JPHiP Forum
The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: Yuuyami on May 11, 2007, 03:11:38 AM
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THIS IS NOT A DIRECT SEQUEL TO THE FIRST OUR CURSED GIFT! xD New story. New arrangement of characters. New people to play with :]... Couplings with everyone canon and a little crackish (Yocharmikitty, Miyabi x Risako, Yuko x Kei, everyone xD. )
Prelude
Memories of the Past…
She witnessed death smile like a scheming human as the victim collapsed under the burden of several scars caused by a supernatural force radiating from her very own blood-stained hands.
Memories of the Future…
She glanced at the unfamiliar cityscape below her, watching people fall one by one through a sweeping shadow which was reminiscent of a tattoo depicting flowers surrounded by butterflies.
Memories of What Never Was…
“Are you okay?” the woman asked the frightened girl who was whimpering incoherent sayings while rocking back and forth on the ground. Baffled at her behavior, Rika tried again to communicate, unfortunately, the girl was unable to acknowledge her presence.
“Leave me alone!” the girl screamed as she crawled towards a three-way intersection with the older trailing after. The small girl, which Rika found was actually a younger version of herself, sat against the wall, staring into the dark corridor before her. Bemused at the sudden change of attitude, Rika stepped in front of the girl, staring in the same direction. There was a silhouette of another woman, her golden eyes shining and contrasting against the dark in which she stood.
Rika felt her heart stop at the eye contact. The woman slowly walked towards the struggling older, slowly stepping into a view of light. The woman was wearing a traditional kimono, however, the upper part of the kimono was open, and the arms were not in the sleeves. That, and the obi was tied at the waist instead of below the breasts like a traditional woman would wear it. In fact, the woman was not wearing anything on her chest. What caught Rika’s eye was that the woman’s chest, arms, neck, and the sides of the face had tattoos. Those tattoos depicted flowers surrounded by butterflies, much like the death omen which took lives of people in her other dreams.
Rika could not bare the pain anymore. She ran. She ran as fast as her body allowed it to. She looked over her shoulder to find that the tattooed woman chased after her and quickly closing in on her. Rika could see the light coming from the exit, the exit from the dream world and into reality she thought. Just before she reached the exit, she saw the woman barely touched her, a very cold and numbing touch, on the right shoulder blade.
She allowed herself to be consumed by the light—and wake up.
Whose memories do they belong to?
Rika woke up with cold sweat making her silk night gown cling to her body. Her breaths of exhaustion were accompanied by the pestering rain outside of her window. She realized that she was in her room, not some haunted house, and gave a sigh of relief.
However, she felt a sharp pain come from the back of her right shoulder. She immediately ran in front of the dressing mirror of her room and tilted her body so that she was able to see most of her back. Where she had the shoulder pain, she saw bruising which somehow manipulated her blood flow into a black color starting from where the tattooed woman touched her. The black blood flow had only manipulated certain blood streams… And those black bloodstreams happen to resemble a certain object…
They resembled a lotus surrounded by butterflies.
Are they real or not?
Chapter 1: Fear
Help me…
“Why are you so down, ne?” asked the woman leaning against the wall of the bedroom
“This is why I don’t like going to fortunetellers,” the other woman sighed exasperatedly, “I always get the bad fortune!” the woman looked up at the sky, administering a dramatic effect towards herself by looking (acting) like she was about to cry. “Why did you bring me there anyway?! Just because I had some crazy psychotic tattooed woman chasing me around in my dream last night doesn’t mean I’m broken or anything!”
“You don’t have to be so pessimistic, Rika-chan,” the older woman pat the aforementioned woman on the shoulder, “what that fortune teller told you was practically all horror movie crap anyway.”
Rika Ishikawa looked at the older woman in disbelief. “Why am I talking about me anyway, you have a fortune just as bad as mine, Ayu-chan!”
Ayumi Shibata gave out an amused exhale of air, patting her best friend on the shoulder again. “Come now, it’s just a fortune teller, they often can’t be right. I mean, there are those who cheat by memorizing astrology books and giving out the information after they ask you for your birth date and the characters used for your name.”
“I understand that too, but the one we just went to seems… authentic…” Rika buried the lower half of her face into her arms. “What if it all is true?” her eyes wandered in a straight line, scanning the room for signs of what misfortunate may bring itself upon her.
I’m scared.
“Ah… Ishikawa-san…! The stars shake their head at you… You have been possessed by an evil spirit, a spirit that only you could communicate with in your dreams. But that is not the reason why the stars pity you. Their reason is because fate has chosen you to walk a path of darkness, a path with no return…Whether you emerge into dawn, or in the deepest twilight… Even the gods do not know…”
I hate this.
“However… Shibata-san… You possess a spirit similar to that of your dear friend… But it is up to you to grab the light with your bare hands, or to fall into a hellish abyss. Should you choose to reach for that light is a very small possibility however… If you do fall into that hellish abyss, you might be trapped for all eternity, never to get out, never to breath, never to see, but always suffering. Before you know it, reality will slip away, and all that will be left of you are remnants of you in your dear friend’s memories…”
Please…
“Honestly, you don’t believe her, do you?” Ayumi crawled to the edge of her bed, seeing only the top of Rika’s head half-buried in her arms as she was sitting with her legs brought to her.
Rika had always been more of a pessimist than an optimistic person, Ayumi thought. Despite being a pretty average student in university, she knew that Rika was particularly strong with essays, especially if the topic of those said essays happen to deal with sentimentalities. Amidst the academic works, Rika also happened to be on the tennis team, tennis captain even, and in the futsal team with Ayumi.
Generally, the same idea applied to Ayumi, Rika thought. Ayumi was a very down to earth character, always working hard to earn what she needs. Futsal was her only major sport, but she operated as a full-time player, always bound towards the gymnasium or fields from time to time, whenever she was bored.
Despite being a little different in their own unique ways, Rika and Ayumi were inseparable. In futsal, they were either playing at the same time or sitting on the bench at the same time, meaning their coach utilized their unique chemistry into winning various games. They would always go shopping together, buying cute things for each other, buying matching things for each other, even going as far as to buy appliances for each other when necessary. In short, they were the best of friends.
But why was the fortune saying otherwise?
Rika traced nervous circles onto the floor, thinking again about what the fortune teller said. “The way she worded my fortune… It suggests that something might happen in the future, and later on, whether I’m capable of overcoming whatever happens or not capable… At least that’s the general outlook of what she said, practically… Right?”
“I was thinking that too… When she said you’d take a path of darkness and either wind up at dawn or twilight… But for me, what she said suggested that I have to make an important choice later on or something… Considering the consequential paths are contradictory, so I’m either going to be happy or really sad about it…” Ayumi got into the covers of her bed, “but for now, we shouldn’t worry about this sort of thing. We should sleep.”
Hmm… Yeah… Worrying about this too much might give me nightmares…Rika thought, absently climbing into the futon near her. Deciding to truly give the issue a rest, Rika leaned backwards, looking at the ceiling as she rested her head on the soft pillow. She looked over to the elevated bed, only seeing ruffled blankets from where she laid, unable to see Ayumi.
“Good night,” Rika said, wondering if the hidden older would turn over and show her face to Rika to repeat her words. Ayumi did roll over, just enough that half of her face could be seen on that high pedestal of a bed, mumbling her good nights and then returning to her comfortable position on her bed. Then she fell asleep.
Rika’s mind was conflicted with the words of the fortune teller; sure, she was aware that some of them were fakes that had memorized horoscope books, but still…
Why was this there ominous air about herself?
Rika had felt an aura of trepidation possess the air around her whenever she walked. Regardless of what she felt, it seemed more of a flickering sort of feeling. There were times where she felt needles piercing her body with the malicious aura burdening her. There were times where it was not there at all. There were times where she thought that evil presence would be triggered by negative emotions, like the ones she has now…
It’s there again.
That evil spirit’s presence.
Leave me alone… Rika wished, closing her eyes tightly so she would not be unfortunate into seeing things. I’ve done nothing wrong… Go away, you spirit…
I want a normal life…
I love my life the way it is…
I don’t want to change one bit of it…
I don’t want to become different.
Rika found that her thoughts were keeping her awake. Well this is troublesome…the younger thought as she shifted position within the futon. She tried to clear out her head with intention of preparing for her slumber, but to no avail, she kept thinking about that fortune… What if it really was true? What’s going to happen to her? She became frightened at the thought again. But remembering Ayumi’s words, it was not wise to dwell on this sort of pessimism. Rika concluded that she might be on the wrong side of the bed again, for she would normally sleep on the leftmost part of the futon or bed rather than the right. With intention of seeing where the left is in case she was sleeping at an odd angle, Rika opened her eyes.
She froze in fear.
There she was again, that frightening tattoo woman from her dreams… She was almost straddling Rika’s legs, with her hands pinning Rika’s arms so that she was rendered completely immobile.
Though this was the first time Rika saw this woman’s eyes so close to her. Those piercing golden eyes glaring contemptuously back at her… Ready to consume her whole if she made a move… The tattooed woman bent lower, towards her ear, as if wanting to whisper.
And whisper she did.
“Those who dream of me…” the voice sent shivers down Rika’s spine, causing her to squirm, especially more so when she looked at where the woman touched her to find that same lotus and butterfly patterned tattoo crawling up her skin painfully, consuming her. “They often never live…” Rika felt that black cursed tattoo cover her face and eventually, she was cast into the shadows of hell.
But she opened her eyes, and everything was completely undisturbed…
Everything was left undisturbed…
All except for this cursed aura that seems to enjoy torturing Rika…
Only she was disturbed.
A vision while I am awake…? Rika rubbed her eyes, making sure she was not seeing anything. What she did notice was that she was sweating profusely. That and she felt a sharp pain sting her wrists when she moved them. Deciding to see what was causing them to be so fussy lately, she brought her right hand hovering over her face and yanked the sleeve closer to her elbow, revealing the skin beneath.
There was a tattoo of a black butterfly resting on a lotus, glaring back at her.
I’m so scared…
I apologize for the shortness xD Trust me, the chapters will get longer xD For the review rules thing, I could care less since this story is just beginning. But after chapter ten or so, I'll start implementing my reply quotas, so you lurkers out there are lucky... For now... >:]
<3
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Aha! First to comment muahahaha.
Well there's really nothing much to say unless I start obsessing over who the tattooed woman is, but it's a bit too early to speculate anyway. XD Will patiently await more to develop before we start spinning weird theories about plot and such. Hehe.
Ganbatte ne! I'll be here the whole way! -pulls up a seat- XD
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Bwahaha. This not being a sequel means I can read it and not spoil the first one for me. lol (even though I've already read the last few chapters of OCG I.)
Eh, hm, ah... you were right when you said this was gonna be creepy. XD
Most of this just kind of gave me the shivers...
Hrm... speculation? ...There's not much to go on just yet, since this is just the first chapter, and I'm actually kind of confused.
(I had to reread it again to sort out what was happening. lol)
So basically we got... possessed Rika...
Sort of possessed Ayu... but she can choose a better path...
And then there's this crazy tattoo lady... ><;;
And the butterfly on the lotus.
Perhaps... there's some sort of symbolism here that I don't see.
I suppose I'll have to wait until a bit more is revealed, ne?
<3
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So Rika and Shiba-chan are in good terms here. And Shiba-chan's also cursed like her. :o
But the light and dark paths... it kinda foreshadows that they'll be at each others throats in the future.
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OMGASS!!! ISHISHIBA!!! :heart:
“You don’t have to be so pessimistic, Rika-chan,” the older woman pat the aforementioned woman on the shoulder, “what that fortune teller told you was practically all horror movie crap anyway.”
That's only true of bad fortunes. Good fortunes are a mix of regular movie crap. :P
“Ah… Ishikawa-san…! The stars shake their head at you… You have been possessed by an evil spirit, a spirit that only you could communicate with in your dreams. But that is not the reason why the stars pity you. Their reason is because fate has chosen you to walk a path of darkness, a path with no return…Whether you emerge into dawn, or in the deepest twilight… Even the gods do not know…”
“However… Shibata-san… You possess a spirit similar to that of your dear friend… But it is up to you to grab the light with your bare hands, or to fall into a hellish abyss. Should you choose to reach for that light is a very small possibility however… If you do fall into that hellish abyss, you might be trapped for all eternity, never to get out, never to breath, never to see, but always suffering. Before you know it, reality will slip away, and all that will be left of you are remnants of you in your dear friend’s memories…”
Between the two of them, sounds like Shiba-chan got a (very slightly) better deal. It seems she has a little bit of control/choice over her fate, whereas with Rika, everything is still undecided.
With intention of seeing where the left is in case she was sleeping at an odd angle, Rika opened her eyes.
She froze in fear.
There she was again, that frightening tattoo woman from her dreams… She was almost straddling Rika’s legs, with her hands pinning Rika’s arms so that she was rendered completely immobile.
...
“Those who dream of me…” the voice sent shivers down Rika’s spine, causing her to squirm, especially more so when she looked at where the woman touched her to find that same lotus and butterfly patterned tattoo crawling up her skin painfully, consuming her. “They often never live…” Rika felt that black cursed tattoo cover her face and eventually, she was cast into the shadows of hell.
But she opened her eyes, and everything was completely undisturbed…
Oh crap, nightmare.
...
...
Or was it??? :dizzy:
A vision while I am awake…? Rika rubbed her eyes, making sure she was not seeing anything. What she did notice was that she was sweating profusely. That and she felt a sharp pain sting her wrists when she moved them. Deciding to see what was causing them to be so fussy lately, she brought her right hand hovering over her face and yanked the sleeve closer to her elbow, revealing the skin beneath.
There was a tattoo of a black butterfly resting on a lotus, glaring back at her.
Kowaii yo. :scared: :stunned:
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Wow! :o
So in this story Shiba-chan and Rika are best friends, that's good!!!
And Rika's fate is a path of darkness and if Shiba-chan don't take the best choice she will suffer...mmm that's interesting, something tell me this friendship is going to be some troubles in a future, but I think it's too early to speculate something
I'll be waiting for the next chapters!!!
;)
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So in this story Shiba-chan and Rika are best friends, that's good!!!
Art imitates life. Rika and Shiba-chan are also really close, if not best friends in real life. :D
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The most anticipated non-sequal in the history of mankind! It's the one, the only, A Breathe of Fresh Air- wait, I mean, Our Cursed Gift II. Yay, Promising start!
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This is making me wonder if Rika is going to become the creepy curse woman. Why did you choose a butterfly on a lotus tatto anyway?
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I don't know if it's because Miki's so intimidating at times, but I have this feeling it could be her XD
OR! (this is gonna be so wrong xD) It could totally be Yuko! Yep *nods nods*
I like the start, totally creepy....
-Owaranai_sLaVe
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-squeal!- This is a raw chapter, isn't it? I picked up 3 mistakes with out trying (not to be a pessimist, but...)
1) you might be trapped for all eternity, never to get out, never to breath, never to see, but always suffering.
Missed an E in the word "breathe"
2) Rika thought, absently climbing into the futon near her. Deciding to truly give the issue a rest, Rika leaned backwards, looking at the ceiling as she rested her head on the soft pillow.
Not sure if this is exactly an error, but futon pillows usually aren't soft.
3)Rika found that her thoughts were keeping her awake. Well this is troublesome…the younger thought as she shifted position within the futon.
It's either "shifted her postion" or "shifted positions
Anyways, very good job, it looks like I won't get lost this time ^^
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Ishikawa lead character! banzai~ someone's missing tho..... hmmm wonder who... name starts with a Y
I love the idea of a tattoo of a black butterfly resting on a lotus tho... sounds cool! So this is not gonna be following the H!P timeline and stuff right.. Well waiting to know what'll happen next!!
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Posted a bit more of the plot xD Well, in my signature if you can read it (It's REALLY faded so the background stands out a bit more)xD You might have to refresh a few times to get to that signature too xD Mind you, yes, I did make this signature too, including the tattoo in the background and on Rika's face. The lotuses were fun to do, but the butterfly was annoying to do xD Yay promotion for story <3
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It works! *well duuuuuuh, she said it would work, stupid* I see, what a nice add. You know, this story reminds me of a fairy tale, 'cept there are a few changes on profession and lots of left out detail, but it surely sounds familiar... Hmmm *thinks*
-Owaranai_sLaVe
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Essy: <3
Fimmy-chan: You're going to have to get used to it. I think OCG II will overall also be a bit of a horror xD
Wordsworth: Indeed :x
JFC: Mm. We'll see what those choices really are.
Kreuz: Indeed, too early to speculate, but who knows, speculations are speculations xD
Rndmnwierd: Mm. Builting anticipation <3
Glcorps: Why don't you go look up butterflies and lotuses and see what they symbolize xD
Slave: The whole story itself is going to be creepy in a lot of places :]
Tanachan: So you comment on my errors but not my story? You know I hate a comment like that >:[
Stefy: Hmm xD I wonder if that missing person comes up soon xD And yeah, this story is AU.
wedge call? xD
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WEDGE
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Somewhat long chapter xD
Chapter 2: Premonition
There’s always this ominous feeling…
Rika emerged from the shopping districts with a single bag of clothes and an umbrella since the weather was drizzly. Deciding after seeing others already put up their umbrellas, she too, opened it and continued walking along the streets. Despite being a woman, she wasn’t the type to frequently visit clothing stores. It just seemed unnecessary to buy so many clothes to the extent of never wearing the same article twice.
As long as the clothes are comfortable and cute, Rika didn’t mind wearing anything of the sort. However, her sense in fashion often conflicted with others, and due to being occasionally self-conscious, the woman would often buy the entire set straight off the mannequin so she would not have to hear such opinions against her.
It’s amazing how opinions affect one, really.
The opinion that still inflicted concern upon her was what had affected her most of all other opinions, however. The visit to the fortuneteller under her best friend’s suggestion didn’t exactly comfort her of the nightmares. Instead, it was more of a confirmation of the cursed life she might live through, since the road of darkness is the path she will take, apparently.
It began to rain.
She was glad that she opened her umbrella when she saw the others. However, that feeling of slight happiness shrank into her mind again when she focused on the rain.
It was raining blood.
Trepidation placed its heavy burden upon the woman, causing her to walk sluggishly in this creepy atmosphere. Rika was surprised she could even move at all with the sudden horrific weather. The people walking around her did not seem to notice the grotesque scenery much to her fear. Why was she always subjected to seeing these horrible visions?
Again, she felt it.
That all too familiar pain.
Her right shoulder blade pulsated with pain. With each pulsation, that horrid tattoo would show up, with each breather in between, that tattoo would fade, but then the next pulsation would add onto the tattoo of the previous pulsation, extending the design. She nearly dropped her umbrella to clutch onto her right arm; it was almost acting like it was being prickled by needles.
Instead, she chose to feign ignorance of the vision happening at all. She stopped at the street corner, waiting for the light to turn red in order to cross. She watched the various kinds of cars and trucks zoom by as if there was no end to them. She looked at the faces of the people of the other side of the road, wondering if she might catch a glimpse of any familiar faces. In fact, she did catch the sight of someone familiar to her.
But fate was toying with her again.
It was that haunting woman with the tattoos.
But why was she standing amidst the crowd of people during the gruesome red weather? Rika swore internally that this nightmare was never going to leave her alone. For what reason did this woman have to haunt her? She had done nothing wrong in the past. She had done nothing that would label her as a sinner.
The light changed.
Rika was still frozen in place, immobilized by fear. The burning pain of the matching tattoo on her back contributed to her immobilization. The people around her didn’t seem to take notice and walked in their intended directions. Rika and the tattooed woman had a brief staredown amidst the life blurring past them. Eventually, a random person managed to walk in their line of sight. When that person walked away from that line of sight, the tattoo woman had vanished.
Rika blinked a few times.
The rain had also managed to retain its natural translucent color as well.
“Was that a dream?” Rika’s head began to ache.
Just in front of her, she caught a man bumping into an old woman. She witnessed the man grab the old woman’s purse as he uttered his apologies. Then the man walked away, the old woman oblivious to his thievery.
“M’aam, that man took your purse!” Rika called out. The old woman looked bewildered at the sudden outcry and looked at her elbow, verifying the absence of the missing item.
“Theif!” the old woman called out, pointing at the man now running away with haste.
Feeling obligated to help, Rika ran after the man, dropping her things near the old woman with not so much as a “watch that for me!” as she chased after the man. It like an obstacle course really, having to jump over pots and plants, having to divert direction to avoid colliding into people. Rika was glad she was in two sports teams, for her legs did not fail to get closer to the man.
Soon, they were on an overpass with a small water channel flowing underneath. Ahead of her, the man collided with another person, flinging the purse off the bridge. Rika immediately took action and grabbed the railing and swung her entire body, hitting the man on the back of his head, and using that force to snatch the purse in the air thanks to the circulatory move, and then returning to the ground with the purse latched onto her ankle.
Killing two birds with one stone as they say.
But not all endings end well.
The man came to himself again, and immediately attacked Rika, but the furthest he ever got as holding onto her wrists. On instinct, the woman tried to push him away, unaware of how close or low the railing behind her really was. The people around them were panicking and she caught sight of someone calling the police. She just had to hold off the man until the authority came, right? She struggled to be on par with the man, who seemed to be on the upper edge with his strong build. Then came the final point of the battle.
The man managed to push Rika over the railing, and into the flowing water she fell.
But not all endings end horribly either.
Before she registered the fact that she was pushed over, a strong arm immediately grasped her arm. Rika looked up at her savior. Was this an androgynous male? Was this a handsome woman? Rika couldn’t tell since the savior had short bronze-red hair that was up to their chin and sunglasses on. The person pulled their gloved hand upward, bringing Rika along with it, and then helped her get over the railing.
“Yes, thank you, Sir…” Rika bowed her head slightly to thank her savior politely as well.
“Actually… I’m a woman.”
“Ah! I’m so sorry!” Rika’s eyes widened. Since Japan was filled with normally feminine men, she thought this woman was no different!
“Regardless, are you alright?”
“Er… Yeah, I’m fine,” it was then that Rika took in the appearance of this woman.
This woman seemed like one of those bodyguards that protect celebrities, Rika thought. After all, the woman was in black pants, white blouse, black tie, black jacket, and pretty much everything that makes one a stereotypical guard. Rika felt tempted to ask the guard what famous person she protected as a joke, if not for the slightly intimidating gaze the taller woman gave through her not-so-dark sunglasses.
“Glad to know.”
Why did that simplistic phrase tug a few heart strings? Was it that unique low voice the taller woman spoke in? Was it the way the handsome stranger looked? Was it the way the enigma saved her just now?
What was going on with her? Why was her heart beating fast for a woman of all people? She remembered her parents telling her that heart would beat faster for her fated person, but she was sure they were thinking about a man as her designated partner.
“Are you okay, child?” Rika heard an old woman’s voice behind her. In fact, she was glad that the old woman ruined the moment, for she didn’t like that maelstrom of confusion for her orientation one bit.
“I’m fine, here is your purse,” Rika smiled as she gave the thankful senior her belonging. Then Rika took her umbrella and shopping bag from the woman as the promised exchange before the elder went on her way while Rika turned around to go her way.
That enigma which was the cause of her orientation confusion had already disappeared.
“What the…” the woman didn’t do so much as raise a brow at the absence, but simply brushed it aside and headed home.
There’s also this feeling of longing…
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rika smacked her palm to her forehead in disbelief.
“Yeah… Sorry about that… My parents, for some odd reason, want to celebrate my birthday back the main house with my family,” Ayumi placed her hand in a flat praying motion in front of her face as a gesture of apology.
“But we already planned to go out a long time ago, and your parents accepted! What made them change their mind?”
“I’m not sure, but it sounded like they were going to beat the crap out of me if I didn’t, so I guess I have no choice but to follow… Sorry Rika-chan.”
“Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped, family comes first,” Rika smiled to hide her disappointment. “But did you have to tell me just before we go out to do what we planned?”
“Guess I forgot?” Ayumi laughed sheepishly, rolling her eyes into a different direction.
“You silly girl,” Rika swung her upper body horizontally, smacking Ayumi lightly on the arm. “So when do you have to go, birthday girl?”
“…In like, five minutes,” Ayumi grinned widely, hiding her fear. Before Rika could complain any further, Ayumi grabbed her belongings and fled out of their dorm.
Rika blinked at the event which came by her, waving at her mockingly. Sighing, she decided to spend the rest of her day studying. So she sat down on the futon, cracking open her text book, and started reading.
She barely got through the first sentence.
Rika diverted her thoughts onto Ayumi instead, though. Why was she supposed to be with family anyway? She thought as she fiddled with the page corner. Actually, there were many valid reasons for that, but why was she called to the main house so suddenly? The woman cast her textbook aside, immediately dropping the idea of studying and then she lifted her feet in the air out of boredom, inspecting her toes. Some sort of emergency? Rika lost interest in her wiggling toes and began rolling side to side of her futon. I mean, we planned this at the beginning, and her parents said it was okay… So the only logical reason is that something has happened over there… Rika sat up, now fiddling with her bangs.
But if she was told yesterday about it… Then it’s not really an emergency…
Rika got up, now fed up with her annoying thoughts.
“I hope they don’t mind an intruder.”
There are feelings that I don’t think are even mine…
Hoping to get by undetected, Rika had the taxi drop her off a few blocks from the private mansion which happened to be located in small forest. Regarding the forest, Rika was once told by her dear friend that the Shibata family had the money to grow their own trees to serve as a wall of privacy-guaranteed. In fact, the Shibata family was pretty rich in general. Rika’s family was just as wealthy, but her family didn’t want to look like a rich family in particular, just wanted to use their money sparingly and liked to live like everyone else.
Bypassing the gates by climbing over, Rika quietly traversed through the trees, avoiding security as necessary.
What ARE they doing over there to have this tight security?! Rika complained internally to herself playing a game of ‘tiptoe through the tulips’ with the guards, trying to find her way into the mansion.
Finally, Rika somehow hid in a bush, hiding from a passing oblivious guard.
Ugh…This is getting annoying… I’m probably getting further from the mansion…Rika squirmed uncomfortably within the bush. Unfortunately, the guard caught the suspicious sound and turned around, much to Rika’s panic.
OH NO! WhatamIgoingtodowhatamIgoingtodo?!
“Get out of there right now,” the man said in a cautioned tone. Rika had no choice but to obey, since for all she knew, he’s probably armed and ready. She stood up with a guilty expression on her face. “You did realize you were trespassing on private property, yes?”
“Ah, sorry sir…” What was with this man? Rika thought to herself. She internally pulled on the lower part of her eye and stuck out her tongue (she wouldn’t dare actually try it, for he had a gun) as he guided her by the hand elsewhere. The man was speaking to her as if she was just a small kid that was too oblivious for her own good! She would loved to tell the man to not treat her so childishly if it weren’t for the information that he was an armed guard.
She simply went along for the trudging stroll until a voice called out to the guard.
“Kamui! You’re leaving your designated zone, I’ll take the woman from here on out since it’s my area anyway.”
Rika felt a glimmer of hope when she heard that voice.
“Don’t talk to me like that! If you weren’t a woman, I’d beat your ass right about now!” the said man called back, almost shoving Rika into the direction of her enigma to carry out his command. “Feh, kids these days have no respect…” The man called Kamui trudged off in the opposite direction, resuming his patrol.
“What are you doing here?” the woman asked, turning waiting for Rika to catch up.
“Trying to break into the mansion to spend time with my best friend…” Rika hugged her arms, feeling cold of the wet atmosphere caused by the rain the day before. It’s a good thing that stranger had her back turned, for she didn’t want her to see that slightly flustered look in her face.
The woman seemed to be thinking, or so Rika thought by the silence she replied to her with. Finally, the woman said something.
“What are you? Some kind of cat? Sneaking that far…” the woman mused, “You have a talent for getting yourself into trouble, first, yesterday with the bridge, and now here…”
“Well excuse me for troubling you,” Rika immediately defended herself.
“What happened to that polite woman I saved yesterday?”
Indeed, why did Rika grow hostile like that? Did she expect the enigma to still showcase her gentlemen(woman rather?)ness behavior? Then again, was this woman a kind person to begin with? Despite that, what really offended Rika was the fact that she apparently troubled the taller with saving her. She hated it when someone else felt burdened by her, it made her feel like a useless person…
“Rika?”
The said woman looked up to find Ayumi walking towards her. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you were already in there!” Rika blinked, looking back up the road (since when did the woman lead her onto the road?) and then at Ayumi.
“I order you to permit her under my wing as a guest,” Ayumi said to the enigmatic guard, before taking Rika by the hand.
“As you wish,” the woman shrugged before walking back into the woods once more.
Even as Ayumi pulled her away and led her to the mansion, Rika found herself still staring at the general direction of where the woman disappeared into. Then she caught herself thinking again… What, my heart again? One of these days, I’ll strangle it and throw it to the lions… Then again, I would be committing suicide there, would I? Rika sighed inwardly, trying to calm her heart. What is this, the bishounen effect? Like in those manga where the heroine meets the crush of her dreams?
Before she could elaborate any further on her feelings, the two managed to stop in front of the mansion.
“So tell me again how come I saw you there instead of here?” Rika looked at the mansion, wondering if it had somehow became bigger than the last time she visited.
“Traffic. And why are you here?”
“Because it’s bothering me how your schedule changed immediately.”
“Oh well, now that you’re here, I might as well invite you in,” Ayumi said as she opened the door, greeted by two servants.
As it turns out, Rika’s sudden appearance didn’t phase the main head of the house, Ayumi’s uncle. In fact, the uncle didn’t show signs of being angry at all. He said that he overslept himself, and was just about to get dressed formally until the two had walked in on him sporting casual clothing. Telling them that the rest of the family was waiting in the dining room, the energetic man left them.
“He’s a nice uncle, isn’t he? I’d imagine the head of the family would be just a tad bit more strict,” Rika said as they both walked nonchalantly in the hallways.
“Yeah, Uncle is pretty laid back, so sometimes, even he gets into trouble with his procrastinating ways,” Ayumi chuckled.
“Haha, I wish I had an uncle like Tsunku-san.”
When they stepped into the dining room, the sight before them astonished them with surprised. Everyone was sitting at the long table, composed. Not only that, everyone was wearing black. It was almost as if they stepped into a funeral…
“…What’s this?” Ayumi raised a brow, “All black for a simple birthday?”
“Please stand next to the table. As for your guest, there is a seat available near where you are going to stand,” one of the servants said, ushering Ayumi closer to the table while another servant ushered Rika into a chair which happened to be on the side of the end of the table where Ayumi stood.
“Sorry for canceling what plans you may have, but this must be done,” Tsunku came through the doors of the other side of the room, sporting a similar attire to everyone else. “If you could wait just a bit longer, your present will come.”
Rika wondered what sort of present Ayumi was going to receive from what looks like her entire family. But there had been something that irked her ever since she stepped into the house. There was that fearful apprehension hanging in the air again… But this time it was stronger than usual, and she thought she might collapse under the pressure. Despite her uneasy feelings, she attempted to act normal.
But that pain came again. It started softly, but the pulsation became even more painful with each passing time. She didn’t feel the tattoo rise in her blood, but the pain was surely there, echoing throughout her entire body like needles puncturing her as if she was a butterfly specimen in someone’s collection.
A door opened behind where Rika and Ayumi had entered from.
You again?! Rika thought, but kept her face stoic, as that same woman who always seem to make Rika question her emotions entered the room with a box in her hands. The woman then placed the box on the table and left to resume her duties. As soon as she looked at the wooden box, Rika felt a hot pain surge through her body suddenly, worse than the steady pulsations she felt earlier. She winced at the sudden throbbing, and her breaths slowly became ragged but she attempted to breathe silently to avoid attention.
All this suffering because of a stupid box which was now laid on the table?
Apparently, Rika failed in trying to hide her pain, for Tsunku requested that Rika stand with Ayumi after some quiet discussion with the people of his side of the table.
Standing up was sheer agony. All the pain from sitting down had numbed her body, and standing up made the torture all the more bothersome to Rika’s body. After she stood, Ayumi and Rika were then instructed to remove the lid of the box to bear eyes to Ayumi’s present which Rika somehow got involved in opening as well.
When they removed the lid, there was quite the present waiting inside.
A human hand.
Or rather, a mummified hand.
Again, there was a huge surge of pain through Rika’s body, even worse than the one she experienced before. She grabbed onto her head, trying to stop her throbbing head from aching to no avail. She felt the tattoo instantly crawl from her right shoulder blade, this time, going as far as to consume her neck and the sides of her face. Her hair floated in the air eerily, being lifted by the rising energy, flickering between her normal brunette color and the color of blood red. Her eyes also flickered between dark brown and golden.
Before she felt lost to her transformation, the mummified hand was suddenly covered in a tattoo depicting butterflies resting on lotuses. Before anything else could be registered, the hand exploded into pieces, as if the tattoo’s design constricted the hand until it did so.
Then the pain went away from Rika’s body, the tattoo no longer on her.
This contemptuous feeling…
“Was that my doing…?” Rika turned to look at Ayumi.
Ayumi was bending over, as if she too was in pain. She clutched onto her arms, as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out. All of a sudden, as if some supernatural force was hidden underneath her body, lacerations and scars began to force themselves open, releasing huge amounts of blood with each opening produced as Ayumi screamed while the lashing wounds appeared. There were evidentially scars all over her body, abundant amounts of them at that, for her clothes became soaked in blood.
Then the final scar came, a cross shaped scar on Ayumi’s right cheek. The woman collapsed onto the table in a bloody heap afterwards.
Everyone at the dining table was gasping and gaping, bewildered and shocked at the event that had happened before them.
“Someone help!” Rika immediately shook Ayumi’s body, trying to wake her up. “Why isn’t anyone helping?!” the woman looked about her, noticing the unmoving picture she was placed in.
A sigh came from the head of the family.
“Fate has certainly cursed you two…”
Did these feelings belong to her?
“What do you mean? Why are you all even sitting there doing nothing? Ayumi was just slashed to bits, practically! She’s going to die if you just stand around!”
“Oh, we assure you that Ayumi will live…” Tsunku said solemnly, waving his hand so that guards stood around Rika.
“Ayumi embodies the ancestor which started our family ages ago, so she will lead the family as the successful heir when I die.”
“How is almost dying a justification of what you said?!”
“In regards to dying however…” Tsunku let out a another sigh before continuing.
“Because you embody the nemesis of our family’s ancestor… You shall die.”
Or are they mine?
Oohhhh, what now xD
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DIBS! XD
Holy, that's a long chapter. XD Trying to beat me? :P
Androgynous person saving Rika? That has GOT to be Yossi. Who else looks like a man anyway? XD Besides, Ishiyoshi is love. :heart: Rika suffering from the Bishounen Syndrome made me roffle. So...typical...cliched...but how fun! XD
And ohhhh. Rika sneaking onto the Shibata estate? Everything afterwards looks identical to the beginning of Ayashi no Ceres. :P Even down to poor Ayumi being lacerated and the hand exploding. You and your stealing ways. XD Did you just adapt the Ceres storyline? :P I look forward to see your twists on the original plot. ;)
Can't wait to see how Rika goes berserk (assuming you still follow the Ceres storyline) and manifests her other self when they try to kill her. XD What will happen, I wonder? XD
-starts building a house to stay in for the long haul- XD
Update soon~
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DIBS ;D
-runs off to make milkshake first- XD
OH DAMN! O_O Raining blood, that's REALLY freaky. Rika gets kudos for not running around screaming, she must be really used to it. o_o;; Then that weird lady showed up again. >_>; You're good with horror stories, cousin.
At first I thought the whole purse snatching thing was random, but then I guessed you must be planning to introduce someone with it then BAM that handsom woman we all know and love~! :D I find it funny how Rika is really confused with Yossie, and also how she was mistaken for a guy. XDD Good little spot to add a bit of humor in for the story. :3
Rika walking around avoiding (almost) oblivious gaurds reminds me of Zelda OoT. XD You only get caught if you're two feet away from them. ;D
Tsunku, and uncle. XD FTW? Ayumi's uncle no less. xD
...
OMGAHHFTW???!??!! A FRIGGIN HAND? O___O;;!! -twitch- that's just weird. x__x;; And it exploded too o_o;; I'd hate for that to get all over me, considerin' it's really really really old, and not to mention dead. o_o;;
Cursed? o.o That's always fun. (at least for the reader's point of view XD) But they have to kill Rika? O_O;; RUN RIKA, RUN!!!
Although a seriously freaky story this is, I like it. ;D Write more or I'll stick Stewart on you. XD
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Holy fricking cow! :o :o
Blood rain, engulfing tatoos, scarred Ayumi! I didn't think you could fit that much drama into the second chapter.
You really like turning Shiba and Rika against each other....
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That aint fair. You always have to have a friend try to kill another friend. But seriously, it's pretty interesting that you've made it so Ayumi has to kill her best friend Rika. Now that's some conflict. And why do I belive that the Ms. Security is Yossie?
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-shivers- Meh... I don't know what to think. X3 I suppose I'll have to stomach it, though, since I love you and all, and I need to be a faithful reviewer...
Gah, the raining blood part. Ickickick. At first I thought it really WAS raining blood and I was like WTH, why aren't the people around her FREAKING OUT, but then I read on and I was like... OH. XD >< Creepy tattoo lady. I still don't get it. I'm not supposed to, right? ...I'm not slow, right? ._____. I just hope this isn't too over my head.
ROFL @ Rika beating up the man, though. All I could think of was that fight scene with her in Sukeban Deka. XDD
Also, the woman-that-looks-like-a-man? It has to be Yossui. I'd bet my love of Berryz on it. -nodnod-
...If it's not, I'm still gonna love Berryz, though... XDDD Also, the Matrix came to mind when you were describing her attire... somehow, I can kind of see that fitting of Yossui if that's who this mystery person happens to be.
XDDD ...Bishounen effect.
Basically... my emotions/thoughts throughout the rest of the chapter are as follows: "Uncle Tsunku...?!? :badluck:" "EWEWEWAHAND! :OMG: :barf: :dizzy:"
“Because you embody the nemesis of our family’s ancestor… You shall die.”
:shock: :frustrated: :gyaaah:
...I love those emoticons. XDDD
<3
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However, her sense in fashion often conflicted with others, and due to being occasionally self-conscious, the woman would often buy the entire set straight off the mannequin so she would not have to hear such opinions against her.
It also saves time because then one doesn't have to look for "what goes with what", since the ensemble is basically pre-arranged. :D
It began to rain.
...
It was raining blood.
Dayum, that old woman's curse is playing with her mind. :dizzy:
Just in front of her, she caught a man bumping into an old woman. She witnessed the man grab the old woman’s purse as he uttered his apologies. Then the man walked away, the old woman oblivious to his thievery.
“M’aam, that man took your purse!” Rika called out.
Rika to the rescue! :cool1:
But wait, is this still part of the curse/vision or is it real? (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/scratch.gif)
Rika immediately took action and grabbed the railing and swung her entire body, hitting the man on the back of his head, and using that force to snatch the purse in the air thanks to the circulatory move, and then returning to the ground with the purse latched onto her ankle.
Holy shit, Rika's got skillz! :cool1: :cool1:
The man managed to push Rika over the railing, and into the flowing water she fell.
OHNOES!!! :scared:
Rika looked up at her savior. Was this an androgynous male? Was this a handsome woman? Rika couldn’t tell since the savior had short bronze-red hair that was up to their chin and sunglasses on.
Yossi? (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/hmmm.gif)
“Are you okay, child?” Rika heard an old woman’s voice behind her. In fact, she was glad that the old woman ruined the moment, for she didn’t like that maelstrom of confusion for her orientation one bit.
“I’m fine, here is your purse,” Rika smiled as she gave the thankful senior her belonging.
But wait, what happened to the thief?
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rika smacked her palm to her forehead in disbelief.
“Yeah… Sorry about that… My parents, for some odd reason, want to celebrate my birthday back the main house with my family,” Ayumi placed her hand in a flat praying motion in front of her face as a gesture of apology.
“But we already planned to go out a long time ago, and your parents accepted! What made them change their mind?”
“I’m not sure, but it sounded like they were going to beat the crap out of me if I didn’t, so I guess I have no choice but to follow… Sorry Rika-chan.”
“Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped, family comes first,” Rika smiled to hide her disappointment. “But did you have to tell me just before we go out to do what we planned?”
“Guess I forgot?” Ayumi laughed sheepishly, rolling her eyes into a different direction.
“You silly girl,” Rika swung her upper body horizontally, smacking Ayumi lightly on the arm. “So when do you have to go, birthday girl?”
“…In like, five minutes,” Ayumi grinned widely, hiding her fear. Before Rika could complain any further, Ayumi grabbed her belongings and fled out of their dorm.
Yeah that's right you BETTER run Shiba-chan! (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/LOL.gif)
Rika got up, now fed up with her annoying thoughts.
“I hope they don’t mind an intruder.”
Oooooooooooooooooooh she's gonna sneak over! 8)
“Get out of there right now,” the man said in a cautioned tone. Rika had no choice but to obey, since for all she knew, he’s probably armed and ready. She stood up with a guilty expression on her face. “You did realize you were trespassing on private property, yes?”
Oh crap, busted. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/doh.gif)
“Kamui! You’re leaving your designated zone, I’ll take the woman from here on out since it’s my area anyway.”
Rika felt a glimmer of hope when she heard that voice.
“Don’t talk to me like that! If you weren’t a woman, I’d beat your ass right about now!” the said man called back,
It's the mystery woman (who might be Yossi)!
“Yeah, Uncle is pretty laid back, so sometimes, even he gets into trouble with his procrastinating ways,” Ayumi chuckled.
“Haha, I wish I had an uncle like Tsunku-san.”
Wait a sec, Shiba-chan's uncle is Tsunku??? :o
But that pain came again. It started softly, but the pulsation became even more painful with each passing time. She didn’t feel the tattoo rise in her blood, but the pain was surely there, echoing throughout her entire body like needles puncturing her as if she was a butterfly specimen in someone’s collection.
I find myself wondering if the pulsations are random, or if there's something that actually triggers them to begin?
Ayumi and Rika were then instructed to remove the lid of the box to bear eyes to Ayumi’s present which Rika somehow got involved in opening as well.
When they removed the lid, there was quite the present waiting inside.
A human hand.
Or rather, a mummified hand.
IT'S A HAND!!! :shock:
Again, there was a huge surge of pain through Rika’s body, even worse than the one she experienced before. She grabbed onto her head, trying to stop her throbbing head from aching to no avail. She felt the tattoo instantly crawl from her right shoulder blade, this time, going as far as to consume her neck and the sides of her face. Her hair floated in the air eerily, being lifted by the rising energy, flickering between her normal brunette color and the color of blood red. Her eyes also flickered between dark brown and golden.
Before she felt lost to her transformation, the mummified hand was suddenly covered in a tattoo depicting butterflies resting on lotuses.
Transformation??? What's happening??? :OMG:
Ayumi was bending over, as if she too was in pain. She clutched onto her arms, as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out. All of a sudden, as if some supernatural force was hidden underneath her body, lacerations and scars began to force themselves open, releasing huge amounts of blood with each opening produced as Ayumi screamed while the lashing wounds appeared. There were evidentially scars all over her body, abundant amounts of them at that, for her clothes became soaked in blood.
Not Shiba-chan too!!! :frustrated:
“Someone help!” Rika immediately shook Ayumi’s body, trying to wake her up. “Why isn’t anyone helping?!” the woman looked about her, noticing the unmoving picture she was placed in.
A sigh came from the head of the family.
“Fate has certainly cursed you two…”
The lack of "freaking out" by the family, plus those final remarks from the head of the family...that's just cryptic. Someone knows more than they're letting on. :scolding:
“Oh, we assure you that Ayumi will live…” Tsunku said solemnly, waving his hand so that guards stood around Rika.
“Ayumi embodies the ancestor which started our family ages ago, so she will lead the family as the successful heir when I die.”
Well that's a bit of a relief.
“In regards to dying however…” Tsunku let out a another sigh before continuing.
“Because you embody the nemesis of our family’s ancestor… You shall die.”
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA??!?!?!??!? :stunned: :dizzy:
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uncle tsunku? haha nice one!
And why does this kinda story always have a forbidden theme going on? Forbidden friendship... Forbidden love... It never gets old tho(most of the time) Freaky how not even one person from Shibata's family even bothered to show any kind of panic like Rika had for the girl when she was in pain.. Poor Ayumi!! But I wonder... if Rika's Family is also expecting somekinda curse happening to Rika.
And eh... are they planning to kill Rika on the spot?! If so then.. I'm guessing its Yossi to the rescue yet again huh?
Last question!..... whats DIBS?
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^ Dibs is sorta like taking claim. Short way for saying "I called it!" or something.
Anyway... IshiYossui? *nods* yes, it shall be IshiYossui <3~ I love that bodyguard stories. Bodyguards are so cool :D
WHOAAA! Ayumi Vs. Rika? That's gonna be interesting. I was sort of thinking that since chapter one when their fortunes were reviled, but I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that Ayumi would only be a minor character. I can't wait to see that battle unfold!
-Owaranai_sLaVe
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Wow, that was.. different XD I'm not a big fan of Ishibata, but I'll read it anyway (:
Tsunku as Ayumi's uncle.. what the hell is up with that? D:
This kinda reminds me of the anime Lain. XD
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Wow, now that's a curse. Are we eventually going to find out how these curses came about? And if Rika embodies their nemesis, does that mean Rika is the nemesis' descendant, thus it being her family line? (Hope that makes sense.) Like how Ayumi embodies her ancestor. If it is, wouldn't the families know of it then, and possibly forbid Ayumi and Rika from becoming friends? Not that that would necessarily stop them, but the knowledge would be there.
I'm pretty sure that the bodyguard is Yossui. I totally have a mental image of her looking like a bouncer. You know, black shirt with security written on it, dark glasses, bad-ass attitude. She has too small of a stature to really be intimidating, but she can still look bad-ass! And if she can fight and kick ass, that's better yet!
Sorry for the late reply. I finally had some free-time to get caught up on reading! Anyway, I hope this bump helps get the next chapter up soon!
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Essy: Yeah, Ceres based xD But it'll differ after the intro, I assure you xD Hmm, I wonder if it is Yossie xD
Sai: Freaky story indeed xD There are some parts later on that will be creepier :]
Rndmnwierd: Of course I do, it's fun! But are you sure that Ayumi herself wants to kill Rika? xD
Glcorps: Hmm... I wonder too xD
Fimmy-chan: Ohohohohoho <3 Maybe Ms. Security is Yossie? xD
JFC: Mm... Confusing chapter indeed xD But it's going to be more clarified in the next chapters xD
Stefy: Mm... Lovely guess at the theme xD That is what I'm sorta aiming for xD
Slave: Mm <3 Can't wait indeed <3
Shoko: It's not really Ishishiba though... xD
Bllizzard: Of course, but the families didn't know xD Because the spirit manifests the closest husk (IE, embryo) after death xD Mm... <3
Sorry about the lateness xD I was feeling lethargic as usual xD.
I have to say though, the story will come out to be a slow and maybe uninteresting start, but I assure you that it will get better xD!!!
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Forgive me, I rushed this xD
Chapter 3: Contradictory
There is no such thing as coincidence.
“Because you embody the nemesis of our family’s ancestor… You shall die.”
Rika’s eyes widened, set ablaze by the dark flames of fear. Was this a horrific joke? No, it was not any laughing matter, everyone was staring at her, with anger, with sorrow, with fear. Her best friend’s family did not utter a word against Tsunku’s judgment. Her best friend’s family did not move a centimeter to aid the scarred Ayumi. Her best friend’s family did not do as much as blink when the words echoed throughout the dining hall.
They were afraid of her.
And so was she.
Rika was immobilized by her fear, conflicting within herself the validity of her sudden death sentence. Under what sin did she commit to earn this horrid consequence?
Existing?
Being born?
No. It was that dreaded woman. The woman who drawls in a haunting fashion, her tattoos of lotuses with butterflies glaring maliciously. It was that evil spirit the fortune teller spoke of, possessing her, warping her senses of reality. And now, Rika, the innocent one, was supposed be condemned to damnation just because her body was taken hostage of the spirit?
“What is the meaning of this? Surely you are after the spirit, but you have to kill me too?!”
“The only way to kill the spirit is to kill the host, I’m afraid,” the head of the family shook his head sympathetically. Deciding that he did not need to see this execution, Tsunku, among a few other relatives, left the dining hall quickly.
Bewildered, Rika turned to run, but was met with several guards clad in black soldier armor, almost the sort of team one would label as high ranking officers. Three of those guards quickly swept in, carrying the unconscious bloody Ayumi away while the others stood in the way of Rika’s only escape route. The family dared not getting in the way of the execution, everyone sat up and maneuvered towards the walls, wary of the submachine guns now facing Rika, courtesy of the officers.
She has never been this afraid in the past.
She felt herself pale and shrink.
There was nowhere to run.
There was nowhere to hide.
There was nowhere to escape.
Nowhere but the hell which awaited her.
There was that annoying pulsation again. Rika flinched and immediately gripped her upper right arm with her trembling left hand. She could feel her body going numb, as if it was being pierced by needles, as if snakes came in and out of her body, as if she was a specimen in a butterfly collection. The energy was rising in her again, growing powerful and painful at the same time. So much that Rika felt like she was going to pass out soon.
The men fired their round of bullets.
“Die!” was the last voice Rika heard in her head before falling into a realm of the most horrendous pain. Impaled by bullets in every spot imaginable, Rika staggered backwards, collapsing in the said direction onto the table. Her head lolled to the side, her control of it was weak as it succumbed to the power of gravity.
The soldiers ceased their firing, daring to venture closer to see if their designated target was truly dead. The squad took a few steps towards the corpse, in awe of what had happened.
But there wasn’t any blood.
And her body spat the bullets back out, the tattoo of a lotus appearing in every spot that which the bullets had sunk into.
The head regained complete control, pulling herself up to look at the soldiers at the bottom of her eyes.
They were flashing a bright gold.
For the other myriads of bullets which somehow failed to reach her, there was a barrier. In front of her were all the bullets, suspended in midair at mere millimeters from contact. The pain she had felt earlier were the results of small two-dimensional black butterflies exiting from her body to cease motion of the bullets, and then there were the bullets which happen to bypass the speed of the barrier construction hit her, only to be spat back out, dealing the aforementioned pain.
From the butterflies, the black energy expanded, creating elaborate patterns of oriental designs and lotuses, now creating a barrier perpendicular to the bullet tips.
What… is this?! Rika’s widened eyes returned to their normal color. The black wall of butterflies and lotuses dissipated, dropping all of the bullets onto the ground. The soldiers and the family members were stunned at what had just transpired. Rika then chose to use this moment to do what she had planned to from the beginning.
She bolted past the soldiers who were still in awe in their stopped assault, into the hallways, trying to flee from the mansion. Behind her, the soldiers gave chase, shooting her whenever opportunity presented them a chance, in this case, with every time they catch sight of her.
Oddly enough, whenever she looked back, she would always find that the tattoos would materialize out of no where, stopping the bullets, and disappearing once its goal was accomplished.
Was it her doing?
Or was it the other ‘her’ who did it?
That didn’t matter to her now. After bolting from the main doors, Rika immediately tried to seek cover in the dense forest, seeing how the squad chasing her had slowed down due to her choice of hallways of that maze of a mansion. Surprisingly most of the guards which were traversing the forest earlier were not there.
Speaking of guards, would she see that woman again?
Why was she even thinking of such a thing at such a critical moment like this?! Right now, she was running for her life and what she’s thinking about is her unfortunate love life?! Despite the creepiness of the disappearance of the guards, Rika found it better to think of the convenience the absence provided for her.
Soon, she was able to slip by the empty gates, running a few more blocks, a few more roads, and a few more streets to find that the same taxi which had dropped her off was still waiting for her. She nearly crashed into the car, but stopped herself from doing such a silly thing and opened the door and then crashed into the seats, begging the driver to take her back to the front of her university, seeking escape by heading back towards her dorm.
At least the chase was sort of over.
Fate is what brings us together.
After catching her breath, Rika leaned against the seat, trying to process again what had just happened…
Damn spirit… If what just happened was one of your illusions again… Rika huffed exhaustedly as she closed her eyes, leaning her head sideways to the chair, looking out the window.
“My god, what happened back there? You’re really beat!” the driver, seemingly in his elder years, commented as he drove.
“Nothing much… Nothing much…” Rika sighed, and then she opened her eyes.
That tattooed woman was on the other side of the window, almost flying towards her with intent of an airborne tackle.
Fear enveloping her eyes again, Rika jumped back to the other seat, almost slamming herself against the other car door, much to the confusion of the driver.
“Ma’am, is something the matter?” the concerned driver asked, watching Rika through the mirror in the middle of the cab.
Rika didn’t respond instantly, for she was still panting at the vision she had just seen. Always going to jump at me whenever I try to relax?! Rika angrily thought, intending that those thoughts would be heard by the spirit within her. Why does it have to be me?! Can’t you haunt someone else?! I have a life!
Rika sighed again, knowing that her thoughts would probably never reach that spirit anyway.
Eventually, the taxi stopped in front of the university Rika attended. The woman gave the driver the money and bid him farewell as he drove off.
No matter what circumstances.
“The door was unlocked?” Rika raised a brow as she realized that the key in her hand did not trigger the obligatory unlocking click she was so used to hearing. Before she could put her hand on the door, she began to think.
I locked this door before I came over … there… Rika tried piecing together the puzzle pieces laid out for her in her mind. Someone might have broken in or something…Though, the only person with the other key is Ayumi. It’s not possible for someone to just go up and grab her keys and return here before I came… Unless whoever broke in is skilled with picking locks…
Rika cautiously opened the door, careful as to not make any sound whatsoever in fear of the intruder’s presence still wandering the dorm. She looked down at mats on the floor, searching for any foreign footwear that did not belong to her or Ayumi. Much to her fear, there were sneakers that happened to be out of place, sneakers that are not supposed to exist among the usual.
Oh my gahh… I’ve never been fond of sneaking around since I’m so horrible at it, but I never thought I had to sneak around in my own—
There was an accidental creak.
Rika’s body went rigid.
“Is there an Ishikawa-san heeeere?” Came a voice, a rather young voice.
A kid?
No, the female voice sounded a bit older.
A young teenager maybe?
“Took you long enough!” came another voice, a much older voice than the one before.
Perhaps Rika was safe after all.
Whether it is under Good,
An adolescent teenager came into Rika’s view, almost enthusiastic at her entrance. The younger had a rather elfish face, that is to say, a face longer than an average Japanese person. Her hair was layered and kept neat and short, only up to her shoulders. Speaking of hair, she was wearing a cute white band too… Her outfit contradicted the cute image her head exhibited though. The young woman wore a thick white padded vest, eerily reminiscent of American gangsters. Underneath was a black hoodie with a white skull in the front and on her black pants was white half-arrows (length-wise) embroidered on sides.
The woman following the younger was slightly shorter, but definitely older than the other. This woman’s brunette hair was slightly wavy and up to her mid-back. The woman was also noticeably tanner than her younger counterpart. The woman wore a thin navy blue windbreaker. Underneath that was a simple white tanktop. As for pants, she wore a mundane pair of tan cargo-pants… Quite the light outfit despite the fact that it was Feburary…
“Er…Rescuing me?” Rika became unaware of the caution her voice articulated.
“Well, you were almost slaughtered, weren’t you, dear?” the older one said in a matter-of-fact tone, “why else would we be here to save your lovely ass?” she added a wink.
“We’re your knights in shining armor, you know, so you better thank Sis and I!” the younger added on.
Rika blinked. First off, she felt a little edgy that the older woman hit on her, and all the more edgy after registering the fact that the younger was the other’s sister.
“What are you doing, gaping like that? Let’s just get you out of here, and you can ask questions later,” the older said, walking towards Rika.
“We have to be quick about it too, the first place they’re going to try and find you at is here, they’ll have no chance of succeeding if you come with us,” the younger was also walking towards Rika.
Before she knew it, both women hooked up with each of Rika’s arms, thus dragging her onwards.
What is going on here?!
Whether it is under Evil,
“Hmm… This is troublesome…” a man paced up and down on the room, adjusting his glasses, running his fingers through his short tidy hair, or loosening the collar of his suit every so often to amplify his anxiety.
“Kagami-kun, don’t fret, we have our best body guard on the chase,” Tsunku smiled, patting the poor nervous wreck on the head.
“Sir, that’s not what I’m worried about. This is the first time that the maiden escaped… And I told you to strangle her to death. Bullets will only be rejected from her body…”
“Everything will be all right. Since the progenitor surfaced at the same time, all should be well. The only thing that is left is to kill that maiden, and we only have to wait years again for the maiden to reincarnate.”
“Don’t say that so lightly. Like I said earlier. This is the first time in a long time that she was actually able to run away from us like that. If we let her roam about for too long, the spirit will possess her body and then it’ll be a pain in the ass to subdue and kill her again.”
“But we have a good weapon of our own,” the corners of Tsunku’s mouth turned up slightly, showing a mischievous grin.
“What mere piece of technology could kill a celestial maiden at full power?” Kagami looked up at the head, skeptical of what he might say in reply.
“Oh no no no no, my dear friend, this isn’t a piece of technology. This is a person. We found her a few months ago, survivor of a plane crash. But it is thanks to the crash that she is also amnesiac…” Tsunku stroked his imaginary beard.
“What could an amnesiac person do?” Kagami raised a brow.
“We put her through some tests, and much to our coincidence, she proves to exceed athletic abilities of the average Olympian participant by a landslide.”
“And the name of this woman?”
“Oddly enough, despite being amnesiac she remembered her given name. However, she was unable to recall any information of her family name.”
“Get to the point, Tsunku-san.”
“Her name is Hitomi, and she is the one who will kill the maiden.”
Fate is a very cruel judge.
...Shorter chapter than I thought o_O Oh well, the next chapter should be longer, I think xD
<3
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~Nyaa~
I finally come back to comment you~ After so long >_>
That's..I believe..One of your shortest chapters! o_O
ARE YOU OKAY!?!? DO YOU HAVE A COLD!? O_o
Bah~ Well, Miki just made me laugh and Miya's attitude XD Miki jr.
Post the next chapter! YAH!! *throws a horse shoe* >;P
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:shock: Yossie have to kill RIka? OMG!!
Mmm...I am a little confused about the identity of the girls who were in the room of rika :dunno:
This is getting better!!! :nya:
I'll be waiting for the nex chapter!!!!!! :whistle:
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Interesting. So that spirit in Rika's body appears to be active enough to stop others from killing her? Awesome. :D
Nyahahaha, those two girls coming to rescue Rika. Aogiri family much? XD Yay for Ceres references. I wonder how Shibata handles having to deal with Rika later. XD
Mm. Yossi having to kill Rika. XD I look forward to seeing how you deal with that. XD
Write more soon, love. <3
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Crazy, man. This is crazy. But awesome! I can't wait to see how everything's going to unfold.
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indeed, Ceres XD
keep it up!
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Lol. Rushed, indeed.
I was done reading it so quick I almost wondered if you had accidentally cut off part of it or something. XD
Ooh... Rika's got bullet-repellant tattoos... freakin' awesome. o_o Haha, I can also imagine her being the worst player in a game of hide and seek, too. I have a feeling she'd make way too much noise. And yaaaaaaaay for the sisters. :3 I'm excited to see what happens next...
Well, all except for the fact that Hitomi will have to kill Rika. But I'm wondering if it's Hitomi as in Yossui or Hitomi as in Boss... Hm...
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They were afraid of her.
And so was she.
Rika was immobilized by her fear, conflicting within herself the validity of her sudden death sentence. Under what sin did she commit to earn this horrid consequence?
There's no way that Shiba-chan could have known about this, is there? :eek:
“The only way to kill the spirit is to kill the host, I’m afraid,” the head of the family shook his head sympathetically. Deciding that he did not need to see this execution, Tsunku, among a few other relatives, left the dining hall quickly.
There's got to be another way. Killing the host is probably just the quickest/easiest way to do it. :err:
Deciding that he did not need to see this execution, Tsunku, among a few other relatives, left the dining hall quickly.
That's just cowardice. If you're willing to condemn someone to death at least have the balls to be there when it happens. You at least owe her that much respect. :grr:
There was that annoying pulsation again. Rika flinched and immediately gripped her upper right arm with her trembling left hand. She could feel her body going numb, as if it was being pierced by needles, as if snakes came in and out of her body, as if she was a specimen in a butterfly collection. The energy was rising in her again, growing powerful and painful at the same time. So much that Rika felt like she was going to pass out soon.
jThe spirit that's possessing Rika is still somehow conscious? If so, it could be trying to assert itself and take over control of Rika's body. :scared:
The soldiers ceased their firing, daring to venture closer to see if their designated target was truly dead. The squad took a few steps towards the corpse, in awe of what had happened.
But there wasn’t any blood.
And her body spat the bullets back out, the tattoo of a lotus appearing in every spot that which the bullets had sunk into.
Dude, bullets aren't gonna work against a possessive spirit. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/no.gif)
For the other myriads of bullets which somehow failed to reach her, there was a barrier. In front of her were all the bullets, suspended in midair at mere millimeters from contact. The pain she had felt earlier were the results of small two-dimensional black butterflies exiting from her body to cease motion of the bullets
The spirit's sense of self-preservation is kicking in.
I locked this door before I came over … there… Rika tried piecing together the puzzle pieces laid out for her in her mind. Someone might have broken in or something…Though, the only person with the other key is Ayumi. It’s not possible for someone to just go up and grab her keys and return here before I came… Unless whoever broke in is skilled with picking locks…
Uncle Tsunku had sent someone over maybe?
Much to her fear, there were sneakers that happened to be out of place, sneakers that are not supposed to exist among the usual.
Shit...whoever it is...is still there! :shock:
“Well, you were almost slaughtered, weren’t you, dear?” the older one said in a matter-of-fact tone, “why else would we be here to save your lovely ass?” she added a wink.
“We’re your knights in shining armor, you know, so you better thank Sis and I!” the younger added on.
What the hell? How is it that these people know about Rika being possessed when she herself didn't? :dunno:
This is the first time that the maiden escaped… And I told you to strangle her to death. Bullets will only be rejected from her body…
First time? That implies that this spirit may have tried to possess other girls before, and even worse, that this family has deliberately killed those girls because the spirit chose to possess them! :OMG: This should be a sign that their attempts to try and kill the spirit are ineffective! They may be able to kill the host, but the spirit likely just flees before the girl dies. They have to find a way to destroy the actual spirit itself. Just killing the host body isn't working.
“But we have a good weapon of our own,” the corners of Tsunku’s mouth turned up slightly, showing a mischievous grin.
“What mere piece of technology could kill a celestial maiden at full power?” Kagami looked up at the head, skeptical of what he might say in reply.
“Oh no no no no, my dear friend, this isn’t a piece of technology. This is a person. We found her a few months ago, survivor of a plane crash. But it is thanks to the crash that she is also amnesiac…” Tsunku stroked his imaginary beard.
“What could an amnesiac person do?” Kagami raised a brow.
“We put her through some tests, and much to our coincidence, she proves to exceed athletic abilities of the average Olympian participant by a landslide.”
So they're going to brainwash this poor girl to become their assassin or something? That's fucked up. :scolding:
“Her name is Hitomi, and she is the one who will kill the maiden.”
Oh god...not Yossi! :pleeease:
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Damn! The Yos is going to be the executioner! :mon scare:
So it was already their fate to be enemies rather than lovers. Ill-fated indeed.
The two kids. I'm guessing they're from Berryz. (If 'longer face' and 'tanner' are hints, then I think I know who they are.) :glasses:
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darn! I had a feeling its gonna be Yossi who'll assassinate Rika... FORBIDDEN LOVE!!!!
and I'm dying to know who those 2 girls were in Rika's room... I'm guessing its Miyoshi and Okada.. am I right? am I right?? Miyoshi does look elf-ish alittle, and Yui-chan does look alittle tanned~
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Love body guard Hitomi :twisted: Man, I need another update!!
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How crazy xD I'd be pissed if they just started killing me while I was confused.
Hmm, I wonder who those two were that dragged Rika out (still confused XD). Wheres meh Mikitty love? *pouts* OH! Is it Miki and Gotou as the duo?! WAIT. What am I thinking? The twins, right?
*pouts* I want lotuses that protect me >.>
(awesome fact. I just found out that you can get high from lotuses xD Wow, I can't believe I never knew that!)
-Owaranai_sLaVe
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yay, new chapter ^^ Sorry I took forever to read it, you understand my net problems. xD
Anyway, wow. They're serious about Rika, aren't they o_o;; Freaky, I feel sorry for her but she got some nice help from (I'm guessing) Miki (the ass comment gave it away xD) and Miyabi (giant gangsta vest XD)
Nonetheless, good but short chapter. :D Write more, I know where you live. >:]
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Bumping because I hate seeing this thread in the second page xD Where are all my supporters? o_O
Anywho, I'm almost done with the next chapter.
Yes, it's going to be MUCH longer that the previous chapter, I assure you xD
Though, it seems that Foxy Brown has caught my true age xD No more perv access makes me sad because now I can't read those fanfics until 2.25 years pass xD -changes birthdate back to true date- So uh yeah, for those I haven't told on IM yet... I'm not legal yet :x Don't be angry with me o_o' At least the pictures are real xDDDDD
So yeah, this next chapter is going to have a lot of things happening xD Expect some humor, angst, and some 'lovin. AND a cliffhanger! <3
If no one posts after this, I'll turn this into the comment reply post and post the story after xD
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:OMG: I seriously need to start commenting more..srry...uh first off... :mon POd:why yossi?? *starts bawling*..jkz...OHHH SNAP CRACKLE AND POP yossi hunting down rika..o well rika has ass-grabbing miki to save her :cool1: but still damn you spirit!! no....wait...DAMN YOU TSUNKU!!Rika has awsome lotuses protecting her from firing squads tho...neat-o!! *sticks lotuses on myself*...>_>...*wanders off to firing squad*...if i post a comment next time, it means the lotuses worked...if not...i'll still comment..Oh and awsome job so far with the fic...well i'm off*salutes*
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Loser: I didn't think it would look that short! I swear! xDDDD
Kreuz_Asakura: Oh, you'll see clearly who they are now xD
Estrea: I look forward to see how I will be dealing with that too xD
Rndmnwierd: Mm, and it's STILL the introduction! xD
Len.Chan: Just the beginning will sound like Ceres, the rest will be entirely pulled from my ass xD
Fimmy-chan: Nah, it's Yossie, not Boss xD But yeah, really short chapter ><
JFC: I <3 your commentary xD But I'm sure you'll definitely have much more things to interepret and work with in this chapter xD
Wordsworth: Forbidden love indeed... <3
Stefy: Roffle, your guesses are completely wrong xD
Raspberrygashes: I MISSED YOOOU! <3 Bodyguard Hitomi is love <3
Slave: I want lotuses to protect me too ;-;
Saikami: Mm, awesome guessing cousin xD But you knew who they were anyway xD
Psychotic: I guess you do xD Isn't this the first time you've commented on my works? xD Mm, I hope those lotuses worked xD
-whistle- ESSY-CHAN! WEDGE TIME~~~~~~~~~~~!
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Wedgie~
-headlocks Yuu- XD
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This has to be the longest chapter I have so far xD It took up fifteen pages xD
Chapter 4: Ode to Emotion
Humans are the epitome of emotion.
