Estrea's Sandbox [6/4 - Treat]

[Estrea]

Oh my, all the perv requests.

I don't even know what I'm doing here. Ok, actually, I do.

>_>

I wanted to drop by and present some fluff before burying myself in my hated revisions again. No, it's not quite the continuation to the continuation to Malfunction, but its set timeline-wise before it. I thought it was cute, so yeah.

In case anyone was wondering, I've gotten started on the non-perv continuation, but the actual perv will have to wait until after my exams. It ends on Wednesday, so yeah, be patient!

Anyway, gonna stop blabbering and post now. ^_^

===============================================


One Night in Seoul

The knocking on the door was persistent, and it made a certain girl twitch uncontrollably as she hurriedly washed her hands and scrambled out of the bathroom.

"Coming!" She called out, skidding around the corner and almost slamming facefirst into the door. Rubbing her forehead gingerly with one hand, she opened the door with the other, her pained expression giving way to pleasure as she took in the sight of her visitor.

"Ai-chan!" Niigaki Risa, the aforementioned occupant of the room blurted out happily. Her visitor smiled vaguely as her eyes traveled up to where Risa was holding her hand to her forehead. The thud when Risa's forehead had made contact with the very unyielding door had been clearly audible on the other side of it.

"Are you ok?" Ai asked in concern. Risa laughed nervously as she swung herself to one side, allowing entry for the older girl.

"Eh, I ah, ran into the door just now." Risa mumbled embarrassedly, rubbing at her slightly sore forehead before brushing her fringe over it to conceal the reddened spot.

"Mou, Gaki-san, you should be more careful!" Ai sounded like she was somewhere between laughing and being concerned. She was dressed quite casually, just a t-shirt and sweatpants, seeing that her own hotel room was just across from Risa's, and she saw no point in dressing up if they weren't going anywhere else.

"I was too! But Ai-chan was knocking so hard, I thought it was something urgent!" Risa complained, pouting slightly as she closed the door behind them.

"What do I have to do with anything? You still should have been more careful!" Ai retorted, plopping herself down on the edge of the bed unceremoniously. Risa stuck her tongue out at her leader, pretending to sulk a little, and Ai did laugh out loud this time.

"Come here." Ai gestured to Risa, patting the space beside her. Risa pretended reluctance for a moment, but gave in anyway. It was her room and her bed, after all.

"So, Ai-chan, what are you doing over so late? It's past 10 already and I'm..." Risa yawned mid-sentence. "...getting sleepy."

"Let me see?" Risa blinked, wondering what Ai was referring to, but the smaller woman had already leaned towards her, brushing aside her fringe and running gentle fingers across the still reddened patch where Risa had hit her head. Risa let out something between a sigh and yawn as Ai stroked the sore flesh almost tenderly.

"Does it hurt?" Ai sounded quite concerned. Risa felt a pleasant warmth spread from her heart at the heartfelt question.

"No, I'm fine..." Then she frowned slightly. "Were you listening to me, or did you just ignore me again?"

"Eh?" Now it was Ai's turn to blink uncomprehendingly at Risa. "I was!"

"Really? What did I say then?" Risa asked suspiciously.

"Um, you asked me what I was doing over here?" Ai answered a little warily, after a moment's recollection. Risa pretended to glare at her, making the older girl shrink backwards. "What?"

Suddenly Risa grinned and reached forward, tweaking Ai's nose. "Just kidding~" Then the younger girl scooted backwards further up the bed to avoid the playful punch Ai was aiming at her shoulder.

"Mou Gaki-san, don't do that!" Ai whined, puffing out her cheeks as she turned to face her grinning sub-leader, who had already fallen back to rest on the pillows. Ai pretended to scowl at her as she crawled up to sprawl belly-first beside her friend. Risa grinned remorselessly and turned on her side to face her leader.

"So? What's up?" Ai tried to maintain her expression but after a moment's struggle, decided it wasn't worth the wrinkles and smiled slightly.

"Just came over to hang out for a bit. We don't always have the time to do that." Risa returned the warm smile and also turned around to rest on her belly, resting one cheek on her arm which was thrown over the pillow, as her other eye lazily rose up to meet Ai-chan's gaze.

"So, how was Koharu? I was going to go check on her later, before I slept..." Risa started. Ai shrugged, propping up her chin on steepled fingers as she rested her elbows on the bed.

"No need, I swung by her room before I came. I made sure she was in bed before I left." Ai smiled half to herself. "She was a bit homesick earlier, so I helped her make a long-distance call back to her parents. I think she'll sleep better tonight."

"That's nice of you Ai-chan." Risa beamed approvingly at her leader. Ai tilted her gaze down modestly, letting her short hair cover her face.

