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Author Topic: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Forty-Six -- Nightmare]  (Read 144717 times)

Offline Tanachan

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
« Reply #140 on: April 22, 2007, 03:20:25 AM »
-wedges in there like Eri-
If Helen Keller falls in the woods and no one is around, does she make a sound?

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Offline Yuuyami

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
« Reply #141 on: April 22, 2007, 03:22:06 AM »
WEDGE? O_O

Oh, I hate sharing spotlights xD
« Last Edit: April 22, 2007, 03:23:31 AM by Yuuyami »

Offline FeverInducedMadness

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
« Reply #142 on: April 22, 2007, 03:24:19 AM »
[Chapter Nineteen – We Aren’t That Different, You and I]

I woke up in a bed. At least, I’m pretty sure it was a bed. I wouldn’t know, because I’ve never had a bed before, and so this was new to me. I didn’t want to open my eyes at first, because it was so incredibly comfortable. It was fluffy and soft, and I could smell something like flowers all around me…

That’s when I began to feel uneasy. I was definitely someplace that I didn’t know. I didn’t sleep a whole lot, but when I did, it was never in a safe, comforting place such as this.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, gazing up at a white ceiling. The walls were a soft blue color, and there was a small table beside the bed upon which rested a very bright alarm clock. Even though light filtered through the room’s windows, the numbers on that thing were pretty darn intense.

I was going to try and get up when I realized that I was not alone in this room.

There was a girl sitting over in a chair by the window, and she had what looked like a photo album spread across her lap and was flipping through it. Now that I had rested and was quite a bit more sober than I had been before I passed out, I could remember her name.

Momoko…

She didn’t seem to notice that I was awake yet, and so I took the opportunity to quietly study her while I still had the chance. It was strange that I wanted to do so, because I’m not really interested in people as a whole, because for the most part other human beings are annoying and remind me of stupid sheep.

But this girl…

She wasn’t like other girls that I had seen before. I mean, she had arms, and legs, and a head and other… assets like the rest of them, but… there was something else about her. Some quality that made her different. She was beautiful in a very delicate sort of way, and the way the sunlight from the window outlined her body made her look soft and fragile.

I knew better than that, though. Especially after being slapped. The girl had guns in those little arms of hers.

I guess fragile wasn’t really the word to describe her with… She was strong in a quiet and determined sort of way, and she also came off as being extremely intelligent. But you could pretty much get the latter by just looking at her face. Her eyes were sharp and reflected a depth that I didn’t know any one person could contain. And when I had talked to her the day before, she wore this continuous… almost passive expression on her face. She had only gotten expressive when she slapped me, and even then the shock and slight fear that she had displayed then was mild.

I had also gotten the feeling that she analyzed just about everything that went on around her, and so maybe she calculated the emotion she would show before letting anyone else in on how she was feeling at the moment.

It was strange, and yet I could relate. I wasn’t the only one who put up some kind of front. Hers was just much more subtle.

I continued to watch her, and found the activity to be almost addictive. Funny, how just the simple movements her graceful fingers made as they turned the pages of the album had been able to captivate me in such a way. Maybe I wasn’t as sober as I had previously assumed…

Either way, I felt as though if I had to spend the rest of my life laying there, watching her… I’d never get bored.

But it felt strange to me, and so I decided to relieve myself of the awkwardness by alerting her to the fact that I was awake. I sat up in the bed, and immediately regretted the decision because my headache—though much more dull than it had been before—came back as soon as I did, and as a result I felt the nausea return. I could hold as much alcohol as some of the toughest guys I knew, but even so, I’d probably win the award for having some of the worst hangovers ever.

She turned her head to look at me, and closed the photo album as she began to speak.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, but I’m not exactly feeling awesome, either…” My voice was groggy and it sounded terrible, but at least it was working now. “Where am I?”

“This is my cousin… Risako’s apartment. She’s not around right now, but I figured that she wouldn’t mind if I brought you here…”

“I dunno, she seemed ready to hit me with a piece of wood just yesterday…”

Momoko smiled at me. It wasn’t a big one, and I’m not sure if it was really genuine, either. Granted, I’m not the best at understanding people because I tend to be a loner and because I don’t like them very much, but I’m not that stupid. I could tell that something was bothering her. Curious, I decided to try and coax it out of her…

Assuming that she’ll talk to someone like me…

“What were you running away from…?

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, as if she was trying to decide whether or not to share whatever was on her mind… Then she got up from the chair and crawled onto the bed to sit beside me, flipping open the photo album. It was a little bit worn, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary as far as I could tell. Then again, it wasn’t my photo album so it didn’t mean anything to me.

Momoko stopped on a page and moved the album so it was in my lap, too, and she pointed to a particular picture. The image was of a stage, or really, a dancer on a stage in the middle of a performance. The woman in the picture was incredibly pretty, and I had the feeling that I had seen her somewhere before… Not to mention that she reminded me of a slightly older version of the girl sitting right next to me.

“That’s my mom, Tsugunaga Shiori.”

