voice… well… it was enough to make me melt… Even if I wanted to refuse any request she had of me… I probably wouldn’t have been able to.

“Tomorrow morning. I’ll be here.”

That concerned expression—kind of like the one she had given me when she found out I had injured myself—made its’ way onto her face, and she frowned at me a little bit as if she hadn’t meant quite that soon.

“…But what if you’re not feeling well? I don’t want you to get hurt again if-”

I cut her off, placing my finger gently against her lips in an attempt to stop the flow of words coming from her mouth. She was really blushing now, and though it was hard to make eye contact with her without doing the same, I looked into her eyes to add to the sincerity of what I was about to say.

“I’ll be here, Yurina-chan.”

“…Okay. Goodnight China-”

What I had been thinking at that point, I’m not sure, but something compelled me to lean forward and kiss her. It was sweet and I felt warm all over, but the best part was probably the fact that she didn’t push me away. That might have been because I caught her off guard… but when I pulled back and looked at her again I could see a slight smile mixed with the surprise reflected in her eyes.

“Goodnight, Yurina.”

And with that, I slipped away, reluctantly leaving her behind. As much as I wanted to stay longer, it was getting very late, and I already felt guilty enough for not stopping in at the Loft to let Saki know I was okay. I knew she would probably scold me a bit like she usually did when I went missing, but maybe the fact that I was feeling better than ever would help to make her ease up about letting me do things on my own.

…Maybe. I had the feeling Saki was probably going to be overprotective of me until the day she died. Which was just as well, since I could think of several situations I had gotten myself into that might have killed me without her around.

Manuevering by way of rooftops like I usually did was particularly hard with my arm in the condition it was in, but my mind was sharp and alert for once, and so I was taking extra steps to avoid falling a second time. I had been lucky that the first time it was just my arm… A repeat might have meant my neck… And that wasn’t something you could fix with a few bandages.

I paused to rest on the top of an apartment building, allowing my throbbing arm some time to recover before I dared to push it again. A warmth had begun to spread across it, and the dark stain that colored the fresh bandages that Yurina fixed up for me that morning told me that the cuts had begun to bleed again, thanks to the stupid notion I had that I could be climbing in this condition.

There wasn’t much I could do about my injury at that point, however, and I resolved to just let Saki check it out as soon as I made it home. Something else had caught my attention anyway: voices filtering up from the dark alleyway below. I immediately felt a chill run down my spine, and a certain kind of cold washed over me… the kind that produces goosebumps and chills… and an innate sense that something was probably terribly wrong with the conversation going on down there.

Against my better judgment and the voices screaming in my head, telling me to keep moving and get home as soon as possible… I crouched down on the flat rooftop, leaning slightly over the brick edge to peer down into the darkness, waiting for my eyes to adjust so I could try and see who was talking.

“So… run the reason you need my help by me again…”

The first voice was one that I didn’t quite recognize… it was smooth and strong, and it occurred to me at that point that if a cat could talk, that’s probably the way its voice would sound. It was the kind of tone that was meant to lure somebody into a false sense of security… before the pounce.

“I don’t have the knowledge or the manpower that you do in order to pull off such an operation alone…”  THAT voice I was definitely familiar with… Nausea was starting to set in, but somehow the clearness that I had left Yurina’s house with gave me the strength needed to maintain control. I had a feeling that no matter how hard fear was trying to paralyze me right then, I needed to listen, because the things that were being said were important. “Yajima seems to be afraid of the law, and so I couldn’t count on her. Yoshizawa’s being a lazyass as usual, and Ishikawa’s still too preoccupied with that urban legend about Tsugunaga’s secret fortune under the city.”

The woman with the cat-like voice stepped forward a bit, so it was easier to make out what she looked like. Cat-like indeed… she moved with the fluidity of one, and her facial expressions were not that much different. The grin that crawled onto her lips at that point was definitely screaming that she was up to no good.

“Still haven’t learned to give up on Rika-chan, have you… She’s unreliable even when things are all going her way. Her little pets aren’t much different… Still, it seems like you’ve come to me as a last resort… I’m a little hurt by that.”

The other girl… devil that she was… smiled a bit in response, shrugging innocently. Or… she did it as innocently as someone who was most definitely NOT innocent could shrug…

“Well, I wanted to start with the ones I figured would be least interested in giving me aid… I knew coming to you… you would at least be curious about what I have in mind.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Koharu-chan. Especially since you’ve already made it clear that you want something beforehand… I have to admit, though, the whole thing sounds like fun. But… what’s in it for me?”

The girl—giving her a name would make her seem more human in my mind, and she was too much of a monster for that—turned to look over her shoulder for a moment, and I saw the faint movement that indicated a third figure standing near the entrance to the alleyway.

I didn’t have to be a genius to guess that the other was the one that followed her around all the time, and the thought put me on high alert. I would have to be careful to remember to continue to be extremely quiet… the last thing I wanted was to have the pawn come after me.

“Think about it. If you help me pull this off, I get what I want, and you get the recognition for it. The other two are going to hold you in a higher regard after this, and that means you can throw your weight around a little bit, because you’ll have more respect from them.”