"Well, I try..." Risa smiled encouragingly upwards, reaching out with her free hand to pat the older woman's shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll be a great leader." Ai shrugged again.

"The younger ones like you better though..." Ai mumbled. "You're the nice and friendly senpai, and they all think I'm a bit...odd."

"You ARE odd." Ai huffed in response and hit Risa lightly on the shoulder, but Risa just grinned indulgently back up at her offended leader. "But I like you that way."

"Hmph, you're the strange one, Gaki-san." Ai replied, slightly flustered by the sudden compliment, but secretly pleased by it anyway.

They made some more small talk for a while, though Risa's responses grew shorter and shorter, ranging fromm "hmm" to "yeah", until she completely stopped responding to Ai's increasing monologue as the older digressed into Japanese history again (unconscious habit).

After a long period of no answers from her companion, Ai leaned over curiously, nudging Risa with her shoulder. Risa shuffled around in her sleep, sprawled over her half of the bed, limbs spread in awkward directions as she kicked unconsciously at the sheets. Ai giggled at the sleepy little frown that appeared on Risa's face as the latter tried to get comfortable unconsciously.

Ai sighed aloud at how adorable the younger girl was in her sleep. It was cute seeing Gaki-san sprawled so messily all over the bed, her lips slightly parted and a trickle of drool starting to gather and ooze its way out from a corner of her mouth. After watching indulgently for a moment, Ai decided to leave her Gaki-san alone to her slumber, not quite having the heart to wake the younger girl up.

Getting off the bed carefully so as not to wake her sleeping friend, Ai tiptoed over and tried to pull the blankets over her unconscious (and definitely drooling now) sub-leader, not wanting her to catch cold. It was a bit difficult since Gaki-san was lying on half of the sheets, and after some tugging, Ai gave up. Frowning for a moment, she stared helplessly for a second before a lightbulb went off in her head.

Zipping off into her own room just across the hallway, she retrieved something and scooted back into Gaki-san's room, where the younger girl was still obliviously dead to the world. Tenderly, she spread the spare blanket she had accidentally packed along on her friend, making sure that the other girl was tucked in warmly. Her fingers brushed over the messy forelock covering Gaki-san's forehead, watching adoringly as Risa twitched in her sleep, mumbling incoherently to herself. The sore spot were Risa had hit her head was fading already, but Ai could still see the contrast to the pale skin of her Gaki-san.

Unable to resist the impulse (well, Gaki-san was somehow pouting in her sleep, and it was absolutely adorable), Ai leaned down and kissed Risa's forehead gently, blowing lightly on where Risa had hurt herself just earlier.With an enigmatic smile, the leader reluctantly pulled away, but not after whispering something before she left the room.

"Sleep well, Risa."

============================

Ok, I so ripped the title off "one night in Beijing" >_> Yeah, says a lot about me, no? XDDD

Anyway, fluff done. >D

-skips away-

EDIT: My 400th post devoted to Takagaki fluff! <3

[Sevii]

Melting. Melting. And gone.....



I'm just a puddle of lovey dovey Takagaki sap now.. :3

[inDeceit]

  You know, the first thing I thought of at the title was "One night in beijing"... I nearly burst out singing xD
And the first half freaked me out in a "I wrote a chapter with gaki-san banging her head on something as well just the other night (Thursday)" way. ;_;

Anyway, <333333  Awwww... So sweet. I'm all full of smiles now. It's a good saturday for me.

[lil_hamz]

First thoughts…I thought the one who was racing to open the door was Ai Silly me. I liked the bit about them on the bed. How Ai was lying on her belly and Gaki-san on her side. It was a sweet scene to imagine. Oh and everything else was detailed carefully which helped me visualize easily the happenings in my head! Drooling isn’t really sexy but I’m glad Ai thought it was cute

[JFC]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...      

[Estrea]

Melting. Melting. And gone.....
I'm just a puddle of lovey dovey Takagaki sap now.. :3

Sap is good. <3 -scoops Sevii up and stuffs in freezer- You need to be solid again! XDDD

...so you can melt some more. >D

You know, the first thing I thought of at the title was "One night in beijing"... I nearly burst out singing xD
And the first half freaked me out in a "I wrote a chapter with gaki-san banging her head on something as well just the other night (Thursday)" way. ;_;

Anyway, <333333  Awwww... So sweet. I'm all full of smiles now. It's a good saturday for me.

Haha, you did? I know I did! Start singing, I mean. Haha. Glad to know I helped to brighten your day in some small way.