Say… what?

I think my eyes just about popped out of my head. I knew why the woman was so familiar now… Even if you weren’t really into the theatre, if you had lived in this city or happened to merely be passing through, you were going to hear about Shiori-san at least once if not multiple times.

The woman was a freaking legend.

And I was sitting by her daughter.

…Wait, why hadn’t I made the connection before? …Damnit. I felt really stupid at that point for not realizing this fact earlier. Saki was probably already aware of this…

“So you’re not just some normal outsider, then…”

“Well… I guess not, if you want to look at it that way. Then again… this is the first time I’ve been back in this city in several years… It’s nothing like it used to be.”

“You used to live here too, huh…”

“Yeah. But it was a while ago.”

Momoko sighed and closed the album, setting it beside her. That was interesting and all, but… it still didn’t explain why she was so gloomy.

“So were you a performer once, too?”

“Yes… but…”

“But…?”

“It’s really complicated.” Okay, so she wasn’t going to open up that fast. I could respect that, being the same way. “Long story short, though… Things happened with my family, and I moved out of here a few years back. I live by myself out in the country, and the only reason I came back was because of Risako. And it turned out that she tricked me into acting as a replacement for one of the girls in her troupe… which now barely exists because the instructor got hit by a car, and now… I’m trying to hold everything together and I don’t even know why I want to, because I never wanted to dance ever again!”

Whoa. If I wasn’t already lost before, I sure as hell was now. I didn’t know that someone could talk that fast… She was breathing heavily after that little outburst, and so I reached over to pat her gently on the back.

“Breathe, Momoko, breathe…”

“It felt so good to get that out just now… you have no idea.”

Yeah… I bet.

“Okay, so rewind for a moment… let me get all of this straight… you’re going to dance with Sugaya and those other girls… But isn’t the performance only a week or so away?”

“Yeah… that’s why it’s kind of like a race to the finish right now. We have to come up with new songs and new dances because three of the girls quit after hearing the news about the teacher…”

I blinked. Well, of course, THAT would complicate things just a little bit.

“I don’t mean to be rude at all or anything, but… I don’t see what the big deal is. Why don’t you guys just cancel the performance and wait until the teacher has recovered?”

“Well… according to what Risako told me when we were walking yesterday… we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Apparently… the theatre isn’t gaining enough profit anymore. So the people that own it are wanting to shut it down. They’ve basically issued an ultimatum: either attract bigger crowds with this one last shot or it’s over.”

…Alright, so now I guess I understood the gravity of the situation she was in. Or rather, the situation that she had been tricked into. Then again… if this was something she was having to do against her will… why did she seem to care so much? Maybe she was getting more attached to the thing she didn’t want to do anymore than she realized…

“But… why were you running…?”

She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh.

“I… Risako… she was trying to surprise me, but… see, she ended up finding this song… and it’s not just any song… I mean… this is like THE song. It started everything… Mother wrote it… and she performed it. And that’s the reason why that theatre even exists today. It’s the reason why people can dance and sing and play on that stage. And Risako… She asked me if I wanted to… if I wanted to be the one to present that song during the show…”

Ah, now we were getting somewhere.

“It would be a big honor, wouldn’t it…?”

“Yes, but…”

“The responsibilty of it… the weight that it carries for you… you don’t think you can handle it, right?”

She looked at me with those deep, dark eyes of hers and I stared back, trying not to get lost in them. I thought that maybe I saw a little bit of myself reflected in there… Maybe she saw the same thing.

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“And so… you tried to run away from it.”

Momoko didn’t have to say anything. I already understood. Perhaps she and I had more in common than I had originally thought… Maybe people have more to them if you give them a chance.

“But you know… eventually you’ll have to face your problem. Otherwise it’ll just keep haunting you and… running away gets to be really exhausting after a while…”

“…What are you running from, Maasa?”

She said my name. I liked the way it sounded, coming from her. It wasn’t like the annoying nickname that Saki and Maiha pinned on me. It felt like she was treating me like a person, instead of a protector, or a punk, or “that really big, tall girl”.

…or a criminal.

But she had read me well, and I could feel myself putting up those walls again. She was getting in too deep, and was treading into waters that I didn’t want a kind person like her to drown in. Those secrets…  they were already really hard for me to carry… I wouldn’t wish them on anyone else. Saki knew. Maiha knew. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her tortured mind, Chinami knew too… but I don’t think that she would remember anytime soon.

“…I’m a monster.”

I tried to turn my head away, to look anywhere but at those eyes, but her gentle hand stopped me, and I couldn’t escape her gaze.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.
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Offline Yuuyami

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
« Reply #143 on: April 22, 2007, 03:24:28 AM »
DIBS O__O;

Roffle and Momoko and her guns joke xD

I think I have more of an idea of Maasa's past now. Perhaps she did something so immoral that she's caused herself to close up like that. I think Chinami might've been involved too, considering she's 'the broken one' so to speak.

