File #25
"I can't believe you're really doing this to me." Ai glared at a smiling Takeda reflected in the mirror before her. He was holding a dress out in front of her body, a critical look in his eye that failed to conceal his glee at being able to play dress up for his adoptive little sister.
"Relax, it's not like I'm making you look ugly." Ai frowned at the next dress he held before her, the beginning of a pout curling her lips.
"I don't doubt your taste...but are you seriously sending me into that sort of party wearing something like this?"
The dress in question was sleek and elegant, something that Ai wouldn't have normally been ashamed of wearing, but she had posed a pertinent question. Normally, she cross-dressed for such parties, appearing as Takahashi Ryuuta. In other words, she had been standing in for her erstwhile brother most of the time. She had not questioned why; it was something that had been required of her by their father at such occasions, and in any case, it did not inconvenience her too much to do so.
"Sometimes you need to be Takahashi Ai too." Takeda remarked mildly as he handed the black dress over to her. Ai raised one delicate eyebrow, eying him suspiciously.
"There's something I have to do there." It was not a question. Ai had been in the business long enough to recognize the usual signs. Takeda grinned.
"I knew you'd figure it out, but no, I'm not going to tell you what you have to do." Takeda pushed Ai gently in the small of her back, sending her into the bathroom.
"Oh great, so I get the entertainment of going in blind and half naked into a den of wolves. Thanks a lot." The sarcasm lacing her words could hardly be missed, but the half-smile on her lips cancelled the malice behind them.
"You're welcome." Takeda waved her off and turned away even as the door shut in his face. Raising his voice a little, he added.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, this job was practically made for you."
The snort from behind the door was clearly audible, and Takeda smiled. Quietly, he stepped away, heading to the outer room. Sinking into a plush chair, he leaned back and considered what lay ahead.
He was reluctant to let her go as she was, that much he was willing to admit. Girls had no place being there as an independent entity; the patriarchal system was very much in place in societies like that. Yet, there were some things only women could do, and very well indeed.
With a shrug, Takeda crossed his arms and waited. He could on play the observer here. The rest was up to her...and to forces beyond his control.
~*~*~
"Stop sulking, little sis. I'll beat up anyone who makes you cry." A rough voice coaxed with surprising tenderness as he playfully ruffled a pouty Reina's hair. The wonky eyed girl sucked on her lower lip grumpily, but didn't say anything.
Having older brothers could be a problem sometimes, Reina reflected. Either she would get bullied by them, or they would get overprotective. The first option was annoying, the second was just irritating. Despite all that though, Reina was genuinely fond of her family, warts and all. After all, they were family...not to mention that her brothers and her father all spoiled her outrageously.
Right now though, she was really not looking forward to having to leave her room. After the shock of learning that she would have to repeat an academic year, Reina was in no mood to be social. However, her father had requested the presence of all his children at the event, something that somewhat bucked the trend, since the theory of not putting all your eggs in one basket was very much put in practice in that particular household. It was rare that all the Tanaka siblings would be together at any one time, but Reina supposed that since this was their own estate, it was highly unlikely that any gatecrashers could eliminate all of them at one go.
Still, precautions would have to be applied. Only a selected few would be invited, and their entourage limited to a bare minimum. Naturally, no weapons would be allowed on the grounds...save for those under the employ of the Tanaka family.
The only thing that was of any temptation for Reina to put in an appearance was the prospect of seeing all her brothers together again. She hadn't seen a few of them for a while. As the youngest and the most doted on member of the family, Reina had fond memories of each of her brothers...ignoring the fact that they had all picked on her at some point in their lives. Boys would be boys, after all.
Currently, her third brother, Tanaka Masato, was trying to persuade her to come out into the main hall. A quiet man, he was about 5 years older than her, solemn and not given to practical jokes. He was fiercely protective over his baby sister, and despite his somewhat fragile-seeming build, he was far stronger than he appeared.
"Oh all right." Reina gave in, pushing her pestering brother out of her room none too gently, citing a need to dress up. Since it was more or less a formal occasion, Reina couldn't very well go in there looking anything less than perfect. She did have her father's reputation to consider...
~*~*~
"Father."
The greeting was tightly formal, and the doddering old man with sharp eyes only looked up briefly to acknowledge it, climbing out of the dark limo with the aid of a fine crafted cane. Soliciting hands supported his other side as he found his feet solidly on the pavement, father and daughter walking in silence as they approached the gilded entrance guarded by suited men.
Flashing the elaborately printed invitation card did not gain them immediate entry. The guards first scrutinized the card, then the visitors. Next came the obligatory turning over of all weapons, which neither of them claimed to possess, which led to the necessary patting down...
"Don't get so familiar." The girl smiled pleasantly, although her voice was edged with steel. The man gulped and quickly finished up, careful not to touch anywhere else longer than necessary. His partner had already finished with the old man, and the pair was soon admitted into the great hall.
