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Author Topic: Stigma: Chapter 3  (Read 5685 times)

Offline Aioros

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Stigma: Chapter 3
« on: July 04, 2008, 02:22:26 PM »
This fic is dedicated to my phone and my wallet that were both stolen a year ago. I hope the thief was able to make good use of you.

=======
Prologue
=======

They kicked me out.

They said I couldn't sing.

They said my dancing sucked.

They said I didn't have what it takes to be one of them.

So they kicked me out.

The hypocrites even threw a farewell concert for me. How sweet. It was like they were all happy to see me GTFO. After that gig I made sure I cut any communication I had with them.

I wanted to forget. 

I changed my phone number.

I changed my email address.

I changed.

I cut my hair a few centimeters shorter. (But it's grown back now.)

I grew a few inches taller. *crosses fingers*

I changed.

Except my teeth. I like them the way they are. I like my teeth.

I returned to being a normal girl.

I can go out in public without wearing those oversized caps. The only things I need to use now were my trusty glasses. They look cheap, but they're a lot more effective than any of those damn expensive caps I've used before. They're so effective, that when I bump into people I knew, they'd ask me who I was.

I can go to school without worrying that someone might take a picture of me while a sudden gust of wind blows up my skirt, put a black bar on my eyes and go post it in the internet.

I can...

...

Wait. The last one could still happen. So I still need to be careful. Fuck those stalkers!

But that's the least of my worries.

Now I had to worry about exams and my love life instead of memorizing dance steps and how to strategically hide behind the others during routines.

What about memorizing lyrics? I barely get any lines so I really didn't have to worry about that.

This won't sound normal coming from me, but I actually missed school.

I miss the bento my mom makes for me.

I miss arriving late so that I'd be ask to stand outside the classroom while the teacher discusses the new lessons.

I miss when my hot seatmate would try to hit on me by asking if I understood the lesson, even if he knew that I was out of the classroom the whole time.

Everything was almost back to normal.

Almost...


***
It was just a few weeks after that. I never heard from them again. Of course. I changed my contact numbers, duh? I was going home from school the one day when I noticed that someone was on my trail. That wasn't the first time.

I know the feeling of being stalked. I'm not sure what he wants from me but I was sure it was the same person who was following me the past few days. Because of his coat, long, black coat. He doesn't look like Yakuza though. I finally had the courage to confront the stalker that day because I had some pepper spray and an X-acto knife in my bag. (The knife was for art class! I'm not a psycho!)

"What do you want? Why are you following me? I'm not an idol. Not anymore. Leave me alone!" I told him. Or her.
"I know." I saw what he looked like. He looks like a girl. Wait. She is a girl. But now she looks like a guy. Anyway...
"Who are you?"
"Michael. You can call me Mike for short. And to stop your confusion, I'm a guy. I'm here to..."
"Nice to meet you, Mike-san. Now leave me alone! Fuck off!"
"Sorry but I can't do that."
"I'm going to call the police."
"I am one."
"Yeah right. Got an ID?"
"Of course." he said as he showed it to me. It looked legit though.
"You don't look like the one on the picture. The guy in the pic has a beard. And that's an ugly beard."
"Yeah. Because that was taken two centuries ago. Gillette didn't exist yet."
"Century ago my ass. This is a fake ID, isn't it? I can't even read some of the stuff written on it."
"It says that I'm the Field Commander."
"Tss. I didn't know such a rank existed. Are you a cosplayer?"
"I'm not a 'local' police. We operate in a much larger scale. You will see."
"Like I'd believe someone named T-Ta..."
"Taxiarch Archangel Michael"
"Yeah. Taxi driver whatever. What a weird name. It's like a name for a forum, except it doesn't have a random number at the end. You're a foreign fan, aren't you?"
"No."
"Why are you following me then?"
"I have to make sure that nothing happens to you. Because you have to save your friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes. Your friends."
"Oh, if mean 'them', they're not my friends. Not anymore. Look, can we stop talking about them? I might say some nasty stuff. Not that I'm bitter or something."
"They're still you're friends. But they became hosts."
"Hosts? You mean for the radio show? I know that."
"No. I'm going to show you something. Take a look behind you."
"You're going to grab me and put me into sleep if I do that, aren't you? Or take a picture with your camera? Or..."
"No. Just do what I say."

I did what he told me to do. I looked behind. I saw some plants. I saw some other students and salary men going home.

Everything seemed normal. Nothing weird. Except that man wearing Momo's outfit from the 21ji Made no Cinderella PV.

"What was I supposed to see?" I said as I looked back at him. "Are you trying to mess with me?"
"No." he said as he snapped his fingers.

I felt a cold pulse being released from his fingers. Cold enough to send shivers to my spine.

"Now take a look behind you." he said. "What do you see?"

I should have kept my mouth shut. What I could see now was something I wish I didn't.

Creatures. Creatures of various kinds were behind me. They had wings, horns, claws, tails and fangs. Some walked on four legs, some had hundreds and some didn't have any at all.  The other people didn't notice them even if they some of the creatures were already clinging on their backs. A small one was even humping the leg of this schoolgirl across the street, but it looked she didn't know or she didn't mind it at all. The creatures stopped what they were doing when they saw that I was observing them.

They looked at me and slowly approached. My mind was telling me to run as fast as I could by my whole body was numb. I've never felt scared like that in my whole life.

"W-what are they?" I asked him.
"Demons. And they were sent to kill you."

I fell as I tried to walk back.  One of the smaller demons crawled onto my legs and climbed to my shoulder. It whispered something but I was too scared to understand what it said. And maybe what it told me was something in their language. I could feel one of it's scythe-like hands across my neck, ready to sever my head from my body. I was scared stiff and didn't know what to do. Maybe I was just waiting for my death.

I don't know.

Mike-san picked up the demon from my shoulder and crushed its head. The demon's body fell on the ground and turned into dust. One demon leapt towards me but Mike caught it by the neck. The demon spat on his face and used its claws to scratch him. The fluids from the demon melted the cement as it dripped. Mike's face should have been burned but it wasn't. I don't know how he could keep his composure. He snapped the demon's neck and threw its lifeless husk back to the others. This angered the other demons and they started to run towards us. But Mike snapped his fingers again, this time releasing a warm pulse, and the demons disintegrated before they could reach us.

That's the first time I cried, since the concert...

"It's okay now. They're gone." he told me as tried to stop me from crying. "It's okay now."
"Y-you...what...did you just do?"
"I vanquished them."
"I...I'm scared. Please, don't show those things to me again."
"I was following you to make sure that they don't harm you. Be strong. You will be facing beings more terrifying than those. But I will help you prepare."
"W-why me? Why are they after me?"
"You were once a candidate to become a host. But now they want to eliminate you, because you have something that they want. And you will be the only one who can stop the seven."
"W-who are you?"
"I already told you my name right?"
"Where'd you come from?"
"Above." he said as he helped me stand up. (OMG he's tall!) "We need to begin your training. Those fuc..."

He was interrupted by thunder before he could finish talking. I wondered where the thunder came from, since the sky was clear and there were no signs of rain or a storm.

"Ah. Forgive me. I should set an example by not saying cuss words. Or else Boss would get mad and hit me with a lightning bolt."
"Boss?"
"Yeah. The Boss. We should start immediately, they will be sending a new wave after you by tomorrow."
"What is this training you're talking about?"
"Oh that? I'm going to train you fight those demons. Physically, you look fit enough. But your height...Hmm. Nah, that'll do."
"I'm going to fight them? No way! I don't want to get any wounds from those things! One of them could even melt cement like it was just ice cream! No way! Like I'd stand a chance against them!"
"That what I'm here for. I'm going to teach you what you need to know. No need to worry if it will interfere with your academics. I'm going to train you telepathically. I can train you in your dreams too. I know you're a fast learner. You're a smart girl after all."
"Does that mean I won't have privacy anymore?"
"You don't have a boyfriend right now, right?"
"Fine. Rub it in."
"You're a nice girl. And cute too." he said as he pinched my cheeks. I slapped his hand to stop him.
"Do that again and I'll kick your ass."
"Haha. Your attitude is kinda shaky but it'll be fine. I'm glad that you didn't become a host for it would have been hard to fight you. Starting today, you are a Harbinger trainee under my wing. Go home now and have your rest. I don't have enough time remaining to stay in this form. Training will start tomorrow..."

That was the last thing I heard him say. Then I recall hearing something rustle, almost like wings from a bird.

Then I also saw some feathers, white feathers fall from the sky.

Then I woke up. I think.

I thought that everything was just a dream, because when I opened my eyes, I was back in my room, staring at the ceiling.

I got up and logged on to my computer and good 'ol Googled for his name: "Taxiarch Archangel Michael"

I had to check if such a name existed because, IMHO, it sucks.

I wasn't expecting anything but there was a wikipage. And according to it, Taxiarch Archangel Michael is viewed as the good Angel of Death, and as the field commander of the Army of God.

...