First thoughts…I thought the one who was racing to open the door was Ai Silly me. I liked the bit about them on the bed. How Ai was lying on her belly and Gaki-san on her side. It was a sweet scene to imagine. Oh and everything else was detailed carefully which helped me visualize easily the happenings in my head! Drooling isn’t really sexy but I’m glad Ai thought it was cute

情人眼里出西施。Or in short, I'm sure Ai finds that everything Gaki-san does is cute if nothing else. Hehe. I like writing all those details so you guys can see what I'm seeing in my head. Least I could do!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...      

Yes, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww <33333333333333333333

More "awww"s coming up, I hope. I'm just writing fluff to destress. Funny how people get stressed by doing exams, I destress by writing some more after writing so much in my papers. Haha.

Anyway, fluff time!

=============================================

Past Midnight (still in Seoul)

In the dark, a lone figure stirred slightly, curling deeper into herself as pale fingers dug into rumpled sheets, tightening and loosening as the grip shifted over a wide area, moving restlessly as if in search for something. The figure seemed to shrink into a tinier ball, quest unfulfilled, muscles tensing as she began the slow, awkward rise to wakefulness.

"Nngh...Ai-chan?" A sleep-hazed voice burred softly, still thick with sleep. One hand swept around vainly, as if trying to grab onto something, but finding nothing.

The hand fell limply back onto the sheets, even as a head rose uncertainly, blinking back the fog of sleep and peering shortly into the dim ambience of the room. A soft blanket slid off her shoulder with the motion, pooling in a crimson puddle at the rise of her hip and cascading over her stomach and waist. One small hand followed to rub lazily at her eyes, as if the action by itself would remove some of the grogginess from her dazed self.

The room was woefully empty, save for herself. Repressing a shiver instinctively, her other hand balling up and pressing into the bedsheets with a vengeance of their own, Niigaki Risa couldn't help the discontented pout that inched its way onto her face unconsciously. Her bed felt empty, cold even, and far too unwelcoming. Hotel rooms generally weren't very hospitable in that respect. After all, no one really stayed there on a permanent basis anyway.

Her muscles felt stretched in unusual ways. Falling asleep in strange positions was sort of a semi-trademark of hers, not to mention her restlessness in her sleep, tossing and turning quite frequently. She supposed it was a blessing that she had woken up on the bed itself and not on the floor again. Much to her eternal shame, she could and did occasionally fall off her bed during her nocturnal thrashabouts. It was the reason why most people would never share a bed with her, for fear of her knocking them off or something like that somewhere in the night.

Ai-chan never had that problem though. Risa smiled to herself in the dark. For whatever reason, sharing a bed with Ai-chan almost insured that she stayed still for the whole night. Konkon could never believe it either, and had even tried leaving a video camera on the whole night aimed at them one time. To the astonishment of the others, the fast-forwarded playback of the recording showed that Risa barely budged in her sleep, except to snuggle closer to Ai. Mako-chan had promptly proclaimed it a miracle and declared that in future sleepovers, Risa was to sleep next to Ai-chan to ensure the general safety of all others involved, to the laughter of everyone present.

A sigh washed out of her as she allowed herself to fall back on the pillows. She missed the times when the Gokkies were all together. Even though Konkon had returned to the Project, it just wasn't the same anymore, when the four of them had been in Morning Musume together. Of course, they still kept in intermittent contact with Mako-chan, but distance and time zones made it difficult to just call each other up to talk or something. It was just...different.

Rolling slightly over to bury her face in the pillow, Risa sighed again. She hated waking up in the middle of the night like this, feeling so acutely alone and isolated. Her last waking memory had been of Ai-chan by her side, talking about something or another. Honestly, Ai-chan needed to find something else to talk about, since Risa was about ready to start reciting all the historical facts back to her at the rate she was going. Not that Ai-chan was that boring, Risa said to herself, well, ok, maybe a little. The topics were boring, but any time spent with Ai-chan was nice. There was something comforting about just being together with her.

Risa felt slightly resentful that Ai-chan had just left her to sleep and just walked out on her own. Couldn't she have stayed with her? It wasn't like they hadn't shared a bed before, and Ai-chan had to know that she didn't mind. Or Ai-chan could have woken her up before leaving. It was better than just leaving without a word and letting her wake up cold, alone, and disoriented. Like now.

Disgruntled, Risa flipped around sharply again, trying to find a more comfortable position sleeping on her other side. The hem of her t-shirt caught on the soft fabric of the makeshift blanket still draped over her waist haphazardly, and she paused in her shuffling to reach down, pulling the offending cloth up. Her harshly grasping fingers relaxed upon noting what it was, and more importantly, who it belonged to.