Maasa kissed Momo! OMG O___O;

I hope Momo carries on with the performance. Shiori's kid and all xD

-cracks whip- Write more!
« Last Edit: April 22, 2007, 03:32:07 AM by Yuuyami »

Loser87

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Eighteen -- Let's Pick Up the Pieces]
« Reply #144 on: April 22, 2007, 03:24:43 AM »
DIBS
*SQUEALS*

>w<
*hugs You!!*
I <33 you so much now!!

WHO CARES ABOUT THE OTHER QUOTES!
ONLY THIS ONE MATTERS!! >w<

Quote
And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.

XoX I am..dying..Can't..Must..Continue...to..LIVE..
To read until the end and..Defeat..FIM...In..war..GAH!!

Feel better my slave if you are like..uberly sick
If not, SUCK IT UP! >=O

*still on your back soooo Continues to pull your ears*
UPDATE!! Or I'll start pulling hair! >;P

O_OO_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O__O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update doofus
*Cracks whip too*
GO MY SLAVE GO!!
« Last Edit: April 22, 2007, 03:41:42 AM by Loser87 »

Offline Estrea

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Whoa Maasa! XDDDD -breaks out the cookies- Here Fimmy! XD

I likey this chapter. ^_^ -ish lazy with my comments-

-sits and waits for more- XD

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 Tanachan

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WAAAAAAA~~~~
...
...
...
*starts singing Hyokorri Hyoutanjima*

So sweet! *teeth fall out from cavities* But at the same time...so sad and angsty *is actually crying*

*throws another box, but this time has Momoko and Maasa inside instead of Cheesecake-chan*
If Helen Keller falls in the woods and no one is around, does she make a sound?

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Offline ziggurat

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Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Insert Maasa monologue here..

I love how you describe her feeling here... It gives out a warm and beautiful feeling.. How she watches Momo's every single movement, how she finds out that she's not bored watching Momo all the time..

:heart:

Quote
“Breathe, Momoko, breathe…”

In a serious conversation with Momo, suddenly I found this part is really funny :D

Quote
And then, as if some kind of supernatural magnet had drawn me in to her lips, I kissed her.

OMG!  :imdead:

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

Offline TydusArandor

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Oh! I never knew we had this emoticon: :imdead: Oops, okay, back to the chapter <_<;;

When I was reading through the chapter, it was like "yay, Maasa x Momoko! :heart:" and then the last sentence came and it was like "OMFG, MAASA x MOMOKO! :heart: :heart: :heart:" ^^;

I wonder what happened to Maasa in the past? Hmm, I'm sure some time in the future Momoko'll be told (which means we readers will know too, hopefully ^^;; ) Looks like this story is getting really interesting now! (Of course, I don't mean it wasn't interesting before or anything!)

Can't wait for next update ^_^

Offline FeverInducedMadness

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DIBS O__O;

Roffle and Momoko and her guns joke xD

I think I have more of an idea of Maasa's past now. Perhaps she did something so immoral that she's caused herself to close up like that. I think Chinami might've been involved too, considering she's 'the broken one' so to speak.

Maasa kissed Momo! OMG O___O;

I hope Momo carries on with the performance. Shiori's kid and all xD

-cracks whip- Write more!

XD well, I couldn't help it.

You're thinking along some pretty good lines there with those speculations... but you'll have to wait and see.

^-^ You pestered me to do it. XD

There wouldn't be a story if the show didn't go on. lol

-writingwriting-

DIBS
*SQUEALS*

>w<
*hugs You!!*
I <33 you so much now!!

WHO CARES ABOUT THE OTHER QUOTES!
ONLY THIS ONE MATTERS!! >w<

XoX I am..dying..Can't..Must..Continue...to..LIVE..
To read until the end and..Defeat..FIM...In..war..GAH!!

Feel better my slave if you are like..uberly sick
If not, SUCK IT UP! >=O

*still on your back soooo Continues to pull your ears*
UPDATE!! Or I'll start pulling hair! >;P

O_OO_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O__O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
~Update doofus
*Cracks whip too*
GO MY SLAVE GO!!

Haha, I'm so going to beat you. Forget about this secret arsenal of chapters you've got. There's no way. In fact, I don't believe you. PROVE it to me. >D

Whoa Maasa! XDDDD -breaks out the cookies- Here Fimmy! XD

I likey this chapter. ^_^ -ish lazy with my comments-

-sits and waits for more- XD

-snuggles and nibbles on a cookie- You're my favorite, you know? Not mean like Yuu-chan and Loser. <3

WAAAAAAA~~~~
...
...
...
*starts singing Hyokorri Hyoutanjima*

So sweet! *teeth fall out from cavities* But at the same time...so sad and angsty *is actually crying*

*throws another box, but this time has Momoko and Maasa inside instead of Cheesecake-chan*

YAY A BOX WITH MOMOXMAASA IN IT! XD

I love how you describe her feeling here... It gives out a warm and beautiful feeling.. How she watches Momo's every single movement, how she finds out that she's not bored watching Momo all the time..