Catwoman mulled that over a bit in her head, her grin fading into a much more serious expression. Whatever she was thinking about, she was thinking about it hard, and I wondered if perhaps thinking wasn’t something she did too often…

“I’m just curious… why do you care so much about that theatre? There are other places you could take out just as easily, and probably get more from doing so, so why bother with IT?”

Another jolt of panic shot through my body as I finally actually realized what they were talking about. The theatre… that Yurina practiced at everyday. That Saki… and that Momoko girl… and the others all practiced at… that my parents had owned before…

Before…

“I cannot stand hope, Mikitty… It’s like this blinding, annoying pinpoint of light that pierces through anything, no matter how dark the situation… So that when someone feels like they’re nearing the end, instead of giving up, they keep pulling through. It’s so… irritating to me.”

Evil. Her voice radiated waves of it. Some dark black hole her heart must have been to think that way… And yet, if that was really the way her mind worked, then all the horrible things she did weren’t quite as unthinkable now… Not that I would ever justify them, but it was at that I realized she was a lot more messed up than most people thought…

“And so… take that illustration and magnify it, so that instead of seeing a pinpoint, you see a huge beacon. The theatre is a lighthouse from which that beacon is being sent. It may not be shining very brightly right now, and truth be told, I could probably leave it alone and it would die out on it’s own…”

The pawn had appeared at her side suddenly somehow, and whispered something into the girl’s ear. Either it wasn’t all that important or the girl wasn’t too terribly worried, because she waved her pet away and continued on with what she had to say.

“…But the key word there is ‘probably’. I want to be sure of things. There’s a new girl in town, and with her help, those girls WILL get the place restored to it’s former glory. THAT is what I’m sure of. And THAT is what I don’t want to see happen.”

She was talking about Momoko now, I assumed… I didn’t know too much about the newcomer other than what Saki told me about her, and I had only ‘met’ her once… when she chased me down after nearly giving me a heart attack. Still, she seemed to be a nice enough person, and probably didn’t deserve whatever these two were planning for her…

Unfortunately, I still had no idea what exactly it was that they were going to try and do, other than the fact that it wasn’t going to be good. The girl’s long rant about why didn’t really help to clear up the what

“People used to come and watch performances there, and to them, it was a means of escape that didn’t require doing or taking anything illegal. For just a few hours and a small price for a ticket, they could get lost in the music and the dancing…”

For a moment, I saw that glint in the girl’s eyes fade a bit, like a memory was coming back to her that she had repressed for some time. Catwoman seemed to notice this too, and arched an eyebrow skeptically, though she did not speak. The instance passed quickly, however, and the glint returned to her eyes, making them twice as sharp and dangerous as they had been before.

“And if we let this continue… it will happen again. This city will have hope again. And when people have hope, they have strength. When they have strength, they could turn this place into something better than the hellhole it is now. When that happens, people on this side… people like you and me who didn’t really do anything to deserve our lot in life other than be born on the streets… we lose it all.”

The pawn returned a second time to stand on the girl’s right side, her facial expression and body language calm and composed, but her eyes reflecting an urgency of sorts. I dared to sit up a bit to get a better look at the streets from my advantageous position, and noticed that two new figures were wandering this way. Police, perhaps, and they looked as though they were expecting to stumble upon people like this… up to no good.

The girl was still as unconcerned about her partner’s anxiety as she had been before, however, and she regarded the cat-like woman with a lazy sort of look.

“…That is why I’m targeting the theatre. To me… it’s not really about the money… just the control I’ll get out of it.”

Catwoman clapped slowly for a bit, a sarcastic tone edging its way into her voice.

“Inspiring speech, Koha-chan… Though I could have done without all of the sappy descriptions and the comparisons and whatnot… It did manage to confirm to me that your heart still is darker than most, however…”

The girl bowed, flashing her teeth in a dangerous smile.

“Thank you, Mikitty, I try.”

What a fitting nickname… I tried to keep from grinning, since the situation wasn’t exactly anything to laugh about.

“Well… I suppose I can lend a hand. I’m not really doing anything right now, anyway…” Catwoman stretched, and even from where I was sitting far above them I could hear her bones pop. “I’ll tell the others about all of this… Perhaps it’s too early to rule out Yocchan and Rika-chan just yet… At least… I think that I can convince Rika-chan to put forth some effort if I word things the right way… Meet me later at the usual time… we’ll go over the details then.”

“Of course.”

The catwoman brushed past the other two, and I caught sight of her hands wandering down to… well… I’m pretty sure it’s not normal to say goodbye by groping someone’s leg or butt, but… I suppose I didn’t know enough about these people to really say… though I did catch the pawn flinching a bit, even as her partner’s expression remained neutral.

Soon after she disappeared, the other two fled quietly in the opposite direction, just as a beam of light shone into the alleyway, coming from the flashlight of one of the police figures from before. I took that as my cue to leave, because I figured it would have been a bad idea to stick around… I would have looked much too suspicious… and it wasn’t to my benefit for me to be found while most people still thought me to be dead.

And so I quickly continued on my way to the Loft, the nausea still plaguing my stomach, and this new information weighing down on my mind and my heart.