Her life had been hell the moment she was born. Seriously. Ever since her birthday that month ago, she has been having creepy dreams, all with the same damned spirit that seems to have volition of cursing her whenever opportunity presents it. And apparently, just because the spirit can’t seem to be satisfied with her goal, Rika has to take abuse from it. And every failure seems to tower the last.
Every failure brought her closer to death.
Every encounter with death brought her closer to miracles.
And right now, her miracle was a groping demon and a mini evil version of the demon.
“I thank you for uh, rescuing me, but is groping my butt your reward or what?!” Rika raised her voice for the umpteenth time, slapping away the foreign hand.
“Would you like it to be the reward?” the older smirked, almost expecting her to comply.
“Nee-chan, Yuko-nee will get angry if you keep doing that to Ishikawa-san!” the younger retorted, as if the behavior of her older sister was absolutely mundane to her.
“Yeah! This Yuko-san will be angry!” Rika tried reasoning, hoping this ‘Yuko’ wouldn’t be too offended that Rika used her name as a weapon.
“Please, you’re misinterpreting it, Ishikawa, Miyabi means that Yuko would get angry because right now, she isn’t able to join in on the fun.”
“What kind of people are you?!”
“Your knights in shining armor of course, what else?” the younger one called Miyabi piped up.
“You both seem more like the perverted trainer and the squire to me…”
“Psh, Miyabi can probably fight a whole lot better than you, master of guns and agility. She’s a freaking ninja if you ask me.”
“And Miki is a black belt in kung fu, what’s more, she fights with chopsticks. Amazing feat if you ask the unbiased opinion of me.”
Alright.
I’ve been ‘rescued’ by Miki, a groping fighter who apparently fights with kitchen utensils, Miyabi, a gun using ninja kid…
How am I any safer from death?!
Now they were (had been) walking in a small shopping district. As expected, the crowds tended to their daily shopping. They were always searching for provisions to last them the week, always searching for provisions to last them the night’s dinner, always searching for provisions to tidy them up with impatience of the upcoming dinner. To them, it became a routine that did not require thoughts. Nothing to them was amiss.
That’s what she hated.
She was the one suffering, yet all the others have no idea of her sudden predicament. She knew it was selfish to think that sort of thing, wishing that everyone had suffered to see how they would react, a very childish thought. She doesn’t even have the right to hate that the others are not feeling the same torment she felt whenever the spirit would try to possess her. Such an impure thought… Such immorality cannot be condoned.
Why did she feel obligated to follow these two people? Are they rescuing her just for the fact that she housed a legendary spirit? Are they rescuing her just to kill her instead of the Shibata family? These two, despite appearances and attitude, have just as much strength to kill Rika as the squad who tried to execute her by firing. At least that’s what she concluded from their statements earlier.
How could they be trustworthy compared to the scheming Shibata family?
Shibata…
“Ayumi…” Rika uttered under her breath.
What had happened to her? All those scars and lacerations were definitely not a prank. All because of that hand. The hand that almost made Rika transform. The hand that could have killed Ayumi if Rika had not accumulated enough power to destroy it. Regardless, with such heavy wounds, heavy bleeding was bound to follow.
“Is Ayumi even alive…?” Rika looked over her shoulder, facing the direction of the mansion. Rika didn’t have too many doubts when it comes to the medical hospitals treating injuries and wounds…
“Who again? Lover?” Miki cut in, grinning mischievously.
“I’ve had just enough of you being so immature!” Rika replied in an aggravated voice, expressing anger through her glaring eyes.
“Miki-nee, Ishikawa-san is right, you can’t always be like that, at least tone it down until we come home, Yuko-nee would be angry if she isn’t brought back in one piece.”
“Miyabi-san is it? Why am I being brought there?” Rika looked at the younger.
“I don’t know. Yuko-nee became weird all of a sudden and demanded that we go to your address and retrieve you,” Miyabi scratched the back of her head. Rika noticed that the younger was obviously bemused at the behavior of this ‘Yuko’ the sisters kept referring to.
“So uh… How long until we arrive at your home?” Rika asked, hoping it would be soon.
“Nah, we’re just heading to the local inn. It’s like a day’s ride from here to there. We might as well rest there for the rest of the day and leave tomorrow morning,” Miyabi piped up, clearly looking forward to returning home.
Rika smiled at the younger sibling, at least she wasn’t corrupted like her big sister.
But then, her thoughts trailed towards the sky, wondering…
“Are you alright, Ayumi?”
It is up to the human to control their emotion.
Hitomi watched over the sleeping figure, clad in countless bandages. She wasn’t sure what to think of the poor woman for having to suffer so many injuries caused by the hand she had brought in. It’s a shame such a thing happened to such a nice woman too… All of her pretty features were now obscured by the bandages, and even without them, that beauty is now accompanied by the beast, those scars...
She was aware that the scars, mostly a tad bit jagged, yet straight, like rough sword cuts, were all over Ayumi’s body. The people who had tended to the wounds had exclaimed that she had over forty lacerations all over her body, most of which are nearly 40 centimeters long, though thankfully, just a centimeter or two deep. But the most noticeable scar Hitomi saw on Ayumi as the guards carried her into the hospital-like room of the manor was a scar on her right cheek. Two of them no less.
It was a cross-shaped scar.
It wasn’t huge in particular. The longer scar started in between the eye and ear and ended at a little below half her cheek. The shorter scar crossed over it near the bottom, only three centimeters wide. In fact, if one were to look at the upsidedown diagonal cross from an angle…
It nearly resembled a grim keeper’s scythe.
“It’s such a shame…” the androgynous woman sighed, turning around to leave. “It is the ‘best friends torn apart’ thing right?” the woman looked over, asking her question in a rhetorical manner.
“It’s such a shame…”
Emotions are very powerful weapons.
Rika looked up at the sky, baffled at how easily the darkness of night crawled across that vast blueness. The azure hue that the clouds gave off indicated to her that midday has finished sweeping over and now, night will soon take its place, watching all that is beneath it.
Was that spirit watching her every move?
Was that spirit watching her enter the inn room?
Had it contemplated possessing her at that time?
Was it scheming another good opportunity to possess her?
Rika hated this.
Her body was her own to command. No one else was supposed to override that unwritten law. She preferred not being different to that extent. She was the tennis captain of the team. She was admired by men and women alike. She had dated men in the past as common sense initiated. She had fun with Ayumi and friends. She worked hard in school, despite her average grades. She had a normal life.
And she wanted that life to be returned to her immediately.
That dreaded spirit came to her. Then all she has ever seen was sinister dreamscapes tainted in a grotesque vision.
She hated it.
She had done nothing wrong.
The hatred increased all the more with her appointed execution.
“Are you hungry?”
Rika’s thoughts stepped aside, allowing Miyabi’s voice to reach her. Without the necessity of verbal communication, she simply nodded her head eagerly. The corners of Miki’s mouth turned upward into a smile, an amused expression. Rika braced herself for foolishness, something she learned that the woman seemed to spew constantly throughout their thirty-minute trek.
“You’re hungry for me?”
Rika was unsure of whether to feel repulsed by the line or the wink the other gave her.
Decidedly, she felt repulsed by both.
“What the…?!” frustration edged Rika’s voice, “Just leave and find something for all of us to eat then!”
“Alright then hime, I’ll fetch you some take-out,” Miki scoffed, turning about her foot and leaving the room.
“That’s a healthy meal,” Miyabi raised a skeptical brow as part of sarcasm’s disguise.
“How do you put up with her anyway?” Rika sat on the bed, exhausted from standing.
“Although Miki-nee may act like that, deep down, she’s reliable. Though, her attitude doesn’t reflect it as you see,” Miyabi sat in the chair opposite to Rika.
“So uh… Will you please tell me about this ‘Yuko’ person?” the older asked, resting her hands on her lap, twiddling with her fingrers.
“Yuko-nee is not related to us by blood. But she is our elder sister. She helps us run our branch of the Fujimoto dance school. Other than that, she’s a folklorist.”
“Fujimoto eh? Both you and Miki?”
“I guess you can say that, haha,” Miyabi scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “I’m not good at explaining this story. Miki-nee can explain it better.”
“I see…”
Utter silence.
Then came an odd ringtone.
Rika raised a brow at the rather upbeat trance which radiated in noise from Miyabi’s pocket.
“…no SUKARETTO!” was one of the words Rika caught from the song. Then she caught some English which sounded like “YES MY LOVE!” before Miyabi answered her phone.
The cursed woman watched with interest at the affirmations and rhetorical phrases the teen spewed at the phone. If Rika hadn’t known any better, she would say Miyabi was incredibly annoyed. The gun-ninja hung up on whoever was at the end, and then told the other that she was to stay here and not go outside much. The reason for Miyabi’s concern was mainly due to the dangers of the Shibata agents who might be searching for her since she did not return to her dorm. As for the call of urgency, Rika wanted to burst out laughing, for Miki was at a gyouza stand (which was next to a takoyaki stand) and she happened to have forgotten her wallet, which was back at the inn. Obviously, Miyabi was going to find Miki and give her the wallet, Rika figured as she watched the younger bolt out the door energetically.
Now what?
Rika looked about the room, studying and observing it to see if she found anything interesting.
That’s always been a habit of her’s really. The cursed woman has curiosity, but she also happens to get a little picky when things are not organized. The room was kept neat and tidy, though Rika had the feeling that it was Miyabi that made it that way, not Miki. However, it could be the fact that they just rented the bedroom for the night, for there was an open case of luggage doomed to loneliness in the corner of the room. Feeling that urge to go over and rezip the pack, the woman stood up and walked over.
It was a simple black luggage case, It reminded her of the dragging (thus, wheeled) back-pack-like luggage from the airport too…
Were they from the Tokyo prefecture as well? The baggage only held clothes for a night’s rest. Trying not to pry any further, Rika kneeled over to tuck the loose clothes back into the baggage before zipping it.
Amidst the arranging, a huge mail-orange envelope caught her eye. It was the sort of envelope that the police would be using to hold important files in there…
What’s in here? I’m afraid to know…
Those doubtful feelings came to her again. She wasn’t too terrified in particular though, the squad that had fired at her gave her enough terror for the day. However, she couldn’t get rid of this feeling of anxiety which settled in the atmosphere around her.
What could those two be hiding…?
She had to know.
She had to absolutely know.
Otherwise, she might as well be handing over her life if these two were not trustworthy.
Undoing the string binding at the mouth of the envelope, she noticed that whatever was inside was semi-small and in huge amounts. Her hand ventured within the envelope and grabbed a handful of whatever was in it.
Photos.
The anxiety consumed her.
The photos were of her.
Not only there were pictures of her, there were pictures of her from when she was a baby… There were pictures of her going to her elementary school, middle school, high school, and even some recent pictures of her having lunch with Ayumi on the university’s lawn. There were also pictures of her out in the park, riding a bike, going to a random shopping district, going to the movies… It had almost every single picture of her in existence…
She stood up, dropping the pictures at her feet with a forceful throw. She felt that fear crawling into her face again, stepping backwards after witnessing what a stalker would do to pay homage to the object of their obsession.
What the?! Were they following me? Or was that Yuko following me?! Why would they do something like this?! Miki, Miyabi, and Yuko… stalkers?! I can’t stay here… These people are probably just as dangerous as the Shibatas… I have to go now!
The paled Rika shut her mouth tightly, afraid to utter a sound as she walked through that door, walking a different direction from where the shopping districts were. Since she has been here countless times with Ayumi before, she knew that the stands that Miki and Miyabi were probably at were in that shopping district. She walked at a moderately fast pace, but at the same time, a non-conspicuous speed as to not draw attention of anyone.
She looked up at the sky. It was a fiery orange, almost like fire paving the sky. After walking several blocks, she ended up in a suburban area where the stone-colored walls concealed all that lied in it, along with the narrow streets that one would usually lie flat against those walls to make sure they wouldn’t get run over by a car. Finally, she seemed to have recognized that she ended up in another part of the city, there were people about and a few cars passing here and there. Finding that she had no place to go, she decided to take a stroll in the local park, hoping nothing of ill intention will steal her away.
Then she suddenly remembered…
I can’t go to the dorm… They told me that’s the first place they will be searching…
Rika hugged her elbows, arching her back slightly in hopes that such a stance would deem her unapproachable. She wasn’t in the mood to be friendly to anyone. She didn’t want anyone to speak with her. She wanted to disclose herself from the rest.
Why her?
First, the spirit possesses her…Then the Shibata family attempts to execute her… After that, she was rescued by her stalkers…
I want to see you…
Hold it. Why was she still thinking of that damned guard?! Nothing could happen between them. That guard worked for the Shibata family. That meant the guard was obligated to kill her if she saw her, right?! What’s the use of falling in love with someone that’s going to kill you?!
“Well if it isn’t the cat.”
Speak of the devil.
Rika whirled around, almost taking an attacking stance: knees bent slight, fists at ready at her sides, head glaring at the tall woman before her. She didn’t realize she had taken a hostile stance until the other gave her an odd look, so she straightened herself out, but still kept her fists clenched.
“Why are you always appearing out of nowhere?” Rika still glared at the other, surprised at the amount of poison weaved within her words.
“In a bad mood, I see?” the androgynous woman raised a half-smile in amusement.
“Are you going to kill me?”
What the?! Rika clasped her hand against her mouth, how could I say such a childish thing?! She’s going to laugh at me and THEN kill me! How could I let my guard down and say something so stupid?! Oh gahh, don’t tell me it’s that stupid bishounen effect from manga again…
“What kind of question is that?” the taller chuckled, “Of course I’m not going to kill you.”
“How can I believe you? You work with the Shibata family…You are bound to have a mission of the sort to do that to me, right?” Rika raised her voice as she crossed her arms, looking away from the woman in front of her.
“Even if I did have a mission of the sort, I would be arrested if they see me assassinating you now.”
“Jee, that’s comforting…” Rika retorted, then she had a thought. A thought that was desperate… She looked at the guard with determination and stubbornness coated in her eyes.
“Hmm?” The taller raised a brow.
“Where’s Ayumi?”
“I don’t know,” the woman shrugged, almost mocking Rika with her tone of voice.
“Don’t give me that! People are always hiding things from me!” Rika almost yelled, remembering the hospitality of Miki and Miyabi earlier and then finding those dreadful photos, “I bet you are not any different from them! I know that you have knowledge of Ayumi’s whereabouts!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, and besides. Stop yelling. People will hear,” the bronze-red haired woman looked down at Rika in an almost nonchalant expression.
Is she being amused by this?!
“Fine, then I won’t let you out of my sight until you tell me!” Rika stomped her foot to emphasize that point.
The guard let out a sigh. She turned around walking towards the street, “Well, if you insist on following me, then go right ahead. My car is just around the corner.”
Without control, one becomes a shell.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST HER?!” boomed a digital voice.
“I’m sorry, Yuko-nee! I’m sorry!” Miki whined back into Miyabi’s cellphone. “She found the pictures we recovered from the Shibata International Company and must’ve thought we were stalkers!”
“YOU IDIOTS! YOU SHOULD HAVE HIDDEN THE FILE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE! I DIDN’T TEACH YOU BOTH YOUR SKILLS FOR NOTHING, YOU KNOW! GO FIND HER!”
“But Yuko-nee! We tried to look for her and she’s gone without a trace!” Miyabi replied in haste to the speakerphone of the cellphone, hoping her point would get through.
“Jeez, you kids make me do all the work,” Yuko’s voice on the phone grumbled.
“Well you are the wise obachan, dear sister, so tell us where Ishikawa’s headed to!” Miki yelled at the phone.
Yuko laughed on the other end, amused by her younger sister’s impatience and choice of words.
“Stop laughing, Yuko-nee! Just tell us!” Miyabi’s patience was also growing thin.
“HOLD ON THEN, DAMMIT! I CAN’T CONCENTRATE WHEN YOU TWO ARE BEING NOISY!!!!” Yuko screamed into her phone.
“HURRY UP THEN!” Miki and Miyabi yelled back in sync.
Oh the sisterly love…
A shell free to possess.
Rika watched the scenery zoom by from the car window. She was growing tired of the strenuous events which had occurred today. Mm. Being shot at like, a million places does take the energy out of a woman…
“Tired…” Rika began, noticing that the fire-paved skies were fading and a night blue hue was slowly spreading across the sky, “So, where are we going?”
“My home.”
“Oh…” Rika looked out the window absent-mindedly again… “Wait, what?!”
“Well the work day is over. So I’m going home. What are you, deaf?” the woman let out an amused look as she drove.
Rika just looked at the other with a look clearly reminiscent of a dear met with the headlights of a car.
“What?” the guard was taken aback by the expression, widening her eyes as well, “You were the one who insisted on coming along!”
The rest of the ride was silent, save for the times Rika or the other would cough a bit or sneeze.
Eventually, they arrived at the usual crowded and wall-protected neighborhood. The guard pressed a button on a small remote control, opening the garage and parking the hummer within. Under the blink of an eye, Rika and the guard waltzed into the plain house, the cursed woman deciding to rest on the dark green sofa, “So this is your house?”
“No, this is one of the many Shibata houses the family owns. The chief of the Shibata International Company is paying for me to be here, so feel free to make yourself comfortable, the chief is the one paying after all.”
“Not too caring, are you?” Rika looked over at the other woman.
“I’m not exactly the down-to-earth kind. But I’ve been told that I’m an all-around nice girl a few times. Guess it’s my laid back personality, ne?” the woman said as she walked over and sat on the opposite end of the couch after disposing of the outer suit jacket, tie, and unbutton the collar a bit to loosen the tight hold on her neck.
“So… What’s your full name?”
“Don’t know.”
“…Age?”
“Don’t know that either.”
“Do you even know where you’re from?”
“Not a clue.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you?” Rika brought her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she faced the other.
“I’m being truthful. I was told by Chief Kagami-san and various doctors that I’m an amnesiac patient. They said they found me in a plane crash and nursed me back to health, so the least I could do to repay them is be employed under the company.”
“Don’t you remember anything at all?” Rika lifted her head, now intrigued by the story.
“There was a thing or two…” the woman looked up, “I, for some odd reason, definitely know that my name is Hitomi.”
“It suits you too, you have nice eyes,” Rika tried to hold back a blush, having complimented the other and was unsure of how her reaction would be.
“Haha, thanks,” Hitomi scratched the back of her head, “and the other thing I remember… fire…”
“Fire?”
“Yeah… I remember a lot of flames, but that’s probably from the crash, so yeah…” the taller stopped her hand and then stood up. “You said you were tired right? I have extra clothes if you don’t want to sleep in what you have now,” Hitomi pointed upwards, probably to a bedroom.
“It’s alright, I can sleep with what I have on now,” Rika stood up. Still… It was quite the thought… Having to wake up in ruins of death… Not remembering a single thing… Probably burnt badly too… And then seeing a lot of white—being hospitalized to recover from the burns and the like… And on top of all that, to not remember your family or your friends… Or even a lover…
“Is it painful for you?” Rika didn’t turn around, hoping to avoid seeing the face of the taller.
“Not at all. I’m not sure of my personality back then, but my personality right now… I’m not the kind to be worrying about whether I remember things or not. Sure, I’m curious, but it’s simply not my main priority right now. The company said that they could try restoring my memory if I accomplish enough things, but I’d rather not dwell too much in the past, it’s not my style.”
“So… You don’t care about the people you might have hurt when you lost your memory?” Rika had no idea why her face was turning red. Was it because Hitomi was watching her from behind? Was it because Hitomi was there? Was it because of Hitomi’s voice…?
“Don’t say that. I haven’t thrown everything completely. I told you that they could bring back my memory, didn’t I?”
“Yeah…” Rika looked off to the side again.
“As for your friend, she’s safe in one of the rooms of that mansion, all bandaged up. We are just waiting for her to wake up is all,” Hitomi suddenly said, remembering Rika’s desperate question earlier.
“Good… I’m glad,” Rika placed her hands together, rubbing them together to sort of generate some heat for herself. Was the house even heated up yet? It was freezing…
“You should forget about Ayumi-san. It’s for your own good.”
“Why should I?” Rika turned around, almost glaring at the other again.
“No it’s just… The family is after your life. You shouldn’t run into squads and be shot at whenever you visit her… Call it a ‘fatherly opinion’ I guess…” Hitomi walked closer.
“You have to be kidding me…” Rika looked down on the ground, “Of all the people out there in the world… Why Ayumi and I?”
“Don’t blame me, blame fate.”
“Fate you say? Who says it’s ‘fate’ anyway?! Why does fate have to be so cruel and be able to decide for all of this to happen without consent?! Is that supposed to mean that we have to give up because we can’t go against it?” Rika looked up at Hitomi, aware of the sensation her eyes were feeling, almost about to cry.
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can tell you. You can have my bed upstairs, and then I’ll drop you off in a different town so you can start anew,” the taller said after a considerable amount of silence and then turned around to walk somewhere, but Rika immediately halted her advance by tugging onto her arm. “Hmm?”
“Alright… So did fate decide that we would be enemies?”
Hitomi turned around, looking down at the cursed woman with an almost sympathetic expression. Then her face was taken over by concern when she realized the hand that was clinging to her arm was shaking slightly.
“Are you cold? You’re shivering…”
Feeling a bit flushed, Rika removed her grasp on the bronze-red haired woman, “Don’t worry about it. It will go away when I slip under the covers, right?” she smiled. Then she felt surprised when she felt sudden warmth wrapped around her body. The blush on her face was sure to be compared to someone lit on fire.
After all, Hitomi had suddenly hugged her…
“Hitomi-san…” Rika said almost inaudibly, her feelings obscuring the volume of the voice.
“For me, I’m not going to let you go until you stop shivering, kay? But for you… If you really find it that uncomfortable, you can push me away, you know?” the taller said, tilting her head and having said all that within Rika’s ear.
Feeling the other’s breath on her ear, Rika felt like she was going to melt at the sheer heat that the other was providing to her. Of all the times Rika had seem Hitomi, she thought the taller incapable of expressing emotions physically like this, intimately like this. But with the embrace like this, all doubts and fears were burnt away by the heat…
She felt like she could trust this person.
Rika felt like she can place her faith in Hitomi.
Even though she may not have her memories… Rika was sure that she might be able to be of some assistance… Anything to aid this woman… Anything to make this woman happy…
Why was her heart beating fast?
For a woman of all people?
It wasn’t supposed to be like this…
She thought she was only capable of loving men…
But with Hitomi’s intimate hug like this… Her doubts of her orientation were slowly emerging from the ocean of questions.
No… She can’t…
She can’t love a woman.
She absolutely can’t…
But why…?
Why is it that with every time Hitomi appears, Rika felt so close to a tangible relationship with that woman? Why is it that with every word Hitomi speaks, she could believe anything she said? Why is it with every time Hitomi looks at her, she could see her blushing self reflected in her eyes?
Why is it…?
Why—No…How is it…?
How is it possible for Rika to fall in love with this woman?
“Release me.”
Then she felt it.
A painful throb.
“Ugh…” Rika nearly collapsed into the hug, clinging tightly to Hitomi’s shoulders, feeling an unbearable pain on her back. She couldn’t hear Hitomi’s tone of desperateness and concern: the pain was simply too painful. Again, it was the feeling of needles or snakes going in and out of her body. It was especially excruciating when she stepped backwards out of the embrace, still upon her knees. She clung onto the back of her shoulder blades, as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out.
That tattoo was pulsating again.
This time, it felt like the entire world was upon her shoulders, for it consumed her the exact same way it had looked on the tattooed woman.
Despite the huge amount of suffering she was going through, she looked up at Hitomi, giving her a look that clearly said to her that she was in need of great help.
A small wave of dark energy radiated from the woman in pain, causing Hitomi to stagger among other light items shaking. Rika’s hair began flickering yet again, this time, almost truthfully sticking to the hue and saturation of blood red.
Rika’s vision flickered between black and reality, and through Hitomi’s eyes, what she saw were the other’s eyes turning golden and back to normal in a matter of milliseconds repetitively.
Then, her world became cast in shadow.
All Rika knew was gone and in its place was an abyss of darkness.
And with its possession…
Hitomi was stunned at what she saw, levitating meters away from her.
In Rika’s place was a pale woman. She was in Rika’s clothes, which fitted slightly tighter since the woman herself was much taller than Rika, though not as tall as Hitomi. The woman had the black tattoos extending to the frame of her face, which was much more straighter and jagged than Rika’s. The woman’s long blood-red hair floated slightly in the hair, giving a supernatural atmosphere to it. Hitomi felt chills down her spine, staring back at the woman with golden eyes.
“You are no longer Rika Ishikawa… Aren’t you?” Hitomi said cautiously, taking out a switch blade and a stiletto whose designs were of a scenery depicting hellish demons engraved onto the hilt.
“That foolish lovesick human?” the woman sneered, “No, Rika Ishikawa has gone to sleep. I am the one who descended upon this Earth those centuries ago. I am Maki.”
All hell is unleashed.
<3 Going to post some of the scores for the OST (Original Score Track or as I like to say, Original Sound Track) in the next chapter. Look forward to them too! <3
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DIBS
Claimed first reply hehe. XD
First thing, Miki and Miyabi! XD Fun siblings. XD Miyabi the mini evil version of Miki hehe. XD And Yuko as they elder sister...oh the yankii love (well, Miki and Yuko are yankii, and if they're leading Miyabi astray, she'll be yankii in no time too XD).
Lol @ the misunderstanding over the photos. I'd be pretty creeped out too if I discovered someone keeping such a detailed photographic portfolio (almost typed pornographic o_O) of me. XD
And woohoo, the spirit woke up! It's Maki! <3 XDDDD Funny how when Rika gets all doki doki over Yossi, and the tattoo starts pulsating. Bad timing much? XD I wonder if there's a link....?
Now I wanna know what happens next. Big fight now? XD Maki vs Yossi <3333 Wait, Maki living in Rika's body (sorta) = o___O The clothes definitely won't fit. Kinda hoping for ripped clothing XDDD
Forgive the disjointed comment, it's almost 4 in the morning (I stayed up to wedge and claim dibs! XDDD). I really need sleep, like, right now. XD Good luck working out the next chapter! <3
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:mon scare:
[I might come back and edit this later, but... that pretty much sums up my reaction. XD]
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Ever since her birthday that month ago, she has been having creepy dreams, all with the same damned spirit that seems to have volition of cursing her whenever opportunity presents it.
So the spirit only began to appear after Rika's birthday? There's got to be some sort of connection there.
“Nee-chan, Yuko-nee will get angry if you keep doing that to Ishikawa-san!” the younger retorted,
Only because Yuko-neesan probably wanted to grope her herself first. :D
“Please, you’re misinterpreting it, Ishikawa, Miyabi means that Yuko would get angry because right now, she isn’t able to join in on the fun.”
I knew it! XD
“And Miki-ni is a black belt in kung fu, what’s more, she fights with chopsticks. Amazing feat if you ask the unbiased opinion of me.”
All of a sudden I'm reminded of the first Ranma 1/2 movie, "Nihao My Concubine". :lol:
How could they be trustworthy compared to the scheming Shibata family?
Shibata…
“Ayumi…” Rika uttered under her breath.
Question is, how much does Shiba-chan know? Did she know that the spirit of her family's enemy had taken up refuge in Rika? If she did, was their friendship just an act?
Rika smiled at the younger sibling, at least she wasn’t corrupted like her big sister.
Not yet, anyway. :twisted:
the scars, mostly a tad bit jagged, yet straight, like rough sword cuts, were all over Ayumi’s body. The people who had tended to the wounds had exclaimed that she had over forty lacerations all over her body, most of which are nearly 40 centimeters long, though thankfully, just a centimeter or two deep.
Poor Shiba-chan. :cry:
It nearly resembled a grim keeper’s scythe.
Ummm...do you mean "grim reaper"?
“It’s such a shame…” the androgynous woman sighed, turning around to leave. “It is the ‘best friends torn apart’ thing right?” the woman looked over, asking her question in a rhetorical manner.
That's scary how Yossi was able to say that so calmly, so non-chalantly. Whoever brainwashed and trained her did a really good job. She's now the quintessential non-emotional assassin.
“Yuko-nee is not related to us by blood. But she is our elder sister. She helps us run our branch of the Fujimoto dance school. Other than that, she’s a folklorist.”
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of relationship dynamic these girls have. And Miki's family owns a bunch of dance schools? Neat. :D
As for the call of urgency, Rika wanted to burst out laughing, for Miki was at a gyouza stand (which was next to a takoyaki stand) and she happened to have forgotten her wallet, which was back at the inn.
Nice one, Miki-sama! :rofl:
Trying not to pry any further, Rika kneeled over to tuck the loose clothes back into the baggage before zipping it.
Amidst the arranging, a huge mail-orange envelope caught her eye. It was the sort of envelope that the police would be using to hold important files in there…
...
What could those two be hiding…?
She had to know.
...
Photos.
The anxiety consumed her.
The photos were of her.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh now it gets interesting. If Miki & Miyabi's story is true, then they were probably just given the photos so that they'd be able to properly identify Rika (to make sure that they didn't grab the wrong woman). But even with that in mind...who's photos were those? How'd they get them? Why did they go all the way back to when she was a child? :dunno:
Rika whirled around, almost taking an attacking stance: knees bent slight, fists at ready at her sides, head glaring at the tall woman before her. She didn’t realize she had taken a hostile stance until the other gave her an odd look, so she straightened herself out, but still kept her fists clenched.
“Why are you always appearing out of nowhere?” Rika still glared at the other, surprised at the amount of poison weaved within her words.
Ah so she and Yossi HAVE already met...interesting.
“Where’s Ayumi?”
“I don’t know,” the woman shrugged, almost mocking Rika with her tone of voice.
...
“Fine, then I won’t let you out of my sight until you tell me!” Rika stomped her foot to emphasize that point.
The guard let out a sigh. She turned around walking towards the street, “Well, if you insist on following me, then go right ahead. My car is just around the corner.”
Well, Yossi could very well be telling the truth (that she doesn't know). However, she could also be lying and trying to draw Rika into a trap of some sort.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST HER?!” boomed a digital voice.
“I’m sorry, Yuko-nee! I’m sorry!” Miki whined back into Miyabi’s cellphone. “She found the pictures we recovered from the Shibata International Company and must’ve thought we were stalkers!”
“YOU IDIOTS! YOU SHOULD HAVE HIDDEN THE FILE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE! I DIDN’T TEACH YOU BOTH YOUR SKILLS FOR NOTHING, YOU KNOW! GO FIND HER!”
Oops. Miki and Miyabi got a bit sloppy. :P
Rika watched the scenery zoom by from the car window.
...
“So, where are we going?”
“My home.”
“Oh…” Rika looked out the window absent-mindedly again… “Wait, what?!”
“Well the work day is over. So I’m going home. What are you, deaf?” the woman let out an amused look as she drove.
...
“What?” the guard was taken aback by the expression, widening her eyes as well, “You were the one who insisted on coming along!”
She DOES have a point. Rika DID say that she wouldn't let her out of her sight. So that means that wherever one goes, so too must the other. :D
The guard pressed a button on a small remote control, opening the garage and parking the hummer within.
She's got a Hummer? :o Working for the Shibata family must pay REALLY well, considering she's "only" a guard.
“So this is your house?”
“No, this is one of the many Shibata houses the family owns. The chief of the Shibata International Company is paying for me to be here, so feel free to make yourself comfortable, the chief is the one paying after all.”
I'd be suspicious at the fact that they're staying at a company-owned house. Wouldn't surprise me if the place was secretly bugged.
Hitomi scratched the back of her head, “and the other thing I remember… fire…”
“Fire?”
“Yeah… I remember a lot of flames, but that’s probably from the crash, so yeah…”
Let's hope it's just that, and that it doesn't turn out that Yossi's some type of pyro. :P
“Release me.”
Then she felt it.
A painful throb.
...
That tattoo was pulsating again.
This time, it felt like the entire world was upon her shoulders, for it consumed her the exact same way it had looked on the tattooed woman.
FIGHT IT RIKA!!! FIGHT IT!!!
Hitomi was stunned at what she saw, levitating meters away from her.
In Rika’s place was a pale woman. She was in Rika’s clothes, which fitted slightly tighter since the woman herself was much taller than Rika, though not as tall as Hitomi. The woman had the black tattoos extending to the frame of her face, which was much more straighter and jagged than Rika’s. The woman’s long blood-red hair floated slightly in the hair, giving a supernatural atmosphere to it. Hitomi felt chills down her spine, staring back at the woman with golden eyes.
“You are no longer Rika Ishikawa… Aren’t you?” Hitomi said cautiously,
...
“That foolish lovesick human?” the woman sneered, “No, Rika Ishikawa has gone to sleep. I am the one who descended upon this Earth those centuries ago. I am Maki.”
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA??? :OMG: :scared: :shock: :mon scare:
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:shock: :shock: :shock: :mon scare: :mon scare: :mon scare: :mon scare: :mon spit: :mon spit: :mon spit: :mon spit:
MAKI!!!!!!!!! :mon thumb:
I was waiting for her but I never expect she will appear in this way!!!
This is awesome!!!
Waiting for the next!!!
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Hahaha, when I read the part where Rika discovered photos, I was like...."Ah. Uhuh." *leers at Miki*
Or not.
“Yeah! This Yuko-san will be angry!” Rika tried reasoning, hoping this ‘Yuko’ wouldn’t be too offended that Rika used her name as a weapon.
“Please, you’re misinterpreting it, Ishikawa, Miyabi means that Yuko would get angry because right now, she isn’t able to join in on the fun.”
“What kind of people are you?!”
:lol: I love the switching of Rika lording Yuko over them to cowering from them altogether.
“HOLD ON THEN, DAMMIT! I CAN’T CONCENTRATE WHEN YOU TWO ARE BEING NOISY!!!!” Yuko screamed into her phone.
Haha! Ah, I could totally imagine Yuko doing just that.
And of course, horray for the Yocchan and Rika interaction! Though I'm wondering if Maki had anything to do with the plane crash that Yossie survived, which would then give Yossie reason to kill her (though I'm betting that doing so would kill Rika and so she'd be torn, yeah?)
Definitely wondering what the significance of the cross scar on Shibata's face is all about. hmm...
AGH! Dying for answers in the next chapter!!
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*squeals* Maki! Bad Maki even!
Now, fangirlism aside, I must say this is becoming really exciting. I'm not particularly impressed by IshiYoshi just now, but it's all good. The Yuko-Miki-Miyabi sisterhood seems funny, and entertaining... Oh, and that scar on Shiba-chan's face is a reference to Ruroni Kenshin?
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Here? I'm suppose to comment here? really? o_o
Ew..
XDXD just kidding
I read the chapter fully! HA I Am so proud of myself
Normally I would just skim a rather long chapter like that but I read it and hot damn it was good
To sum everything up, these will be sufficient enough of what my facial expression came out to be~:
:dizzy: :badluck: :dozing: :hee: :hiakhiakhiak: :wahaha: :sweat: :mon lol: :mon determined: :mon inluv: :mon suspect: :mon ehh: :mon scare: :mon closeup: :mon spit: :mon duh: :mon ko: :mon waterworks: :mon POd: :scared: :scolding: :temper: :fainted: :mon baby:
=3 ignore that last icon..I just liked that icon, it's cute~
But that basically sums up my expression in order! YUP!
Ew...my 800th post goes here? To YOU!? EW! WTH!? >_>....you just got lucky I guess XDXD
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Holy Crap!? Maki?! Maki?! MAKI?!!!
....I should have seen that coming, really...
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O_O;; Holy crap. Okay, well I normally start from the first then comment down, but I must say. Maki...Evil spirit...I find that extremely hawt! XD Yes, your cousin has issues. :3
ANYWHO! Miki and Miyabi, yeah I knew it was them but it was obvious. :D I love those two~! <3 And gotta love how Yuko is their "big sister" XD Now that I think about it, I really can picture Miyabi growing up to be just like Miki. O_O; Either way, Yuko was right, they need to learn how to hide stuff better. XD By the way...If they have so many pictures of Rika...Do they have any of her in the shower? ;]
If I were Rika, I'd most likely follow Yossie too. I dunno why. XD But I'm so used to reading "Yossie" that when you put Hitomi I think it's weird. ^^;; Anyway, she's staying the night? o.o <3 <3 Make the move, Yossie! Although that'd most likely be really hard when Rika is now Maki...-cough- MAKE THE MOVE ANYWAY :D
write more :D -cracks whip-
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HAHA my predictions were TOTALLY wrong, ahaha funny...
I was 'ehh!'-ing at the spirit being Maki, but one other thing bugged me... I love the IshiYoshi part alot but is Yossi for real? She's acting so she could trap Rika right? And, I agree with your cousin there, I kinda find it weird to read 'Hitomi' when refering to Yossi.
I'm guessing (hoping) that there will be a fight between Miki, Miyabi vs Yossi.. to save Rika... or Maki...
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Back and ready to reply...at first I was like :on lol: kitchen using utensil, black belt miki forgetting her wallet...then :dizzy: wha...why do they have so many pictures of Rika...then :luvluv2: for ishiyoshi moment and lastly :OMG: :grr: :scared: :shock: :stoned: :sweat: :stunned: :imdead: :mon cweepy: :mon closeup: :mon spit: and yea....holy crap*slaps self to make sure I read the name Maki*...seems like an interesting scar Ayumi has...and at the end..woah...so yossi ALREADY had a switch blade and stilleto on her...hm...interesting indeed...Lastly, I sense some major arse-whopping in next chap...or at least I hope so :twisted:
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A sexy girl being possessed by another sexy girl, HOT!!! And with Yossie involved, this could be one odd love triangle.
Now seriously... Yuko and the rest could be the remains of the family that the ghost is from. She could be trying to find some way to have her rest in peace. But with the pictures; it would freak anyone out. But those pics could also mean that Clan Tsunku knew who was going to have the spirit possess them, cause I don't think he would take snapshots like that just to check up on his relatives' friends, unless...
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Essy-chan: Hmm. I love the Fujimoto siblings too xD I like your train of thought with Rika's emotions being somehow linked to Maki's appearance :]
Fimmy-chan: o_o
JFC: Mm. Keep that in mind, the fact that the Shibata family is paying Yossie quite hansomely :]
Kreuz: And thus, Maki appears <3
Orangesocks: Hmm. I wonder indeed xD Yeah, I loved Rika at that moment when she found out Yuko was just as perverted xD
Armeghetta: Oops I fail xD Oh well, I'm not used to writing the stereotypical shojo couple like Rika and Yossie's relationship, so I'm trying >< But it's not supposed to reference Kenshin's scar, but I guess it works both ways xD
Loser: You are so adorable xD
Rndmnwierd: Yeah, you should have xD
Saisai: Of course evil Maki is hawt xD I wonder if they have that sort of picture indeed xD Yeah, I kept writing Yossie and had to change it to "Hitomi" every time xD
Stefy: You too? Yeah xD We'll see Yossie's intentions soon enough xD
Psychotic: Yes xD Silly Miki xD I love how you go through every emotion like Loser xD But try to step away from that xD I like full on comments better xD There's arse wooping, but no Maki or Yossie xDD
Glcorps: Oh yeah >D Though it's not really a love triangle o-o' You're getting on the right train of thought, but that's not exactly it xD
-Wedge whistle-
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-WEDGE-
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Time for some crack! xD
Chapter 5: The Fujimoto family
Now. Let us go a day back…
“Miki!” came an exasperated voice, coming from a woman sitting idly on the cushion.
No answer.
“MIKI!” the woman screamed out for the entire traditional manor to hear yet again.
Yet again, no answer.
“What the hell is that woman doing?!” the woman stood up, “Making an old woman like me exercise even more than I have to…”
“Do you want me to get her?” another woman interrupted her chore of watering the plants in order to call out from the garden, watching the distressed older from the open traditional door.
“That’s alright, Kei, I’ll just beat the shit out of her myself,” the woman smiled widely, waving her hand dismissively.
That’s Yuko.
“Dakishmete~! Dakishimete~!” the cook sang as she chopped carrots into the boiling broth. Along with chopping the vegetables for the soup, the woman swung her rear left and right to the beat of the music, only exclusive to her as she was listening to that song through her headphones.
Of course it was on maximum volume.
Then she was interrupted when she hit her hip…
…To a knife which somehow thrown itself, probably aiming for her butt…
The woman turned around to find Yuko twiddling with another knife, leaning against the door way. Along with Yuko was Kei, the chief housecleaner, head honcho of the other maids among the manor, clinging to the other doorframe, looking slightly bewildered at the event that just transpired.
She looked at the knife, then back at the elder, and at the knife again…
“WHAT, ARE YOU TRYING TO CHOP MY ASS OFF OR SOMETHING?!” the woman screamed, yanking her headphones off in rage.
And that’s Miki.
“WELL ISN’T IT OBVIOUS, IDIOT?!” Yuko yelled back, waving the knife threateningly, much to Kei’s panic, “MAYBE IF YOU WEREN’T LISTENING TO THAT RACKET, YOU’D HEAR ME SCREAMING FOR YOU TO COME OVER!!!”
“It’s NOT racket! It’s Blend Kiss! You know, Mai S. and Ayaka K. the duet? They’re hot on the radio!” Miki growled at her elder adopted sister.
“Huh? K.? As in Kei?” The older woman took Kei by the shoulder and pointed at her with her other hand.
“Not that Kei!” Miki waved her hand, “The K stands for Kimura.”
“I’m sorry I look like a sexy idol!” Kei shook her head melodramatically, letting her short hair fly slowly for the attempt of the ‘sexy’ effect.
“What are you talking about?!” Miki and Yuko said in sync, staring at their housekeeper with a ‘wtf’ sort of look.
“Nonetheless, I want you and Miyabi to do some things for me when she returns from school,” Yuko composed herself, standing straight, though still fiddling with the knife.
“Again?! Come on, we were almost killed the last time you asked! By a freaking steam roller!”
“Hey, you escaped, didn’t you?” Kei asked, blinking.
“Yeah, after I took off my pants! Thanks to those no good idiots who glued them to the steam roller in the first place! That was insulting! Having to jump across rooftops in just my panties!”
“Just shut up and do my job!” Yuko twitched, throwing the knife at the younger.
With cat-like reflexes, Miki grabbed her black chopsticks from the counter and caught the knife just before it was lodged into her forehead.
“I have more knives where that came from!”
“Alright alright! Jeez! I’ll do your job! But let me cook everyone’s lunch first!”
“Speaking of lunch, the soup’s smoking” Kei pointed to the pot.
“What?!” Miki looked over at the pot, “OH SHIT! FIRE! IT’S FIRE!”
“WHAT?!” Yuko threw her arms in the air, now running around the kitchen as if she was a chicken with its head cut off, panicking like crazy while Miki was busy trying to put the fire out.
“I got it!” Miki leaned upon her knees, gasping and panting after dumping the fiery pot into the sink.
“You’re such an idiot!” Yuko let out another exasperated sigh, throwing yet another knife at her younger sister.
This time, the knife caught Miki off guard, pinning her to the upper cupboard by the sleeve.
Yuko likes to hurt Miki.
“Um… Miyabi-san…” A nondescript boy twiddled with his thumbs behind his back nervously as the object of his affections turn her head slowly to the sound of her name. He liked how her flowing layered hair moved in sync with the wind as she did so. He liked how her smile can rival that of any angel’s, if not better than them. It was his chance now to make that his forever… If he could ever say it…
“Yes?”
That voice almost sent him to heaven. He felt as if he could melt right on the spot. But that didn’t matter now… He had to get his words out…
So he decided to quickly execute his confession.
“Miyabi-san, ever since I’ve met you, I’ve always been in love with—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way for you, I like someone else!”
…As Miyabi had already decided to quickly execute her rejection.
The boy gaped in horror as he witnessed the corners of Miyabi’s mouth turn upwards into an apologetic grin, complete with the half-praying hand gesture which was an unwritten sign language for apology as well.
“Damn, he was shot down coooold,” a random classmate whispered to her friend’s ear.
“There goes another one for Fujimoto-san…”
“The queen of rejecting others, as they say…”
“No wonder everyone loves her… She’s just so cool…”
“In fact, I don’t think she even likes anyone! They’re too good for her maybe…”
“Maybe she thinks she’s all high and mighty, always looking down on us!”
“Or she just likes to work hard instead of flirting with the guys…”
“How weird, she’s like, the complete opposite of her sister…”
Miyabi had always passed by the hallways hearing that sort of thing from her classmates. It didn’t bother her that she might be insulted by a few, though she did secretly want to shoot them had she been given the chance to. Nevertheless, she liked that she was talked about a lot by the others, it made her feel prioritized and important to be spoken of constantly.
Eventually, she exited the school grounds, not even bothering to look back at the whispering crowds who had gathered around her and then stopped as she stepped past the school gates.
Carrying her school back with one hand, and having purchased a cone filled with sesame-flavored ice cream, it was like a very typical girl coming home from school. Eventually, the cone was finished, and she contemplated on buying another at a different ice cream stand which she happened to walk to.
It has always been like this, really. The dance school which doubled as her home happened to be far, but not far enough to consider the distance worthy enough of having to drive. If Miyabi was a typical school girl indeed, she might have complained about the distance and asked for a car to pick her up and drop her off.
Now wandering within the local neighborhood, it wasn’t that far until she found someone she had wanted to meet, walking ahead of her by a few meters.
There was a real reason why she had always declined people after all.
“Risako!”
The person of her affections turned her head around smiling at the familiar voice. Miyabi ran a bit to catch up with the younger, who had stopped and waited for her.
“Ah, senpai! Energetic much?” Risako chuckled, walking now that Miyabi has caught up.
“Hehe, I guess,” Miyabi let out a sheepish grin, scratching the back of her head. “How did your classes go?”
“I think my history teacher hates me…”
“Of course, that teacher hates everyone…” Miyabi’s mood went downhill at the discussion of the aggravating teacher that everyone in the school hated.
It was always like this as well.
Miyabi would accompany Risako to her home, since it was simply there along the way to the dance school which she resided in.
And this was the perfect time…
“Erm… Risako?”
“Yeah?”
“I have something I want to give you, but you must stand still and close your eyes for me to get it, alright?”
A blush crawled upon the younger’s face, she was wondering what her senior would give her, so she did as Miyabi instructed.
Alright… Now to give her a kiss and proclaim my love to her… Miyabi thought as she moved closer…
But then she saw something coming at her from behind Risako’s head.
A van.
A very familiar van.
Oh shi— Miyabi knew what was going to happen, and she was going to hate her sisters, and herself for not confessing to Risako sooner.
As the van passed, Miyabi was immediately abducted by the shoulders and was thrown into the van (it was one of the vans with the sliding doors) by a laughing Miki.
“Can’t your timing be any worse than that?!” Miyabi rubbed her head from hitting the door on the other side of the van.
“Oh? Landing moves on that junior I see? My little sister is growing up!” Miki continued laughing as she shut the sliding door of the van, sitting lazily on the chair.
“Come on! Can’t the mission wait until after?!” the younger started to smack the older with her school bag.
“No way, Yuko-nee was being weird (and violent!) and wanted to do this mission as soon as possible,” the older groping demon shielded her face from the repetitive smacking her younger sister had subjected her to.
Meanwhile…
“Senpai?” Risako still had her eyes closed, completely oblivious that the older was taken away.
Last but not least, Miyabi.
She had a very keen eye for spotting. She had a very steady arm for aiming. She had to be emotionless for firing. She was a school girl by day, but a sniper by night. Always carrying out missions with her older sister as commanded by the oldest sister, Miyabi didn’t really mind the moral issues of almost working against the government. After all, it really depended on who hires them and what sort of job had to be done. She and Miki never had to kill anyone though, they were not assassins. Miyabi knows a lot of the human anatomy enough to only hit at non-vital areas such as the shoulders or legs. Most of Miki’s fighting style revolves upon disarming the opponent and knocking them unconscious.
They weren’t born to kill.
Rather, they were born to steal.
Scratch that.
They were born to snatch and relocate objects as their hirer enlists them to.
Whether it would be drugs and/or weapons or taking the files of innocent criminals who were framed away from the police station, just so they did not have enough evidence to land themselves in court, their main priority was to find items and dispose of them, or give them to their patron.
“So what mission is it this time? Stealing from a police station?”
“I dunno, she told me we had to steal a file from the Shibata Corps,” Miki said boredly as she watched the scenery zoom by.
“Shibata Corps? You mean the bio-research company?” Miyabi raised a brow at the other.
“Weird, huh? But we really have to be on our guard. Yuko-nee said that the building was like a black op building, so we can’t run through like a breeze.”
“Don’t tell me…” Miyabi slumped back in her chair.
“Yup. That means me and you are going to have fun doing this mission.”
Mission Start!
“Excuse me sir, I’m new, but I have no idea where the bathroom is,” Miki almost purred the statement, clad in a white lab coat and glasses, with her hair tied up in a messy bush on the back of her head.
Oh God… Miyabi slapped her hand to her face, evidentally sporting this attitude whenever her older sister would seduce people to get into the restricted areas. She watched (by monitors inside the van) at how Miki was weaving her way through labs and the like, hitting on practically everyone possible as she did so.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if your sister winds up bringing a lot of them home, eventually,” the chauffer of the van, also the master technician of computers, commented.
“Shut up,” Miyabi rolled her eyes, still watching her older sister being allowed into labs just because she managed to seduce some of the desperate nerds here and there.
Miki in the meanwhile, was frankly agitated. The people she has flirted with so far have no mention of a restricted area, as that was where the file was supposed to be. Well, through the headphones which Miyabi or the technician would voice their instructions (cleverly disguised as a Sansa) Miki already knew the location, but all of them had no clue on how to enter the room itself.
“Hmm, should I picklock it?” Miki mumbled into the receiver hidden underneath her navy blue turtleneck shirt.
“No, there’s someone inside of it,” the technician said to the mic.
“If that’s the case, I should wait until that person comes out…”
“Miki-nee, don’t tell me you’re going to make out with this guy and then I’d have to go in and take the file while you distract him…”
“It’s a guy? Ugh…” Miki crossed her arms as she paced non-conspicuously around the lab, “Well tell me, is he hot or another nerd?”
“I can’t really tell from the surveillance, but he looks like a nerd.”
“…Shit.”
“Your sister was kidding, it’s actually a pretty nice-looking woman. You think you can seduce her too? She seems like a strictly straight person,” the technician had taken the mic away from a pouting Miyabi.
“Murata. Punch her for me.”
“Ah… My pleasure,” the glasses-wearing technician punched Miyabi lightly in the arm.
“Megumi-saaaan!” Miyabi whined, trying to reach for the mic as the older simply pushed the younger away with her arm.
“You should go into the lab too, considering Fujimoto-chan is likely to do as you just said. I’ll manipulate with surveillance with repetitive clips so that security won’t find it suspicious.”
“First, she kidnaps me while I was confessing, then she beats the crap out of me in the van after I smacked her with my pack, and now I have to do her job of finding the file?!” Miyabi complained, gathering the disguise materials as Megumi bugged them with transmitters and the like.
“Ah… Don’t be too harsh on your sister. After all, her main use is to disarm people or knock them unconscious.”
“Feh… Stupid Neesan…”
“I heard that!” Miki hissed threateningly into her transmitter, “Murata, is the woman leaving yet?”
“In fact, she is. Go run into her. Ah… And your Mini Me is coming. So you might want her to face opposite the door.”
Miki nodded in comprehension and walked with the wall towards the exiting person. She pretended to have a spaced out look as she walked on, the woman taking out her keys in order to lock the door.
CRASH
“I’m so so SOOO sorry!” Miki apologized as she ran around the woman so she wouldn’t face the door when she spoke to her. “I was spacing out!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” the woman laugh, standing up from her fall as she rubbed her rear, a rear Miki was tempted to rub as well. “So are you new here?”
“Yeah I am…” Miki looked down and twiddled with her fingers to show a shy character.
“So are you a fan of playstation?” the woman smiled widely at the other.
“Eh?”
“I love the Dynasty Warrior series! It’s basically one of those mindless hack and slash games, but there are definitely the sentimental principles of the game like revenge, family, honor, clichéd things like that. Despite the clichés, everyone in the game is unique in their own way with their own weapon to suit their personality! Like the Qiao sisters utilize twin fans just like the fact that they are twins! Though Xiao Qiao tends to have the cuter fans since she’s the cute twin while Da Qiao has the mature fans and therefore, is the mature twin. And then…”
…A gaming otaku…? Miki tried her best the smile and nod as the woman ranted about this game. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her younger sister come in and sneak into the restricted door without the woman’s knowledge.
…A woman who is STILL going on about that game, still smiling as she spoke to her. “…I really don’t like recruiting Hung Gai for the Xtreme mode because whenever he throws his bombs, they even hurt the comrades and me! Though I understand the realism of it, I find it very annoying so whenever I wind up facing him as a body guard of someone else, I found it easier to just kill the commander because if I killed Hung Gai before the commander, he’d be in my party and I would NOT be happy! Oh and my favorite character is…”
“Ah… I hate him too…” Megumi sighed, clearly empathizing with the ranting woman.
You actually play those games too!? Miki wanted to scream at the technician, but kept her smiling silence to not confuse the gaming otaku.
“What name are we looking for?” Miyabi whispered to the transmitter.
“Ah… Ishikawa is written with the characters for stone and river, Rika is written with the characters for pear tree and flower.”
“Found it,” Miyabi took the file out, closing the drawer and hiding the file in her inside pocket of the lab coat. Then she snuck out of the doors, passing the woman and her sister as she disappeared from site.
“Well uh… I’m sorry to interrupt your interesting talk…” Miki began, stopping the woman, “But I really need to use the bathroom now.”
“Aww! That’s okay, I can talk more about the game later,” the woman beamed widely.
“Uh… Yeah…”
“My name is Abe Natsumi by the way!”
“Lovely… I’m… Miki… Natsuyaki,” the groping demon had to quickly come up with a fake family name to give.
“Hope to see you later, Natsuyaki-san!”
“Yup! Me too!” Miki turned around and almost power walked away from the woman. A gaming otaku…?! The corner of her mouth twitched as she quickly left the lab as fast as Miyabi.
Soon, they took off the coats as they exited the lab, file snuggly attached by chords to Miyabi’s back. Then they walked casually towards the van around the block, running into it as soon as the sight of the laboratory vanished.
“Aaaand from here, I have to drop you off at an inn, tell you to go into a university, break into Ishikawa’s dorm, and you have to walk home!”
“Can’t you just drive us?” Miki panted, trying to regain energy from all that running.
“Ah…I have a life too, unfortunately,” Megumi sighed as she drove.
“Feh…” Miyabi sighed as she removed the chord straps from her back, taking the file with it, “So what’s in the file anyway?” the curiosity got the best of her as she opened the file, taking out the objects within.
“Ohhh! Stalker photos?” Miki took the pictures out of Miyabi’s hands, rummaging through them.
“Stalker photos? Oh well, at least we know what this Ishikawa-san looks like, yeah?” Miyabi said as she put her shirt and black sweatshirt on, adding the poofy white vest later on.
“Hmm, this Ishikawa’s cute.”
“I guess…” Miyabi replied as she looked over at the pictures.
“What? Saying she’s not good enough because you have the hots for that junior of your’s?” Miki smirked at her younger sister.
“Uh…” Miyabi felt the redness in her cheeks rise.
“I mean, we did kidnap you from a confession…”
“UH….” Miyabi felt like her cheeks were going to explode.
“Ah… the fountain of youth…” Megumi looked back at the passengers.
“Keep your eyes on the road, Megumi-san!” Miyabi half-yelled, placing her hand on the chauffer’s head to make it face the road.
“You know I can give you lots of tips~!” Miki drawled, grinning happily since this was the first crush and confession that her sister was experiencing, “My little Miyabi is growing up~!”
“I don’t want your tips, this is an innocent junior-high love, not some loveless love for a harem,” Miyabi said in a low voice, resting her head against her hand.
“…”
“Ah… You got buuuuurned,” Megumi chuckled.
The rest of the ride was accompanied by Miyabi’s screams from having her head bash against the window multiple times, complete with Miki’s maniacal laughter and Megumi’s shifty-eyed look towards them on the rear view mirror.
What a day.
And this is the Fujimoto Family.
Now how will the story turn out?
<3
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DIBS
I laughed. A lot. XD
Kei as the housekeeper....can we expect mad driving skillz? XD And by mad, I really mean MAD. XD Hoho.
Yuko likes to hurt Miki....XDDD The flying knives made me giggle, because they remind me of the Miki in my fic. XD I like all the little references you throw in. :P Mai S. and Ayaka K. XDDDDD So obvious. XD
And Miyabi. Poor thing. Snatched away from a confession. XD How mad will Risako be with her? XD And her rejection of that random boy...so manga-ish. XD I could actually picture it in my head. XD
And I like their mission. Miki hitting on desperate nerds. The very idea makes me snort. And Miyabi was like "oh whatever". XD Even better. And your love of Murata Megumi is so totally obvious. You just cameo her in all the best ways, and give her fun lines. :P Not that I mind, cos I <3 her too. XD
I died at Nacchi's otaku-ness. XD Ah, DW rant. XD And I totally emphathise with her. XD I never recruit Huang Gai either, and if I accidentally do, I usually try and get him killed. XD Nacci is <33333 btw. XD
Miki laughing at Miyabi about the confession was gold. And Miyabi's comeback was, um, platinum? XDDDD I like how they interact. It's fun. Crack is good. ;)
Anyway, gonna bugger off now. Write more soon~ <3
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DIBS TOO (Gahh damn you Essy-san, beating my low speed internet -_-)
Anyway, interesting chapter! I love how you introduced the Fujimoto family~! But before I continue my comment, why Fujimoto? XD I would think it'd be Nakazawa because she is the oldest.
Well, this family is certianly an interesting one, that's for sure. :D Yuko is certianly Yuko in this fic, that's for sure. XD First chapter where she's fully introduced and she's already screaming at Miki. :D <3
Kei seems to be randomly thrown in there. XD But it was a good choice, she seems like the type who would be able to settle things when all goes to hell. (Or at least settle things a little bit. :D)
Miki listening to Ayaka and Mai, roffle. XD I'm amazed that chopsticks can stop a knife from flying into Miki's ass O_O;; But it's sure a damn good thing, considerin' we all wouldn't want Miki's ass to get hurt. ;D
Miyabi and Risako. <333 Of course. XD Miyabi does have feelings after all. :O! Gahh damn Miki for inturrupting the confession~! D: That's no fun.
Nacchi and her Playstation. XD Gotta love it. Poor Miki.
Megumi the driver. :D I was wondering when you'd throw her in this fic. XD It's the perfect roll too, that evil genius. I love how she agrees with Nacchi. XD
Write more, yo~!
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Ah Fujimoto Family.
How violent you are.
Rawr.
Crappiest poem ever.... But what I'm trying to get at, is that I like Yuko and Miki and Miyabi as a (sorta) team.
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Dibs >_>....
-will edit after lunch-
<3
>_>........That was a long lunch huh?
Okay, Comment Start now!!
.......Love <3
I heart the fujimoto family, they make me laugh
Laughing makes me Happy and less cranky
So you should write about them more often, 'kay? You do that
I suppose the only semi-normal member ish Miyabi but...
I don't know, you'll probably just make her as bad as Miki...Or worse Yuko..
Nyahaha~ MiyaxRii moment ruined by Miki XDXD
In a very classic way of course!
No bajillion faces see?
Real comment with words and stuff =O
Nacchi + Gaming Dork = Love and Laughter?
XDXD I love her character
Oh yea by the way..
A message from a certain someone..
Said, "You should like...Totally update..like..now..Do it for Fred!"
So maybe you should update..For Fred <3
XD Back to Pokemon for me~
Update~
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lol, yup, i like =)
that chapter was pretty funny :D ,
yay for miki, miyabi, and yuko being sister :cool1:
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wee~ funny chapter there!
boy is Nakazawa-san violent! a knife? ouch.. But Miki listening so enthusiastically to Blend Kiss, that was hilarious!
Aww Miyabi is so cute... junior-high love, kawaii.. and she ranting her disappointment out on Miki in the van was again.... so cute!
I found Nacchi being a game otaku weird, she doesn't seem like the gaming type. Maybe Takahashi or Yaguchi would have been a better choice? Since their both into games and all, but then again I can't imagine Ai-chan blabbering non-stop about the game.
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Nah, I remember a scandal of her's a long time ago where she was up all night in a guy's house, and she denied that they did anything other than play Playstation the entire night xD
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I wonder with whom Miki practices her seducing techniques... :mon trudge:
But she is THE Fujimoto Miki. I doubt if she ever needs practice coz anything she does is just plain sexy :pimp:
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“What the hell is that woman doing?!” the woman stood up, “Making an old woman like me exercise even more than I have to…”
“Do you want me to get her?” another woman interrupted her chore of watering the plants in order to call out from the garden, watching the distressed older from the open traditional door.
“That’s alright, Kei, I’ll just beat the shit out of her myself,” the woman smiled widely, waving her hand dismissively.
Ah Yuko...there's a reason why Miki called her "shishou" on H!M. :lol:
“Dakishmete~! Dakishimete~!” the cook sang as she chopped carrots into the boiling broth. Along with chopping the vegetables for the soup, the woman swung her rear left and right to the beat of the music, only exclusive to her as she was listening to that song through her headphones.
Ooooooooooooooooooooh...sexay Miki cooking! :inlove:
“It’s NOT racket! It’s Blend Kiss! You know, Mai S. and Ayaka K. the duet? They’re hot on the radio!” Miki growled at her elder adopted sister.
No arguments here. That was a totally hot perf indeed. :jerk:
“Huh? K.? As in Kei?” The older woman took Kei by the shoulder and pointed at her with her other hand.
“Not that Kei!” Miki waved her hand, “The K stands for Kimura.”
“I’m sorry I look like a sexy idol!” Kei shook her head melodramatically, letting her short hair fly slowly for the attempt of the ‘sexy’ effect.
“What are you talking about?!” Miki and Yuko said in sync, staring at their housekeeper with a ‘wtf’ sort of look.
Ehhhhhhhhh??? :mon spit:
“Again?! Come on, we were almost killed the last time you asked! By a freaking steam roller!”
“Hey, you escaped, didn’t you?” Kei asked, blinking.
“Yeah, after I took off my pants! Thanks to those no good idiots who glued them to the steam roller in the first place! That was insulting! Having to jump across rooftops in just my panties!”
Gawdayum. :jerk: :jerk: :jerk:
“Alright alright! Jeez! I’ll do your job! But let me cook everyone’s lunch first!”
“Speaking of lunch, the soup’s smoking” Kei pointed to the pot.
“What?!” Miki looked over at the pot, “OH SHIT! FIRE! IT’S FIRE!”
How the hell do you burn soup? See what happens when you distract Miki in the kitchen? :mon ref:
“Miyabi-san, ever since I’ve met you, I’ve always been in love with—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way for you, I like someone else!”
…As Miyabi had already decided to quickly execute her rejection.
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-jected!!! :badluck:
“Risako!”
The person of her affections turned her head around smiling at the familiar voice. Miyabi ran a bit to catch up with the younger, who had stopped and waited for her.
“Ah, senpai! Energetic much?” Risako chuckled, walking now that Miyabi has caught up.
“Hehe, I guess,” Miyabi let out a sheepish grin, scratching the back of her head.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww... :wriggly:
But then she saw something coming at her from behind Risako’s head.
A van.
A very familiar van.
Oh shi— Miyabi knew what was going to happen, and she was going to hate her sisters, and herself for not confessing to Risako sooner.
As the van passed, Miyabi was immediately abducted by the shoulders and was thrown into the van (it was one of the vans with the sliding doors) by a laughing Miki.
“Can’t your timing be any worse than that?!” Miyabi rubbed her head from hitting the door on the other side of the van.
I picture this in my head, and it's just too funny! :wahaha:
I wonder how long Socko's going to stand there with her eyes shut? :P
But we really have to be on our guard. Yuko-nee said that the building was like a black op building, so we can’t run through like a breeze.”
“Don’t tell me…” Miyabi slumped back in her chair.
“Yup. That means me and you are going to have fun doing this mission.
Miki's definition of "fun" =/= Miyabi's definition of "fun". :roll:
“Excuse me sir, I’m new, but I have no idea where the bathroom is,” Miki almost purred the statement, clad in a white lab coat and glasses, with her hair tied up in a messy bush on the back of her head.
Oh God… Miyabi slapped her hand to her face, evidentally sporting this attitude whenever her older sister would seduce people to get into the restricted areas. She watched (by monitors inside the van) at how Miki was weaving her way through labs and the like, hitting on practically everyone possible as she did so.
Well it works, doesn't it? :yep:
“Hmm, should I picklock it?” Miki mumbled into the receiver hidden underneath her navy blue turtleneck shirt.
“No, there’s someone inside of it,” the technician said to the mic.
Ok, who's the technician? :dunno:
“Miki-nee, don’t tell me you’re going to make out with this guy and then I’d have to go in and take the file while you distract him…”
“It’s a guy? Ugh…” Miki crossed her arms as she paced non-conspicuously around the lab, “Well tell me, is he hot or another nerd?”
“I can’t really tell from the surveillance, but he looks like a nerd.”
“…Shit.”
Remember the mission. :lol:
“Your sister was kidding, it’s actually a pretty nice-looking woman. You think you can seduce her too? She seems like a strictly straight person,” the technician had taken the mic away from a pouting Miyabi.
“Murata. Punch her for me.”
Anyone else hope that the name of the woman in that room starts with "Matsu" and ends with "ura"? :shakeit:
Ah, so their techinician's Murata.
“Murata, is the woman leaving yet?”
“In fact, she is. Go run into her. Ah… And your Mini Me is coming. So you might want her to face opposite the door.”
XD Mini-me!
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” the woman laugh, standing up from her fall as she rubbed her rear, a rear Miki was tempted to rub as well. “So are you new here?”
“Yeah I am…” Miki looked down and twiddled with her fingers to show a shy character.
“So are you a fan of playstation?” the woman smiled widely at the other.
Playstation??? :shocked: IT'S GOTTA BE NACCHI! PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE SAY IT'S NACCHI! :mon lovelaff:
“Ah… I hate him too…” Megumi sighed, clearly empathizing with the ranting woman.
You actually play those games too!? Miki wanted to scream at the technician, but kept her smiling silence to not confuse the gaming otaku.
Looks like Murata's found a kindred otaku spirit! :bigdeal:
“My name is Abe Natsumi by the way!”
NACCHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! :wub:
“Aaaand from here, I have to drop you off at an inn, tell you to go into a university, break into Ishikawa’s dorm, and you have to walk home!”
“Can’t you just drive us?” Miki panted, trying to regain energy from all that running.
“Ah…I have a life too, unfortunately,” Megumi sighed as she drove.
Maybe if they paid her better. :mon misch:
“You know I can give you lots of tips~!” Miki drawled, grinning happily since this was the first crush and confession that her sister was experiencing, “My little Miyabi is growing up~!”
“I don’t want your tips, this is an innocent junior-high love, not some loveless love for a harem,” Miyabi said in a low voice, resting her head against her hand.
“…”
“Ah… You got buuuuurned,” Megumi chuckled.
My thoughts exactly. :kekeke:
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Just wanna say - great fic. Loved Our Cursed Gift although I found it after you had finished it so never commented on it.
I love that Maki's an evil character. Whilst I was reading that chapter I was thinking to myself 'I hope Maki's going to be in this one' and then she was. Makes me happy :)
An poor Miyabi getting whisked away before she could declare her love (kiss) Risako :lol:
Keep up the good work :D
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This is one of my favorites stories...I really love it :luvluv2:
I like the Fujimoto Family....they're amazing....