Ai-chan... Risa smiled faintly to herself, pulling the crimson cloth close, burying her face in it and inhaling. The scent was faint but unmistakable. Risa felt her muscles loosening as she exhaled contentedly, snuggling close to the article a thoughtful though clueless leader had left with her. It wasn't the real thing, but it was better than nothing. Going over right now to find the real thing probably wouldn't be a good idea since Ai-chan certainly wouldn't take kindly to being woken up at such an ungodly hour of the night.

But Risa could deal with that. It was just one night, and she would definitely make sure to crash over at Ai-chan's at the next available opportunity. Soon. Very soon.

With that thought firmly in mind, Risa fell back asleep, a goofy grin pasted on her face as she wandered off into the land of dreams.

==================================================

Yes, this is a continuation to the previous one. What?

[Sevii]

OHOHOHO.

Way to write while I was snoozing away!
I love how you included Konkon and Mako-chan in there, but why does it sound like Konkon's a stalker of some sort.. now if I could just get my hands on that video they recorded.. I mean.. uhh.. ya.

THE RED TOWEL!

THE LEGENDARY RED TOWEL!!!! <3

How's Ai-chan supposed to sleep?!

[JFC]

In the dark, a lone figure stirred slightly, curling deeper into herself as pale fingers dug into rumpled sheets, tightening and loosening as the grip shifted over a wide area, moving restlessly as if in search for something. The figure seemed to shrink into a tinier ball, quest unfulfilled, muscles tensing as she began the slow, awkward rise to wakefulness.

"Nngh...Ai-chan?" A sleep-hazed voice burred softly, still thick with sleep.

Awww...Risa misses Aichan's presence.

Falling asleep in strange positions was sort of a semi-trademark of hers, not to mention her restlessness in her sleep, tossing and turning quite frequently. She supposed it was a blessing that she had woken up on the bed itself and not on the floor again. Much to her eternal shame, she could and did occasionally fall off her bed during her nocturnal thrashabouts. It was the reason why most people would never share a bed with her, for fear of her knocking them off or something like that somewhere in the night.

Ai-chan never had that problem though. Risa smiled to herself in the dark. For whatever reason, sharing a bed with Ai-chan almost insured that she stayed still for the whole night.

Awwwwwwwwww...she's more comfortable sleeping when Aichan's there! 

Konkon could never believe it either, and had even tried leaving a video camera on the whole night aimed at them one time. To the astonishment of the others, the fast-forwarded playback of the recording showed that Risa barely budged in her sleep, except to snuggle closer to Ai. Mako-chan had promptly proclaimed it a miracle and declared that in future sleepovers, Risa was to sleep next to Ai-chan to ensure the general safety of all others involved, to the laughter of everyone present.

Disgruntled, Risa flipped around sharply again, trying to find a more comfortable position sleeping on her other side. The hem of her t-shirt caught on the soft fabric of the makeshift blanket still draped over her waist haphazardly, and she paused in her shuffling to reach down, pulling the offending cloth up. Her harshly grasping fingers relaxed upon noting what it was, and more importantly, who it belonged to.

Oh right, she's got Aichan's extra blanket.

Ai-chan... Risa smiled faintly to herself, pulling the crimson cloth close, burying her face in it and inhaling. The scent was faint but unmistakable. Risa felt her muscles loosening as she exhaled contentedly, snuggling close to the article a thoughtful though clueless leader had left with her. It wasn't the real thing, but it was better than nothing.

Awwwwwwwwwww!

Going over right now to find the real thing probably wouldn't be a good idea since Ai-chan certainly wouldn't take kindly to being woken up at such an ungodly hour of the night.

But Risa could deal with that. It was just one night, and she would definitely make sure to crash over at Ai-chan's at the next available opportunity. Soon. Very soon.

With that thought firmly in mind, Risa fell back asleep, a goofy grin pasted on her face as she wandered off into the land of dreams.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

THE RED TOWEL!

THE LEGENDARY RED TOWEL!!!! <3

Huh? I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank to this reference.

[lil_hamz]

A soft blanket slid off her shoulder with the motion, pooling in a crimson puddle at the rise of her hip and cascading over her stomach and waist.

This image of Gaki-san just seems so hawt

Konkon could never believe it either, and had even tried leaving a video camera on the whole night aimed at them one time.

Even with her not doing anything but laying there sleeping, this would be good I'm still annoyed that the gokkies never got that wake-up call segment unlike the 4kkies and 6kkies.

Huh? I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank to this reference.

Ai-chan has a beloved red blanket that she can't live without. If I recalled correctly she did say it would be one of the 3 items she would take along if stranded on a deserted island

[Sukoshi]

ah I love how you can take a real life fact and create such an in depth beautiful story out of it!  I especially like how you used the story about how Risa fell sleep while talking with Ai chan.  When I first heard of that I thought it was soo cute, I'm really happy that you used it in a story! 