…It was all I could do to make it to the ladder before I passed out.

=======================================================================

Estrea: Yay Fimmy updates~ Everyone better comment >D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Estrea on July 21, 2007, 05:19:19 PM
And because I can....DIBS (this does not count as double post because, yeah, I said so >D)

Before I start, short chapter yo. >_>

XD

But I still love you anyway. XD

That said, Yurina/Chinami is <3333333 That kiss was a little unexpected, but sweet. <3

Chinami's POV is interesting, especially when she accidentally overhears all that. Koharu's logic unnerves me. It makes sense in a evil way, but she is totally scary. >_>

And the fact that Chinami thinks Miki talks and acts like a cat made me giggle...Catwoman? XDDD Judging from the content of Miki's and Koharu's conversation, Miki is like...a gang lord? XD Hehe. Along with Yossi and Rika....haha. 3 of the 85ers controlling the crime world. XDDD That's kind of hawt for some reason. XD Miki being evil and helping Koharu? Oh my. >_>

-wonders what will happen next- This is getting really fun! In a "omg what will happen next?!" way. I hope Chinami is alright. -twiddles thumbs-

Write on~ XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: rndmnwierd on July 22, 2007, 01:47:59 AM
Chinami!  :O*gasp* I hope she'll be alright. I'm so glad to see this story updated! I'd been missing it for a while now.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: iacus on July 22, 2007, 04:45:55 AM
Yay! Fim wrote another chapter!  And, yay! Estrea posted it!
About a week ago I was listening to 'Samidare Koi No Uta' and for some reason kept thinking of Momoko.  I had to put the song on repeat for almost twenty minutes before I finally remembered that scene from this fic. Then I got all excited and went to look for updates.(which of course weren't there)  But now. . . Yay!

Oh! anditwasagoodchapterpleasewritemoreokthnxbye
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: mode107 on July 22, 2007, 04:15:46 PM
Yay you updated!

Chinami's POV is nice. I like the way she describes Yurina in the beginning. ChinxYurina love rocks

Yeah, I'm a really bad commenter, and you don't have to respond to this comment of mine.  lol, sometimes I feel that I  have to leave respondable comments to fanfics, or at least good ones. I still love this story though
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: Loser87 on July 23, 2007, 07:26:19 AM
ABOUT DAMN TIME!!

Jesus, short or not it's still a chapter!
And you better update soon!

But the yurina/chinami scene was cute <33
Made me mushy >w<

Anyway update update update, hopefully i'll catch you on aim later~
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: lil_hamz on July 23, 2007, 10:13:57 AM
Miyabi talking too much XD That I can believe :lol:
Wait a minute.... so Chinami's family owned the threatre before? :shocked:
Just when I thought I might have an idea why Koharu is so bent on ruining things for the girls, I come up against a wall after reading more. I need to knowwwwwwwwwwwwwww :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Two -- Bond]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on September 10, 2007, 11:02:53 PM
Gah, wtf.
So many fics to catch up on. I can't even remember who I was reading and who was writing what and dear lord there are new people to add to the madness. @__@
This is just a post to say that I'm still alive (and, no, I have no idea why my internet is letting me access JPH!P, but oh man am I hoping that it'll stay this way) and that I've updated the table of contents and whatnot.
I am currently struggling with the next chapter, but I wanted to say that there's probably gonna be a bit of a delay, as the file containing all of my planning and organization and story notes has been deleted from my computer somehow, and so I have nothing to go on and I have to rethink how I'm going to get to the end again.
...Frustrating, yes. But eventually I WILL get back up to speed again, damnit. Life's just being especially rough on me right now.
For those of you that still care, thank you, and I apologize for taking so freaking long.
I promise not to let you down. <3
Also, for those of you who want me to read/comment on your stories, hit me up on AIM and I'll definitely take the time to do it. T___T I need a good fanfic after being deprived for so long.

~Fimmy-chan desu!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: mode107 on September 11, 2007, 12:56:19 AM
FIMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!  It's so great to see that you're the one actually posting your post this time.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on September 16, 2007, 01:30:02 PM
And because I can....DIBS (this does not count as double post because, yeah, I said so >D)

That said, Yurina/Chinami is <3333333 That kiss was a little unexpected, but sweet. <3

Chinami's POV is interesting, especially when she accidentally overhears all that. Koharu's logic unnerves me. It makes sense in a evil way, but she is totally scary. >_>

And the fact that Chinami thinks Miki talks and acts like a cat made me giggle...Catwoman? XDDD Judging from the content of Miki's and Koharu's conversation, Miki is like...a gang lord? XD Hehe. Along with Yossi and Rika....haha. 3 of the 85ers controlling the crime world. XDDD That's kind of hawt for some reason. XD Miki being evil and helping Koharu? Oh my. >_>

-wonders what will happen next- This is getting really fun! In a "omg what will happen next?!" way. I hope Chinami is alright. -twiddles thumbs-

Write on~ XD

Lolz, I don't think it counts as double post either, since, technically, you didn't write any of the first post. XDDDD

Mm... I think I blame Loser. But it was coming anyway. >D

>3 Let's wait and see just how scary Koharu-chan can be, ne?