I hope in the next chap you we'll see an evil Goto in action!!!!
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I'ma start adding teasers now :0
This time, with the title and themes of the next chapter (Aka, the bold lettering) xD So you'll some idea of what the next chapter will be of. Then again, this is my writing style xD I write the chapter title and theme, and work in between xD
Chapter 6: The Celestial Maiden
It is the end of dreams.
It is the beginning of the end.
Treasure all the memories possible.
Because eventually…
Everything cherished will be gone.
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I'ma start adding teasers now :0
This time, with the title and themes of the next chapter (Aka, the bold lettering) xD So you'll some idea of what the next chapter will be of. Then again, this is my writing style xD I write the chapter title and theme, and work in between xD
Chapter 6: The Celestial Maiden
It is the end of dreams.
It is the beginning of the end.
Treasure all the memories possible.
Because eventually…
Everything cherished will be gone.
Does this mean that eventually Rika will be gone and Maki will be the dominant one?
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I'm being lazy to comment again xD
But I'll just sum it all up.
I'm glad all of you enjoyed the chapter xD Unlike the first OCG, I'm going to try and write crack chapters once in awhile instead of making a huge focus of them in the first half of the story xD I fear I may have scared readers away last time because the story got more angsty and dramatic xDDDD
Hopefully, this won't happen again =_=...
My favorite part from the last chapter HAS to be when Miyabi was snatched away during a confession xD And yes, I bet Risako was mad xD I can just picture the scene perfectly... It's the sudden humor, yo xD!!!
Anywho, none of the Fujimotos appear in this chapter, so suck it up and comment, there's good material to try and interpret xD
wedge call? xD
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-WEDGES WITH BAMBOO SHOOT-
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La di da... o-o
Chapter 6: The Celestial Maiden
It is the end of dreams.
Maki levitated in the air with a menacing aura. Her arms were crossed as her eyes scanned the room, making any quick observation of the layout and terrain she was now in. The ends of her blood red hair floated slightly, giving the impression that the power released during levitation was strong enough to push it upwards a bit. Then, her eyes rested on the guard, who had been in a cautious stance in case she made a move.
“Maki, was it? What happened to Rika?” Hitomi called out, still wary of the threatening atmosphere that came as soon as she asked.
“Didn’t I already tell you? She’s gone to sleep.”
“Then how are you able to…?”
“The existence of Ishikawa Rika is a mere shell. And it happens that this shell’s character is simply a personality that came from the development of her surrounding environment and interpersonal relationships. We are not different however. I am ‘Rika’ but it’s simply a name that one’s parents gave to their child. Little did they know that there was another soul hidden away in their child’s body. I am that soul.”
“So you’re the one the Shibata International Company want dead, not Rika?”
“Pfft, even if they could find a way to kill only my soul, that dreadful clan will still slaughter the innocent in order to subdue me.”
“So you’ve possessed people other than Rika, right?” Hitomi tightened the grip of her weapons, slowly switching to a more offensive stance.
“Why should I bother answering all of your questions?” Maki let her arms drop to the side, no longer wanting to cross them.
“Why not?”
“Gravijira. Allow me to borrow the weaving creature of which power can impersonate that of demons among us,” Maki pointed her hand at the other. A tennis-ball sized sphere materialized in front of the point finger. “I must slaughter that clan, even henchmen like you count towards the quota.” the ball immediately uncurled towards Hitomi, unraveling itself to be a ball of black spider-thread-like substances which came at the other in the blink of an eye.
But the guard was faster and immediately rolled out of the way. The black threads past her and immediately decimated the floor she once stood on, leaving them to become splinters.
The ball in front of Maki’s finger faded away in black ash, tracing it’s disappearance through the individual thick threads which weaved into each other in a beam of a sort until the tips which laid in the hole were also gone.
“I guess I would be considered your enemy after all. There was a change in orders, you see? So instead of killing you, I was to bring you back to the laboratory, alive.”
“Gravijira. No eyes shall look upon me. No ears shall listen for me. Cloak me in the darkness of the terrain.”
There was an odd sound. A sound that sounded like a futuristic laser being fired. With that noise, Maki disappeared by turning herself into countless black butterflies that held her form, and then dispersed and faded.
Hitomi kept her guard up, looking about frantically to see where the woman had teleported off to. What is she, a wizard? Nonetheless, I’m going to have to watch out when she says Gravijira…It seems to be her magic trigger… She must have a lot of experience with this… For one thing, her incantations are so damn fast…Then she noticed something glowing beneath her feet. She looked down to find herself standing on tattoos of butterflies and lotuses on the floor. Feet rendered completely immobile thanks to the supernatural ink on the floor, Hitomi struggled in futile attempting to release herself from it.
She heard that weird noise again, probably signifying that the maiden had reappeared nearby. She crouched down to dodge the next black-thread attack, hitting the fire place behind her, destroying the bricks.
“Hmmph. Persistant little rat, aren’t you?” Maki scoffed, levitating closer to the trapped Hitomi. “I guess I’ll give you something to bring back to that clan,” a smile worked its way up the maiden’s lips, “Your flesh, disintegrated and twisted to the extent that they can’t recognize you!” Maki pointed her finger at Hitomi again. This time, the tattoos crawled from her body and exited through the tip of that finger, slowly coming towards the guard.
The tattoos spread out around Hitomi, as if predetermining where it was going to land so that it matched the maiden which it came from. After arranging itself, the tattoo stood still in ready.
“Gravijira. I shall bestow upon you the hell of transcendent suffering.”
And with that incantation, the tattoo rushed at Hitomi, unable to escape.
Much to Hitomi’s surprise, she was not hit.
Much to Maki’s surprise, there was an odd barrier preventing that tattoo from closing in any closer.
“A barrier?” Maki raised a brow, summoning her tattoo back to her body. “No… No such modern technology could duplicate something like that… You have a magic nullification ability?”
“I don’t know, but it’s helpful,” Hitomi smiled as she jogged in place, happy that the tattoo at her feet was dispelled thanks to the random barrier. Then she stood in a fighting pose again, ready to counter attack. “I wonder if fighting you is going to bring more miraculous discoveries about myself.”
“Gravijira. I call upon the condensation of power in my hand,” Maki spread out her hand, a white light in the form of a sword materialized in front of it. Then as she gripped the white light, it became a katana whose hilt was wrapped in white bandages, with the excess bandage magically billowing out at the end a meter.
“Quite a flamboyant sword there,” Hitomi raised a brow.
“It’s called aerodynamics,” Maki lunged down at Hitomi with a vertical swing, “Enough speaking, where are my celestial robes, you servant of the Shibata clan?!”
Hitomi raised her stiletto horizontally, blocking the blow and pushing forward so that Maki was sent higher in the air from recoil, “Sorry, I’m just a ‘servant’ that knows nothing of the sort. I’m sure they do not, either.”
“Feh! You Shibata peasants go as far as to withhold information from their own servants? I guess I will have to find my celestial robes myself, and then destroy them after I dispose of you!”
It is the beginning of the end.
Rika slowly came to herself. She twitched her body, a sign that she was about to awake soon. She felt extremely air-headed as she lifted her upper body up, feeling that doing such a thing was a bad move. She opened her eyes, curious as to why the ‘bed’ she was in was so… sandy…
She was at a beach.
But something seemed off… The sand was a dark shade of grey. The cloudless night sky above had no stars. The blue moon was setting, its reflection glistening on the endless black water. In the far off distance, she saw silhouettes of people walking on water towards that blue moon. Rika looked around to find people, slightly transparent, stepping on top of the water, walking on it and also headed towards that blue moon.
Was this hell?
Was this heaven?
“Am I dead?”
No one answered her. Nor did she expect them to answer. She ventured closer to the black waves, watching people walk on it as if it was solid. Wondering if she really was just an apparition, Rika stepped into the water, only to sink in.
Nope, not dead.
“Don’t be foolish.”
Rika turned around to find that tattooed woman standing in the air with her arms crossed.
“Oh, now you decide to converse with me?” Rika retorted, offended that the spirit decided to finally show up in front of her without any intention of haunting or giving her supernatural grotesque imageries to vision.
“I have every right to. I’m the one possessing your body after all,” Maki drawled off.
What Rika found odd was that the spirit was flickering transparencies…
“Why am I even bothering with talking to my host?” Maki looked up in a different direction seemingly only half paying attention to Rika and half concentrated, “I’m really… busy with something…”
“What are you doing in the outside world?!”
“What I do in your place is not for you to know.”
“What is this place?!”
“The bridge between the living and the dead. When someone passes on, their soul can either rest here or the world of the living. When they’ve finally reached their peace, they cross the beach into the blue moon, reaching eternal rest.”
“But why am I here?!”
“What, did you think you would split in half when I possess your body?” Maki raised a brow. “I am a high ranked celestial maiden. I govern this place. So I thought, why not drop off my host here to wait until after I massacre that dreadful clan?”
“What do the Shibatas have to do with this?!” Rika glared at the floating tattooed woman above.
“Long ago, they stole something precious from me, defiled me, and on top of that, killed me for their greed. What person wouldn’t want revenge?”
“But that was long ago! Why are you trying to kill those which are already dead?”
“They still have what I am looking for.”
“And that is…?”
Maki was borderline fading, and she was evidently annoyed by it. “Feh… I can’t even bother speaking to you now. The body requires my full attention.”
“Don’t leave me! I’m just going to get really confused unless you tell everything!”
“Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood for that!” Maki almost said angrily as she spun herself around, transforming into black butterflies. After a moment’s fluttering, the butterflies vanished into thin air, not leaving a single trace.
Treasure all the memories possible.
It was a close fight. A particularly close fight. If there were spectators, they would have been speechless due to the display of skill that the fighters have. Their skills were incredibly balanced, so much so that they could even be considered on par with each other. No one would have been able to choose a ‘favorite’ because of that equality in fighting.
Maki swiped from left to right in a wide arc with her summoned sword. No hit was truly landed, for Hitomi blocked the swing midway with her stiletto. While she focused blocking there, she swiped at Maki’s face with her switch blade. With concentration and a quick incantation, Maki managed to call up a small shield stopping that blow. As both blows were blocked, the maiden then did a well placed kick to the other’s stomach.
Round one went to Maki.
Hitomi was thrown aback a few paces, not having much chance to recover as Maki pressed forward for another attack. This time, she went for a vertical swing from the bottom up. Hitomi feinted to the side and rammed into the maiden. After colliding, she used the arm she pushed with and swung outwards with the switch blade. When Maki blocked that with her sword, the guard tried to trip the other by swinging her foot past her leg and bringing it forward so that Maki’s knee would buckle. The maiden caught that tactic, and popped her leg back in place, reflecting the leg blow that Hitomi tried to deal.
Round two was neutral.
Maki brought her sword back and thrust it forward in a huge step. Hitomi sidestepped, but not fast enough to avoid having a rip in the side of her blouse, grazing her skin so slightly, but enough to draw blood. By reflex, the guard stepped forward to Maki, bringing her stiletto against the sword to prevent the maiden to swing sideways, then gave her a strong punch to the face.
Round three went to Hitomi.
With a grunt, the maiden swung in a wide arc despite staggering slightly from the blow to the face. Hitomi was wrong in thinking that the other had to recover from the hit, for her left upper arm was hit and was bleeding. Recovering instantly, Maki attempted to sever the other’s hand with a vertical strike. The guard moved into the blow, dodging by a hair’s width, and then elbowing the sword arm away with her left, and then adding a matching scar on Maki’s upper arm with her right hand’s stiletto. Afterwards, Hitomi turned halfway and with her left arm, elbowed Maki backwards in the head. She completed her turn by punching Maki in the chest with her right arm. From behind her body, Hitomi’s right leg tensed itself with power and then she brought it upwards to knee the maiden in the chest, lifting her higher in the air. The guard proceeded to send the maiden airborne by jumping and kneeing her with her other leg. To add even further, Hitomi brought her weapons into her opposite hips and released them outwards in a fast motion in an X formation, scarring Maki’s stomach with the latter letter.
In fits of revenge, Maki regained her footing in the air and flew forward, swinging her sword as she did so. Hitomi accidentally raised her hand with the switch blade instead of the stiletto in the air, so as a result, the blade broke from its small hilt. Now that the switchblade was useless, the guard chucked the hilt at Maki’s forehead, landing a good stunning hit on the possessed woman.
Then Hitomi charged at the maiden, swinging her stiletto diagonally from low-left to upper right. Maki, knowing that a stiletto is more of a long nail rather than a blade, blocked with her arm at the side, the most it could do at the side was bruise her, but Hitomi was focused on the sharp tip rather than the side, therefore, the block did not hurt the maiden in any way. As she blocked, Maki swung herself in a circle to swing her blade with intention of cutting the guard’s head off as she held the stiletto in place with her left arm. Seeing how Maki extended her arm for a wide swing, the guard caught Maki’s hand and twisted it.
Thus, the sword dropped from her grasp, fading into white light and dispersing now that its only purpose for existing has released it.
But that didn’t stop the maiden from resorting to fist fighting.
Maki snapped her wrist back in place, grabbing the foreign hand which snapped it before, and pulled Hitomi onto her, only do a backwards head bash which sent the other reeling. Then the maiden did a strong backwards kick, sending the guard to the wall with a crash. While the other was recovering from the blow, Maki recited the incantation again, summoning that katana back into her hand.
“Doing well for a servant,” Maki commented, holding the sword a little behind her side upside down so that the blade was facing upwards. With her left hand, she made a motion for the guard to come forward, inviting her to take the first strike. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been released this far, so my skills have become rusty.”
If this is ‘her’ when she is rusty… I might be in deep trouble if she fought at full strength… Hitomi could feel some blood lying dormant in her mouth, and concluded that colliding with the wall probably busted an organ thanks to a broken rib of some sort. For now, her top priority was to try and knock out the maiden so that she would bring her to the lab right after. As she stood up, Hitomi spat out the accumulating blood onto the floor, finding it necessary to clear her mouth so she could breath easier.
“Shall we continue?” Hitomi asked huskily, the blood trickling down her mouth.
“It’s no use fighting something that’s broken, but you are welcome to try!” Maki taunted, daring the other to initiate the next part of the fight as she flipped the sword so that she was holding it upwards.
Hitomi charged with a strong thrust, hoping to hit the maiden without trouble. It was a mistake to use the same tactic, for Maki did the exact same defense as she did before: she ran her arm against the stiletto and prepared to do a diagonal slash on the defenseless guard.
However, it wasn’t an accidental mistake to use the same tactic twice.
After all, once the move was seen once, the second time will not result in the same success as the first one.
Because after seeing it once, one could devise a plan to defeat it the next time it is used.
Hitomi ducked after Maki swung her blade and proceeded to kick her passing hand, having her release her weapon yet again. Afterwards, the taller rammed into the maiden so that she also collided against the wall. When Maki swiped at her with her right hand, Hitomi backed up, her nails narrowly missing her head, and charged forward to hold Maki in place with the stiletto. How?
By driving it into Maki’s swiping hand of course: thus, nailing her hand to the wall.
“You ungrateful miscreant…” the maiden growled, clearly in pain as Hitomi watched the excessive blood drip down the wall.
Hitomi simply stumbled backwards out of exhaustion, trying to catch her breath by panting. “Now if you hadn’t broken my switch blade, I would have pinned your other hand as well…”
“HA! I have experienced…” Maki yanked her hand from the wall, taking the stiletto with it, “MUCH worse than that!” the maiden pulled the stiletto from her hand, Maki then threw the stiletto back at Hitomi, hitting her right through the left shoulder.
The guard let out a straining scream at her own weapon lodged in her shoulder. She felt her reality slipping away as the blood was pouring out just as profusely as Maki’s hand wound.
“I didn’t think anyone could be on par with me, especially given the era you reside in…” Maki’s breathing became ragged as she covered her wound with her other hand, attempting to slow the blood loss down.
“Just because you’re a celestial maiden doesn’t mean you are perfect…” Hitomi tried to stand up even with the stiletto in her shoulder, refusing to dislodge it for she knew that she’ll accidentally give herself a death time limit before returning to the lab to be treated of her wounds.
Maki remembered those words… Though it wasn’t from Hitomi’s mouth that had first said it… Then she began to fear… What if fate was cruel and allowed the guard to say what was said from that person back then…
“You have good power, but your swings are too wide, so that leaves you open for a lot of attacks. Let’s add to the fact that I’m using a much shorter ranged weapon than you, so my attacks are obviously faster…”
Maki’s eyes widened. It just had to happen again, didn’t it?! Hitomi having to say the same thing that person said to her in the past.
“Ah… That was a good spar…”
“Yeah that was… Though I lost, haha… It’s hard to fight with a sword against a spear…”
“You have the advantage really, since your weapon has a shorter range than my spear. You should have had the upper hand because you are faster. But I can say the reason why I beat you was due to the length of your swings. Because they’re so wide, you’ve left a lot of blind spots, you know?”
“Is that so?” Maki chuckled, “I guess I have to work harder, don’t I?”
The other ran their hand against their forehead, wiping off the sweat. Along with that, the person smiled serenely, a smile that the maiden found herself smiling with the same honesty back.
No.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I’m not supposed to recall those memories…!” Maki clutched her head with her unscarred hand, as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out.
Hitomi watched in awe as Maki’s eye and hair color began to flicker amidst her internal struggle. Maki even resorted to hurling herself against the wall to retain her possession on the body. But her efforts were futile, the ends of the tattoo, in other words, her hand and the sides of her face, began retreating. The black supernatural ink was receding back to its starting point, her right shoulder blade. The tattoo eventually vanished, and then the maiden leaned against the wall by her back, her knees close to buckling.
Hitomi knew that Maki’s reign over Rika’s body was soon to pass.
“I will come back… And I will kill you…” were the last words the maiden uttered before she became consumed completely by black butterflies, leaving no trace of her within the hoard. Then the hoard of butterflies dispersed and faded, leaving Rika in their wake.
“Rika!” Hitomi rushed forward, catching the woman who collapsed into her arms.
“What happened…” Rika looked about wildly, but then started to groan in pain in the wounds that had never left. “Did I attack you…?” she uttered weakly, feeling very dizzy.
“Rika! Stay with me!” the taller shouted desperately, concern undermining her voice.
But it was too late.
The cursed woman passed out.
Hitomi simply sighed. She leaned heavily on her hands backwards, letting Rika’s limp body rest on her.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that…” Hitomi panted, eyeing the wound in Rika’s hand. Then she leaned her head back, looking at the ceiling, still panting.
When Maki took over… she called Rika ‘that foolish lovesick human…’ Hitomi looked down at Rika’s face again, brushing her hair out of her face.
“So you’re in love with me now…?” she knew that there was no reason to sound so cautioned, but her voice somehow ended up like that. “But I’ve only seen you about four times…” Hitomi now looked off to the side, avoiding Rika, “I can’t…”
“You’re just… ‘there’… It’s not exactly ‘love’… Or is it?”
Because eventually…
It was dark.
It was also painful.
She opened her eyes slowly, blinking ever so often because she couldn’t see out of the darkness. Yet no matter how much she did so, she could not see out of this darkness.
Her right hand ached horribly. She would inspect what had happened to it, but her energy was completely drained, and something seemed to prevent her from moving in general. There was no longer a floor beneath her like she last remembered.
Instead, it was a bed.
Then she realized what that ‘something’ was.
That ‘something’ was also quite heavy.
Rika felt her body tense all over, and it wasn’t because of the pain of her wounds.
It was because Hitomi was lying on top of her, embracing her tightly.
And she happened to still be sleeping.
How am I supposed to get out of this now?! Rika panicked internally, not wanting to accidentally wake the guard up. But the more she confirmed her presence…
The more she felt comforted by it.
I guess I’ll… let this moment go by… Rika smiled inwardly, idolizing and engraving into her memory the touch of the taller woman. With the remainder of her recovered strength, Rika embraced the other’s upper back, pulling Hitomi closer into her, careful as to not wake her up.
I’m not going to deny it this time…
It’s a truth to me now…
I’m in love with you…
Everything cherished will be gone.
xD
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DIBS
Woo! Fight chapter~! <3 Love fights. XD Anyway, Maki is REALLY pissed...Which makes her REALLY hawt! XD Damn, Yossie kicks ass. ;D! Who knew she could stand up to an evil Celestial Maiden like that. Must be about something in her past. :x
By the way, my hand felt really weird after reading that! :O! Damn...Ouchie. x_x; And then Yossie got it right in the shoulder. X__X!! (It was really cool though :D)
IshiYoshi moment made me happy~! <3333 Those two are so cute. <3 Although, it's such a love at first sight thing, odd but still cute! XD
o_o;; sorry for the short comment. ^^;;
WRITE MORE :D
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Aha, fight chapter. XD
You and your camera work. XDDDD Credible though. ^_~ I was entertained. :D
Interesting revelations. Maki's past eh? I wonder who was "that person". Mmm. XD And Yossi seems like a suspicious person too, frankly. Anti-magic nullification ability? Hmm. I wonder.
Nice Ishiyoshi moment. :D I wonder what's going to happen next? XD
Write more soon~
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“The existence of Ishikawa Rika is a mere shell. And it happens that this shell’s character is simply a personality that came from the development of her surrounding environment and interpersonal relationships. We are not different however. I am ‘Rika’ but it’s simply a name that one’s parents gave to their child. Little did they know that there was another soul hidden away in their child’s body. I am that soul.”
Makes sense when you think about it. It's like the same car, but with a different driver.
“So you’re the one the Shibata International Company want dead, not Rika?”
“Pfft, even if they could find a way to kill only my soul, that dreadful clan will still slaughter the innocent in order to subdue me.”
Scary thing is, what she said is probably true. Considering that this is probably akin to a blood-feud that has gone on for generations, they're going to be dead-set on eliminating any and all traces of the spirit. Anything and anyone that has any type of connection to it will likely be in danger.
“Gravijira. Allow me to borrow the weaving creature of which power can impersonate that of demons among us,” Maki pointed her hand at the other. A tennis-ball sized sphere materialized in front of the point finger. “I must slaughter that clan, even henchmen like you count towards the quota.” the ball immediately uncurled towards Hitomi, unraveling itself to be a ball of black spider-thread-like substances which came at the other in the blink of an eye.
Evidently, the same can be said about the other side as well. Now who or what is "Gravijira"?
“I guess I’ll give you something to bring back to that clan,” a smile worked its way up the maiden’s lips, “Your flesh, disintegrated and twisted to the extent that they can’t recognize you!” Maki pointed her finger at Hitomi again.
...
“Gravijira. I shall bestow upon you the hell of transcendent suffering.”
Damn, she'd probably be better off (and maybe even prefer being) dead than having to suffer that.
And with that incantation, the tattoo rushed at Hitomi, unable to escape.
Much to Hitomi’s surprise, she was not hit.
Much to Maki’s surprise, there was an odd barrier preventing that tattoo from closing in any closer.
“A barrier?” Maki raised a brow, summoning her tattoo back to her body. “No… No such modern technology could duplicate something like that… You have a magic nullification ability?”
Maybe Rika's spirit isn't completely "asleep" as Maki thought?
Maki lunged down at Hitomi with a vertical swing, “Enough speaking, where are my celestial robes, you servant of the Shibata clan?!”
Celestial robes? Either the spirit is very particular about how she looks, or she might be preparing for some sort of ceremony.
Rika slowly came to herself. She twitched her body, a sign that she was about to awake soon. She felt extremely air-headed as she lifted her upper body up, feeling that doing such a thing was a bad move. She opened her eyes, curious as to why the ‘bed’ she was in was so… sandy…
She was at a beach.
Oooooooooooh Rika's spirit is in some type of spiritual limbo within her own body?
Rika turned around to find that tattooed woman standing in the air with her arms crossed.
“Oh, now you decide to converse with me?” Rika retorted, offended that the spirit decided to finally show up in front of her without any intention of haunting or giving her supernatural grotesque imageries to vision.
“I have every right to. I’m the one possessing your body after all,” Maki drawled off.
Being a spirit must come in handy in situations like this when she has to converse with 2 people at the same time. :P
“What do the Shibatas have to do with this?!” Rika glared at the floating tattooed woman above.
“Long ago, they stole something precious from me, defiled me, and on top of that, killed me for their greed. What person wouldn’t want revenge?”
“But that was long ago! Why are you trying to kill those which are already dead?”
“They still have what I am looking for.”
“And that is…?”
Perhaps the aforementioned celestial robes? If they were special to her for some reason, it would be somewhat understandable that she'd be pissed off. Problem is, as Rika said, the family members that stole those robes and that killed Maki are long dead. There's no way to know if those robes still physically exist, or if the Shibatas still even have them. If they're no longer in existence and/or if they no longer have them, what then? Maki evidently won't settle for anything less than what she's demanding, but if it just can't physically be done, then the Shibatas, unless they can eliminate her first, are as good as dead.
Maki was borderline fading, and she was evidently annoyed by it. “Feh… I can’t even bother speaking to you now. The body requires my full attention.”
Looks like splitting her attention between this limbo and the real world is taxing Maki more than she'd like. It must not be as easy as she'd like it to be, which could prove to be a potential Achilles heel.
It was a close fight. A particularly close fight.
Let's hope Yossi remembers that while it's Maki she's fighting, it's still Rika's body, so she can't damage her too much. :O
When Maki swiped at her with her right hand, Hitomi backed up, her nails narrowly missing her head, and charged forward to hold Maki in place with the stiletto. How?
By driving it into Maki’s swiping hand of course: thus, nailing her hand to the wall.
Shit, Rika's gonna be hurtin' when she gets back.
“Now if you hadn’t broken my switch blade, I would have pinned your other hand as well…”
“HA! I have experienced…” Maki yanked her hand from the wall, taking the stiletto with it, “MUCH worse than that!” the maiden pulled the stiletto from her hand, Maki then threw the stiletto back at Hitomi, hitting her right through the left shoulder.
Thing about being a spirit in possession of another person's body, you tend not to worry as much about injuries/physical damage. After all, she could always just possess someone else. The same cannot be said for Yossi.
“Just because you’re a celestial maiden doesn’t mean you are perfect…” Hitomi tried to stand up even with the stiletto in her shoulder, refusing to dislodge it for she knew that she’ll accidentally give herself a death time limit before returning to the lab to be treated of her wounds.
Maki remembered those words… Though it wasn’t from Hitomi’s mouth that had first said it… Then she began to fear… What if fate was cruel and allowed the guard to say what was said from that person back then…
Something similar must have been said to Maki shortly before the Shibatas originally killed her long ago. Something as cryptic as that isn't something that you forget easily.
Question now is...who was "that person"? Subsequently...could it be possible that "that person's" spirit has somehow found a way to survive all these years as Maki did?
“I’m not supposed to recall those memories…!” Maki clutched her head with her unscarred hand, as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out.
Hitomi watched in awe as Maki’s eye and hair color began to flicker amidst her internal struggle. Maki even resorted to hurling herself against the wall to retain her possession on the body.
So Maki shows that possessing a body is not that easy after all. Whether there was a single, particular trigger, or whether or not it was a combination of the fight, her flashbacks and her speaking with Rika in the spirit realm remains to be seen.
Then the hoard of butterflies dispersed and faded, leaving Rika in their wake.
“Rika!” Hitomi rushed forward, catching the woman who collapsed into her arms.
“What happened…” Rika looked about wildly, but then started to groan in pain in the wounds that had never left. “Did I attack you…?” she uttered weakly, feeling very dizzy.
Awwwww, despite being in pain herself, her first concern was for Yossi's well-being. :love:
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Okay, my reaction to these chapters, in order... :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :badluck: :badluck: :barf: :barf: :dizzy: :dizzy: :cool2: :cool2: :bored: :bored: :ding: :ding: :hee: :hee: :hiakhiakhiak: :hiakhiakhiak: :kekeke: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :luvluv1: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :kneelbow: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :on lol: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scolding: :scolding: :scolding: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shy1: :shy1: :hee:
In that order, too. And Yuu, you drag me through emotions with this like Abe dragging Yuko out of a bar on a Friday night xD. FUJIMOTO FAMILY FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Flying Knives made me giggle a lot. Miyabi shooting down that kid so coldly made me laugh xD. The Rapemobile and Risako moment made me squee <333. Hehe, Miki seducing the entire office building xD!Abe the game otaku! And Murata the chauffeur <333. MAKI! It's okay when Maki fights with Yossie, because it makes for a good fight, but don't put Rika to sleep while it's going on!!! And the fight scene...O_O made me feel like I was sitting right there, munching on popcorn, seeing Maki and Yossie beat the shit outta each other. And you made it a perfect length as well, so it wasn't to short (we must fight! -stab- -die-) or too long (Les Mis...) And Awwwww...IshiYoshi moment made my day :D! Long story short, thank you for the wonderful fanfic and I truly hope you write lots more of this :D!
PS: Oh, and btw, I'm in the underwhere xD
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Wow, wonderful fight scene. I'm so glad I decided to get on today! Hitomi is so kick ass and Maki...Just wow.
And the final blow, was Ishiyoshi.
:k-inlove: :k-inlove: :k-inlove: :k-inlove: :imdead:
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You're awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :luvluv1:
Yossie and Maki fighting :farofflook: Waiting see in a future others fights between them or maybe Yossie vs Miki or Miki vs Maki
That would be great!!!
I really love your storie...
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xXNOTICEXx
Everyone's favorite (or hated o-o) resident narcissist is going to vacation in Florida...TOMORROW.
So don't expect me for ten days since then xDDDD
If you love me mucho, you can try stalking me in Florida! :]
If you hate me mucho, you can still try stalking me in Florida! And then punch me, I dunno o_o;
Road trips are going to be fun in this freaking hot weather X_X;
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^ SHARE PICS OR IT NEVER HAPPENED!!!
Have fun. ;D
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Oooo, Florida, in this heat? Ergh. Try not to fry your sexy ass and have fun.
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In Florida now. It's a shame I forgot to bring the camera though :/ Though I have another cousin here (Not Sai) that has a camera, so I'll see if I can steal some shots or something o-o
Besides, if you want your proof that I'm here, have some mod or admin check the IP address of this post xD
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^ But that's not as fun as pics. :cry:
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Alright, I've received word from my parental units that I'll be leaving Florida by Friday and will return to my motherland around Saturday ish XD
I have plans for the next chapter too, so hopefully, the next chapter will be done when I do return home o-o
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Preview time! o_o
Chapter 7: And so the battle begins.
The die is cast.
Without good, there is no evil.
Don’t let feelings cloud judgments.
Keep your friends close.
But your enemies closer.
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PREVIEWS FTW! :w00t:
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Since most of the comments had nothing that stood out to me, I'm just summarising again xD
I liked how the fight scene came out, despite having like, only ten moves put into massive paragraphs xD At least it's cool, so that counts, right?! XDDD I hope to write better fighting scenes in the future that are more like actual fighting scenes XD
Rika and that beach will play a major role in the story xD Look out for it.
Also, JFC makes an interesting point about Rika and Maki's transition to eachother regarding certain trigger points that causes them to convert to the other. Now let's see if anyone's smart enough to try and figure out those trigger points :]
Another interesting point by JFC, all the people connected to the spirits are in danger and such xD We will see a lot of those kinds of conflicts in the story later on :] But right now, it's all focused on Rika for the time being.
So yeah...
WEDGE CALL
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WEDGE
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Decent length chapter XD There's some explanations on here. I'm interested in hearing theories that may come from these explanations xD There's a lot of hints of the questions asked from people in the previous chapter in here too. Let's see if people can spot them and create theories from those too <3
Chapter 7: And so the battle begins.
The die is cast.
The weight that had restricted her movement had vanished. When Rika came to being again, she had realized that Hitomi must have woken up and removed herself from the bed. The bed felt lighter than usual, adding more to that fact. Rika opened an eye cautiously, looking about the room to see if the guard was anywhere in sight.
She was alone.
She slowly rose from the bed, the lethargy of sleep induced lack of haste as she attempted. Feeling an uncomforting pain, Rika looked at the part of her that had hurt the most. It seemed that her right hand had been bandaged during her unconsciousness. That wasn’t the only thing though. She felt bandages around her lower abdomen and other parts of the body.
What, was she in a fight?
…
Obviously she had been.
Rika groaned softly, regretting that she rose from bed. Immediately, her left hand gripped her right hand, feeling for the severity of the injury.
What, was she stabbed by a dagger of a sort?
…
Obviously she had been.
“So I really did attack her…” Rika said quietly to herself, inspecting her bandaged hand by turning the palm towards her, and then turning it around for the back. “Wait, is she okay?!” urgency influenced her movements as she slid over and got off the bed, not caring for her aching body as she searched for the woman in question.
As she exited the room, she was met with a short beige-themed hallway, a few doors on either side of it. At the end of the hallway seemed to be a dead end, though Rika knew with closer inspection that it would be the stairs going down. The room she had just left seemed to be the bed room that the guard was referring to yesterday. Rika peeked inside the door to her right to find that it contained a washing machine and drying machine. She walked further down the hallway to inspect the door on the left side of the wood-panel hallway.
In it was yet another bedroom. It seemed untouched, to which Rika concluded that Hitomi must have never used it. Rika saw that the door a little further down on the hallway of the same wall seemed slightly ajar. Slightly enough for an eye to peek through to gaze at the contents inside without being immediately noticed… Curiosity of the layout of the house took over her head and she walked over silently to inspect. As she peeked through the tiny crack, she felt her breath caught in her throat. A light crimson flush rose in her cheeks at the sight she saw.
She had just discovered the bathroom.
With Hitomi in it.
Half-naked.
It was rather inaccurate to say such a thing however. Hitomi was wearing black jeans (which were unzipped) that seemed to flare outwards at the bottom. That, and she was in a black sports bra. So she wasn’t exactly half-naked. More like sixty percent clothed. Rika was thankful that Hitomi was only drying out her hair with a towel, with her back towards her. She would have died of embarrassment if Hitomi had caught her gazing.
Trying to remember her original purpose, Rika looked (or leered, however one would view someone staring at another like a peeping tom) for any signs of scars or bruises. Rika saw a long scar on the right side of the guard’s abdomen, it nearly escaped her eyes at first, but the faint red line contrasted against her light skin. There was another scar on her upper left arm, and there was what looked to be a healing scab on the front and back of her left shoulder, which Rika believed that she might have impaled her with something. Also, there were a few bruises here and there on her body, but the most noticeable bruise was that of her stomach.
Rika felt uneasy.
Maybe she should not have come with the guard. If she wasn’t so stubborn of finding answers, she might have never came with her. She might have never harmed her. She might have never fought her.
Nor she might never find her sleeping on her…
She felt her cheeks become tainted with a hue of pink at the thought again.
Why does this keep happening to me?! Sure, it’s not supposed to be much, but did she really have to go sleep on me that time? And second of all, now I’m leering at her like some kind of old man! What kind of manga clichéd romance is this?!
Amidst her internal panic, she panicked all the more when the guard turned around and gave a rather odd expression, adding even further to Rika’s panic.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Rika nearly stuttered, opening the door so that she stepped inside of the bathroom. “The last thing I remembered was you looking beat up, so I became worried when I woke up…”
“Haha, nothing too bad. Just a few scratches here and there,” the guard chuckled, scratching her semi wet hair. Rika kept silent, her eyes began wandering over the other again, and she caught herself doing it when Hitomi raised a brow.
“I have everything you have. What are you looking for?”
“N-nothing… It’s just…” Rika looked off to the side, trying to look indifferent.
She must have turned really red, for Hitomi caught on to that and smirked, walking closer to the other woman. “Are you getting a fever?”
“Not at all,” Rika retorted, trying to sound nonchalant.
Then it came.
That haunting pulsation.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Rika stepped backwards, turning around, afraid of that familiar sensation again. Oh no… What if I attack her again? I have to leave…
She felt like she was going to melt when Hitomi took her by the upper arm and brought her back towards her, bent down slightly, and touched her forehead to her. “Your temperature is really hot, you know?”
This wasn’t good at all. Rika seriously felt she would collapse under the pain of the pulsation. Though…Feeling Hitomi touch her again… Feeling Hitomi so close to her…Feeling Hitomi’s breath on her lips… She was losing the battle of temptation, wanting to touch those lips with her own…
Her eyes began flickering between dark brown and gold again.
Hitomi backed off cautiously, turning around, “I’m sorry; I was being too forward, wasn’t I?”
The pulsation was gone.
The corners of Rika’s mouth turned downwards as she lifted her hand, wanting to pat Hitomi, but drew it back and let it rest on her chest, unable to find a way to respond to that without also sounding too forward.
“Feel free to use the shower, there’s extra clothes in the closet of the bedroom you came out of. The bandages are waterproof too, so you don’t have to worry about those. I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” the guard said, taking her towel and then taking her leave immediately, not even looking at Rika as she went out the door.
“Hitomi…” Rika said quietly to herself, feeling like there was a heavy burden on her all over again.
This curse I have…
Rika shut off further thoughts, shaking her head vigorously. Right now, she felt dirty and gross and in a huge need of a shower. Remembering the guard’s instructions, Rika went to search for clothes in the closet, finding casual wear to don after she showered. Then went straight to the bathroom, setting the clothes hanging on the rack and an extra towel she found in the closet as well.
I wonder… Rika thought as she washed herself in the shower, why does it have to be me? Why did the spirit choose me? Was it because I happened to be nearby or what? Does it select a host at random or does it need requirements to be met? I have so many questions... And how does it take over my body? Are there certain requirements for that too? I don’t know… When I was at that dark beach, there was a moment where I felt powerful and could expand my reach… Was that when I was able to get my body back? I would love to ask the spirit right now about everything, but I doubt she would talk to me out of my request…
What is it that she’s looking for? She said that Ayumi’s family took something from her… But how could we even find it if the original family was long gone? Did they pass down the secret of the item down? Or did they keep it to themselves? If they really did keep it to themselves… How could it ever be found…?
And why did Ayumi receive all those scars, looking at the hand? Does she have something to do with the spirit as well? Does she also have something possessing her? Ugh… I need to see her…I really want to make sure she’s alright… Those scars looked very fatal… At this point, Rika finished with her shower and moved out of the shower stall, looking for the towel to dry herself. I guess this means I have to sneak into the estate again? But now the family wants me dead…
Rika became alarmed when the bathroom door opened, finding that there was a person other than Hitomi in the house.
“Ohhh, nice body you have there,” came the comment of a familiar face, leering up and down at the other’s naked body which had the towel drying her back side instead of the front side, giving the familiar person a full on frontal view.
Rika became flustered, but not with embarrassment.
She became flustered with anger.
“Oh shi—” Miki began, but couldn’t finish because a certain event interrupted her.
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW
“What the hell was that for!? Aren’t we all women here?!” Miki yelled at Rika, rubbing her cheek with an ice pack.
“You were leering at me like some perverted old man! You so deserved it!” Rika retorted, fiddling with her semi-wet hair, sitting on the sofa, far from the shorter woman who was standing on the other side of the table.
“I wasn’t leering at your body! I was admiring your body!”
“Nee-san! That’s worse than leering!” Miyabi called out, sitting with boredom on a chair.
“Now now, can’t we all get along?” Hitomi raised both of her hands in a calming down sort of motion.
“Why are they even here in the first place?!” Rika looked at the guard, pointing at Miki and Miyabi.
“They came here retrieving you. You should go with them, you know. Nothing good will happen if you stay here with me.”
If she’s referring to the time I was possessed, then she DOES have a point… BUT WHY WITH THESE CRAZY STALKERS?!
“I’m not going with a bunch of stalkers.”
“If you’re talking about the pictures, we weren’t the ones who took them,” Miyabi waved her hand dismissively. “Someone else did, and we snatched them away.”
“How could I believe you?” Rika gave a skeptical look, almost glaring at the perverted woman.
“You should have all the reason to believe us. We’re not the villains here. We were sent by Yuko-nee to retrieve you and take you under our wing for protection from the Shibata family. I have no idea why, but I’m sure Nee-san can explain everything,” Miki said, crossing her arms and giving a glare as she spoke.
Rika looked at Hitomi, who also happened to be standing, though near her. Hitomi caught Rika’s gaze and gave a nod, confirming her belief of the Fujimoto sisters’ story.
“You should do all you can to protect her,” Hitomi looked at the glaring sister. “Once my work time starts, I will be an employee of the Shibata family, therefore, I will be an enemy.”
Rika looked up at Hitomi in an almost scared expression.
Was all that generosity before an act? She’s willing to come after me after her work time starts?! What kind of person is she?! Is she using me?!
“Interesting glare you have there, you could be my sister too if you wanted to,” Miki mused, smirking at the death glare Rika was giving Hitomi.
“Like hell I would want to be related to you,” Rika almost growled. Miyabi and Hitomi raised their brow at the sudden hostility Rika gave off, wondering who angered her so much, Hitomi’s comment, or Miki’s comment.
“Nevertheless dear,” Miki placed emphasis on ‘dear’ much to Rika’s chagrin, “you have to come with us whether you like it or not. We’re your only hope if you want to survive,” Miki turned, as if wanting to leave the house.
Miyabi also got up from the chair, walking briskly along to where Miki was standing, “We should return quickly. I have a feeling that the spies know where you are and are coming this way right away.”
Rika hesitated, but arose from the sofa, stretching slightly. “So be it,” she walked over as well, taking a few glances at Hitomi as she passed her by. But then, she turned and faced Hitomi, bowing to her.
“What’s with the formality?” the guard raised a brow.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“That? Haha, no problem,” the taller smiled, to which Rika found herself smiling back.
“You know what? You two make an interesting couple,” Miki smirked as she crossed her arms.
“Couple?” Rika and Hitomi asked in sync, Rika flustered of embarrassment now and Hitomi with yet another bemused expression.
“Oh, clueless? You two make me giggle,” Miki placed the tips of her fingers to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Nevertheless…” Hitomi diverted the topic, “I’ll walk all of you out of the door.”
With that being said, the group maneuvered over to the entrance of the house, just out of the wall gates in silence.
“Now is where I’ll stop. You all have a good trip, kay? And uh… Don’t kill eachother?” Hitomi chuckled as she scratched the back of her head sheepishly, watching Rika and Miki glare at each other rather contemptuously, almost blowing Miyabi away with their cold wind.
“How nice of you to say so,” Rika looked away from Miki’s piercing gaze, escaping the realm of shadows the two had created for themselves whenever they looked at each other.
“Indeed,” Miki agreed, then turned to look at Hitomi, staring at her with a strange glint in her eye.
“Uh…” Hitomi blinked, “What are you doing? Undressing me with your eyes?”
“Maybe~” Miki replied in a singsong voice, “But I have to say, even though you remind me of those feminine guys in manga, I must say that you’re hot.”
“Thank you?” Hitomi raised her brow for the umpteenth time today.
“You’re welcome.”
What transpired afterwards made Rika’s eyes widen in shock.
Miki had walked closer and raised herself on her toes to give the guard a brief kiss.
That wasn’t what bothered Rika though.
Miki had kissed Hitomi on the lips.
That’s what bothered Rika.
Miyabi had a look that claimed ‘Dear gahh, not again,’ placing her face in her palm as if such a stunt was a very strenuous and repetitive one.
Hitomi still looked like she had been run over by a car when Miki pulled back.
“Now that’s the expression I’m looking for,” the chopstick woman grinned.
“You just did that just so you could see a reaction?!” Hitomi and Rika yelled in sync.
Miki ran for it after they said that.
“Ugh… I’m seriously going to strangle her when I lay my hands on her…” Rika glared at the fleeting figure.
“Oh?” Hitomi looked at Rika, “Were you jealous when she kissed me?”
“N-no I wasn’t!” Rika looked away, trying to hide the crimson in her cheeks.
“Not going to tease you anymore, but you really should go,” the guard smiled, patting both Miyabi and Rika on the shoulder. “I wish you luck. The people that the Shibata company dispatches are good at doing what they do best.”
“Don’t say anymore,” Rika sighed, remembering the firing squad which started it all. “Goodbye, Hitomi. Hope to see you out of work…” Rika said cautiously, remembering the fact that the taller would act like those hitmen after her once the time strikes her working time.
“Have fun, Rika.”
Without evil, there is no good.
Rika did expect something extravagant since she heard that the Fujimoto family ran a dance school, but this is anything but extravagant.
It was like a freaking mansion, a la traditional Japanese-style. Complete with the small fish-infested pond in the backyard garden with a bridge over it. Rika felt obligated to even be polite to the house keepers that passed by her, astounded by how wealthy the family was. When they had arrived, Miyabi immediately ushered her to a large room, a traditional tatami matted room which seemed like it could double as a gymnasium.
Well this was a dance school after all.
Rika fiddled with her thumbs nervously as she sat on the crimson cushion at the low mahogany table formally, wondering about this ‘Yuko’ that she had to meet.
“Don’t be nervous. Nee-san is a good person,” Miyabi looked up at Rika.
“I don’t know why I’m afraid…” Rika shifted nervously, “Is she an old woman or what?”
“Well… She IS pretty old… But she’s pretty so it’s all good,” Miyabi seemed to struggle for words as she said that. Particularly at the part where she was mentioning Yuko’s age…
Then, someone came in.
A woman in a traditional beige kimono. Though she wasn’t exactly what Rika thought she would be… Yuko had short brunette hair that bounced in waves at her ears and her eyes seemed oddly slanted. That and she had a rather noticeable beauty mark (if she thought of it as a mole, Rika thought that would be rude) below her lips.
“I have to say… Your older sister is uh… quite the looker?” Rika whispered to Miyabi.
“No silly! That’s Kei! Our head house keeper!”
“Oops?” Rika laughed nervously as the housekeeper called Kei sat down with them.
“Somehow, I receive the feeling that my first impression wasn’t good…” Kei smiled widely, Rika and Miyabi noticing a slight vein on her forehead.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for my words to sound mean to you!” Rika panicked, waving her hands incredibly fast.
“That’s okay, you can call me the Ayumi Hamasaki of this house,” Kei grinned widely, as if expecting Rika to agree.
“That’s a big insult to Ayu!” Miyabi waved her hand dismissively.
“And I’m freaking here! Sorry, I had another class to attend to,” came a loud voice, walking towards the table with as much haste as one could in a kimono.
This woman had almost waist-length wavy hair. In fact, because of the way the blonde curls flared out, Rika could have sworn the woman could be half-lion with comparison of her hair to that of a lion’s mane. Her face seemed kind, though her eyebrows, given the correct angle, could make her also look like she could say ‘this is your cue to run away before I unleash my anger on you’ sort of quote.
This time, she was sure that this person was this Yuko that the sister talked frequently of.
“Alright, Ishikawa-san…” Yuko huffed as she sat down formally across the table, “I have many things to talk to you about…”
“Good, I have many questions.”
“Lovely. But you don’t go interrupting an old woman trying to cross the road,” Yuko said hastily in a slightly angry voice, complete with a stare.
“Oh so you’re admitting that you’re old now?” Miki piped up, sitting Indian style on the cushion at the side of the table.
Yuko bent over in a laugh, but then composed herself immediately, making Rika giggle and the other sisters laugh.
“Psh, I’m only 34.”
“Only 34? You could be Miyabi’s mother if I wasn’t her sister,” Miki chuckled. But then was silenced as Yuko smacked her upside the head.
“As I was saying…” Yuko coughed into her fist, “One of your questions must be about the spirit’s origins, so let me start…”
“Alright,” Rika began listening intently. Miki and Miyabi had also lent their ears in curiosity of why they were to retrieve this woman.
“There is a popular folktale called Angel’s Cloak, you see? Once upon a time, there were tennyo—celestial maidens—bathing in a river. A fisherman saw their hagoromo—feathered robes—hanging on the tree near by. Seeing how it was made of the finest silk the earth has to offer, he took one of the robes, hiding it away. Eventually, the tennyo finished bathing, putting on their hagoromo and flying back to heaven, save for one tennyo who couldn’t find her robes. As she wandered, she ran into the fisherman and asked him “Have you seen my hagoromo?” to which he denied ever seeing it. Then the fisherman made her marry him and then she had to bear his children, against her will. Then one day, the maiden heard her children sing a folk song telling of the location of the robes, so she went and found the robes and immediately returned to heaven, leaving her children and husband behind.”
“Wait so…”
“Yes. That maiden is your ancestor, Rika.”
Don’t let feelings cloud judgments.
“Hitomi-san, what took you so long?” Kagami had his fingers interlaced in front of him, waiting impatiently for his worker to return.
“Can’t we talk later? I’ve been in a rough fight,” the woman sighed, hands in the pocket of her black suit pants. Meanwhile, she wore a black blouse with white pinstripes and a small dark green tie. Still looking the part of a body guard.
“A rough fight with who?” Kagami sighed, believing this could be another one of those gang fights which gangs would find Hitomi appealing enough to try and capture, only to have Hitomi beat them all up.
“…With the celestial maiden.”
Kagami’s eyes widened in exclamation.
“As you told me, Ishikawa transformed. Her eyes and her hair color changed, along with her entire body in general. And she spoke in a new voice, and with a personality that did not reflect Ishikawa’s at all. That personality called herself “Maki” and demanded the location of her celestial robes.”
“Celestial robes and?!” Kagami came closer, becoming obsessed with anticipation.
“I fought her.”
“Did she show any abnormal powers in particular?”
“She had the power of levitation. And it seems that most of her magic is based on incantation like a western mage of European folklore. I think ‘Gravijira’ is her spell trigger, for whenever she said that, the following sentences said afterwards would become reality. She, at first, utilized her own tattoos as her weapons, but then used a real sword against me.”
“And?! And?!”
“I failed to capture her. That’s all,” Hitomi sighed, “Can I leave now?”
“No, I’m giving you long-term missions now,” Kagami went over to his office desk, pulled out a drawer, and then took out a folder.
“…Oh gahh…” Hitomi looked at the thick folder.
“It’s not much really. I’m simply asking you to do two things. First thing. On the days assigned, you are to watch over Shibata Ayumi. And the second to-do, you are to act like a surveillance camera to Ishikawa Rika, watching her every move, and try to capture her should she transform into the maiden called ‘Maki’ as you claimed her name was. Are these missions clear?”
“I’m supposed to watch one and keep an eye on the best friend? What am I, a baby sitter?” Hitomi raised a brow at her chief.
“Pretty much. Yes. You should realize that this is vital to the plan. You ARE being rewarded generously for this, you know.”
“A plan? What was the plan?” Hitomi sat down on the chair in front of the chief’s desk.
“We just need to have this maiden in our lab. We have to study her. If it’s successful, we can put the project into motion.”
“Oh ho, there’s a project now? I better be paid well for this. That and you also promised that you would restore my memories for this too.”
“Of course, of course. I will brief you more of this tomorrow though. Right now, you are to, under your terms, ‘babysit’ Shibata Ayumi for the time being. Call me when she awakes.”
“Nn, understood.”
“So basically, are you going to do all of this?” Kagami held the folder in his hand, emphasizing it.
“Indeed. Missions accepted.”
Keep your friends close.
“A day passes and you are still not awake?” Hitomi pulled a metallic chair close to the bed which the bandaged Ayumi resided in.
“If you are in a coma, then we really are in trouble, aren’t we?” Hitomi rested her elbow on her knee and then rested her head on her hand.
“Hmm… Shibata Ayumi eh?”
She felt sort of embarrassed for speaking to herself, but didn’t care since no one was around to hear her.
Hitomi didn’t really care for the details of her job and the like, but can’t help but feel curious as to why Ayumi received such horrendous amount of lacerations upon her body from looking at something like a mummified hand…
What was that mummified hand anyway?
“So the best friend is gifted with supernatural power while the other is gifted in injury? I wonder why is it that the one gifted in injury is ‘the great leader’ while the one gifted in power is ‘the great calamity’ Hmm?”
Hitomi sighed again, remembering a few details of what Kagami had told her in the past. “A classic conflict, isn’t it? Friend against friend…”
She then looked over at the window on the other side of Ayumi’s bed, staring at the sky above.
“I’m deeply intrigued by this conflict too… I’d love to see which one lives and which one dies…”
Nothing answered her in return.
“This war will definitely come soon… I can sense it…” A smile came upon the guard’s lips.
A smile that was not kind.
A smile that was not good.
A smile that was not serene.
It was a mischievous smile.
A scheming smile.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy this…”
But keep your enemies closer.
<3
-
DIBS
Hoho. Ishiyoshi! <3
Rika walking in on Yossi was win. Miki walking in on Rika is double win. XD And you used all those old Western comic sound effects..."KAPOW!" indeed! XDDDD Tsk Miki, tsk. XD
Miki kissing Yossi was o_O. And just to see a reaction too. Hehe. Do I sense YoCharMi triangle brewing? Hm, well, at least a few people would be happy about that...>_>;;; XDDD
So, Yossi playing the foot soldier for the Shibata family. A foot soldier with her own agenda. Scheming Yossi is <3. XDD I wonder how long before Ayumi wakes up? Hm. And what will happen then? XD
Now, about that transformation thing, it seems to be linked to Rika's emotions somehow. Emotional stability? XD Yossi threw her off balance, and then we get the pulsing effect. Myuh. XD Should be fun to see how you trigger further episodes. ^_^
Well, since you've updated again, I guess I should at least try to break the block I have on AA. :x
Update soon~ :P
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Aw nuts, beaten to it. :lol:
There's a lot of hints of the questions asked from people in the previous chapter in here too. Let's see if people can spot them and create theories from those too <3
Well, it's like, 2:00 am for me right now. I should probably wait until tomorrow and just read it then so my mind is a bit less fuzzy...
...
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. :wahaha:
She slowly rose from the bed, the lethargy of sleep induced lack of haste as she attempted. Feeling an uncomforting pain, Rika looked at the part of her that had hurt the most. It seemed that her right hand had been bandaged during her unconsciousness. That wasn’t the only thing though. She felt bandages around her lower abdomen and other parts of the body.
What, was she in a fight?
I wonder how Rika's going to react when she finds out what Maki told Yossi (assuming Yossi tells her). Also gotta wonder how she'll react if/when she finds out the details of the fight. :O
Rika saw that the door a little further down on the hallway of the same wall seemed slightly ajar.
...
As she peeked through the tiny crack, she felt her breath caught in her throat. A light crimson flush rose in her cheeks at the sight she saw.
She had just discovered the bathroom.
With Hitomi in it.
Half-naked.
Oh my. :mon lurk:
Why does this keep happening to me?! Sure, it’s not supposed to be much, but did she really have to go sleep on me that time? And second of all, now I’m leering at her like some kind of old man! What kind of manga clichéd romance is this?!
Well, so far it's really just a one-sided romance (I think). I mean, so far we've not yet seen any definite signs that Yossi feels as strongly about Rika as Rika feels for her, right?
Kinda makes you wonder if there might be some kind of twisted love story that's somehow involved in Maki's story/history with the Shibata clan. :)
Rika kept silent, her eyes began wandering over the other again, and she caught herself doing it when Hitomi raised a brow.
“I have everything you have. What are you looking for?”
“N-nothing… It’s just…” Rika looked off to the side, trying to look indifferent.
She must have turned really red, for Hitomi caught on to that and smirked, walking closer to the other woman. “Are you getting a fever?”
“Not at all,” Rika retorted, trying to sound nonchalant.
Then it came.
That haunting pulsation.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Rika stepped backwards, turning around, afraid of that familiar sensation again. Oh no… What if I attack her again? I have to leave…
Well, without trying to read past chapters for help, it would appear to me that the "pulsation" that indicates Maki might be trying to assert herself begins either if/when Rika tells a lie...or...when her body temperature rises/her heartbeat speeds up suddenly, like it does when she starts oogling Yossi. Mind you, Yossi's blatant flirting doesn't really help matters, but she can't really be blamed as she's not aware that Rika just felt a "pulsation" (damn that sounds so pervy saying that). ;D
She felt like she was going to melt when Hitomi took her by the upper arm and brought her back towards her, bent down slightly, and touched her forehead to her. “Your temperature is really hot, you know?”
This wasn’t good at all. Rika seriously felt she would collapse under the pain of the pulsation. Though…Feeling Hitomi touch her again… Feeling Hitomi so close to her…Feeling Hitomi’s breath on her lips… She was losing the battle of temptation, wanting to touch those lips with her own…
Her eyes began flickering between dark brown and gold again.
Ok, MOST likely it's the whole body temperature/heartbeat thing. :jerk:
And why did Ayumi receive all those scars, looking at the hand? Does she have something to do with the spirit as well? Does she also have something possessing her? Ugh… I need to see her…I really want to make sure she’s alright… Those scars looked very fatal…
Crap, totally forgot about the scars that Shiba-chan had. :scared:
Somehow I don't think that there would be another spirit possessing Shiba-chan. If there had been, then the family would just have the two spirits (in the bodies which they possessed) have a final, decisive battle, wouldn't they? What better way to kill a spirit, than with another spirit? It seems like that would/could be the simplest and most straightforward way to get it done (at least, to me it does :oops:).
Rika became alarmed when the bathroom door opened, finding that there was a person other than Hitomi in the house.
“Ohhh, nice body you have there,” came the comment of a familiar face, leering up and down at the other’s naked body which had the towel drying her back side instead of the front side, giving the familiar person a full on frontal view.
Enter...da Miki-sama! :pimp:
Rika became flustered, but not with embarrassment.
She became flustered with anger.
“Oh shi—” Miki began, but couldn’t finish because a certain event interrupted her.
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW
-t! :o
“What the hell was that for!? Aren’t we all women here?!” Miki yelled at Rika, rubbing her cheek with an ice pack.
“You were leering at me like some perverted old man! You so deserved it!” Rika retorted, fiddling with her semi-wet hair, sitting on the sofa, far from the shorter woman who was standing on the other side of the table.
“I wasn’t leering at your body! I was admiring your body!”
“Nee-san! That’s worse than leering!” Miyabi called out, sitting with boredom on a chair.
WHAT?!?!? HOW!??!? That's shenanigans I say! SHENANIGANS!! :scolding:
We were sent by Yuko-nee to retrieve you and take you under our wing for protection from the Shibata family. I have no idea why, but I’m sure Nee-san can explain everything,” Miki said, crossing her arms and giving a glare as she spoke.
Rika looked at Hitomi, who also happened to be standing, though near her. Hitomi caught Rika’s gaze and gave a nod, confirming her belief of the Fujimoto sisters’ story.
“You should do all you can to protect her,” Hitomi looked at the glaring sister. “Once my work time starts, I will be an employee of the Shibata family, therefore, I will be an enemy.”
Rika looked up at Hitomi in an almost scared expression.
Was all that generosity before an act? She’s willing to come after me after her work time starts?! What kind of person is she?! Is she using me?!
While Yossi may have done her best to protect Rika the previous day, it's pretty obvious that when she's at work...she's ALL business. It's probably a large part of what makes her a good assassin (as it was mentioned in a previous chapter) in the eyes of the heads of the Shibata family. When Yossi's given an order or a task to do, she does it. No questions, no distractions, no hesitations. For an assassin, that's what helps keep you effective, and more importantly, it helps keep you alive.
Yossi gave her all when she was fighting Maki and trying to protect Rika. Meeting with Miki and Miyabi is pretty much meeting the enemy, as she herself said, but it has to be done for Rika's sake. Yossi knows that while she may want to protect Rika, it will be her job to kill her. She's letting Miki know that she won't be holding back once she's working for the Shibata's again (it might even be that she can't hold back or doesn't know how to). If/when she's sent to kill Rika, it will be as if the previous day as well as this morning's events never happened. Rika won't be the cute girl that Yossi caught looking at her, and with whom she was flirting with in the bathroom...she'll just be the target.
Don’t kill eachother?” Hitomi chuckled as she scratched the back of her head sheepishly, watching Rika and Miki glare at each other rather contemptuously, almost blowing Miyabi away with their cold wind.
“How nice of you to say so,” Rika looked away from Miki’s piercing gaze, escaping the realm of shadows the two had created for themselves whenever they looked at each other.
“Indeed,” Miki agreed, then turned to look at Hitomi, staring at her with a strange glint in her eye.
“Uh…” Hitomi blinked, “What are you doing? Undressing me with your eyes?”
“Maybe~” Miki replied in a singsong voice, “But I have to say, even though you remind me of those feminine guys in manga, I must say that you’re hot.”
Heh, Miki's thinking the same thing Rika's thinking, only Miki doesn't have any hangups about saying it. :pimp:
“Thank you?” Hitomi raised her brow for the umpteenth time today.
“You’re welcome.”
Yossi must not be used to people telling her that she's hot. Considering that she probably spends most of the day in her guard's uniform or working solo as an assassin, chances are Rika's one of a scant few (if any) people who have seen her bod. ;D
What transpired afterwards made Rika’s eyes widen in shock.
Miki had walked closer and raised herself on her toes to give the guard a brief kiss.
That wasn’t what bothered Rika though.
Miki had kissed Hitomi on the lips.
That’s what bothered Rika.
*sigh* That's our Miki for you. :lol:
Hitomi still looked like she had been run over by a car when Miki pulled back.
“Now that’s the expression I’m looking for,” the chopstick woman grinned.
“You just did that just so you could see a reaction?!” Hitomi and Rika yelled in sync.
Miki ran for it after they said that.
I stand corrected...THAT was vintage Miki-sama! :on lol:
“Ugh… I’m seriously going to strangle her when I lay my hands on her…” Rika glared at the fleeting figure.
“Oh?” Hitomi looked at Rika, “Were you jealous when she kissed me?”
“N-no I wasn’t!” Rika looked away, trying to hide the crimson in her cheeks.
Ooooooooooooooh...:shy2:
“Don’t be nervous. Nee-san is a good person,” Miyabi looked up at Rika.
“I don’t know why I’m afraid…” Rika shifted nervously, “Is she an old woman or what?”
“Well… She IS pretty old… But she’s pretty so it’s all good,” Miyabi seemed to struggle for words as she said that. Particularly at the part where she was mentioning Yuko’s age…
Nice save there Miyabi. You never know where Yuko is or if she's happening to listen in on what you're saying. :P
This woman had almost waist-length wavy hair. In fact, because of the way the blonde curls flared out, Rika could have sworn the woman could be half-lion with comparison of her hair to that of a lion’s mane. Her face seemed kind, though her eyebrows, given the correct angle, could make her also look like she could say ‘this is your cue to run away before I unleash my anger on you’ sort of quote.
Yep, yep, yep, yep and yep. Total spot-on description of Yuko right there. :thumbsup
“Psh, I’m only 34.”
“Only 34? You could be Miyabi’s mother if I wasn’t her sister,” Miki chuckled. But then was silenced as Yuko smacked her upside the head.
Itai. :k-crazy:
*Yuko's storytelling*
“Wait so…”
“Yes. That maiden is your ancestor, Rika.”
EEEEHHHHHHHHHHH??? :shock:
So...does that mean that Maki is the maiden? If so...then Rika is Maki's descendant? :o Could it be that these spirits can only possess people who are a part of their bloodline???
Ergo, the Shibatas must be descendants of that fisherman that originally took and hid Maki's robes! :yep: No wonder Maki's pissed off at them. Obviously things didn't happen in real life as they're told in the folktale that Yuko recited. While in the story the maiden found her robes and returned to heaven, in reality Maki must have been trapped here. She must have realized at some point that her "husband" had in fact been the one to take her robes, and when she tried to get them back from him, that was when he killed her. However, being a celestial maiden, her spirit remained trapped here. She's probably unable to return to the heavens without her robes, otherwise she would have done so already.
“Hitomi-san, what took you so long?” Kagami had his fingers interlaced in front of him, waiting impatiently for his worker to return.
“Can’t we talk later? I’ve been in a rough fight,” the woman sighed, hands in the pocket of her black suit pants. Meanwhile, she wore a black blouse with white pinstripes and a small dark green tie. Still looking the part of a body guard.
“A rough fight with who?” Kagami sighed, believing this could be another one of those gang fights which gangs would find Hitomi appealing enough to try and capture, only to have Hitomi beat them all up.
“…With the celestial maiden.”
Oh fuck, Yossi knew? She KNEW??? Damn, Rika might not like this if she finds out that Yossi hid this from her.
“I failed to capture her. That’s all,” Hitomi sighed, “Can I leave now?”
“No, I’m giving you long-term missions now,” Kagami went over to his office desk, pulled out a drawer, and then took out a folder.
“…Oh gahh…” Hitomi looked at the thick folder.
“It’s not much really. I’m simply asking you to do two things. First thing. On the days assigned, you are to watch over Shibata Ayumi. And the second to-do, you are to act like a surveillance camera to Ishikawa Rika, watching her every move, and try to capture her should she transform into the maiden called ‘Maki’ as you claimed her name was. Are these missions clear?”
There's got to be some reason/some idea behind these missions, and some reason why Yossi's being assigned to watch both Rika and Shiba-chan. If Rika VS the Shibatas is mirroring the fight that Maki had with her husband so long ago, does Yossi's presence (as a third party) have some significance as well? If events of the present are mirroring the events of the past, perhaps Yossi's presence today means that there was some third-party involvement back then? It could be that Maki's husband someone else help him out when Maki was killed. :dunno:
“We just need to have this maiden in our lab. We have to study her. If it’s successful, we can put the project into motion.”
WTF they want to study Maki like some lab rat??? :stunned: What the hell for? Are they trying to harness Maki's magical powers, perhaps to use as a weapon?
But if that was the case, why did they try to kill Rika earlier??? If they had been successful then, chances are Maki's spirit would have just fled somewhere else and they would have lost track of her (at least temporarily). I mean, unless they're trying to force Maki to possess someone else, the Shibatas should not be looking to have Rika killed.
Another possibility (though I personally HIGHLY doubt it) is that the Shibatas know of a way to "return" Maki's robes to her, but are unable to because Maki's trying to kill them all. She's been going on nothing but anger for the past few centuries, so she's not likely to calm down and be patient if they say they need to talk to her.
I better be paid well for this. That and you also promised that you would restore my memories for this too.
If I were Yossi, I wouldn't believe this guy if he told me this. If her memories are restored, she would most likely want to quit working for them and return to her old life. Now call me crazy, but the Shibatas don't exactly strike me as being willing to let Yossi go that easily.
Hitomi didn’t really care for the details of her job and the like, but can’t help but feel curious as to why Ayumi received such horrendous amount of lacerations upon her body from looking at something like a mummified hand…
What was that mummified hand anyway?
Oh geez, please don't tell me it's actually Maki's hand from the physical body she had so long ago? That would just be ridiculously morbid. :mon barf:
“So the best friend is gifted with supernatural power while the other is gifted in injury? I wonder why is it that the one gifted in injury is ‘the great leader’ while the one gifted in power is ‘the great calamity’ Hmm?”
Hitomi sighed again, remembering a few details of what Kagami had told her in the past. “A classic conflict, isn’t it? Friend against friend…”
Maybe it's some type of attempt at atonement? If the original conflict really was friend against friend, chances are both sides weren't exactly willing participants. In all likelihood they would have been forced to take actions they they regretted, even actions that they would have asked forgiveness for. :dunno:
“This war will definitely come soon… I can sense it…” A smile came upon the guard’s lips.
...
A scheming smile.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy this…”
Ok, THAT is just plain creepy. It's like, is it that this Yossi (the one with the missing memories) is just wacko? or might it be that she actually knows more than either side may believe...? :mon ko:
-
Does it mean that when Rika gets too close to Yossi, Maki would emerge? And does Yossi have 2 personalities? one during her work-shift and the other when she's off work?