Oh

My

Fucking

God

"Umm, don't use the Boss' name like that. And also, no cuss words."
"M-Mike-san?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Eeeek! What are you doing in my room?! I'm in my PJ's! They're almost see through!"
"I'm not in your room. I told you we could communicate using a virtual telepathic tunnel..."
"Where are you?"
"I'm in an ethereal plane."
"I haven't heard of that airline."
"It's not an airline. It's a place where we stay when we are not in corporeal form."
"Oh? Anyway, are you really that?" I asked as I pointed at wikipage that had his name."Are you the..."
"Yes. That's me."
"..."
"You don't believe me?"
"You don't have that fugly beard you have in your ID in these pics."
"Haha. Those are just artist renditions. But the pic in the ID I showed you is a real one. The beard is really that ugly huh?"
"Yeah. Don't ever grow it again. Ever."
"Noted."
"I can't believe that all of this is real. I thought I could finally live like a normal person."
"I'm sorry, but you are the only who can do this. It has been written in your destiny the moment you became one of them."
"One of them? You mean Berryz Koubou? I'm not..."
"You are still one of them."
"Those demons will try to go after me again, right?"
"Yes. I will teach you how to protect yourself. Those lesser demons are just minor obstacles. The real enemies are the demons living inside your friends. You have to stop them before they can fully manifest."
"I see." *sigh* "I'm not sure if I can...I'm not the right person for this."
"I know you can defeat them. I believe you can."
"Thanks for believing me."
"You just have to believe in yourself."


***
And so, that is how my life as a Harbinger began.

For the last couple of months, Mike-san has taught me a lot of things, things about my mission. He's already given me basic training on how to fight demons. I'm currently in the intermediate level, which is demon hunting. I'm not afraid of them anymore. Sometimes I think some of them are cuter than Keroro. Now I can also defeat them. In fact, I try to beat at least ten of them before I go home. I don't kill them though. I just knock them out so that it'll be easier for Mike-san to apprehend them.

I still have my normal schoolgirl life, but I can't date as much as I did before because my date might get turned off in case I run into demons and kick their asses in front of him.

Also, my use of cuss words has lessened. A lot. Mike-san told me that the Boss plucks some of my nose hair to remind me. I had a taste of it and I didn't like it. Not at all.

But that won't be the same case with Berryz Koubou. He said that's I'll have to be merciless to the demons that possessed them.

Berryz Koubou.

They said I couldn't sing.

They said my dancing sucked.

They said I didn't have what it takes to be one of them.

Now I know why they said those kinds of things to me. They were being manipulated. Those demons wanted to drive me away. Away from my friends. So that they can take over.

My friends.

Captain

Momo

Maasa

Chinami

Miya

Yurina

Risako

Forgive me for doubting you.

And forgive me.

Because I will going after one of you tonight...
« Last Edit: September 15, 2008, 01:19:09 PM by wordsworth »

WAR AKARI!!! Infernal Ninjutsu, Hidden Lore...Freedom of Opposites Technique!!! Rest in peace Kyle,Jab,Mom,Tita, ChrNo...

Offline ziggurat

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2008, 03:46:52 PM »
the ending is nice  :cry:

Goddamn a new epic fic! haha, you rock! go go demon hunter fic!

Jab <3 marimari <3 ChrNo~ your spirit shall live forever.. T_T || zgy@last.fm

Offline OTN1

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2008, 05:01:51 PM »
Neat premise for a story.  I thought it was Shige at first, but then after a bit I realised it wasn't. However, despite not knowing a thing about Berryz (still... and most likely forevermore), I read it all.  I really like your sense of humour, and you've got wonderful, snappy dialogue exchanges.
Quote
"They're still you're friends. But they became hosts."
"Hosts? You mean for the radio show? I know that."

...

"I'm in an ethereal plane."
"I haven't heard of that airline."
:lol: There was lots of laughing coming from my room.

Offline Estrea

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2008, 05:21:35 PM »
This is very promising! I look forward to more! ^_^

Anything with the archangels always draw my attention. :P

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline jafeijai

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2008, 05:57:23 PM »
Interesting..it's rare for a fanfic to be focused on Ishimura o.o Though I'm getting the feeling this might have been inspired by a certain DS game..o.O

Offline slasha

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2008, 07:40:36 PM »
A demon hunting facfic sounds awesome. And it has Ishimura. That's awesome too. I can't wait to read more.

Offline yanki07

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Re: Stigma
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2008, 12:42:54 PM »
I'm not really a fan of Berryz, but this fic sounds cool =D
*waitin for update*

Offline Aioros

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Stigma: Author's Notes
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2008, 12:38:09 PM »
Thanks for comments everyone! I've had the framework fro this fic for almost a year but I only had the time to start writing it recently.

I've written a bunch of fanfics here but I feel that this particular fic will be a challenge for me.

First, because the main character, as we all know, is no longer connected to H!P. I became a fan of H!P a few months after she graduated and I only got hooked to Berryz half a year after that. I have almost no idea what kind of character she is, and what kind of character she has become. True, she's still in some clips in youtube and there's still some info about her in theppn and wiki but that's pretty much it. Not knowing what kind of person is some kind of a bonus though, because it eliminates any accuracy issues there is to her real-life counterpart and I can develop her into the character I want her to become. After all, authors are gods in their own right when it comes to writing stories. :grin:

Second, is that this fic needs a bit of research. I'm not really a religious person but I've been interested in the angels ,their evil counterparts and anything related to them since I read Dante's Inferno. But that was back in high school and that was like a decade ago. Maybe playing Castlevania revived my interest but wth? :lol:

On a side note, on the night I posted the prologue, the bus I rode home was showing this movie titled Gabriel. It's about the Archangel Gabriel and his mission to save the souls in purgatory from the Fallen, lead by a rogue archangel. It has some elements that I need for this fic and seeing this film kinda hyped me up. Too bad I had to alight the bus halfway of the movie.  :lol: :doh:

Third, is time. I have 3 more ongoing fics and I'm not sure I can manage all of them at the same time. But I've decided that this will be a monthly one, since it's going to be short anyway. Unless there's a C-ute ver. of course.

I'm sure there will be some more challenges along the way, but that's life.

So without further ado, here is the first chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it.  :)






WAR AKARI!!! Infernal Ninjutsu, Hidden Lore...Freedom of Opposites Technique!!! Rest in peace Kyle,Jab,Mom,Tita, ChrNo...

Offline Aioros

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Stigma: Gluttony
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2008, 12:50:26 PM »
This is my first mission. Ever.

It was around 8PM. Still early.

Mike-san didn't go on a stakeout with me for this like the ones we did during training. I was all by myself. He said that this will be easy but still, he reminded me to be careful. He gave me the location of the target. So far, it hasn't appeared yet.

I got bored so I started talking to Mike-san.

"Mike-san? You there?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
"You're all powerful and mighty right? You can kill demons with just a snap of your fingers right?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"How come you can't get rid of those demons that possessed my friends by yourself? Are they too powerful for you?"
"It's true that I can vanquish demons without even touching them but the demons within your friends are a different case. They have established some sort of a parasitic bond and are slowly feeding on the life source of the hosts.  Actually, I can persecute them anytime but a sudden severance of the bond between the two will kill the host."
"Whoa! Dangerous stuff! And I thought you were just too lazy to do it."
"Laziness is one of the demons."
"I know. I was just kidding you Mike-san. Anyway here's another question. Actually, I asked this before but you didn't answer me."
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"No, not that question."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Why did you choose me to become a Harbinger? Is it related to me almost becoming one of the hosts? Or is it because of my cute dimples? Am I tsundere material?"
"Hmm. Sorry if I didn't tell you the reason before. I had to make sure first that you were up to the task. It's true that it has something to do with you being almost one of the hosts. When you were chosen to be a candidate, the demons imbued you with energy. That energy prevented us from detecting them and it also aided to incubate their growth. They slowly evolved in the bodies of your friends and now, instead of just feeding on their life source, their hunger causes them to feed on other humans as well."
"Feed on humans? You mean like the way zombies do? They go chasing them around?"
"Yes. They feed on the soul primarily, the essence of a person. But the demons' way of consumption varies. Some use temptation so the victim surrenders it voluntarily. I think only two of them literally eats its victim. The one you are after tonight is like that."
"Ewww! That's gross! And to think I almost became something like them."
"The hosts were chosen because they have certain characteristics or traits that is somehow related to the demon's power. For  example, Lust probably possessed the cutest or, may Boss forgive me for saying this, sexiest one from your group so she will be able to temp her victims easier. You didn't have any of the qualities they wanted, so yeah."
"Ha! That would definitely be Risako-chan! I'm sure of it! That explains her sudden 'growth'!"
"Maybe. Lust is a straightforward and predictable demon. Dumb would be the best word to describe her."
"Yep. That's Risako-chan. Wanna bet?"
"Nope. No gambling."
"Okay. So I wasn't qualified...that means I'm all pure and clear right?"
"Not necessarily."
"What do you mean not necessarily? Are you saying that I'm stained or something? I've never even been kissed yet!"
"By a girl?"
"Um...ah...fine! You win!"
"It could have been because the qualities they were looking for were not that strong in you compared to the other members. But you still have that imbued energy inside. That energy is neither good nor evil, so anyone empowered by it can hurt us, and demons as well. Also, the seven can't achieve their final metamorphosis until they take it from you. "
"That's why they want me dead huh? Well, they're never gonna take it from me! What kind of demon is our target tonight?"
"I've encountered him before. If Lust is dumb, he is dumber. You can defeat him, I assure you. I received a report that he's been spotted in this area. And it was also in the news that there were people who suddenly went missing."
"I see. Sorry, I rarely watch news shows or read the papers."
"No problem. I will tell them to include you in the mailing list."
"You guys have email?"
"Who doesn't nowadays?"
"Good point. So, do you know his host?"
"Yes. But I'm afraid I can't tell you. Being aware of its host might jeopardize your safety."
"Because I might show mercy? Yeah right! Come on, tell me now Mike-san."
"Sorry I really can't."
"I'll let you borrow my classmate's copy of Risako-chan's photobook."
"..."
"What about Kumai-chan's?"
"..."
"Miya's?"
"..."
"Momo's?"
"..."
"Don't. Stop."
"Oooh, so you want Airi-chan's and Maimi-chan's?"
"First or second?"
"..."
"Wait, wait, wait! I mean..."
"You sir, are busted!"
"Alright. I will stop talking to you now. And you should return those things you borrowed back to your classmate."
"I'm just kidding!"