:heart:

In a serious conversation with Momo, suddenly I found this part is really funny :D

OMG!  :imdead:

^-^ Thanks.

Haha, I can imagine Maasa doing something like that, though.

Lol I'm killing people with that kiss.

Oh! I never knew we had this emoticon: :imdead: Oops, okay, back to the chapter <_<;;

When I was reading through the chapter, it was like "yay, Maasa x Momoko! :heart:" and then the last sentence came and it was like "OMFG, MAASA x MOMOKO! :heart: :heart: :heart:" ^^;

I wonder what happened to Maasa in the past? Hmm, I'm sure some time in the future Momoko'll be told (which means we readers will know too, hopefully ^^;; ) Looks like this story is getting really interesting now! (Of course, I don't mean it wasn't interesting before or anything!)

Can't wait for next update ^_^

Oh noes, my fic has been littered with corpses of my readers... ><;;

You will find out about Maasa.. but it'll be a while. That's all I can say right now. :3

Coming in a few minutes. :3

[Yuu-chaaaaaaaa~n!]
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Offline Yuuyami

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WEEEEEEDGE <3

Offline FeverInducedMadness

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[Chapter Twenty: Take a Chance With Me]

Risako was concerned. No, well, that was a nice way of putting it. She was worried. Very worried. Forget all that stuff about Momoko being capable of handling herself. She wanted to find her cousin, and she wanted to find her soon, because she wanted to be sure that Momoko was safe and sound. Even though the two of them hadn’t always been together, she was very close to her cousin, and treated her like a best friend or a sister instead.

Their parents had always teased that perhaps they had been separated at birth or something like that.

Miyabi was getting bored with the search, and kept lagging behind to try and mess with Erika, who had taken refuge behind Yurina and her metal crutches. The injured female was starting to get fed up with the evil girl, and it seemed to be taking up all her self-control to keep from hitting Miyabi.

Risako might have found the situation amusing, were she not so intent on finding Momoko.

The small group continued along the streets, stopping under the big, shady umbrella of an empty vendor’s stand in order to allow Yurina to rest a little bit. Risako was still scouring the area with her eyes from where she stood even as they waited there, until a head poked down from on top of the umbrella, obscuring her view.

It was a familiar face, one that was grinning wildly and had a single rose secured in it’s lips, and Risako didn’t know whether to be surprised or to roll her eyes.

“Maiha! Get down from there!”

The flirt only smiled wider and rolled off of the top of the umbrella, landing cat-like on her feet. She took the flower from her mouth, and in one swift move, she was kneeling in front of Risako, holding it out to the other girl.

“Oh, Socko… my love for you burns with-”

“Yes, yes, the white-hot intensity of a bunch of suns, I know. Look, Maiha… can this wait? I’m kind of busy right now.”

“No, dearest, it can’t. I want you to go on a date with me.”

Risako’s face burned as she heard Miyabi giggling from behind her, and she almost wished that she could dig a hole right there in the concrete so that she could bury herself. On the other hand, another part of her wanted to accept that offer… it screamed at her… and she could only do her best to ignore it.

“For the last time, Maiha, no. I won’t go out with you.”

“Oh.” The other female didn’t look at all upset. Rather… like she had planned on Risako saying something like that. “Well, I guess I’ll have to get one of your friends here to have lunch with me tomorrow instead.”

“What?!?”

Maiha sauntered up to Miyabi first, getting her pride stepped on a bit as the evil female only snickered at her.

“Haha, there’s no way. I wouldn’t even bother trying with me.”

“Okaaaaaaaaaaay…” She turned to Yurina, but quickly dismissed the thought. “I’m getting ‘I’ll kill you if you touch me’ vibes from you… so that’s a no go…” And that left…

Erika.

The shyest girl in the troupe found arms around her as she was swung into a low dip, Maiha’s face hovering above her own. It was a rather compromising position she found herself in, and after all that she had been through today—what with enduring Miyabi’s incessant torture and being locked in a closet—this was about all that she could take.

“Ah, such a lovely young lady you are… would you consider accompanying me on a date tomorrow? I’ll take you wherever you like and we’ll go… well… as far as you’ll let me.”

Erika’s face turned a bright shade of crimson, and she began to stutter, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Maiha, put her down before you make her faint or something… We really don’t have time for this!”

Risako seemed genuinely concerned for her troop member’s well-being, but then again, Maiha could also detect tones of jealousy in the younger female’s voice. Which was perfect and just what she wanted. She carefully detached herself from Erika, making sure the tall girl wasn’t going to fall over before she backed away, and then she turned to face Risako.

“What’s got you in such a hurry that there’s no time for me?”

“Momo-chan ran off… I’m afraid that maybe she’s lost somewhere in the city.”

“Oh, well in that case, I’ll help you look for her! I wouldn’t mind seeing that girl again, she had nice-”

“No, Maiha. Not a good idea. Just… go away.”

The flirt was grinning devilishly, and Risako was reminded of Miyabi. Probably because the evil girl was watching all of this take place with a similar expression on her face.