I have this strange urge to run off and translate AiGaki stuff now!  They are just too adorable when referring to each other~ 

[Estrea]

Ok, I know I should really write the stuff I promised, but yeah... >_>

I have the attention span of a flea, I guess. -shrugs-

Anyway, AU piece ahead. Watch your step everyone, don't wanna see you guys trip.

Yup, darkness ahead.

-puts out a tissue box just in case-

==================================================================

In The Dark

Kanto region, Tokyo city.

A sprawling metropolis, gleaming a brilliant silver as delicate spires caught and reflected the wan glow of a fading sun. Akin to something out of a fairytale, the city skyline resembled something out of a mystical kingdom, all air and lightness like that of a butterfly's gossamer wings. Cold steel and glass arching and interwoven with polished crystal, lending that glow of mystique and ethereal beauty to the highest towers, overshadowing what lay below...

...of dirt gray granite, rough basalt, and corrugated steel. Go deeper, further, and one would see the sheets weeping russet stains on battered asphalt, mingling with the other bright crimson streaks of biological origin, fresh and old both. Rats did not scurry across the rugged ground, they lounged, for they owned the streets; both the humans and their furred counterparts.

There were no splashes of bright color, for everything was uniformly drab and dreary. One did not have to pay to see zombies in cheap horror films, indeed horror films were pretty much outmoded. One didn't need to enter a cinema for horror, it was now everywhere in the lower levels. The point was to escape reality, and if reality and fiction were the same, fiction would be discarded...or simply merged in.

The dead walked. They lived, they breathed, they did not eat brains or resort to cannibalism...in most cases. But they were dead. For they lived down there, and not above, not in the real city of Tokyo, of shimmering lights and towers, where night and day had no meaning. They were exiles, outcasts, the discarded. The condemned, the purged. Less than nothing. They no longer existed.

Of filth and despair were their lives wrought, mechanically plowing on until they expired of something or another. It was meaningless. Pointless. For most, it was a dead end.

Most. The bowels of the city, where these outcasts dwelt, were convenient at times, for those who wished to meet out of the constant surveillance of the upper city. It was the confluence of dissent, malcontent and free expression...mired in sickness and putridity. A fitting case of how far things have fallen.

The air itself was poisoned, although the wretches who lived there permanently (at least until death swept them away) got used to it. That is, they did not sicken, though their lifespans were gratefully cut much shorter due to their continual exposure to it. Denizens of the upper city though, had to wear gas masks to prevent themselves from being contaminated by the noxious fumes that hung sluggishly like a malevolent presence everywhere in the lower depths.

Further down. Into the sewers and below. Oddly enough, the further underground one burrowed, the less toxic the air got. It was with this in mind that the resistance organized themselves, squirreling away in depths unknown even to most of the miserables inhabiting the lower city. It was in this place, of soil, stone and rotting plaster, that a lone girl sat, her spartan cell tidied to the point where the crumbling architecture became unified with the decor instead of detracting from the atmosphere.

An ancient, crackling transistor radio sputtered in front of her, the disjointed broadcast finally over. With a seemingly negligent yet entirely deliberate gesture, she switched it off, the echoes of the strains of long forgotten chords merging and harmonizing to form a music she had so long ago abandoned ever since that time reverberating in the still air.

So...those idealists actually succeeded... An illusion of a chuckle lit the immediate space before her, only to be revealed as a hoarse cough. No, laughter was too flippant for those in their circumstance. Those revolutionaries were young, as young as they themselves were biologically speaking, but so much more youthful in their efforts. Their slavery had been far more recent, instituted by an incompetent, imperfect authority that had a poor understanding of how to exercise the policies that had been so ruthlessly enforced in her homeland.

A population so long held in slavery that the word itself had lost meaning. For what was slavery without freedom? Freedom no longer existed, for upper or lower, and thus slavery held no meaning. The fish, after all, had no words for the water in which they swim. Not that there were any fish left down here, she thought grimly. Just grossly mutated ones that were patently inedible and likely to be overly aggressive.

The iron door to the cell creaked open slowly, a slender figure filling the entrance. The girl did not turn in acknowledgment or in question of her visitor's identity. Only one person would have dared to open the door without bothering to knock. Only one person she couldn't be bothered to do anything about even with this breach in etiquette.

"What do you want?" A flat, unemotional question.

"You should eat, Ai-chan." The reply came, firm yet gentle, coaxing but never condescending. Soft steps came to a stop beside the seated girl, a hand coming to rest, after a pause, on the small shoulder.