When will Shibacchan wake upppp~ kinda excited to find out what'll happen when the 2 best friends come face to face again!
Btw.. don't know if you did it on purpose or by accident, but you refered to her as Yossie at one point, and then back to Hitomi for the rest of the chapter haha. --> '“Couple?” Rika and Hitomi asked in sync, Rika flustered of embarrassment now and Yossie with yet another bemused expression.'
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O_______________O
-changes-
Thank you! I thought I accidentally wrote Yossie somewhere, but couldn't remember where XD;
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Ah, an update. :D
Poor Rika, waking up confused as hell. XD After all, who just goes to a beach with black waves and then wakes up covered in injuries? D: Damn, Maki should be more careful when she fights, don't want either of them to get banged up too bad. ;]
Oh ho oh...Rika is a peeping tom. :D And we all know her reasons for doing so weren't as innocent as you made them seem. Poor Yossie, first Nono sees her completely naked in the shower, now Rika sees her only 60% clothed? XD Who's next?
Man, that sucks D< Yossie can't make a move on Rika without Maki threatening to come out. -_-; This better be solved soon, beause IshiYoshi goodness = <3 <3 <3
And after Rika took a shower, it was so obvious it was Miki standing in the doorframe "admiring" Rika's body. XD Who can blame her though? ;D
I'm surprised at how well Rika managed to be convinced into going with Miki and Miyabi. XD Yossie has total control over that girl's mind.
“Uh…” Hitomi blinked, “What are you doing? Undressing me with your eyes?”
“Maybe~” Miki replied in a singsong voice, “But I have to say, even though you remind me of those feminine guys in manga, I must say that you’re hot.”
That is the best line in this chapter. XD <3 <3 Gotta love Miki.
O_O;; Miki kissing Yossie made me laugh, but also gave me a shock. XD I love Yossie's "got hit by a car" expression. <3
Kei saying she was the Ayumi Hamasaki of the house made me roffle. :D Miaybi was right though, that is a diss to Ayu. XD
Just 'cause Yuko looks like a lion doesn't mean she's not hawt. ;D (Gahh, I shouldn't say that, she's almost my mother's age >_>) But anyway, I like how you discribed her. :D Very good job on that. ^^
Yossie babysitting, ha nicely put. But true. o_O; I'd hate to have her job...
Anyway, write more~! :D
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“This war will definitely come soon… I can sense it…” A smile came upon the guard’s lips.
...
A scheming smile.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy this…”
:shock: :shock: :shock:
I'm gonna love Yossie like this :mon cweepy: :mon cweepy:
This is getting better and better
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Poor Yossie, first Nono sees her completely naked in the shower, now Rika sees her only 60% clothed? XD Who's next?
Wasn't it Aibon who saw Yossi naked?
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Yeah it was XD -smacks cousin silly-
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Wow, the plot thickens.
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Walk-ins FTW. Yossie 40% Naked made me giggle~. And with all those sound effects, something sounded really bad xD There was a "crack" in there, I wonder what bone Miki broke? And Yossie seems like one of those people that'd be so indestructable, she'd actually have an expression after getting hit by a car (at least rather than 100% crimson complexion.) The Fujimoto house...O_O It seems amazing. And Kemeko uke~ xD! (...not only that, Yuko's seme!) Hmm...YoShiba...now we have a closed love triangle (if it escalates, that is...) Please write more~! *gives you Yossie*
And I take 100% responsibility for my actions posting this early in the morning, so slap me if you deem it appropriate.
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-smacks you silly- You actually had a decent comment, but there's no hint whatsoever of Yoshiba o_o
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I dream a large amount~ excuse the weed, beer, cigarettes and cheap liquor from my brother's party last night, since I did write that during the party...and didn't get to sleep until 9 45 am
(and none of this was exaggerated)
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Sorry for never commenting before, but I finally got around to reading this whole thing . . . and it's definitely crack! I remember talking about it before, but I didn't think that it would be this awesome. (I mean, I knew that it would be awesome, since it was a cool story and you're writing it, but I can't recall all of the details. xD)
Where to begin? Well, I totally love the Fujimoto family! (Who doesn't?) And, the Ishiyoshi moments are kyoooot! The whole Shibata Clan thing is awfully strange, but I'm assuming that Shibata is related to the man who stole the hagoromo, as JFC has already assumed as well. Then again, maybe Yossi has something to do with the stealing of the hagoromo? Or, perhaps she is another celestial maiden? After seeing her mischievious thoughts, one who gain the impression that she isn't all that good, but I could be reading into it wrong. (Not to mention, she's being too nice to Rika. If she took her job seriously, she wouldn't be that way, but maybe she is falling for her. We'll never know until she gains back some memory!)
Obligatory: Miki <33333333333
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Comment time!
First: Rika being a decendant of Maki's makes sense as to the whole "why me" thing, but I belive the story she was told is off somewhat. According to the story Yuko told her she already has the robes, but in chapter 6 Maki told Yossie that she wanted her celestial robes. Also in the same chapter, she told Rika, and I quote:
“Long ago, they stole something precious from me, defiled me, and on top of that, killed me for their greed. What person wouldn’t want revenge?”
My theory is that the story is true to a point: "Stole something precious" could mean the robes; "Defiled me" could mean the forced marrige and "other things" the fisherman put her through;and "Killed me for their greed" is the true turning point. The robe could be jewel encrusted and when she found it she was killed by the Shibatas so they could keep it.
Second: Hitomi's identity. In the crash the real Hitomi coud have died and another celestial maiden could have simply have used the corpse. The memory loss could be usable to the Shibatas and give her an in to the company. Or she could be the spirit of the girl that Maki was sparring with. Those quotes at the end of the fight could be hints. Maybe.
And Finally: The Transformation. Rika seems to start to transform when she feels like she can love Hitomi or probably arroused. This has happend only around Hitomi which leads me to this theory: Maki and the sparring partner probably had the same kind of feelings for each other. The feelings Rika has simply draw her out into her body and being reminded of that friend calms her down and sends her back.
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Hmm xD
Yeah, most of you are on the right track or understood the triggers for Rika's transformation xD I'll clarify what it is in later chapters xD
Indeed, Yossie the schemer :] I love that image of her <3 We'll see what she's planning later.
Most of you are also trying to figure out Maki's past as well. I will have to say that JFC and Glcorps are good thinkers and are around the right area, although wrong in some aspects. Try to think along the same track as them and you might understand more xD But I have to tell you now, Maki is in her homicidal mode and probably won't reveal anything about her past, and is focused on retrieving her hagoromo and destroying the Shibata family.
I hope to get more comments! D<
Then again, this next chapter doesn't have that much to comment on o_O
JFC! BRING ME AN AWESOME COMMENTARY AGAIN xD! I <3 your commentaries~!
-WEDGE CALL-
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Wedgies :D
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Hell, I'll wedge since I'm getting into this fic lately O: ( I like waiting so I can read a lot at once :] )
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-rolls- o-o
Chapter 8: A day with the Fujimoto Family
And so…
“Ancestor…?” Rika leaned backwards, supported by pressing her body against her arms. The woman was unsure whether to feel stunned or to feel angry towards that conclusion. Being stunned would mean she would have to be surprised that such a woman was a relative of her’s. Being angry would mean she would have to feel pissed that such a psychotic and homicidal spirit was her relative.
“Undergoing shock or just angry at the events which accumulated ‘til now?” Miki rested her arms on the table, on of which was raised so Miki could rest her head against it, losing all energy of the day’s events and now simply looking lazy, lethargic, and bored.
“I don’t know what to think really…” the cursed woman returned to a formal sitting position, worrying if she was committing a rudeness to the people giving her their hospitality. “It’s just… Out of the ordinary… Everything just came up and slapped me in the face.”
“Oh believe me, it’s going to keep bitch-slapping you now, with what we’ve done,” Yuko’s face became sullen, causing a few wrinkles to show up here and there to contribute to the folklorist’s age.
“You mean you’ve made it worse somehow?”
“It’s not that… Sorta… Uh…” Yuko became shifty-eyed, curling her finger in her lion mane-like tresses.
“Spit it out! My life is on the line isn’t it?!” Rika’s internal panic began to leak out through her face.
“The Shibata family. They’ve killed women like you before. They would find anyone with any trace of that tennyo’s ancestry and eliminate them to prevent the tennyo from appearing. As for how they do that, I think they take the date of when they kill the maiden’s host and keep an eye on the people born on that death date.”
“But didn’t you say things like ancestry and such? They would have to focus on a certain family, right?” Miyabi piped up.
“Yeah, but that’s if the family wants to preserve itself and marry into eachother, which obviously isn’t the case here. Since Fisherman-chan and Tennyo-chan banged and had children… The children wouldn’t want to marry eachother to carry out the blood line, wouldn’t they? So they just went off marrying different people and then their children would marry other people, and the chain would go on…”
“Anyone could be a tennyo at this time period. Well, not really, but maybe one out of a ten-thousands could be it…” Rika concluded.
“However…” Yuko began, “That’s just the maiden in your blood…In my research, there are countless tales of the tennyo varying from prefecture to prefecture, even around the world, but Japan is our main focus. Now… If we include the current tennyo in your body along with the rest of the others of her kind…”
“…Then my ratio would be one out of hundreds…”
“One out of five.”
Rika’s eyes widened at the woman in front of her.
“That’s just the likeliness of you having that blood though…The likeliness of a tennyo being able to ‘wake up’ and influence your body is one out of a hundred.”
“So many numbers confuse me…” Miki rolled her eyes about, “Damn it, I’m hungry…”
“Thank you for ruining the moment, idiot Neechan…” Yuko threw a burning hot teacup at Miki’s head, to which the hit connected and left a scalding and berserk Miki running about fanning her head at the heat while the main house keeper, Kei, rose from her seat to try and help Miki nullify the pain by using a cool table cloth.
Ignoring the commotion in the background, Rika spoke up, “So the Shibata family… Are they only looking for the maiden that would resurface as a whole instead of just people who merely have the blood in them?”
“Correct, Charmy-chan.”
Rika raised a brow at how she was addressed as by the elder woman. So Miki-san and Miyabi-chan rubbed off of her… I really need to get used to these eccentric people…
“Don’t become too emo, I have the blood in me too,” Yuko said, holding her hand out in the air and then a on the other side of the tatami mat room they resided in, a scroll hanging on the wall unhooked itself, then rolled itself, and then came levitating towards Yuko’s hand, much to the shock of Miyabi and Rika (along with Miki and Kei, who had paused in their commotion to stare in awe).
“My power is telekinesis. I have the slight tennyo influence in me, but it’s definitely not like you, who is genuine descendant.”
“Wait! So that means you cheated! All that throwing knife crap about you is fake because all you did was use your telekinesis to control your aim!”
“So what if it’s fake?! It’s still freaking useful and kept me alive in dreaded situations where I’ve been chased by bears when I was looking at hidden shrines in forests!”
Knife-throwers, gunner ninjas, and a groping demon that fights with chopsticks…This is quite the crazy family…
“Oh, one last thing…” Yuko said to Miki as she searched for something in the sleeve of her kimono, “Hmm… Where is it… Ah ha!” Yuko took out a rather interesting collar and what seemed to be matching wristbands. The design seem to irk Rika however, for it had the patterns of dark blue outlines of lotuses and butterflies sewn on black material. “The collar can stretch out really far, so you shouldn’t have problems putting it around your neck.”
“Weird lookin’, but I’ll wear it for awhile before I’ll rip it to shreds,” Miki said in a fake giddy high voice before putting on the aforementioned objects.
It didn’t look too bad, Rika thought to herself. The collar part did look a bit cute with Miki’s neck, and the wrist bands seem even bigger than the normal for it had extended from her wrist to almost her elbow…
“I call them the ‘bitch bands of doom’ and I made them myself!”
“Is that seriously the name you gave them?” Miki uttered gloomily as she inspected how the wristbands looked on her.
“Nah, the real name is ‘obey the heavenly maiden’ bands,” Yuko smiled as she waved her hand dismissively.
“I like ‘bitch bands’ better…” Miki looked off to the side shifty-eyed.
Rika was amused as Yuko glared at her younger sister, wondering if Yuko had looked any eviler, she might have spontaneously combusted.
“Nevertheless, SUCKER~!” Yuko made a childish face by pulling on her bottom eyelid and sticking her tongue out, “now that you put them on, you can’t take them off unless we tennyo bloods permit you to!”
“Say what?!” Miki tried to go for her collar but as she pulled outstretched it too far trying to pull it off, there was an electric spark administered to her wristbands which caused her to scream out in pain. “Damn it…” Miki was laying on the floor, twitching and convulsing as if she was having a seizure, much to everyone else’s amusement.
“Do you want us to show you around the house or no?” Yuko stood up, still amused at the younger sister of her’s having seizures.
“That’s not going to kill her, is it?” Rika also stood up, eying the woman beneath her having spasms.
“Those bands have some of my powers infused in it, so they know how much to shock her, so no worries,” Yuko motioned for Rika to come with her, to which she obeyed.
“And Neesan has a stubbornness that even the devil’s jealous of, so no worries either. It’s very hard to kill her,” Miyabi laughed, following the two elder women.
Perhaps the wealth of the Fujimoto family can’t be measured. Rika saw that what made up the majority of the mansion were simply the empty rooms made for the dance classes held at this place. It was a dance school after all. The upper floors of the traditional Japanese home were for the residents of the mansion. Climbing the stairs was an event of itself, for as Rika came up, she saw beautiful calligraphy depicting mottos or themes drawn on scrolls which hung up on the walls next to the curving stairs. It seemed that the entire second floor was made similar to that of inns or hotels. There was an elaborately designed hallway which had made diagonal paths around various rooms, big rooms judging by the sheer length of the walls by which the wooden paneled hallways surrounded.
Miyabi’s room reminded Rika of any normal school girl’s room. There was a simplistic twin bed whose foot was next to the door entered. There were some random academic achievements hung on the walls. Then there was a drawer which was right next to the bed. Also, there was a desktop computer in the opposite end of the room, huddled in the corner. It seemed that with this arrangement, Miyabi is a seemingly tidy person and likes it best when its simple.
The room of her older sister, Miki, is saying otherwise.
Miki’s room was just slightly organized, albeit messy and untidy. To Rika, it seemed that Miki was the sort to be organized in ways only she would know. Give Miki the request to find something and she would be able to find it amidst the junk lying about. She had a flat screen TV on the wall, maybe a little less than a meter wide? Regardless, Miki also had a low table with a few cushions around it. Hanging on her walls were various paintings of… iron chefs? Rika blinked again, there was Hiroyuki Sakai, Masahiko Kobe, and many others of that famous melodramatic TV show. Miki’s bed was not made, but she was sure it was at least queen sized…
“Miki’s room, huh…?”
“Yeah, ignore the iron chefs, she has an obsession with that show. Since she’s a cook-to-be and all…” Miyabi waved her hand.
“Yeah but she’s really good at cooking, so it’s all good,” Yuko said hastily as she lead Rika into the other rooms.
Yuko’s room was eerily reminiscent of a savannah, probably to house a lioness such as her. The room was almost entirely beige or was a color based off of it. There was a long drawer with random odd artifacts (of Japanese folklore, Rika thought) strewn across it. There was also a ceiling fan in front of the king-sized bed. In fact, the bed had all the netting and such, making it seem like it was fit for a princess. If anything, Rika definitely believed this sister of the Fujimotos to be the most extravagant of them all. She wouldn’t find it surprising if Yuko happened to have a love of wearing furs with leopard print.
Rika came to realize that there were at least four big rooms in the inner hallway diagonals (call it the shape of a drunken square if you must) while there were two more rooms in the outer. The rooms she had just visited were in the outer square, and they all had their own balconies; there was the exception of Miyabi’s room, which was diagonal of Miki’s room within the four big rooms of the center. Yuko and Miyabi showed her that the other rooms were simply guest rooms. All of them had the exact same simplistic theme as Miyabi’s room, only they alternated between color themes of dark blue and light blue. The room Rika was to be staying in had a light blue theme… And happened to be right next to…
“What do you mean I have to stay in the room next to her room?!” Rika yelled, pointing accusingly at Miki’s room.
“I dunno, assassins might come through your window?” Yuko shrugged, “Besides, Miyabi’s room is right across from your room.”
“Yeah but…!” Rika waved her pointing finger rapidly, “Miki will be ahead of the Shibatas! She’ll probably ravage me in my sleep or something!”
“Haha! As if! You know I just made her wear those bands just now!” Yuko laughed.
“Yeah yeah… keep talking…”
Speak of the devil.
Miki appeared next to them looking slightly gruff, probably from all the shocking that the bands did from her struggling to take them off. Rika wasn’t sure whether to pity her or laugh at her, but she kept silent.
“As for wardrobe, since everyone’s about the same size, just borrow our clothes until we buy you a new set of wardrobe.”
“Oh! I can’t burden you with that sort of thing! I can work and pay for my own new clothes!” Rika looked at Yuko.
“No need to be nice, you’re living here and this is our house, we’re protecting you,” Miyabi retorted.
Rika looked at the three sisters with a look of inferiority. Despite being weird and eccentric, they are still wealthy and productive. Rika’s family definitely weren’t as rich as this, but the Shibata family is definitely richer than the Fujimoto family…
“Thank you for your hospitality, I will find some way to repay you…” Rika bowed to the sisters.
“Such a kind girl...” Yuko laughed, “you can help around by joining the staff.”
“Cleaning staff?” Rika raised a brow.
“No silly! The maids under Kei’s charge are doing that. Yuko-nee was referring to the dancing staff. You could help us by assisting us in whatever, whether it be Yuko-nee and her classes, Miki-nee in her cooking preparations, or me with my studies,” Miyabi said with a smile.
“University student, right? You can make yourself useful in many ways here,” Miki said nonchalantly, “I’m off doing my business of lunch, have fun!” the chopstick woman went off, itching her neck where the collar resided.
“Is she always like that?”
“Yup. Miki the lazyass. But show her a kitchen and she’s happy.”
“For someone like that… Why does she like to cook?” Rika looked at the taller teen.
“Why don’t you ask Miki-nee herself?” Miyabi replied, “Anywho, we need to take you out shopping!”
Introductions have been officially made.
“Still not awake, huh?” came a voice behind Hitomi.
Hitomi turned in her chair, facing the door in which someone was obscuring the way. “I’ve seen you a few times before.”
“Of course you have, silly!” The other woman took another chair and went on the other side of Ayumi’s bed and sat down. “I’m one of the scientists back from the lab.”
“So that’s where I last saw you…” Hitomi smiled, “What reason do you have to come here for?”
“Let’s start by telling you about me!” the woman smiled widely, reaching over to give Hitomi what seemed to be her business card, “I am Abe Natsumi! I’m into anime and video games! My kind of lover has to nice and macho, like Kilik from the Soul Calibur series! Nice to meet you!”
“Uh… Kay… Nice to meet you too…” Hitomi raised a brow. Why do we have an anime/gaming otaku on the staff…?
“But please call me Nacchi, please? Please treat me well from now on~!”
Hitomi could have sworn that if they were speaking on a chatting service, Natsumi would have added a heart to just about everything she said. It wasn’t that she found the scientist annoying, but she’s just a little odd for her tastes.
“I wonder how long Ayumi-chan will stay in this coma… She can’t be down for THAT long… can she?” Natsumi looked over at the sleeping woman’s face.
“Yeah…”
“Oh! I came by to tell you that the chief wants you to go be the surveillance for Ishikawa Rika now. I think he must feel bad for you having to watch someone bedridden for the past four hours.”
“Oh really? How kind of him,” Hitomi smirked.
“So tell me, Hitomi-san, what was it like meeting that maiden?” Natsumi became business-like all of a sudden, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on them.
“It was a little scary actually… She’s very powerful, despite appearances… I’m just glad I was armed before she could do any damage to me. But I discovered something about myself that was a little funky…”
“And that is?”
“I dunno… All of spells didn’t work on me. It’s like I have this invisible barrier protecting me… What did she call it again, ‘magic nullification’ she said it was?”
“My my, that’s interesting… I’ll have to look into that matter!” an odd glint appeared in Natsumi’s eyes, probably those of a mad scientist’s.
“…Please don’t jump me and experiment on me…” Hitomi went shifty-eyed.
“Don’t worry, I won’t, but that is pretty interesting…” Natsumi stroked her imaginary beard. “Magic nullification, huh? At least you will be useful in the future project…”
“Why isn’t anyone telling me about this future project?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you about the future project then; you’ll be a part of it anyway~!”
“Alright, I’m listening.”
Let us turn the page…
“What a day of shopping!” Rika huffed, ripping tags off of her new clothes and placing them in the closet. Even though they were rich, Rika made sure to buy outfits that were nice and cheap to satisfy even the money savers. They bought enough outfits to mix and match for about a week’s worth before articles were to be reused. Rika argued that this was enough for her to use, but the other family retorted that she must absolutely buy more clothes so that she wouldn’t have to reuse clothing for about a month. As much as this went against Rika’s ‘code’ of outfit wearing, these were still the people who were giving her a roof (an expensive roof at that) to live under, therefore, she must abide by their rules or risk getting the crap beaten out of considering that these generous sisters were composed of a telekinetic lioness, a gunner ninja, and a groping demon who fought with chopsticks.
“I wonder who taught them those things… With their sort of skills… They seem like assassins… Or something like that. Then again, assassins protecting me against assassins are a good idea…”
“What’s this about assassins?” came a voice that startled Rika. Startling her to a point where she even jumped in the air and landed face flat on the floor. Suddenly realizing who the voice belonged to, Rika became even more discomforted. She quickly stood up, arming herself with a coat hanger.
“Whaaat? It’s me, honey, what’s with the threatening glare, huh?” Miki pretended to look hurt and sound like she was offended with Rika’s defensive stance.
“Where did you come from?!”
“You left your balcony door open, so I just jumped from my balcony. Of course, I could’ve killed myself in the process considering that it’s such a wide gap, so you should be concerned for my wellbeing instead of yelling at me, dear.”
“Get out!” Rika brandished her coat hanger threateningly.
“Pssh, this is my house,” Miki scoffed, moving closer to Rika, who decided to dual wield coat hangers.
“Alright fine, get out of my room. I refuse to deal with you unless I decide I want to be abused by you by entering your room.”
Miki showed absolutely no signs of hearing Rika whatsoever. The woman continued advancing forward nonchalantly, feeling unthreatened by the (lack of) skill in dual-wielding.
Rika swung at Miki with her right hand, only to be caught by the wrist by Miki’s left hand. When she tried swinging with her other hand, Miki swerved around with the still caught hand, and then grabbed the other so that the chopstick woman ended up behind Rika, holding both of her wrists from the front making it seem like Rika was hugging herself.
The cursed woman tried to struggle out of the other’s grasp, even resorting to toe-stepping, but it was all shot down in vain: Miki still had her in that intimate grasp.
“So were you jealous when I kissed that woman back there?” Miki asked into Rika’s ear amidst her struggling, “Is that why you’re trying to avoid me?”
“Anyone would stay clear of a groping demon like you,” Rika retorted, skillfully dodging having to answer that question.
“I don’t grope THAT much… Maybe five times a day or something,” Miki smirked.
“Oh, five times a day isn’t ‘that much’ to you, eh?” Rika finally stopped struggling, knowing that she couldn’t escape, “It is to everyone else.”
“It’s better than being shot at by some assassins five times a day, so you should be thankful that you’re in this house and that I, along with my sisters, are your guardians…” Rika’s skin began crawling with goosebumps, hearing Miki sound so husky and even lusty in her ears. Even though the other woman was right in a sense, that Rika would rather be molested by Miki than be killed by firing squads, but still…
“Don’t you have a million other people to go pining for besides me? I’m sure there’s better.”
“Nah, I’m too lazy to go out, so you will do…” Miki proceeded to nuzzle against Rika’s neck, leaving a wet trail of kisses, “And besides, you taste better than a lot of them…” Evidentally, this woman wasn’t all about flirting, she was good with her tongue too… For Rika felt herself growing flustered at the contact.
Of all the times I ACTUALLY want that spirit to take over, how come it isn’t happening?! Isn’t it supposed to take over me whenever I’m in situations like these?! Rika internally yelled at herself, trying to stop that inevitable blush that’s coming to her. She hated this woman advancing on her like that, but why did her advance have to be so… arousing?
“Please… Just stop it right now? I order you to stop,” Rika nearly pleaded if it weren’t for that strong tone in her voice. After a few seconds of not obeying that order, Miki’s bands proceeded to shock her, making her jump back at the familiar pain. “Thank you,” Rika said, referring to the bands as she rubbed at the places where Miki had kissed. “Now I order you to leave this room now.”
Miki didn’t question Rika’s words. She let out a smirk, nonverbally telling her that she was saved by the bands and won’t hesitate to keep going if she had lacked them before she left.
Rika sighed, letting herself collapse on the bed. This was her first day staying and Miki already tried to get into her pants? At least she figured how to use the bands efficiently. Just add use the “I order you” as a prefix and it will not be able to be disobeyed, otherwise Miki will be faced with electrical consequences.
“Let’s see how the rest of the day pans out. If the rest goes smoothly, I think I’ll be able to have a good night sleep.”
…And take a step closer…
The time of darkness rolled quickly onto the sky, turning all which it trailed behind into a darkness vaguely illuminated by the shining stars, giving the land beneath them a black and white visage. Some would call it creepy, for the spell of loneliness cast upon the world below would be bothersome and frightening. Some would call it beautiful, for the spell of shadows cast upon the world below would awe should admirers stop to gaze.
There was one admirer that did stop.
But this admirer was not fascinated by the imageries provided by the light of darkness.
She was interested in something else.
Someone else, rather.
Hitomi sat on a tree branch, side leaning against the tree trunk, watching Rika sleep by the window. With her given angle, she knew Miki wouldn’t be able to see her from her window, considering the wide gap between balconies. Unless that woman was crazy enough to jump across three meters of air to try and ravage the poor cursed woman or something...
“So weren’t you jealous when she kissed me?” Hitomi asked in a smile. “Were you thinking of me when she was kissing your neck?” That smile lessened.
“In truth, there was something in me that felt a little irked when she did that…” the guard crossed her arms as she leaned her head against the trunk as well. “So is that the feeling of jealousy? I can’t say I liked that feeling, but I’m going to have to get used to it. Not supposed to make myself stalking you known to you after all, Rika…”
She wondered if talking to herself was a favorite past time, but digressed.
“Emotions really are interesting… I wonder if any other amnesiac person feels new to this sort of thing as I am…” Hitomi straightened herself out, her back feeling awkward at an angle.
“You seem to make me question myself, and that’s a new thing, Rika… Normally I’d just do anything without really thinking about it. When I learned something new, I never asked questions, I just knew it as it is… But with you… Now you make me want to question things I’ve learned…Is that love? Or is it just the feeling of curiosity?”
Nothing answered her.
Only silence accompanied her.
“Which is it?”
“What’s the feeling that’s supposed to be ‘love’ like?”
A half-malicious grin.
A half-happy glare.
Together, a scheming smile.
“Only you could answer that, Rika.”
Closer to the end…
“Ah! A good sleep for once!” Rika stretched out her arms. This was the second night where her dream lacked spirits and blood and all that other gorey icky stuff she had hated. But then she blinked again. She sighed in relief afterwards though.
“First night in this house, eh?” the cursed woman rose in bed, looking around her. Everything was exactly as she remembered, so she didn’t worry about Miki trespassing. She was sure to lock the balcony too, in case that crazy chopstick woman was daring to make that big jump again. She rolled sluggishly off the bed, landing on her feet when she came to the end of it. Then she fixed the covers and the pillows to make it look like no one had ever touched it. Looking at the clock, it was seven in the morning. In another hour, she would have been preparing for her ten o’clock class, but that wasn’t the case here.
She had to become accustomed to a new life. Life without university. Life without normalcy. Life without Ayumi.
She wanted to hate it. She really did. But these people are protecting her from being killed. She had no choice.
Without a question, obligatory showering was needed.
Rika grabbed a set of clothes chosen for the day and a spare towel the family provided for her and went off to the bathroom of the upper floor.
Hitomi said Ayumi was fine but… With all those scars, are they even healing?
I wonder if Hitomi’s healing well too… The scars I gave her didn’t seem too bad…
Does the Shibata company know where I am?
They probably do, but it’s probably stupid of them to try and rush me while still here… So they must be plot—
She had happened to walk in on a fully naked Miki, who just got out of the shower.
Rika became flustered. Flustered with anger that is.
“Um… Hey?”
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW
“This is so WRONG!” Miki retorted as she rubbed her cheek with an ice pack. “YOU walked in on ME!”
“Who cares? It was disgusting to see in the morning!” Rika said as she ate some rice from the bowl she was holding with her chopsticks.
“What do you mean disgusting? I have what you have, so you’re saying the same about yourself!”
“What do you mean you have what I have? You have half of what I have!” Rika motioned to Miki’s chest with her chopsticks.
“OH NO YOU DIN’T!” Miki snapped her fingers three times in a diagonal manner like those of stereotypical American preps/cheerleaders.
“OH YES I DID! I WENT THERE!” Rika also snapped her fingers in the same manner.
“Bah, you’re only here because a woman past her prime made me bring you here!” Miki retorted as she hastily shoved the food in her mouth, unknown of the rather demonic presence towering behind her with glowing grey eyes with an aura that was even stronger than the devil’s.
Watching Rika’s rather frightened expression, Miki couldn’t help but wonder what sort of monster was behind her. But then the realization of the words she said before hit her… She slowly turned around, catching a very dark figure standing behind her…
“WHO’S PAST HER PRIME, HUH?! YOU PUNK!” Yuko screamed, “I ORDER YOU TO APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!”
“I’M—” Miki began her apology, but the electric shocks from the bands saw to her first and immediately, the chopstick woman began fidgeting abnormally and twitching from the unusually powerful shocks she was receiving at the moment. “I-I’M S-s-SOR-SORRY!” She managed to shout out amidst her electrocution.
“Itadakimasu~!” Yuko sat down, delightfully eating nonchalantly, ignoring the twitching sister next to her.
Then Miyabi came in, still in her pajama pants and T-shirt. Before she sat down, she sniffed the air, before looking down at Miki.
“Did you burn something, Neesan?”
How will each day from now on be like?
Hope there were a few nice giggles there xD I'll probably start enforcing the comment rule a little after chapter ten or so. SO YOU LURKERS BETTER ENJOY YOUR FREEDOM WHILE YOU CAN! <3
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dibs
I was amused by the chapter. Oh man, the hilarity. Haha, I'm too lazy for an indepth comment today. :P
Interesting how Miki assaults Rika but Rika didn't transform. Hm, so she actually has to care about the person before she gets affected by the transformation? Interesting. XD And I like how Rika kicked Miki's ass when she walked in on that groping demon. XDDD So illogical, but eh. And that argument afterwards...XDDD
Hm, scheming Yossi. You really like that caricature, don't you? :P
Oh, I almost forgot, otaku Nacchi~ <3333 XDDD I wonder what exactly is this project she told Yossi about? Mm.
Update soon~
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More than a few giggles, actually. Even if Miki was so pwn'd in this chappie, I really enjoyed reading it. After all, she managed to arouse Rika a little... :rofl:
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JFC! BRING ME AN AWESOME COMMENTARY AGAIN xD! I <3 your commentaries~!
/me blushes. :oops:
GANBARIMASU!!!
“Undergoing shock or just angry at the events which accumulated ‘til now?” Miki rested her arms on the table, on of which was raised so Miki could rest her head against it, losing all energy of the day’s events and now simply looking lazy, lethargic, and bored.
In other words, being normal for Miki. :P
“The Shibata family. They’ve killed women like you before. They would find anyone with any trace of that tennyo’s ancestry and eliminate them to prevent the tennyo from appearing. As for how they do that, I think they take the date of when they kill the maiden’s host and keep an eye on the people born on that death date.”
Damn, the Shibatas must have "eyes and ears" that reach far into every prefecture/city of Japan (and possibly even worldwide). To be to do this, they'd have to have records on their observations of these various families going back who knows how long! :o
“So the Shibata family… Are they only looking for the maiden that would resurface as a whole instead of just people who merely have the blood in them?”
You know what, I can't help but wonder now...just how well does Rika really know Shiba-chan? More importantly, under what circumstances did they first meet and become friends? As much as I hate to say it, I'm starting to wonder if their friendship was "planned" by the Shibatas to monitor Rika more closely. It could be that they had strong suspicions about the chances that she would be "the one".
“Don’t become too emo, I have the blood in me too,” Yuko said, holding her hand out in the air and then a on the other side of the tatami mat room they resided in, a scroll hanging on the wall unhooked itself, then rolled itself, and then came levitating towards Yuko’s hand, much to the shock of Miyabi and Rika (along with Miki and Kei, who had paused in their commotion to stare in awe).
“My power is telekinesis. I have the slight tennyo influence in me, but it’s definitely not like you, who is genuine descendant.”
WTF, Yuko had these abilities and NO ONE (not even Kei the housekeeper) knew about them??? How the hell did Yuko learn to control these powers so well, anyway?
It's probably a good thing that it's not Miki that can't do telekinesis like Yuko can, otherwise she'd be messing with girls' skirts/panties/bra straps long-distance style. :lol:
“Wait! So that means you cheated! All that throwing knife crap about you is fake because all you did was use your telekinesis to control your aim!”
“So what if it’s fake?! It’s still freaking useful and kept me alive in dreaded situations where I’ve been chased by bears when I was looking at hidden shrines in forests!”
Indeed. So long as it helps the end result, it's all good. :yep:
“Oh, one last thing…” Yuko said to Miki as she searched for something in the sleeve of her kimono, “Hmm… Where is it… Ah ha!” Yuko took out a rather interesting collar and what seemed to be matching wristbands. The design seem to irk Rika however, for it had the patterns of dark blue outlines of lotuses and butterflies sewn on black material. “The collar can stretch out really far, so you shouldn’t have problems putting it around your neck.”
“Weird lookin’, but I’ll wear it for awhile before I’ll rip it to shreds,” Miki said in a fake giddy high voice before putting on the aforementioned objects.
It didn’t look too bad, Rika thought to herself. The collar part did look a bit cute with Miki’s neck, and the wrist bands seem even bigger than the normal for it had extended from her wrist to almost her elbow…
“I call them the ‘bitch bands of doom’ and I made them myself!”
...
“Nevertheless, SUCKER~!” Yuko made a childish face by pulling on her bottom eyelid and sticking her tongue out, “now that you put them on, you can’t take them off unless we tennyo bloods permit you to!”
“Say what?!” Miki tried to go for her collar but as she pulled outstretched it too far trying to pull it off, there was an electric spark administered to her wristbands which caused her to scream out in pain. “Damn it…” Miki was laying on the floor, twitching and convulsing as if she was having a seizure, much to everyone else’s amusement.
Well, that's ONE way of keeping Miki from groping people when she's not supposed to. :rofl:
Oh wait! Yuko said that people with tennyo blood can control the bands, right? That means Rika can control them too, doesn't it??? XD
Miki’s room was just slightly organized, albeit messy and untidy.
...
Hanging on her walls were various paintings of… iron chefs? Rika blinked again, there was Hiroyuki Sakai, Masahiko Kobe, and many others of that famous melodramatic TV show. Miki’s bed was not made, but she was sure it was at least queen sized…
“Miki’s room, huh…?”
“Yeah, ignore the iron chefs, she has an obsession with that show. Since she’s a cook-to-be and all…” Miyabi waved her hand.
IRON CHEF!!! I (like this story's Miki-sama) LOVE THAT SHOW!!! :w00t:
BTW, Michiba-san FTMFW!!! :rockon:
(http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5035/michibadi1.jpg)
A queen-sized bed, eh? Miki must get lonely sleeping all by herself in that big ol' bed. :pimp:
“What do you mean I have to stay in the room next to her room?!” Rika yelled, pointing accusingly at Miki’s room.
“I dunno, assassins might come through your window?” Yuko shrugged, “Besides, Miyabi’s room is right across from your room.”
“Yeah but…!” Rika waved her pointing finger rapidly, “Miki will be ahead of the Shibatas! She’ll probably ravage me in my sleep or something!”
Oh come now, it wouldn't be THAT bad. Besides, Rika could always pretend it was Yossi instead of Miki. :twisted:
“Haha! As if! You know I just made her wear those bands just now!” Yuko laughed.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...way to plan ahead there Yuko. :thumbsup
“But please call me Nacchi, please? Please treat me well from now on~!”
Hitomi could have sworn that if they were speaking on a chatting service, Natsumi would have added a heart to just about everything she said.
I can definitely see Nacchi doing that! :hee:
“So tell me, Hitomi-san, what was it like meeting that maiden?” Natsumi became business-like all of a sudden, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on them.
“It was a little scary actually… She’s very powerful, despite appearances… I’m just glad I was armed before she could do any damage to me. But I discovered something about myself that was a little funky…”
“And that is?”
“I dunno… All of spells didn’t work on me. It’s like I have this invisible barrier protecting me… What did she call it again, ‘magic nullification’ she said it was?”
“My my, that’s interesting… I’ll have to look into that matter!” an odd glint appeared in Natsumi’s eyes, probably those of a mad scientist’s.
It's nice to see an outsider's POV on the situation. So far all we've seen or heard of Maki is just from the context of the family history of the Shibatas and from the folktale that Yuko told Rika. An outsider's POV can give insight that one might not otherwise have had they been otherwise involved.
I wonder if Nacchi might be able to figure out the "magic nullification" thing that protected Yossi? If so, they might be able to re-create it and have something to use as a defense against Maki's attacks.
Natsumi stroked her imaginary beard. “Magic nullification, huh? At least you will be useful in the future project…”
“Why isn’t anyone telling me about this future project?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you about the future project then; you’ll be a part of it anyway~!”
So it's already been determined that Yossi's going to be in this future project? Why is that? What if she regains her memories, will that disqualify or somehow invalidate her use in the project? If so, perhaps the Shibatas really have been lying to her about trying to find a way to help her. If that's the case, Yossi's gonna be pretty pissed.
Rika made sure to buy outfits that were nice and cheap to satisfy even the money savers. They bought enough outfits to mix and match for about a week’s worth before articles were to be reused. Rika argued that this was enough for her to use, but the other family retorted that she must absolutely buy more clothes so that she wouldn’t have to reuse clothing for about a month.As much as this went against Rika’s ‘code’ of outfit wearing, these were still the people who were giving her a roof (an expensive roof at that) to live under, therefore, she must abide by their rules or risk getting the crap beaten out of considering that these generous sisters were composed of a telekinetic lioness, a gunner ninja, and a groping demon who fought with chopsticks.
So Rika "gave in" and bought more clothes (which she herself would not actually pay for) so that she could live and be protected in a mansion, where she'd earn her keep helping with dance classes/cooking/tutoring?
Poor Rika, she has it so hard right now. [/sarcasm] :D
“Whaaat? It’s me, honey, what’s with the threatening glare, huh?” Miki pretended to look hurt and sound like she was offended with Rika’s defensive stance.
...
“Get out!” Rika brandished her coat hanger threateningly.
“Pssh, this is my house,” Miki scoffed, moving closer to Rika, who decided to dual wield coat hangers.
/me pictures Rika in a defensive stance, armed with "dual coat hangers".
...
...
:on lol:
Now we get to see if those collars will respond to Rika like how they responded to Yuko.
“Don’t you have a million other people to go pining for besides me? I’m sure there’s better.”
“Nah, I’m too lazy to go out, so you will do…” Miki proceeded to nuzzle against Rika’s neck, leaving a wet trail of kisses, “And besides, you taste better than a lot of them…” Evidentally, this woman wasn’t all about flirting, she was good with her tongue too… For Rika felt herself growing flustered at the contact.
Of all the times I ACTUALLY want that spirit to take over, how come it isn’t happening?! Isn’t it supposed to take over me whenever I’m in situations like these?! Rika internally yelled at herself, trying to stop that inevitable blush that’s coming to her. She hated this woman advancing on her like that, but why did her advance have to be so… arousing?
Well, I suppose yes and no would be the answer here. Yes, signs so far indicate that Maki emerges when Rika gets "aroused". But NO, it doesn't necessarily mean that she'll automatically come out every single time that Rika's heartbeat starts to pick up. In all likelihood the circumstances that allow Maki to emerge are probably more complex than one would initially imagine. Even though Miki right now has Rika in a situation where she can get "aroused", Rika won't see it, treat it, or react to it the same way because it's something that's basically being forced on her. She's not attracted to Miki, so it's not the same as when she was "aroused" by Yossi, whom Rika DOES find attractive.
“Please… Just stop it right now? I order you to stop,” Rika nearly pleaded if it weren’t for that strong tone in her voice. After a few seconds of not obeying that order, Miki’s bands proceeded to shock her, making her jump back at the familiar pain. “Thank you,” Rika said, referring to the bands as she rubbed at the places where Miki had kissed. “Now I order you to leave this room now.”
Miki didn’t question Rika’s words. She let out a smirk, nonverbally telling her that she was saved by the bands and won’t hesitate to keep going if she had lacked them before she left.
Rika probably just has to be firmer/more decisive in her tone when she issues an "order" like that. If she does that, then there probably won't be so much of a delay in the bands' reaction.
Incidentally, I wonder if Miki's gonna keep trying to push this to see how far she can get with Rika? :?
Hitomi sat on a tree branch, side leaning against the tree trunk, watching Rika sleep by the window. With her given angle, she knew Miki wouldn’t be able to see her from her window, considering the wide gap between balconies. Unless that woman was crazy enough to jump across three meters of air to try and ravage the poor cursed woman or something...
As we've just read, apparently she was. :grin:
“So weren’t you jealous when she kissed me?” Hitomi asked in a smile. “Were you thinking of me when she was kissing your neck?” That smile lessened.
If I didn't know better, I'd think that Yossi sounds like she wants/hopes that Rika WAS jealous and that Rika WAS thinking about her.
“In truth, there was something in me that felt a little irked when she did that…” the guard crossed her arms as she leaned her head against the trunk as well. “So is that the feeling of jealousy? I can’t say I liked that feeling, but I’m going to have to get used to it. Not supposed to make myself stalking you known to you after all, Rika…”
Exactly how long has Yossi been in that tree? She obviously does her job very, VERY well. The Shibatas also evidently have very good intelligence, considering that they must know Rika is here since Yossi is watching her.
“Ah! A good sleep for once!” Rika stretched out her arms.
...
She wanted to hate it. She really did. But these people are protecting her from being killed. She had no choice.
Without a question, obligatory showering was needed.
Rika grabbed a set of clothes chosen for the day and a spare towel the family provided for her and went off to the bathroom of the upper floor.
...
She had happened to walk in on a fully naked Miki, who just got out of the shower.
Hot dayum! NEKKID MIKI! :drool:
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW
“This is so WRONG!” Miki retorted as she rubbed her cheek with an ice pack. “YOU walked in on ME!”
“Who cares? It was disgusting to see in the morning!” Rika said as she ate some rice from the bowl she was holding with her chopsticks.
Beating up a wet, nekkid woman first thing in the morning...what a way to start the day. :shakeit:
I have what you have, so you’re saying the same about yourself!”
“What do you mean you have what I have? You have half of what I have!” Rika motioned to Miki’s chest with her chopsticks.
“OH NO YOU DIN’T!” Miki snapped her fingers three times in a diagonal manner like those of stereotypical American preps/cheerleaders.
“OH YES I DID! I WENT THERE!” Rika also snapped her fingers in the same manner.
OHSNAP!!! :hiakhiakhiak:
“Bah, you’re only here because a woman past her prime made me bring you here!” Miki retorted as she hastily shoved the food in her mouth, unknown of the rather demonic presence towering behind her with glowing grey eyes with an aura that was even stronger than the devil’s.
Watching Rika’s rather frightened expression, Miki couldn’t help but wonder what sort of monster was behind her. But then the realization of the words she said before hit her… She slowly turned around, catching a very dark figure standing behind her…
“WHO’S PAST HER PRIME, HUH?! YOU PUNK!” Yuko screamed, “I ORDER YOU TO APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!”
“I’M—” Miki began her apology, but the electric shocks from the bands saw to her first and immediately, the chopstick woman began fidgeting abnormally and twitching from the unusually powerful shocks she was receiving at the moment. “I-I’M S-s-SOR-SORRY!” She managed to shout out amidst her electrocution.
“Itadakimasu~!” Yuko sat down, delightfully eating nonchalantly, ignoring the twitching sister next to her.
Then Miyabi came in, still in her pajama pants and T-shirt. Before she sat down, she sniffed the air, before looking down at Miki.
“Did you burn something, Neesan?”
Too much EPICNESS and WINZ for me to make a sufficiently adequate comment other than:
Miki calling Yuko "Past her Prime" - :mon sigh:
Rika sees Yuko behind Miki - :scared:
Miki puzzled - :dunno:
Yuko - :temper: :scolding: :angry1:
Miki - :dizzy: :imdead:
Yuko - :mon corn: :mon noodle:
Miyabi looking at Miki on the floor - :mon huh:
JFC - :mon lmao:
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Just to jump start this thread a bit since it was feeling lonely with just Estrea, Sai, Loser, JFC, and Glcorps commenting on it the majority of the time D:
What do you think of this story thus far? Is it any better than the first OCG? Worse than the first OCG? Tell me why you think so about one or the other.
...Because I do intend to create Eight OCG's in all.
Because I'm insane like that xD
Nevertheless, give me your input about the sort of genre I should pursue. The first four OCGs are mainly experiments. The next four I haven't planned yet, except for six which was actually the door to Darkness if you remember that poem thing back in the first thread.
But my main question is, I want you all to compare the two OCGs. What was exclusive to this and exclusive to that? Actually, you don't have to answer that one, it's a stupid question. Just compare them and tell me which one you think is better and tell me why xD
I really shouldn't be asking this since this IS still just the 'beginning'...
There's definitely going to be shocking situations in the future.
And I WILL warn you all ahead of time. Something that was amiss in OCG 1 will be present in OCG II: Death.
Excuse my disgressing again, but anywho :]...
Big question: Which one sucks and which one's better and tell me why you think the other's better. xD
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Okay, I like OCG II better than OCG I because II is less confusing :D! Also, OCG II has nice pacing, with serious chapters mized in with funny chapters, rather than the bigass block of soft fuzzy funny stuff, and then a bigass block of me smashing my computer because I hate Rika so much. And also, two words and an acronym that sum up what was supposed to be my craptastic former chapter comment.
Fujimoto. Family. FTMFW.
That is all. *skips off to write his amazingly craptastic fanfic as well as escaping from Yuu-sama for having such a short comment*
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Ok, I'm coming out of lurk mode because I feel real guilty about:
1) It got to me when I read your "jump start this thread a bit since it was feeling lonely"
2) Not commenting on such a great story.
I've read every chapter and this story is just so addicting. I find this being one of the stories on the top of my list that I hope are updated frequently.
Now Comparing it too OCG I, I never read that story because I didn't really discover it until it's late chapters, and it was hard to catch up, but I went back and read some chapters and understood the plot. I liked what I read. Comparing that to OCG II, I defiantly prefer OCG II, the plot, the characters' personalities. Anways, I have to agree with Tanachan on this one;
Fujimoto. Family. FTMFW.
but let me just add; Fujimoto. Family. FTMFW. X2!!
I love that family
Wow, and I also can't believe you plan on writing 8 OCG's. Seeing how long the first one was.. You'll probably become our H!P fanfic's J.K Rowling or something :lol:
~~~~~~~~~
Now I know you get long comments, but that was the longest comment I've ever left for a story. I'm going to to England on the 26th and won't be back til August 8th, so, just incase you update while I'm gone, sorry if you don't get my comments.
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What do you think of this story thus far? Is it any better than the first OCG? Worse than the first OCG? Tell me why you think so about one or the other.
...Because I do intend to create Eight OCG's in all.
Personally, I'm loving it. It's totally different from the first OCG, so it's hard for me to say that one is better than the other. What I CAN say is that I love the way you mix the serious/dramatic moments with the funny/silly ones. It helps keep the readers coming back if you stir things around a bit.
But WTF 8 OCGs? What are you, insane??? :O
Because I'm insane like that xD
Ah, okay then. :P
And I WILL warn you all ahead of time. Something that was amiss in OCG 1 will be present in OCG II: Death.
You better not kill Miki...or...or...or...
...
...
/me tries to think of a suitable threat
...
...
OR I WON'T DO MY LEET COMMENTARIES ANYMORE! :scolding:
Anyways, with the OCG 1:
- definitive lead character (Reina)
- love story (ReinaxMaki)
- setting remains within the "H!P world" (i.e. the girls are all still in H!P)
- many more side-stories (e.g. Aichan's trying to break the curse; Rika's split-personalities; Erika pining for Yui; etc.), sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight, especially when you'd jump from one to another with each new chapter.
With OCG 2:
- a single, main focus for the story (Shibata-clan VS Rika)
- H!P girls in a "non-H!P world"
- an old fight being fought in modern times (Maki VS those that wronged her)
- a "wildcard" character (Yossi)
- no significant "love story" (Rika's crush on Yossi doesn't count, nor does it currently compare with ReinaxMaki in OCG1)
That's all I can think of for now. Seeing as how the current story is unfinished, it's not really right to say that one is better than the other, IMO. After all, we don't know what lies in store in future chapters. Comparing a completed story to an uncompleted one just isn't right. You can't compare a cake that's fully baked and topped with icing to one that's only partway through the baking process. The comparison would be totally off and invalid.
One thing I WILL say...MIKI-SAMA FTMFWMF!!! :rockon:
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Well I did say it was the 'beginning' after all xD
I'm going to ask this question again after 25 chapters or so xD
-
^ does that mean I don't have to answer? hehe
I'll answer anyway, I like this one better. Mainly because there's that huge-battle-at-the-beginning-middle-and-end theme going on.. My all time fav type of fics, story books, movies and drama's are battle types. Plus side is that mini love story going on.. Double, triple, fourple(its not called fourple is it?) plus side is cuz this fic is more focused on Rika and Yossi. The comparison part I'll do when you ask again after 25 chapters.
.... 8???... 8?!... 8 OCGs???!! You trying to kill your brain cells or something?
OH and I didn't comment on this chapter yet... soo.. MY TURN
Hilarious chapter there, pretty much..
ahh well some parts were confusing.. well the numbers part to be exact. Gotta agree with Miki there, many numbers confuse me. Still loving scheming Yossi, in both OCG1 and 2 even if they are both slightly different forms of scheming.. I like, absolutely love, how you add in comedy with the serious parts. AND how Yuuko treats Miki.. awesome! Oh and Yossi talking to herself is funny. lastly... When will Shibacchan awake? and Will she have like a 'must kill Rika' mentality going on once she does wake up?
-DONE-
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Ah, of course. Update while I'm gone. -_-; And don't smack me ; ;! I watched that episode a LONG time ago damnit! -_-;
Okay, on with the comment. I love the Fujimoto family~! -hugs them all- XD Now that I think about it, I could picture them being related in real life by their personalities O_O;;
This chapter was awsome, so funny. <3 Saikami loves funny :D (as you know)
Rika oddly manages to fit in, in some weird awkward way, but she still manages to fit in XD Don't ask how that made sense, but that's how I picture her in the household. She wont admit it, but she loves it there! ;] Who wouldn't want to live in a house with three crazy demonic girls? :D
I pictured Miki's room exactly how you described it, except without the chefs, but since she is a lovely cook here, I support the random Iron Chefs on the walls! :mon thumb: Yuko's room seems somewhat intimidating, just like her. xD And as for Miyabi, I pictured her to be a bit more messy, but over all pretty simple like you said.
...I LOVE TWITCHY MIKI XD That poor, poor groping demon. XD Gahh damn, that must suck, but it's oh-so funny to read about. Too bad she can't mess around with Rika though D:...well, Yossie'd kick her ass XD
Speaking of Yossie, her conversation with Nacchi made me roffle. Nice one there, cousin. XD Kilik, eh? XD;;
Write more~!
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Oho, it's only going to become more interesting xD
So now there are other factors playing with Rika and Maki's transformation into eachother, as most of you concluded. It may seem like it's complicated, but it's really one simple thing. But I think I might end up complicating it even further with this chapter xD
Twitchy Miki = <3
I felt bad for not giving Miyabi so many lines in that chapter :/
I tried to make it up here.
But failed >______>;
At least she has more lines xD
Nevertheless, I got sad at the loneliness of this thread.
SO I'MA IMPLEMENT COMMENT RULES AGAIN >D
But I'll be easy on people o-o
So.
In order for me to start writing the next chapter and post it...
I need either five lovely indepth comments, or ten half-assed comments xD
JFC is special, he counts as two good comments <3
Next post is chapter xD
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xD -frolicks with the butterflies-
Chapter 9: Dearly Beloved
Love has many forms.
“How is the progress of your mission?” Kagami asked, keeping a stern face as he looked at Ayumi’s sleeping face.
“It’s going well this past week. Ishikawa, however, never transformed since,” Hitomi sighed, pushing the curtains of the window aside to permit the rays through the glass.
“Also, you refuse to tell me where she currently resides. You claim that her hosts came to your condo and took her, giving you their family name by accident…” Kagami looked at his watch, seeing how it is the eighteenth hour of the day.
“…And then I looked up the family, and found out where Ishikawa was,” Hitomi continued, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “I’m sorry for my slight defiance, but I would rather not disclose her location. She needs rest, Chief.”
“Hmm… I can not say I am against your cause, but as a result, you are the only one in this project to know where the tennyo is.”
“But there’s something else I contributed, right? Something that has your interests at this moment, one that Abe-san is currently occupied with?”
“Ah yes, you were the one who fought the maiden. After she collapsed, you had taken a blood sample from the stiletto wound and then came to us, presenting blood sample of that maiden. Even now, we are still attempting to analyze it and study it.”
“But you’ve been busy, Chief. The Shibata International Company, which is the trading firm side, right? And you’re also the head of the extension, Shibata Corps.”
“Ah yes… The biochemical side…” Kagami adjusted his glasses. “Though, I may be the head of the extension, my father runs the main company. Though, I can see a future where I will soon lead that main company too…”
“Lovely. I can not wait until I see that CEO title,” Hitomi smiled, hoping for the man to dismiss her quickly.
“Say, have you ever wondered about the scars my cousin has?” Kagami asked, looking at the aforementioned woman.
“I do, from time to time,” Hitomi looked at the face of Ayumi again, “Do you know?”
“There has been a family rumor that our ancestor, the one who had taken the tennyo’s robes, was slashed to death. Supposedly, that’s what these scars are supposed to represent.”
“Slashed to death you say? That’s interesting…” Hitomi became intrigued with Ayumi’s lacerations now that she has heard the story behind them. “What are we going to do if she wakes up?”
“It depends on how she acts. If she shows signs that her ancestor is possessing her, then it’s good for the project. If she is still ‘normal’ to say the least, and if she does not have the memories, we will try to restore the memories of her past and see if we can figure out anything beneficial for the project.”
“So when are we incorporating Rika into the project?”
Bad move, Hitomi thought. She accidentally called her by her first name in front of the Chief…
“I didn’t know you were on a first name basis with the tennyo, Hitomi. That’s new…” Kagami retracted his gaze from Ayumi and turned to look at Hitomi with scanning eyes. “What is your relationship with her?”
“I’m…. I’m not sure…” Hitomi became uneasy with the questioning. “The maiden, before she fought me, called her ‘that foolish lovesick human’ or something along those lines… I guess it’s been occupying my mind for awhile…”
“The tennyo’s host likes you, ne?” Kagami rested his elbows on his knees, and then rested his chin on his entwined fingers. “What is your point of view of the situation?”
“I think it’s probably due to amnesia, but now I’m just… really curious if what the maiden said was true… And it’s been making me restless, especially when I’m not doing the surveillance of her. I just keep thinking about her and want to question her feelings for me, but that would defeat one of the main points of the mission where it said I was to never reveal myself during surveillance.”
“This is a first for you isn’t it?” Kagami said in a half-smile.
“What is?”
“Being lonely.”
“So that’s what it was, wasn’t it?” Hitomi looked out the window again, “If this is loneliness, then I hate it. I don’t want to have such an unnecessary and hideous feeling like that plaguing my mind so frequently. I would rather feel something else than loneliness.”
“It’s up to you on whether you want to resolve it or not. But there is one thing I advise you not to do,” Kagami stood up, catching Hitomi’s attention again.
“The one thing I shouldn’t do, Chief?”
“Try not to fall in love with her.”
“In what way will it cause trouble?” Hitomi took a stronger stance and a lower voice, unaware that she sounded quite defensive.
“It will burden you and your future in the project, and it will also burden her among the many burdens she bears by having a second spirit within her. Especially the one that seems to arise whenever she feels aroused, as you have concluded in your reports of her. For the sake of this project and for the sake of regaining your memories, I’m sorry about this, but I simply have to advise you to not fall in love with Ishikawa Rika.”
“So be it.”
“I’ll see you attending to Ayumi’s bedside again at 4 AM.”
“I will be here as you wish.”
“You are dismissed.”
Love has many outlooks.
Hachu! Rika sneezed aloud, much to her bemusement since it was so sudden.
“A single sneeze must be somebody’s rumor of you,” Miyabi raised a brow, “Need a tissue?”
“No thanks, I’m fine,” Rika waved her hand dismissively.
A week with the Fujimoto family was not as bad as Rika expected. Despite eccentric behaviors, they all really seem like the normal dysfunctional family.
Yuko would always prowl about the lower floors, teaching her classes the arts of traditional dancing. Now that the power Yuko held was known to Rika and the others, she then used it freely around them, often throwing random sharp objects at Miki whenever she was burdened with excessive boredom. Sometimes, she would even walk by with a bottle of beer floating behind her. Her nickname for Rika, “Charmy,” had also stuck to Rika as her permanent nickname from Yuko. It was pretty much cemented after the cursed woman, out of distaste of idleness, began purposely annoying Yuko which had caused her to say something out of the lines of ‘how can you live up to being ‘Charmy’ if you don’t act charming, huh?’ and then it stuck ever since.
Miki wasn’t attending university (and Rika wasn’t so shocked to find that Miki was a month younger than her) but was instead, attending a school which unsurprisingly deals with food. Otherwise, she would either be cooking something or sitting in her room watching movies the entire day-off. Rika does have to admit though, Miki really was a great cook as her sisters claim her to be. In fact, she was sure that Miki could go and challenge the iron chefs themselves if the show had not stopped. Obviously, they had not got along better since day one. Rika found that the best way to annoy Miki was to act like her positive self—that is, not acting like her age and acting cute. It was a successful technique rather, for Miki would always call Rika disgusting whenever she made a narcissistic comment or tried to hard to be cute appealing. Though, on Miki’s birthday (surprisingly a few days after Ayumi’s), Rika decided she would be nice just once and did not subject Miki to the harsh punishment of electrocution and took her out for morning coffee.
Unlike her older sister, Miyabi actually found Rika’s cuteness appeal to be successful and obviously, cute. Had Miki done the same thing, Miyabi told Rika that the chopstick woman could never be as feminine as Rika. The sniper was actually pretty active, probably due to her young age, the cursed woman thought. She seemed rather energetic when she came back from junior high, if one would call getting pissed at one’s sister energetic. She can’t pinpoint it exactly, but Rika would always find it amusing whenever Miki and Miyabi fought. When she would get home, Miyabi would eat a snack and then she would go out with friends or do some practices which involved flicking coins at targets in the garden. Rika realized with that target practice that Miyabi liked to keep her abilities in tact, contradicting her lazy sister. Then at night time, Miyabi would work on her homework, occasionally asking Rika for help pertaining to the work.
Kei was a rather interesting house keeper to say the least. She had a rather extensive knowledge of pop culture, surprising Rika that she actually knew what Rika was talking about. Although there was none of the sort at the mansion, Kei also knew how to play various instruments such as the piano and flute. The house keeper was just as amusing as the sibling arguments, for she didn’t seem to realize that she was incomparable to superstars. One of the celebrities she frequently associates with was Chisato Moritaka, for sharing the same frivolous attitude in things (Kei also argues looks, but Rika would always deny her of it).
It would be considered a lie if Rika said she still wasn’t used to the entire thing in general. She liked the laid back attitudes of everyone, and met a few nice people from helping in Yuko’s dancing classes. She was a good help to Miyabi and was nice to her friends whenever she saw them. Helping Miki in the kitchen wasn’t so bad either, save for an occasional grope or two. She had to say though, watching Miki being so obsessive with the correctness of food preparation was sort of cute, as opposed to her normally indifferent attitude towards everything else.
It was ‘show her a kitchen and she’s happy’ indeed.
“Hmm… I guess there’s one proverb defied…”
“Eh?” Miki turned her head a bit, distracting herself from using Miyabi’s computer.
“One Life, One Meeting, do you know that four-character idiom?” Rika looked over at Miki.
“Duh, of course,” Miki waved her hand. “What about it?”
“There’s the spirit within me, so she must have had like, twenty or so lives, but she never had meetings, you know? Isn’t that funny?” Rika giggled a bit.
“Ah, that’s lovely,” Miki gave an exasperated sigh. “You and your lame jokes.”
“Come to think of it, even when you’re speaking about normal things, you’d laugh about it too, Rika-san,” Miyabi giggled.
“I can’t help it~!” Rika let out a cute pout.
“Creepy~!” Miki mocked Rika’s voice, holding herself as if she had the shivers. “Aren’t you like, twenty-two?”
“So are you~!”
“Sheesh! Haven’t you heard that ‘shame is written off the road’ saying? I’m going to write you off!” Miki turned the chair completely, facing Rika.
“Do you even know what that one means?” Miyabi gave Miki a skeptical look.
“Uh… Yeah…?”
“You don’t,” Miyabi and Rika said in sync.
“Bah, I’m not going to even bother answering. Just because there’s a saying like that doesn’t mean I have to go out of my way to do something shameful.”
Rika crossed her arms, shut her eyes and nodded as if she was a kung fu teacher, “Wise choice.”
“Come now, don’t be insulting to me, I own this house too!”
“But this is my room, I even labeled it!” Miyabi pointed at the rather small scribble on the shoji door, written in a very messy calligraphy, “I wrote it when I was 4!”
“What the hell?” Miki laughed, “why would you go as far as to do that?”
“Labeling one’s own room!” Rika joined in on the laughter.
“I just said, I wrote it when I was four!”
The rest of the evening faired out pretty well. It was midnight when Miyabi had trouble trying to word out an essay she had to write for her science class. As a help, Rika tried writing her own version of the prompt question, while Miki also wrote out of her boredom. But they were both useless to Miyabi’s essay because Rika’s essay barely touched up on the question at all (too many sentimentalities) while Miki’s was on the right track but not exactly what Miyabi was looking for (too many wrong pieces of information) so the youngest ended up doing the essay on her own terms, borrowing a few good-sounding sentences from Rika and Miki as she did so.
After Miki finished her piece of writing, she went back to her own room. Since the essay was the last thing Miyabi needed help with, Rika also left shortly after Miki did. As soon as Rika settled in her bed for the night, her neighborhood groping demon just HAD to turn the music on loud.
“Can’t she keep it down to herself..?!” Rika complained with a sullen face.
She tried to sleep.
Insert heavy bass music here.
She rolled over on her stomach and tried to sleep.
Insert the next song which had an even heavier bass to it.
She placed the pillow over her head and tried to sleep.
Insert more songs with an emphasized bass here.
She curled into a ball and tried to sleep.
Oh look! A ballad!
She rested easier.
Oh shit. Back to heavy bass.
Rika has had it for the past three hours and a half. Why didn’t someone go up to her and complain about the loudness of the music? Then again, Miyabi did happen to mention that she, herself is a fairly heavy sleeper and that Yuko is on the other side of the building, so she wouldn’t be able to hear it…
Was Miki doing this on purpose? Rika wondered to herself. To anyone else, the music wasn’t that loud, but to Rika, even a meter that took up just one-fifth of the full volume bar would bother her during sleep. Deciding that she has had enough of the annoying music, Rika rose from bed and immediately proceeded into Miki’s room.
“Hey! Don’t you have a sansa or something you could listen to? I’d rather not hear your music!” Rika tried to say in a loud voice, but not loud enough to be heard by the other people of the floor.”
“I can listen to whatever I want in my room,” Miki said boredly, sitting on a cushion at the low table in the middle of the room.
“At least have SOME feeling for the people around your room—” Rika began, but then something caught her eye as soon as she said those last two words…
Miki wasn’t wearing her bands…
…And Rika was in Miki’s room…
“I’m going to talk from the balcony!” Rika bolted out of Miki’s room, swerving to enter her room (and lock it) and then went out the balcony door.
Soon enough, Miki lazily drawled into her own balcony, and then sat on the thick ledge with her back facing Rika. “What’s the weird attitude, dear? Afraid I might ravage you now that my bands are off?” her head was turned so that Rika could barely see the outline of her nose.
“Just remember that if you do try something, I will not hesitate in beating you like I have before.”
“Ouch. Hostile. But I like having fun with people like that,” a rather naughty tone was implied in Miki’s voice as she said it.
“Only in your dreams,” Rika retorted, letting her arms cross on her balcony ledge and then resting her head on it. “Why not do whatever to Yuko-san? She’s not even related to you, so this school would be more in place with your hands because you’re the one directly related, right?”
Rika heard a click which made her curious. She looked up to find that Miki had a small remote control in her hand and that she had shut off the music with it. Did she make Miki angry with that statement? Did she reach a taboo topic. Rika can’t exactly imagine what would happen if Miki became really angry at her, for her normal personality is pretty biting. Would that mean when she’s angry, she would tear limbs off…?
“Well…”
Miki broke the awkward silence.
“I was the one who asked to live here, so I’m not complaining with the way Yuko’s running this house hold.”
“Oh…” was all Rika could muster from the repertoire of words in her head.
“This is just one of the random branches of the main house, the Fujimoto school of Japanese Dance. My Dad opened most of them, this one included. I was supposed to own this one, but as you see, because of my ‘incompetence,’ my old man went as far as to adopt Yuko, a close family friend of our’s, into the family so she could run this school. So yeah, she’s been running this branch ever since.”
“What about your incompetence that made your father go as far as to do that?”
“I thought you could figure that out with my personality, but it mainly has to do with my obsession.”
“You mean cooking?” Rika tilted her head so that she was really resting it on her arms.
“Yeah, I don’t dance. Cooking is more of my thing. My mom was a really good cook, but she died when I was starting middle school. You see, I really hated everyone else’s cooking. It all really sucked, so I decided that I should cook my own food. Guess I’ve been doing it ever since.”
“And your father?”
“Back at the main house, he’s still single though.”
“Do you not get along with him?”
Miki was silent.
Seeing how Rika might have hit a nerve with that question, she decided to avoid asking that again.
The silence was also rather uncomfortable, so she decided to comment on something else.
“You and Yuko-san really act like sisters, you know? Ayumi and I are like that too…
Ayumi… Are you alright? How have you been doing since? I want to see you again to make sure you’re alright…
“Hmm… Yeah… I guess it’s fortunate to have Miyabi. I’m lucky I have a family to talk to…”
Family…
Hitomi…
Hitomi can’t even talk to anyone… She knows nothing about herself…There’s no family she could look to... She’s so…
So lonely…
“What about you? What family do you have?”