“You know how you can make me go away?”

“How?”

“Say you’ll go out with me.”

“Maiha…”

“It’s just one date, Socko. One date. It won’t kill you, I promise. You might even actually have fun with me.”

I know I’d probably have fun with you, Maiha… That’s what I’m worried about. I like you a lot, you know… probably more than you know…

Risako was getting frustrated. Every minute they wasted there talking about that nonsense was another minute that Momoko could get lost even farther, or worse: something bad could have happened to her. Anything was possible in this city. She groaned, and finally gave up, mumbling a response.

“Fine… I’ll go on a date with you…”

Maiha looked like she was the happiest person in the world right then. She was resisting the urge to jump up and down like a little kid. Instead, she leaned forward to tuck the rose—being careful of the thorns, of course—behind Risako’s ear.

“I’ll find you tomorrow. Don’t forget about it, okay?”

And just like that, as quickly as she had appeared, Maiha was gone again. Risako sighed. It was the kind of sigh that was one-fourths happy, one-fourths relieved, one-fourths aggravated, and one-fourths unsure. A person could express a lot in a sigh, and Risako was an expert in that kind of communication.

Of course, the day wouldn’t have been complete were Miyabi not to start teasing her about it.

“Well, well… your girlfriend is an… interesting person.”

“She’s NOT my girlfriend. Now come on, let’s keep moving. Momoko could be anywhere by now…”

-----------

The sun was starting to set, and the girls still hadn’t spotted the newcomer to their group anywhere. Miyabi wanted to give up, and Miyabi and Erika were starting to get really tired, but still Risako pushed them on. Without Momoko… they didn’t have any hope. And she wasn’t ready to give up hope yet.

She also wasn’t expecting to run into Shimizu Saki, either.
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Offline Yuuyami

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Aww! This chapter was so cute!

The scene of Maiha doing the fishy pose with Erika is so hilarious to imagine, Erika's so much taller than Maiha xDDDDDDD

Maiha seems so desperate to get Risako on a date with her, is she really what Risako says and will throw all that away for more women? ;_; Seeing how she hasn't really said "I love you" to her yet, I guess she will throw it away :/

Write faster! -cracks whip multiple times-
« Last Edit: April 23, 2007, 02:25:50 AM by Yuuyami »

Loser87

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #153 on: April 23, 2007, 02:14:50 AM »
oh My~

I <33 it oh so much
I love it oh so much XD

Are you feeling better though? hn?~
If you are then..*pulls your ears* WORK HARDER!!
If not...*Pulls your ears* GET BETTER!!
O_O

Quotes

Quote
“Oh, Socko… my love for you burns with-”

“Yes, yes, the white-hot intensity of a bunch of suns, I know. Look, Maiha… can this wait? I’m kind of busy right now.”

“No, dearest, it can’t. I want you to go on a date with me.”

Risako’s face burned as she heard Miyabi giggling from behind her, and she almost wished that she could dig a hole right there in the concrete so that she could bury herself. On the other hand, another part of her wanted to accept that offer… it screamed at her… and she could only do her best to ignore it.

*ssexy beast**ssexy beast*
I wanna see RiiXMaiha date >w<
So Hurry up or I'll kick yer ass!

Quote
“Say you’ll go out with me.”

“Maiha…”

“It’s just one date, Socko. One date. It won’t kill you, I promise. You might even actually have fun with me.”

I know I’d probably have fun with you, Maiha… That’s what I’m worried about. I like you a lot, you know… probably more than you know…

Risako was getting frustrated. Every minute they wasted there talking about that nonsense was another minute that Momoko could get lost even farther, or worse: something bad could have happened to her. Anything was possible in this city. She groaned, and finally gave up, mumbling a response.

“Fine… I’ll go on a date with you…”

Haha, Risako knows she wants too XD

Quote
“Well, well… your girlfriend is an… interesting person.”

“She’s NOT my girlfriend. Now come on, let’s keep moving. Momoko could be anywhere by now…”
Not yet anyways XDXDXD

Quote
She also wasn’t expecting to run into Shimizu Saki, either.
*gasp* CONFRONTATION YAY!!!!
HURRY UP AND POST!!~

~C'Mon~ *pokes pokes pokes pokes*
I said hurry up!!
O_O
« Last Edit: April 23, 2007, 02:25:36 AM by Loser87 »

Offline ziggurat

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #154 on: April 23, 2007, 02:47:56 AM »
Quote from: FeverInducedMadness
Miyabi was getting bored with the search, and kept lagging behind to try and mess with Erika, who had taken refuge behind Yurina and her metal crutches.

XDDDDD

Quote
It was a familiar face, one that was grinning wildly and had a single rose secured in it’s lips, and Risako didn’t know whether to be surprised or to roll her eyes.

lol Maiha.. casanova!

Somebody please give her a lesson! >w<

Lovey dovey :heart:

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

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #155 on: April 23, 2007, 04:29:09 AM »
Argh! I wanted to know about Momo and Maasa! Cliffhangers! Yerg... *retreats to shadowy recesses to await the next chapter* Evil people...