I know he's got a high rank compared to the others of his kind and he may be strict sometimes, but he never got mad at me, not even once. He treats me like a little sister, a spoiled little sister. So I do what a spoiled little sister does best: tick her older brother off.

"Umm, now it's my turn to ask you a question." he said.
"Yes?"
"Are you going to wear something like that in all of the missions?"

He was referring to my getup. What was I wearing? Well, I had a sleeveless Hellcatpunks top, a denim skirt, boots, a beret and a black trench coat with pink fur. And my glasses. Awesome isn't it? But damn, I forgot to wear a necktie. I'll just wear it next time, along with my eye patch.

"Ah? You noticed that I'm not wearing the right pair of socks?" I found out that I had a striped one on my right leg while the one on my left leg was with strawberry and spider web prints. "I was in a hurry."
"Now that you mentioned it...But I was speaking for the entirety of your attire. Don't you think it's too outrageous?"
"I'm comfortable with them. And the boots gives me an additional two inches in height. Unless you want me to go out on my PJs like when we were training."
"..."
"You really like those PJs, huh?"
"..."

Suddenly, I heard someone scream. I ran to the scene and found a bunch of clothes scattered on the floor. They were covered by some kind of icky liquid and smelled really bad. There was a trail of the icky liquid and that's what I followed.

After a few corners, I was able to catch up. And I saw him. My first target. One of the demons that possessed my friends.

Gluttony.

He was a blob that didn't have a definite shape. To give you an idea, he looked a lot like that Pizza the Hut character from that Star something movie, except he had a bunch of mouths all over his body. I wasn't sure if he had any feet, for he was just using his arms to move around. Maybe he's just too heavy and his legs couldn't support his weight. The horrible stench was at it's fullest.

It looked like he was still chewing something, then after a few seconds he took out some clothes from his biggest mouth and threw it at my direction. He burped then he turned around, noticing my presence.

"Mmmm. You look yummy, little girl." he said as he wet his lips. All of his lips. "Can I eat you?"
"Wanna have a taste of me? Go ahead! Just a word of advice, try to brush your teeth every once in a while. You stink like hell!"
"Ahh, a feisty one. Now how am I going to eat you? I know! I'm going to crush your bones and make it as seasoning when I eat your flesh. Your cheeks tell me that you are meaty. Maybe you can get more puffy once you're soaked with your own blood. And your legs...Mmmm. I'm gonna save them for last."
"Ewww! Don't talk in double meanings okay! I'm still a minor!"

Suddenly, a couple of appendages grew from his body and wrapped around my wrists and my legs. He started to drag me towards him.

"Familiar with these kinds of scenes?"
"Err...No?"
"Oh come on! It's from those shows you call hentai. You watch those kind of shows, don't you?"
"Now that you mentioned it...YUCK! This is fucking gross dude! Let me go!"
"You're a meaty one for a skinny girl." he said as he wrapped one of his tentacles on my waist. "I'm gonna enjoy eating you!"
"Tentacle hentai is overrated and is slowly fading into obscurity. Futanari is the fad now. I only watch Yuri ones though. But that was before. Before! I know you're listening, Mike-san!"
"Mike-san? Who is Mike-san? Ah, don't tell me! You were the reject!"
"Don't call me names, you big tub of poocrap!!"
"Yes! Yes! I can feel the energy within your body. I'm gonna eat you so I can be free from this damn host! I gotta thank Michael for sending you. He saved me the trouble of looking you."
"He didn't send me to be your food, shitforbrains!"

I took out a weapon that Mike-san gave me. It's a small dagger and he said that it's standard equipment for Harbingers. He calls it 'Divine Shard', and according to him, it's made from one of his feathers. It is used to separate the demon from the host, without putting the life of the host in danger, and for close quarter battles with demons. With just one swing, I was able to cut all of his appendages that bound me.

"Ahh! That hurts! You little bitch!" he said as he slapped me with one of his appendages. "I'm going to tear you apart!"

I walked towards him as he kept lashing his remaining appendages at me. It didn't stop me though. They kinda hurt but thanks to the special oil Mike-san gave me before the mission, his attacks were tolerable. To tell you the truth, the penalty for saying cuss words were more painful than his attacks.

When I was in front of him, I gave him a one-two combination, then a kick and kept on stomping him. I climbed one of the flower boxes and elbow dropped him to finish him off. The asshole couldn't put up a real fight. I didn't even need the shard to hurt him.

Mike-san was right. I can beat him. And I did beat him.

"I have a question for you again. Did you drink the oil I gave you?" Mike-san asked me.
"Yeah. I mixed it with milk and drank it before I left? Was I supposed to do something else with it?"
"You just had to rub it on your skin, like tanning lotion."
"Oh. It doesn't have any side effects, right?"
"None actually. Drinking it has the same effect as rubbing it, except that it will amplify the pain when you say cuss words."
"Oh shi...OUCH! So that explains it! And I thought you were gonna tell me that it was made from your sweat."
"Your mind. It scares me. But anyway, time to extract him from your friend."

I placed the shard near the demon's body to detect the link to the host. He said that the link looks like a thin strand made of energy. Once I found it, I cut it. Whew. Now I know how defusing a bomb feels like.

I had to check if there was more than one link. Luckily, that was the only one that connected them. Then I stabbed Gluttony with the shard and as I pulled him away, his filthy form came off with the shard and the body of his host started to materialize. Good thing the stench went away too.

"M-Momo-chan?!"
"Good job. I'm very proud of you." Mike-san told me as he appeared in his physical form. He picked up Gluttony, turned him into a coin and placed him in a jar and sealed it. "Your first mission in a success."
"Thanks." I said as I dusted my clothes. "Hmm. I know that she eats a lot but I never imagined Momo to be the host of something that gross. I was thinking that she'd probably be the host for Sloth lol. But she's a member of Buono after all, and Buono members get to eat a lot of different kinds of food. Maybe that explains why she doesn't gain weight even if she eats a lot."
"Maybe. Maybe she's...you know...dumb?"
"Momo? Dumb? Nah. Clumsy, yes. But dumb? I don't think so. Don't call her dumb again Mike-san."
"I'm sorry. You must really like this girl, huh?"
"Yeah...W-wait!"
"What? I wasn't implying any double meanings."
"Not that. How come her clothes are still intact? I watched some movies before and when they do something like this, the possessed person usually comes out naked after exorcism or demonic extraction. Did I do something wrong?"
"Well, first of all, this is not a perv fic. If your friend came out naked, the author will get a warning from tama-chan again."
"Who's that? One of the bosses?"
"You can say that. But it doesn't matter if she has clothes on or not. What's important is that she is safe now."
"This tama-chan person doesn't have clothes?!!!"
"I was talking about the host."
"Awww."
"But I heard that tama-chan wears a cape. ONLY a cape. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Pics or GTFO!"
"You should start watching some shojou anime. Watching too much hentai gives you lewd ideas and it messes with your mind."
"I don't watch hentai. At least, not anymore."
"Then why do you want to see your friend naked?"
"Why would I want to see her naked? FYI, I already know what she looks like without any clothes on."
"..."
"Yeah."
"..."
"I'm kidding."
"No. You are not."
"Okay. But I didn't do it in purpose. We were in the same room so..."
"That part, I believe."
"I get it. Stop mindprobing me now, I'm not going to ask anything about your girlfriend anyway."
"Alright."
"Cool. So, what do we do with her now?"
"You need to check if there are still any traces of the demon left inside her. Use the shard to... what are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?! Stop that!"