And don't forget, Miki seems to think she can get Yossui and Rika in on it... Cuz if you think Koharu and Miki teaming up is evil...

Mm... I hope she's alright, too...

Chinami!  :O*gasp* I hope she'll be alright. I'm so glad to see this story updated! I'd been missing it for a while now.

Aww, well, I'm back as myself for a little while, so lets see if I can't write as much as I can in order to make up for lost ground. XD

Yay! Fim wrote another chapter!  And, yay! Estrea posted it!
About a week ago I was listening to 'Samidare Koi No Uta' and for some reason kept thinking of Momoko.  I had to put the song on repeat for almost twenty minutes before I finally remembered that scene from this fic. Then I got all excited and went to look for updates.(which of course weren't there)  But now. . . Yay!

Oh! anditwasagoodchapterpleasewritemoreokthnxbye

LOL~ Yeah, I sometimes think of Momo when I listen to that song now, too. <3

:3 Your wish is my command.

Yay you updated!

Chinami's POV is nice. I like the way she describes Yurina in the beginning. ChinxYurina love rocks

Yeah, I'm a really bad commenter, and you don't have to respond to this comment of mine.  lol, sometimes I feel that I  have to leave respondable comments to fanfics, or at least good ones. I still love this story though

<33

But I love your comments, no matter what they are. :3 So of course I'm going to respond to it.
Thanks for sticking with me. ^__^

ABOUT DAMN TIME!!

Jesus, short or not it's still a chapter!
And you better update soon!

But the yurina/chinami scene was cute <33
Made me mushy >w<

Anyway update update update, hopefully i'll catch you on aim later~

Lol~ and where is YOUR update, hm? Doesn't look like PDL's been very active in my absence, either... >_o

XDDD Yeah, yeah, soon, soon.

Lol, of course it did, it was your fault. XD

<3

Miyabi talking too much XD That I can believe :lol:
Wait a minute.... so Chinami's family owned the threatre before? :shocked:
Just when I thought I might have an idea why Koharu is so bent on ruining things for the girls, I come up against a wall after reading more. I need to knowwwwwwwwwwwwwww :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

XDD Well, don't hurt yourself too much hitting your head on that wall or you won't be around to find out what's next!
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: Estrea on September 16, 2007, 01:31:35 PM
WEEEEEDGE! XD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on September 16, 2007, 01:34:01 PM
Finallyyyyyyyy~
I get to be the one posting my own chapter again~ :D
How exciting. <3
Well, after a long while of being crushed under writer's block (and losing my notes and whatnot to boot) I finally managed to get out this next chapter.
And I feel inspired again, so hopefully the next gap between updates won't be so large. <3

[Chapter Forty-Five – Distorted Sense of Justice]

A singular bead of sweat rolled down the gang leader’s neck, the heat radiating from the overhead light roasting her skin a little bit and adding to her already high level of anxiety. Saki and Kanna were standing on either side of her, having been dragged along with her into this mess (though they would have willingly followed Maimi anywhere, were she to ask them to), and the three of them were staring down at the table in front of them, upon which laid a standard-sized white piece of paper.

Maimi had a yellow number two gripped loosely in her right hand, and as she turned her attention away from the paper towards the two police officers also standing in the room, she had quite an incredulous look on her face.

“You have GOT to be kidding me…”

“’Fraid not. It’s like, a little past two in the morning, and even for me, this is way too late for jokes.”

“Besides, currently we have no pictures of the Miracle or Suzuki on record… They’re not exactly easy to photograph, and even when we managed to find someone brave enough to snap some shots, they’d end up vanishing mysteriously from society… along with any images they managed to obtain.”

“I’m not exactly… an artist…”

One of the twins groaned, most likely Nozomi, as she seemed to grow more and more impatient as the ‘interrogations’ dragged on. But it was Ai instead that decided to try again, the tone in her voice becoming sweet as to sound as non-threatening as possible.

Besides, Nono wasn’t good at being persuasive unless she had a gun in her hand.

And that wasn’t the kind of persuasion she wanted them to resort to…

“It doesn’t matter if it looks perfect, we just need a sketch of some sort. You’re the only ones who have seen the two of them up close and recently, and so it would really help us out if you can try and draw as much as you can remember. Clothing, hairstyle, distinguishing marks like scars or facial features… just anything.”

The pencil suffered the abuse of being rolled about nervously between the fingers on Maimi’s hand, as she quietly pondered what the young officer had said.

“…I don’t remember this being part of the deal.”

“The deal was that you cooperate until we’re satisfied that we’ve gained enough information from you, OR we throw you behind bars until you decide that you’d prefer taking the first option instead.” Nono snapped, obviously irritated, “Either way, you aren’t getting out of here until you help out as much as you can, and we all know that you had some form of contact with the Miracle a few days ago.”

The room went silent for a moment, though Aibon was sure that she could hear the crackle of static as sparks shot through the glare Maimi sent in Nono’s direction. Thankfully, however, the gang leader knelt down in front of the table, and began to grudgingly scratch out lines on the piece of paper that she had been given.