“I’m a middle child. But my family lives far from me. My father is doing business overseas, my mother is also in the same line of work as my father. My younger sister is attending high school back in my home town… And my older sister is also a university student, but she’s also far away from me, further than my younger sister.”
“Do you keep in contact often?”
“Well… I guess we drifted apart… Well, my sisters and I, really. We used to be close when we were living together, but ever since we went off to college, we just never bothered to keep our bond. Our parents too, I guess…”
“Do they know that you dropped out of your education?”
“Yeah, I gave them an excuse that I needed a break, that I will return to university when I feel up to spirit again.”
“They don’t find it a waste of money?” Miki scooted closer to the wall, leaning against it, though her back was still turned to Rika.
“I don’t think they even care anymore… Besides, we’re a wealthy family too, so it’s not that hard paying for it again.”
“Quite the family huh?”
“I’m not sure if I could even call them a family anymore…” Rika looked down at the garden below, eyes half lidded with a tinge of sadness to them.
“Say… If it ain’t too much, would you consider us your family now? Not as a replacement, if that offends you, but I don’t know how long that spirit will stay inside of you. So maybe you should think of us as your family for now, s’all good with you?”
Miki…
“Haha, thanks,” Rika smiled.
I guess you’re not that bad after all…
“Oh gahh…” Miki looked up into the night sky.
Rika was baffled to Miki’s random outburst, but then found out why she made the outburst in the first place.
It was starting to rain.
“Completely forgot about the weather report…” Miki let out a sigh.
“You wake up early to cook breakfast, right? Aren’t you going to have like, five hours of sleep?” Rika got up, prepared to come back into her room before getting too wet.
“Nah, I’m used to tight sleeping schedules. S’all good. Anywho, good night,” and with that, Miki jumped off the ledge and went back into her room, and then shut off the lights.
Rika decided to take the time to soak in the rain. And she also took the time to think.
So she really isn’t that bad after all… Miyabi was right, even though she may seem like that, she’s actually reliable…
But she still won’t compare to Hitomi…
The rain was falling faster than she expected, so she turned to the door in order to get in. But something had caught her eye as she did so.
Hitomi’s reflection was on her glass balcony door.
Love is a good emotion.
Rika turned around suddenly, alarmed at the sudden presence which had somehow nestled herself on a tree branch.
“What are you doing here? How did you find this place? How long were you in that tree?”
Did she hear the conversation too?
Oh gahh…
What if she misinterprets our talk as me liking that demon?
What will I do if she gets angry?
“I wanted to see you.”
The look that Hitomi gave Rika made her want to embrace her. The rain made her tresses wave in a pattern that made her look for a lack of a better word, extremely hot. The eyes of Hitomi had an especially piercing gaze that could possibly make Rika explode and then melt.
But she had to stay emotionless.
She didn’t want the spirit to come out.
Especially not now…
“Does this have to do with your job?” Rika kept a focused glare at Hitomi, hoping that adding a bit of hatred to the object of her affections would lessen the possibility of her transforming right there on the balcony.
“My job does not start until twenty-five more minutes. I am a free woman at the moment.”
“So that’s how it is, huh?” Rika fixated her eyes on Hitomi’s, “whenever you’re not on your job, you think you can just waltz up to me and act all carefree, and then when you are on your job, you’re just going to try and kill me? What kind of person are you? Are you just bipolar or what? Or are you just playing games with me? Are you enjoying this?”
The enigma remained silent.
“Can’t you answer me?”
“I’m… I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, honestly. This time, I wanted to see you out of my own accord—not out of orders,” Hitomi’s eyes gazed elsewhere, not wishing to meet the contemptuous glare aimed for her.
“How can I believe you?” Rika looked down at her feet, feeling defeated. “How could I believe anything you say?”
All that answered her was the pestering rain hitting the rock tile road of the garden beneath them.
Rika heard the shuffling of leaves and looked up to see what Hitomi was doing. As she slowly lifted her head, she saw feet dangling against the wall. When she looked further up, she saw hands gripping the edges of the ledge wall closest to Rika. Further up was a body learning forward, and with that body, the head sank slightly, since the shoulders were higher than usual from the heavily dependant grip of the ledge.
Rika became flustered.
“Well, you would believe me… Because you love me, right?” Hitomi wondered if it was the correct time to ask, for Rika’s expression was unreadable, and she definitely wasn’t sure if the woman was to transform if the guard had said that. The enigma pressed her finger tips to the wall harder, feeling tense from the sudden apprehension in the air.
“I…” Rika began, “I can’t really respond on what you said before…” There. She said it. She had to keep avoiding things that would cause her blood to cool instead of heat up. If she could stay like that, she won’t be able to transform.
“I see…” Hitomi tilted her head as she looked onto the floor.
“But…”
Hitomi looked up at Rika in the eyes again, finding that they no longer bore an unexplainable tint of contempt.
“I can’t say I will deny what you said before…” Rika tried to keep her face as emotionless as possible when she said that.
Hitomi blinked, then smiled at the thought of that truth that she had been seeking.
“How is Ayumi? Has she awakened yet?” Rika’s expression soften.
“No, she still hasn’t woken up. We moved her to the residential floor of the main Shibata Company. She’s in good hands. They won’t do anything bad to her.”
“I see… I’m glad…” Rika gave a sigh of relief.
“Yeah… For now, we just have to pray that she wakes up is all.”
Rika let out an affirmative noise, agreeing with the bronze-red haired woman. But then, she felt tears come out of her eyes for some reason…
Was it because Ayumi’s health was questionable?
Was it because she isn’t able to see Ayumi?
Was it because Hitomi seemed indifferent when Rika practically admitted that she loved her?
“I’m being stupid again…” Rika lowered her head, trying to wipe her tears with her lower arm.
“How so?”
“I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t cry anymore…” Rika sniffled, unaware that she was walking towards the enigma sitting on her ledge.
Hitomi was unsure of the sight before her. There was this feeling within her that felt foreign to her. She watched as Rika clung to the closest thing to her.
And that was Hitomi herself.
She kept her hands glued to the ledge, not changing position since Rika chose to wrap her arms around Hitomi’s waist loosely. The enigma felt the cursed woman’s hands cling to her back tightly as Rika cried into her chest.
“Crying like that isn’t going to help anything, you know…” Hitomi scolded softly, but realized the error of her choice in words since Rika continued weeping.
But having someone embrace her like this…
This feeling…
It’s like all my fatique is melting away…
Something radiating from within me…
“The feeling I’m experiencing…”
Rika looked up at Hitomi with bemusement, the rain pestering her face so that the tears had blended in.
“If this feeling is love… Then I’m no longer a stranger to it…”
Rika felt a pulsation, but it wasn’t the familiar pulsation that was the cause of her being condemned to death those many times.
But it wasn’t the pulsation of her beating heart either…
This pulsation was happening where the tattoo would appear, just like it normally would…
But why was it so soft?
And so painless?
Was the spirit giving her blessings or something?
“Hitomi…” Rika looked up at the taller, her arms still wrapped around the other.
It was too inevitable that such an event should happen.
As they locked gazes with each other, a powerful yet slow-acting magnetic spell was cast upon them. Not even the rain could dispel such a strong magic. What sort of magic was strong enough to compel their heads towards each other like this?
Passion.
A kind passion.
A beloved passion.
And they had felt that passion bind them together when their lips touched for the first time.
But the worst thing…
Her breath became caught in her throat when she saw them.
Normally, she would never be phased when this sort of thing happened…
But when she slept, she would always leave her balcony door slightly open to let some air in. However, as she tried to sleep, she heard voices outside. One of them was someone familiar, while the other was definitely Rika…
There had been a silence amidst the rain, and she became curious. Thus she got out of bed and stood at the corner of the balcony door furthest from Rika’s balcony, allowing curiosity to witness the scene transpiring.
Curiosity can lead to things that she never wanted to know.
Curiosity can lead to things completely predictable.
Curiosity can lead to things completely unpredictable.
But curiosity can be the cause of something grasping one’s heart.
Just like now.
She had regretted her curiosity.
This was completely uncalled for.
She hated it.
No one was able to even look at her heart.
Let alone grip it tightly.
Why did Rika making out with that woman cause Miki to feel such unwanted anger?
That might also come out of love…
It was raining…
It was completely dark…
It was painful…
She stirred slightly…
She realized she was bedridden…
And that she was aching all over her body…
Then she opened her eyes, met with darkness yet again.
She attempted to sit up, only to feel absolutely horrible from her injuries. Letting out a grunt, the scarred woman became frustrated.
But memories came pouring into her…
Her birthday…
Her family clad in black…
That hand…
“Where is Rika…?”
Is jealousy.
Remember dears, five lovely comments or ten half-assed ones xD
-
JFC is special, he counts as two good comments <3
Awww. :wub:
Maybe I shouldn't post comments to see if others will post theirs instead. :P
Nah. Guess I can't help it.
“How is the progress of your mission?” Kagami asked, keeping a stern face as he looked at Ayumi’s sleeping face.
“It’s going well this past week. Ishikawa, however, never transformed since,” Hitomi sighed, pushing the curtains of the window aside to permit the rays through the glass.
“Also, you refuse to tell me where she currently resides. You claim that her hosts came to your condo and took her, giving you their family name by accident…” Kagami looked at his watch, seeing how it is the eighteenth hour of the day.
Knowing this must really be frustrating to Kagami, as it means that Rika is still alive, as is Maki. She's just there, going about her business (whatever that may be) at the dance studio where Yossi's been observing her. To him, she (Maki) should be either dead or be under his control. Being out of the loop like this is something that he's not used to.
“…And then I looked up the family, and found out where Ishikawa was,” Hitomi continued, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “I’m sorry for my slight defiance, but I would rather not disclose her location. She needs rest, Chief.”
There's got to be more to it than this. Why is Yossi really giving Rika this much time to recuperate? Is she genuinely concerned for Rika? Is she looking for another, perhaps final confrontation with Maki?
“But you’ve been busy, Chief. The Shibata International Company, which is the trading firm side, right? And you’re also the head of the extension, Shibata Corps.”
“Ah yes… The biochemical side…” Kagami adjusted his glasses. “Though, I may be the head of the extension, my father runs the main company. Though, I can see a future where I will soon lead that main company too…”
“Lovely. I can not wait until I see that CEO title,” Hitomi smiled, hoping for the man to dismiss her quickly.
Hmmm...so Kagami seems to be the ambitious one in the family, and he's looking to be the head of the Shibata empire. Could it be that he has some secret agenda for wanting to capture Maki?
“Say, have you ever wondered about the scars my cousin has?” Kagami asked, looking at the aforementioned woman.
“I do, from time to time,” Hitomi looked at the face of Ayumi again, “Do you know?”
“There has been a family rumor that our ancestor, the one who had taken the tennyo’s robes, was slashed to death. Supposedly, that’s what these scars are supposed to represent.”
Wait, so Shiba-chan already HAD those scars? Here I thought that they were inflicted on her somehow. Did they suddenly show up on her, similar to how Rika's tatoo's appear when Maki possesses her? :?
“Slashed to death you say? That’s interesting…” Hitomi became intrigued with Ayumi’s lacerations now that she has heard the story behind them. “What are we going to do if she wakes up?”
“It depends on how she acts. If she shows signs that her ancestor is possessing her, then it’s good for the project. If she is still ‘normal’ to say the least, and if she does not have the memories, we will try to restore the memories of her past and see if we can figure out anything beneficial for the project.”
EEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH??? :o
So then...that must mean that they PLANNED or otherwise wanted Maki to emerge, and that they're planning of resurrecting the spirit of their ancestor that she killed (i.e. the man that made her marry him and have his kids when she first lost her robes). But for what purpose? We know what Maki's capable of. If whoever that's going to possess Shiba-chan has similar abilities, that's going to be one NASTY fight. However, it still doesn't make sense why they would want that fight to take place in the first place.
“So when are we incorporating Rika into the project?”
Bad move, Hitomi thought. She accidentally called her by her first name in front of the Chief…
“I didn’t know you were on a first name basis with the tennyo, Hitomi. That’s new…” Kagami retracted his gaze from Ayumi and turned to look at Hitomi with scanning eyes. “What is your relationship with her?”
Calling her by her first name was something that just happened because she spent that time with her, which Kagami likely didn't know of. Rika should have just been an assignment to Yossi, but the fact that Yossi calls her by her first name shows that she's gotten "familiar" with her. To Kagami, this could be a sign that Yossi has lost her objectivity, or even that she's somehow gotton emotionally attached to Rika. In an agent that's definitely something that you DON'T want. Yossi had better watch her next steps, as Kagami could possibly use this against her in the future.
“I think it’s probably due to amnesia, but now I’m just… really curious if what the maiden said was true… And it’s been making me restless, especially when I’m not doing the surveillance of her. I just keep thinking about her and want to question her feelings for me, but that would defeat one of the main points of the mission where it said I was to never reveal myself during surveillance.”
“This is a first for you isn’t it?” Kagami said in a half-smile.
“What is?”
“Being lonely.”
Well, it's probably the first time that someone has tried to get close to Yossi like Rika has, or at the very least, it could be the first time that the person has actually made an impression on her. Is this why she's just sitting and watching Rika? She's trying to make sense of these feelings that she evidently hasn't felt before?
“Try not to fall in love with her.”
“In what way will it cause trouble?” Hitomi took a stronger stance and a lower voice, unaware that she sounded quite defensive.
“It will burden you and your future in the project, and it will also burden her among the many burdens she bears by having a second spirit within her. Especially the one that seems to arise whenever she feels aroused, as you have concluded in your reports of her. For the sake of this project and for the sake of regaining your memories, I’m sorry about this, but I simply have to advise you to not fall in love with Ishikawa Rika.”
Hate to say it, but he's right. To be able to do her job as effectively as possible she has to be focused. If she suddenly starts getting all googly-eyed for Rika, she could start to hesitate, which would put herself and Rika in jeopardy should she have to fight Maki again.
Now that the power Yuko held was known to Rika and the others, she then used it freely around them, often throwing random sharp objects at Miki whenever she was burdened with excessive boredom. Sometimes, she would even walk by with a bottle of beer floating behind her.
Nice. :lol:
In fact, she was sure that Miki could go and challenge the iron chefs themselves if the show had not stopped.
Fujimoto VS Morimoto? Oooooooooooooooooooh...interesting. :hehehe:
Obviously, they had not got along better since day one. Rika found that the best way to annoy Miki was to act like her positive self—that is, not acting like her age and acting cute. It was a successful technique rather, for Miki would always call Rika disgusting whenever she made a narcissistic comment or tried to hard to be cute appealing.
Hmm...annoying Miki would proabably set off the wristbands. :twisted:
Though, on Miki’s birthday (surprisingly a few days after Ayumi’s), Rika decided she would be nice just once and did not subject Miki to the harsh punishment of electrocution and took her out for morning coffee.
Awwwwwwwwww...morning coffee. :D
Rika would always find it amusing whenever Miki and Miyabi fought. When she would get home, Miyabi would eat a snack and then she would go out with friends or do some practices which involved flicking coins at targets in the garden. Rika realized with that target practice that Miyabi liked to keep her abilities in tact, contradicting her lazy sister. Then at night time, Miyabi would work on her homework, occasionally asking Rika for help pertaining to the work.
Awwwwwwwww...Rika and Miyabi are bonding. :oops:
As soon as Rika settled in her bed for the night, her neighborhood groping demon just HAD to turn the music on loud.
...
Was Miki doing this on purpose? Rika wondered to herself. To anyone else, the music wasn’t that loud, but to Rika, even a meter that took up just one-fifth of the full volume bar would bother her during sleep. Deciding that she has had enough of the annoying music, Rika rose from bed and immediately proceeded into Miki’s room.
“Hey! Don’t you have a sansa or something you could listen to? I’d rather not hear your music!” Rika tried to say in a loud voice, but not loud enough to be heard by the other people of the floor.”
“I can listen to whatever I want in my room,” Miki said boredly, sitting on a cushion at the low table in the middle of the room.
“At least have SOME feeling for the people around your room—” Rika began, but then something caught her eye as soon as she said those last two words…
Miki wasn’t wearing her bands…
…And Rika was in Miki’s room…
Not wearing her wristbands? I thought she wasn't able to take them off to begin with?
...
Wait, Rika's in Miki's room...Miyabi's a heavy sleeper...Yuko's room is on the other side of the building...and Miki's not wearing her wristbands.
...
Uh-oh. :scared:
“I’m going to talk from the balcony!” Rika bolted out of Miki’s room, swerving to enter her room (and lock it) and then went out the balcony door.
Nice save. :sweat:
“This is just one of the random branches of the main house, the Fujimoto school of Japanese Dance. My Dad opened most of them, this one included. I was supposed to own this one, but as you see, because of my ‘incompetence,’ my old man went as far as to adopt Yuko, a close family friend of our’s, into the family so she could run this school. So yeah, she’s been running this branch ever since.”
Oh shit that must be sucky for Miki. Her own father brings in someone else to run the school that she herself should be running? Even if Miki didn't originally want to run the school, it still must suck that her dad went over her head like this.
And what "incompetence" is she talking about anyway? What, she can't dance or something?
“I thought you could figure that out with my personality, but it mainly has to do with my obsession.”
“You mean cooking?” Rika tilted her head so that she was really resting it on her arms.
“Yeah, I don’t dance. Cooking is more of my thing. My mom was a really good cook, but she died when I was starting middle school. You see, I really hated everyone else’s cooking. It all really sucked, so I decided that I should cook my own food. Guess I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...so since Miki loved cooking more than dancing...ok, now it makes sense. At least she doesn't seem bitter about it.
“I’m a middle child. But my family lives far from me. My father is doing business overseas, my mother is also in the same line of work as my father. My younger sister is attending high school back in my home town… And my older sister is also a university student, but she’s also far away from me, further than my younger sister.”
“Do you keep in contact often?”
“Well… I guess we drifted apart… Well, my sisters and I, really. We used to be close when we were living together, but ever since we went off to college, we just never bothered to keep our bond. Our parents too, I guess…”
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww... :mon waterworks:
“Say… If it ain’t too much, would you consider us your family now? Not as a replacement, if that offends you, but I don’t know how long that spirit will stay inside of you. So maybe you should think of us as your family for now, s’all good with you?”
Miki…
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww... :shy2:
The rain was falling faster than she expected, so she turned to the door in order to get in. But something had caught her eye as she did so.
Hitomi’s reflection was on her glass balcony door.
Osnap, caught! :o Was this just by coincidence, or did Yossi allow herself to be seen?
“I wanted to see you.”
The look that Hitomi gave Rika made her want to embrace her.
...
But she had to stay emotionless.
She didn’t want the spirit to come out.
Indeed, the last thing we need is to see Maki again.
“Does this have to do with your job?”
...
“My job does not start until twenty-five more minutes. I am a free woman at the moment.”
“So that’s how it is, huh?” Rika fixated her eyes on Hitomi’s, “whenever you’re not on your job, you think you can just waltz up to me and act all carefree, and then when you are on your job, you’re just going to try and kill me? What kind of person are you? Are you just bipolar or what? Or are you just playing games with me? Are you enjoying this?”
The enigma remained silent.
“Can’t you answer me?”
“I’m… I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, honestly. This time, I wanted to see you out of my own accord—not out of orders,” Hitomi’s eyes gazed elsewhere, not wishing to meet the contemptuous glare aimed for her.
That still doesn't answer the million-dollar question that's on everyone's mind right now though...why is she here, talking to Rika?
“How can I believe you?” Rika looked down at her feet, feeling defeated. “How could I believe anything you say?”
Rika's frustrated here. It's not that surprising considering how Yossi can't seem to give her a straight answer.
“Well, you would believe me… Because you love me, right?” Hitomi wondered if it was the correct time to ask, for Rika’s expression was unreadable, and she definitely wasn’t sure if the woman was to transform if the guard had said that. The enigma pressed her finger tips to the wall harder, feeling tense from the sudden apprehension in the air.
“I…” Rika began, “I can’t really respond on what you said before…” There. She said it. She had to keep avoiding things that would cause her blood to cool instead of heat up. If she could stay like that, she won’t be able to transform.
“I see…” Hitomi tilted her head as she looked onto the floor.
“But…”
Hitomi looked up at Rika in the eyes again, finding that they no longer bore an unexplainable tint of contempt.
“I can’t say I will deny what you said before…” Rika tried to keep her face as emotionless as possible when she said that.
Well then, now Yossi knows how Rika really feels. How's Yossi going to deal with this? What does this turn of events mean for her exactly?
“How is Ayumi? Has she awakened yet?” Rika’s expression soften.
“No, she still hasn’t woken up. We moved her to the residential floor of the main Shibata Company. She’s in good hands. They won’t do anything bad to her.”
All this time Rika and Shiba-chan haven't communicated at all. They're best friends, and for Rika to not know how she's doing must terrify her.
“I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t cry anymore…” Rika sniffled, unaware that she was walking towards the enigma sitting on her ledge.
Hitomi was unsure of the sight before her. There was this feeling within her that felt foreign to her. She watched as Rika clung to the closest thing to her.
And that was Hitomi herself.
Oh crap, if Rika let's her guard down NOW...
“Crying like that isn’t going to help anything, you know…” Hitomi scolded softly, but realized the error of her choice in words since Rika continued weeping.
But having someone embrace her like this…
...
“The feeling I’m experiencing…”
Rika looked up at Hitomi with bemusement, the rain pestering her face so that the tears had blended in.
“If this feeling is love… Then I’m no longer a stranger to it…”
Oh jeez, did Yossi just...holy FUCK SHE DID! :stunned:
Rika felt a pulsation, but it wasn’t the familiar pulsation that was the cause of her being condemned to death those many times.
But it wasn’t the pulsation of her beating heart either…
This pulsation was happening where the tattoo would appear, just like it normally would…
But why was it so soft?
And so painless?
Was the spirit giving her blessings or something?
That had me worried for a bit. Thought for sure we were going to see Maki emerge again...so why didn't we? Rika was feeling strong emotions for Yossi like she was when Maki first appeared. :dunno:
Her breath became caught in her throat when she saw them.
Normally, she would never be phased when this sort of thing happened…
But when she slept, she would always leave her balcony door slightly open to let some air in. However, as she tried to sleep, she heard voices outside. One of them was someone familiar, while the other was definitely Rika…
...
Why did Rika making out with that woman cause Miki to feel such unwanted anger?
Miki's angry because she saw Rika kissing Yossi?
...
MIKI KNOWS YOSSI!!! :OMG:
And when Yossi said she was no longer a stranger to love...OH MY GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Were Miki and Yossi a couple before Yossi's amnesia????? :k-crazy:
She stirred slightly…
She realized she was bedridden…
And that she was aching all over her body…
Then she opened her eyes, met with darkness yet again.
She attempted to sit up, only to feel absolutely horrible from her injuries. Letting out a grunt, the scarred woman became frustrated.
But memories came pouring into her…
Her birthday…
Her family clad in black…
That hand…
“Where is Rika…?”
Shiba-chan! :O
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no fairrr why does JFC get special treatment.. your showing favoritism!!
hehe.. OK on to my comments
I LOVE FUJIMOTO FAMILY! Miyabi is cute-o.. Your right, your giving Miyabe too little 'lines' and will there be a little story on Miyabi and her crush Miss Suguya Risako coming up soon?? I'm liking that pair more and more. Yuko with a floating beer = priceless. You can never miss out the word BEER whenever there's Yuko somewhere.
Ehh question... who's the bad guy here? Kagami? Maki? kinda confused on that point. And this project with Rika and Shibata, what does it have to do with Yossi? Come to think of it, does Yossi's lost memories have anything to do with this conspiracy?
'Try not to fall in love with her' Well, its pretty much inevitable for Yossi NOT to fall in love with Rika, for one.. the story won't be as interesting and two hmm it's Yossi and Rika they just HAVE to fall in love with each other. Saweeeeeet moment between Yossi and Rika there! Lookie lookie~ their in love now..
Miki's jealous of Yossi isn't she? But then after reading JFC's comments... Is Miki jealous of Yossi or Rika? I'm gonna to go with my instinct there and assume that Miki likes Rika. Since they've been spending so much time together and all.. and there we have it, our famous, most favorite love triangle!
Ahhh finally Shibata awakes.. so is a spirit possessing her as well? She seems to remember the past and everything so she's probably in the same situation as Rika right? So... wonder what'll triger the spirit in her to come out, or will simply seeing Rika herself just make both spirits emerge? If thats the case... then thats kinda scary and sad, they (Rika and Shibattchan) won't be able to communicate or see each other.
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I read too slow, but I can finally comment after catching up...ah, so much excitement!
Somehow, when I read the title of the chapter "The Fujimoto Family," I thought of "The Adams Family." (was this commented on before?)
A half-malicious grin.
A half-happy glare.
Together, a scheming smile.
I loved this tidbit from chapter 8. Yocchan's mysteriouuus dark side...~ :heart:
She had happened to walk in on a fully naked Miki, who just got out of the shower.
Rika became flustered. Flustered with anger that is.
“Um… Hey?”
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW
“This is so WRONG!” Miki retorted as she rubbed her cheek with an ice pack. “YOU walked in on ME!”
“Who cares? It was disgusting to see in the morning!” Rika said as she ate some rice from the bowl she was holding with her chopsticks.
“What do you mean disgusting? I have what you have, so you’re saying the same about yourself!”
“What do you mean you have what I have? You have half of what I have!” Rika motioned to Miki’s chest with her chopsticks.
“OH NO YOU DIN’T!” Miki snapped her fingers three times in a diagonal manner like those of stereotypical American preps/cheerleaders.
“OH YES I DID! I WENT THERE!” Rika also snapped her fingers in the same manner.
:lol: The exchanges between the two are friggin' awesome! :rofl:
“There has been a family rumor that our ancestor, the one who had taken the tennyo’s robes, was slashed to death. Supposedly, that’s what these scars are supposed to represent.”
Ouch. Poor Shibata Ayumi!
I probably missed it before, but the celestial robes bring prosperity, right? Or are they just robes that the Shibata family can't utilize?
Say, if Kagami decided to put Hitomi on 24 work duty, then wouldn't she be forced to be Rika's enemy at all times?
AhhhH! Shibata woke up! Now her family will probably poison her against Rika, thus causing a horrible misunderstanding until the final showdown where Rika reveals that she ain't the enemy(?) and then Rika dies somehow, but not before she declares her undying love for Yocchan. Then they say some spiffy jazz about seeing each other in the next life... I guess..?
Anyway, I wonder how Miki's going to act out her feelings of jealousy later...I wonder if Yuko and Kei will get involved on a combat level as well. It's always fun to see Yuko kick ass!
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Is Miki jealous of Yossi or Rika? I'm gonna to go with my instinct there and assume that Miki likes Rika. Since they've been spending so much time together and all.. and there we have it, our famous, most favorite love triangle!
ISHIYOMIKI!!! :wahaha:
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Yocharmikitty you mean? xD
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How about Fujiyoshikawa? :on lol:
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What if we use first names, huh?! O_O
MiHiRi o_o...
Mikato?
MiRiTomi?
Oh dear, watch us just go insane naming this pairing xD
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Today (August 5th) is my real birthday. Yaaaay o-o
Happy Birthday to me.
I love my money!
Happy Birthday to me~
I'm sixteen, you see!
xD
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How bout Hito.Mi.Rika
That'll probably be mistaken for Hitomi Rika... ah well
Happy b-day~!
But 16? Really? I think if I remembered correctly, somewhere in OCGI, You said you were 20 or something.
let see... 9 days to go till mine!
edit: Ah damn.. never noticed until I posted.. My 300th post just went to your thread there.
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So you're a comment skimmer, eh?
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10922.msg368533#msg368533
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USOO! So all this time I thought you were older then me???
and I'm not a comment skimmer.. I just tend to remember irrelevant information thats all..
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Don't worry, you're not the only one I've shocked xD
-remembers all the AIM conversations with fellow writers of this board- ^^;
Yeah, with my looks, I thought I could pull it off. Guess I was successful? Roffle xD
Again, please don't be angry at me o-o'
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Am I supposed to be angry? Everyone lies about their age online either that or they just don't mention it..
Hey btw does our little chat here about your age count as a half-assed comment? haha doubt it so how come no one is giving comments?! come on ppl! I for one, want to read the next chapter.
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Well you yourself haven't given an actual comment on the story itself xD So comment and I'll start writing xD
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Scroll up and see little girl, I've already commented on the story right after JFC. Or is that too half-assed for ya? But then that's considered a pretty long comment for me since I don't often give detailed comments. :grin:
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Woops, my bad xD You changed your avvie and siggie set crappit xD
Anywho, that's a total of four comments still. I need one more to operate '-'
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Today (August 5th) is my real birthday. Yaaaay o-o
Happy Birthday to me.
I love my money!
Happy Birthday to me~
I'm sixteen, you see!
xD
Belated Happy Birthday! :banana:
Crap I feel like such an old fart. :(
Anyway, how about Ri-Yo-ki? :P These are getting silly. :lol:
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To-Mi-Ka! sounds like some weird brand name... Well it's getting silly but it's fun(somewhat) silly, so it's ok.
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Look at you lurkers are doing! Driving my beloved Stefy n JFC and I insane while waiting for one more comment xD!!
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Lurker coming out of hiding here. 8) <3 this story.
Just kinda confused though... why would Miki get jealous when Rika gets on her nerves with the burikko act? Oh well, makes for good plot.
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Ri-Mi-Hi? Ri-Mi-mi? :P
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'nother lurker here~
I love the OCG series :D I think it's genius using themes from anime like the first one (Furuba). So anyway, my halfassed review :
I'd be lying my teeth off if I didn't love the Fujimoto family interactions XD Though if there was Reina in it, it'll be the Yankee family instead and maybe alot more chaos.. but that's just me letting my imagination go off course :3
Hmm, Miki's jealous? Could it be that she's secretly in love with Charmy? I just find it unlikely that Miki would be in love with Yossie here since they've probably met only once or something even if there was that kiss earlier. Didn't seem enough to let sparks fly.. but that's just me. Also, a Miki/Charmy pairing would be interesting. Opposites attract :roll:? Would Ayaya or the other members make an appearance like in the previous OCG too? When would Maki appear again? So many questions but no next chapter :P
This fic's like drugs.. makes you want more after each chapter it's agonizing XD
umm
YoRito? ;_; (Burrito! o_O)
YoCharMi flows better XD though it does sounds charmy-centric ("Yo, charmy" Rika would like that lol)
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Alright! new comment(s) next chapter please!
hmm Yo-Ri-To.. Doritos!! Yumm
Ishi-Yo-Mi haha... 'stone reading'
Yea I think I am going insane.
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Move over Sound of Music, we're going to kick your ass with a new song xD
Anywho... xD
-writing next chapter- xD
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Whoa, missed a lot. :grin:
Happy belated birthday, Yuuyami! Can't wait for the next chapter.
Move over Sound of Music, we're going to kick your ass with a new song xD
Inside joke..? Or is this going to turn into a musical fic? :shocked:
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Nah, it's just all the Yo - Ri - Mi and all that is making me think we're trying to pull off a new Do - Re - Mi song xD
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Do a deer a female deer.......
- Yo is Yo for Yossi
- Ri is Ri for Rika
- Mi not a name I call myself,
- but a name to call Miki~
..... :?
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:lol: I see.
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So SOOOO sorry for the wait!
Um o_O
Thank you for the comments xD See? It wasn't too hard o_o'
Glad to see some lurkers surface xD
And Indeceit, no worries, your comment isn't half assed xD It's a lovely comment <3
Uhhhh... What else...
Most of you are pretty much on track with your theories, so that's a good sign that I've made this story less confusing than the first OCG <3.
Remember that OST I promised a long time ago?
I'm not going to release it just yet, sadly.
There's something I'm waiting for to come out for this story, and until that comes out, I'm not going to disclose the OST. But I can tell you one thing. The "opening song" is Kesenai Tsumi by Nana Kitade and whe "ending song" is KoiING by you know who. So best look for those songs and put them in a OCG II playlist, because throughout the story, I might drop off more random songs as we meet characters or have new situations where those themes come in. So keep one spare playlist handy! <3
Next post is story <3
And I do expect five good comments xD Two half-assed comments counts as one good comment. While JFC (<3)'s commentary and elaborations count as two good comments xD
Enjoy o_O I kinda rushed it so everything happens under the blink of an eye o_O Forgive me >_< I couldn't bear making you all wait any longer ;___;
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This chapter came out really bad... xD Oh well. Next one will be better D<
Chapter 10: Reunion
Again and again…
“She has awakened?” Hitomi raised a brow as she was walking next to her boss.
“Indeed she has,” Kagami confirmed, “However, she is still the same “Ayumi” that everyone knows. Abe-san and her staff are assembling a machine to bring up—or at least attempt to bring up—the memories of her past.”
“I see… I guess I don’t have to lower my standards to speak with her like she’s been infected with some weird brain disease,” the enigmatic guard snickered to herself. “So how long do I have to watch her, chief?”
“Around ten hours at the most. It must be fortunate for you that she is awake and able to communicate instead of just lying there, bedridden.”
“So is there a particular reason why she woke up now? Or is it just a natural phenomenon?” Hitomi placed her hands behind her head as she traversed.
“Nothing caused her to wake up specifically, but for now, you just have to make sure that she doesn’t leave this building nor get into contact with the maiden. We don’t want to risk a transformation with the progenitor in her vicinity.”
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t meet up with the tennyo, then,” Hitomi answered with a slight grin.
“You seem to be in high spirits, did something happen?” Kagami raised a questioning brow at the smiling guard.
“Nothing of the sort,” the enigma lied.
History shall forever repeat…
“So I ended up sleeping until eleven, huh?” Rika rubbed her eyes groggily. With sleep burdening her body, the cursed woman dragged herself over to the closet in order to select the attire for the day. After choosing a simple outfit consisting of tan jeans, a random T-shirt with words of English that she was too lazy to look up the meaning of, and a thin dark red jacket which had a hood and long sleeves, Rika wandered off to the bathroom in order to shower.
As soon as the hot water hit her body, all traces of sloth was removed. Another point of interest which contributed to the loss of lethargy was her memories. A flashback of what had happened long before the sun rose came up to the woman and then smacked her extremely hard, causing her cheeks to grow flustered at the thought of it.
I seriously can’t believe I did that… Rika thought as she scrubbed herself hard with the soap.
I’m not sure if I should feel ashamed or not… Making out with someone of the same sex…Then again, I do have friends who are obsessed with those yaoi doujinshi… And there’s also the popular culture that seems to adore this sort of thing…
Maybe I’m just being a worrywart again…
Hmm…
Who knew that another woman’s lips would be so soft…
Rika nearly fell over when she thought of that, becoming flustered again. “What is WRONG with me?” she gave an exasperated sigh as she had finished her shower and had dressed up, now walking in the hall towards the kitchen, “Why am I so worked up over a kiss? All the guys I’ve dated in the past kissed me and it wasn’t anything new anymore…”
I swear Hitomi… I’m going to sue you if you keep putting me into situations where it feels like a manga…
“Hey, Miss Chin of Doom, would you like breakfast or lunch?”
“I’MA SUE YOU!”
“Where the hell did that come from?” the residential groping demon snickered at the other’s random outburst.
“N-nothing…” Rika went shifty-eyed, embarrassed at her sudden outburst.
That kiss…
It was a little awkward in some aspects…
Was that your first kiss, Hitomi-san?
Pulsation.
Oh no…
The tattoo was spreading fast this time.
Pulsation.
Ragged breathing.
Rika collapsed, holding herself as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out.
“O-Oi! You alright?!” Miki rushed forward, placing her hands on Rika’s shoulders.
“Ugh…”
Rika’s hair did not flicker.
Rika’s eyes did not transform golden.
“Stay away…”
“Not when you’re like this, damn it!”
“Please stay away…”
Miki was forced to back away at the aggravating shocks applied to her bands.
The air around Rika shook a bit, before black butterflies materialized out of nowhere and consumed all space, covering the cursed woman.
The pulsation died.
The butterflies dispersed.
“Ha…So it's finally back, huh?” Came a hostile voice.
“Rika…?” a heavy trepidation burdened Miki’s movements.
“The progenitor has awakened…” The possessed maiden rose from the ground, bones cracking creepily.
“H-hold it! Where are you going?” Miki tried to keep a firm foot on the floor.
Ignored.
Maki walked out into the garden from the kitchen and then levitated in the middle of it as if she was preparing for a long flight.
Miki ran out, armed with her black chopsticks, “I SAID… Where are you going, damn it?!”
Maki slowly turned her head towards Miki, looking down upon her in the air. “Do you wish to become my enemy as well?”
“If it means…” Miki began, but paused slightly when she saw Maki fly towards her, leaning downwards so that her feet were higher in the air than her head, “If it means that Rika will come back, I’ll do whatever it takes…” the demon pointed her sharp chopsticks at Maki’s neck.
“You know…”
The voice gave her shivers.
Maki placed her hands onto Miki’s cheeks delicately, as if afraid to break her. “I’m going to the main Shibata International Company…” the maiden smiled, “There is your answer.”
“But Rika…”
“Hush…” Maki placed a finger on Miki’s lips, “You have done nothing to wrong me… I would not dream of harming you, Miki…”
And with that, Maki flew backwards from the stunned Miki, and then she turned around and flew into the sky without a trace. She still had the shivers from where that woman had touched her. Though, Miki was unsure whether it was a good thing or bad thing… Sure, the woman was hot and much curvier than Rika, but such power… And such abilities like the gift of flight…
Miki stood in silence.
“Oh my, she flew.”
Miki jumped into the air and clung to the nearest mini sakura tree, “YUKO, WHAT THE HELL?!”
“Yup, she flew!” Kei placed her hand over her head like a salute, trying to catch sight of Maki.
“Where the hell did you come from?!” Miki detached herself from the tree, brushing the dirt off of herself.
“I was hiding behind a rock,” Kei laughed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
“I was watching from the other room,” Yuko motioned to the shoji door to their left which happened to have two conspicuous finger-poked holes on the lowest panel.
“You two are cowards…” Miki sighed and looked down, putting her hands on her hip. “Nevertheless, we did hear “Main Shibata International Company, so off we go!”
Even at the end of the cycle…
“Shibata-san? This is Hitomi, she will be your primary bodyguard unless we instruct her to do a few tasks, so you two should get along,” Kagami said, motioning to the tall woman who bowed her head formally.
“Hitomi, huh? What about your family name?” Ayumi was sitting on the sofa opposite of where the guard stood next to her second cousin, her body rid of bandages now that most of her scars had covered themselves up and didn’t need the assistance of them to protect against bacteria.
“She doesn’t know about—” Kagami began, but was interrupted by Ayumi.
“Come now, Hitomi-chan knows how to speak, so no need to talk for her,” the scarred woman smiled.
“Alrighty…” Hitomi raised her head, becoming casual now that she knew Ayumi seemed to not care for formalities, hearing Ayumi call her name with a –chan, “I don’t have memories of anything but my name, but right now, they’re looking for my family.”
“Aw! I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, I prefer not to dwell too much in that business anyway. The present is now and I’m your bodyguard. Please treat me well,” Hitomi bowed her head yet again to the older.
“So yeah, just get along and things will be alright, Hitomi will get you anything you require.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen much,” Ayumi waved her hand dismissively, “this entire floor is like a suite room, so the most I’ll probably do is send her out for groceries, huh?”
Kagami smiled at his second cousin, “Have a good day,” and with that, he walked into the door into the hallway which inevitably lead to the elevator.
A new one starts…
Miyabi fiddled with her tresses, bored by the lecture her Japanese teacher gave about proverbs and the like.
Choosing a window seat does have its benefits though.
The physical education had a class outside—and in that class was Risako.
Miyabi felt bad for her though, and the entire class in general. It WAS feburary…
But it’s not like Japan received snow anyway, except maybe the Hokkaido area…
Why was she thinking about that?
She should be focusing on Risako doing the endurance run…
Risako bouncing up and down energetically…
The sweat playing off her hair…
Miyabi bashed her head on her desk at such lewd thoughts.
I’m supposed to be in middle school damn it! But I’m entering high school this spring…
“Fujimoto-san! I’d rather you not fall asleep in class! You can sleep all you want during the lunch break!” her teacher called out.
“I’m sorry!” Miyabi became frantic, much to the amusement of her classmates.
Ugh.
Miyabi found herself nodding off to the yet still boring lecture her teacher gave. The last she recalled was something about forks and roads that supposedly had something to do with life. It was unfair that she had all of the fun classes first, but all the boring classes in the other half of her school day. She would rather doodle off in art class or become intrigued with weird things in her science class.
Miyabi let out a quiet sigh as to not catch the attention of her teacher. Why couldn’t Risako be older so that she might have a class with her? At least Miyabi could stare at her the entire school day instead of watching the window for her PE class for a short amount of time…
The bell rang its soft slow ringing, signaling that the class was over, and that it was now lunch period.
Alright.
Today, she was going to try again with the confession. Since this was during school, she believed that her sisters wouldn’t DARE kidnap her for another annoying mission or something…
Or would they?
Miyabi shut off all thought of that as she walked in the hallways, searching for Risako to show up randomly. The reason why she did not try for the last week was due to sheer embarrassment of facing her again. During their walks home, there would always be this weird and awkward silence, and she hated it. Miyabi figured that it had to do with her ever so ‘mysterious’ disappearance with Risako closing her eyes for almost fifteen minutes and then finally opening them to find that the older had ‘ditched’ her. Miyabi had defended herself, saying that there were ‘important family matters’ that she suddenly remembered, but Risako didn’t really buy that idea. So their conversations afterwards were often silent or simply meager. At least they still waved at each other in the hallways or whenever one spotted the other…
Then there she was…
Miyabi straightened herself up, brushing off any excess material on her uniform, and walked hastily towards the junior walking in the crowd. Eventually, she caught up to the younger and stuck close to her. Risako did notice the older shuffling around her, so she smiled to acknowledge her presence.
“So what are you going to get today?” Miyabi tried to look indifferent, staring out the windows as they passed them by.
“Hmm… I’m thinking of going into the bread line today, you?”
“Haha, I'm going into the noodles line. Curry udon for me, definitely,” Miyabi ssexy beasted.
“Eh? You don’t splatter it when you slurp it? It always happens to me, curry udon and all…”
Good… I finally have a ongoing conversation with her…
Now I just have to confess soon…
“My sister sometimes cooks it exclusively for me for lunch when there’s no school, and she would become angry if I splattered it, so I guess I trained myself to not make a mess when I eat it.”
“Aww! I’m jealous. I wish I had a first-class chef as my sister! You’re so lucky, senpai!”
“Just like I’m lucky to have you…” Miyabi said, asserting a firm and even flirtatious tone to her voice.
“Oh senpai…” Risako tried to laugh, but ended up blushing and looking away from Miyabi to hide it, “Look at what you’re saying…”
Miyabi was about to reply to that.
She had a good reply to that too…
And would have confessed right after that reply…
If she wasn’t snatched from the window.
…By a certain grinning older sister of her’s.
“Put me down!” Miyabi smacked the back of Miki repeatedly, having been swept caveman style.
“No way!” Miki grunted, running low among the bushes against the wall so that no one would find them. “This is seriously an emergency!”
“Like hell it is! You probably want me to watch your back as you sneak in some house looking for a yakuza lord’s daughter or son or something!” Miyabi still struggled to get out of Miki’s grasp.
“Why so edgy eh? Did I happen to interrupt you in the middle of another confession to that cute junior of your’s?” the demon grinned widely.
“None of your business, Miki-nee!” Miyabi became flustered and stopped struggling.
“Oops, I did it again,” Miki let out a laugh, almost ramming into the van outside the school gates if it wasn’t for Yuko opening the door beforehand.
“Ugh…” Miyabi crawled over to sit in the back, but her mood suddenly rose when she saw a certain suitcase… “What sort of mission is this?”
“An infiltration mission that requires a lot of fighting to get through…” Yuko said grimly, “We’re heading inside of the Shibata International trading firm…”
“We’re going into the main building this time?” Miyabi raised a brow, “What for?”
“Rika transformed into the celestial maiden, so Yuko-nee tells me,” Miki looked out of the window. “The maiden said she was going to that company, probably because that’s where Fisherman-kun’s direct descendant is, remembering the story and what she said…”
But that wasn’t what was occupying Miki’s mind right now…
Ishikawa…
You’re not in love with the enemy, are you?
…But I’m here…
Not her…
Why did you go for her, huh?
It was a weird feeling really. Normally, she would care less for the people she took interest in…
There was something in Rika that had intrigued her.
The appearance of the maiden and her kindness towards Miki was making her think otherwise. Was it possible that the maiden’s personality was somewhat based off a sub-consciousness of Rika’s? Was it possible that Rika really was secretly fond of Miki? She can’t exactly put a label on Rika’s feelings yet though. She would have to explore her limits a bit, to see if she had a definite form of love for the demon.
Things will definitely be more interesting once Rika has been retrieved safely…
“So what am I armed with this time?” Miyabi pondered aloud, eying the suitcase on the floor between the two chairs that her older sisters sat on.
“Dual Nagant M1895. And the sound suppressors too.”
“That’s what we packed?!” Miki looked at her elder adoptive sister, “Why didn’t we bring the better guns?”
“What better guns?” Yuko looked at Miki shifty eyed.
“You know…! The badass brown one!”
“You mean the desert eagles?” Miyabi leaned forward in her seat, gripping the edges of her sisters’ chairs. “You need to learn your guns, Nee-san…”
“They all look the same and do the same things to me,” Miki waved her hand dismissively.
“We can’t bring those on this mission! Those things are loud! Even with the silencers!” Yuko also waved her hand dismissively.
“But they’re cool and make a cool sound too!” Miki pouted, hitting her lap with her fists in a cute frustration.
“Forget it,” Miyabi pressed her forehead on Yuko’s chair, “the entire building will hear us and they’ll send all of the guards to us… So a Nagant is our best bet, since the silencers work best with them.”
“Say, how fast do you think that maiden flies?” Miki changed the subject.
“She zoomed pretty fast in the sky… Think she’s faster than a jet?” Yuko perked up.
Dot.
Dot.
Dot.
“DRIVER! HURRY UP! BEND EVERY DRIVING LAW IN JAPAN IF YOU HAVE TO!” Yuko knocked on the wall separating the driver and passenger seat from the rest of the passengers.
The black window rolled down, and the driver turned their head, shocking the others with their identity…
“You got it!”
“Kei?!” the Fujimoto siblings gaped.
“B-but you’re our housekeeper! What happened to our chauffer?!” Miki was blown away by the surprised, pointing a shaking finger at the aforementioned person.
“Well I knew something like this would happen, so I switched with your driver,” Kei replied in a singsong voice.
“Do you even have a license?” Miyabi asked cautiously, backing up and gripping the edge of her seat tightly.
“Sure I do~!” Kei replied in a singsong voice yet again.
“Don’t talk in that voice! Look at us in the eye and tell us you have one in a serious voice!” Miki retorted, fear edging her voice.
Kei turned her head to face the siblings, having a serious glint in her eye…
“Nevermind that, just keep your eyes on the road!” the pitch of Miki’s voice became ten times higher than usual.
“Look ma! No hands!” Kei giggled as she set the van on cruise and steered the van with her feet.
“Idiot! Drive normal and don’t sit like that! It’s bad for the kimono!” Yuko lurched forward in her seat to give her housekeeper an even messier hair style than usual with her right hand.
“High speed? Understood~!” Kei laughed heartily again as she put the van on manual again and stepped on the petal extremely hard, causing the van to zoom across the streets.
“TOO FAAAAAST!” the siblings called out, being thrown about relentless in their seats at the twists and turns of the town they were passing by.
“Teehee~!”
“IDIOT! THE LIGHT’S RED!”
“Oh well~!” heart heart heart.
“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!”
“Oh look! We made it to the next town in less than ten minutes~!”
“DON’T BE SO FRIVOLOUS!” Miki screamed, trying to keep a steady sitting posture by putting her hands on the ceiling of the van.
“This is fun~!” Kei’s cheerful expression suddenly became almost sadistic, her nose flaring and her grin exceeding her face. “Ohhhh yeaaaah!”
“Wait! What are you doing?! This isn’t a movie!! YOU CAN’T CLEAR THAT JUMP!”
“I dedicate this next move to Tom Cruise!” Kei stepped on the driving pedal harder, the van definitely breaking all speed limits of Japan combined altogether.
“DON’T DEDICATE YOUR INSANITY!!!”
A familiar, yet new cycle…
“Do you know of Rika’s condition right now? I don’t know anything that’s happened since I saw that hand…” Ayumi traced the cross-shaped scar on her face.
“I guess she’s fine… She has been taking up residence with another wealthy family with good security, and I haven’t told your uncle or cousin her whereabouts, so you can rest assure,” Hitomi said as she munched on a bag of dried squid.
“This is all so overwhelming though… First I get all these weird scars… Then my family tries to kill her, and now I’m hearing some weird things about her having another spirit inside of her? This is one fucked up fairytale…” Ayumi placed both of her hands on her head, lowering it so that she was facing the floor. “On top of that, now they’re asking me to cooperate with them, saying that they want me a part of this project and want to restore memories I don’t have for the benefits?! Then some weird people came in saying that if I don’t agree to their plans, they’re going to kill Rika?! What the hell is going on?! What did we do wrong?!”
“Nn…” Hitomi tried to think of what to say in her head, and then formulated her thoughts into words, “Well… I don’t care if you’re sick of it or if it brings you to tears or what… But may I say a few words…?”
Ayumi looked up at Hitomi, clearly with the frustration in her eyes, “Go ahead… Preach me with something…”
“You’re not the only one suffering. Rika has her share of pain too. While you were in a coma from the scars for a week, ignorant of everything, she was almost killed by your family. There’s a spirit within her that possesses her, and if not possessing, she seems to see nightmares among her normal vision too. That isn’t normal you know, and to think she has to deal with living in fear constantly… She’s trying like hell to fight it, you know. What about you? You don’t like what you’re going through, but what are you going to do about it? It seems that right now, all you’re doing is complaining, yet she has the will to endure it all and move.”
Ayumi studied Hitomi’s face as she said that.
“Oh well, you two sure like to make me talk huh?” Hitomi sighed, stuffing herself with more sticks of dried squid.
“You seem to be having fun, huh?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you enjoying this? You sounded like you didn’t take me seriously when you said that. On top of that, smiling while trying to preach too, huh? Is watching us squirm in pain amusing to you?”
“Why are you getting upset all of a sudden?” Hitomi raised a brow.
“There you go again, acting indifferent and ignorant…”
“Whoa whoa whoa, Shibata-san, I didn’t mean to sound like that, it’s just the way I act… In truth, I am taking you seriously, I’m sorry if you had the wrong interpretations of me acting like I’m having fun, but I truly believe that you shouldn’t just look at yourself. Rika has gone through a lot more than you…”
“I see…” Ayumi looked over to the side. But then, something caught her attention… “Come again? Did I just hear you call her Rika?”
“I let it slip again, huh?” Hitomi set the bag on the table.
“Oh… I don’t mind, I guess I’m surprised that you would call her by her given name…”
“Formality isn’t really my thing, sorry if that offends you.”
“Oh, I don’t mind, it’s not my thing either, as you’ve seen an hour ago,” Ayumi scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
“Yeah, haha.”
“Hmm… Now that I really think about it… To defend her like that… You must really care for her, huh?”
Hitomi remained silent.
But then something caught her eye…
“Get down!” Hitomi commanded as she stood up, moving her hand as if she was batting something away, thus a stiletto with images of demons and hell engraved onto the hilt came out of her sleeve came out of her sleeve and then she caught it.
Ayumi did as she was ordered too, surprised when she heard an incantation of a sort and all of a sudden, weird black web-like material hit the floor in front of her.
“Wha?!” Ayumi shifted herself around, viewing her attacker.
“Pfft, I thought you wouldn’t be able to see me…” Maki let out a snort.
“Those clothes… Rika?!” Ayumi stood up, “Golden eyes and blood red hair… you must be that maiden Kagami was talking about!”
“And those scars… You are the one who shamed me!” Maki yelled out in anger, lunging forward for an attack.
Again and again…
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Narrowly missed that stop sign, huh?”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Awww! I almost ran over a squirrel!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“YES! Cleared another ramp!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Oh look! A bunch of old women crossing the street!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“That was close, huh? But those poor old women must be traumatized…”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Yuko-sama? Can you please stop screaming in my ear all the time? You’re ruining my concentration~!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Shall History forever repeat.
Yeah... Everything went by too fast xD I'll remedy that for next chapter >_>;
So comment! D<
Lurkers will be hit by that black spider thread magic attack of Maki's xD
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-yawn- Great, I wake up and get hit with chapter. Yay? XD
I'm amused by the chapter, I am. Found it awesomely hilarious with Miyabi getting kidnapped yet again, Kei's driving (-snort- I should never have shown you that fic...XD), and yeah, the Fujimoto family in general. XDDD
Yossi seems to be getting along with Ayumi, which I'm not sure is good or not. Hm. Not much stuff to comment about except the whole setting up of the triangle between Rika, Yossi, and Miki. Mm. I look forward to future complications. XDD
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“She has awakened?” Hitomi raised a brow as she was walking next to her boss.
“Indeed she has,” Kagami confirmed, “However, she is still the same “Ayumi” that everyone knows. Abe-san and her staff are assembling a machine to bring up—or at least attempt to bring up—the memories of her past.”
Shit, they're really trying to bring forth the spirit of the ancestor, aren't they? Don't they realize what would happen to Shiba-chan if the ancestor and Maki meet up here?
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t meet up with the tennyo, then,” Hitomi answered with a slight grin.
“You seem to be in high spirits, did something happen?” Kagami raised a questioning brow at the smiling guard.
“Nothing of the sort,” the enigma lied.
If I were Kagami, Yossi's sudden display of emotion would have me suspicious, if not outright worried.
I seriously can’t believe I did that… Rika thought as she scrubbed herself hard with the soap.
I’m not sure if I should feel ashamed or not… Making out with someone of the same sex…
Hey, 'tis all good. :D
And there’s also the popular culture that seems to adore this sort of thing…
Maybe I’m just being a worrywart again…
/me looks around nervously.
Ummm...yes, that's exactly it. You're just worrying yourself over nothing. :whistle:
Was that your first kiss, Hitomi-san?
Pulsation.
Oh no…
The tattoo was spreading fast this time.
Pulsation.
Ragged breathing.
Rika collapsed, holding herself as if trying to prevent herself from lashing out.
Oshit, Rika's getting worked up! :O
The air around Rika shook a bit, before black butterflies materialized out of nowhere and consumed all space, covering the cursed woman.
The pulsation died.
The butterflies dispersed.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Maki! :scared:
“Ha…So it's finally back, huh?” Came a hostile voice.
“Rika…?” a heavy trepidation burdened Miki’s movements.
“The progenitor has awakened…” The possessed maiden rose from the ground, bones cracking creepily.
"It"? Maki can sense the presence of the spirit/being within Shiba-chan from this distance??? :OMG:
I wonder why she used "it" to refer to the progenitor? Maybe the history between the two of them is a bit more complicated than originally thought?
Maki walked out into the garden from the kitchen and then levitated in the middle of it as if she was preparing for a long flight.
Miki ran out, armed with her black chopsticks, “I SAID… Where are you going, damn it?!”
Maki slowly turned her head towards Miki, looking down upon her in the air. “Do you wish to become my enemy as well?”
“If it means…” Miki began, but paused slightly when she saw Maki fly towards her, leaning downwards so that her feet were higher in the air than her head, “If it means that Rika will come back, I’ll do whatever it takes…” the demon pointed her sharp chopsticks at Maki’s neck.
It IS their job to protect Rika, after all. Even if it's risking the wrath of the spirit possessing Rika's own body, despite how she's behaved around Rika up to this point, Miki will do her job and protect her to the best of her ability.
Maki placed her hands onto Miki’s cheeks delicately, as if afraid to break her. “I’m going to the main Shibata International Company…” the maiden smiled, “There is your answer.”
“But Rika…”
“Hush…” Maki placed a finger on Miki’s lips, “You have done nothing to wrong me… I would not dream of harming you, Miki…”
Maki knows Miki's name??? :o
Oh right, Maki's able to access Rika's memories and what not.
“Where the hell did you come from?!” Miki detached herself from the tree, brushing the dirt off of herself.
“I was hiding behind a rock,” Kei laughed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
“I was watching from the other room,” Yuko motioned to the shoji door to their left which happened to have two conspicuous finger-poked holes on the lowest panel.
“You two are cowards…” Miki sighed and looked down
Kei = :mon sweat:
Yuko = :mon sweat:
Miki = :err:
Finger holes in the door panel = :mon lmao:
“Shibata-san? This is Hitomi, she will be your primary bodyguard unless we instruct her to do a few tasks, so you two should get along,” Kagami said, motioning to the tall woman who bowed her head formally.
...
“I don’t have memories of anything but my name, but right now, they’re looking for my family.”
“Aw! I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, I prefer not to dwell too much in that business anyway. The present is now and I’m your bodyguard. Please treat me well,” Hitomi bowed her head yet again to the older.
Damn, considering what happened the previous night with Rika, will Yossi be able to keep herself "detached" when Maki shows up, looking for progenitor blood? How will Shiba-chan react when she finds out that Maki is actually her best friend Rika being possessed by a wacko spirit who's pissed off at her family?
Miyabi let out a quiet sigh as to not catch the attention of her teacher. Why couldn’t Risako be older so that she might have a class with her? At least Miyabi could stare at her the entire school day instead of watching the window for her PE class for a short amount of time…
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...Miyabi likes Socko! :nya:
“Aww! I’m jealous. I wish I had a first-class chef as my sister! You’re so lucky, senpai!”
“Just like I’m lucky to have you…” Miyabi said, asserting a firm and even flirtatious tone to her voice.
“Oh senpai…” Risako tried to laugh, but ended up blushing and looking away from Miyabi to hide it, “Look at what you’re saying…”
Miyabi = :pimp:
Socko = :shy1:
Miyabi was about to reply to that.
She had a good reply to that too…
And would have confessed right after that reply…
If she wasn’t snatched from the window.
…By a certain grinning older sister of her’s.
OSNAP, FOILED AGAIN!!! :wahaha:
“Why so edgy eh? Did I happen to interrupt you in the middle of another confession to that cute junior of your’s?” the demon grinned widely.
“None of your business, Miki-nee!” Miyabi became flustered and stopped struggling.
“Oops, I did it again,” Miki let out a laugh,
Miki = :hee:
Miyabi = :mon whine:
Ishikawa…
You’re not in love with the enemy, are you?
…But I’m here…
Not her…
Why did you go for her, huh?
EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!!?!???!? MIKI'S IN LOVE WITH RIKA??????
:OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG:
“So what am I armed with this time?” Miyabi pondered aloud, eying the suitcase on the floor between the two chairs that her older sisters sat on.
“Dual Nagant M1895. And the sound suppressors too.”
“That’s what we packed?!” Miki looked at her elder adoptive sister, “Why didn’t we bring the better guns?”
“What better guns?” Yuko looked at Miki shifty eyed.
“You know…! The badass brown one!”
“You mean the desert eagles?” Miyabi leaned forward in her seat, gripping the edges of her sisters’ chairs. “You need to learn your guns, Nee-san…”
“They all look the same and do the same things to me,” Miki waved her hand dismissively.
Hey, Miki's passion is cooking, not weaponry. :P As long as it shoots right, it's all good (though those desert eagles must look hella cool if Miki likes them). :lol:
Seriously though, in this case, they needed to think practically. Sneaking into the HQ is going to be hard enough. They can't afford to give themselves away by the sound of their weapons going off.
“Say, how fast do you think that maiden flies?” Miki changed the subject.
“She zoomed pretty fast in the sky… Think she’s faster than a jet?” Yuko perked up.
Dot.
Dot.
Dot.
“DRIVER! HURRY UP! BEND EVERY DRIVING LAW IN JAPAN IF YOU HAVE TO!” Yuko knocked on the wall separating the driver and passenger seat from the rest of the passengers.
The black window rolled down, and the driver turned their head, shocking the others with their identity…
“You got it!”
“Kei?!” the Fujimoto siblings gaped.
XD XD XD
“Look ma! No hands!” Kei giggled as she set the van on cruise and steered the van with her feet.
:on lol:
“This is fun~!” Kei’s cheerful expression suddenly became almost sadistic, her nose flaring and her grin exceeding her face. “Ohhhh yeaaaah!”
“Wait! What are you doing?! This isn’t a movie!! YOU CAN’T CLEAR THAT JUMP!”
“I dedicate this next move to Tom Cruise!” Kei stepped on the driving pedal harder, the van definitely breaking all speed limits of Japan combined altogether.
TOM CRUISE!!! :mon lmao:
“You’re not the only one suffering. Rika has her share of pain too. While you were in a coma from the scars for a week, ignorant of everything, she was almost killed by your family. There’s a spirit within her that possesses her, and if not possessing, she seems to see nightmares among her normal vision too. That isn’t normal you know, and to think she has to deal with living in fear constantly… She’s trying like hell to fight it, you know. What about you? You don’t like what you’re going through, but what are you going to do about it? It seems that right now, all you’re doing is complaining, yet she has the will to endure it all and move.”
Shiba-chan needed to hear this. Like Yossi said, there ARE others who have things just as bad as Shiba-chan has right now, so it's no use for her to just wallow about in self-pity.
To defend her like that… You must really care for her, huh?”
Hitomi remained silent.
Damn Shiba-chan's a sharp one. :)
“Wha?!” Ayumi shifted herself around, viewing her attacker.
“Pfft, I thought you wouldn’t be able to see me…” Maki let out a snort.
“Those clothes… Rika?!” Ayumi stood up, “Golden eyes and blood red hair… you must be that maiden Kagami was talking about!”
“And those scars… You are the one who shamed me!” Maki yelled out in anger, lunging forward for an attack.
Oh crap... :scared:
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Yuko-sama? Can you please stop screaming in my ear all the time? You’re ruining my concentration~!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/ROTFLMAO.gif)
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Poor Miyabi getting kipnapped again, wonder how Risako's gonna respond this time
and I love Miki's inner feelings for Rika here. It's gonna be interesting to see how the love triangle is gonna develop.
um, update soon? lol
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yay~ new chapter!
Why does Miss Chin of.. I mean Rika have doubts about kissing Yossi?? Its Yossi! She's supposed to be happy, like how Yossi is.
I feel sorry for Miyabi, every time she hits on Risako.. she gets kidnapped. Will the poor girl ever get to confess her feelings? But her reactions to her kidnaps are cute and funny. And my predictions were correct! Miki does like Rika! maybe even love I see... woo, but thats gonna be yet another problem for Rika.
The sister's reactions to Kei-chan's driving was hilarious. I wanna go for a drive with Kei-chan!! Just to see how bad it is..
den-den-deeeenn~ and so round 1 begins. But Ayumi isn't ready is she? Will Yossi protect Ayumi or Rika? But she wouldn't want to hurt Maki/Rika right? Since the last time they fought Rika got badly hurt. Or will whatever that's possessing Ayumi emerge at that moment?
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-dibbers in...this spot >_> -
-will edit after...something =D-
Ps: UPDATE!!!!! and it was funny!
>_>.......yea?
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I would like to ride the Kei Mobile XD
It's probably more thrilling than all the rides in Zekkyou CM put together ;>
D: Maki attacks!! Can Yossi win again this time? o.o Would she have conflicted feelings because thats also Rika she might be fighting.. I'm confusing myself. Looking forward to the next chapter XD
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ok! I'm back and finally i managed to read it fully...
very nice chapter, this last one!
i like when things happen very fast! and kei driving.... is just too awesome! xD
this fic has some serious moments when I went OMG!
3rd- Exploding hand! I never saw it coming! And it completelly changed the pace of the story!
2nd- Yossie picking up a fight with the maiden and actually being a good oponent! This girl really got some scary secrets! Another mach is coming next chapter, yey! ^____^
1st- The maiden being Maki! This was the best! When I red it I thought "Jesus! Yuu-chan can reeeeeealy surprise me!".
I wonder what is going to happen next! \o/
[I must mention that Miyabi always being kidnapped in the middle of her confessions is just too funny xD ]
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LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT :heart: :heart:
I just love your fan fics and when it's mixed with one of my favourite anime\mangas I can't hate :P
Miki is just the best :heart: and Rika and Yossie is THE BEST :heart:
This is a fan fic im gonna read to the end XD
Now I have to watch Ayashi no Ceres ones more :P
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I was bored xD
xs.to (http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07342/OCGIISign.jpg) | Imageshack (http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/266/ocgiisignrn2.jpg) | Tinypic (http://i16.tinypic.com/6gmjpzk.jpg)| Supload (http://s2.supload.com/free/OCGIISign.jpg/view/)
I just brought to you...
The cover to Our Cursed Gift II xD
Why yes, it's drawn by me too xD Like it?
Drawing Rika and Maki's hands was annoying x_X So it's kinda halfassed.
For those who need help (if you did read this, I'ma go o_______o!?) Left with the cross-shaped/scythe-shaped scar is Ayu, above her is Yossie, next to her is Miki, next to her is Maki's evil spouse of doom D<, and center is Rika on left with Maki on right.
Enjoy? xD
-writing next chapter-
Put on your hardhats for this one xD
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Wow Yuuyami, the cover is great.. it reminds me of.. I'm not a fan of this, but that Final Fantasy game
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That's what it was supposed to parody, roffle xD Same with the cover for the first story xD
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whoa cool!
I'd do some toning here and there but then I guess it wouldn't fit with the back ground and the words huh.
-_-' and thanks for not showing how Maki's evil spouse looks like.....
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=O Evil spouse of DOOM? *intrigued*
Of all things I'd notice on the kickass cover.. it's Maki's chest XD
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I laughed so hard and then I wait some more to positively belt out a more crazy laugh. I dunno what is it about Miki falling for Rika that makes me....giddy! Maybe I spent to much time worshiping Yomiki pairings lately. :hiakhiakhiak:
Kei.....oh my GAhhhh!!! Kei's scene, "I dedicate the next movie to Tom Cruise" and them yelling, "Don't dedicate Your Insanity!!!", is da BEST!! :farofflook: Go Kei-chan, to be as close as impossible to be the next Ayumi Hamazaki mix with Jackie Chan!!
Now if only we can get more kissing scenes. :hehehe:
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-lazy to do comments-
This chapter's nice and long, WOO!
And you know what? More questions will be answered here, WOO!
Sad thing is...
You guessed it.
There are newer questions that have yet to be answered :]
OHOHOHOHOHO <3
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-rolls around-
Chapter 11: Interrogation
Anticipation is strong.
“Oh look! Squirrel~!” Kei placed her hand over her brow to spot the distant creatures.
“OH NO! WATCH OUT FOR THE SQUIRREL!” Miyabi shouted out, trying to steady herself in this extreme version of a van drive.
Bump.
“HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO A POOR CREATURE?!” Miki screamed out, falling all over the place.
“Awwww! I killed a squirrel…” Kei frowned. “Oh look! Another one!”
Bump.
“YOU DELIBERATELY DID THAT, DIDN’T YOU?! I’M GIVING YOU A DEDUCTION IF YOU HIT ANYMORE!” Yuko clung to the sides of her seat tightly to the extent where the chair itself is ripping from her nails.
“Oh look a family of squirrels!” Kei’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry! If I try to avoid them, then we’ll crash into the buildings at the side! I’M SORRY KAMI-SAMA~!”
Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump.