"It seems that you did grow up." The old man commented distantly. His daughter flashed a charming smile. "I'm no longer a child, Father."
"It wasn't so long ago when you broke someone's arm for touching you inappropriately, my daughter." She flushed slightly at the reminder, but her lips curled into a slight smirk at the memory. That had been an interesting experience, to say the least.
"Youji, my friend, there you are!" A strong voice, bursting with vitality, hailed them. The greeter was none other than the host of the party, one Tanaka Takeshi, who hardly looked his age save for the silver touching his temples. A barrel-chested man, he stood straight and tall, and his face was unlined. His hand was rough as he clasped Youji's wrinkled one, and the two men shared an indecipherable look that passed in a moment. Only Youji's daughter caught the exchange, given that she was right beside them and was observant enough to pick up on these things.
"And who is this beautiful young lady?" Takeshi turned his attention to the girl, who inclined her head politely, allowing her father to reply for her as was proper.
"My daughter, Takahashi Ai." Youji replied calmly. "Quite a wild girl, so I haven't actually brought her out into society much."
"Father!" Ai protested mildly, inwardly amused but playing along as necessary. It certainly hadn't been her first time out in such company, but it certainly was the first time she had come as a girl.
Takeshi looked her up and down, taking in her appearance. "You resemble your brother...speaking of which, where is Ryuuta?"
"He had a little business to take care of, so I had to settle for bringing this wildflower along." Ai strongly resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and Takeshi caught her gaze, clearly aware of her intention to do so. Ai lowered her eyes submissively, as if embarrassed to be caught. The Tanaka patriarch laughed heartily.
"Well, I'm glad you are here. Feel free to mingle around. We can discuss other matters later."
Youji nodded his acquiescence, and they moved on into the main hall where small pockets of well dressed, yet somehow shady, people were socializing.
"Father, am I..." Ai started, but was cut off by a sharp look.
"There is no mark for you here tonight." The old man, despite his apparent frailty, had a deceptively strong presence. Ai was briefly caught off-guard, her surprise showing on her face.
"Go and play, my butterfly. Try not to show your sting." His words held a strange compulsion to them, veiled in meaning as they were. Ai nodded subserviently, unable to disobey this man who held power over her life and death.
Drifting aimlessly, she was accosted more than once, and forced to make small talk. That part wasn't too much of a chore, despite how often the men tended to strip her with their eyes. Ai had long since gotten used to that, but she didn't always like it.
She was still engaged in conversation with a lean young man when a familiar voice was heard.
"Musashi-niisan!"
The man who had been chatting her up turned to greet his little sister, and Ai resisted the urge to grin like a Cheshire cat as her suspicion was confirmed. Turning on her charm, she moved smoothly to Musashi's side, smiling winningly up at him.
"Is this your little sister?" Ai tried her best not to burst out laughing as the response she awaited came right on cue.
"YOU!"
~*~*~
Of all the places Reina had expected to see that infuriating woman again, her own home had never factored into the equation. Much less the fact that the shameless hussy was almost clinging onto her beloved brother, who seemed all too pleased by the attention.
Men! Reina thought with evident irritation. A number of mostly ugly emotions were churning within her, the least of which was embarrassment. Hatred wasn't too far from the list either. She loathed that confident smile that oozed sexiness...she did not just find that smile sexy!
"Do you two know each other?" Her clueless brother asked innocently. The witch next to him smiled pleasantly, her answer spilling lyrically from her full lips.
"We've...met...briefly." Their gazes locked into fiery battle, most of the flames spouting from Reina's end. Ai grinned like a cat that got the canary as she continued.
"I forgot to ask you the last time, but can you please return me my clo--"
She didn't get to finish as Reina abruptly yanked on her arm, pulling her away from her surprised brother. A few quick steps and they turned a corner, hidden in shadow within a dark alcove.
"Don't you dare say anything!" Reina hissed. Ai quirked an eyebrow.
"I was just telling the truth. You did borrow my clothes the last time."
"But not in front of my brother! What will he think?" Reina growled dangerously. Ai laughed.
"Aren't you overreacting? Girls trade clothes quite a lot, and we are about the same size, you know."
"Girls who are close friends do that." Reina glowered at her. "We are not even friends to begin with."
"You wound me." Ai clutched the front of her dress dramatically, although her eyes still sparkled with mirth.
"Get out of here before I really do." Reina threatened dangerously, clenching her fist. Ai frowned.
"Is that how you treat a guest?" Reina glared.
"Just stay away from me." Ai glanced at their current position, where Reina had all but pinned her against the wall in the dark alcove.
"I would, but first you have to stop dragging me into these questionable positions. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that you wanted to make out or something." Ai teased.
Reina flushed a deep red, suddenly glad that the lack of lighting hid that from that damnable woman as she backpedalled hastily to put some distance between them.
"Hmph, I have better taste than that." Reina shot back in a huff, turning on her heel and marching off with her head held high. Ai stared after her, an amused smile playing on her lips.