At first, everyone watched what she was doing with mild interest, mostly because she was the only one in the room that was moving.

But mild interest soon turned to greater curiosity and even amusement as Maimi’s drawings began to take shape… or rather, a lack thereof…

“Um… Maimi-chan, is that supposed to be her nose?”

“Looks more like a foot…”

“It’s a head, you dumbasses.”

“…Seriously?”

“I’ve never seen the Miracle in person, but I know she’s got to be much more… attractive than THAT.”

The pencil suddenly shot across the room, flying so hard and so fast that it embedded itself into the wall on the other side of the station’s lobby, just a few inches above where Reina’s sleeping head was resting. The youngest member of the force was skilled at remaining oblivious to the things going on around her, however, and merely rolled over in her chair in order to continue her nap.

Things were not so relaxed for the girls standing around the table, as Maimi obviously had had enough of the teasing… and perhaps the whole ordeal entirely.

“Yeah, yeah, alright, you’ve had your fun, now we’re leaving. We told you everything we know, and you even got to see my wonderful drawing skills firsthand, so if you’re quite done making me feel stupid we’ll be going now.”

Before the gang members could even begin to move from where they were standing, a sort of wordless, silent message passed between Aibon and Nono, the younger’s quick glance giving her partner the go-ahead to do what they had decided would be done without ever discussing it between themselves.

That was how the two of them worked so well together. They had no need for ‘planning’ or ‘preparation time.’ One would act or implore the other to do so, and then the second would catch on to what was happening almost instantly, as if they were able to read each others’ minds.

There were no intricate schemes, just spur-of-the-moment decisions that just happened to be pulled off in style most of the time.

Such was the case with what happened next.

In what appeared to be a single, fluid motion, Nono slid behind Saki and had her arms pinned behind her back and cuffed before the younger female could even manage to cry out in surprise. When she and her companions did finally register what was going on, however, it seemed as though all hell was about to break loose.

Kanna, being the first to react, leapt at Nono in an attempt to forcibly wrestle her away from the other girl, but Maimi came to her senses in enough time to grab her subordinate and hold her in place, ignoring the fact that the other was struggling hard to break free of  her grasp.

Whatever was going on, she had to keep her cool, though with the way things were headed, quite frankly, it was becoming more and more difficult…

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t let her go…” Maimi growled, glaring dangerously at Aibon. She flinched, however, as she heard the click of a gun being prepared to fire, and her eyes darted to glance at the silver revolver that the young officer now had out and in her hands.

Aibon seemed to be unconcerned about the fact that she was handling a deadly firearm, though, and she merely shrugged her shoulders at the gang leader’s threatening question.

“I promise you, there’d be a hole in her head before she ever made it to Non-chan.”

Maimi’s jaw twitched slightly as she clenched her teeth together, hard, and she gave Kanna look that said ‘You’d better not move or I’ll kill you myself’ before slowly releasing the other girl. Kanna would obey as long as Nono didn’t do anything to hurt Saki, and if that happened, there would be no way to hold her back.

It seemed, however, that the officers’ intentions were to make some kind of negotiations rather than harm them, and though Maimi wanted nothing more to do with the police, it wasn’t as though she had much of a choice left.

So, she cautiously cleared her throat, an edge creeping into her voice no matter how hard she was trying to remain calm.

“We told you all that we know… Now you have to let us go. You said that as long as we helped you, we weren’t at risk of going to jail tonight.”

“Who said anything about jail? I could hold her here perfectly well without putting her behind bars. And technically, promise or no, I still have the authority to take all of you into custody for the crimes you’ve committed…” Aibon watched as Saki writhed unsuccessfully against the handcuffs and her partner’s hold, and she yawned in a lazy kind of way before returning her gaze to Maimi to continue speaking.

“…Small though they may be, you’ve built up quite a record, and it’s enough to keep all of you here for a while… if I felt like it.”

“Bitch! What else could you want?!”

And then, as if the gang leader’s outburst had summoned her from the depths of the station, Yuko kicked open the door to the back room with a slam, marching into the lobby with her perpetual ‘back off before I punch you in the face’ look plastered on her face. She made her way over to the group, but not before she stopped to grab hold of the chair Reina was sleeping in, giving it a nice, forceful spin that was sure to shake the junior officer from her nap.

Dramatic entrance aside, the police captain paused to assess the situation, scrutinizing her subordinates with a fierce glare.

“What the hell is going on here? Do all of you realize what time of day it is?”

Aibon grinned, as if she had expected or wanted Yuko to enter the room, but as soon as she opened her mouth to form a response, the older woman cut her off.

“Yeah, that’s right, it’s that time of day where Yuko-sama should be sleeping, right? So why is it that instead of sleeping, that I’m up and talking to you idiots?”

A grin was her response. Aibon had since closed her mouth and her lips were turned up in the most mischievous way that she could manage, almost as if she were trying to mirror an upside-down version of the police captain’s scowl.