"After I finish with this." There was no malice or spite in the voice, nor weariness or weakness of any kind. It was merely matter-of-fact, a statement of the work before her, and the steady tone bespoke a calm acceptance and steely resolve hidden behind a passive exterior.

"Of course." The voice that replied had no qualms in letting the edge of her emotions be picked up by her leader, working diligently on the interface before her. There was sadness, resignation, pain, and a deep thread of pure understanding that tied intimately with the petite woman who carried the burden of leading the resistance on her once frail shoulders.

They said nothing to each other, but the newcomer did not leave, nor made any attempt to remove herself from her current position. Like a frozen tableau, they remained in that frame, the only motion that of hands caught up in the rhythmic cycles of work.

A sudden scuffling sound of sole against gravel alerted the pair to another presence lurking outside, peering in. The one standing whipped her head around, her shoulders stiffening even as her dark black hair flailed with the motion. She did not remove her hand from her leader's shoulder though. Her leader, for her part, remained completely unfazed, and in fact, continued on with her task without even flinching.

"Ai-chan?" The voice from outside, the unexpected visitor, asked wistfully. The first visitor visibly relaxed upon ascertaining the identity of the intruder, called out a soft greeting in response.

"Hey Gaki-san. Where's Eririn?"

A worn-looking Niigaki Risa trudged into the cell, shoulders bowed into herself, eyes clouded with a peculiar emotion as she took in the sight before her. Lips pursed into a tight, straight line, almost turning white in the process, but she said nothing to that effect. Instead, she answered the question posed to her truthfully, eyes never leaving the motionless figure of her leader.

"She will be along shortly, Sayumin. Tanakacchi wanted to speak with her."

"Oh." Words left unsaid, but the meaning was clear enough to all present. They didn't say much nowadays. There just wasn't much to say, at least, never in this cell. Loud noises were avoided, since it hurt the sensitive ears of their leader.

Risa paced a bit closer, the better to fix Ai-chan's profile in her sight. It was far too dark in here, the only light source being that of the interface glowing before the intent Takahashi. The darkness hardly bothered her as it used to. You just got used to it after leaving in dim surroundings underground all the time. Or in the leader's case...

"Gaki-san." Risa flinched visibly at the strange note in her Ai-chan's voice. "Was there something?"

"I just...wanted to see you." Tentative, wary, pleading. That was how close Risa was hovering to outright dejection.

"Oh." Again, more words swept away in the undercurrent of unseen interplay between them. Sayumi stood tall and silent, never commenting. It was not her place to interfere, although she did tighten her hold on Ai's shoulder, just for a moment.

Risa wanted to shrink back, slink away...but at the same time she wanted to push Michishige aside (gently, of course, the girl wasn't an enemy) and take her rightful place by Ai's side. There were so many questions hovering in the air between them, that it was nearly suffocating her. She had so many things to say, but yet it was all lost in that fog lingering like an iron curtain, dividing them so sharply that the separation felt akin to the loss of a limb or something equally important. Pain, not entirely phantom, haunted her at the loss of contact. Lowering her head, she bit her lip, her fists balling up unconsciously.

Just like that time, when first the bars, then the steel plates, had fallen down, cutting her off from Ai-chan. Their fingers had been but a mere centimeter apart. So close, yet so far. Soft, wide, brown eyes gazing pleadingly at her, mouth opened in a scream never voiced. And then that solid thud, almost like a death knell. It would haunt her dreams. Already did.

"Ai-chan, I..." Risa began impulsively, before faltering as words failed her again. Her gaze teetered precariously, affixed to Ai, but unable to look up straight. It would mean meeting a certain gaze that she wasn't quite prepared to face. Teeth sinking deeper into her lower lip, Risa managed to get her chin up and looked straight into the intense gaze of one Michishige Sayumi.

The two women said nothing, but the air between them crackled with a veritable cornucopia of indefinable emotions. Resentment, jealousy and perplexity met with a challenge and something not unlike pity. Risa was the first to tear her eyes away, focusing on a spot just below Sayumi's piercing gaze, her heart thumping fiercely in a mixture of terror and a vaguely simmering anger. But she did not miss, could not miss, the very subtle nod that Sayumi made, even as the younger slowly released her hold on Ai's shoulder and closed the distance between them.

As the young devil brushed past the still stiff Risa, her hand flashed to grip tightly, painfully, at her sub-leader's upper arm. Risa ground her teeth together, bunching her muscles, but not flinching nor giving way to the brutal hold the other was subjecting her to. Their glances met, dark and filled with shadows of their own making, promising nothing, saying everything and nothing at the same time. After an endless moment, Sayumi released Risa and walked right back out, pulling the cell door shut behind her.