This evening wouldn't be a complete waste after all.
~*~*~
"Oi Reina, you look like a thundercloud." The youngest of her older brothers accosted her as she stormed away from Ai. Masaki was a boisterous sort, only a year older than Reina, and the two had always been close. Reina ground her teeth together and stomped on, her brother trailing along beside her.
Once they were out of convenient earshot of others, Reina turned to Masaki with a serious look in her eye. The older boy raised his eyebrows at the slightly maniacal and somewhat dangerous glint in his baby sister's eyes.
"If I asked you to kill someone for me, will you do it?" Reina asked. Masaki's eyebrows went up higher at the request. Of all things Reina could have said, this was the probably the last thing he had anticipated.
"Uh, well, I could get it done if you really wanted it..."
"Good." Reina looked out of the doorway of the private area they were in, and pointed Ai out of the crowd. Masaki whistled as he caught sight of her.
"Hey, that girl's really hot..." He trailed off as a death glare came flying his way. Blinking, he looked back at the pretty girl his sister had just pointed out to him. "That one? What's she do to you?"
If possible, Reina's face got even darker, but Masaki also caught the hint of red on his sister's cheeks. Reina might act all tough on the outside, but Masaki knew that his sister could be quite a softie on the inside, and just as easily embarrassed like any other girl. Jokingly, he added.
"What, the girl too hot for you to handle?"
The intended effect of adding levity to the situation didn't work. If anything, Reina seemed to get even more worked up, though she did a decent job of not exploding right there and then.
"She...she humiliated me...I won't ever forgive her for that." Reina spat. Masaki blinked again. He hadn't seen Reina this serious in a long time. Clucking his tongue thoughtfully, he glanced back at the girl in question, weighing his options.
"Well, if my baby sister wants something done, I'll do it for her." He hummed under his breath. "Though killing might be a bit excessive, don't you think?"
"I don't care. No one does that to Reina and gets away with it!" Reina flared. Masaki met her gaze coolly.
"And just what did she do to you?"
Reina pressed her lips together into a tight line, the flush on her cheeks even more obvious now. She was obviously angry, as well as embarrassed, about something. Masaki wanted to wheedle it out of her before he did anything precipitous. Sure, killing someone wasn't too big a deal for him, but he wanted to know what had gotten his little sister all worked up like this.
"Saved her from a bunch of drunks who were going to rape her, lent her my own clothes because hers were wrecked, and got slapped by her no particular reason."
The answer came from the outside, and the siblings turned in shock to see Ai leaning against the doorway with her arms folded. Masaki was stunned; the last he had seen of her, she was still some distance away. He hadn't even felt her presence until she had spoken.
"You tried to take advantage of me!" Reina accused a little shrilly, trying to defend herself. Masaki stared at the two girls, trying to comprehend the situation.
"I was just teasing you, silly. I didn't really do anything." Ai laughed, then turned to the baffled Masaki. "I'm sorry, it seems that my brother's bad habits rubbed off on me. I said some things to her that I shouldn't have."
"Brother?" Now that Ai was up close, he looked her over more closely. Something clicked in his mind at the resemblance. "Are you Takahashi's sister?"
"In the flesh." Ai replied, trying not to show too obviously that she already knew Masaki as Ryuuta. "Ryuu-nii mentioned you a few times."
"Yeah, Takahashi's a cool guy." He nodded with approval. "He never said that you were this pretty though..." Reina glared at him. Traitor!
"You exaggerate." Ai flashed a winning smile at him, and a cocky glance at a fuming Reina. Turning to face Reina completely, she held out her hand.
"I never meant any harm before. Sorry if my having fun disturbed you." Ai said quite sincerely, although her eyes still sparkled with hidden laughter. Reina glared at the offered hand like it was a live snake, her own eyes still hostile.
There was a tense moment as neither side made a move, before Ai withdrew her hand and lowered her head.
"I understand if you can't forgive me. You can hit me some more if you like, if it'd make you feel better." She seemed genuinely apologetic, which confused Reina all the more. Masaki edged over to Reina, whispering.
"Don't be a spoilsport, Reina. She doesn't seem so bad..." He coaxed. Reina clenched her fists again, resisting the urge to reach out and shake the other girl silly in order to reveal that wily vixen's true colours.
"Alright, but only because of Masaki." She thrust her hand out forcefully, and when Ai extended her hand as well, Reina dug her nails deep into Ai's hand as they 'shook' hands.
To her disappointment, Ai didn't even flinch, continuing to smile as if nothing had happened. Leaning in a little so that Masaki wouldn't hear her, Reina hissed under her breath.
"Don't think I won't take up your offer to beat you up, you hypocrite."
Ai's smile was lazy as she purred her reply.
"I'm looking forward to it, kitten."
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Hope it doesn't disappoint...
*sneaks away again*
Topic: Nocturne [13/02 - Epilogue (END)] (Read 112400 times)