Offline Estrea

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #156 on: April 23, 2007, 06:12:02 AM »
Yay I'm your favorite because I don't threaten you? XD -gives you more cookies- XD

Haha at Maiha being so persistent. ^_^ That move with Erika made me LOL. So...cliched. XD Maiha needs better pickup lines. ;) Can't wait to see her date with her beloved Socko. XD

Now I totally want to see what happens with Miyabi/Saki. Fufufu.

-spreads out a blanket and lies down to wait-

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 Tanachan

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #157 on: April 24, 2007, 12:53:56 AM »
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

*deathly chokingly hugs you*

Hehe...Maiha flirting with Erika...that's gotta be so funny!

If Helen Keller falls in the woods and no one is around, does she make a sound?

Official [WHOA] member, master and commander of the Tokunaga Chinami branch.

Offline FeverInducedMadness

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #158 on: April 24, 2007, 03:09:37 AM »
Aww! This chapter was so cute!

The scene of Maiha doing the fishy pose with Erika is so hilarious to imagine, Erika's so much taller than Maiha xDDDDDDD

Maiha seems so desperate to get Risako on a date with her, is she really what Risako says and will throw all that away for more women? ;_; Seeing how she hasn't really said "I love you" to her yet, I guess she will throw it away :/

Write faster! -cracks whip multiple times-

XDD That's what makes it funnier.

You'll just have to wait for the date, now won't you?

Bah, you and yer whip.

oh My~

I <33 it oh so much
I love it oh so much XD

Are you feeling better though? hn?~
If you are then..*pulls your ears* WORK HARDER!!
If not...*Pulls your ears* GET BETTER!!
O_O

Quotes

*ssexy beast**ssexy beast*
I wanna see RiiXMaiha date >w<
So Hurry up or I'll kick yer ass!

Haha, Risako knows she wants too XD
Not yet anyways XDXDXD
*gasp* CONFRONTATION YAY!!!!
HURRY UP AND POST!!~

~C'Mon~ *pokes pokes pokes pokes*
I said hurry up!!
O_O

Ow... It's always tough love with you, isn't it?

XDDDDD

lol Maiha.. casanova!

Somebody please give her a lesson! >w<

Lovey dovey :heart:

That somebody won't be me, because I'm about as romantic as a sock. XD

Argh! I wanted to know about Momo and Maasa! Cliffhangers! Yerg... *retreats to shadowy recesses to await the next chapter* Evil people...

Well, check out this next chapter, then. <3

Yay I'm your favorite because I don't threaten you? XD -gives you more cookies- XD

Haha at Maiha being so persistent. ^_^ That move with Erika made me LOL. So...cliched. XD Maiha needs better pickup lines. ;) Can't wait to see her date with her beloved Socko. XD

Now I totally want to see what happens with Miyabi/Saki. Fufufu.

-spreads out a blanket and lies down to wait-

<33

XDD

It's not lovely, I'll give you that much. :3

... >< Can I sit with yew? ^w^ -begs-

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!!!!

*deathly chokingly hugs you*

Hehe...Maiha flirting with Erika...that's gotta be so funny!

-deathchoked- x_x

[wedgecall? anyone?]
« Last Edit: April 24, 2007, 03:14:19 AM by FeverInducedMadness »
-sig is undah construction because it needs to be pimped out-

Offline FeverInducedMadness

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Re: ::Heartbeat Tempo:: [Chapter Twenty -- Take a Chance With Me]
« Reply #159 on: April 24, 2007, 03:12:34 AM »
Well, I can't wait for slowpoke wedges.
This is the longest chapter yet.
It's like 6 3/4 pages in Word. WOO!
Enjoy~!

[Chapter Twenty-One: Confused, But Happy]

For a few minutes it felt like I was in heaven. I hadn’t expected my first kiss to be so warm and soft… and gentle. Then again, I hadn’t expected that I would get my first kiss that day, either. Or from a girl that I barely knew. Her lips left mine, and she leaned forward so that our foreheads touched, letting out a quiet sigh.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that…”

I smiled, closing my eyes. How somebody could feel so guilty over something like a little kiss was beyond me. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t have pulled away, and to be honest, I hadn’t wanted to. So I was just as ‘guilty’ as she was. I didn’t know what I was doing… and I didn’t know where this was going, but… if this was how it started out then I was curious to see where it might lead.

“You regret it already…? I didn’t think that I would be that bad at kissing…”

“N-no… it’s not that… it was nice…”

I was glad she couldn’t see my face just then, because I’m pretty sure it was getting pretty pink right there. However, I waited for the ‘but…’ that was sure to come. Those ‘buts’, always shoving themselves in where they weren’t wanted.

“But… I’m not sure that I want anything to happen here… So… I’m sorry, I didn’t want to send out mixed signals like this. I really shouldn’t have done that.”