“THE POOR SQUIRRELS…”
The tension has risen.
“And those scars… You are the one who shamed me!” Maki called out in anger, lunging forward for an attack. Ayumi couldn’t defend herself against the spiteful maiden.
Immediately, Ayumi was slammed against the wall, all the more painful since Maki’s hands were wrapped around her throat. Before she could proceed to strangle the other to death, Hitomi appeared near them and swiped at the maiden. Maki managed to jump out of the way, but not without harm, for a light bleeding cut appeared on her left leg. Levitating in the air, Maki huffed and panted, having already exerted a lot of her energy to be able to pull off blinding speed to suffocate the scarred woman.
“Get out of the way, Hitomi… That woman has the soul of my nemesis…” the maiden growled at the guard through gritted teeth, eyes clearly enraged at the sight of the descendant alive and coughing behind the enigma.
“That, I can’t do, Maki,” Hitomi gripped the stiletto in her hand tighter, preparing to counter attack should the maiden go after Ayumi again.
“So be it!” the maiden lunged again, this time her target was that ungrateful miscreant who had managed to defeat her before. Maki uttered a quick incantation which summoned her trademark sword into her hands, ready to do an uppercut. Hitomi replied in haste with a blocking attack, and as she held Maki at sword point, she punched her hard in the face. The maiden staggered backwards, but used that opportunity to do a low-sweep kick which had successfully knocked the guard over, causing a big pain to appear where her back collided with the wooden panel floor.
Hitomi couldn’t do anything while on the ground, but immediately countered that by grabbing the nearest thing, which was a flower vase, and threw it at other. When Maki was distracted by batting away the vase, Hitomi was already on her feet and lunched forward with a vertical swing.
Maki blocked with her sword from the air, which made Hitomi land on her feet but still pressing forward with the attack while Maki pressed forward of her own, trying to cancel out the attack.
While the two were in a state of high tension and focus of pushing the other over, guards had appeared from the entrance of the building, pointing their guns at the dueling two.
“Hmmph, so other servants came?” Maki looked at the bewildered guards, still keeping a strong block to Hitomi’s pushing.
“Stay away!” the enigma called out to the other guards, who was now unsure of whether they should shoot the maiden or not, seeing how Hitomi was too close to the firing range.
“Gravijira. I bestow upon you the hell of transcendent suffering!” Maki grinned widely as she watched the guards panic in horror of being attacked by a supernatural being. Black butterflies began streaming out of no where, latching themselves to the guards and eating anything they could offer—that is, their very own flesh.
The poor screaming men were clawing at the butterflies, trying to rip them off only to have another take its place. From that brief second of skin freedom, Hitomi and Ayumi saw in shock that the flesh had become deformed from being fed upon. The guards moved around the area in a frenzy, trying to get the butterflies off of them as if they were set on fire. Soon, their desperate clawing winded up becoming powerful: powerful to the extent of even tearing their now malformed and softened skin out of them, grabbing the butterfly with it as they cast the flesh aside.
Eventually, the guards’ screams became softer—all because there happened to be a few butterflies that managed to devour their vocal chords from the neck. It almost made the enigma and progenitor want to throw up at the grotesque being the guards had become—flesh beyond recognition that would have identify them as human beings. The floor was painted red at the blood which had spurted whenever the butterflies had hit an artery or the men made any movement whatsoever… And that meant almost the entire section which the men had struggled upon was drenched in the crimson which gave them life.
Then the butterflies dispersed, satisfied with their fullness and then faded into the air. The men—no, not men anymore, but the repulsive mounds of flesh—collapsed onto the ground, having suffered a very painful way to die.
The smell of death was absolutely revolting.
To think I could have been the one to suffer that attack if I did not have my magic nullification! Hitomi thought, no longer feeling confident over her eventual victory, but now afraid and wary of her future loss.
Maki shifted the weight of her sword heavier to her left, causing Hitomi to weaken her advance.
Damn it… My shoulder…Hitomi gritted her teeth to suppress a scream, feeling the wound of her shoulder reopening forcefully.
“Oh? Attacked your injury, have I?” Maki smirked, pressing even harder onto her position, causing the other to let out a grunt.
“Oh really?” the guard managed to make out despite her injury, and then used the opportunity to slide down, letting Maki’s force swing her sword above her head, and then did an uppercut punch to the maiden’s face.
The long haired woman stumbled backwards, hitting the floor hard as she landed. The maiden used her hand to try and relocate her jaw in place, giving the other two shudders with the consecutive cracking noises heard. Maki slowly stood up, the blood trickling down her mouth as she did so.
She was about to charge forward for another attack.
That is, until there was an interference.
Ayumi ran over to hug her.
“Stop this madness!” Ayumi shouted, “Rika! I know you’re still in there somewhere! It’s me! We’re finally back together, and I know you wanted to see me! Rika! Fight the maiden possessing you! You can hear me, right?!”
The maiden softened.
Then she kicked the other away, sending her crashing into Hitomi’s arms. The two were nearly slammed against the wall if Hitomi hadn’t stopped her footing on time.
“Don’t you DARE touch me again…” Maki huffed, bending her knees low and keeping her back arched in a primitive counter-striking stance.
“What is Ayumi to you? What are her origins with you?” Hitomi called out, holding the other protectively.
“She’s the reason… No… Her ancestor is the reason…” Maki’s voice was filled with contemplation, “When I came down from heaven… That fool stole my robes… And on top of that, forced me to…” the maiden stood up, trying to maintain a calmer stance, “That vulgar person defiled me and forced me to stay in this filthy realm! See those wounds?! Those scars were my response to that!”
“It can’t be true…” fear crawled into Ayumi’s face, “I’m the descendant of THAT?”
“Because of you, I could never find my Hagoromo. I vowed revenge and I will have it. I will continue reincarnating until I find them and destroy your clan in the process!”
“Listen to me!” Ayumi screamed in reply, “I have absolutely NO memories of that whatsoever! I can’t be of help and I’m definitely NOT like that man! I’m Shibata Ayumi, and you are my best friend, Ishikawa Rika!”
“I am no such thing to you…” Maki raised her sword in another stance, “You along all others who side with you are my enemies!”
She was about to lunge for another attack too…
But something had stopped her midway.
Maki sensed the presence of a ball which had hit her back and then out of it…
…Came gas.
Immediately, she felt her body become numb and she collapsed onto the ground, immobile.
Hitomi and Ayumi were shocked to find Kagami standing in the bloody doorway, composed in his jet black suit and readjusting his glasses. The man walked over to the maiden, stepping over the dead guards’ bodies as he did so.
“So you finally decide to appear to us, Maki? It saves Hitomi the trouble of retrieving you while you are in that form.” Kagami said, kneeling down next to the maiden.
“Gravijira…” Maki started, but was interrupted in the middle of her incantation when Kagami shoved the side of his hand into the maiden’s mouth, causing her to cease. Maki then tried to bite the man, but found it useless because no matter how hard she bit, he didn’t do as much as blink.
“I put this hand under a heavy dose of anesthetic before our confrontation,” Kagami removed his hand, now stained in blood from the teeth marks.
“What are you going to do with me then?” Maki’s eyes became half-lidded in defeat , “do you also wish to have your way with me… Like Ayumi’s past-life did?”
Kagami’s eyes widened, then he began formulating questions and saying them as he thought of them.
“Ayumi… Is she the current host of that spirit which stole your robes?”
“Yes.”
“How do you transform into the other?”
“Love.”
Kagami raised a brow, “Elaborate on that.”
“Whenever one of us feels an intense feeling of love, it gives the other an opportunity to take over because of the host’s fragile state of mind.”
“So that means it is one’s choice to possess the other once the condition of ‘opening the gate’ is met, right?”
“Correct.”
“Why are you currently in this body?”
Maki seemed to have bit her lip, as if hesitating to answer, “Shibata stole my Hagoromo and forced me to be his wife and bear his children… And we are his descendants. I will continue to reincarnate into those with my blood—those who satisfy my requirements… I will continue to do so until my goal is fulfilled.”
Kagami cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at the maiden. The first things she said seemed so… planned? Was the maiden lying to him? No matter, the rest of the information seemed genuine.
“To those who satisfy the requirements for your body, huh? Do you mean by appearance or the one with the closest genetic makeup…?”
Maki ignored that question and continued on, “I was reincarnated many times. And every time, I would awaken, but then your clan… Your clan figured out that I would appear exactly 22 years after the death of my host, so you would always keep track of those born on the date of my host’s death. And then when someone showed signs of supernatural capabilities or was said to be seeing unnatural things, you would kill that person…Thus, I was forced to flee to an unborn body every single time… You Shibata clansmen call it “ritual” of all words as well…!”
Kagami remained silent.
“How ironic that the progenitor was born to my rising in power as well! Born as my best friend of all things!”
“So that’s the case, huh?”
“Why are you acting so nonchalant, chief? Aren’t you being a little too confident in all of this?” Hitomi asked.
“If you are worried that I may forget, don’t fret, Abe-san is monitoring everything that’s going on right now, visually and auditory. As for you…. We have a sample of Ishikawa’s blood, but now that you, the maiden, are here, I will take a little sample of you too…” Kagami took out a needle, cleaning the tip of it.
Maki flinched slightly when it dug into her arm, drawing out her blood.
“There was one hint I had…”
“Hmm?” Kagami said as he pulled out the needle, satisfied with the amount that was in it. “A hint… Legends say that you had listened for your children’s song and had found it…”
“I see…” Maki smirked, “So your clan has long forgotten the song?”
“We had a song in the past? Interesting…” Kagami’s glasses seemed to have flashed. “Do you mind reciting the lyrics?”
“Sorry bastard, she ain’t gonna recite anything to you!” came a familiar voice.
Miki had her chopsticks pointing at the back of Kagami’s neck. Meanwhile, from the door frame, Miyabi had one gun pointed at the chief while the other was aiming at Hitomi.
“Now now, hand over the sexy maiden and I won’t shove these sharpened and black diamond chopsticks through your windpipe,” Miki said with a confident smirk, feeling very arrogant now that she and Miyabi had the complete advantage.
“Who are you?” Kagami asked.
“I’m Fujimoto Miki and I’m—”
Miyabi shot the gun in the air, surprising Miki.
“What the hell was that for?!” the demon turned her head to look at her sister.
“You’re such an idiot, Nee-san!” Miyabi retorted, “Why don’t you give him our address and invite him to dinner too?!”
“What are you—Oh shit…” Miki blinked a few times, realizing her mistake of giving her name to the enemy.
“…Fujimoto Miki, huh?” Kagami’s mouth turned upwards in a small smile.
“ANYWHO~!” Miki laughed excessively loud, trying to give her arrogance a boost from the embarrassment earlier, “I’ll just be taking Rika and we’ll be off~!” the demon nervously glanced left and right to make sure that the coast was clear.
Gunfire was heard.
Miki turned around to find that Miyabi had a bullet just slightly graze her hip. Immediately, Miki reverted to a defensive pose, running over to hoist Maki over her shoulder like a prehistoric caveman. Miyabi on the meanwhile, went on the defensive as well and took cover from the guards firing from the elevator by leaning against the doorframe, watching and listening carefully as the bullets grazed the frame.
“I’m sad we just can’t sit around and have tea, grope each other, all that fun,” Miki shrugged.
When Miyabi heard the guards reloading their guns, she went on the offensive and stood in the doorway and aimed with precision. The guards, seeing Miyabi in an open zone, tried furiously to load their weapons faster, unfortunately, the young teen saw to that first, and shot them straight in the legs.
“Nee-san! The way’s open! Let’s go!” Miyabi’s voice trailed off as the person herself ran down the hallway.
“You heard the kid, I’m off now~! Thanks for a good time, and I now take my leave!” Miki said before breaking into a run over the couch, then sliding across the bloody floor and then running down the hallway after her younger sister. When Miki came into the hallway, Miyabi was already at the elevator, waiting for her older sister to come in it.
“Watch out!” Miyabi called out to the other.
Miki didn’t need a warning, she jumped to the side as Hitomi zoomed past her with her stiletto in a thrusting position. The demon then jumped backwards, now in a staredown with the other.
“Nee-san!”
“Go on ahead. If I don’t come back to the van by the rendezvous time, just go straight home and forget me,” Miki said calmly, her glare locked with the enigma’s eyes.
“But Nee-san…” Miyabi’s voice grew inaudible, but shut the elevator door despite her own wishes. She knew that her sister was stubborn, and she knew that she will survive. She pressed the button to the ground floor and inhaled deeply, wishing for the best.
Questions that desire to be answered…
“So it’s come down to this, huh?” Miki uttered, having a slight tone of dislike in her voice.
“I guess it does, huh?” Hitomi replied, lowering herself into an attacking pose.
“Such a narrow hallway too…”
Indeed, behind Miki was the door to the residential complex and behind Hitomi was the only means of escape. Other than that, to Miki’s left was a beige wall and to her right was a wall of windows.
There was no escaping unless she manages to go around Hitomi…
…And that was going to be a hard thing.
Especially when she had someone slung over her shoulder…
“Well that’s unfair, I have a handicap…” Miki sighed, only to become stiff when she heard Maki growling behind her.
“My job is to capture the maiden only, so if you would just hand her over…”
“No way in hell, dear,” Miki pointed her black chopsticks at the other, “There’s this thing, you see? Even though you’re hot, I don’t like you. And I don’t intend to give Rika up to the likes of you either. My job is to protect her.”
“I see…” The corners of Hitomi’s mouth turned up into a rather scheming grin, “Then you should protect her from me!” the enigma charged at the other.
Miki batted the thrust away with her chopsticks and head-butted the surprised Hitomi. The guard staggered backwards, but then came to being and swiped again at the shorter. Miki held her chopsticks upside down, that is, holding it so that the sharp end protruded downwards instead of upwards since she was holding it at the top, and began to defend herself against the barrage of slashes and swipes that the taller dealt.
It was a rather close fight too. There were many times where Hitomi was sure that she could hit Miki, but the demon was able to bat the blow away at the very last second. There were many times where Miki was sure that she could counter attack Hitomi, but the enigma was able to deflect the strike at the very last second. There was an instance where the stiletto thrust itself in between the tightly wrapped chopsticks, where Miki flicked the stiletto into the air and then kicked it at the other. Though, Hitomi dodged the incoming stiletto and did a roundhouse kick, hitting the other hard in the face. Then the taller pulled her stiletto out of the wall and moved in for the attack again.
Unguarded, Miki suffered a few scars here and there before returning to the defensive, deflecting most of the blows. Only this time, her back was to the window. Then, Miki realized that it was enough time stalling her escape. When she held Hitomi’s stiletto at a point, she kicked the guard against the wall. Stunned, Hitomi couldn’t do a thing when Miki jumped off of her knee and kicked against her chest. Since she kicked far enough, Miki ended up launching from Hitomi to the upper part of the window. She kicked off of that window to launch her final kick, her fatal blow to knock out the other.
However, Hitomi recovered by then and used her own foot to meet with Miki’s. Despite the altitude, the guard’s foot made it just in time, and she repelled the other with that foot alone…
…And that sent Miki, along with Maki, crashing through the window… Falling from the 68th floor…
“Ack!” Miki tried her best to hang on tightly to Maki. Miki tried to think of something that would aid the situation…
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“OKAAASAAAAAN~!” Miki screamed at the top of her lungs as they both fell to their doom.
“Oh just shut up…” Maki sighed.
“SAVE ME DAMN IT~!” the demon pleaded, clinging even tighter to the distraught maiden.
“Gravijira. Dispel all unnatural air from this body and return me to my condition which preceded the contamination…” Maki said quickly, and with that, the effect of the numbing gases disappeared, and they stopped JUST before hitting the cement below…
“I fucking love you…” Miki’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates and yet, she still clung onto the maiden who felt like she was about to explode had the demon held her any tighter.
“Loosen your grip if you intend to flatter me with that,” Maki exhaled in frustration, flying upwards into the sky and zooming towards the location of the Fujimoto home.
“Hey uh… Thanks?” Miki looked around to find that she somehow ended up being held bridal style by the cursed woman.
Maki remained silent throughout the flight thus far.
Miki also chose to remain silent, for she knew that if she said something, Maki did have the nerve to drop her…
The demon took the time to admire the nature around them instead.
It was a nice feeling, actually…
Feeling the breeze against her skin…
Miki was never really fond of flying planes or anything of the sort. The loud sounds gave her headaches and having to sit uncomfortably in a seat for long periods of time were simply not her thing so to speak. But with this experience… It was different…
It was calming…
It was relaxing…
“I should not have done that…”
Miki looked up at the maiden, a question in her eyes. Maki saw the bemusement in her face and added on.
“Going straight to the enemy without a plan was a naive idea… And to think that I was subdued by a man-made chemical…”
“It’s the modern times, we’re not as ill-prepared as you think, anymore…” the demon said warily.
“I suppose I’ll wait until the opportunity presents itself…” Maki muttered, feeling humiliated from being defeated by humans consecutive times since her awakening.
“So uh…” Miki looked down to find that they were losing altitude in the air now that the mansion was in their vicinity.
“Hm?” Golden eyes stare at the other.
“I’ll just uh, wait to ask until we touch the ground, I’m feelin’ a bit light-headed from being in the air for so long…”
Soon, the two found themselves back in the garden after a half-hour flight. Miki felt awkward and utterly embarrassed to have been rescued by the damsel in distress instead of rescuing the said damsel in distress.
“What is your question?” Maki said as she walked over to the small bridge suspended over the ponds and connecting various pieces of land together, her back turned to the demon.
“That song… Can you recite the lyrics?”
“For what purpose do you want to hear the song?”
“Pfft, I dunno,” Miki scoffed, a little upset with Maki’s obliviousness, “Maybe I can help you find the robes…”
“…Then you will have what you want,” Maki finally said after some consideration. “Listen carefully.”
Then, the maiden sang in a choir-like tone which almost sounded like a whisper…
Shine, bright morning light
Now in the air, the spring is coming
Sweet blowing wind…
Singing down the hills and valleys…
Keep your eyes on me…
Now we’re on the edge of hell…
Dear my love… Sweet morning light
Wait for me, you’ve gone much farther…
Too far…
“There you have it…” the maiden crossed her arms, seemingly discontent with Miki’s indifferent reaction.
“I was never good at this sort of thing, sorry.”
“There’s no need for an apology. There is nothing that you have done wrong…”
“So why is it just the Shibata family? Why all of them?” Miki tried to interrogate, hoping to see if there were any other intentions that the maiden had.
“When Ishikawa ‘woke up’ as me, they all tried to kill her. That proves that they all agreed with the ritual of killing me and none of them would stand up to defend my cause. That makes all of them my enemies.”
“Does it really have to be that way?”
Maki glared at the woman now standing in front of her.
“What will happen once you receive your robes?” Miki became slightly uneasy, fearing what the answer might be.
“I will return to heaven.”
“And Rika?”
“I’ll probably end up taking over her completely, erasing all trace of her existence in this body.”
The demon looked down, clenching her fists tightly at what she feared might come true. She wanted to ask if there was any way to prevent that… But deep down, she knew that Maki would tell her that there was no other way…. But further in her heart, she told herself that what Maki said wasn’t true…
There could be a way to separate them…
There has to be a way to separate them…
But for now, she must settle with the time she had with Rika before finding the robes…
“How do you transform back into Rika?”
“Do you really prefer her that much?” Maki let out a smirk.
Miki crossed her arms, glaring at the other, “Perhaps.”
“Kiss me.”
The demon gave a look of bemusement.
“For me to transform into her, and vice versa, we would have to experience ‘love’ which sends our minds into a weak and unstable condition, which the other could easily take over…” Maki raised a brow at Miki’s hesitation, “I believe this is something you would not mind handling personally?”
Miki had already walked closer to Maki by the time she had finished that sentence. “Don’t you dare forget what we had talked about, maiden…”
And so, the distance closed between their lips.
To Miki, this maiden was especially intriguing to her. Seeing how the other didn’t seem to be too affected by the intimate contact due to the rather light blush—tint rather, the demon decided to go further by adding her tongue to the fever. With a practiced familiarity of having been with many people, Miki made sure that her exploration was delicate and soft, as if wary of the fragility Maki had.
To Maki, it had brought back many memories. From observing the world around her from Rika’s eyes, the one who had been the most interesting was this certain Fujimoto. She couldn’t place her finger on it exactly…But there was something about this woman that forced her to remember… Was it her stubbornness? Was it her arrogance? Was it her strong will? No matter, there was a certain quality of the demon that Maki somehow traced back to that person…
Maki’s hair grew slightly shorter, transforming back into a brunette color. The maiden shifted slightly as her body faded and finally became the original owner’s.
Despite noticing the changes, Miki still kept going, using this opportunity to finally taste the lips of the cursed woman. However, it was short-lived as she felt a stinging force upon her cheek which caused her to pull out of the kiss.
Rika had slapped her.
“You pervert!” Rika backed away, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Come now, it looked like you were enjoying it for a second there~!” Miki tilted her head in a smile, rubbing her reddening cheek.
“If I was, you wouldn’t be standing there with a swollen cheek,” Rika crossed her arms and looked away with a ‘hmph!’
“Oh well, at least you’re normal again.”
“Normal…? Oh no…” Rika’s face became distorted in panic, “What happened? Did I transform again?”
“Don’t worry about that for now… Just rest,” Miki turned around to walk into the house again, if it weren’t for Rika tugging onto her arm.
“Did I attack Ayumi? In the darkness… I heard her voice crying out for me…” Rika said almost inaudibly, looking down in the floor.
“Listen, I can tell you that the maiden won’t try to attack anyone for the time being…”
“So I did attack her… I think I attacked Hitomi too…” Rika released her grip on Miki’s sleeve. “Why can’t I remember anything at all? This all has to do with me and yet I don’t have a single clue…I don’t understand anything at all… I couldn’t do anything at all!”
Miki remained silent.
“I’m helpless…”
I want to learn the answers.
“So that was the celestial maiden—a real-life tennyo…” Kagami said, watching as Hitomi bandaged his hand.
“Yup, told you so,” was her simple add-on.
“I got all of the visuals and audio feed~!” came a singsong voice from the door in the lab.
“Abe-san?” Kagami looked up at the cheerful woman, questioning her rather cutesy attitude about all of this…
“Maki was so COOL! She was like BAM BOP WAP BAM and Hitomi was like ACK! AHHH! EEK! And then! And then! AND THEEEEN! The guards came in and she had this really cool fatality that like, TOTALLY ripped their skin off (I wish Mortal Kombat had a character with THAT move!) and they were screaming and all bloody and OH MY GOD… She’s so amazing… Like the secret character that’s the hardest to unlock because of her super strength, yo!”
Silence.
“Sorry, it was the gamer in me,” Natsumi squeaked, suddenly embarrassed at her frivolous outburst and shrinking slightly into herself.
“…Good job on retrieving the visuals and audio…” Kagami completely ignored the otaku’s small speech, “analyze the sample I got from her,” he held out the needle with the maiden’s blood inside of it.
“Will do!” Natsumi squeaked even higher, walking over to take the sample.
Kagami turned to look at Ayumi and Hitomi, “So now you’ve seen what Ishikawa was capable of, what are your thoughts on this, Ayumi-chan?”
“It was…” Ayumi fought for what words to use in her head, “it really slapped me in the face, you know? Rika becoming this whole other entity… claiming that I stole her robes and accusing me of rape…”
“Now, will you cooperate with us for the project that’s to come?” Natsumi asked, giving a small pout in hopes that the other would agree thanks to her cute face.
“ I need to learn more about my past and about those robes… Despite my wishes, I’ll have to stay away from her until we find a way to make the maiden’s spirit leave her body. So yes, I will cooperate…”
“Lovely!” Kagami clapped his hands together, glad that his relative complied.
“Only under the condition that Rika becomes normal at the benefit of this project however…” the scarred woman shot a glare at her older cousin, leaving no trace of being timid about her decision whatsoever.
“So, is the project initiated?” Hitomi asked, feeling that she has been silent for too long.
“Indeed it has,” Kagami replied, “Let the Celestial Project begin.”
All of them.
To those of you who read Ceres and think I'm following it like I did with Fruits Basket, guess again :3
I only took the premises of Ceres, and now that the song is introduced, I'd love to see people try to make interpretations of it to see if they can find the location of the hagoromo themselves :] Teehee, and you get an invisible cookie if you find out what the song was originally from too, roffle xD
Anywho, as said before, there's new things to be elaborated on, so I'd like to see theories on that too.
<3
Love you all <3
5 or 10 comments please <3
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Oh you unashamed thief, you stole so many ideas so blatantly. XDD At least be more subtle about them! (or maybe I'm just too familiar with all the references from which you were stealing from...)
-saw many horrible errors- You need a beta, stat. >_>;;;
Ok, now that I got off my grumpy evil beta mode (I just woke up, damnit), lemme talk about the good things. XDDD
Maki seems quite open with her past...up to a point. She conceals the main details but reveals just about everything else. She seems almost compassionate and yet unmerciful at the same time. Interesting dichotomy. I do wonder what that hidden past of hers really did do to her, since I gather she wasn't always so vindictive.
And roffle at Miki, btw. Revealing her surname is not a good idea. Now it gives the Shibata family a target to direct their attacks and pursuits at. Interesting to see how Maki seems to be perfectly fine with Miki. XD Except when the latter is inadvertently trying to strangle her with her tight grip when they were falling off the building. XD I still wonder who that mysterious person in Maki's past was. Certainly left an impression, I bet. "strong feelings of love", after all. XD
And gah, Celestial Project. -remembers Ceres- Damn. XD
Oh and that song? SO LIFTED FROM DOT HACK. XD I have an inkling of where you're going with this now though.... :X
Alrighties, I think that satisfies comment requirements. ^_^
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okay so....basically I cringed at the decription of butterfly flesh eater, I'm thinking Ebola Virus much?? Tsk tsk tsk.....I LMAO'ed myself with that revealing name scene, then progressing to blushes when the french kiss start, tho' if you think about it, you can imagine either Maki or Rika in that position and that's when the frown start. It's weird imagining Rika to be kissed by Miki.
Abe's otaku speech :lol: such an awkward after moment.
I wanna know why she feels connection with both Miki and Yossie. Who was this person she keeps reminiscing about?
Isn't it great if somehow there is a separation spell so Rika can be with Yossie, and Miki with Maki. XD
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“Oh look! Squirrel~!” Kei placed her hand over her brow to spot the distant creatures.
“OH NO! WATCH OUT FOR THE SQUIRREL!” Miyabi shouted out, trying to steady herself in this extreme version of a van drive.
Bump.
“HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO A POOR CREATURE?!” Miki screamed out, falling all over the place.
“Awwww! I killed a squirrel…” Kei frowned. “Oh look! Another one!”
Bump.
“YOU DELIBERATELY DID THAT, DIDN’T YOU?! I’M GIVING YOU A DEDUCTION IF YOU HIT ANYMORE!” Yuko clung to the sides of her seat tightly to the extent where the chair itself is ripping from her nails.
“Oh look a family of squirrels!” Kei’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry! If I try to avoid them, then we’ll crash into the buildings at the side! I’M SORRY KAMI-SAMA~!”
Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump.
“THE POOR SQUIRRELS…”
OMGASS I'M DYING FROM LOLing!!! :on lol: :on lol: :on lol:
Kei rulez!
You are the one who shamed me!” Maki called out in anger, lunging forward for an attack. Ayumi couldn’t defend herself against the spiteful maiden.
...
“Get out of the way, Hitomi… That woman has the soul of my nemesis…” the maiden growled at the guard through gritted teeth, eyes clearly enraged at the sight of the descendant alive and coughing behind the enigma.
Hmmm...so Maki's calling Yossi by her first name? I wonder how much (if any) influence Rika's thoughts/emotions have had on this? Being an powerful spirit and all, Maki doesn't seem like the type of personality to refer to many people in such a familiar manner.
“That, I can’t do, Maki,” Hitomi gripped the stiletto in her hand tighter, prepared to counter attack should the maiden go after Ayumi again.
Yossi's doing the same? Could it be that they're both doing this out of some strange mutual respect that they have for each other's fighting abilities maybe? They both know that as long as Maki's determined to destroy the ancient spirit that's within Shiba-chan, Yossi will do all she can to try and stop her.
While the two were in a state of high tension and focus of pushing the other over, guards had appeared from the entrance of the building, pointing their guns at the dueling two.
These guys had better stay back. There's nothing that they can do to affect the outcome of the fight other than accidentally shooting Yossi (which would let Maki win).
“Gravijira. I bestow upon you the hell of transcendent suffering!” Maki grinned widely as she watched the guards panic in horror of being attacked by a supernatural being. Black butterflies began streaming out of no where, latching themselves to the guards and eating anything they could offer—that is, their very own flesh.
Aawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww shit that's gotta suck. :shocked:
Maki shifted the weight of her sword heavier to her left, causing Hitomi to weaken her advance.
Damn it… My shoulder…Hitomi gritted her teeth to suppress a scream, feeling the wound of her shoulder reopening forcefully.
“Oh? Attacked your injury, have I?” Maki smirked, pressing even harder onto her position, causing the other to let out a grunt.
Maki should know, she's the one that caused it, after all. And any good fighter will take advantage of any injuries their opponents may have.
The maiden used her hand to try and relocate her jaw in place, giving the other two shudders with the consecutive cracking noises heard. Maki slowly stood up, the blood trickling down her mouth as she did so.
Ooooooooooooooooooooh...Rika's gonna feel that if they're able to suppress Maki again.
She was about to charge forward for another attack.
That is, until there was an interference.
Ayumi ran over to hug her.
Uh-oh, not a smart move. Shiba-chan doesn't realize how powerful Maki actually is and how much of a hold she can have when she possesses Rika's body.
“Stop this madness!” Ayumi shouted, “Rika! I know you’re still in there somewhere! It’s me! We’re finally back together, and I know you wanted to see me! Rika! Fight the maiden possessing you! You can hear me, right?!”
If only it were that easy. :(
“Don’t you DARE touch me again…” Maki huffed, bending her knees low and keeping her back arched in a primitive counter-striking stance.
“What is Ayumi to you? What are her origins with you?” Hitomi called out, holding the other protectively.
“She’s the reason… No… Her ancestor is the reason…” Maki’s voice was filled with contemplation, “When I came down from heaven… That fool stole my robes… And on top of that, forced me to…” the maiden stood up, trying to maintain a calmer stance, “That vulgar person defiled me and forced me to stay in this filthy realm! See those wounds?! Those scars were my response to that!”
So now Yossi and Shiba-chan know the whole story (at least from Maki's POV). However it's like Maki herself said, her beef is with Shiba-chan's ancestor, not Shiba-chan herself. Unfortunately it would appear that she's living by some "the sins of the father will be visited on the son" type of philosophy.
“It can’t be true…” fear crawled into Ayumi’s face, “I’m the descendant of THAT?”
It's undoubtedly hurtful and shameful for Shiba-chan to hear that her ancestor did such a thing to humiliate someone in that way.
Makes one wonder if the spirit of her ancestor will emerge and assert himself the way that Maki did with Rika?
“Because of you, I could never find my Hagoromo. I vowed revenge and I will have it. I will continue reincarnating until I find them and destroy your clan in the process!”
Hmmm...so Maki still hasn't found it? So what if, by some miracle (or trickery), they DID manage to find it? Would she leave them alone, or has she somehow trapped herself to seek vengeance against them for the rest of time?
She was about to lunge for another attack too…
But something had stopped her midway.
...
Immediately, she felt her body become numb and she collapsed onto the ground, immobile.
...
“So you finally decide to appear to us, Maki? It saves Hitomi the trouble of retrieving you while you are in that form.” Kagami said, kneeling down next to the maiden.
What's really strange is Kagami's seeming desire to catch Maki while she's in possession of Rika's body. It must have something to do with that "project" that he kept mentioning before. Another strange thing is that Maki is "staying" in possession of Rika's body even though she's been knocked unconscious. One would think that this would give Rika a chance to regain control if it happened. Evidently, it's not that easy to be able to take control of a human body.
“How do you transform into the other?”
“Love.”
Kagami raised a brow, “Elaborate on that.”
“Whenever one of us feels an intense feeling of love, it gives the other an opportunity to take over because of the host’s fragile state of mind.”
Hmmmmmmmmmm...that would explain why Maki would emerge when Rika started getting those feelings for Yossi. Maki does have a point in that humans can be vulnerable when they're in love. Often when one is in love their attention isn't as focused as it might otherwise be. This lapse in concentration is probably what allows the switch to occur.
“So that means it is one’s choice to possess the other once the condition of ‘opening the gate’ is met, right?”
“Correct.”
Choice? They have a choice as to whether or not they take over a person's body? That's somewhat unexpected. :O
“Why are you currently in this body?”
Maki seemed to have bit her lip, as if hesitating to answer, “Shibata stole my Hagoromo and forced me to be his wife and bear his children… And we are his descendants. I will continue to reincarnate into those with my blood—those who satisfy my requirements… I will continue to do so until my goal is fulfilled.”
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaait a sec, so not only is Shiba-chan a descendant of the man who took her Hagoromo...but Rika is too? That would make them (Rika and Shiba-chan) related (even if only very slightly), wouldn't it? Maki's using her own descendants to attack...her own descendants! :OMG:
“I was reincarnated many times. And every time, I would awaken, but then your clan… Your clan figured out that I would appear exactly 22 years after the death of my host, so you would always keep track of those born on the date of my host’s death. And then when someone showed signs of supernatural capabilities or was said to be seeing unnatural things, you would kill that person…Thus, I was forced to flee to an unborn body every single time… You Shibata clansmen call it “ritual” of all words as well…!”
Ironic that Maki's chastising the Shibatas for what they've done to their own family members (i.e. kill them and call it a "ritual") when she herself is out to kill the whole lot of them.
Abe-san is monitoring everything that’s going on right now, visually and auditory. As for you…. We have a sample of Ishikawa’s blood, but now that you, the maiden, are here, I will take a little sample of you too…”
What, are they thinking that they're might be some biological/scientific differences between the two blood samples? Perhaps there are some blood factors that appear in the blood when Maki takes over Rika's body. If that's what they're looking for, then they might be looking to identify these factors, and maybe even find a way to isolate them to be able to recreate them themselves!
“There was one hint I had…”
“Hmm?” Kagami said as he pulled out the needle, satisfied with the amount that was in it. “A hint… Legends say that you had listened for your children’s song and had found it…”
“I see…” Maki smirked, “So your clan has long forgotten the song?”
Is this a hint to finding out where the Hagoromo was hidden?
“We had a song in the past? Interesting…” Kagami’s glasses seemed to have flashed. “Do you mind reciting the lyrics?”
“Sorry bastard, she ain’t gonna recite anything to you!” came a familiar voice.
Miki had her chopsticks pointing at the back of Kagami’s neck. Meanwhile, from the door frame, Miyabi had one gun pointed at the chief while the other was aiming at Hitomi.
“Now now, hand over the sexy maiden and I won’t shove these sharpened and black diamond chopsticks through your windpipe,” Miki said with a confident smirk, feeling very arrogant now that she and Miyabi had the complete advantage.
Wow, Miki and Miyabi really ARE good at sneaking around unnoticed, aren't they? :grin:
“Who are you?” Kagami asked.
“I’m Fujimoto Miki and I’m—”
What the, NO!!!!! :scolding:
Miyabi shot the gun in the air, surprising Miki.
“What the hell was that for?!” the demon turned her head to look at her sister.
“You’re such an idiot, Nee-san!” Miyabi retorted, “Why don’t you give him our address and invite him to dinner too?!”
“What are you—Oh shit…” Miki blinked a few times, realizing her mistake of giving her name to the enemy.
“…Fujimoto Miki, huh?” Kagami’s mouth turned upwards in a small smile.
*sigh*
Smooth move there Miki. :banghead: Now if they're able to get Rika/Maki out of there, they can't take them back to the dance studio as it will be the first place Kagami will send men to look (hell, they could probably find it with a simple internet search). They'll likely also have to stay away from (if not fully shut down) all of the other Fujimoto dance schools that they have across the country.
“I’ll just be taking Rika and we’ll be off~!” the demon nervously glanced left and right to make sure that the coast was clear.
Gunfire was heard.
Evidently, it's not. Nacchi (and whoever else has been monitoring the situation), must have called for more guards once they saw Miki and Miyabi show up.
“I’m sad we just can’t sit around and have tea, grope each other, all that fun,” Miki shrugged.
Such a shame, isn't it? :roll:
“Watch out!” Miyabi called out to the other.
Miki didn’t need a warning, she jumped to the side as Hitomi zoomed past her with her stiletto in a thrusting position. The demon then jumped backwards, now in a staredown with the other.
Irregardless of how civil they were in their earlier meeting, Yossi's on the job now. That means that she's all business now. Miki's trying to take Rika/Maki away, and it's Yossi's job to keep her there in custody (preferably sedated).
“So it’s come down to this, huh?” Miki uttered, having a slight tone of dislike in her voice.
“I guess it does, huh?” Hitomi replied, lowering herself into an attacking pose.
“Such a narrow hallway too…”
...
“My job is to capture the maiden only, so if you would just hand her over…”
“No way in hell, dear,” Miki pointed her black chopsticks at the other, “There’s this thing, you see? Even though you’re hot, I don’t like you. And I don’t intend to give Rika up to the likes of you either. My job is to protect her.”
Yossi knows that she's got the advantage here. She doesn't have to get past Miki, nor does she have to worry about dropping a body in the middle of fighting.
When she held Hitomi’s stiletto at a point, she kicked the guard against the wall. Stunned, Hitomi couldn’t do a thing when Miki jumped off of her knee and kicked against her chest. Since she kicked far enough, Miki ended up launching from Hitomi to the upper part of the window. She kicked off of that window to launch her final kick, her fatal blow to knock out the other.
However, Hitomi recovered by then and used her own foot to meet with Miki’s. Despite the altitude, the guard’s foot made it just in time, and she repelled the other with that foot alone…
…And that sent Miki, along with Maki, crashing through the window… Falling from the 68th floor
ONOES!!! MIKI!!! :scared:
Miki screamed at the top of her lungs as they both fell to their doom.
“Oh just shut up…” Maki sighed.
“SAVE ME DAMN IT~!” the demon pleaded, clinging even tighter to the distraught maiden.
“Gravijira. Dispel all unnatural air from this body and return me to my condition which preceded the contamination…” Maki said quickly, and with that, the effect of the numbing gases disappeared, and they stopped JUST before hitting the cement below…
Ahhhhhhhhhh...so THAT'S what Maki was trying to do/say when Kagami incapacitated her back there. Lucky thing for Miki that Maki wasn't completely out of it that whole time. If they had hit, Maki might have still survived, given her supernatural powers/abilities, but there's little chance that Miki would have been able to.
“I fucking love you…” Miki’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates and yet, she still clung onto the maiden who felt like she was about to explode had the demon held her any tighter.
“Loosen your grip if you intend to flatter me with that,” Maki exhaled in frustration, flying upwards into the sky and zooming into the location of the Fujimoto home.
“Hey uh… Thanks?” Miki looked around to find that she somehow ended up being held bridal style by the cursed woman.
Mmmmm...I guess Miki must not have any relation to the Shibatas, since Maki's not trying to kill her. Might this be Maki thanking Miki for helping to get her out of the custody of the Shibatas?
“What is your question?” Maki said as she walked over to the small bridge suspended over the ponds and connecting various pieces of land together, her back turned to the demon.
“That song… Can you recite the lyrics?”
“For what purpose do you want to hear the song?”
“Pfft, I dunno,” Miki scoffed, a little upset with Maki’s obliviousness, “Maybe I can help you find the robes…”
“…Then you will have what you want,” Maki finally said after a consideration. “Listen carefully.”
This is the first time that someone has actually offered to help Maki find what she's lost. Up until this point, no one had (to our knowledge) made such an offer to her. All of her experiences have involved her fighting humans (namely the Shibatas). Mind you, she did start a lot of that conflict herself with her vendetta, so she's not completely innocent in this either. Who knows, if Maki hadn't been so hell-bent on destroying the Shibats and actually come to them in a more peaceful way (in the past), they might have helped her find her robes.
“What will happen once you receive your robes?” Miki became slightly uneasy, fearing what the answer might be.
“I will return to heaven.”
“And Rika?”
“I’ll probably end up taking over her completely, erasing all trace of her existence in this body.”
*gasp* :mon scare:
The demon looked down, clenching her fists tightly at what she feared might come true. She wanted to ask if there was any way to prevent that… But deep down, she knew that Maki would tell her that there was no other way…. But further in her heart, she told herself that what Maki said wasn’t true…
There could be a way to separate them…
There has to be a way to separate them…
...
“How do you transform back into Rika?”
“Do you really prefer her that much?” Maki let out a smirk.
Miki crossed her arms, glaring at the other, “Perhaps.”
Miki really must have strong feelings for Rika. :cry:
“Kiss me.”
The demon gave a look of bemusement.
“For me to transform into her, and vice versa, we would have to experience ‘love’ which sends our minds into a weak and unstable condition, which the other could easily take over…” Maki raised a brow at Miki’s hesitation, “I believe this is something you would not mind handling personally?”
Miki had already walked closer to Maki by the time she had finished that sentence. “Don’t you dare forget what we had talked about, maiden…”
And so, the distanced closed between their lips.
...
To Maki, it had brought back many memories. From observing the world around her from Rika’s eyes, the one who had been the most interesting was this certain Fujimoto. She couldn’t place her finger on it exactly…But there was something about this woman that forced her to remember… Was it her stubbornness? Was it her arrogance? Was it her strong will? No matter, there was a certain quality of the demon that Maki somehow traced back to that person…
Could it be that these memories are ones Maki had of being in love? After all, she didn't start feeling this anger and desire for revenge at the Shibatas until AFTER she found out that their ancestor was the one that hid her robes in the first place. But what about before that? What about all that time that she and he were married and had their family? Didn't she love him then? He must have loved her deeply to want her to stay with him. Has Maki forgotten what it's like to be in love because of the rage that has been with her for so long? Maki must know that Miki has feelings for Rika, it could be that she's starting to remember what it's like to be loved by someone (remember that Rika's smitten with Yossi, but that was Rika, Maki wasn't there at the time, PLUS the fact that there's still no definitive proof that Yossi feels the same way about Rika).
Maki’s hair grew slightly shorter, transforming back into a brunette color. The maiden shifted slightly as her body faded and finally became the original owner’s.
Despite noticing the changes, Miki still kept going, using this opportunity to finally taste the lips of the cursed woman.
Hey, most people, if put in a similar situation would probably keep on going too, especially if they have feelings for the other person like how Miki has them for Rika.
I'm actually still surprised that Maki willingly stepped aside and let Rika re-assert herself.
“Oh well, at least you’re normal again.”
“Normal…? Oh no…” Rika’s face became distorted in panic,
...
“Did I attack Ayumi? In the darkness… I heard her voice crying out for me…” Rika said almost inaudibly, looking down in the floor.
Whoa, Rika heard Shiba-chan when she grabbed onto Maki? That's HUGE! Perhaps their connection as best friends had soemthing to do with it...but DAMN that's HUGE!
“I got all of the visuals and audio feed~!” came a singsong voice from the door in the lab.
“Abe-san?” Kagami looked up at the cheerful woman, questioning her rather cutesy attitude about all of this…
“Maki was so COOL! She was like BAM BOP WAP BAM and Hitomi was like ACK! AHHH! EEK! And then! And then! AND THEEEEN! The guards came in and she had this really cool fatality that like, TOTALLY ripped their skin off (I wish Mortal Kombat had a character with THAT move!) and they were screaming and all bloody and OH MY GOD… She’s so amazing… Like the secret character that’s the hardest to unlock because of her super strength, yo!”
Silence.
“Sorry, it was the gamer in me,” Natsumi squeaked, suddenly embarrassed at her frivolous outburst and shrinking slightly into herself.
Heh, Nacchi's dorkiness is so cute. :nya:
Kagami turned to look at Ayumi and Hitomi, “So now you’ve seen what Ishikawa was capable of, what are your thoughts on this, Ayumi-chan?”
...
“ I need to learn more about my past and about those robes… Despite my wishes, I’ll have to stay away from her until we find a way to make the maiden’s spirit leave her body. So yes, I will cooperate…”
That indeed would be the best thing for Shiba-chan to do. The more she learns about her family history, the better off she'll be. And who knows, she might be able to find something useful (like addiional clues or the rest of those lyrics) that might help put a safe end to the situation.
“Only under the condition that Rika becomes normal at the benefit of this project however…” the scarred woman shot a glare at her older cousin, leaving no trace of being timid about her decision whatsoever.
“So, is the project initiated?” Hitomi asked, feeling that she has been silent for too long.
“Indeed it has,” Kagami replied, “Let the Celestial Project begin.”
Well, we know that Miki and Shiba-chan will definitely be in favour of this project (if she knew about it) if it means that Maki won't have to completely eliminate Rika from existance.
Still, it would be nice to know EXACTLY what the goals of the project are to begin with. :dunno:
To those of you who read Ceres and think I'm following it like I did with Fruits Basket, guess again :3
I only took the premises of Ceres, and now that the song is introduced, I'd love to see people try to make interpretations of it to see if they can find the location of the hagoromo themselves :] Teehee, and you get an invisible cookie if you find out what the song was originally from too, roffle xD
Huh? :stunned:
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new chapterrr!!! alrighttt!
You got me laughing from the very beginning of the chapter, poor squirrels though.
ahh.. ok now I understand, Maki can't go to heaven without her Hagoromo. But then.. what'll happen if the Shibata family finds it first? I mean the robe doesn't really benefit them that much does it? Wouldn't it be better to just join forces to find the robe and free Maki to get rid of their never ending battle?
Damn Rika is doomed both ways huh.. If the Shibata family manages to kill her, they'd buy themselves 22 more years before Maki emerges yet again. But Ayumi wouldn't let that happen right? And if Maki manages to find her robes, Rika still wouldn't get to go back living her normal life. Poor Rika-chan.
I can't help but think Maki might feel something for Miki... Since Maki seems to be pretty comfortable conversing with Miki. Ah well, I might be wrong as usual.
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I'm such an otaku xD
Megaupload (http://www.twitter.com/?d=DKSDG0B4)
Sendspace (http://www.sendspace.com/file/17d1yp)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these songs, they belong to their respective composers. The most I did was rechange the titles to fit the OST xD. (Invisible takoyaki for you if you can figure out the songs' original titles :3 )
PS. Yes, Maki's theme is using the Shibata song. Symbolism, yo xD And I think it will give people a better idea of how to interpret it.
PS 2. My favorite songs are: Yuko's theme, Broken, and The Celestial Maiden's Anger.
So please, download it and tell me what songs are your favorite xD. As more characters appear or as more situations present itself, I will make another entirely new archive so you can add the songs to the first. xD
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Maki and Yossie fighting again! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!!! xD
I just love these fight scenes....
and the OST is quite fitting the action...
BTW, some FF and FMA there, right.... hum... is there Noir also? Dunno... long time not seing it.... ¬¬'
great work!
[and Kei.......... those poor squirrels..... fantastic! but scary! O.o ]
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Miki's theme is teh awesome! :rockon:
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I love Duel with an Angel..can someone tell me where that came from? Is it from Noir?
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I love Duel with an Angel..can someone tell me where that came from? Is it from Noir?
Kajiura Yuki's Mezame from Mai-hime.
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Oho xD Nice job <3
But couldn't you at least comment on the chapter when you answered CKD's question? ;___;
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thanks for the music..I love that song!
@Yuuyami: It's taken me a while to read the story..hopefully I can comment on it soon. BTW, wish I could be a good writer like yourself
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;______; Duel with an Angel (mezame) is my favourite track in this OST, because I'm a Kajiura-sensei fan~ It used to be my lullaby ._.
uhmmm...
comments.. I laughed hard for most parts?
>_>
Okok, sorry.. I forgot. Here, proper comments.
I'd like Kei to be my driving instructor and squirrels to replace cones. 8)
I wonder who Maki's thinking of when Miki kissed her. Someone else other than the man who shamed her? Stubbornness and strong will reminds me of someone...(If some pairings remains the same as the first OCG) hm, but I dunno. Something tells me that it's not the enemy's ancestor because I don't think you'll think of someone you hate while kissing.. o_O;;
Celestial Project?? Why did I not pay attention while watching Ayashi no Ceres... I have not a clue what's happening so I'm not even gonna try coming up with guesses. I'll just wait for the next chapter patiently. Great work though, I really like how you use elements from the anime but it still has a sense of originality. Hell, imagine fan-made anime off the OCG series o.o
Okay... I'll shut up now. Hope to see new characters appearing anyway.
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;______; Duel with an Angel (mezame) is my favourite track in this OST, because I'm a Kajiura-sensei fan~ It used to be my lullaby ._.
ahá! 0.0
Nice call inDeceit!
I knew i had already listen to these songs before! xD
he also made .hack//sign songs!
hum... so that's where maki's theme is from? nice song choices!
[it took me a while to remember the name, but I think is "fake wings" ....damn! My memory is just hopeless... ¬¬' ]
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HB, dearie, Kajiura-sama is a girl xD She was the back-up vocalist and the keyboardist for See-saw as well (for dot hack) remember? xD
Anywho, there's going to be a slight delay in writing, since I'm going to be busy with family matters and school starts next week too xD;
I'm still considering whether I should convert into drawing a manga of the story, it's just a matter of my commitment xD The reason why I think it should be a manga is 'cause when I write it, I think of it as a manga more than a fictional story, so that's why my writing style is often choppy because I like to think of it like manga xD...
Ten bucks says that I might still write it as a story though, since my lethargy surpasses a lot of things xD;
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HB, dearie, Kajiura-sama is a girl xD She was the back-up vocalist and the keyboardist for See-saw as well (for dot hack) remember? xD
Ya.... Thanks Yuu-sama! had no idea at all that she was a girl...! =^_^=
[hey... don't worry about delays..... we'll be here.... waiting.... in the dark.... alone... crying.... under the table.... just waiting.... and waiting... until yuu-sama come's back to save us.... ._. ]
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First I feel that Maki is holding something back. She never mentioned the sparring partner. I think that she was a true love for her, which is why when she was first fighting Hitomi she reverted back. It wasn't just because she lost the fight, she was also reminded of her love and she couldn't keep her form.
Second, if she wants to kill everyone in the Shibata-Maki bloodline, that would include Rika and Yuko. I personally don't like that.
Sorry I haven't been commenting any better, but I've been pretty distracted lately. :(
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Actually, she just wants to kill the Shibatas, not anyone else, really xD
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coo fanfic just a newbie but i'm really into this story :otomerika:
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Sorry for the wait!
I felt lazy xD;
-puts on hardhat- >_> <_<.....
Anywho, here's another fun filled chapter for you all~!
Look forward to it :B
-giggles-
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Teehee <3
Chapter 12: Getting Dinner with the Fujimoto Family
Let’s review…
“Alright… I have to do this now or it will drive me crazy…” A certain person said, focusing on the chat box on her computer monitor…
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Ri-chan? I’m sorry for disappearing on you yesterday! ;_;”
XxSuperSockoxX: “………………………………….”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “I’m serious! ;_____;”
XxSuperSockoxX: “So what’s your excuse this time?”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “It’s not an excuse D<!”
XxSuperSockoxX: “Yes it is! D<”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “No it ain’t! D<”
XxSuperSockoxX: “I bet you tomorrow’s lunch that it is! D<”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “And I’ll bet you two lunches that it isn’t! D<”
XxSuperSockoxX: “I’ll bet you a week’s worth of lunches! D<”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “O___O! Don’t make me angry!”
XxSuperSockoxX: “LOL! I can just picture you… Doing some pose shouting “HENSHIN” and then going “MIYABI SUPER DUPER CALIFRAGI- EBIRU BEEEAAAAM!” or something like that!”
Miyabi took the moment to reel over laughing at Risako’s imagination. After five minutes of trying to compose herself, she typed again.
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “ROFL!!!!!!!!”
Miyabi sank back in her chair, giving a sigh of relief after endangering herself with lack of oxygen from laughing so much. Then she straightened up again.
“Alright…” the young teen cracked her knuckles, “I will NOT be kidnapped today… DEFINITELY not kidnapped today… I’ll make sure of it…!”
Now that she was in the vicinity of her room, no one was safe, really. There was one particular reason why her room was incredibly desolate. There was a reason why the bed was against the corner with the door at the foot of it. There was a reason why the computer was at a corner. There was a reason why the low table was pushed more toward the wall instead of the middle of the room. All of those reasons were the same as the reason why no one could be safe on Miyabi’s turf.
She was hiding guns underneath the wooden panel floor.
That was rather inaccurate to say, really. There are certain floor panels which housed certain guns. There was a floor panel dedicated to gun attachments such as scopes and sound suppressors. There was a floor panel dedicated to her various types of ammunition. Of course, her guns were not put together underneath the floor panels. For an extra precaution, all of the guns she owned were in pieces, and she was pretty much the only person in the family who could put them together.
XxSuperSockoxX: “Oh well. Silly Miya…I’ll believe you again. But if it happens again, I won’t forgive you as easily~!”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Thank goodness. I was worried that my powers as a wishing star didn’t work.”
XxSuperSockoxX: “E-eh?”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “You’re supposed to believe in me, dear.”
XxSuperSockoxX: “M-miyabi? What’s gotten into you?”
Miyabi let a giggle come to her mouth, amused with Risako’s confusion. She knew that the younger was flustered and blushing on her end of the conversation.
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “You are a very special person, you know that?”
XxSuperSockoxX: “D-don’t be s-so… If you talk like that, it makes me believe you…”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Heh, I do have my reasons after all…”
XxSuperSockoxX: “What are those reasons?”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: I love
Miyabi blinked. Her computer was blank. She tried turning the computer on again, but it didn’t turn on… She was in the middle of typing her confession too, damn it!
“THE POWER’S OUT!” boomed a familiar lioness roar from the lower floor.
Miyabi bashed her head on her keyboard repeatedly.
Miyabi can’t get her girl.
“Shiiiiit. No power? Oh well, I’m good with primitive over-the-fire cooking too…” Miki stroked her imaginary beard.
“Over the fire? Do we have any charcoal?” Rika piped up.
“Nope. We’re going to have to burn something else…” Miki leaned against the cooking counter, resting heavily on her back.
“Hmm…” Rika tapped her fingers in a light staccato, “we could burn something useless…”
“Like?”
“Heheheheheh…” Rika let out a dark giggle, “magazines burn well you know… Especially the erotic kind…”
“You will NOT touch those!” Miki let out a defiant voice.
“Oh, so you DO have that sort of thing…” Rika smirked.
“Oh shit…” Miki’s eyes widened, jumping in front of Rika, “No I don’t!”
“Miki has porn~! Miki has porn~!” Rika sang in a singsong voice, pointing and laughing at the other.
“Shut up~!” the groping demon retorted, punching Rika lightly in the shoulder.
“I order you to sit~!” Rika said in a singsong voice, letting the corners of her mouth grin widely.
“Wha—D’OH!” Miki became twitchy all of a sudden, flipping herself over on her back as if she was a dog trying to play dead. “I…shi…ka…wa…!” Miki growled between shocks, attempting to sit up to complete the command.
“This is fun~!” Rika continued in her singsong voice.
Miki is constantly abused…
The lioness of the mansion let out a frustrated sigh. Yuko leaned against the doorway in the small shed crossing her arms, watching the maid with the best experience with technology hooking up the wires of the traditional home to no avail. If it had anything to do with technology, the dance teacher did not belong. She even hated using phones, no matter what the popular trends were. She prefers her life old school and will use items that are old school.
“Bah, the kids these days do shit that I’m too old for…” the lioness uncrossed her arms and walked out of the tiny shed in the corner of the garden. Thank goodness she was wearing a heavier navy blue kimono this time; the cold was making her face flush slightly. It was also a good thing that she was wearing a … leopard print scarf?
“Yuko-sama… Don’tcha think that the scarf’s a little…?” Kei gulped, hoping that her master would not be angry with her difference of opinion.
“What’s wrong with leopard print, eh? At least it’s fake!” Yuko waved her hand dismissively.
“So when will the power be back?” Kei asked, curly hair bouncing as she hopped after the lady of the mansion.
“I don’t know, I’m thinking of hiring Murata or something…” Yuko walked over the bridge, watching the undisturbed water of the small pond below.
“She likes to charge a lot of yen though…” Kei pressed her index fingers together, lowering her head.
“I don’t blame her, she’s been a great technician for our missions… I wonder how much she’s going to charge for a simple power-out…” Yuko stroked her imaginary beard, “Bah, we can just wait it out…” the lioness continued along the bridge, heading towards the kitchen.
She opened the sliding door by motioning her hand and utilizing her telekinesis. Ignoring the twitching slightly tan (Yuko wondered how Miki became so tan during the cold season) cook on the floor and the giggling charming woman, she headed straight for the refrigerator. Gripping the handlebar lightly, Yuko swung the fridge open, scanning the treasuries within.
But her most precious…
“This can’t be right…” the woman’s eyes opened widely. Everyone in the kitchen looked at the gaping woman.
She was almost petrified at the thought.
She became immobilized by her fear.
It can’t be…
She backed away steadily, her eyes glittering with her tears of sorrow.
This isn’t supposed to happen…
Her trembling hands wanted to scratch her cheeks, attempting to suppress an outburst.
“Yuko-sama…” Kei reached out a hand to her, but refrained from touching her.
The broken lioness simply turned around, her eyes stricken with grief. She bolted past the housekeeper and collapsed onto the garden outside, removing herself from the area which caused her so much pain.
“Why…?” was all she could utter.
A word that was almost inaudible.
A word that was dangerously close to breaking.
Yuko raised her trembling hands onto her head, a few tears escaped her eyes which came close to being classified as insanity.
“WHY IS ALL THE BEER GONE?!”
Yuko is dissatisfied…
“Go get me some beeeeer~!” the lioness complained, sitting on the wooden floor with her feet dangling off the edges onto the stone platform while watching Miki and Rika attempted to start up a fire in the middle of the garden with a gas burner.
“The booze can wait, Nee-san,” Miki grew frustrated, watching the incredibly low fire oozing out of the simple machine.
“Don’t cook anything too extravagant, a simple soup or even fried fish would do,” Rika crossed her arms, staring into the harmless small fire.
“Screw this, we should just eat out at a cheap place or something…” Miki sat down and pouted.
“Cheap place, hm…” Yuko stroked her imaginary beard. “Come to think of it, it IS the second month of the year…”
“Hmm?” Miki and Rika turned their heads to face the oldest.
“Alright, I have a task for you two,” Yuko sat up, brushing her behind as she did.
“What, we’re not going to snatch anything, are we?” the groping demon raised a brow.
“Nah, nothing like that. I just want you to visit two friends of mine is all. Actually, more like wait for them,” Yuko raised a finger into the air, “We don’t have to exchange much money, but it’s a good bargain, considering their food’s great.”
“Greater than my food?” Miki raised a skeptical brow.
“Not really, but it’s still edible and good to eat asides from the exotic foods you tend to bring in.”
“Well excuse me!” Miki turned her head, letting out a snort.
“So who are these friends of your’s?” Rika inquired, turning off the gas burner.
“Hmm… I guess you can describe them as… not of this world…” a grin turned up on the lioness’s jaws. “Never the less, I’ll give them a call and all you have to do is wait in front of the outer gates. They’ve done favors for me before, and no doubt that they are willing to do it again.”
“Who is ‘they’ then? Some people managing a portable restaurant?” Miki stood up, stretching her limbs a bit.
“I guess that’s pretty similar to what they do,” Yuko chuckled, “nevertheless, they seem like they will get along with you two. Since they are closer in age.”
“Are they hot?” the demon smirked, evidently thinking about what things to do when she meets them.
“Actually, they’re both really adorable,” Yuko beamed, “though whenever I think of them, I can’t help but feel like a pedophile…” she went shifty eyed, staring in a different direction.
“So when do we wait out the gates?” Rika asked, ignoring Yuko’s incoherent utterings.
“Hmm, if I call them now, they’ll come in about ten minutes. So you two should head out and wait now.”
“Alright,” the two women said.
Hmm… Who could those people be?
“I’m so sorry!” Miyabi apologized into her cellphone, “the power went out!”
The person on the other line remained silent.
“I’m serious! You know I’d be chatting with you on the computer if there wasn’t one!”
Utter silence.
“Risakoooooo~!” Miyabi let out a whining voice accentuating the last syllable.
“Alright, I’ll believe you this time,” the voice on the other line sighed.
“Thank you!” The sniper let out a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know how long I can keep up with this though… You always seem to come up with excuses…”
“Indeed, I wonder why you keep having faith in me…” Miyabi added a light playful tone to her voice.
“J-Jee… I w-wonder why too…”
“Are you blushing? Your voice is stammering,” The older teen smirked, happy with her effect on her beloved.
Now that she has Risako wrapped tightly with her fingers, this confession DEFINITELY has to succeed… Sure, it was a little awkward confessing on the phone, but everytime she tried to confess elsewhere, they have always been foiled. This phone HAS to be her saving grace…
“N-No I’m not!” the younger retorted. “Why do you like picking on me so much, huh? Are you bullying me?”
“It’s not really bullying…” Miyabi plopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room with a content smile. “I’d call it affection…”
“Miyabi…-san…?”
Now…
“I—”
Click.
“What?!” Miyabi reacted after hearing that noise. She looked at her cellphone to find that…
…It had died out on her.
“I swear! Fate hates me~!” Miyabi whined in frustration as she outstretched her limbs and rolled around on her bed to let off some steam.
Miyabi still can’t get her girl…
Rika sneezed, clinging to herself tighter as she stood in the cold with the person she wanted to be with the least out of the others. Though, she did not have that much of a reason to fear the demon anymore; the bands that Miki wore had given her a freedom that did not involve excessive groping or kiss. Obviously, she felt relieved that she can rest easily without that tanned woman trying to jump into her pants every second.
“Oh by the way, not sure if you noticed, but I’m wearing your pants since all of my clothes are being washed,” Miki looked at the other.
…Though she can’t exactly rest too easily if Miki could get into her pants… Literally…
“Y’know… If you’re seriously that cold… We could always share warmth…” a mischievous grin appeared on the devil’s lips.
“Let’s not…” Rika chided as she scooted away from Miki a bit.
“Come now, it can’t be that bad,” Miki watched the other in amusement.
“Of course it is…”
“Well, I’m stuck with you whether you like it or not, all thanks to these,” Miki motioned to her collar by tugging her jacket a little lower.
Is that a hickey…? Rika raised a brow, staring at the aforementioned object at the base of Miki’s neck.
“Staring at this?” Miki pointed to her hickey, “I cornered this hot guy down the street and you can guess what happened next.”
“So what are you, a player?” Rika rolled her eyes, “Do you just offer yourself to anyone hot that you meet?”
“It’s not so much as me offering myself to them, it’s usually them who offer themselves to me,” another grin appeared on the demon’s face.
“You won’t find me doing that with you any time,” Rika let out a sigh, tugging on her scarf tighter so none of the cold could get into her skin.
“Oh? Why don’t you try me for once?” the other stood in front of Rika.
“Can you even get to me?” Rika raised a skeptical brow, crossing her arms.
“Maybe I can…” the demon walked closer, causing Rika to walk backwards into the wall of the outer gate. “But what sort of things turn you on, hmm?” both hands of the demon were placed near Rika’s shoulders, trapping her.
“I don’t know. But the first thing would have to be that I prefer people taller than me,” Rika tilted her head with a bored look. “So that just eliminated all chances of you being able to seduce me,” a cat-like smile came on the cursed woman’s lips. “Aaaaand I order you to step away from me by four paces~!” the command was said in a singsong voice.
“Oh what the hell,” Miki grumbled, flinching as she stepped backwards to avoid being electrocuted like what happened earlier.
Rika couldn’t help but give a laugh at the other. Although Miki has her differences that Rika disliked, that still didn’t take away the fact that the demon can be amusingly cute at times. Though, she would never admit that aloud.
Which brought Rika to an interesting thought… If she wasn’t so infatuated with Hitomi, then maybe…
Maybe…? Rika caught herself thinking. There isn’t supposed to be a ‘maybe.’ She and I are too different…Besides, she’s not even commited to relationships… All she does is have her fun with the men and women…There’s no way that she’d go for me anyway…
Or is there?
Rika became afraid.
Despite Miki’s ‘player’ status, Rika knew, in a sense, that the devil was still reliable like her sister had said. Beneath that outer layer, she knew that Miki had a sense of justice and won’t hesitate to save her, as she heard from Yuko from the time she was possessed by that maiden. She wouldn’t say that Miki was noble though. This certain Fujimoto was more of an… Anti-hero.
Rika blinked in her thoughts.
Why was there a rather huge shadow in front of them?
“The hell’s that?”
Evidently, Miki noticed the same.
“WATCH OUT BELOOOOW~!”
CRASH!
Miki was face-flat on the tar road with a foreign object on her back. Or rather, there was a youthful girl straddling her back.
“I told you sooooo~!” the girl bent over, watching Miki groan in pain.
Where the shadow once resided… Was a food cart?
Rika blinked multiple times.
There was a wooden food cart the size of a car in front of them.
“Get off me…” Miki grumbled, trying to lift herself up despite the girl on her back.
“Sorry!” the girl apologized before standing up.
Rika surveyed the girl quickly. She was in a simple informal kimono, well, it was more like a yukata because of the short sleeves. Also, the yukata was cut just above her knees. The girl was taller than Rika, but had a child-like face which made Rika believe that the girl was possible in her early teens. The girl’s hair was black and was tied up in a very loose bun at the top of her head—actually, it didn’t resemble a bun in particular, it just resembled a wild bush at the top of her head. The one thing that stuck out to Rika?
The girl had fox ears.
And bushy fox tail.
“We’re sorry about that!” a voice came from inside the traditional food cart, “She loves to do that! I keep telling her that it’s impolite but she does it for the fun of it!”
Again, the person from the food cart was a fox-eared girl. Though, she looked considerably older than the one who had landed on Miki. She was wearing the same sort of outfit as the younger, only it had a heart-shaped apron over her yukata. Also, her sleeves were brought up and tied to her shoulders, exposing her pale arms. In fact, Rika felt a little envious towards the girl’s face…
“You are so cute!” Rika squealed, frolicking towards the food cart.
“Thank you! But complimenting me has a price! That’ll be 1,000,000 yen please!” the older fox girl stuck her hand out, expecting money to be placed on it.
“I take that back,” Rika’s eyes widened.
“Eh?! Whhhyyyy?” the older fox girl pouted.
“Please, anyone would take that back if they heard the price,” Miki stood up, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
“It’s not that…”
“Eh?” Miki looked at the cursed woman in bemusement.
“Upon closer inspection, I realize that I am the cuter one.”
Miki and the younger fox girl nearly fell over when Rika said that.
“Oh? I’d like a rival,” the older fox girl propped her elbows on the cart and rested her chin on her hands, “it makes life all the funner~! But I’m the number one cutest, don’t you forget!”
“I will forget, because I myself am the number one cutest and won’t remember anyone else!” Rika giggled at the conversation itself, causing the other fox girl to giggle.
“Oh gahh… Two Ishikawas…” Miki slapped her hand to her forehead. “As if one isn’t enough…!”
“Anywho… Who are you two…?” Rika backed up, again surveying the food cart and the girls who happened to fall out of the sky.
“We’re the Rainbow Pink food cart!” the younger and the older fox girl stood together in a cutesy pose.