“…You DO have a good reason, right Kago? I mean, you’re a smart girl and all… you’re fully aware of what happens when someone disturbs my beauty rest…”

“Well, earlier this morning, Yajima-san here told me that we were doing a horrible job of policing this city… so I came up with the brilliant idea of letting her help us out a bit in order to see if she could possibly do any better.”



“YOU WHAT?!?”

The police captain and the gang leader had equally bewildered looks on their faces after hearing that, and even as Yuko’s surprise began to quickly shift into something more along the lines of ‘you-better-explain-now-before-I-kill-you’, Ai was completely unshaken.

In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the reactions she was getting…

“What, don’t you think it’s an awesome idea?”

“No, actually, I think it’s really stupid. What makes you think I’d even agree to go along with this, anyway? I think I made it pretty clear earlier this morning that I don’t really want to have anything to do with you people… I didn’t even want to come down HERE, but we did to try and avoid something like this…” Maimi motioned to Saki, who was still wrapped up in her futile efforts to try and free herself from Nono.

“…And now, even though it’s happened anyway, you expect me to do something for… you? That’s messed up. Why don’t you just go ahead and put us all in cuffs and take us away. It’s gonna happen after I finish running your little errand anyway, right?”

“Now, now… don’t you trust me?”

“Hell no! Especially not after what you’re trying to pull here!”

Aibon smiled. It was not a smirk, or a devious grin, but rather a genuine smile that said that the officer could tell that there was more going on than what the other girl was letting on.

“Well, I think you do trust me… somewhat, at least. If I were really out to hurt one of your friends here, you would have stopped me. But I think you know that’s not what I want, and besides that, I think you’re kind of curious… I think that you want to know a little more about what’s going on here, but you’re afraid to find out or do anything to help because you don’t want to risk the chance that anyone else might end up getting hurt…”

She tilted her head to the side, still smiling at Maimi, who in turn was staring quietly back at the officer as if she had definitely hit the nail on the head.

“That’s right, isn’t it? …So… what do you say now? You could possibly be our connection to the inside here… You could get information that we would otherwise never be aware of, because even with disguises, there’s no way that we could blend in to your world. They would smell a rat as soon as we started nosing around. But you… You seem smart. And you’re familiar with the people we need you to spy on, so you know how to handle them.

“As for your friend here, the handcuffs come off and we take good care of her until you get the job done.”

“No.”

Kanna gave Aibon a fierce look, one that even seemed to startle Yuko a little bit by how intense it was. Maimi was also surprised, turning her attention to the younger girl, who rarely ever spoke with much emotion… when she bothered to speak much at all, anyway.

“If you’re gonna keep Saki-chan here, then I’m staying, too.”

“Kanna, don’t-”

“Let me talk, okay? I don’t trust these guys either—not all the badges in the world would convince me otherwise—so if I stay, I can keep an eye on them, and you won’t have to worry so much about either of us being alone while you go off and do whatever.”

Maimi raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“…Wait. You agree with what she’s saying? You want me to go along with this?”

“Well… maybe not that exactly, but… I want to know what’s going on, too. Plus… anything we can do to make sure the Miracle and her demonic little pet pay for taking out the others…”

A small smirk crossed her lips.

“…I say we do whatever the hell it takes. Whether we really like the situation or not.”

Maimi nodded a little bit, before turning her head to glance at Saki, who, while she didn’t seem as though she was the happiest camper out of the bunch, also didn’t look like she was going to try and push the matter any farther. So the gang leader reluctantly returned her gaze to Aibon.

“…So… if I don’t help…”

“Then she stays with us, and honestly, I’m not likin’ the idea of having to take care of this kid for too long, so you can bet she’ll find her way to a nice, cozy cell after a while. Either way, she’s stuck with us… for how long depends on you.”

“So if I come back with something that can help you, you’ll let Saki go?”

The officer nodded. “Yes.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your promise?”

Aibon examined the gun that was still in her hands for a moment, and then without warning, she tossed it lightly through the air and straight towards Maimi. The gang leader caught it with ease, but handled it cautiously, as if it could have gone off at any moment with no assistance from her.
“You can come back and shoot us if we don’t.”

“…I’m not sure it’s wise to trust a kid like her with a gun, Kago…” Yuko mused, eyeing the gang leader warily.

But Aibon merely grinned.

“Well, I don’t think anyone’s ever used the term wise to describe me, Nakazawa-san… Besides…”

She watched as Maimi turned the gun over in her hands, an almost hesitant look starting to creep onto the gang leader’s face.

“…She needs some way of defending herself with where we’re sending her…”
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: Tanachan on September 16, 2007, 01:36:31 PM
DIBS~ :D After so long ;_;

Haha, Maimi's mad drawing skills "It looks like a foot to me..." Reina sure can sleep through anything xD. And awwww...the world needs SaKanna :D! YAY Yuko spaz :D. And Damn...Maimi's got a gun...RUN AWAY! All in all, fun chapter at the police station xD And yet again W screws somethin' up xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: Estrea on September 16, 2007, 01:50:57 PM
Yay W! XDDD

Cos they're a great team. XD Poor Maimi and gang. Played like a flute. XDD

Kago gave Maimi the gun? o_o Interesting move. I hope Maimi will be fine when she goes out looking for information. Koharu doesn't look like someone who should be messed with. ._.