She sat back up straight again, moving away from me. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so disappointed if she wasn’t so… wonderful. She was being very honest with me, but I think that the conflict that I held in my eyes was reflected in hers. Though she was telling the truth… she was holding back something, too. Obviously, she had a reason for putting up these walls and pushing me away…

There wasn’t much I could do but respect that and leave it alone, no matter how confused I was at the moment. This wasn’t the time or place to get into a relationship with anyone, anyway. I had too many things on my mind already, and I wasn’t here to stay…

Maasa got up off of the bed and staggered a little bit as she stood on her own two feet again. Anyone else might have been concerned, and I was, but I was able to read her well enough to know that she would probably refuse any help that I would try to offer, and so I just watched her silently.

“Are you leaving now?”

Of course you are…

“I think I’m going to go check up on Saki.”

A lie, but… I don’t belong in this place here with you.

“Be careful, then…”

I’ll probably never see you again… will I?

“Yeah, I will. Oh, but one more thing… About that song… the one your mom came up with? I think you should go for it. Don’t let the past keep you from moving ahead in the future.”

Maybe… I should take my own advice sometime.

“…I’ll think about it. Goodbye, Maasa.”

Goodbye, Momoko.

I sat there as she closed the door behind her without a word, and I pulled one of the pillows next to me in my lap, hugging it for comfort. The photo album lay open in front of me, and I reached forward to trace my fingers tentatively across the picture of my mother.

Would you have believed in me, too, Mom?

I gathered up what remained of my determination and courage, and hopped off of the bed, leaving the apartment to go and find the rest of the troupe.

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

“Ah- Risako-chan…”

Even though some part of Saki was happy to see her old friends again… another part of her was telling her to run as fast as she could in order to get away from them. Unfortunately, there was a problem. Miyabi had already spotted her, and was giving her the most venomous look that she could muster.

“You don’t have the right to speak to her any more… or any of the rest of us, for that matter. What are you doing here?”

Miyabi’s voice was cold, and her words definitely cut into Saki’s heart, but she preferred them to the silent treatment.

“…I live in this city, and I was just taking a walk… Is there a problem with that?”

“Where have you been for the past two years, then?”

It was the question. The one that Saki had been waiting for. The one that she knew she couldn’t answer without expecting this girl to be angry at her. She deserved all of this hatred, though, she supposed… after all, she had been the one to walk away.

“I’ve been here.”

“I haven’t seen you once since before yesterday, so I’m not sure that I believe you.”
“Well, for one thing, I didn’t want to be found, so that was kind of the point, and for another, why does it matter to you, Miyabi?”

“Because I want to know if I’m going to have to avoid seeing your face again.”

Another sharp dart, laced with poison. But no matter how badly it hurt, Saki wouldn’t lash back out at the other girl. It simply wasn’t her way. She would take the hits everytime and then try to move on. But… how much more would she… or could she take? Not anymore today, that was for sure. She had other things to worry about.

“Don’t worry about that… I’ll make sure to stay out of your way, if that’s what you want.” She mumbled quietly, walking past Miyabi and making sure not to make eye contact. As she was leaving, however, she felt a gentle hand grab onto her wrist, and every ounce of her being hoped that it might have been Miyabi.

Turning around to see Risako’s kind face wasn’t bad, either. The younger girl said nothing, but Saki could see something like forgiveness in those eyes, and as she glanced at Yurina and Erika, she saw that they were mirroring the same expression.

At least, not everyone hates me…

She smiled sadly at them, before continuing on, wanting to put all of that behind her. Once she was gone, Miyabi immediately turned on the youngest member of the troupe.

“What the HELL did you do THAT for? You’re going to make her think that everything’s okay now, and it’s NOT, Risako.”

“You’re the only one who had a problem with her leaving, Miya…”

“Because she dropped everything that was important to her and abandoned us! We were at the top of our game and we lost our best performer, and for what? Oh, that’s right, we don’t know, because she didn’t have an explanation, so that must mean there’s no freakin’ reason at all.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And YOU do?”

Risako was doing an impressive job of standing up to the intimidating Miyabi, and even though she was frightened of the other girl, she wouldn’t dare back down now.

“I trust Saki-chan. I don’t need to know the reasons why she does what she does. She’s my friend, and I’ll love her anyway. And honestly, I think you’re mad because something happened to you personally, and so you’re trying to take it out on the rest of us because you didn’t get what you wanted-”

The force of the slap was enough to knock Risako to the ground, and the sound of it echoed off of the buildings nearby. Risako didn’t know that something could sting so badly, and she felt her eyes begin to water. Miyabi was standing over her now, and after receiving such a blow, the younger girl had started to tremble.

“Don’t ever talk to me like that again. You don’t know what happened, and so you have no business talking about it like that. I’m still the leader of this group, and so I’m going to treat the lot of you however I want to. Oh, and guess what? You have your beloved Saki to thank for that, too, because if she hadn’t left, you wouldn’t be in this mess. How does that make you feel, Rii-chan? Hm? It kind of sucks to think about it that way, doesn’t it? Suddenly, Saki’s not so great anymore, huh.”