“I’m Koharu!” said the younger one.
“I’m Sayumi, the number one cutest fox spirit!” said the older one.
“What the hell are you doing here? And why the hell is your ENTIRE cart painted pink?!” Miki waved an accusing finger at the aforementioned object.
“We’re the Rainbow Pink cart! So we have a rainbow pink cart!” Koharu piped up, raising her finger into the air. “We were called here by a Yuko-san!”
“I asked Nee-san for food, not a bunch of jailbait~!” Miki dropped to her knees and pretended to slam the floor repeatedly for emphasis.
“Of course we have food!” Sayumi waved her hand dismissively, “Our specialty is oden!”
“WHY IS THE ODEN PINK TOO?!”
“Actually, it’s cute, AND it tastes good!” Rika looked down at Miki, already helping herself to a cup of oden, chewing on a pink piece of tofu while Sayumi was placing the yen in an oddly modern cash register as opposed to the primitive look of the cart.
“No! You’ll become more of a narcissist than what you are now!” A frantic expression came up on Miki’s face, not wanting Rika to subject her to more cutesy rants than usual.
“Nah, we don’t secretly dose our products with drugs,” Sayumi waved her hand dismissively, “all it takes is one look at me and that’s when the narcissism kicks in! Just like what happened to Maki-sama!” the fox girl pointed at Rika.
“Eh?!” Rika’s eyes widened.
“What?!” Miki’s eyes also became alarmed.
“Everyone in the spirit twilight knows who Maki-sama is! She’s the one who watches over the Twilit Sea!” Koharu was sitting Indian-style, only she was levitating and was upside down.
“Though, right now, you’re not Maki-sama, right?” Sayumi asked.
“No, I’m Ishikawa Rika at the moment…” the woman said slowly.
So the person inside of me… Her name is Maki? She DID tell me that she was in charge of that beach place that time…
“It’s an honor to meet you!” both of the fox spirits bowed their heads towards Rika.
“Uh…” Rika became speechless, unsure of what to say now.
“Ah!” Miki suddenly perked up.
“Hmm?” Sayumi tilted her head in a cute and clueless expression.
“Say, you two travel around a lot, right?”
Koharu nodded her head, despite being upside down.
“Tell me, do you have any idea where the celestial robes are?”
“Ohhhh, you want to help Maki-sama find her robes?” Koharu flipped over so that she was no longer upside down.
“You know about that?” Rika raised a brow at the young fox spirit.
“It’s nothing new really,” Sayumi propped herself on her elbows again, “A lot of maidens lost their hagoromo in the past too, but it’s just Maki-sama who is intent on finding them…”
“Seriously, there are more maidens?” Miki became intrigued now.
“Of course! There’s millions right now,” Koharu nodded her head.
“Yuko-san DID say that the chance of having a maiden’s blood in you is one out of five…” Rika pondered.
“And the ratio for actually being a direct descendant and transforming is one out of one hundred, eh?” Miki pondered as well.
“Hmm… Rumors of a hagaromo…” Sayumi rolled her eyes upwards, attempting to think.
“I guess you can go for rumors of suspicious maiden activity too… Maybe we could ask them about it too…” Rika said as she bit onto another pink tofu piece of her oden.
“Didn’t we see something suspicious a few jobs ago?” Koharu asked Sayumi.
“Yeah… Oh!” a light bulb flicked on in the cute fox girl’s mind, “try checking out Tochigi prefecture, around the Kegon Falls area! I hear some weird people in black gathering the 7 descendants there!”
“Yeah! The local legend there states that the tennyo over there gave birth to seven children! Maybe you can find out something from them~!”
“Thank you for the help!” Rika bowed her head to the two.
“Anything to help Maki-sama!” both of the foxes piped up.
“So… What else do you know about Maki-san?” Rika asked, curious of the spirit within her.
“She’s really cool! But she’s kinda scary because she can be so serious…” Koharu pressed her index fingers together almost shyly, probably because she was afraid that she was being too blunt towards the magnificent person in front of her.
“Also the fact that her element magic of the flesh is scary too…” Sayumi added.
“So a maiden has a special element that she uses?” Rika wanted to know more.
“Yeah… The tennyo from Tochigi has the water element, just to let you know if you two decide to go there,” Koharu levitated in a circle, suddenly retrieving ADD and chasing her own tail.
“Thanks for the information!” Miki and Rika bowed to the two.
“Now for business…” Miki pulled out her wallet, “we need enough oden to feed a hungry family and a LOT of beer…”
Frankly, they should worry how Yuko came to know them in the first place…
Miyabi groaned as she walked down the stairs, stricken with frustration at the day’s events. How many times does this make it? The teen wondered how far fate would go to ensure that Miyabi’s confessions were never successful. Why does fate have to pick on her anyway?
Fate is a big meanie!
Miyabi wanted to find it and shoot the crap out of it!
The sniper isn’t supposed to have bullies! She’d shoot them!
Knowing that shooting fate was impossible, she simply let out a frustrated sigh as she entered the dining room, finding her obligatory cushion on the floor before sitting formally on it.
“Itadakimasu~” Miyabi muttered, before opening her eyes.
Why is all the food pink?
Even the broth was pink!
“Um… Nee-san?” Miyabi looked over to Miki.
“Just eat it,” came a fast reply with a tone of embarrassment to it.
“But why is it pi—”
“Shut up and eat it.”
How will the journey to Tochigi Prefecture fare?
Poor Miki xD The more she sticks with Rika, the more dignity she loses :lol:
Five lovely comments or Ten cute ones! <3
-
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Ri-chan? I’m sorry for disappearing on you yesterday! ;_;”
...
XxSuperSockoxX: “So what’s your excuse this time?”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “It’s not an excuse D<!”
...
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “O___O! Don’t make me angry!”
XxSuperSockoxX: “LOL! I can just picture you… Doing some pose shouting “HENSHIN” and then going “MIYABI SUPER DUPER CALIFRAGI- EBIRU BEEEAAAAM!” or something like that!”
Miyabi took the moment to reel over laughing at Risako’s imagination. After five minutes of trying to compose herself, she typed again.
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “ROFL!!!!!!!!”
:on lol:
Damn these girls come up with the weirdest names for themselves. XD
“Alright…” the young teen cracked her knuckles, “I will NOT be kidnapped today… DEFINITELY not kidnapped today… I’ll make sure of it…!”
Wouldn't surprise me in the least, but I think she just jinxed herself. :P
Now that she was in the vicinity of her room, no one was safe, really.
...
She was hiding guns underneath the wooden panel floor.
Well, she has to keep them SOMEWHERE, after all. Their home is also used as a school, so it's not like she can have an actual "weapons room" that can be discovered by any one of the students.
XxSuperSockoxX: “Oh well. Silly Miya…I’ll believe you again. But if it happens again, I won’t forgive you as easily~!”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Thank goodness. I was worried that my powers as a wishing star didn’t work.”
Awwwwwwwwwww... :oops:
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “You are a very special person, you know that?”
XxSuperSockoxX: “D-don’t be s-so… If you talk like that, it makes me believe you…”
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! :wriggly:
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: “Heh, I do have my reasons after all…”
XxSuperSockoxX: “What are those reasons?”
MiYaXoFxDaxNiTe: I love
Miyabi blinked. Her computer was blank. She tried turning the computer on again, but it didn’t turn on… She was in the middle of typing her confession too, damn it!
“THE POWER’S OUT!” boomed a familiar lioness roar from the lower floor
Told you Miyabi jinxed herself.
Socko = :dunno: @ Miyabi's disappearance
Miyabi = :banghead: :temper:
“Shiiiiit. No power? Oh well, I’m good with primitive over-the-fire cooking too…” Miki stroked her imaginary beard.
Hope Yuko has fire insurance. :roll:
Do we have any charcoal?” Rika piped up.
“Nope. We’re going to have to burn something else…” Miki leaned against the cooking counter, resting heavily on her back.
...
“Heheheheheh…” Rika let out a dark giggle, “magazines burn well you know… Especially the erotic kind…”
“You will NOT touch those!” Miki let out a defiant voice.
Miki has erotic magazines? :O
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. O0
“Oh, so you DO have that sort of thing…” Rika smirked.
“Oh shit…” Miki’s eyes widened, jumping in front of Rika, “No I don’t!”
“Miki has porn~! Miki has porn~!” Rika sang in a singsong voice, pointing and laughing at the other.
:wahaha:
“I order you to sit~!” Rika said in a singsong voice, letting the corners of her mouth grin widely.
“Wha—D’OH!” Miki became twitchy all of a sudden, flipping herself over on her back as if she was a dog trying to play dead. “I…shi…ka…wa…!” Miki growled between shocks, attempting to sit up to complete the command.
“This is fun~!” Rika continued in her singsong voice.
Damn, Rika's gonna have FUN with this. :kekeke:
“So when will the power be back?” Kei asked, curly hair bouncing as she hopped after the lady of the mansion.
“I don’t know, I’m thinking of hiring Murata or something…” Yuko walked over the bridge, watching the undisturbed water of the small pond below.
“She likes to charge a lot of yen though…” Kei pressed her index fingers together, lowering her head.
Well think about it. Are you willing to put up with the cold during the night for the possibility of saving a few bucks? There's also probably no guarantee that they'll be able to find someone as good to get the job done as quickly as they probably want it to be done.
Gripping the handlebar lightly, Yuko swung the fridge open, scanning the treasuries within.
But her most precious…
“This can’t be right…” the woman’s eyes opened widely. Everyone in the kitchen looked at the gaping woman.
WAIT! Don't tell me...lemme guess.
...
Considering this is Yuko we're talking about...they're probably out of beer. :lol:
Yuko raised her trembling hands onto her head, a few tears escaped her eyes which came close to being classified as insanity.
“WHY IS ALL THE BEER GONE?!”
Oh fuck yeah I'm good. :hiakhiakhiak:
Miki grew frustrated, watching the incredibly low fire oozing out of the simple machine.
...
“Screw this, we should just eat out at a cheap place or something…” Miki sat down and pouted.
“Cheap place, hm…” Yuko stroked her imaginary beard. “Come to think of it, it IS the second month of the year…”
Second month of the year...February. Anything special (other than Miki's birthday) happen in that month??? :?
“So who are these friends of your’s?” Rika inquired, turning off the gas burner.
“Hmm… I guess you can describe them as… not of this world…” a grin turned up on the lioness’s jaws. “Never the less, I’ll give them a call and all you have to do is wait in front of the outer gates. They’ve done favors for me before, and no doubt that they are willing to do it again.”
Not of this world? What, they aliens or something? :-\
“I’m so sorry!” Miyabi apologized into her cellphone, “the power went out!”
The person on the other line remained silent.
...
“Alright, I’ll believe you this time,” the voice on the other line sighed.
Poor Miyabi. All of her bad luck sure isn't leaving a positive impression with Socko. :(
“Why do you like picking on me so much, huh? Are you bullying me?”
“It’s not really bullying…” Miyabi plopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room with a content smile. “I’d call it affection…”
“Miyabi…-san…?”
Now…
“I—”
Click.
“What?!” Miyabi reacted after hearing that noise. She looked at her cellphone to find that…
…It had died out on her.
“I swear! Fate hates me~!” Miyabi whined in frustration
Miyabi = :frustrated:
Rika sneezed, clinging to herself tighter as she stood in the cold with the person she wanted to be with the least out of the others.
...
“Y’know… If you’re seriously that cold… We could always share warmth…” a mischievous grin appeared on the devil’s lips.
Miki = :twisted:
Rika = :err:
Rika couldn’t help but give a laugh at the other. Although Miki has her differences that Rika disliked, that still didn’t take away the fact that the demon can be amusingly cute at times. Though, she would never admit that aloud.
Which brought Rika to an interesting thought… If she wasn’t so infatuated with Hitomi, then maybe…
Maybe? MAYBE??? :o
Holy shit, Miki has a chance!!! It might be slim...but it's still a CHANCE!!! :w00t:
Rika blinked in her thoughts.
Why was there a rather huge shadow in front of them?
“The hell’s that?”
Evidently, Miki noticed the same.
“WATCH OUT BELOOOOW~!”
CRASH!
Miki was face-flat on the tar road with a foreign object on her back.
I pictured this scene like it came out of an anime. Right now Miki has one of those anger stars hovering above her head while Rika looks on, dumbfounded. :rofl:
Rika blinked multiple times.
There was a wooden food cart the size of a car in front of them.
Wow, talk about prompt delivery. :P
“Sorry!” the girl apologized before standing up.
Rika surveyed the girl quickly. She was in a simple informal kimono, well, it was more like a yukata because of the short sleeves. Also, the yukata was cut just above her knees. The girl was taller than Rika, but had a child-like face which made Rika believe that the girl was possible in her early teens. The girl’s hair was black and was tied up in a very loose bun at the top of her head—actually, it didn’t resemble a bun in particular, it just resembled a wild bush at the top of her head. The one thing that stuck out to Rika?
The girl had fox ears.
And bushy fox tail.
The mentioning of the ears and tail made me immediately think of the HM@ costumes. If this is holding to that, then the young "fox girl" should be Koharu?
“We’re sorry about that!” a voice came from inside the traditional food cart, “She loves to do that! I keep telling her that it’s impolite but she does it for the fun of it!”
Again, the person from the food cart was a fox-eared girl. Though, she looked considerably older than the one who had landed on Miki. She was wearing the same sort of outfit as the younger, only it had a heart-shaped apron over her yukata. Also, her sleeves were brought up and tied to her shoulders, exposing her pale arms. In fact, Rika felt a little envious towards the girl’s face…
That's gotta be Sayu. :heart:
“You are so cute!” Rika squealed, frolicking towards the food cart.
“Thank you! But complimenting me has a price! That’ll be 1,000,000 yen please!” the older fox girl stuck her hand out, expecting money to be placed on it.
“I take that back,” Rika’s eyes widened.
“Eh?! Whhhyyyy?” the older fox girl pouted.
Reeeeeeeeeeeeeejected! XD XD XD
“We’re the Rainbow Pink food cart!” the younger and the older fox girl stood together in a cutesy pose.
“I’m Koharu!” said the younger one.
“I’m Sayumi, the number one cutest fox spirit!” said the older one.
I WANNA SEE THEIR CUTESY POSE! :inlove:
Sayumi waved her hand dismissively, “Our specialty is oden!”
“WHY IS THE ODEN PINK TOO?!”
How the hell do you get Oden to be pink anyway? :mon lol:
“No! You’ll become more of a narcissist than what you are now!” A frantic expression came up on Miki’s face, not wanting Rika to subject her to more cutesy rants than usual.
“Nah, we don’t secretly dose our products with drugs,” Sayumi waved her hand dismissively, “all it takes is one look at me and that’s when the narcissism kicks in! Just like what happened to Maki-sama!” the fox girl pointed at Rika.
What the...Koharu and Sayu know who Maki is??? :shocked:
“Ah!” Miki suddenly perked up.
...
“Tell me, do you have any idea where the celestial robes are?”
“Ohhhh, you want to help Maki-sama find her robes?”
Hey, nice thinking Miki. Koharu and Sayu have probably been around all of this time while Maki's been "away". They probably have heard SOMETHING about her robes somewhere.
“A lot of maidens lost their hagoromo in the past too, but it’s just Maki-sama who is intent on finding them…”
“Seriously, there are more maidens?” Miki became intrigued now.
“Of course! There’s millions right now,” Koharu nodded her head.
That's definitely interesting, though how it fits into the story...not quite sure about that yet.
“Didn’t we see something suspicious a few jobs ago?” Koharu asked Sayumi.
“Yeah… Oh!” a light bulb flicked on in the cute fox girl’s mind, “try checking out Tochigi prefecture, around the Kegon Falls area! I hear some weird people in black gathering the 7 descendants there!”
“Yeah! The local legend there states that the tennyo over there gave birth to seven children! Maybe you can find out something from them~!”
7 descendants? People in black?
Why am I suddenly feeling rather uneasy about this? :scared:
“So… What else do you know about Maki-san?” Rika asked, curious of the spirit within her.
“She’s really cool! But she’s kinda scary because she can be so serious…” Koharu pressed her index fingers together almost shyly, probably because she was afraid that she was being too blunt towards the magnificent person in front of her.
“Also the fact that her element magic of the flesh is scary too…” Sayumi added.
“So a maiden has a special element that she uses?” Rika wanted to know more.
“Yeah… The tennyo from Tochigi has the water element, just to let you know if you two decide to go there,”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...not quite sure if it's useful information right now, but at this point, any information about Maki is welcome.
“Um… Nee-san?” Miyabi looked over to Miki.
“Just eat it,” came a fast reply with a tone of embarrassment to it.
“But why is it pi—”
“Shut up and eat it.”
/me giggles because the scene is funny and cute.
How will the journey to Tochigi Prefecture fare?
ROAD TRIP!!! :rockon:
...
Make sure Kei doesn't drive. :shakeit:
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Okie dokie, this is my first time commenting for this story (I read the first one, but I never commented there either XD) - It's really great so far! It's really unique and a lot different from any of the other fanfictions I've read. You're a great writer, too. :)
And poor Miyabi! She keeps trying to tell Risako how "she really feels", but something seems to happen at the wrong moment! :lol:
This was my favorite part. I knew that it was beer immediately Yuko looked into the 'fridge. XD
...
“Why…?” was all she could utter.
A word that was almost inaudible.
A word that was dangerously close to breaking.
Yuko raised her trembling hands onto her head, a few tears escaped her eyes which came close to being classified as insanity.
“WHY IS ALL THE BEER GONE?!”
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I laughed a lot. The Fujimoto family is a laugh a minute. XD
And the pink oden. Oh the pink oden. XDDD I second JFC's question, how do you get oden to be pink?
Anyway, too tired to comment more. You can bug me about it on AIM later. XD
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Yuu sama ur the best!!!! :w00t: :w00t: :w00t:
i'd be waiting 4 d next chapters!!!!
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Oh... this was soooo fun and hilarious :wahaha: Rika is gonna have so much fun of Miki, and that "maybe" :mon misch: Miki you still have a chance
Yuko all teary because there wasn't beer was the best part...
ahh....I really enjoyed this chapter!!! I'll be waiting the next one :mon star:
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Well that was an entertaining chapter~
You almost fooled me with Yoko's over-reaction there. At first I was thinking, oh beer's gone huh. Then the more exaggerated she was with her reactions the more I 'worried', then...
“WHY IS ALL THE BEER GONE?!”
aha~ I knew it.
and Pink Oden? What did they do, add pink coloring or something?
Sorry for the short comment, very very sleepy right now. Though it's morning..
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Yay! New chap from the amazing Yuu-sama, the #3 narcissist xD
Yuko and the beer spaz. I read that and was like "Osnap, Yuko spaz. Osnap, Yuko spaz" *sees actual beer line* "OSNAP MEGA YUKO SPAZ RUN AWAY!"
Rainbow Pink Oden! Haha, Sayu and Rika vying for the #1 spot and Koha hanging upside down xD. What made that even more funny was that I thought it was going to be Mihoshi and Kiyone from Tenchi xD
Fate hates Miya xD It always has and it always will. I wonder what will happen next? Maybe they'll be talking next to the highway and the noises will censor her out?
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-Lazy to do comments-
o_o
-dances-
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I'm going to get slapped for this xD
Lots of things happen :x
Chapter 13: Triangle
Turn the Page
Ayumi sat up from the chair, pulling a pair of dark blue sunglasses-like objects from her face, careful to not pull it too far since the aforementioned object was attached by cables into the machine she was currently residing in.
Natsumi and other scientists were in a different room, one that was on the upper floor by the looks of it, for they were surveying her from the window at a distance since the machine itself has radiation that was intended only for the patient. Natsumi then placed headphones on her head and talked into the small microphone amongst the complicated button-filled panels.
“Have you recovered anything?”
“All I get are these weird images…” Ayumi said as she stepped out of the pod, stretching like a feline. “All of these were from my perspective, or from my ancestor’s perspective, whatever works for you. Also, the pictures weren’t really clear either, it was like a camera trying to get focused, but it never focused correctly. The first image was of me grabbing someone’s hand, probably Maki-san, very forcefully and seeing her face struck with grief. The second is of a dormant village, probably one that my ancestor resided in. The third image is two girls, one is tall with a narrow face while the other was shorter and had a more… onigiri shaped face, like someone who came out of an anime. The final image I saw was that of a black butterfly. It was resting on a lotus in what seemed to be a pond.”
Natsumi looked around to see that her fellow companions were watching the woman below intently, jotting down everything the progenitor had said.
“Alright, I think that’s enough for today.”
Ayumi could not have felt any happier when the older woman announced it. Ever since Maki intruded the main building, Kagami had been putting her through memory sessions like this for countless hours. The machines did not even do much for Ayumi. It’s almost always those certain images among the static transitions into the next image. Sure, she was impressed that Natsumi’s machine was able to recall SOME things, but it was not bringing up any further memories within her head.
All of a sudden, she felt a headache coming on, but knew she could not take any pain killers, for the injections she had to have before entering machine was there to prevent any brain damage from using the memory technology that the playstation otaku developed. As a result, she could not eat or take other medications in fear that the injections may react negatively to the other substances she might ingest.
Sighing, she looked to the only pair of double doors in the white chamber and walked towards it. When the doors opened, she only continued walking, completely ignoring the presence of Hitomi escorting her back to the residential floor of the building.
I haven’t seen you in almost three weeks, Rika-chan…
Ayumi raised her hand to touch her cheek; the scythe-shaped scar was simply a remnant now, for it was now faded away, though the mark of its existence was still certainly there.
“How did it go?” The guard broke the silence.
“There wasn’t much progress, I only kept seeing the same images in my head,” Ayumi lowered her head, feeling tired from having to sit in that chair for almost four hours.
“I see…” Hitomi placed her hands in the pocket of her black suit.
“It’s amazing what Natsumi-san could do, really… To be able to bring out memories of a past life… I’ve always thought it was impossible…”
“But you know, Rika probably knows all about her past life, she even transforms into her past life.”
“It’s not like thaaat!” Ayumi waved her hand dismissively, “Maki is the curse that was put on my family and Rika just happens to be her randomly chosen body among the million other people who could possibly have Maki’s blood in them!”
“Remember that you were the one who pissed off Maki in your past life, tsk tsk,” Hitomi shrugged, moving her finger in a pendulum motion.
“You don’t have to remind me of that!” Ayumi retorted, “But what sucks is because of this whole stupid ordeal, I can’t see Rika-chan anymore…”
“What’s wrong with you?” Hitomi looked at the other, having an expression similar to an anime face with dots for eyes and a question mark hovering about her.
“Hellloooooo? Were you living in a rock these past days?” Ayumi waved her hand around the taller’s face, “It’s because I haven’t talked or seen Rika (as herself) in forever!”
“Sorry!” the enigma chuckled, “But you know what you remind me of?”
“What?”
“You remind me of a boyfriend who’s very upset because he’s been separated from his girlfriend.”
Ayumi’s eyes widened and blinked, but she continued walking.
There was a very uncomfortable silence that followed after, save for the sounds of the echoing footsteps they produced as they walked.
Indeed, why was it that she thought of Rika more than usual? She was already surprised enough when she thought to herself how this was just a best friend thing, but Hitomi told her otherwise…
I guess I never thought of it that way…
No…We’re not like that…
Not like that at all…
Lovers? Don’t make me laugh.
It’s not supposed to be like that at all.
She’s just…
“It’s not…” She muttered, but then spoke louder, “It’s not like that. Rika-chan is my best friend, I don’t have romantic feelings towards her, that’s just plain weird. She’s more of a sister to me.”
“Mmhmm…” Hitomi acknowledged, pressing the button to the elevator now that they’ve finally reached it after traversing the hallways.
“What about you? You seem to be very familiar with her, calling her by her given name…” Ayumi looked at the other reluctantly. For some reason, the progenitor began to feel particularly uneasy… Is it because it had taken Ayumi months to call Rika by her name as opposed to this guard next to her who called her by name after mere days or a few weeks?
Ayumi ignored the growing discomfort.
“Erm…” Hitomi bit her lip, unsure of how to answer without giving Ayumi the wrong idea or make a bad impression of herself, “We’re not that close. She only let me call her by her first name because I had saved her once…” she lied.
“I see, that’s understandable.”
“Oh and…” Hitomi thought of how to express her words, “I’m only seeing you off to the residential floor, since Kagami told me that I had to go somewhere to monitor something, understand?”
“Eh? Okay,” Ayumi raised a brow, stepping into the elevator which opened for her not too long ago. “Have fun,” the shorter smiled warmly at the other and pressed the button.
“Yup,” the guard smiled, waving at the other as the doors closed. Once it did, Hitomi turned to walk in the opposite direction, her smile becoming a thin straight line.
What is this feeling I’m experiencing right now? Hitomi thought as she walked in silence.
I want to tell her the truth… But I can’t…
I have to keep my… ‘second’ connection to Rika a secret as opposed to my conduct around her when I’m on my job…
But why is this feeling making me feel bad?
Is this what they call ‘guilt?’
This blood called Life…
“It’s pretty!” Rika pointed at the waterfall, leaning over the fencing at the foot of the attraction.
“This is the first time for you too?” Miyabi was resting her arms on the fencing, also with her head on top of her limbs.
“Yeah, I don’t really get out much, haha,” the cursed woman scratched the back of her head.
“Mm, pretty falls…” Miki’s attention seems to have been caught by something other than the falls, for she had her back turned to it, propping her elbows on the red fence.
“With nice, round rocks on the side…” The demon stared at the passing people, searching for women with the aforementioned description. “Mm… I never thought the falls were that long either…” eyes scanned for people not of the female species, generally looking downwards instead of at the faces…
“I command you to bash your head on the fence,” Rika looked at Miki shifty eyed. With that, the demon began twitching involuntarily before bashing her head once onto the fence.
“Don’t do that in public! I have an honor you know!” the demon hissed at the older.
“You should keep doing that until all of it is gone,” Miyabi giggled at her older sister.
“Don’t make me throw you over the fence…” Miki glared at her younger sister.
“Don’t make me order you to jump over the fence…” Rika’s eyes were tainted with mischief, causing Miki to hiss at her yet again before looking up at the famous falls.
“It’s not that special, just a big waterfall, that’s it…”
“A big waterfall that’s pretty!” Miyabi retorted.
“Oh well, at least I’m not skippin’ out on class to be here,” the demon smirked at the other. “Nor was I stuffed in a potato sack and thrown into the trunk in the middle of an apology and confession,” the fighter laughed.
Miyabi wanted to say things, but refrained from saying them out in public. Indeed, what Miki said was true… During lunch time, Risako and Miyabi had decided to eat out in the lawn of the school. When Risako wasn’t looking and when Miyabi was just about to lean forward for a surprise kiss, she had been blinded by darkness (of the potato sack) and hauled off by her sister…
Yet another humiliating confession failure…
Stupid Nee-san.
Stupid Fate.
Stupid Miyabi for not fighting back since she actually carried an extendable needle that she could have jabbed into Miki’s side to release her…
“Odd… I don’t see the men in black that Sayumi-chan said there were…” Rika looked in the area in front of her.
“Disguises?” Miyabi added, eyeing the people who stood with their arms crossed, acting like they were surveying the area instead of waiting for someone…
“Don’t cause a commotion then…” Rika said aside to Miki, only to find that the devil wasn’t there. When she scanned the area, Miki was already putting the moves on a rather pretty woman, dressed rather scandalously despite the cold weather. With a frustrated sigh, the cursed woman trudged over, grabbed Miki by the ear, and walked back to where they were standing amidst the people taking pictures of the waterfall.
“Come on! She was trying to give me her email!” the demon whined
“Is there something the matter?”
Miki nearly died of the horror.
Such an up-close epitome of disaster…
…The disaster of their lead housekeeper putting on too much makeup…
“Kei-san?! What are you doing here?!” Rika’s eyes became as wide as dinner plates.
“I’m here in case you need a getaway car,” the housekeeper waved her hand dismissively, “Besides, since Yuko-sama can’t be here due to her duties of the Dance hall, I’m the logical replacement!” the woman said, pulling out a conspicuous wig that resembled curly lion mane and wearing it.
“You look ridiculous…” Miki’s eyes drooped in a manner that clearly said she was not amused.
“Oh? Maybe I should have gotten the bigger wig…” Kei pondered, putting a finger on her cheek as a form of cute pondering.
“That’s okay,” Rika chuckled, putting out a hand in a stop motion, “You don’t have to make up for Yuko’s presence, just be yourself is all.”
“That’s boring though…” Kei pouted, removing her lion wig and stuffing it into a small bag she was carrying. “Should I carry a sake bottle for show then?”
“I’d rather you not…” If this was an anime, Rika would have those blue, vertical lines underneath her eye.
“What can I do for you then?”
“Nothing that pertains to appearance,” the other three said at once.
Fall into another Fantasy
Miki wasn’t exactly feeling energetic like the other three. After a tiring afternoon, she decided by herself that she would return to the hotel of which the four were staying at.
It wasn’t a cheap hotel.
It wasn’t expensive either.
The hotel had the general conveniences like a pretty breakfast lobby and some vending machines littered throughout the building. The main color scheme for this particular housing was dark green and various shades of white. There was something else common among the building too…
Miki turned the corner to find some men in black discussing something that seemed important, for when she walked into their line of sight, she heard the subject change and then the men started speaking of trivial business topics. Alright suspicious, Miki rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, but kept her back to the wall and attempted to listen to the conversation.
“So the first task has been accomplished? You have reunited the seven direct descendants of the Tochigi prefecture in this building?” one of the men had said.
Miki pressed her back closer to the wall, growing tense now that the objective of the men has been revealed.
“Alright, time for the second task. You all do not need briefing, I assume?”
“No need, sir, we have everything under control.”
That voice was familiar.
It was annoyingly familiar…
What the hell is SHE doing here?! Miki thought to herself, clenching her fists tightly. However, if she lingered for too long, she would be caught eavesdropping on them. So she walked away, trying to find the Fujimotos’ (and Rika’s) hotel room before that androgynous woman catches sight of her.
She’s an enemy…
She’s an enemy…
She didn’t hesitate to fight me that time…
Fuckin’ woman kicked me out of the window too…
Honestly, I don’t blame Rika for taking a liking to her, considering she’s hot and all and probably like of those bishounen characters…
She’s like whats-her-face from Sailor moon… The hunky blonde one I can’t remember the name of…
Miki began to mumble incoherently as she traversed.
Why does Rika love that woman so much? Just a typical hero…To her that is…
Hitomi’s a weird person… It’s like she’s completely different when she’s on-duty or off-duty… It’s not like her personality changes…
But her morals do…
To be someone who can completely switch morals just because of her job… Does this mean she’s simply fooling around with Rika?
Using her?
I won’t forgive that.
Rika deserves someone better.
Someone who is always at her side.
Me.
I’m better for her.
Even though we have our differences, I’m always going to be the same Fujimoto Miki. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
I won’t change.
“Fancy seeing you here, Fujimoto.”
Shit.
Miki stopped at that woman’s voice. She spun about her foot and stood facing the woman of her hatred, crossing her arms.
“Same to you,” was the only thing said by the demon.
Hitomi let out a smirk at the venomous tone and the icy glare the shorter, tanned woman gave her. “Are you still pissed that I threw you out the window?”
“No, I’m feelin’ absolutely dandy,” Miki let out a sarcastic voice, still giving her infamous glare.
“That’s good to know,” Hitomi retorted in sarcasm as well. “How’s Rika these days?”
“Come now, have you already forgotten?” Miki’s voice became harsher.
“Forgotten what?” Hitomi tilted her head in a twisted smile, interested in how Miki was going to word her answer to something she already knew.
“That you made-out with her around a week ago?” Miki wanted to yell that last statement, but she wanted to keep her cool down.
“Why should you be jealous? Aren’t you the player who would make out with anyone that catches your eye?” Hitomi frowned, “You have no right to speak of jealousy from a situation like that. It makes you a hypocrite, Fujimoto.”
“What about you, Ms. Androgynous butch? Your set of beliefs change depending on your job times. When I first met you at your condo, I thought you were a good person, but apparently, I thought wrong since you threw me out of the window with an injured person on my back. Personally, I find you misfit to be Rika’s love interest because we have no idea what the fuck you’re thinking most of the time.”
“And you think you can fulfill the role of her ideal love interest?” the enigma raised a brow.
“Probably, but I know I could do a better job than you,” Miki walked towards the taller, “I have experience with the emotions of people, that I’ve hurt them before, that I’ve been able to reconcile with them before, that I’ve known what could make them happy…”
“Where are you going with this?”
“You have amnesia. You don’t remember those experiences. You wouldn’t know what hurts people yet. You wouldn’t know how to reconcile with people yet. You wouldn’t know how to make them happy. When you are alone in this world, what makes you think you have the galls to talk like you know everything?”
“I ask again, where are you going with this?”
“You will see the sense my words make when I do this…” Miki rested her hands on the taller’s shoulders and pulled the other downwards. Before Hitomi could back away, the tanned woman’s lips had already found its destination on her own. The enigma pulled her head back, but Miki’s lips already claimed them again, tongue lashing out as she did so. The enigma shut her mouth and pulled away again, this time, trying to use her hands to push away the other. Unfortunately, Hitomi’s mouth opened slightly as she tried to get away, thus, Miki proved stubborn as her tongue darted into the crevice of the taller’s lips, pulling the guard into an even deeper kiss than before.
Then it stopped.
Hitomi felt her side being shoved, and obviously, Miki too, staggered a bit from the hit which seemed to have carried onto her from the taller. Then Miki stood her ground and smirked at the other, satisfied that she had accomplished her mission. But Hitomi never noticed that.
Instead, she was focused on the fleeting figure, walking—trudging rather, across the hallway.
Why?
Why did it pain her so much to see Rika like that?
“Rika!” The guard called out to the woman walking away. To no avail, the woman did not stop.
She never looked back.
She never flinched.
And eventually, she turned the corner, away from their sight.
Come see this Strife…
“Mm… You’re definitely in trouble now…” Miki licked her lips, satisfied.
“Aren’t you in trouble too?!” Hitomi’s head snapped to the location of Miki. Frankly, she felt surprised that she felt such an angry surge of emotions coming into her head.
“I am but I could get out of it.”
“Don’t be so frivolous!”
“I told you before,” the demon tilted her head with a frown and a glare. “I’ve had experience with people before.”
“That has nothing to do with—”
“Yes it does.”
“What do you—”
“You are filled with anger. You are oblivious to everything. You can’t find the right words. This is the first time you’ve experienced this happening. You don’t understand it at all. You can’t convey your reconciliation into words. You have no idea how to fix it at all.”
Hitomi became silent.
“Have fun trying to make Rika talk to you again,” Miki smiled again, before walking deeper into the hallways, into the direction Rika was going.
Hitomi couldn’t see.
Hitomi couldn’t think.
There was this horrible feeling in her.
It was so painful in her throbbing chest.
There was a name for that horrific feeling.
Devastation.
And she hated it.
…Which shaped our history
-puts on hardhat- :x
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now im confused! :banghead:
should i go for ishiyossi or fujikawa??????? :?
wow its now shibata,,,hitomi,,,and miki falling for rika :lol:
but anyways nice chapter i liked it soooooo much!!!!! :D :love::D :love: :D
be waiting 4 ur next GREAT chapters!!!!! :grin: :grin: :grin:
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Ayumi sat up from the chair, pulling a pair of dark blue sunglasses-like objects from her face, careful to not pull it too far since the aforementioned object was attached by cables into the machine she was currently residing in.
What the...Shiba-chan's participating in one of those crazy experiments? Don't tell me she's allowing them to try and "revive" the ancient spirit that's within her? :O
“Have you recovered anything?”
“All I get are these weird images…” Ayumi said as she stepped out of the pod, stretching like a feline. “All of these were from my perspective, or from my ancestor’s perspective, whatever works for you. Also, the pictures weren’t really clear either, it was like a camera trying to get focused, but it never focused correctly. The first image was of me grabbing someone’s hand, probably Maki-san, very forcefully and seeing her face struck with grief. The second is of a dormant village, probably one that my ancestor resided in. The third image is two girls, one is tall with a narrow face while the other was shorter and had a more… onigiri shaped face, like someone who came out of an anime. The final image I saw was that of a black butterfly. It was resting on a lotus in what seemed to be a pond.”
I'm guessing that they're probably memories? If so the 3rd image mentioned might be children from the village, possibly even Maki's own children that she had with the Shibata ancestor.
All of a sudden, she felt a headache coming on, but knew she could not take any pain killers, for the injections she had to have before entering machine was there to prevent any brain damage from using the memory technology that the playstation otaku developed. As a result, she could not eat or take other medications in fear that the injections may react negatively to the other substances she might ingest.
But does Nacchi know that Shiba-chan is having these headaches? For all we know they're actually some type of side effect from all these tests that no one was aware of. Then again, they could simply be a sign of the ancestor's spirit beginning to awaken and assert itself.
Ayumi retorted, “But what sucks is because of this whole stupid ordeal, I can’t see Rika-chan anymore…”
“What’s wrong with you?” Hitomi looked at the other, having an expression similar to an anime face with dots for eyes and a question mark hovering about her.
“Hellloooooo? Were you living in a rock these past days?” Ayumi waved her hand around the taller’s face, “It’s because I haven’t talked or seen Rika (as herself) in forever!”
Well, if she does, and Maki manages to reassert herself at that time, Shiba-chan would be in grave danger. It seems to be something that, although it sucks, has to be done so she's not putting herself in any undue risk.
“Sorry!” the enigma chuckled, “But you know what you remind me of?”
“What?”
“You remind me of a boyfriend who’s very upset because he’s been separated from his girlfriend.”
...
Indeed, why was it that she thought of Rika more than usual? She was already surprised enough when she thought to herself how this was just a best friend thing, but Hitomi told her otherwise…
Heh, it's almost like the past is being re-created. :P
Problem is though, Rika's all dokidoki for Yossi (which, the latter has neglected to mention to Shiba-chan, and which is something that Shiba-chan has no idea about).
“What about you? You seem to be very familiar with her, calling her by her given name…” Ayumi looked at the other reluctantly. For some reason, the progenitor began to feel particularly uneasy… Is it because it had taken Ayumi months to call Rika by her name as opposed to this guard next to her who called her by name after mere days or a few weeks?
Ayumi ignored the growing discomfort.
Might that discomfort be the beginnings of jealousy? The fact that Yossi could call Rika by just her given name so quickly is an indication that the two of them have gotten really close, really fast, and that they might be more compatible as best friends than Shiba-chan herself is with the latter.
It could also be that Yossi's hit a bit of a nerve and Shiba-chan just hasn't been able to admit it to herself yet.
“Erm…” Hitomi bit her lip, unsure of how to answer without giving Ayumi the wrong idea or make a bad impression of herself, “We’re not that close. She only let me call her by her first name because I had saved her once…” she lied.
Oooooooooooooooh...if Shiba-chan finds out about how Rika's been acting around/towards Yossi, that could make things...complicated, to say the least.
I want to tell her the truth… But I can’t…
I have to keep my… ‘second’ connection to Rika a secret as opposed to my conduct around her when I’m on my job…
But why is this feeling making me feel bad?
Is this what they call ‘guilt?’
It could very well be just that. Yossi's good at keeping emotionally detached when she's on the job, but that doesn't mean that she's a machine. She can still feel, usually she just has better control over it.
“Mm, pretty falls…” Miki’s attention seems to have been caught by something other than the falls, for she had her back turned to it, propping her elbows on the red fence.
“With nice, round rocks on the side…” The demon stared at the passing people, searching for women with the aforementioned description. “Mm… I never thought the falls were that long either…” eyes scanned for people not of the female species, generally looking downwards instead of at the faces…
What? She's only looking. XD
“I command you to bash your head on the fence,” Rika looked at Miki shifty eyed. With that, the demon began twitching involuntarily before bashing her head once onto the fence.
Damn Rika's having fun with this. :on lol:
Miyabi wanted to say things, but refrained from saying them out in public. Indeed, what Miki said was true… During lunch time, Risako and Miyabi had decided to eat out in the lawn of the school. When Risako wasn’t looking and when Miyabi was just about to lean forward for a surprise kiss, she had been blinded by darkness (of the potato sack) and hauled off by her sister…
Yet another humiliating confession failure…
Don't worry Miyabi, you'll get your shot. Although, knowing your luck it'll probably be at the absolute worst time possible. :kekeke:
“Odd… I don’t see the men in black that Sayumi-chan said there were…” Rika looked in the area in front of her.
Well, we don't know if they'd been informed that they'd be coming or not. If Sayu and Koharu haven't yet told them about how they'd be coming there, then it might prove to be a long wait (unless these MIB can somehow sense that they're now here.
The disaster of their lead housekeeper putting on too much makeup…
“Kei-san?! What are you doing here?!” Rika’s eyes became as wide as dinner plates.
“I’m here in case you need a getaway car,” the housekeeper waved her hand dismissively, “Besides, since Yuko-sama can’t be here due to her duties of the Dance hall, I’m the logical replacement!” the woman said, pulling out a conspicuous wig that resembled curly lion mane and wearing it.
Maybe someone should tell Kei that the purpose of a disguise is to blend in with a crowd and NOT draw attention to oneself. :mon lmao:
Miki wasn’t exactly feeling energetic like the other three. After a tiring afternoon, she decided by herself that she would return to the hotel of which the four were staying at.
...
Miki turned the corner to find some men in black discussing something that seemed important, for when she walked into their line of sight, she heard the subject change and then the men started speaking of trivial business topics. Alright suspicious, Miki rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, but kept her back to the wall and attempted to listen to the conversation.
“So the first task has been accomplished? You have reunited the seven direct descendants of the Tochigi prefecture in this building?” one of the men had said.
Well, looks like they've found the aforementioned MIBs. :O
“Alright, time for the second task. You all do not need briefing, I assume?”
“No need, sir, we have everything under control.”
That voice was familiar.
It was annoyingly familiar…
What the hell is SHE doing here?! Miki thought to herself, clenching her fists tightly. However, if she lingered for too long, she would be caught eavesdropping on them. So she walked away, trying to find the Fujimotos’ (and Rika’s) hotel room before that androgynous woman catches sight of her.
WTF Yossi's there? If she's there, are there others from the Shibata clan here as well?
Rika deserves someone better.
Someone who is always at her side.
Me.
I’m better for her.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! Miki's jealous! :wriggly:
“Fancy seeing you here, Fujimoto.”
Shit.
Miki stopped at that woman’s voice. She spun about her foot and stood facing the woman of her hatred, crossing her arms.
Oh crap, this could get ugly, considering how Miki's bound to be a bit pissed off at Yossi right now. :scared:
Miki rested her hands on the taller’s shoulders and pulled the other downwards. Before Hitomi could back away, the tanned woman’s lips had already found its destination on her own. The enigma pulled her head back, but Miki’s lips already claimed them again, tongue lashing out as she did so. The enigma shut her mouth and pulled away again, this time, trying to use her hands to push away the other. Unfortunately, Hitomi’s mouth opened slightly as she tried to get away, thus, Miki proved stubborn as her tongue darted into the crevice of the taller’s lips, pulling the guard into an even deeper kiss than before.
Well...that was unexpected. :o
It's hot, but yeah...unexpected.
Hitomi felt her side being shoved, and obviously, Miki too, staggered a bit from the hit which seemed to have carried onto her from the taller. Then Miki stood her ground and smirked at the other, satisfied that she had accomplished her mission. But Hitomi never noticed that.
Instead, she was focused on the fleeting figure, walking—trudging rather, across the hallway.
Why?
Why did it pain her so much to see Rika like that?
“Rika!” The guard called out to the woman walking away. To no avail, the woman did not stop.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh...so THAT'S why Miki was doing it. :yep:
“You are filled with anger. You are oblivious to everything. You can’t find the right words. This is the first time you’ve experienced this happening. You don’t understand it at all. You can’t convey your reconciliation into words. You have no idea how to fix it at all.”
Miki's right, in a way. We don't know exactly how hard Yossi has actually been trying to regain her memories. In some ways, Yossi has been taking advantage of her amnesia in that she's toying with a lot of people without bothering to consider how they'd react and deal with what she does emotionally.
“Have fun trying to make Rika talk to you again,” Miki smiled again, before walking deeper into the hallways, into the direction Rika was going.
Hitomi couldn’t see.
Hitomi couldn’t think.
There was this horrible feeling in her.
It was so painful in her throbbing chest.
There was a name for that horrific feeling.
Devastation.
And she hated it.
Now we might just get to see how Yossi really feels for Rika.
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o_o
Just two comments so far?
...
;_;
-clings to Gloopip and JFC-
;____________________;...
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Kei-san moments rawk.. I love Kei-san moments!
Eh... so Yossi is part of the black suit ppl? Kagami is sorta like a part of this black suit ppl too? Sheesh, confusinggggg.. I'll just wait for you to revel all the missing blanks in time to come. hehe
Mannn Miki zurui! How dare she choose such a way to break Yossi and Rika apart! Ah well.. a jealous person has to do what a jealous person has to do. Then again, that was a pretty smart move by Miki, now she can go patch up Rika's pain easily.. like I said, ZURUI! But then, she's kinda helping Yossi become a better person, in a way.. by making Yossi realise all her emotional flaws and let her learn how to become an actual person with feelings and to understand other's feelings.
Just two comments so far?
I was away on holiday!
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Yay! A comment! -hugs chu- <3
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I wonder what happened to my older readers like Wordsworth, rndmnwierd, Mikan, Blizzard, Black Velvet, KrazyforKamei, etc o____o;
The least you could do is give me a comment to show that you're alive and reading D:
This goes for you lurkers too xD Before the Whose Online? option was blocked off, I noticed that a lot of people were reading my story that never commented at all D<
Don't make me pull the 15-comments-or-else-no-chapter card out of my ass again xD
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NOOOOOOO!!!!
Don't worry. I've been busy making Animated GIFs and banners. I'll post about your last 2 chapters latter today or tomorrow.
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-hugs glcorps- Don't worry about it xD You've been posting reviews whenever you can xD
I just a little upset at the people who posted just one comment or two at the beginning and that's it xD
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o/
I'm still at chapter 7 :depressed:
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-pat pat-
:<
Roffle, I'm beginning to treat my thread like a chatroom xD I should avoid doing that xD;
Remember folks, I have an AIM you can reach me at any time :B I don't bite :] Though, I'm likely to grope xD;
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-ahem-
Okay, Shibata...crazy memories! I think the memory of the black butterfly was a reminder of the first assault from Maki scene. Possibly Yossie and Rika for the third memory? And no idea for the other memories. And more fate hating Miya xD Stuffed in a potato sack this time? And Kemeko doing her Yuko impersonation cracked me up! But daaaaaaaaaaamn the relationships! It's like a love triangle with random Shiba thrown in somewhere xD. And keep going with this! I need more of it!
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Finally have the time to read chapter 13. :w00t: Interesting!! I found myself rooting for Rika/Miki, although I usually am not. Well, probably cuz Yossie is such a low morale character in this story, but I have a feeling that about to change after the infamous kiss with Miki and the events following it. Now, what will Miki do to reconciliate with Rika? Point out how easy it is for Yossie to just make out with anybody, and that she's done it to test her and it worked? I don't think it's that easy for Miki to do so but we'll see. Come on! Get to work and post the next chapter already!! :lol:
PS: When will Maki pop out to complicate the already complicated relationship? :twisted:
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*sigh* Re-read 1-7 before going to sleep and just finished 8-13. I should be shot then fed to the Berryz, or fed to the Berryz first, then shot, for not keeping up to date with your story :depressed:
Reading the comments, I think everything's pretty much covered so I'll just answer your question a few pages back: Which OCG do I like more?
It's a hard question, but I'll be giving the reasons why I like this one than the previous.
Rika
Honestly, I hated Rika in the first OCG. I was actually afraid to read any sentences with her name on it because I had a feeling that I was gonna read about her doing something f*cked up to the other girls again. Rika in this story, is a lot more easier to love. Sometimes clueless, sometimes bitchy, sometimes pitiful, sometimes just herself. The tragic hero that has to decide which she values more: her friendship with Shibata or the legacy of her cursed bloodline. The RikaXMiki moments are pure gold.
Yossi
Kickass fighter with no memories of her past. (reminds me of her character in Shining Musume, kuku) Turning Yossi into a fighting machine can never be wrong. Torn between her duty and her 'infatuation' with the one she's supposed to kill. I've got a feeling she's gonna end up with Miki though. Maybe learning about her past will make her turn against Shibata Corp in the future.
Miki
God, I think she's the real star of this story. XD Never there was a dull moment when her name is one of the paragraphs. I expect more of her foul-mouthing Yuko, flirting(w/ Yossi, Rika, innocent by-standers, attendants), groping antics(w/ Yossi and Rika and herself), kicking Shibata Corp. lacky asses, and showing Miya who's boss in the next chapters. This might be too much to ask, but is there a possibility for a spin-off for her character, you know, how she learned to fight using chopsticks, why she keeps on groping(probably inborn), etc. :oops:
Miyabi
I dunno if the number of her failed confession attempts are more than the guns in her arsenal, but it has got to be a lot. Though her attempts are expected to fail, it's fun to read why it actually failed. Whether she was nabbed by Miki or the power got cut, It's nice to see how she tries to recover from her failure and immediately thinks of a next confession attempt. Miyabi + guns = WIN
Maki
Tsundere, nigh-omnipotent sword swinging maiden <3
Others
Yuko as herself (except with levitation powers)
Squirrel-killing Kei
Techie Murata
Gaming otaku Nacchi
Rainbow Pink food cart
Gotta love em, helps lighten the mood before another twist in the plot occurs. :lol:
This is what fanfiction should be about. It's fiction, it's our chance to do whatever we want to them, not restricting them to just being idols, so why not turn them into something more. :)
That's it for now. I'll resume to regular commenting when the next chapter comes out.
Keep it up :thumbsup
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Sorry I haven't been around much the last few months. I was hoping I'd have at least a little time to keep up with everything here, but I ended up being out of town for work more than normal this summer.
:mon ko:
I'll be busy all weekend, but on monday, I hope to get started on reading this. I'll definately post a review when I'm done, so look forward to that! :mon thumb:
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Now that I've thought it over, there really isn't much for me to say about the last two chapters. But here it goes anyway!
Chapter 12:
Having Sayumi and Koharu be fox spirits was pretty funny (And in Sayumi's case kinda sexy, especially when you wonder how Yuko got to meet her in the first place). But all pink food? There better be some Pepto Bismal in there. Now what they said about the maiden:
- She is the Maiden of Flesh: This should mean that she has control over human flesh, like in her final attack on the guards and in her transformation. But why then does she keep watch over the passageway between the world of the living and the dead? Is it just so it can be easier for her to get to the world of the living?
- And I quote:
“It’s nothing new really,” Sayumi propped herself on her elbows again, “A lot of maidens lost their hagoromo in the past too, but it’s just Maki-sama who is intent on finding them…”
Why is it that Maki is the only maiden looking for her robes, and going at it such great lengths? I think it's just an excuse for her to return to earth to attack the Shibata Clan for something the fisherman did to her or/and her friend in the flashback. - Miyabi is so cursed when it comes to her love.
Chapter 13:
I liked the idea of Kei in a blond wig... I have my reasons... don't judge! Anyway the Shibata clan gathering the 7 descendants; a part of me feels that this is against their (the descendants) will. Why would the Shibata clan risk the wrath of another maiden? Probably to help with that experiment of theirs?
Also, it's nice to see that Hitomi isn't truly cold-hearted, she just forgot what those emotions feel like. Because of that, she has no problem making others go through emotional pain. But by Rika seeing the kiss and hearing all of that, she now feels guilt, and probably will keep from intentionally inflicting said pain onto those she cares about.
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Uh o_O
Too lazy to comment on comments xD
-dances instead-
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Shortass chapter today xD I'll write you all a nice big long one after if you're dissatisfied xD
Chapter 14: My Weakness is You
Everything you say…
She never felt so conflicted in her life. Rika did not even bother returning to the hotel room. Instead, she wanted to get out of the building. Just to get away from them. Just to get away from anything.
Why?
Rika asked herself that one word with every step she took, walking out of the building.
It’s Miki…
She was the one who probably forced herself on her…
The woman ignored the bustling people around her; she was the one who didn’t belong among them with her state of thought.
Her thoughts were consuming her…
Why couldn’t she see?
All the evidence pointed out that it was all Miki’s fault…
Why was she angry at Hitomi as well?
Angry that she did not push Miki away?
Angry that she was suddenly there?
There was absolutely no reason to blame her…
Or was there?
Before she knew it, Rika ended up at the backyard of the hotel. Backyard seemed more like baby talk however. There were two pools on the hotel property. One of the pools was a simply kiddie pool, surrounded by white tiles. The other pool was the one that was the most… eye-catching so to speak.
It was like walking into a magnificent hidden spring within a jungle. There was a small replica of the Kegon falls at the northernmost end of the small body of water surrounded by realistic plaster rocks. To add more to the already spiritual atmosphere, there were fake plants scattered among the premises in a very beautiful fashion, making the viewer feel like they really were in a breath-taking jungle.
Rika took in a breath of air and exhaled. Somehow, she felt herself relax under the atmosphere of the beautiful backyard pool. It must have been the natural atmosphere that calmed her. Though, because it was the beginning of the third month of the year, there was no one in the pool; Rika was all alone.
But there was something that made her thought otherwise.
There was something among the natural architecture that seemed a bit…off?
Rika cautiously walked over to the pool with the huge rocky edges, the particularly huge rocks which held up the fake waterfall. She had her eyes on the mysterious thing which seemed to stick out of the environment, someone that did not belong.
Or someone, rather.
“Do my eyes lie to me, or is there a girl wedged in between those rocks?” Rika wondered aloud, standing in front of this person sort of caught between two large rocks.
“Yes, they are lying,” the girl in between the rocks said almost inaudibly.
Is she blushing? Rika raised a brow. By common reasoning, the cursed woman deduced that this certain girl was incredibly shy.
“So if I blink, you will disappear?”
“……………….Yes.”
Rika could not help but giggle at this shy, yet adorable girl. In fact, she wasn’t sure whether she would even be considered a girl. The other seemed to be around Rika’s height, perhaps even taller than her. Also, she had maple colored tresses that rested on her shoulders. As the older (it was obvious that the other was younger) scanned the other, she noticed that the taller woman’s thighs seemed to fit the ‘thighs of thunder’ description…
“So why are you here?” Rika walked closer.
“I’m sorry, but I um…like the feeling of being pressed…” the girl said the last part of her sentence almost inaudibly.
“Really?” Rika blinked a few times. Finding a smaller rock next to the girl, the shorter decided to sit on it.
“I um…” the girl began again, “Um… Sorry… I’m really shy…”
“That’s okay,” a smile found itself on the older’s lips.
“R-really?”
“I used to be like you too,” Rika leaned on the big rock which was next to the rock she used as a chair.
“N-no… I don’t think so…” the girl tilted her head lower, resting her forehead against the rock.
“No really, I do think so,” Rika stood up, walked over and leaned against the edge of the crevice, watching the other. “I was really negative when I was younger. I didn’t like to talk to anyone because I was afraid that I might do something wrong. I never took my chances.”
“What changed you?”
“You see… I met someone.”
The girl shifted.
She slowly slid out before eventually getting in Rika’s view. She dusted the dirt which caught onto her denim jacket and her matching denim jeans. Underneath was a black spaghetti strapped shirt which proved her simplicity with a lack of illustration. Like her maple-colored hair, she had matching eyes.
She looked like the epitome of autumn.
“Who is that person? A lover?”
Rika could not help but laugh a bit. It was too weird to think of her as a lover.
“Nah, Ayumi isn’t a lover. She’s the closest friend I could ever ask for,” Rika kept a smile on her face.
“Ah…” the other girl mouthed. Then she lowered herself to sit, but misjudged the distance between her rear and the rock and winded up falling onto the ground with a soft thump.
This girl is SO cute…! Rika thought to herself, chuckling quietly.
“It hurts!” the woman whined, rubbing her sore bottom. When she looked up, she found Rika towering over her, lending out a hand. Hesitating slightly, she grabbed onto that hand and lifted herself up with the aid of the other.
“I’m Ishikawa Rika.”
“…”
“Well…” Rika sat down again, “I met Ayumi in high school. We were in futsal and she taught me a lot. I guess we became really close because of that.”
The other remained silent as she sat down (and made sure that she didn’t fall).
“She showed me that nothing will do well if I look at everything in a negative view. I have to be optimistic for anything good to happen. Slowly but surely, I became a positive person because of her.”
“Where is she right now?”
Now it was Rika’s turn to be silent.
She looked downward as her smile lowered.
Then she lifted her head, smiling again.
“She’s… at home at the moment. I can’t see her now. But I know I will see her later.”
“Ah, that’s good,” the taller tilted her head in a smile.
“Yeah…” Rika looked up at the sky.
I was negative after Maki attacked you…
…But what you taught me isn’t in vain…
Guess I should be positive for you again, huh?
Yeah… You’d smack me silly if you saw me like this, huh?
“Oh um…”
“Hmm?” Rika looked at the other.
“I’m Kamei Eri. Please treat me well,” the other said, bowing her head as she did so.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kamei-san,” Rika bowed her head in a smile. “So what brings you here?”
“I was stressed out at home, so I came here alone for some peace,” Eri’s eyes were on the floor, still being shy.
“I guess we are similar, huh?” the older’s smile lowered slightly.
“What happened? Well um… If you don’t mind me asking…” the younger fiddled with her thumbs nervously.
“Well… There’s two people I know…”
Eri nodded to show that she was listening.
“I like one, but I’m not fond of the other. Just earlier, I just saw the one I dislike kissing the one I like… It’s in her character to go around making out with anyone hot she meets, so it’s typical of her… But the one I like had kissed me long before that… So I’m not sure if I should be angry with the one I like or the one I dislike…”
“Uh….” Eri blinked a few times, “I think you used too many ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ there, Ishikawa-san…”
“I like A-san. I want to beat up B-san. B-san is a player (‘In the horny sense,’ Rika quickly added.) and I walked in on her making out with A-san. And A-san was the one who kissed me long before that… So I’m not sure if I should be angry with A-san or B-san.”
“Oh…” the taller simply said. “I’m sorry I can’t really help much. I can’t say I’ve had something like that happen before.”
“That’s okay,” Rika sighed. “You know…”
“Hmm?”
“A-san is a really mysterious person…I don’t know what A-san is thinking most of the time. I’m not even sure if my feelings are requited by that person. I keep thinking about B-san kissing her, and it’s not doing me any good at all because I’m led to the fact that A-san might be a player like B-san… I just don’t want to think about that at all, but I still do…”
“Ah… Maybe you should talk to him about it. If he’s mysterious, that means he has a cool aura to him, right?”
Rika wanted to make some expression—any expression—at the thought of Hitomi having something extra, but decided not to. Nor did she stop Eri from calling her a man.
“Hmm… He is like that…” Rika decided to play along to Eri’s word choice of switching Hitomi’s gender.
“Then yeah, maybe you should talk to him. I think he should be able to understand since you said he’s cool.”
“What about him being cool?” the cursed one raised a brow.
“Well… If we’re talking about Bishounen stereotypes… He should be the kind of person to listen to you, I think…”
Would Hitomi listen to me? Rika thought as she looked at the maple-haired woman.
She’s such an enigma though…I’m not sure if she might even listen to me…
“What about you? What made you stressful?”
Eri’s mood dropped when the other said that.
“…That….” The taller said in a very low and uneasy voice, “…Sorry… I can’t open the lid… Not now…”
“I see… Sorry…”
“Ah! No need to apologize!”
“Thank you for the advice anyway,” Rika bowed her head.
“N-no problem!” Eri waved her hand dismissively.
She blushes so easily… it’s adorable!
Then Rika decided to play along too…
“Do you have a fever?” Rika stepped forward, pressing her forehead to the other’s.
“I-I-I’M F-FINE! THANKS!” Eri’s voice was clearly filled with panick. Also, her eyes seemed to be in the form of @ signs, trying to comprehend the situation.
“You’re really burning…”
“N-NO I’M NOT!” Eri moved her head backwards, and slamming the top of it against the rock behind her.
Rika reached for the back of Eri’s head and pulled it towards her. She wanted to laugh as she pressed the other’s head into her bosom. She could hear Eri being slight muffled by her cleavage, but paid no attention to it as she kissed the bump on top of the taller’s head.
Being the seme is fun! Rika giggled internally as she pulled back, seeing that Eri’s face was redder than a tomato.
Deciding that she would go back out into the Kegon falls area, Rika notified Eri of it and then exchanged e-mails and cell-phone numbers. After that was complete, they waved goodbye and went their separate ways.
Everything you do…
A heavy condensation of sweat filled the room.
“Nacchi…” a voice murmured, growing frustrated with each syllable.
“Now now…” the older smirked, “You like it like that, don’t you…?”
“Of course not…”
“Don’t be like that, Ayu-chan~” the scientist whined. “I’m the one on top, remember?”
“Just you wait… I will take you over…”
“Oh really?”
“Yes… Eventually…” Ayumi’s breathing became haggard.
“You know I’ll just punish you if you do…” Natsumi licked her lips.
“Then punish me,” Ayumi grinned naughtily as she managed to overtake Nacchi.
“Well, that’s out of the ordinary,” the smiling woman chuckled.
“You know it’s coming…”
“It is coming, but I think I’ll take my rightful spot now~!”
And thus, the positions are flipped again.
And then….
“WOO! I WIN!” Natsumi stood up with the playstation controller in her hand, excited over her victory.
“I told you I sucked at racing games! Why can’t we play good ol’ Mortal Kombat?!” Ayumi leaned back in the sofa, fingers tired from button mashing.
“You’re just used to the old racing games!” Nacchi moved her finger like a pendulum. “This age is all about the violence! This is like, my 57th victory at Full Auto! Learn to use your machine guns while you race me!”
“Oh God,” Ayumi slapped a palm to her face.
Every time you look at me…
She changed her mind.
Rika did not feel like walking outside. Instead, she just wandered around the hallways of the hotel, taking in the intricate designs within her mind and making observations for the future, just in case something happened.
It has always been a habit of her’s, really: simply observing her surroundings while she was doing something else. She would always catch the blatant mistakes from her internal recordings and be wary of such. It was like the time she had found Miyabi and Miki’s shoes at her dorm room… It was different from the norm, so she was cautious…
But now, Hitomi is somewhere in the building…
So she was to be cautious…
“What is she doing here anyway…?” Rika wondered aloud, now wandering in the busy lounge. “Is she watching me…?” she looked around her shoulder to make sure, “or is she here on some other business…?”
Sayumi-chan said that there were people gathering the seven descendants here…
Is Hitomi one of the gatherers?
If she’s on her job, then she’s dangerous…
The woman was wandering the hallways again.
Miki’s wounds from that time looked bad… All those bruises… I wouldn’t have known a thing if she didn’t show me…
Hitomi… Really is a two-faced person, isn’t she? Sweet and cute when she’s not on the job, but serious and merciless on her job? Does she realize that she is doing this…?
Or was she doing it on purpose?
Rika’s thoughts were interrupted when she ran into someone as she turned the corner.
Ew.
Fate sucks.
“…You seem to be well…” the enigma said solemnly, looking down on the other.
Rika became overwhelmed by the feelings she suppressed when she spoke with Eri. However, she promised Eri that she would talk to her, so she would.
“Yeah…” the shorter lowered her head, “I guess I am…”
“…You’re not angry?”
“I guess I shouldn’t be. Miki’s always like that…” the cursed woman lifted her head in a light smile.
“Ah…” came the stoic reply from the guard.
“Thank you for asking…”
Awkward silence.
“Um… Ayumi told me a long time ago… That disasters would come running away from me because I’m the Mistress of all disasters. It’s pretty true actually…”
“Hm?”
“Last week, I transformed into Maki attacked you right?” dark eyes met the taller, “And Ayumi too? I bet I’ve even killed people trying to go for Ayumi… But that’s the way it’s going to be from now on. It’s the only way I could fight back. So when I change into Maki, I will be hard to stop. It’s just like you, right?”
“Like me?” Hitomi raised a brow.
“When you’re not on duty, you’re always ‘normal’ and crack a few jokes or so, like a real friend would do. But when you’re working, you become a whole other person, willing to kill anyone… And you almost killed Miki if it weren’t for the fact that Maki was able to save her too…”
The guard remained silent.
“You are always so confusing, Hitomi. I never get anything definite from you. Those weeks ago, you practically knew that I fell in love with you, but what do you do? You don’t say words, you just French-kiss me and leave… Just… Just say something… Anything… Bind me with words… Make me believe you…”
“I…”
Rika looked up.
“I don’t know the words for that,” Hitomi gave a rather forlorn look at the other.
“Then… Just do something…” Rika walked into the other’s chest, clenching her hands into fists that rested on the other’s chest. “If you don’t have words, then show me proof with actions… Just do anything… If you love me, then you would hug me and comfort me right now…”
She felt arms slide around her.
“Physical action isn’t going to accomplish anything, Rika. Just because I move doesn’t mean my heart is in it. It can’t be considered a definite thing, for it’s just an action.”
“So mechanical sounding…” Rika rested her head on the other’s chest as well, “You don’t have to treat me like a kid, you know.”
“My apologies.”
The hug become stronger, for Rika felt the taller’s head rest on her own.
“I… Just don’t know anything yet. I’ve been trying to figure out this bond we have. I never realized it until someone pointed it out to me. If that’s the case, then how can I express what I hardly understand?”
“What do you mean…?”
“The words you want to hear from me… I can’t say them. They don’t feel ‘right’ to me. But all I know…” Hitomi backed her head away, allowing the shorter to look up, “Is that there’s something between us…”
The gap between their lips closed.
Every time you touch me…
Eri walked alone amongst the crowd.
She thought about her meeting with that woman, Ishikawa Rika.
Ishikawa-san…
Eri stood in place like a rock in a stream.
You’re so lucky…
The maple-haired woman lowered her head onto the ground, tears forming in her eyes.
“At least Ishikawa-san still has her best friend…”
Dreadful thoughts began to overwhelm her.
Unwanted memories began to consume her.
I’ve…
I’ve killed mine…
I feel like I fall apart…
Ohhhh what now? :x
5 lovely comments or 10 half-assed ones! <3
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So...Eri killed her best friend. Who could that be? Surely not Sayumi since she's appeared already, so....Risa? Yeah, I'm lazy to comment, consider this one lazy ass comment. I wanna see Maki in action and 'in action' with Miki. :grin:
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:lol: @ Eri between the rocks
I thought that Shibata and Nacchi were doing the nasty. Turns out they were playing a video game :banghead:
Who is Eri's best friend? :? Is it Junjun?
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Too lazy to comment on comments xD
-dances instead-
/me starts chanting: GO YUU~! GO YUU~! GET BU-SAY! IT'S YO' BIRFDAY! IT'S YO BIRFDAY!
:shakeit:
It’s Miki…
She was the one who probably forced herself on her…
It's going to be interesting to see how Rika deals with what she saw happen between Yossi and Miki, especially since we're assuming that she didn't see who made the first move. If she really believes that Miki started it (which she did), Rika could very well seriously torture Miki with that obedience spell that as cast on her (wonder if Miki had thought of that possiblity :roll: ). On the other hand, Rika might get all upset and just retreat/withdraw into herself, which might actually make it easier for Maki to reassert herself.