Anyway, happy to see you back yay! <3333 -huggles-
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Four -- Moonlit Alliance]
Post by: mode107 on September 16, 2007, 03:12:50 PM
Quote
She watched as Maimi turned the gun over in her hands, an almost hesitant look starting to creep onto the gang leader’s face.

“…She needs some way of defending herself with where we’re sending her…”

eeeek, never would I have thought of Maimi dealing with guns   :shocked:  Koharu can't be that dangerous....could she? A sick and twisted Koha is always fun to see.  :twisted: lol.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: lil_hamz on September 17, 2007, 12:40:03 PM
Woah... that pencil flying into the wall :w00t: And Reina sleeping through all that XD
This police station is filled with interesting characters, lolz, it would be crazy being held as a criminal there :lol:
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: Loser87 on September 18, 2007, 03:27:31 AM
You updated!! And I commented really late OMG!! >w<

Okay...I'll um...edit this one tomorrow night...since now I kinda' have to sleep for my early classes..yeah..

-will be edited..FOR SURE!! >;O -
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on September 19, 2007, 10:13:42 PM
DIBS~ :D After so long ;_;

Haha, Maimi's mad drawing skills "It looks like a foot to me..." Reina sure can sleep through anything xD. And awwww...the world needs SaKanna :D! YAY Yuko spaz :D. And Damn...Maimi's got a gun...RUN AWAY! All in all, fun chapter at the police station xD And yet again W screws somethin' up xD

XDDD

Lol~ I have some friends with drawing skills that are just as insane...
Reina and Risako can get together and just have a naptime party. XD
More Saki/Kanna? I totally agree. <3
XDD W is secretly brilliant, though. :3

Yay W! XDDD

Cos they're a great team. XD Poor Maimi and gang. Played like a flute. XDD

Kago gave Maimi the gun? o_o Interesting move. I hope Maimi will be fine when she goes out looking for information. Koharu doesn't look like someone who should be messed with. ._.

Anyway, happy to see you back yay! <3333 -huggles-

<333

XD That's a reference to me in some strange way, isn't it.

Well... it's good to have hope, right? XDD

-huggles back- ~<3

Quote
She watched as Maimi turned the gun over in her hands, an almost hesitant look starting to creep onto the gang leader’s face.

“…She needs some way of defending herself with where we’re sending her…”

eeeek, never would I have thought of Maimi dealing with guns   :shocked:  Koharu can't be that dangerous....could she? A sick and twisted Koha is always fun to see.  :twisted: lol.

XD Well, it doesn't look like she really knows how, gang leader or not.
>D

Woah... that pencil flying into the wall :w00t: And Reina sleeping through all that XD
This police station is filled with interesting characters, lolz, it would be crazy being held as a criminal there :lol

XD It probably wouldn't be so bad.

You updated!! And I commented really late OMG!! >w<

Okay...I'll um...edit this one tomorrow night...since now I kinda' have to sleep for my early classes..yeah..

-will be edited..FOR SURE!! >;O -

lolz~ I'm going on without you, my dear. :3
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: FeverInducedMadness on September 19, 2007, 10:15:23 PM
Um. Short update.
But it didn't really fit in with the next chapter, so I decided to let it stand alone.
Enjoy. XD

[Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]

Smoke. Everywhere.

That was the first thing she was aware of when she was ripped from her dreams; the thick clouds burning the lining of her nose, mouth, throat, and even going so far as to smolder painfully in her lungs. Her eyes began to water as she coughed up the fumes, but any relief that might have come with fresh air was not to be found, as the room was completely saturated with the smog.

Desperately the girl rolled over out of her bed and onto the floor, where a slight drop in temperature met her and she found it possible once again to breathe. She waited like that for a moment, crouched down on all fours until her mind had a chance to clear.

And it was then that her other senses were put on full alert.

She could not see anything through the smoke, but she could feel waves of heat coming from somewhere nearby, and her ears were assaulted with the loud roar and crackle of what sounded like…

Flames. Fire… My house… my house is on fire?!

Her heart began to beat rapidly at that conclusion, and she felt herself going into a bit of a panic. Why weren’t the alarms going off? Why hadn’t her parents come to wake her?

The girl got down flat on her stomach and began to crawl soldier-style towards where the air felt coolest, in the hope that it was the door to the hallway and her escape. But when she bumped into a wall and felt around blindly for a while, she could almost feel the blood draining from her face in despair.

Cautiously she turned around, and as much as her mind screamed at her to go back, she began to head in the opposite direction—towards the heat. The air was getting so hot as she went on that it nearly made her sick to breathe it, but when she ran up along a surface the second time, she was sure that she had found the door. Instinctively, she pulled her shirt collar up to cover her nose and mouth and then she rose to her feet, groping around for the handle.

She let out a shriek as the overheated metal burned her flesh, but a few seconds later she had determined that painful or not, she was going to have to try getting out this way.

There were no windows in the girl’s room, and the sense of self-preservation would not allow her to merely sit down and burn or suffocate to death. And so, she gritted her teeth hard as she moved forward to take the handle again, bracing herself for the searing pain that was to come.