That's what he said as he saw me poking Momo with the shard. But I knew that the shard wouldn't hurt her, since it will only cut through evil. It looks terribly sharp but its sharpness is reserved only for fighting demons. So no matter how hard or how many times I poke Momo, she'll still be unscathed. Unless she’s evil. Maybe Miya will bleed hehe. We'll see...

"Her arms are saggy. But she's got some muscles." I said as I pinched them. "Cute!"
"Why don't you wake her up so you can take her home."
"I have to take her home? I don't even know where her house is! What if she lives in the next city!?"
"That's why you should wake her up. So you will know what to do."
"Oh yeah. Right."
"And stop poking her with the shard."

I began to shake her but Momo's not a light sleeper. I tapped her cheeks. It still didn't work so I gave her one hard slap.

"Itai!!! What was that for?!!!"
"Finally. I was thinking of dropping a rock on your head or breaking your pinky if that didn't work."
"Umm, who are you?"
"Ehhh?" I forgot that I was still wearing my glasses. I took them off and put them in my pocket. "There. Remember me?"
"M-Maiha-chan."
"Long time no see, Momo."
"Maiha-chan!"

I was in Momo's arms. Again. She was the only one that was nice to me since the beginning. And to be honest, she was the one I missed the most when I left. I mean, when they kicked me out.

"It's you! It's really you! You look fab!"
"Of course. I'm a Buono fan."
"Maiha-chan!"
"Wow. If you squeeze me any tighter I'm gonna suffocate."
"Oh, I'm sorry." she said as she let go. "What are we doing here?"
"Me? I was out on night patrol. You? You just ate some people earlier and attacked me with tentacles..."
"Ehhh?"
"Crap! I mean I saw you...doing...help me out Mike-san. You didn't tell me that she's going to have amnesia."
"I told you back in training that the hosts are unaware of the demon's activities once it is the dominant character."
"Oh yeah. What do I tell her now?""
"Mike-san? Who's that?"
"Err...he's...she can't see you?" I whispered.
"She can't. Just tell her you found her asleep on the train." he replied.
"Oh, okay. I found you asleep on the train Momo. I didn't know where you were supposed to get off so I just piggy-backed you here until you woke up. It's dangerous if I left you alone in that train. You know, creepy stalker dudes. And that guy who dresses in your outfit..."
"Really? That's so sweet of you!" she said as she pinched my cheeks. I slapped her hand to stop her.
"Do that again and I'll kick your ass."
"You haven't changed. Not at all." she said as she hugged me again.
"I'm taller than you now."
"Dream on! You're wearing boots."
"Hahaha. It's nice to see you again, Momo."
"You too Maiha-chan."
"So."
"So?"
"We're not going to kiss each other, right?"
"Do you want to?" she told me as she pouted and blinked rapidly.
"Momo?!!"
"I'm just kidding."
"Whew."

It was cute when she pouted. It almost suckered me to kiss her. Good thing I'm a master of self-control. I poked her with the shard one last time, to make sure she's not possessed.

"What was that for?"
"I'm checking if you have any ticklish spots."
"You know one spot."
"Where? Oh, okay. I remember...I remember..." but I won't tell you! It is highly confidential!
"Maiha-chan..."
"Y-Yes?"
"I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat. My treat."
"Sure."
"Let's go for some Fried Ika and Takoyaki."
"Err...could we eat something without tentacles?"

===
And so, we were able to defeat and capture the demon Gluttony. The first of the seven. I hope the other targets will be as easy as this, which will probably be not.

I saw Momo again. After how many months of not seeing or talking to any of them. I see Buono in magazines though and I think they're kinda cool. I like their outfits.

I walked her home. I found out that her house was just a few blocks from that area.

She said I'm still the same. Maybe I am. But there's one thing for sure. I'm taller than her now. Even without the boots.

How'd I know? It was late when we got to her place. It was a Friday anyway and she wanted me to sleep over.

Just like old times.

We slept together.

SLEEP. Nothing else. So cut the dirty imagination or Ima kick your asses!!!

                  

                                                                                             
But you know, if that ever happens, I'm going to be the dominant top…





===
Psst

I told you about the Divine Shard right? That it only cuts evil?

I poked Momo with it a lot of times and nothing happened to her.

Well, one time, I accidentally pricked my finger with the tip of the blade.

Guess what?

I bled.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 10:23:03 AM by wordsworth »

WAR AKARI!!! Infernal Ninjutsu, Hidden Lore...Freedom of Opposites Technique!!! Rest in peace Kyle,Jab,Mom,Tita, ChrNo...

Offline CrypticShadow8

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 1
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2008, 05:05:44 AM »
 :lol: :lol: :lol: Your story cracks me up. I laughed the whole time I was reading it. I love your Maiha. And yay!!!! Momo appeared! Always great to have her. I'm glad her and Maiha still got along. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Offline ziggurat

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 1
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2008, 02:36:07 PM »
* ziggurat reports to tama about the new chapter

Someone gonna get hurt really bad. >:D

Nice one words :D

Jab <3 marimari <3 ChrNo~ your spirit shall live forever.. T_T || zgy@last.fm

Offline Yuuyami

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 1
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2008, 02:51:05 PM »
Ahahaa~ I like this story :3

Yay demon hunting~

But what's more, it's hunting down the seven sins~ WOO! Miya better be pride or wrath xDDD

Maiha's an awesome character, being all badass and being the newb here xDDD. Roffle at the tentacle references and the Tama-chan comment, you certainly know how to utilize concurrent humor~

Keep on writing! -gives another hardhat- o-o...

Offline slasha

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 1
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2008, 07:57:07 PM »
Yay Maiha defeats her first demon...and it was in Momo too. Pretty cool.

The tentacle references made me rofl and the tama-chan references were funny too.

Offline rokun

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 1
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2008, 09:17:23 PM »
:? WHY did I not notice this story before and respond to it???

I'm so happy to see some of the "old guard" as it were coming back for the summer! :D You and your stories... and OTN and her... well, comments at least. :P (and of course the madlib!) I've missed your writings because I feel like we have some things in common :) perhaps not the least of which we're a couple guys in the girls' world here lol. And of course, that you write about the kids...

Speaking of which, I suspected almost immediately the character was Maiha, and a little ways through the prologue I realized it for sure. :) You say you may not have as much to base her character on, but there seems to be a pretty decent amount of material around here involving her to draw some clues from. Speaking of which, when Loser-chan and I ever continue our collab, there'll be one more story added to that list. ;) I'll have to work on that.

Anyway, I've digressed. The pseudo-religious base is interesting to me since I'm always into stuff like that. I'm really curious what Maiha's story is though, especially considering that last line of chapter 1. Or perhaps since I don't know something you may be basing it on maybe I'm just clueless as usual. :lol: Anyway, so she's saved Momo? Yay! And Momo is cute as always, though they should have kissed. :P Give her a good first reward for completing her first mission and saving a girl's life! It sounds like if she was closest to Momo, perhaps she won't have the opportunity with the rest... though the confrontation with Lust could be fun.  :twisted: Once the action and the demon-hunting started, I knew it was a wordsworth fic. :D You have that certain style.

Keep it up! And glad to see you (and others) around again!!! :D

Offline Aioros

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Stigma: Envy
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2008, 10:53:37 AM »
He was not supposed to be next on my hitlist. But something came up.

===
I told you that Mike-san can talk to me in my dreams, right? That's how they were able to reach me. 'They' because it was his host that appeared in my dream.

***
"Maiha-chan? Maiha-chan?"
"I-I didn't copy her homework, Ma'am. In fact, I had no intention of doing the homework anyway..."
"Silly. You're not in school. You're still asleep."
"If I'm still asleep, how are you able to talk to me?"
"Err...the same way that angel talks to you?"
"Fuck! You're one of those demons aren't you? Who are yo....Kumaichan?!"
"So you really are the rejec...I mean, I mean..."
"Damn. Even my dreams betray me."
"Sorry. What I was trying to say was..."
"Yes I'm the reject. And I'm also the one assigned to get rid of those demons inside your bodies."
"..."
"Wait. I didn't say anything about demons inside your bodies right?"
"It's okay. I know."
"You know?!"
"Yes. I know that I'm a host. I know what you did to Momo."
"I see. That is what this is all about, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"So, are you gonna kill me now or what?"
"That's not my intention. I came here to ask you if we could meet tomorrow. He wants to talk to you."
"He? He?! Oh my! Don't tell me...You have a boyfriend?!!"
"No! Of course not!"
"You're blushing."
"He's...not...he's not..."
"It's the demon who wants to talk to me, right?"
"Y-yes."
"It's not a trap, isn't it?"
"Even if it were a trap, you'd still go to save me, right?"
"I'll think about it."
"Maiha-chan?!!!"
"Just kidding. You know I can't resist you Kumaichan. You're yummy...I mean...nice. Hey, how come I'm taller than you now?"
"Of course. You're dreaming."
"Oh yeah. I fail in life..."
"Tomorrow, we'll see how much you've shrunk."
"I'm taller than Momo."
"Really? Haha. Alright. I'll let you get back to your sleep now Maiha-chan."
"Thanks. Wanna sleep with me?" *wink*
"Eeewww! Since when did you become a perv?"
"Errr...since Momo slept with me?"
"..."
"What? I wasn't implying anything perv. Momo asked me to sleep over her place. That's all."
"I see. Maybe you can sleep over my house too. When all of this is through."
"Can the two of us fit in one bed? Coz you know, you're tall and..."
"That's what we need to find out."
"Haha. Okay, I'm gonna sleep now. See you tomorrow then..."