Plunged into a sudden darkness, but hardly alarmed, Risa turned to regard that still figure that remained motionless throughout. An indefinable pang stung at her, even as her tongue tangled into an irretrievable mess.

She couldn't say anything. There was nothing left to say in this situation. Words meant nothing. Could barely scratch at the surface of the whole cauldron of issues she wanted to raise, but could never phrase.

So she didn't say a thing. She didn't have to.

Ai stiffened at the sudden contact, feeling the unexpected warmth suffuse from her sub-leader's body into her own. She did not make a move to reciprocate, but she did not reject the gesture either. A stuffed toy would have had more of a response than she did. She merely sat, silent and unmoving.

Risa buried her sigh into Ai's neck as she nuzzled in there. She didn't know what to say, but she so desperately wanted, needed to let Ai-chan know that she wanted to be there for her, wanted to share her burdens. Even if there were no way to take everything the older woman was shouldering...every little bit counted, right?

"Ai-chan...Ai-chan...Ai-chan..." Risa whispered like a mantra, like prayer, her breath making heated contact with the sensitive skin of the leader's neck. This time, a slight shiver passed through the previously immobile form.

"I'm so sorry..." Lips trailed over the curve of one ear, even as salty trails made their way down to stain the pale skin below. Risa wept quietly, without sniffling or any further outcry, tears rolling down through heavy-lidded eyes, her arms tightly encircled around Ai from behind, as she pressed close, not wanting any distance between them.

A soft breath escaped from Ai's lips, a sigh or not Risa could not tell. A slender, trembling hand found its way tentatively, uncertainly, to cup the exposed side of Risa's face, caressing the soft skin of her cheek tenderly.

"It's not your fault..." Gentle, almost like before. The stream became a torrent now, even as Risa squeezed her eyes shut tightly, shutting out the pain those simple words caused her. It was her fault. If she hadn't been so slow, if she had managed to grab Ai-chan's hand that time...she wouldn't be...wouldn't be...

"I can still feel you, even if I can't see you." Risa felt her heart twist within her, even as she moved from behind Ai-chan to kneel by the older woman's side. Ai's hand on her face lingered, her thumb stroking upwards to brush the tears she could not see, but could definitely taste and feel, away.

Risa bit back all the self-recriminations, all the guilt, all the self-loathing. She couldn't bring herself to indulge in that, not now. Her own hands found their way up to the sides of Ai's face, illuminated by the soft glow of the interface next to them. Almost like an angel, held within her hands. Broken.

Summoning up all her courage, Risa looked full into the face of her beloved Ai-chan for the first time since that incident. The one gaze she dared not meet for so very long, since there was no gaze left to meet.

The love of her life, blind. Blinded, because she was too slow to reach her.

Risa could never forgive herself for that. Not now. Not ever.

It was all too late to change that, but at least, right now, they were together.

I will never leave you again, Ai-chan. Forgive my cowardice for being unable to face you.

She didn't say it. She didn't have to, even though her lips were still busy.

After all, action spoke louder than words. And as Ai herself said, even if she couldn't see, she could still feel.

Let me show you how much I love you.

~*~*~

"Sayu?"

"Eririn."

"...are they?"

"There's a step."

"Ah...I hope..they'll be able to fix it..."

"So do I. I'll kill her if she doesn't."

"Sayu!"

"You know what I mean."

"I do...but, Ai-chan...she reminds you a lot of her, doesn't she?"

"....I won't fail a second time, Eri. I can't lose her too."

"I know you can't. That's why we're here too."

"Thanks Eri, I don't know what I would have done if..."

"I know, Sayu, I know..."

Hands entwined together in the shadows, never letting go.

In the darkness of their lives, the only thing they could do was hold on.

======================================================================


-takes cover under a pile of sandbags-

Hope this was appreciated.

The context, or world, was loosely borrowed off the greater universe I borrowed from the background in the Anyband PV. I wrote a short story for that too, which is loosely alluded to early in this story, but it's not necessary to read that to understand what's going on here, since this can pretty much stand on its own.

...I really hate how I can make stories pop out of nowhere. ~_~

[AmberSan]

wow
i realy do like how you set up the atmosphere to the situation that comes later.. this one feels more like a prologue than a oneshot...
and the Takagaki was  eventhough it was very sad 

...I really hate how I can make stories pop out of nowhere. ~_~

no complaints about that 

[g4rfield]

omg.......Ai-chan....Risa......

[JFC]

Anyway, AU piece ahead. Watch your step everyone, don't wanna see you guys trip.

Yup, darkness ahead.

Should I be nervous?

In The Dark

~snip~

Ho....ly.................fuck. 