Only this time, she really screamed.

The wall of heat hit her like a bullet train, and the girl immediately dropped to the ground again, letting out the stale air that she had been holding in all that time. On the upside, she could see again, because the smoke in the hallway had collected at the ceiling.

On the downside… she was terrified by what she saw.

Great orange and yellow flames seemed to be engulfing nearly every surface of her home, and they were licking out at her, beckoning her towards them. For a moment, she was paralyzed with fear. One false move and she would never make it out alive.

Then a loud cracking sound alerted her to a wooden beam overhead, and she had just enough time to snap out of it and roll to the side as it slammed into the floor where she had just been.

There was no choice. It was move or die.

She crawled forward at a steady pace, careful to give quite a bit of room to the fire, and attentive to any more noises that could possibly save her from being crushed. But after a while, her mind was no longer on her peril, but on her parents.

So focused on escaping and finding them was she, that she let out a startled yelp when her nose bumped into something hard and unyielding.

It was a shoe. A shoe that was on the foot of a stranger that should not have been in her house.

She backed up quickly, falling hard onto her rear in the process. But her clumsiness didn’t seem to affect the stranger much at all. In fact, the girl was not entirely sure that the figure even realized her presence there.

She was dressed in all black, and she had hair that matched the color of her clothing, bound in a ponytail. But they were nothing in comparison to her eyes, which were so dark that they made what she was wearing seem almost faded. There was a sinister glint there, some bloodthirsty evil that caused a chill to run through the girl’s body.

But the most frightening part was that the figure was covered in blood. Blood that was definitely not her own.

And then the figure’s eyes finally focused on the girl, as if she was seeing the other for the first time. The girl could not move, and her breathing stopped, as if she sensed that her parents were dead, and this was the person responsible. Not only that, but she felt that her own death was near…

“Airin~”

A sing-song voice, one that was wildly out of place, pierced the girl’s hearing, and for a second she could think again… if only to process what was being said.

“The thing about burning houses, my dear one, is that you must escape them before they collapse on you, otherwise you won’t be around to do it again. If you’ve done your job, it’s time to leave.”

The figure seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she turned her head to call back to the voice that had spoken.

“There’s a girl here… Their kid.”

“Oh? Then just make sure she can’t get out. We haven’t any time to deal with her, the firemen are beginning to arrive.”

“…Of course.”

The last thing the girl was aware of was a sharp pain in her forehead as something hard connected with her skull.

------------






In the Loft, Chinami awoke with a frightened scream.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: Tanachan on September 19, 2007, 11:03:21 PM
Dibs! :D

WAAAA~ HOUSE FIRE! For a second, I thought it was Momo's house, but then at the end, I went "WAAAAAAAA~ CHINAMI CHAN!" and nearly cried at the end ;_; You really know how to tear heart strings in half, and I hate you for it D<. And you know how to pull off the trainwreck effect too, ya know? Like it's so sad you want to stop reading, but you just can't look away xD. And DAMN YOU KOHA D< FREAKING LIGHTING CHINAMI'S HOUSE ON FIRE >.< And Airin! Stop taking the damn abuse, go join the light side...we have cookies :D! But oooh damn...seems like Chinami is gonna hurt her leg again ;_; I mean, she's gonna have to jump out the window...OR IS IT A NIGHTMARE? DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNN *ominous jaws music* Rawr xD
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: mode107 on September 20, 2007, 02:33:59 AM
Quote
Airin~”

A sing-song voice, one that was wildly out of place, pierced the girl’s hearing, and for a second she could think again… if only to process what was being said.

“The thing about burning houses, my dear one, is that you must escape them before they collapse on you, otherwise you won’t be around to do it again. If you’ve done your job, it’s time to leave.”

*gasp* Koharu?... :twisted: :twisted:  hehehe
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Five -- Distorted Sense of Justice]
Post by: iacus on September 20, 2007, 10:23:43 AM
GRRR  FIRE BAD!! BAAAAD!


.  .  .  .  .


Oh no not Chinami!

Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]
Post by: CrypticShadow8 on April 28, 2008, 04:38:30 AM
Man this was a really great story. It's too bad it doesn't seem like it's going to be updated. Well I hope that someone comes back and finishes this one day. Hey it's always nice to dream.
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]
Post by: abok on April 29, 2010, 09:14:17 PM
Please Update this story.... :grin: :grin:

i really like it..... :D
Title: Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]
Post by: JuulChii on February 25, 2015, 08:07:37 PM
I've read this fic by recommendation of a friend, knowing it wasn't finished. I read it anyway (caus I heard my OTP was in it ) and I'm glad I did.
I love this AU universe with all the characters. We got to know everyone's backstory and how the girls feel. You can say that some chapters are fillers but they are important parts of the character development!
It's sad to know I have to leave this fantasy world abruptly,  without knowing how it ends. But I enjoyed this Berryz fic a lot.
In less than a week this amazing group will separate. Will mis them a lot, but I'm glad that in their years we writers left some of our imagination with them :)
Hopefully one day you'll come back to this ^^ Got my support!