Funny. Because I woke up and was never able to get back to sleep after that.

***
The next day, I consulted Mike-san about that dream. I needed his advice before I do anything.

"Even if it were a trap, you'd still go to save her, right?"
"Well yeah. Wait. Were you snooping in my dream?"
"No. Why?"
"That's exactly what Kumaichan told me. Anyway, have you already identified the demon she is linked to?"
"Yes. Envy. He's not really dangerous but still, you have to be careful. I do not know how he has changed."
"Envy? Kumaichan's doesn't seem to be envious or the jealous type. I wonder why she was chosen to be the host."
"That's what we need to find out."
"Admit it. You were snooping in my dream. Don't worry, I won't get mad."
"..."
"You're so gullible. I'm just playing around. Mike-san. I know you don't do that. I'm sorry."
*sigh* "To tell you the truth, I vowed never to interrupt your dreams again after seeing you mercilessly tie up that poor classmate of yours in one. I dared not witness what was going to happen next..."
"..."
"It was an accident, okay? I was supposed to ask you something but...yeah. I'm not going to disturb your sleep again." 
"Don't be too defensive. I don't mind. You could have joined if you wanted to."
"..."
"Hahaha. I don't remember having that one, but thanks for reminding me. Yuki-kun's so hot...Was it Yuki-kun? Or someone else?"
"You scare me. Not just sometimes now, but most of the time."
"I'm not a bad person."
"I know. Do you think I would have chosen you if you were bad? I trust you, Maiha-chan."
"T-thanks Mike-san. I promise. I won't let you down. I'm going to save my friends."
"You should get going. You don't want to be late."
"I...Right. I should go."

I wanted to tell him something witty again, or maybe just apologize, but I couldn't. I should always keep in mind that this is serious business. I know I should stop joking around, but I just can't. Maybe because he's the first grown up that's put up and has tolerated anything and everything I've done and told him.

Maybe...could it be...I'm infatuated with him?

Nah. He doesn't look like a lolicon person. And he's waaaaaaaay too old for me. It's almost like me falling for a dinosaur or something even older. No offense, Mike-san. You're hot but the oldest I can go for at the moment is twenty...or maybe someone Gackt's age.

I was in line to buy some train tickets when I remembered something: Kumaichan didn't tell me where we were supposed to meet! I gave Momo a call and asked for Kumaichan's number. I sent her a message but this also crossed my mind: what if she wasn't aware of our conversation in my dream and the demon was just using her to lure me in?

Damn, I should have called her first instead of just sending an SMS to make sure. She might think I'm a whacko or a nutcase! I was so relieved when she replied. She also apologized for not giving me any details last night. So it's true. She knows. She's aware that she's a host.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?

Mike-san was right about keeping the identity of the host secret until I've purged the demon from her. Knowing that Kumaichan's the host just made things a lot more difficult for me. She was nice to me when I was still with them. I don't want to hurt her, even if Mike-san told me before that any injuries inflicted on the demon wouldn’t reflect on the host.

Kumaichan/the demon asked me to meet her in a ramen house not far from the station. I warned her that I didn't bring any money so if we're going to eat, it'll be on her. She didn't say no and she didn't say yes either. But knowing her, she'd let me eat whatever I want. She's been like that even before. She'd cover us when we didn't have enough money and she doesn't even ask to pay her back. I wish I had a girlfriend like her...

She was already waiting when I arrived. She stood up from her seat when she saw me. Damn, she was tall. Even with my boots, standing next to her makes me look like a midget. She's pretty skinny though. But still, she was more pretty than skinny.

"Hello Kumaichan! Long time no see."
"Maiha-chaaan!!!" she said as she pinched my cheeks. I slapped her hand to stop her.
"Do that again and I'll kick your ass."
"Okay!" What the? She pinched my cheeks again! "I missed you, Maiha-chan!"
"This is war!" I reached up and started to pinch her cheeks too. "First one to let go loses!"

It didn't last for a minute. I lost. I forgot that she has an elastic face.

"That hurts..."
"I beat you, Maiha-chan."
"Yeah. It happened because I'm hungry."
"Go ahead, order anything. It's on me."
"If you say so..."

We had a girly chat while we were eating, like what shampoo she's using, what size of panti...er...pants she buys, and stuff like that.  I asked her if she was going out with a boy. She said that they're still not allowed to do that. She asked me if I was seeing someone.

"Not right now. But I had like three or four boyfriends already. And almost one girlfriend."
"Wow! You're such a player."
"It's not my fault that I'm cute. Know what, if you graduate from Berryz, you'd be more of a player than me with that looks."
"Nah. You know I'm a shy person, Maiha-chan."
"Pffft. I 'm sure a lot of boys would want to get your number or take you out for a date."
"Really?"
"Of course. Believe me."
"Thanks."
"So, when do I talk to him?"
"Wait."

Kumaichan closed her eyes. She opened it after a few seconds and her pupils changed, like a Sharingan user.

"Hello, Ishimura-san. It's a pleasure to meet you." her voiced changed too.
"E-Envy right?"
"Right. Umm, maybe you'd like to talk somewhere else. This place isn't safe..."

We left the shop and headed to a nearby park. We settled in one of the benches. It was starting to get dark so we were the only ones left.

"What do you want?" I asked him. "If you want to fight just tell me now so we can get over it."
"Violence is unnecessary, Ishimura-san. I didn't call you out here to battle you."
"What then?"
"I want you...to remove me from Yurina-chan's body."
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"You heard me. Remove me from Yurina-chan's body. That is all I ask of you."
"I heard you alright. But why are you calling her Yurina-chan? Are you close or something?"
"It's a long story."
"As long as it's not a never-ending one, I'm all ears."
"Alright."

"It was during the time you girls were chosen to become Berryz Koubou. All the others were done and I was the only one remaining without a host. I was left with you, Ishimura-san, you and Yurina-chan. It would have been an easy decision. I would have chosen you. Aside from being cute, you were the cream of crap, the rotten apple. In terms of talent, you had very little. Up to now, I still don't understand how you made the cut."

"Fuck you."

"You're welcome. Now back to my story."

"You were the perfect host for me. That attitude alone was enough. It would have been very easy to feed from your essence and I could have easily reached the threshold to attaining my ultimate form...but I chose Yurina-chan instead. Why? Because she had the potential. She looked like she was hiding something inside her, masked by the cheerful personality she exhibited to you. And she was the only pure-hearted girl in your group. There's nothing that sets a demon off more than corrupting a pure heart."

"That can't be denied. She even told me that she's never even seen a guy's thing before."
"Have you?"
"Only in pictures. Miya showed me from a magazine before. And in some manga..."
"Yaoi manga I presume."
"Yeah. I have no shame."

"Hahaha. True, she didn't look as cute as you girls before, her height was normal and in terms of talent, you two were almost equal, except she was a wee bit better."

"Fuck you."

"All my assumptions were proven correct once I linked with Yurina-chan. Deep inside she knew she belonged to the bottom tier of Berryz Koubou. She couldn't sing as good as Natsuyaki or Tsugunaga, or dance as well as Shimizu and Tokunaga. She was insecure. She knew she lacked something. And she wanted to belong. I let her know about my presence in one of her dreams. Maybe she didn't believe that I could actually do it, but she told me what she wanted. I improved her vocals, making her get a spot as one of the front girls. I also improved her dancing and..."

"Whoa there buddy! Are you gonna tell me that you're also responsible for Kumaichan's growth spurt?!"

"Partially, yes. But I just tampered with her hormones a bit. She was going to grow tall anyway. Have you seen her parents? They're like a family of Ultramen! Or like a Sequoia garden when they're walking together!"

"Haven't seen her parents yet... But...do you think you could give me a height boost too?" 

"No can do shortie. I can only use my powers on my host. Good luck with your vitamins."

"Weak!"

"Yurina-chan's height aided greatly in my life force consumption. A lot of girls and women not just in Hello! Project wanted to have the same height as her. Also, there were times when Yurina-chan gets jealous whenever she saw the other girls go out boys their height. I pitied her once because the boy she fancied stood only up to her shoulder. He was a penpal and they only talked in letters but when the time came for them to meet, they discovered that horrible truth and both of their hearts were crushed. Yurina-chan still wrote to him but the boy didn't respond anymore."