Aichan.....
Risa.....

* JFC grabs some tissues from the box Essy offered. 

[Estrea]

wow
i realy do like how you set up the atmosphere to the situation that comes later.. this one feels more like a prologue than a oneshot...
and the Takagaki was  eventhough it was very sad 

It DOES feel more like a prologue, doesn't it? Actually, I have a potential storyline brewing in my head, but I'm hesitant to commit to yet another story when I have so many others unfinished. Yes, I actually envisioned more angst and a greater rift, but I gave in to my Takagaki instincts and gave them a chance to reconcile. So this is the angst lite version. Haha.

omg.......Ai-chan....Risa......

It could have been worse, considering I went in favor of Takagaki instead of more angst (which I'm totally capable of generating). Glad you liked it though.

Anyway, AU piece ahead. Watch your step everyone, don't wanna see you guys trip.

Yup, darkness ahead.

Should I be nervous?

My dear friend, there's ALWAYS something to be worried about where I'm concerned.

In The Dark

~snip~

Ho....ly.................fuck. 

Aichan.....
Risa.....

* JFC grabs some tissues from the box Essy offered. 

There there.

*Estrea pats JFC's back comfortingly


Consider the story a preview of some sorts? Kinda like a teaser trailer...assuming there is sufficient interest for me to pursue this particular plotline. I was, and still am, unsure if I should try my hand at writing a story set in a dystopia like this. There's the opportunity to carve, literally, darker and harsher alternates of our favorite girls in this doomsday setting. Haha. Be prepared though, character death will occur liberally should I write this. People do get maimed and killed here.

So, who wants this too?

...taking into account that AA is still unfinished, SotN is still evolving in our planning room (yeah me and Fimmy got back into the groove and are working on more specifics), and then there's that future collab with Yuuyami (which I am torn between wanting to write and wanting to stab repeatedly). Also, there's also the fact that I have planned but not yet posted other potential stories, such as the (anticipated?) Ribbon no Kishi continuation after the events of the musical.

Lots of stuff on my list. Hmm. Well, what do you guys think? You're the audience, after all.

[lollipopgirl]

Hmmm, well if you write it I will read it, does that help your decision?

As long as things end somewhat well for TakaGaki I think I can handle the death of other characters, and Ai being hurt too
I'm a little scard to yes to this fic coz you make it sound so depressing, lol, but like i said I would read it so take it as a yes if you want

(btw, don't forget you still us a Perve as well )

[AmberSan]

same as the above.. as long as you write it and as long as there are Takagaki moments(this couple doesen't get what it deserves most of the time  ) then i can consider myself  satisfied   .
anyway still waiting for the perv(or the "talk" piece) youv'e promised.

[meowz]

I have but one word: INTRIGUING. I can't stop puzzling over the dynamics going on between the characters. This story will certainly be lingering on my mind for a bit.

What happened (besides the blindness) to make takahashi seem so withdrawn?
Who's this 'her' that takahashi reminds them a lot of, that Mshige lost?
What's the connection between Mshige and takahashi here? And niigaki for that matter?
How did they get themselves into such a dismal situation?
So many questions kept popping up as I read.
The relationship between niigaki and takahashi looks complicated and it'd be really interesting to see more development(bring on the angst! ).
Another thing that captures my attention, Mshige seems to have more depth and maturity to her character here, quite unlike what I usually see. Maybe its because of the situation they're in, I wonder if the others would be different as well.

Oh, what's this Ribbon no Kishi continuation I hear? Very much anticipated actually. 

I think you should just go for it, write what you feel like writing. Though it would be great if you could finish what you've started as well, no matter how long it takes. We'll wait. right, guys?

Anyway, somehow I always end up reading everything you write even though I'm not the least bit interested in takagaki...strange.

[lollipopgirl]

I think you should just go for it, write what you feel like writing. Though it would be great if you could finish what you've started as well, no matter how long it takes. We'll wait. right, guys?

Totally agree, write what feels right to you coz thats when your talents will shine the most
And yeah I will wait as long as I have to if it means more of AA

Anyway, somehow I always end up reading everything you write even though I'm not the least bit interested in takagaki...strange.

YOU WHAT!?!?!! 

[Sukoshi]

wow that really was dark.  Takes a deep breath before continuing.  Okay I know what you meant by the tissues now.  My eyes became very moist while reading    I don't know who ended up suffering the most from the accident, Ai chan or Risa 

I don't know what to think really.  It's so dark yet refreshing and different from almost every story.  I think I've already given into wanting more but I'm afraid at the same time (lol though that wouldn't stop me at all from reading more if you happen to continue this. it's just too engrossing!)

ah how I wish you had a couple of clones.