Risako was crying now, but she still had a little bit of fight left in her, and she managed to glare up at the older girl through her tears.

“You’ll never be even a fraction of the person she is…”

The younger girl flinched as she saw Miyabi’s hand swing back again, but something stopped her from slapping Risako a second time.

That something was me.

I had my hand closed tight around Natsuyaki’s wrist, and even though I wanted really badly to pull backwards and send the girl sprawling to the ground, I am a better person than that. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t entirely there thanks to what had happened with Maasa. Either way, I was willing to negotiate before I sent my new rival into a world of pain.

“Touch her again and you’ll regret it, Natsuyaki.”

“Let go of me, Tsugunaga.” She replied, through gritted teeth. I wasn’t exactly feeling threatened, though. More like, amused, because try as she might she couldn’t get her arm free of my grasp. Oh, and she had stopped using my nickname as an insult, I guess.

Which was good, because I didn’t like to hear it coming out of her mouth.

“I’ll let go of you when I’m good and ready.”

Just to emphasize my point, I twisted the girl’s arm so that it was pinned up against her back, and she let out a yelp of surprise and pain.

“Now, I don’t know what’s going on over here… I don’t really need to know, because it doesn’t really matter. But, I couldn’t help but overhear that you think that you’re still leading this group. And while that’s fine and nice and all, I’m here to inform you that a leader doesn’t treat her group like this. So if you insist on acting like this towards them, I’m going to let you know right now that I will step up and intervene. So grow up, or get out of my way. As much as I don’t want to say it, as a part of this group, you are needed. And if you don’t get your act together, it could be the end of this. All of this. The theatre… this group… your dream… everything. And you know I’m right.”

Natsuyaki had stopped struggling halfway into my speech, and I could tell that she was listening and thinking hard about what I had to say. Good, it meant that maybe I had knocked some sense into her. I let go of her hand, and watched as she let it drop limply to her side.

“We’re going to keep on working hard for this show. No matter what. I ran off today… but it won’t happen again. I am just an outsider… and I’ll leave once this is over. But until then, I’m committed. And I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure that the theatre doesn’t get closed down.”

I walked over to Risako and bent down to help her up. Her cheek was red, and she was looking at me through bleary eyes. I wiped a tear off of her face with my thumb, and smiled at her in a reassuring way. Then I turned to the rest of the group.

“Go home. Get some sleep. Forget about what happened today, because tomorrow we’re starting this thing for real. And be ready for some serious work.”

I got nothing but silence for a reply, but I could tell that we were all in agreement, albeit a reluctant one. I nodded, and then tugged Risako along behind me to leave.

I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep at this point.

What a rough day…

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

“I’m really sorry about it you know…”

“Go to sleep, Risako-chan…”

I felt the bed shift as she sat up beside me, and I groaned and rolled over, burying my head beneath a pillow to try and block her out.

“No. I’m not sleeping until I know for sure that you forgive me.”

“I wasn’t even mad at you to begin with…”

There wasn’t a reply, and so I wondered if she had even heard me through the pillow. Considering that this was Risako I was talking about, probably not. I sighed and sat up as well, turning to look at her.

“Listen… I’m not mad at you for what you did today, and I never was. When I got upset… it wasn’t about you… it was because of the weight… the pressure that I felt at that moment… well, it was just too overwhelming for me to handle. That’s why I ran out, okay?”

“I know, and I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, I swear, I just thought that-”

I held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks.

“You thought it would be nice to offer. And it was. I just didn’t know how to handle what you had given me… but… when I got away… and had time to think about it… I think I’m going to go ahead and do the solo. But only if the others are okay with it.”

She gave me a toothy grin, and I knew just then that I would never hear the end of it.

“Oh, I already talked to them about it when we were looking for it. Even Miya seemed to be interested in the idea… but I don’t know if her opinion’s changed since you gave her a good talkin’ to… By the way, where did that come from. You were so awesome out there, Momo-chan…”

I know, I know. I can be much too amazing for my own good sometimes. It didn’t hurt to hear it from someone else for a change, though.

“She hurt you… and nobody’s going to treat you like that when I’m around.”

Especially not when I’m around. I had a feeling that that wasn’t the first time Natsuyaki had bullied my cousin, either. She and I would be having a long talk if she tried to pull something like that again.

Risako smiled at me again, before laying her head back down on her pillow.

Finally… maybe now I can get some sleep.

I rolled back over, getting all situated and comfortable again, and was ready to let sleep claim me in order to escape from the thoughts racing through my mind. …That’s when she started to talk again.

“…So what made you change your mind?”

I really didn’t want to discuss this with her or anyone just yet… But since I had my back to her, and she couldn’t see me… I let a little smile creep onto my lips.

“Oh, nothing… just a random change of heart, I suppose.”

“With you? There has to be something more.”

“Okay then, how about you tell me where you got that rose that’s sitting on the table over there?”

“Goodnight, Momo-chan!”

Haha, good night, Risako.
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