"Damn. That's pretty sad."
"Yeah. And what's sadder is that he was still taller than you."
"You never stop, don't you?"
"I do, actually."
"Know what, if I became your host, we'd get along pretty well."
"Of course. You're like me trapped in a small girl's body."
"Whatever."

"Anyway, Yurina-chan became what she wanted: famous. She got more lines, her popularity grew, she made a lot of fans, but still, she wasn't as popular as the other members. However, instead of wanting more, the thing that I was scheming the entire time, Yurina-chan was content with her current state. I wanted others to become jealous of her and I wanted her to be jealous of others. Too bad my plan failed. Not only failed, but backfired."

"What do you mean?"

"You see...Yurina-chan...She was happy. She knew when to stop. And that kind of attitude...kind of rubbed into me. I had a change of heart, even if I think I don't have one. She showed me how it is to become content. And being content...wasn't that bad actually, once I've gotten used to it. From all the hosts I ever had before, Yurina-chan was the only one who taught me that I could actually live without trying to be something I can't be."

"So the pure heart corrupted the evil heart huh?"
"You can say that."
"Can't you guys remove yourselves from the host without any help?"
"We can, actually. But if we do that, the host dies. I don't want Yurina-chan to die."
"What happens if I cut you off? Will she shrink? Will she lose her voice?"
"Hahaha. Of course not. What has been done cannot be undone. She will live normally. Well, normal idol life that is. Still no boyfriends."

There was a flash of light and when I looked at him, he was in his demon form.

"What the? You look like Mike-san! Only you have horns...and a tail…which makes you ten times hotter...nevermind...what am I saying..."
"Sorry. Even I don't even know what my real form looks like now. I've always wanted to become one of them, an angel. Too bad the thing I wanted the most is the only thing my powers cannot grant me. Now please, remove me from Yurina-chan and turn me over to Michael. I don't want to cause her trouble anymore."
"What if I don't?"
"It's fine. I'll just wait until I'm the next one on your list. At least you know my story."
"Hmmm. Your story was nice. You almost got me there."
"What do you mean?"
"I almost believed everything that you said...Thanks for setting up this trap!"
"Trap?"

I wasn't sure if he was just playing dumb. But we were surrounded. The demons that surrounded us weren't like the ones I encountered before. They had a pig-like appearance, like that Ganon boss from the Zelda games, except they had wings and an average height of two feet. They were too many for me to count.

"I...I don't have anything to do with this."
"Tsss. I shouldn't have believed you. You're a demon afterall..."

One of the demons leapt towards us and I gave it a right straight. Instead of exploding and splattering it's intestines all over me, it just crumbled and turned into a 500 yen coin. It hurt though. It was almost like punching a hollow block. I was about to pick it up when I heard another crumbling sound behind my back. I turned around and saw Envy pointing his fingers at me.

"Trying to kill me when I'm not looking huh? Nice try."
"I wasn't...one of those demons was coming for you."

I wasn't sure if I should believe him, but there was another 500 yen coin on the ground. The coin was already in my hand when something whizzed in front of me and took it away. Bastard was pretty fast, I say.

"Sorry. But that's mine." it said.
"So. It's you. Greed."
"One of your buddies?"
"Not anymore."

The demon he was talking about made himself visible to us. He looked like the others that surrounded us but he was a bit taller than them. Also, one of his knees was heavily wrapped with bandages. Mike-san said that any injuries inflicted on the demon wouldn’t reflect on the host. However, any injuries on the host will also be seen on the demon. Guess I have a hint who Greed's host is already. Pigs, 500 yen, sprinter and bandaged knee. If you don't know who she is, then you must be a C-ute fan.

"Well, well. If it isn't Envy...and the reject. Good thing I decided to go for a stroll tonight or I haven't learned about your plans."
"I don't want to do anything with you guys anymore! Leave me alone!"
"Having that tall girl as your host made you weak I see. But looks like she provided you with all the energy you need. I can't let it just go to waste when you turn yourself to them. Why don't you just give it to me?"
"No."
"I guess I'll have to take it from you then...."

That was all Greed said before he vanished. The next thing I saw was Envy picking up his head from the ground. The life force he collected was flowing from his neck.

"Why don't you give him a hand, Reject." Greed said he appeared from where he stood earlier and started to drain the life force. "Before I get all the goodies. Good thing you didn't forget to put that holy oil, puffy cheeks, or your head would have fallen off too."

I checked the sides of my neck and there was minor bleeding.

"WHOA! What the fuck?! When did he? Hey, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It'll take more than that to kill me." he said as he re-attached his head back to his body. "Now do you believe me? I don't have anything to do with this."
"Okay. I believe you. But is Kumaichan alright?"
"As long as I'm in this form, nothing bad will happen to her. She's safe, but I don't know for how long. That's why I'm asking you to extract me from her."
"You knew that Greed would come for you, right?"
"Yeah. That's what always happens. That bastard keeps going after me ever since the beginning. He's a whole lot stronger and faster this time around. Now let's get out of here."
"Ummm, did you forget that we're surrounded?"
"I'll take care of that."

Envy snapped his fingers but there seems to be no effect like when Mike-san snaps his'. I saw the other demons cover their ears but that didn't save them. After a few seconds, their heads exploded and they turned into coins. Only Greed was spared. He didn't know if he should go after us or collect his coins. But Envy seems to know him best because Greed chose to do the latter. We used that opportunity to escape.




***
"Okay, that should do it." I told Envy as I extracted him from Kumaichan's body. "No more tricks from you or I'll be cutting your head off too. And don't try to run off, because I'm going to hunt you down!"
"Thank you for your help, Ishimura-san. Now go, call on Michael to get me."
"Don't you want to say goodbye to Kumaichan properly?"
"I don't think it's necessary. I've done enough damage already. I'm not sure if I can face her."
"What a wuss! Come on, at least give her a chance to tell you that she hates your guts or something."
"You're just doing this so you can sleep over her place."
"Not really...but since you reminded me of it..."
"E-En-chan? Are you still there?" Kumaichan said as she regained her consciousness. "En-chan?"
"I'm still here. But I'll be leaving soon, Yurina-chan."
"Will I ever see you again?"
"I don't know."
"Not even in my dreams?"
"I'm not sure."

Mike-san appeared and asked Envy to go with him. Envy didn't ask questions anymore.

"Goodbye Yurina-chan. Always do your best..."

"T-thanks for everything, En-chan..."

"Thank you too, Yurina-chan. I've learned a lot from you."

Then they vanished. That's probably the last time I'm going to see Envy too. I even forgot to thank him for saving my hide back there.

"You liked the guy didn't you?" I asked Kumaichan as I caught her wiping something from her eyes. "Don't worry, he'll be around."
"Are they...going to kill him?"
"Nah. They'll just make him watch Super Book and Flying House reruns."
"..."
"He'll be fine." I told her as I patted her back. "Let's go home, Kumaichan. It's been a long day."

***
Kumaichan asked me if I still wanted to sleep over when we reached their house. I almost declined because I felt that she needed some time alone, but what the heck. I can't leave her now! She looks like she really needed someone to talk to. It's the least I can do, for all the things she's done for me before.

Her room was very neat and organized, completely opposite from mine.

She let me borrow some of her PJ's...her PJ's when she was still nine years old. But they fit me so it's fine. Kinda tight though.

We still had a chat before we went to sleep. Kumaichan asked me if there's a chance for me to come back to Berryz. I told her that if there's one thing I learned today, it's how to be content. I like being a normal schoolgirl. I'm done with being an idol.  Going back to that kind of life would surely make things a lot more difficult for me. And I don't want to be a burden to them anymore.

And what do you know, the two of us fit in her bed.

Her legs kinda liked wrapping around me too.





===
I was worried so I asked Mike-san if the demons would go after the Momo and Kumaichan to get back at me. He said that the demons are naturally selfish. When we captured Gluttony, he could have alerted the others, yet he didn't. It's because he'd rather have the others share the same fate as him than be warned that someone is gonna kick their asses. The seven never cooperate. It has always been survival of the fittest for them, and they would take every chance they can to take each other down. They leave the hosts alone especially when they find out that the demon residing inside them was already apprehended.

But to give me peace of mind, he sent some Sentries to watch over them in case the remaining five wanted to try something funny.





===
My Mom gave me something one day. It was a package coming from a certain "En-chan".

I opened it and it contained a bottle of vitamins. And a note.

"Thanks for all the help, Ishimura-san. If you ever talk to Yurina-chan, please tell her that I'm doing fine. Michael is helping me 'reform'. Take this as a small token of appreciation."

Damn. I still haven't thanked him for saving me...

"P.S. - Those are regular vitamins, not the kind that helped Yurina-chan grow taller. <_<"

On second thought...
« Last Edit: August 08, 2008, 08:23:06 AM by wordsworth »

WAR AKARI!!! Infernal Ninjutsu, Hidden Lore...Freedom of Opposites Technique!!! Rest in peace Kyle,Jab,Mom,Tita, ChrNo...

Offline ziggurat

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 2
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2008, 02:14:35 PM »
I know what should be the last line in this chapter...

Quote
Fuck you.

lol.

Nice new chapter. And stop doing unappropriated hints in it >:D

I'm not a C-ute fan but seem like I don't have any clue of what the Greed host be :P

Jab <3 marimari <3 ChrNo~ your spirit shall live forever.. T_T || zgy@last.fm

Offline slasha

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 2
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2008, 03:28:07 AM »
I'm glad Envy was sort of nice. But I hate Greed, even though I don't know who his host is  :lol:.

I wish Maiha wouldn't gotten a better gift though. Non growth vitamins aren't cool :lol: .

Loser87

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 2
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2008, 07:14:37 AM »
YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!!

Sorry I haven't commented this story earlier but wow wordy!!
I <3 it a lot, it has that quirkiness that I find adorable in stories.
You got another wordy classic in the making here buddy~

I <3 Maiha's sort of 'in-your-face' attitude and little perverted quirks about her..
Makes her somewhat real and at the same time obviously fictional.
Its a good balance..

I especially love the dialogue, very straight to the point, quirky humor.
I Love it.

So uh, you should update very soon Wordy!
'Cause if you don't....

A certain cheesecake girl is gonna come after you with a chainsaw  :twisted:

XDXD

UPDATE!!! :mon zoom:

Offline Aioros

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Stigma: Lust
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2008, 01:18:34 PM »
"You're so hot, I think it would be rude if I didn't tell you that I want you to bear my descendants."

One of the lamest pickup lines. Ever. Whoever thought of that should return his life to God.

It's lame, I know. But it might work. On Lust. It should. Because Mike-san said she's dumb. And dumb persons, whether they're human or demon, are bound to fall even to the lamest of traps.

"Why not? You're cute. I'm hot. Our kids would turn out cute and hot."

See? If this were an anime, I'd be in a facepalm moment with an accompanying sweat drop even if I'm the victor.

"H-how much?"
"How much do you got?"
"More than enough for you, baby. And I'm not talking about money here."
"If that's the case, I'd do it for free. We just need a place."
"Nice. Wanna go to my house?"
"Sure."


And we're off.

And no, I don't really know how to talk to these kinds of people. I just apply what I watched in movies and play in video games. Those things are more useful than say, Geometry. Will knowing the area of an irregularly shaped object save you when a mugger suddenly appears and threatens you with a knife? Okay, it's a rhetorical question, but what would you do? Me? I have two options: [Fight] or [Run Away]. If I decide to fight, I'd start off by disarming him, by kicking him in the nuts, and when he kneels in pain, I knee his face. But if that fails, it's game over for me, no continues, no save states. When you die in real life, you die. So yeah, I'd probably run away hahaha.

If ever you're wondering, Lust was not that hard to miss out. Why? Because she looks like Risako-chan! Not just that! She looks like Risako-chan when she was, when she was...TWELVE!

Except, except she looks a bit older, has longer legs, bigger...wait...I don't have to elaborate, just use your imagination.

She's...

Wait!

NO!

Don't use your dirty imagination. I'm the only one allowed to do that.

I'm almost sure that the host is Risako-chan but I could still be wrong.

Maybe it's Chinami, trying to pull a prank. Gotta admit, Chinami's body is to die for. Her physique is like the ideal one for girls our age. Not like Maimi-chan's, but close.

Or maybe it's Miya, taking the form of Risako-chan, so she can finally play with her body and experience how it is to have a slightly bigger chest.

...

I know, I know. That sounds so very wrong. But it's still a possibility. And it's what you call 'using your imagination'.

She's probably in her twenties, yet she looks like a young Risako-chan and I’m still bothered by that. She could have used the guise of some famous AV star like Sora Aoi or Maria Ozawa yet she chose Risako-chan's face. Why?

Being a Risako-chan lookalike wasn't the only catch. It was easy to recognize her because she was wearing a nurse's outfit. With glasses. Come on, who wears a nurse outfit aside from 'real' nurses? Don't answer me with cosplayers, wiseass! Even those people know when and where they should flaunt their attire. Oh, did I mention that Lust's nurse outfit was combined with knee-high rainbow striped socks? There! If you miss seeing someone wearing those kinds of clothes, you must be blind!

Oh yeah. she's not the only one doing some cosplay. I'm cross-dressing as a high school boy so I could get to her attention. I combed my hair in a way, to look bishie, and had a pony tail. You see, she prefers guys as her target. Guys my age.

Guys that just finished playing in video arcades.

Guys that just finished fighting with other guys from another school.

Guys going home from school because of special review classes so that they can enter a good university.

She likes ‘em young.

We've been keeping an eye on her. Her M.O. is to wait for guys that are going home late.

Sometimes she'd just go with one, sometimes with a group. She'd bring them somewhere and she'd always come back. Alone. I haven't seen what she does with them, and I don't intend to know. It might be gross. Or ecchi. Or both.

She hasn't done anything since we started walking. But she wrapped herself in one of my arms.

"So, what can you do?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're not afraid to feed some horses, aren't you?"
"Why? Do you live in a zoo?"
"Nope. But I do have a bear at home..."


And so, we reached "my place". Not exactly my place but Kumaichan's.She said that I could stay over there, since her family is out of town and she's the only one at home. It would have been fun if Momo was with us but I can't take that risk. She really has no idea of the demons that possessed them unlike Kumaichan. Momo might spazz out and faint if she sees what I'm up against so it's better she just stayed at home. So we can make prank calls on her. One time, she even believed when I pretended to be a scout of AKB48's agency. Yeah. We can be mean sometimes. But that's just another way to show Momo how much we love her.

Kumaichan volunteered to dress up as a schoolboy too and pretend as my bro. But if you ask me, I'd rather have her pretend as my sis. Because...you know, in this kind of scenario...we have the house to ourselves...both of us are bishie...(s)he greets me when I get home wearing just a towel(I hope)...it has all the implications of a yaoi plot! I'm a girl but I'm not really a yaoi fan. 

"I'm home, Aniki!" I said as I opened the door.
"Ah, you're early today. Didn't bump into any girls?"
"Actually, I brought one home with me."
"Oooh, she looks like one of those Berryz Koubou girls!"


Kumaichan's pretty good at acting. She even made checking out our guest quite believable.

"W-who is he?" Lust whispered to me.
"Oh? He's my brother. Why?"
"I see. He's hot."
"Of course. We're brothers."
"I'd like to bear his descendants too. Would you mind if I take both of you at the same time?"
"..."
"He's tall. That means he's got a..."
"Height isn't always proportional to that!"
"Oh yeah? I'd like to find that out."


Before she could get distracted any further, I took her hand and started dragging her to Kumaichan's room. Her room was quite spacious and it would be enough in case a fight breaks out. She didn't care if there would be any collateral damage because according to her, everything was insured.  I hope there wouldn't be any fighting. I just borrowed this uniform from one of my classmates. And I'll have to return it next week. Or else I'd have to go out with him.

As soon as I closed the door, I pinned one of her hands against it. I was about pull the shard out of my pocket when she asked me something.

"Are you insecure of your brother?"
"Except from her, I mean his height, I have nothing to be insecure about. I..."


Her scent. It was sweet. Too sweet. Must be another reason why people didn't fail to notice her when she passed by them.

I could feel the fingers of her free hand running up and down my thigh...she's drawing circles...it's like she's writing something...

Fuck! Is this one of her powers?!!! My body! This feeling! I....I actually like it! Damn! DAMN!

Now I know how that guy I went out with before felt when I was doing that to him...

Don't ask me where I learned that.

Because I'm going to tell it to you anyway.

I accidentally saw Matsuura-san doing it to Fujimoto-san at the backstage in one of the concerts. People think Fujimoto-san's some kind of a sex demon, but they should see when Matsuura-san is in the zone. If you want to learn, learn from a master.

I must...resist...I...must...

"Hmmm? Getting hard already?'
"Getting hard? What do you mea....oh...Oh! Of course! Yeah! I'm there! Don't stop! More!"
"Alright."


She countinued what she was doing, but this time using only the tips of her nails, making the shivers I get sink deeper. I returned the favor by running my fingers on her waist. She smirked and didn't try to stop me. I know Risako-chan has a ticklish spot somewhere around here...

"Hey! We're not in a hurry. Don't go there yet..."

I knew it. I went too low.

"Can I ask you something?" she said as she pushed me away a bit.
"What is it? Am I too rough?"
"No, you're fine. It's just...be honest with me. Are you...are you gay?"
"I..."


Damn, looks like my cover's been busted. How did she know? Kumaichan bandaged me pretty well to make me look flat-chested. Can the demon feel through the bandages? Does she have x-ray vision? I was ready to pull out the shard when she asked me something again.

"I mean, is this your room? It's got a lot of dolls and plush toys. Do you collect these? Oh, and there's a poster of a boy band too..."

Of all the things we forgot to take out, it had to be the KAT-TUN poster Chinami gave us a few years ago. Yes, I have the same poster at home but I never pinned it on the wall. Plush toys are fine though.

"Oooh. You think I'm gay because of this room?"
"Yeah."
"Hahaha. I'm not gay. This is our sister's room."
"Ah. Silly me for asking you that question. You must hate me now huh?"
"No offense taken...hey don't cry here."
*sniff* *sniff*


Damn. How can you resist a teary-eyed Risako-chan when she's staring at you? This demon knows how to use every trick up her sleeve. She sat down on the floor and covered her face when she saw that I was trying not to get myself to pity her.

"Aww. Come on. Stop crying now." I said as I sat down beside her.
*sniff* *sniff*
"I told you that it's okay. I'm not mad."
*sniff* *sniff* "Really?"*sniff* *sniff*
"Yes. Wait here, I'm gonna get you a glass of water okay."


I went downstairs and headed to the kitchen. Kumaichan was preparing dinner. Not some "real" dinner, just some instant ramen and stuff. Berryz don't know how to cook. It's not just a fact. It's a requirement.

"How's it going?" she asked me. "Are you finished already?"
"It's far from over. She asked me if I was gay and she started crying because she thought I was mad at her."
"Oooh. Seeing a crying Chinami-chan sure is something."
"Yeah...wait, did you say Chinami?"
"I did. The girl looks Chinami-chan doesn't she?"
"What?! She looks like Risako-chan to me!"
"Really? Hmmm. Maybe her appearance depends on who's looking at her. Maybe she will look like the person whom you have a strong desire for. If Kanna-chan probably saw her, she'd look like Maimi-chan or Airi-chan. Or maybe change every second."
"Yeah. So...that means you have something for Chinami huh?"
"Well...there's no use hiding it from you." she said as she stuck out her tongue.


Shit. So this demon's got some pretty nifty skills. And I thought this was going to be an easy job.

"Who's the host?"
"I don't know yet. But we'll find out soon enough."


I grabbed a glass of water and headed back to her room. I was so in a hurry that I wasn't looking at where I was walking. I tripped as I entered the room. And guess what? I spilled the water on us.

"We're wet." she said.
"I can see that. Now I gotta change."
"Why do that? We're not gonna need clothes anyway." she said as she approached the door and made sure it was locked. "Now where were we?"


She started taking of her rainbow-striped, knee-high socks. Then she removed her skirt.

Kumaichan was right. Now Lust doesn't look like Risako-chan! Now she looks like...like...one of those High-King girls! I won't tell you who, coz it's gonna cost me my life if I do.

"Not taking yours off? Don't be shy. Oh, do you want me to take it off for you?"
"No no no. I'm fine. Really."


I turned around and pretended to remove the buttons of my uniform. But she snuck up and hugged me from behind. The sweet scent was still there. And she was trying to help unbutton my uniform.

I could see ourselves in the mirror in front of us. Mike-san advised me to wipe it with the holy oil when we were planning. I kinda resisted at first because I thought that it was pointless. Now I know what it's purpose is. I could see Lust's true form. She was a demon, but she was pretty. If she didn't have those set of horns, she would have looked a lot prettier.

"You're pretty horny, huh?" I asked her as I freed myself from her embrace.
"Tell me what you want. I will give it to you."
"Anything~?"
"Anything."
"Okay. You don't mind being tied up, do you?"
"Bondage huh? You don't look like the type but I'm okay with that."
"Great! Just a moment." I took out some rope from one of the drawers and showed it to her.
"Where'd you buy this? I was looking for this kind for a long time." she said. It looked like a normal rope, but Mike-san told me that it was different. Because it was made of the same material as the shard and could even kill demons. Also, it was the same rope they used to capture her long, long ago. I wasn't sure if Lust is really dumb or just playing dumb. She should have realized that she was in a trap. Once she's all tied up, there's no escape. Unless she has a super secret desperation move.
"I'll tell you later. Let's get into business, shall we?"


She tied the rope on her wrists and then pulled me towards the bed. She sat on it and asked me to tie both of her hands. Once I was finished, she instructed me how to tie her legs on the posts.

I was starting to get scared at this point. I felt like I was the one being trapped. She was supposed to be the one dominated, yet I'm the one who feels that way.

"I felt Michael's aura in you. But it looks like it was just coming from the knife in your pocket. You're the reject aren't you?" she asked me as she reverted to her true form. The rope was draining all of her energy.
"You found out just now?"
"Yeah. Aside from me being dumb, Michael is a good strategist. I always fell for his traps and he never fell to any of mine. I thought what I did this time would be enough so that he’d be the one to go after me. I fail again. It's the first time I made out with a Harbinger though."
"You haven't seen him before."
"Nope. I just hear stories about him from the others."
"Why do you want to see him?"
"I'm just curious with what kind of girl he desires. I want to see what she would look like. If he has any."
"I see."
"Go ahead. You can cut me now. Don't worry about your friend. Nothing can happen to her once I'm in control so technically, she's still 'pure'."
"Mike-san."
"Why are you calling him?"
"You said you want to see him right?"
"Don't bother. He won't come..."


She was wrong. Mike-san appeared after a few seconds.

"What is it Maiha-chan?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to check how fast you'd arrive."
"..."
"Amazing. Is it possible that you really do not have even the slightest desires? How can it be that beings such as you exist?" she asked.
"It's because beings like you exist." Mike-san answered.
"My form. It didn't change. Does it mean that there's a chance that you'd love me even if I looked like this?"
"Why not. Appearance isn't always everything. Look at Maiha-chan."
"HEY!"
"Let me finish, will you? In the outside, she looks like a snobbish, spoiled brat. But deep inside, she's a loving and sensitive girl, willing to risk her life just to save her friends."
"I see. Oh well. At least I finally got to see you this time around. They were right. You are hot. I'll try better next time. See you again..."


That was the signal for me to cut her off. Mike-san turned her into a coin before sealing her in the jar, which already contained Gluttony.

"Looks like you didn't need my help for this one."
"Nah. You were a lot of help. By the way, I'm touched with what you said earlier. Thanks."
"I was just telling the truth."
"Do I really look like a snob?"
"Sometimes. But it's alright. You're still cute."
"Berryz."
"Cute. Adjective. Not C-ute."
"Fine."
"Oh, and you should button up. I could see your..."
"What are you looking at?!!!"
"Maiha-chan, dinner's ready!"






===
"Look, she's waking up."
"Where am I? Kumaichan? Maiha-chan?"
"Hello there, Maa-chan!"





"..."
"What?"
"Maa-chan? Are you blind? It's me Risako! You should wear your glasses, Maiha-chan!" she said as she pouted.
"I'm just kidding. I know it's you." I said as she patted her head. "Hello there, Risako-chan."
"Maiha-chan." she said as she hugged me. "Hey, why are you still flat? You should have...you know...they should have grown by now."
"They did. I just...wrapped them today. You know, like the way ninjas do it."
"Hmmm. I see that you used bandages. Is that a technique to make them bigger? Because you know, someone might be needing that technique aside from you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Not you Kumaichan. You know who I'm talking about."
"Oooh. Okay." Kumaichan said. "Whew."
"By the way, if you're hungry we've got some food downstairs." I told Risako-chan.
"Thanks. I'm starving. Even if I feel like I've eaten a lot, I still feel empty."
"Good. When you're done, we can do prank calls on Momo."
"Sure. Hey, isn't that the KAT-TUN poster Chinami gave us before..."





===
Today's mission was fun. I admit that I enjoyed it. Not the parts where I was making out with Lust. Well, maybe some parts. At least I learned a few tricks from her.

Risako-chan sure has grown. She's still a bit klutzy but it's alright. She's still a kid afterall.

And we did make prank calls on Momo. Kumaichan made one where she kept saying 'Ramune' until Momo hung up hahaha.





===
Okay, I know you won't be able to sleep peacefully until you find out whom of the High-King girls she looked like...

Here's a clue:

Not gonna say if first name or last name or both but...her name...

...has a "K" and an "A".

You're right. It's not Maimi.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2008, 05:20:28 PM by wordsworth »

WAR AKARI!!! Infernal Ninjutsu, Hidden Lore...Freedom of Opposites Technique!!! Rest in peace Kyle,Jab,Mom,Tita, ChrNo...

Offline maximerian

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Re: Stigma: Chapter 3
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2008, 07:03:50 PM »
finally...she's Risako...lol

This chapter is kinda perverts dude hahahaha...
Quote
"Hmmm. I see that you used bandages. Is that a technique to make them bigger? Because you know, someone might be needing that technique aside from you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Not you Kumaichan. You know who I'm talking about."
"Oooh. Okay." Kumaichan said. "Whew."

i'm sure that she refered to Miya in this sentences.

and for that High-King girls...i can said i don't have to use any of my brain cells to think of it...

the answer is in front of my eyes!!! She's Yuuka for sure!!!

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