Why was she angry at Hitomi as well?
Angry that she did not push Miki away?
Angry that she was suddenly there?
There was absolutely no reason to blame her…
Or was there?
Will this change how Rika sees Yossi? If so...how then would Yossi react?
Rika cautiously walked over to the pool with the huge rocky edges, the particularly huge rocks which held up the fake waterfall. She had her eyes on the mysterious thing which seemed to stick out of the environment, someone that did not belong.
Or someone, rather.
“Do my eyes lie to me, or is there a girl wedged in between those rocks?” Rika wondered aloud, standing in front of this person sort of caught between two large rocks.
Omgass, it's ERI!!! :lol:
“Yes, they are lying,” the girl in between the rocks said almost inaudibly.
Is she blushing? Rika raised a brow. By common reasoning, the cursed woman deduced that this certain girl was incredibly shy.
“So if I blink, you will disappear?”
“……………….Yes.”
KAWAII!!! XD
Also, she had maple colored tresses that rested on her shoulders.
Slick... 8)
“I was really negative when I was younger. I didn’t like to talk to anyone because I was afraid that I might do something wrong. I never took my chances.”
“What changed you?”
“You see… I met someone.”
Okay, this either has to be Shiba-chan or Yossi. My guess is that it's the former, since they're best friends and up until this story began, gave the impression of being virtually inseperable. Shiba-chan probably helped Rika to stop being so negative and to start feeling good about herself. As she did that, she would have gained more self-confidence. :thumbsup
“Who is that person? A lover?”
Rika could not help but laugh a bit. It was too weird to think of her as a lover.
“Nah, Ayumi isn’t a lover. She’s the closest friend I could ever ask for,” Rika kept a smile on her face.
HA! :rockon:
Looks like neither Rika nor Shiba-chan had ever thought about the other in that manner, yet other people seem to make that assumption. :D
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kamei-san,” Rika bowed her head in a smile. “So what brings you here?”
“I was stressed out at home, so I came here alone for some peace,” Eri’s eyes were on the floor, still being shy.
Stressed? Over what (or should I say...whom)?
“Well… There’s two people I know…”
Eri nodded to show that she was listening.
“I like one, but I’m not fond of the other. Just earlier, I just saw the one I dislike kissing the one I like… It’s in her character to go around making out with anyone hot she meets, so it’s typical of her… But the one I like had kissed me long before that… So I’m not sure if I should be angry with the one I like or the one I dislike…”
“Uh….” Eri blinked a few times, “I think you used too many ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ there, Ishikawa-san…”
“I like A-san. I want to beat up B-san. B-san is a player (‘In the horny sense,’ Rika quickly added.) and I walked in on her making out with A-san. And A-san was the one who kissed me long before that… So I’m not sure if I should be angry with A-san or B-san.”
:rofl:
It'd sure be interesting if Rika knew how "B-san" actually felt about her, wouldn't it? :pimp:
He should be the kind of person to listen to you, I think…”
Would Hitomi listen to me? Rika thought as she looked at the maple-haired woman.
She’s such an enigma though…I’m not sure if she might even listen to me…
Eri makes a good point here. It IS correct that we don't know if Yossi would listen or not, but Rika won't know either way if she doesn't try.
“What about you? What made you stressful?”
Eri’s mood dropped when the other said that.
“…That….” The taller said in a very low and uneasy voice, “…Sorry… I can’t open the lid… Not now…”
Now...is the reason that she doesn't want to discuss it because it's something scary, something bad, or just something embarrassing? :hee:
She blushes so easily… it’s adorable!
Then Rika decided to play along too…
“Do you have a fever?” Rika stepped forward, pressing her forehead to the other’s.
“I-I-I’M F-FINE! THANKS!” Eri’s voice was clearly filled with panick. Also, her eyes seemed to be in the form of @ signs, trying to comprehend the situation.
Rika = :glasses:
Eri = :dizzy:
Rika's right, flustered Eri IS adorable! :wub:
Rika reached for the back of Eri’s head and pulled it towards her. She wanted to laugh as she pressed the other’s head into her bosom. She could hear Eri being slight muffled by her cleavage, but paid no attention to it as she kissed the bump on top of the taller’s head.
Being the seme is fun! Rika giggled internally as she pulled back, seeing that Eri’s face was redder than a tomato.
/me reads this and becomes EXTREMELY jealous of Eri.
:shocked:
A heavy condensation of sweat filled the room.
“Nacchi…” a voice murmured, growing frustrated with each syllable.
“Now now…” the older smirked, “You like it like that, don’t you…?”
“Of course not…”
“Don’t be like that, Ayu-chan~” the scientist whined. “I’m the one on top, remember?”
Wha??? :o Nacchi and Shiba-chan?!?!?!
“WOO! I WIN!” Natsumi stood up with the playstation controller in her hand, excited over her victory.
“I told you I sucked at racing games! Why can’t we play good ol’ Mortal Kombat?!” Ayumi leaned back in the sofa, fingers tired from button mashing.
PLAYSTATION!!! :on lol:
OF COURSE!!! Nacchi IS an otaku, after all. :hiakhiakhiak:
*RIKA-YOSSI TALK*
“I don’t know the words for that,” Hitomi gave a rather forlorn look at the other.
“Then… Just do something…” Rika walked into the other’s chest, clenching her hands into fists that rested on the other’s chest. “If you don’t have words, then show me proof with actions… Just do anything… If you love me, then you would hug me and comfort me right now…”
...
“I… Just don’t know anything yet. I’ve been trying to figure out this bond we have. I never realized it until someone pointed it out to me. If that’s the case, then how can I express what I hardly understand?”
Can't forget that this relationship is just as confusing to Yossi as it is to Rika. In some ways it's even more confusing for Yossi because of her amnesia. She's going and having to face all of this virtually blind. She has no memories of past relationships to draw from, and as such has absolutely NO idea what it's like to be in a relationship nor to "feel" something for someone. She probably wants to give Rika an answer just as badly as Rika wants to get one, but she can't give what she doesn't know.
“The words you want to hear from me… I can’t say them. They don’t feel ‘right’ to me. But all I know…” Hitomi backed her head away, allowing the shorter to look up, “Is that there’s something between us…”
The gap between their lips closed.
Ooooooooooooooooooh boy...:O
Eri walked alone amongst the crowd.
She thought about her meeting with that woman, Ishikawa Rika.
Ishikawa-san…
Eri stood in place like a rock in a stream.
You’re so lucky…
The maple-haired woman lowered her head onto the ground, tears forming in her eyes.
“At least Ishikawa-san still has her best friend…”
Dreadful thoughts began to overwhelm her.
Unwanted memories began to consume her.
I’ve…
I’ve killed mine…
Oh hell no...:OMG:
Don't tell me, lemme guess. Eri was the PREVIOUS person that was possessed by Maki and Eri's best friend is somehow related/associated with the Shibata's, which cause Maki to kill her?
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woohoo!!! another chap!!!! :w00t:
lol @ shiba & nacchi's part u got me there! :drool: :banghead:
wait no sign of miki/miya??? oh well just have to wait for the next chap :)
:w00t: and again UR STORY ROCKS!!!! :otomerika:
i'll be waiting for the next chapters :D
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Really like this chapter... so Rika know that it wasn't Yossy fault, that's good
The part with Eri was hilarious, that remind me to this Fun program, when Sakuragumi and Otomegumi was the guests, they were showing photos and in one of them Eri was behind two walls or boxes, I don't remember well XD
Mmm... so Yossy know that she feel something for Rika but her amnesia doesn't let to her express it, now that's bad
Nachi and Ayu hahahahaha XD XD
Eri kill someone???????????????? :shocked:
Mmm... I'll be waiting the next chapter
BTW... I have this doubt... Aya-chan will appear in the story?
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This is OCG, dear. I cameo everyone <3
Alright, I'm guessing how long this story is, and it's approximately around 50-70 chapters... So I might not hit 80 or possibly even 70...
And not all the main characters aren't introduced yet.
...That means the Fujimoto Family will expand with its permanent guests :B
Why else do you think they have a million bedrooms in their mansion? xD
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Okay.... I just have 14 chapters marathon and felt a little bitter now...
Don't get me wrong, the story is awesome!! I love you Yuuyami!!!!! Haha...
But I feel bitter for Yossie.... I don't know... I don't like her to be lonely and all... I was almost crying on part which Yossie watch Rika sleep from the tree. And how she felt something in her heart when Miki kissed Rika but she doesn't know what the feelings are... Gah! I felt like hugging Yossie!!! :cry:
And Fujimoto's family is rock!! They kick ass!!! But Miki had kissed Yossie twice! No matter how you potrayed Miki likes Rika, it didn't really appeared to my mind... haha... everytime there's YoMiki scene, my hearts goes Doki doki... WTH?
Can't wait to see what happens next... and I hope it will be a very long fics... :)
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Wow!!! 50-70 chapters? That's great :w00t:
Mmm... I'll be waiting to see the rest of the Fujimoto family :D
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:w00t: really!!?!?? 50 - 70 chapters?!?! :w00t:
now that'll be great!!! i'll be waiting for ur chapters :D
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Oh gahh.. 70 chapters?.. Well, good luck writing haha.
Anyways... I'm really really really curious as to what exactly happened to Eri and her best friend. I'm making a wild guess and say her best friend was Reina. Or Gaki-san. Did she end up in the same situation as Rika? But thats kind of impossible right.. since it takes a couple of years until Maki can revive in someone else's body and Eri's younger then Rika.
Phew! I'm glad Rika took Eri's advice! PlusI hope Rika will be patient with Yossi..
I'm still too bothered by Eri's appearance in this fic to concentrate on my fav IshiYoshi though it WAS a cute/sweet moment. Seriously whats Eri's story!!
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I'm still lazy with answering comments xD
But yes people, 50-70 chapters :B There's 11 "arcs" in all, and we've justed started the first arc with the last few chapters xD.
Now uh.... o_O
Something to take up space... o_o
I'm goddamned magical D<
WATCH ME DO A TRICK!
-implodes-
-reappears in first commentor's closet with a hardhat on-
Hey thar :]
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Yet another short-ish chapter xD
Chapter 15: Don’t Cry.
Please…
Eri felt something collide with her back. She did not stagger, but she heard a thump behind her.
“Daaaamn…”
Someone had ran into her?!
“I’m sorry!” Eri turned around, bowing her head repeatedly. “I was spacing out so I kinda had to stay still so I could clean up my head and then I would be able to walk again!” her cheeks became a rosy color from speaking frantically fast.
“Whoa there! It’s just a bump! No need to be so panicky about it, that sort of behavior is so unbecoming,” the other woman, someone who was tan even though it was still the cold season, said gruffly as she stood up, brushing the dirt off of her butt.
“I’m so sorry!” Eri continued bowing like the world was going to end if she didn’t do it 50 times a second.
“He-hey!” the tan woman seemed to be at a loss for words. Also, with Eri’s display, eyes of strangers began to focus on the two, bewildered. “We’re getting attention! Let’s move!” the shorter said as she turned Eri around and moved her past the crowd.
“Eek!” was all Eri could muster.
Oh no… It’s happened again… Eri shielded her face with her palms as she was being pushed off to the side of the district, sorta in the alleyways. Always making a scene…
“But really, acting like there was a cat in your pants was attracting too much attention. At least be normal girl and tell the difference between a situation that calls for panicking and one that doesn’t!”
“Y-yes!” Eri squeaked, having been scolded by a complete stranger. “Sorry…” this time, Eri made sure that she said it softly and casually.
“Sheesh, I wonder if you’d ever get someone if you’re always like that.”
“Oh um… I’m not that fond of men… All the ones I meet are perverts…”
“Heh, that’s definitely true…But hot damn, you’ve got nice thighs. I can’t imagine a guy who wouldn’t like those… I wouldn’t mind being the cat in your pants,” the tanned woman let out a cat-like grin, studying the taller with her eyes which seemed to undress Eri.
…I’m stuck in an alley…
…With a lesbian?!
Oh god! Help me!
“I-I don’t s-swing that way!” Eri panicked again as the other advanced upon her.
“But you said you didn’t like men, right?” those eyes were looking at her like she was a piece of meat, a rather familiar look she’s seen on guys who have stared at her.
“B-but t-t-that doesn’t m-mean that I l-like women, r-right?!” Eri felt the wall behind her.
There was no escape.
“Hmm…” The other pondered, her lips were already practically brushing against the taller’s.
Eri felt like she was on the verge of fainting if that tanned woman had decided to actually kiss her. Instead of feeling the other’s lips on her own, she felt an exhale against it and saw that the shorter moved her head back.
“What am I doing… I’m supposed to reconcile with Rika before that damned Hitomi does…” the other muttered, eyes straying away from the woman who looked like she was hit by a car.
Ishikawa-san…?
A name I don’t know…?
“You’re B-san! The horny one!” Eri pointed an accusing finger at the tanned woman.
“B-san? The hell? I’m Fujimoto Miki!” the other retorted, pointing at herself as an emphasis.
So Fujimoto-san was the one who made out with Hitomi!?
Waaaait! Hitomi is a girl’s name…!!
…Ishikawa-san is a lesbian too?!
I KNEW she had to have some slashy tendencies to press me into her bubbies like that!
“Ack! I just met two in real life in one day! What’re the chances of that?!” Eri waved her arms frantically around.
“SHEESH! CALM DOOOWN!” Miki tried to grab Eri’s hands to stop it, but to no avail, the taller’s arms were simply waving too fast. “I SAID CAAAALM DOOOOOOOOWN!” the fighter raised her voice higher, but not high enough so that it would attract people into the alleyway they were hidden in.
Too bad Eri was still panicking.
“Well. That leaves be to Plan B. It’s my favorite plan of all~” Miki chuckled as she watched the maple-haired woman say incoherent things while waving her arms like crazy.
Wait for it…
Wait for it…Miki thought as her eyes followed Eri’s hands and her head.
Now!
Hands pin wrists.
Wrists collide against wall.
Her face dazed and surprised.
Lips collide against lips.
Distance between their bodies close.
Eri in the meanwhile, felt like she was going to explode any minute now. Her face became a rather unhealthy shade of red. In fact, she felt her entire body become tense with hotness. She felt helpless pinned against the brick wall, giving in to Miki’s advances very easily. Her eyes became half-lidded in submission, confirming that her means of escape have officially been lost.
But then, the other pulled away.
“Well that calmed you down,” Miki stroked her imaginary beard, “Works every time~” the corners of her mouth turned upward.
Oh my gahh! Eri’s eyes were twirling like @ signs, I’ve been kissed by another woman! The world’s going to end~!
“But really, I guess I have to say that I must…apologize…” Miki turned her head away, twitching her right brow as she muttered that last word.
“Um… I guess you’re forgiven…?”
“What the hell, kid, it’s either forgive me or don’t. There’s no ‘guesses’ in things like that,” Miki raised a brow at the other. What, has she never been in a relationship before?
“I’m sorry…”
Miki wanted to melt at the sight of an embarrassed, blushing girl. Hell, she’d die of diabetes from all the sugary goodness that the other emitted.
Yup, those were the sort of girls Miki tended to go for. The cute innocent ones that deserve to be so instead of certain older women who try to act like they’re fourteen… Like a certain Ishikawa she knew…
“Hmmph. I guess I’ll just walk with you for awhile. You seemed lonely before I bumped into you,” Miki turned about her foot and began walking.
“Ah! A-alright!” Eri tagged along.
Rika…
Shit.
My tastes are changing.
I don’t want to see you like that.
Their tongues were dancing again.
It was a dance with finesse. Rika wondered how that awkward Hitomi from weeks ago became this sexy aggressor that had her locked in a fierce, yet gentle hug, fondling with her tongue with her own.
It was sheer instinct on the other’s behalf. Learning from what had happened weeks ago, Hitomi decided to utilize that experience and entwined it with those strong feelings—or rather, this strong ambiguous feeling that had driven her mad with wanting to taste the other’s lips again.
Was that the feeling of love?
Or is it just mere lust?
Rika’s face became flushed when their lips parted, panting lightly at the air that had gone amiss during their intimacy. However, the heat returned as the enigma went lower, tasting the sweetness of Rika’s neck through chaste kisses. Those lingered much longer as the shorter brought the other’s head closer, making the fleeting touches more ongoing…
“HOT DAMN!”
Hitomi and Rika jumped at the sudden voice.
“Sheesh! Get a room! My virgin eyes are bleeding!” came the voice of a very familiar sniper—though in this case, the voice was more suited to a certain teenager that they both knew.
“Miyabi…” Frustration underlined the tone in Rika’s voice, feeling upset that their ‘little moment’ had been interrupted.
“Well, if you were in a room, I wouldn’t be walking in on you two, you know?” Miyabi swung her index finger in a pendulum manner, adding the ‘tsk tsk’ as well.
“Well, it is certain that you do have the older Fujimoto’s speech pattern in your blood…” Hitomi smiled, her arms loosely wrapped around Rika’s back.
“Ya’think?” Miyabi unknowingly lapsed into Miki’s yankii dialect. “But yeah. Please. Get a room and have fun,” she sighed as she walked past the two.
Awkward silence.
“I… need to return to my job…” Hitomi released her embrace on the other.
“Uh… Yeah…” Rika could not even remember what she was going to do before she bumped into Hitomi and had that ‘talk’ afterwards…
“I’ll see you whenever,” the guard said as she turned to walk.
“Hitomi!”
As the enigma looked back, she was surprised to find that Rika’s lips had latched onto her neck.
“That is what I’m giving you to remember what we had talked about,” Rika said as she pulled back, satisfied with the small hickey on Hitomi’s neck.
“Odd, I’ve always thought the seme would do that instead of the uke…”
“I’m the seme too!”
Hitomi blinked. “…What?”
“I’m the guy too~!” Rika pouted.
“Uhhh no you’re not. I’m taller and I look the part,” the guard gave an amused look at the other.
“Yeah well… “ Rika crossed her arms and tried to think hard, “Well… Just face it, I can be seme too if I wanted to!”
“Riiiiight,” Hitomi let out a light laugh. “Oh and…”
“Hmm?”
Rika was surprised when Hitomi stole her idea. Now the taller was the one kissing her neck, leaving another fresh one among the others left on there earlier.
“That’s what I’m giving you so that you wouldn’t have to transform again, kay?”
A blush crept onto the cursed woman’s face as she watched Hitomi flash a smile at her before turning to run off.
Because if you do…
“Alright… She won’t answer my calls…” Miyabi grumbled as she punched some keys on her cellphone.
“She’s definitely going to look if I send a text, right?!” The sniper was slowly growing insane with each passing failure attempt. It was already bad enough that she had been kidnapped this afternoon from school! Miyabi looked at the clock in the hotel room, making sure that Risako was out of school before she sent it.
You are the brightest star in the sky.
Oh how I wish you would fall…
…Just so I could catch you…
And tell you my wish
Seven is a lucky number.
And that’s how many words my wish is made up of.
“I love you, will you date me?”
-Miyabi.
And with that, Miyabi hit send.
“I wonder what she will look like when she reads this!” Miyabi giggled to herself as she shut her cellphone.
Then she laid down on the bed, exhausted from the day’s events.
“Bah… Nee-san’s out somewhere probably nanpa-ing some chick or dude, the other Nee-san is back home… And Rika-san is probably doing questionable things with Hitomi-san…”
Miyabi was bored.
Incredibly bored.
“Harubeni no SUKARETTO!” came a familiar ringtone.
The teen looked at the caller ID to find that it was a fellow friend of her’s and picked up.
“Moshi moshi, Miyavi desu,” Miyabi said in a low voice.
“Miya, stop that, you’ll never sound like the great Miyavi-sama! Sure you could probably look the same if you added the piercings and the wacky hair colors he does, but his voice is one of a kind!” her friend chided on the other line.
“Sheesh, ruin my dreams, will ya?” Miyabi rolled around in bed.
“Sorry hun, but I have to ruin another one of your dreams.”
“What would that be, Chinami?” the younger sat up.
“As much as I would like to say yes, don’t you have eyes for Miss Socko?”
Dot.
Dot.
Dot.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH?!” Miyabi screamed into the phone, suddenly realizing the context of what Chinami had said.
“Thought so, you sent it to my number by accident!” Chinami laughed on the other end.
“CHIIIIINAAAAMIIIIIII~!”
“Come now, Miya-chaaaan! This is great blackmail material! I never knew that you could write such amazing poetry! You must really be Miki-sama’s sister!” Chinami drawled on certain words, trying so hard not to laugh at the absurd situation which had suddenly presented itself.
“I’ll shoot you if you dare tell a THING about this to ANYONE!” Miyabi snarled into her phone.
“Yup. The sister of Fujimoto Miki, indeed!” Chinami laughed in return.
“Ugh, come to think of it…”
“Does the sister of Fujimoto Miki have something to share?”
“Stop addressing me like that!” Miyabi’s voice became edgy, “Anywho, some lady asked me to watch her kid while she went to purchase some things, and I agreed to do it. After the mother walks away, the brat looks at me and goes ‘I don’t want to be stuck with a witch!’ and ran away crying! So I had to chase the brat down the street until I finally caught him and hoisted him over my shoulder! But his wails were so loud that the local police thought I was kidnapping him out in the open! It wasn’t til his mother came back that I could escape them!”
“And the news reports will say ‘this just in, the sister of Fujimoto Miki makes children cry!’ or something!” came another laugh at the other end of the line.
“Come ooon! What part about me is like my sister?!”
“Well, you share the same temper, though the lengths of the fuses vary. That and you both seem to have a habit of coming up with the cheesiest pick-up lines too! ‘You are the brightest star in the sky’ what the heck was that?!” Chinami sounded like she was dying of air deprivation thanks to all the laughter she was doing.
“I’m going to hang up on you if you keep on laughing at that!” Miyabi flopped back onto the bed.
“Anywho, you STILL didn’t confess to Socko? HOW long have you had this crush now?”
“I’ve had it since New Year’s! And I decided a month ago that now was the time to confess, but each time comes out in failure! I have to do this before I enter high school this spring~!” Miyabi whined as she kicked her legs around in the air and moved her free arm around like crazy, as if she was a turtle on its back.
“Why don’t you just go sleepover and confess then?”
“That’s a good idea actually,” Miyabi blinked a few times, “I’ll consider it.”
“Then it’s settled! The next time you sleep over her house, you’ll confess your undying rabu-rabu to heeer~!”
“Yeah yeah…” Miyabi looked over to the side with narrowed eyes and a light blush, “Feh… So it comes down to that, huh…”
“What, did you think you were going to try some grand way of confessing? What was your next plan? Come to school on a noble white steed and golden armor confessing your eternal vow to be with her forever?”
Miyabi remained silent.
“I was right wasn’t I?”
She was still silent.
“I’m SO right, wasn’t I?!”
“No, I was too amazed by your stupidity to say anything,” Miyabi sighed.
Then…
“So Kamei-chan…” Miki decided to use the other’s name now that she had learned of it, “please tell me I did not just steal your first kiss a while ago.”
“Umm….”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“…Y-yes…” A blush came up to the taller.
“Oh what the hell,” Miki slapped her palm onto her forehead, dragging her hand down which pulled on her facial features. “What a sad person, how old are you again?”
“I’ve turned 18 a few months ago…”
“Sheesh, you’re two years shy of being legal here and you still haven’t been touched? Whoooooa…” Miki placed her hands behind her head as she walked casually with the crowd with Eri along side with her.
“I’ve always been… really shy, so that didn’t help at all…” Eri lowered her head, trying to occupy herself by fiddling with her index fingers.
“Remember, it takes two people to make the character ‘hito’ for person!” Miki said as she pressed her index fingers together to match that character.
“But you don’t have anyone… right?”
Miki placed her hands behind her head again. “Feh…”
“Am I r-right?” Eri asked cautiously, wondering if she had accidentally struck a nerve.
“In a sense… sure…”
“Ah… So how does that feel?”
“I’m confused as hell. Normally, I wouldn’t be worried about this sort of thing. But the more I’m stuck with that idiot, the more…”
“The more in love you become?”
“Don’t finish my sentences for me! That means I’m a real loser if I’m easy to read!” Miki retorted, almost glaring at the other.
“I’m sorry!” Eri piped.
“Have I seriously become that whipped?”
“It apparently seems so.”
“Oh gahh,” Miki twitched her eye and her mouth went slightly off center, wondering how Eri could agree so easily. “But really… That was really low of me to do that to her…”
“To Ishikawa-san?”
“I kissed Hitomi thinking that I’ve won. When Rika saw us, I knew for sure that she was definitely angry at her. And when I said those things to Hitomi, it was really… I never saw that look upon her face before. It serves her right for being such a two-faced bitch to us all the time… Always playing the bad guy when she’s working and playing the good guy when she’s not… To be able to switch between the personas so easily… It’s like a huge game for her…”
Eri was definitely confused now. First, Hitomi came off as rather bishounen-like—very calm, collective, and cool. But now, the way Miki presented Hitomi… That person seemed more like a scheming mastermind…
Who should she believe?
Ishikawa-san?
Fujimoto-san?
For now, she could only speak of the situation rather than the people involved.
“Erm… Fujimoto-san… Don’t you think it’s a little… immature to be doing that?”
“The hell? Clarify.”
“Well… The way I see it… You tried to get Ishikawa-san’s attention, but at the same time, tried to get Hitomi-san away from her… You wanted to kill two birds with one stone, right? Isn’t that cheating? To get rid of your rival using a low method and making Ishikawa-san unhappy?”
“Feh…Guess it was too low for me to do.. huh?”
“Um… Ishikawa-san told me that you were sort of a player, and as far as my first impressions went, you pretty much are one (“Oh jee, thank you for complimenting me, Rika,” Miki retorted.) so… Don’t you think you could get Ishikawa-san through natural means instead of having to do things like that? If you start playing unfair and cheat, then that title won’t do you justice, you know?”
Miki’s eyes widened at the realization of Eri’s words.
They continued walking with the crowds, towards the direction of their hotel.
“Hey. Kamei.”
“Y-yes?!” Eri jumped at the sudden voice.
“…Thanks.”
“No pro—” Eri began, but was interrupted when the groping demon planted a chaste kiss on her lips. The shy turtle watched as Miki smirked when she pulled away and went ahead of her, losing herself in the crowds.
Eri had only one thought in mind.
That evil lesbian stole my second kiss!
Then I’d cry too, seeing you cry.
Rika walked into the hotel room, finding Miyabi chattering away with one of her friends on her cellphone. Smiling at the sight, she veered from the teen and headed straight for the bathroom.
This is weird…
Maki hasn’t shown up at all when I was with Hitomi that time…
Is there a reason why she doesn’t want to transform?
Rika turned on the faucet to wash her hands.
But what came out of the faucet wasn’t water.
It was blood.
Her eyes widened in horror as she watched her hands become drenched in the blood.
Then she tilted her head up, looking at the mirror in front of her.
She had no place there.
She wasn’t in the mirror’s reflection.
Someone else was in the mirror’s reflection.
It was Maki.
As soon as she met those golden eyes, a vision flashed into her head in static.
Water…
Water flowing like the rapids…
Bodies washing among the water…
And among those bodies…
…Was Eri.
We’d cry together…
5 Lovely comments or 10 half-assed ones xD
GOGOGGOGOGOGOGOGOGO O___O;
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Yet another short-ish chapter
Just a bit. :P
“I’m sorry!” Eri turned around, bowing her head repeatedly. “I was spacing out so I kinda had to stay still so I could clean up my head and then I would be able to walk again!” her cheeks became a rosy color from speaking frantically fast.
“Whoa there! It’s just a bump! No need to be so panicky about it, that sort of behavior is so unbecoming,” the other woman, someone who was tan even though it was still the cold season, said gruffly as she stood up, brushing the dirt off of her butt.
“I’m so sorry!” Eri continued bowing like the world was going to end if she didn’t do it 50 times a second.
“He-hey!” the tan woman seemed to be at a loss for words. Also, with Eri’s display, eyes of strangers began to focus on the two, bewildered. “We’re getting attention! Let’s move!” the shorter said as she turned Eri around and moved her past the crowd.
Oh, dear sweet, panicky Eri. So cute, and yet, so much fun to giggle at. :D
“Sheesh, I wonder if you’d ever get someone if you’re always like that.”
“Oh um… I’m not that fond of men… All the ones I meet are perverts…”
Eri swings for the other team? 8)
hot damn, you’ve got nice thighs. I can’t imagine a guy who wouldn’t like those… I wouldn’t mind being the cat in your pants,” the tanned woman let out a cat-like grin, studying the taller with her eyes which seemed to undress Eri.
Ok ok ok...Miki-sama, right? PLEASE say it's Miki-sama! :w00t:
…I’m stuck in an alley…
…With a lesbian?!
Oh god! Help me!
“I-I don’t s-swing that way!” Eri panicked again as the other advanced upon her.
:hiakhiakhiak:
“What am I doing… I’m supposed to reconcile with Rika before that damned Hitomi does…” the other muttered, eyes straying away from the woman who looked like she was hit by a car.
Hell yeah it IS Miki-sama! :jerk:
“You’re B-san! The horny one!” Eri pointed an accusing finger at the tanned woman.
“B-san? The hell? I’m Fujimoto Miki!” the other retorted, pointing at herself as an emphasis.
:on lol: :on lol: :on lol:
So Fujimoto-san was the one who made out with Hitomi!?
Waaaait! Hitomi is a girl’s name…!!
…Ishikawa-san is a lesbian too?!
I KNEW she had to have some slashy tendencies to press me into her bubbies like that!
ERI SAID "BUBBIES"!!! :rofl:
Too bad Eri was still panicking.
“Well. That leaves be to Plan B. It’s my favorite plan of all~” Miki chuckled as she watched the maple-haired woman say incoherent things while waving her arms like crazy.
Wait for it…
...
**Miki-sama executes Plan B**
...
But then, the other pulled away.
“Well that calmed you down,” Miki stroked her imaginary beard, “Works every time~” the corners of her mouth turned upward.
Miki = :hehehe:
Eri = :dizzy:
What, has she never been in a relationship before?
“I’m sorry…”
Miki wanted to melt at the sight of an embarrassed, blushing girl. Hell, she’d die of diabetes from all the sugary goodness that the other emitted.
Awwwwwwwwwwww... :mon inluv:
Yup, those were the sort of girls Miki tended to go for. The cute innocent ones that deserve to be so instead of certain older women who try to act like they’re fourteen… Like a certain Ishikawa she knew…
“Hmmph. I guess I’ll just walk with you for awhile. You seemed lonely before I bumped into you,” Miki turned about her foot and began walking.
“Ah! A-alright!” Eri tagged along.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW... :wriggly:
Their tongues were dancing again.
It was a dance with finesse. Rika wondered how that awkward Hitomi from weeks ago became this sexy aggressor that had her locked in a fierce, yet gentle hug, fondling with her tongue with her own.
Oh my. :shocked:
Hitomi decided to utilize that experience and entwined it with those strong feelings—or rather, this strong ambiguous feeling that had driven her mad with wanting to taste the other’s lips again.
Was that the feeling of love?
Or is it just mere lust?
This is indeed a good point. We still have no idea how Yossi really feels about Rika (hell, she herself doesn't know). Her amnesia and behaviour around Rika VS her behaviour around others or when she's on the job also complicates things a bit. We don't know if Yossi might have already been in a relationship before her memory loss, or if she ever has been in one. It could be that she's just taking advantage (consciously or unconsciously) of the fact that Rika's practically throwing herself at her.
“HOT DAMN!”
Hitomi and Rika jumped at the sudden voice.
“Sheesh! Get a room! My virgin eyes are bleeding!” came the voice of a very familiar sniper—though in this case, the voice was more suited to a certain teenager that they both knew.
“Miyabi…” Frustration underlined the tone in Rika’s voice, feeling upset that their ‘little moment’ had been interrupted.
“Well, if you were in a room, I wouldn’t be walking in on you two, you know?” Miyabi swung her index finger in a pendulum manner, adding the ‘tsk tsk’ as well.
Gotta admit, Miyabi does have a point here. :bingo:
“I… need to return to my job…” Hitomi released her embrace on the other.
...
As the enigma looked back, she was surprised to find that Rika’s lips had latched onto her neck.
“That is what I’m giving you to remember what we had talked about,” Rika said as she pulled back, satisfied with the small hickey on Hitomi’s neck.
Whoa...I believe Rika just "staked her claim", so to speak.
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. :mon misch:
“Odd, I’ve always thought the seme would do that instead of the uke…”
“I’m the seme too!”
Hitomi blinked. “…What?”
“I’m the guy too~!” Rika pouted.
“Uhhh no you’re not. I’m taller and I look the part,” the guard gave an amused look at the other.
:lol:
Rika can be so cute when she's pouty like that. :oops:
Now the taller was the one kissing her neck, leaving another fresh one among the others left on there earlier.
“That’s what I’m giving you so that you wouldn’t have to transform again, kay?”
A blush crept onto the cursed woman’s face as she watched Hitomi flash a smile at her before turning to run off.
Fresh one? :O Others??? :o
Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooa boy. :mon lol:
Oshit, what's Miki gonna do when she sees those? :dunno:
“She’s definitely going to look if I send a text, right?!” The sniper was slowly growing insane with each passing failure attempt. It was already bad enough that she had been kidnapped this afternoon from school! Miyabi looked at the clock in the hotel room, making sure that Risako was out of school before she sent it.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... :luvluv2:
She sent it to the right phone number, right? ;D
“Harubeni no SUKARETTO!” came a familiar ringtone.
The teen looked at the caller ID to find that it was a fellow friend of her’s and picked up.
“Moshi moshi, Miyavi desu,” Miyabi said in a low voice.
...
“Sorry hun, but I have to ruin another one of your dreams.”
“What would that be, Chinami?” the younger sat up.
“As much as I would like to say yes, don’t you have eyes for Miss Socko?”
Dot.
Dot.
Dot.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH?!” Miyabi screamed into the phone, suddenly realizing the context of what Chinami had said.
OMGAWD!!!! WRONG NUMBER!!!!! :mon lmao: :mon lmao: :mon lmao:
“Come now, Miya-chaaaan! This is great blackmail material! I never knew that you could write such amazing poetry! You must really be Miki-sama’s sister!” Chinami drawled on certain words, trying so hard not to laugh at the absurd situation which had suddenly presented itself.
Wait a sec...what's this about Miki-sama and poetry? :stunned:
HOW long have you had this crush now?”
“I’ve had it since New Year’s! And I decided a month ago that now was the time to confess, but each time comes out in failure! I have to do this before I enter high school this spring~!” Miyabi whined as she kicked her legs around in the air and moved her free arm around like crazy, as if she was a turtle on its back.
Damn, Miyabi's got it baaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
“Why don’t you just go sleepover and confess then?”
“That’s a good idea actually,” Miyabi blinked a few times, “I’ll consider it.”
She should try to not to creep Socko out while she's confessing. Otherwise she might find herself thrown outside in the middle of the night in her PJs.
“Feh… So it comes down to that, huh…”
“What, did you think you were going to try some grand way of confessing? What was your next plan? Come to school on a noble white steed and golden armor confessing your eternal vow to be with her forever?”
Miyabi remained silent.
“I was right wasn’t I?”
She was still silent.
“I’m SO right, wasn’t I?!”
“No, I was too amazed by your stupidity to say anything,” Miyabi sighed.
Nice try Miyabi. :wahaha:
“So Kamei-chan…” Miki decided to use the other’s name now that she had learned of it, “please tell me I did not just steal your first kiss a while ago.”
“Umm….”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“…Y-yes…” A blush came up to the taller.
Hoooooooooly... :mon one:
“I’m confused as hell. Normally, I wouldn’t be worried about this sort of thing. But the more I’m stuck with that idiot, the more…”
“The more in love you become?”
The heart works in mysterious ways, it does. There's no way of telling who we'll fall for or when. But when it hits, it hits hard. :yep:
“Well… The way I see it… You tried to get Ishikawa-san’s attention, but at the same time, tried to get Hitomi-san away from her… You wanted to kill two birds with one stone, right? Isn’t that cheating? To get rid of your rival using a low method and making Ishikawa-san unhappy?”
“Feh…Guess it was too low for me to do.. huh?”
Yay for an outsider's perspective! :rockon: Eri's totally right in that what Miki did was quite underhanded. One can understand why she did what she did, but understanding it doesn't necessarily make it right.
“Um… Ishikawa-san told me that you were sort of a player, and as far as my first impressions went, you pretty much are one (“Oh jee, thank you for complimenting me, Rika,” Miki retorted.) so… Don’t you think you could get Ishikawa-san through natural means instead of having to do things like that? If you start playing unfair and cheat, then that title won’t do you justice, you know?”
Bravo again Eri! Does Miki really want to win Rika my turning her against Yossi? If she did that, then Rika wouldn't be with her for the right reasons. At best, Miki would be the "runner-up" choice in that scenario. Instead of trying to turn her against Yossi, Miki should be trying to win Rika by making Rika fall for her like she fell for Rika. Miki doesn't want to be Rika's "second choice", she should be trying to convince Rika to make her her FIRST choice! :heart:
“…Thanks.”
“No pro—” Eri began, but was interrupted when the groping demon planted a chaste kiss on her lips. The shy turtle watched as Miki smirked when she pulled away and went ahead of her, losing herself in the crowds.
Eri had only one thought in mind.
That evil lesbian stole my second kiss!
:kekeke:
C'mon Eri, you can't say you didn't like it or that it wasn't nice.
This is weird…
Maki hasn’t shown up at all when I was with Hitomi that time…
Is there a reason why she doesn’t want to transform?
Strange indeed. Everything was "in place" so to speak, the conditions were right for Maki to appear. But then again, Maki DID say that those conditions were needed for when she wanted to assert herself. So then that means that...Maki didn't want to appear that time?
Rika turned on the faucet to wash her hands.
But what came out of the faucet wasn’t water.
It was blood.
...
Someone else was in the mirror’s reflection.
It was Maki.
Oh...NOW she shows up. But why now, and why in this manner? Might she actually want to talk to Rika?
As soon as she met those golden eyes, a vision flashed into her head in static.
Water…
Water flowing like the rapids…
Bodies washing among the water…
And among those bodies…
…Was Eri.
ERI NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :OMG:
-
I'm commenting just because you had miyabi try to impersonate in Miyavi XD About time someone tried that.
As always, loving Miyabi's confession attempts. Wonder if the next one would be successful though o.o I'm starting to feel sorry for her, lol.
and...
And among those bodies…
…Was Eri.
:OMG: EEEEHHHH?!?!? I hope this isn't a vision of the present/future >_<
-
Nice chap yuusama!!! :love:
“So Kamei-chan…” Miki decided to use the other’s name now that she had learned of it, “please tell me I did not just steal your first kiss a while ago.”
“Umm….”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“…Y-yes…” A blush came up to the taller.
damn miki's a player! stoling eri's first kiss!! :lol:
whats up with eri? i mean,,,,NOOOOOO!,,,pls tell me my thoughts are wrong! :frustrated:
-
damn miki's a player! stoling eri's first kiss!! :lol:
Not just the first, the second too :bingo:
Yeah, Miki is really something... :wahaha: That's the reason we love her
Wow... Yossy and Rika go fast hahahaha
“Sheesh! Get a room! My virgin eyes are bleeding!”
poor Miya :on lol: yeah... virgin :mon lmao: and about her confesion :mon lol: this girl really has a baaaaaaaaad luck
What about this vision Rika had?! :OMG: Really scary and why Eri? Could be Eri part of the Shibata Family and Maki knows it? She is going to kill her? or maybe is a vision of the past? :dunno:
:mon cigar: I'll be waiting the next chapter
Yuuyami-san your awesome!!!! :kneelbow:
-
Oh what I'd do to get trapped in an alley with Eri. Or Miki. Or both of them. :mon blood: A-San & B-San XD
I really want to know where Miki learns her techniques. Aside from it involves excessive touching, it's 100% effective as well. :on lol:
VIRGIN EYES?! Come on Miya, if you live under the same roof as Miki and Yuko, your eyes are probably the first part of your body that gets divirginized. :mon misch: Confession attempt #541676ZYX1 still a failure! :lol:
Hmm, so Eri really has a connection with Maki. Former host maybe? :?
-
I told you she liked Leopard print!
(http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/2598/yuu69411mi9.jpg)
...And I told you she had a leopard print scarf! XDDDDDDD!!!
Ohh Yuko...
-
What I'd really like to know is if she's holding a can of beer there . . .
*catches up on story*
-
MIKI\ERI :heart: *HAAAAPY* XD
Miyabi sent her text confession to Chinami OMG :lol: *rolls on the floor laughing* XD
AND NO ERI :gyaaah:, don't tell me she dies >_<
But one more thing MIKI\ERI :luvluv1: *fangirl*, the best part of the whole chapter XD
"That evil lesbian stole my second kiss!" HOW CAN YOU BE SAD ABOUT THAT XD
But a really great chapter, im looking forward for the rest of the story.
-
I'm not dead yet! O____________________O;
I was just busy working with my dear Essy-chan on our well-anticipated collaberation, Requiem xD. We're both working on the next item to be released to the public which will give some information about the trilogy <3.
That and AP classes are making me so freaking busy... XD
But that ain't stoppin' me!
-pelvic thrust- WUMANPAWAA~~~!!!...
-
Long chapter, I believe xD
Chapter 16: Maiden of Water
Water…
Rika’s eyes widened as her breaths became shaky. Her bloody hands were frozen in mid-air, immobilized by her fear. On the other side of the mirror, the maiden who resided within her had glared with an inexplicable animosity. Immediately, the host felt the air around her collapse with the heavy trepidation, almost constricting her.
And the glare of the reflection became softer. It was almost as if the maiden was trying to give voice to something, but something had prevented her from doing so. Even without the verbal communication, Rika understood the gist of the other’s body language.
Her eyes looked almost helpless.
Almost like she was watching something, and could do nothing about it…
Kamei…?!
With that thought, the vision broke. As if enlightened, her view cleared with a bright flash. The sink was still running, but it did not have the crimson liquid that gave everyone life. Her hands were no longer stained with blood. The air was uplifting. All which bound her during her wordless conversation with Maki had been broken.
Rika heard the door open behind her, and saw on the mirror reflection a familiar elfish head emerge from the crack.
“You okay? I heard a noise so I came to investigate,” chirped the youngest Fujimoto sister.
Did Rika make a noise? She probably did when she snapped into reality, perhaps a shivering exhale—a rather loud one at that.
“Nah, that’s okay. The water was too hot,” Rika lied, giving her best poker face hoping that it would not be too suspicious.
“Alright!” Miyabi smiled, successfully falling under the lie.
After the door closed, Rika placed her palms at the edge of the sink and leaned heavily against them, shoulders lurched forward. She watched the sink continuously flowing, recreating the image she had just seen not too long before.
What was the meaning of that…?
Rika stared at the mirrored eyes, wondering if she could search for an answer within them.
Please tell me something isn’t going to happen to Kamei-chan… Rika unknowingly lapsed into haggard breathing again, becoming frightened at the pessimistic events that could happen any moment now.
Possible interpretations of her vision came flooding into her head. Was Eri to die by drowning? Was she to die with the other people she had seen? Did she have a connection to the maiden of flesh residing in her? What was going on? Was the vision a premonition? Why did Maki suddenly give Rika this cursed gift of clairvoyance?
What was her purpose in doing so?
“Come on… talk to me… answer my questions…” Rika uttered desperately under her breath, hoping that Maki would replace her reflection like she did before. To no avail, not a single thing changed inside of the mirror. Recalling her first horrifying encounters with the maiden, Rika stood up straight and tried to calm her frantic thoughts down. After clearing her head, she began to think again. But she didn’t think of Eri. She didn’t think about wanting to speak with Maki.
Hitomi…
Her bronze red hair…
That enigmatic air about her…
Her scent…
Feeling her lips on mine…
And thus, she felt that obligatory pulsation.
She witnessed her transformation on the mirror. The pulse seemed more abnormal than usual, but she paid no attention to that. She saw the tattoo of lotuses and butterflies consume her frame. After its completion, the black ink spread, turning everything on her into a pure darkness. Almost as if the new look was another entity altogether, it had opened it’s black eyes, and the shadow suddenly dispersed into butterflies which flew away from the new body. After reaching a certain distance away, the butterflies turned into dust.
She had transformed.
But she wasn’t cast into the Twilit Sea like she had been in the past…
…Why did she retain her eye color of dark brown?
…Why were the tattoos now missing?
…And why was she actually in control of the body?!
Water can take the form of its container.
“Alright…” Rika said cautiously.
She even had Maki’s voice instead of her own!
“What just happened to me?!” Rika raised her un-Rikaish hands and placed them on her un-Rikaish head in a panic.
“You are in sephiroth mode,” came the answer of a familiar voice that she did not happen to speak.
Maki—the real one—was in the reflection. She had a simply stoic gaze, locking her golden eyes on the person in her form. She seemed awfully calm to see that Rika had somehow morphed into her body without losing her mind to the passageway of death she governed.
“You!” Rika pointed at the calm reflection which sported the golden eyes.
“I just said what had happened. You are in sephiroth mode.”
“Sephiroth? From Final Fantasy VII?” Rika raised her brow, still feeling odd in Maki’s body.
“No,” Maki chided flatly, closing her eyes, “It is when the user possesses the host’s body, but the host keeps her form. Right now, it’s the other way around.”
When Maki opened her eyes again, she found Rika grabbing her chest and her rear, almost …fondling with them?
“I must ask that you refrain from molesting my body,” Maki looked at the other with a discontented face.
“You have bigger breasts than me! That’s not fair!” Rika narrowed her eyes.
“It is not my fault that I am gifted with better assets,” the maiden said flatly, unhappy with where the conversation was going.
“Oh well, at least I can boast about my butt being better than your’s! Your butt is flat like CD cases!” Rika bounced, half wanting to express her triumph and half wanting to test Maki’s breasts.
Maki looked at her host with a death glare.
“My bad!” Rika squeaked, feeling all the weirder to hear herself in the spirit’s voice. She definitely had to get used to that.
“What do you wish to speak about? Seeing how you willingly gave in,” Maki’s expression returned to a sense of stoicism, forgetting all about the display of rude behavior earlier.
“What is the meaning of the images you forced into me earlier?! That was as freaky as hell!” Contrary to the concern she voiced, Rika internally giggled because she spoke in Maki’s voice—and hearing the normally growling, calm, or angry voice suddenly talk in a feminine, panicking tone was especially amusing.
There was a small silence. Maki thought of a way to explain in a simple manner. “…All maidens, particularly complete ones like us, are gifted with an extra vision that we can ‘turn’ on and off at will.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question…” Frustration edged the other’s voice. Seeing how Maki refused to reply, she continued. “Does your eye color change when it happens?” Rika crossed her arms in the same manner as her reflection, comprehending everything that Maki has to say. “Those golden eyes are unnatural as it is, are you using that vision right now?” The other nodded. “What does that extra vision do?” Rika tapped her fingers along her upper arm.
“It could be used to see where pressure gathers, so I would know which body part is going to attack. That’s one primary function.”
“You mean there is another?”
“Just one other,” Maki confirmed.
“What is it?” Rika became intrigued.
“I can see how much time a person has.”
How much… time a person has? She doesn’t mean… Rika’s breath became caught in her throat. That uneasiness came into her head again.
“That’s right. It is the time that a person has in their lifetime,” Maki’s eyes hardened into a glare, crossing her arms tightly.
“Then… What’s Kamei’s…What’s her time limit?” Rika’s lips were quivering as she asked, for she really hoped that the vision she had earlier had no correlation to the subject of the function of a Maiden’s eyes.
Maki recalled the countdown from when she met Eri through Rika’s eyes.
00:00:00:17:46:12.
“Kamei does not have a year. She does not have a month. She doesn’t even have a day left. Just seventeen hours and forty-six minutes.”
Rika felt the world crashing onto her. Not just that, her body began to tremble after the realization of the meaning in Maki’s words.
Not even a day? The cursed woman’s eyes were struck with helplessness.
“I can’t do anything to help?!” The response she received was a silent shake of the head. Rika bit her lip, trying to prevent herself from breaking into tears. “Screw fate! I’m going to find her and protect her!” She revolved about her foot, trudging towards the door as Maki simply watched in a glare, knowing that nothing would make her listen to reason. Without so much as a blink, the maiden of flesh dispersed into butterflies in the reflection, disappearing from sight.
Eri can’t die! She was perfectly healthy! With such a time limit, is she going to be murdered?! Rika thought angrily as she slammed the door behind her. I’ll do all it takes to make sure she’s safe! She’s too young to die!
It was a mistake to walk out in Maki’s body.
Miyabi had a desert eagle pointed at her.
Two of them.
“I will not permit you to leave in that state. Let Rika out,” the sniper said in a cold voice, devoid of the energetic enthusiasm she normally had. The woman opened her mouth to speak, and wanted to step forward, but stopped herself from doing so due to Miyabi’s index finger pressing lightly on the trigger, ready to fire. When Rika tried to step back, Miyabi stepped forward, asserting her advantage. Rika had to clear her name quickly or else the other would shoot her.
“M-Miyabi… It IS me…” Rika stuttered, also wondering if this is how everyone else felt if they had also been at gun-point.
“It’s obvious that you are that maiden.” No emotion.
“No really!” Rika cried out nervously, raising her arms at chest level to try and calm the other.
“Tell me a story.”
The older gave a bemused expression, but then tried to think of one as fast as possible. She’d do anything for the teen to lower her guns. “Oh! I have one!” Rika beamed anxiously, pointing a shaky finger in the air. “The other day, I bought a bath softener, Noboribetsu I think?” she began giggling as she continued; “it was quite the bath! I promised myself that I would buy extras for my leisure!”
Miyabi loosened the tension in her grips, spinning her guns around her index fingers before holding them so that her arms were down with the weapons facing the floor. “Yup, you’re you,” the sniper sighed of relief.
“Eh? What could you figure out from that?” the older cocked her head to the side.
“You laugh even though it’s not supposed to be funny,” Miyabi placed the desert eagles in hidden holsters under her white padded vest.
“Eh?!” Rika’s eyes widened, baffled.
“It’s true!” Miyabi snickered as she sat down on the bed, pulling one of her legs into her arms. “What is so funny about using bath softener?” the teen laughed at the absurdity of the subject.
“I can’t help it!” Rika pouted in a cute frustration.
“Anyways… Why are you in maiden form?” Miyabi stopped laughing, taking on a serious air. She did see a maiden in front of her instead of the woman she had grown accustomed to.
“Long story short, I’m in sephiroth mode.”
“Sephiroth? From Final Fantasy VII?” the teen raised a brow.
“No, no” Rika waved her hand dismissively, “don’t you know what he was named after? Sephiroth originally meant the ‘ten attributes of God.’ So I’m assuming the term derived from that because I’m possessing Maki’s form instead of Maki taking over me completely. I have her physical attributes, and I might even have the magical ones too…” Rika stroked her imaginary beard.
Am I able to do magic…?
“Really? Do a trick!” Miyabi’s eyes began to sparkle with excitement and anticipation like a little kid that was just about to dive into her favorite cake.
Rika gulped. She wanted to do something, anything to make the younger squeal in joy! But now she had to ruin her expectations! She didn’t know how to bring out the magic, let alone do a trick for Miyabi! But to refuse to do a trick in front of such an endearing teen… She absolutely did not have the heart for that! It didn’t help that Rika had a fondness for kids that rendered her a softie who didn’t like to break their dreams!
Unfortunately, as much as she hated to do it, she must.
“Um…” Rika stuttered, trying to figure out how to convey her message to the other.
“Well?” the teen seemed to be glimmering vibrantly today…
So… Cute…! Rika’s eyes began to swirl. She wanted to run over and attack her with hugs and tickles, but knew she would have freaked out, considering Rika was not in her correct body so to speak. But she still had to let her down…
“Er… I can’t…” Rika mumbled.
“What?”
“I don’t know how…” Rika mumbled louder, eyes rolling to the side, afraid to meet with Miyabi’s eyes. Apparently, the teen heard her this time, for there was a brief silence that followed afterwards. When she heard a small disappointed whimper, she knew it was over for her. She tried. She tried very hard to resist the temptation to look at her face. But if she did look at her face, Rika would probably melt to her doom! Why are children always so cute, damn it?!
“Aww…” she heard Miyabi say.
Don’t look at her! Don’t look at her! Rika’s mind tried to drill her into doing. The temptation was so stubborn that she even had to bite down on her lower lip, trembling with the urge to look at the other. What saddened Rika the most was seeing a child looking sad, and it made her feel worse if she was the one who caused the sadness. If she saw someone crying, her maternal instincts would kick in and she would pull that person into her bosom and utter sappy, yet caring, words to comfort the other.
Now that she was not in her body, pulling someone into Maki’s bosom will suffocate the poor children!
Then she came to a conclusion:
Maki’s cleavage can kill children! Rika placed her palms on her cheeks a la ‘The Scream’ style, thinking about all those poor children who might have the misfortune of having their faces buried in such a deep dark space!
“HEY!”
Rika blinked.
“I can glimpse into your thoughts you know! It is impossible to murder a child with the mere pressure of breasts!” Rika heard Maki raise her voice within her head.
Rika was about to talk back, but in doing so, she accidentally turned her head to face Miyabi.
…Who had already gotten bored and was polishing one of her guns.
She nearly fell over, anime-style, but knew she would be stupid to even consider doing such a thing at her age. Then again, she had always purposely acted like a kid just to annoy Miki.
Speaking of Miki…
She was still mad at her for deep-kissing Hitomi like that!
Creak!
“Hi ho! What’s new, my rose?” Miki walked into the room, having an expression reminiscent of a happy, frivolous old man. But then she opened her eyes and realized just who was standing in front of her…
“Holy shit!” Miki jumped in surprise. “I’ll save you, Rika!” The groping demon looked like a bull ready to charge the Spaniard in the tights and the red cloth.
“No wait!” Rika held her hand up to stop the other.
…Was it her or was everything slower than usual? Miki’s speed seemed to have halved as she ran, ready to tackle the older for a kiss. With a smirk, Rika stepped out of the way of the slightly slow-mo Miki and then decreed “I order you to run into that wall!”
BAM!
“Ow… Fuck…” Miki grumbled, having ran into the wall and landing face flat on the ground.
“It’s alright, Nee-san. Rika-san is in sephiroth mode!” Miyabi called out, still cleaning her best guns: the desert eagles.
“Sephiroth? Do you see a silver-haired bishounen with a longass sword in front of you? What are you blind?!” Miki turned her head to the left, eyes looking for her idiot of a sister. It seemed that she was also familiar with the successful Final Fantasy VII antagonist that fangirls loved to adore.
“No, no!” Miyabi waved her gun dismissively, imitating what Rika did before, “It’s called that when Rika keeps her mind even though she has the maiden’s body.”
“Oh…” was all Miki managed before she moved her head so that her forehead was touching the floor. She felt stupid suddenly, for she had actually thought Maki was back and the fighter was ready to turn her back into the person she was most familiar with. But it turns out that Rika was in control of the body so that established her embarrassment. “Joy…” she mumbled before continuously bashing her head on the floor, ashamed of her stupidity.
“But now I’m conflicted. If I step out of this room, Hitomi might catch me because she’s on her job shift right now…”
“Well then you should have let me make out with you! So you wouldn’t look like the maiden!” Miki rolled over and sat up, her voice suddenly full of conviction.
“You don’t have to make out with me! Just a chaste one should suffice!” Rika retorted back, but regretted it as the demon lunged at her.
Though, thanks to Maki’s line of natural vision, Miki’s attack was, again, slow and Rika simply side stepped again. She watched amusedly as Miki fell on the floor slowly. In fact, if Rika knew how to slow time even more, she would hear Miki’s voice slowed down, and she was sure that the demon would sound exactly like a distressed cow.
Putting humor aside, she had to do this.
“Since I can’t exit the room for the time being, I want you to do something for me, Miki.”
“Depends on what the favor is, dear,” Miki stood up, stretching herself out. Preparing to do whatever she asked anyway due to the threat of the bands she wore.
“There’s a woman out there right now. She’s a little taller than me, has about shoulder-length maple hair… And she’s got quite the thighs…”
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Miki perked up, “I know that chick!”
“You do?” Rika raised a skeptical brow.
“Yeah! What’s her face… Kamei Eri?” The demon felt proud that she actually knew the name of someone she had kissed randomly. It’s not everyday that Miki remembers the name of a person amidst the masses she had flirted with. Player indeed.
“…You didn’t do anything to her, did you?” Rika grew cynical, half-expecting the younger to disagree.
“What ever do you mean~?” Miki said in a sing song voice, rolling her eyes blatantly as she shrugged.
“Don’t act innocent, you probably did do something, didn’t you?” Rika’s mood seemed to have dropped completely, now upset with the other. It was always typical of Miki to do such things, huh?
“What’s it to you?” Miki grew annoyed with Rika’s (Technically, Maki’s) tone of voice.
“I’ll just ignored that, but I have to say this: Thanks to information by Maki, Eri doesn’t have that much time to live. I want you to find her and protect her. I have a feeling that she does not die of an illness in seventeen hours.”
It was like a heavy tapestry draped itself over everyone.
Death has always found itself hidden behind the veil of silence.
It can be a stream…
Kagami sat behind his desk, staring quietly into space. He had always had that taciturn and stern image to him. Call it the air of a business man. Call it the air of an intelligent man. But most importantly, it was to be called the air of an ambitious man.
He was the mastermind behind it all, or so it seemed. He had a high office in the trading firm that his father was the CEO of. However, he was not satisfied with his position. Despite being wealthy, Kagami wanted to aim for the highest position in anything. He was not content with running the measly bio-research branch. To ensure the success of the project requires the apex of the company.
“The Celestial Project…” Kagami muttered. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his black leather chair, taking in its comfort.
He was never an avid believer of petty things such as folk tales. He was raised to utilize logic and was discouraged from the arts. As a result of being almost entirely concrete, it was inevitable that tales of fantasy would not interest him. Only the pursuit of technology and money had pinned him down. Although there were instances where his mind fluttered for a brief time, he wouldn’t be the sort of person to have his head in the clouds. Whenever he did space out, he could only think of one thing: the project.
Inspiration for the project came when he found out from his favorite worker that this Ishikawa Rika had the power to transform into her alter ego, the maiden who called herself Maki. Initially, he would have never thought of such a family legacy had Tsunku not forced him to cancel all the plans he had for that day to attend his dear cousin’s birthday. At first, he had rejected his uncle’s offer—he did not wish to attend something so trivial in place of work—but then Tsunku said something that had caught his attention.
“You know, I think her birthday is literally something to die for…”
He recalled feeling that the statement was absolutely absurd. It had only pegged him into refusing his uncle’s persistent requests. Ayumi was not going to drop dead out of supernatural causes. There is always the science behind the phenomenon. There is always a truth beyond the lens. However, the one who took that picture would have to be a liar. Calling a silly annual tradition something to die for…
But then he was told about the legend of the Angel’s Cloak. It seemed like a boring tale made up to make children gape in awe, but never did he imagine that the story was based on the truth. After the head of the family told him of the tale, he told him of the horrifying truth.
It was an odd occurrence. The ‘true’ leader of the Shibata clan was awakened every 50 years. This year happened to be that year where the progenitor was supposed to emerge. But why was it such coincidence that the maiden had also emerged this year? Supposedly, the maiden was to appear every twenty-two years… So with some simple mathematical calculation, this year might be the twenty-fifth cycle of maidens, for the first multiple that twenty-two and fifty shared was the twenty-fifth.
Defying logic for once, Kagami had thought otherwise.
It was this generation that something can be done. Ishikawa had represented the first maiden to have escaped from death. Judging from reports from the past rituals, the scythe-shaped scar on Ayumi’s cheek was relatively new—the previous ancestors did not have that scar. These new developments had suggested to Kagami that they were an omen, a harbinger of something to come.
And he was sure that he was to instigate it.
He looked over the tales of the maiden, doing very extensive research. His team of researchers had also helped with gathering data about the maiden. He was thankful to have employed Hitomi to retrieve a blood sample of Ishikawa. There was an exhilarating feeling among the other scientists when they studied the sample. With the information they had received from the sample, the goal of the project became reachable.
Strictly tied with the legend, the goal was simple. It was Maki who bore the Shibata ancestor’s children, and they had flourished into the remarkable family now. The ideology of birth and children… The goal of the celestial project… It was to finish what Adolf Hitler had started. Only it wasn’t those blonde-haired, blue-eyed Aryans he was interested in.
He wanted to create the perfect race of celestial beings.
But a journey of a thousand miles was to begin with a single step. Kagami had already planted that step. He had sent a few select people to Tochigi prefecture, gathering seven random people whose blood was close to that of a maiden—or rather, those that had enough genes inside of them to be able to transform—out of the long list of possibilities. With their presence and with the new item invented from studying both Ishikawa and Maki’s blood, he hoped with all of his heart that this test was going to succeed.
It can be a waterfall…
Searching in the crowds for someone isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Miki grew frustrated with each passing minute. Given her height, she had to stand on higher ground to look for that shy woman. And even Kamei wasn’t tall enough to be able to be spotted so easily either. Scanning faces (and thighs) was becoming a tiring process for her, and she really wanted to quit.
“Please… you have to find her and protect her… She can’t die so soon…”
She could not forget the look on her face. Even though she had Maki’s face, it was clearly Rika’s emotions being conveyed. Such an expression was something Miki was not accustomed to. She would rather make it so she would never have to face that sort of thing. Causing someone to cry had always been a habit of Miki because of her biting personality, but when impending deaths are involved…That face lined with desperation and worry… She just could not stand that sort of face.
That was her motivation.
Kamei Eri… Eri was someone unique to her, she thought. Weaknesses aside, she was one of the few people who made Miki realize something—someone who was able to preach to her. Because of that, the demon had a certain respect for the other. And she was going to find this woman out of that respect for her.
It’s the Fujimoto way: when someone helps you, you help them back, but with more effort.
It’s Yuko’s way actually… Miki thought to herself. She loved to drill that in Miya and I…
She continued to roam the area, searching for any signs of that maple-haired woman. She tried looking for the hair color and hair styles. There were too many damn brunettes in the area! Deciding out of time limit, she thought “To hell with it!” and became upfront. She walked through the crowds, looking at everyone’s faces. She didn’t care how conspicuous she was about her mission as of late, she just wanted to find that woman!
There.
Sitting in front of a café drinking a cup of coffee… The scene seemed reminiscent of a French restaurant where there were myriad small circular tables and around two chairs with it.
“About damn time!” Miki exhaled sharply, releasing her accumulating frustration into that one breath. The demon started to shove her way past the crowds, ignoring people asking for apologies or yelling at her. After plowing through dense crowd, she called out “Kamei!”
Sure enough, the woman with the thighs of thunder looked over at the call of her name, scanning the area for the source of the noise.
When Eri’s eyes laid on Miki coming towards her, they widened in realization.
“Ack! You’re that lesbian!” the taller pointed an accusing finger at the other.
“Yeah yeah, you were hard to find, you know that?” Miki said gruffly as she sat down on the chair in front of Eri, taking an exhausted stance on it.
Eri watched the older woman in front of her, baffled as to why she was looking all over for her. She didn’t want more action, did she? If that was the case, all she would have to do is scream and that would have been enough to drive the other away. However, there seemed to be something else that was bothering her… Asides from Miki watching her, why did she feel like someone else is also staring? She began to grow uncomfortable.
“Um… What is it?”
“I need you to come with me,” Miki rested her arm on the table, sitting at an angle.
“F-for what reason?” Eri grew red, wondering if her prediction came true.
“There’s something I have to protect you from,” Miki hunched her back over the table, making sure that no one could hear what she was saying to the other. “There’s someone after you, so it’s my duty to help you out.” With that, Miki sat down on the white chair again, keeping a keen eye to her surroundings.
“S-something… after me…” Eri repeated, lowering her head in a deep thought. “D-do you… have any idea who?”
“No, but I was given orders to protect you.”
There is something about this person that reminds me of someone… Eri thought to herself. Finishing up the rest of her drink, she threw the cup away and walked over to the now standing Miki.
“Where are you going to take me?”
“Just back to my hotel room.”
I’m going to be alone with that lesbian again!? I don’t want my third kiss to be taken by her, thank you! Eri began to grow anxious. What was she being protected from? She did nothing wrong to gain recognition by murderers…
Unless…
They… They found out what I had done…?
And hired assassins?! Eri became frightened at the thought. Without ever thinking about it, the younger’s fingers had interlaced with those of the demon’s. Miki, noticing the clinging, gave Eri’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Nothing will happen to you. That I promise,” a confident grin appeared on the lips of the devil.
“T-thank you…”
My hunches are right…
Fujimoto-san is a little like her… My best friend…
They both have the kind of personalities where it seems like they are unreliable…
But they will do what is asked of them…
I wonder if Fujimoto-san has a nice side underneath that roughness?
Even though they are opposite in personality… They follow the same concepts…
Eri lost herself within her depression, thinking about her best friend again.
…Why?
…Why do you both strive to protect me?
Then she felt it.
A pulsation.
Water could sustain a human’s life…
Eri placed her right hand over her right eye in pain, stopping in her tracks as she did so. Miki turned around, confused at the sudden stop the taller had made. “We haven’t got all day.”
“No…” Eri gripped pressed her palm into her eye with more force, “It’s happening again…”
“What is?!” Miki paid full attention to the other, grabbing both of her shoulders. “What’s happening?!”
“Leave me be…” Eri’s voice was filled with desperation, her eyes were clenched shut, as if she was afraid to open them…
“Kamei!” Miki grabbed the taller’s wrist and yanked it away from her face.
The demon’s eyes widened.
There was now a dark blue tattoo across Eri’s right eye. It had started out as a small blotch of ink over her right eye. Miki watched in horror as it spread at an alarming rate. Following a set trail of veins, the ink separated into branches and continued along Eri’s face.
It resembled a coral.
Then Eri opened her eyes suddenly, golden pupils looked at Miki in fear, almost bewildered in fact.
And time seemed to have stopped.
No one was talking.
No one was walking.
No one was looking.
Instead, everyone had their gazes fixed on the famous waterfall. They were frozen on the spot, watching what was happening. The sight they were used to had been replaced. No longer did the falls look like what it used to moments before. There was something startling about the change of scenery. It was almost a sinister sight to witness…
The water was rising. It wasn’t rising in the sense of unity however. Droplets rose in the air one by one. Eventually, the entire waterfall seemed to have stopped. Like the people gazing upon it, the falls too, became frozen. But then it moved again. However, the manner of which it moved was not normal.
The Kegon falls was falling backwards.
The water was climbing up the rocks in a surge of power. It was as if the world was turned upside down and the water had to follow!
Shocked at the events happening before her, Miki turned to look at Eri again. “Snap out of it!” To no avail, Eri was paralyzed in her mid-transformation. Gathering all of her experiences with maidens, the demon could only do the one thing that has saved her life situations before. Pulling the taller closer to her, Miki raised her head and kissed the other with full force.
The maiden’s golden eyes widened. She felt her eyes flicker back to brown, and the tattoo on her face receding back into her right eye. As she transformed back slowly, the waterfall froze temporarily in the air yet again, astounding the viewers. Then, the falls came down with a loud splash, resuming it’s natural order of being unable to defy gravity.
A maelstrom of feelings rushed into taller’s head.
I’m so scared…
Eri slipped into darkness.
Save me…
The last thing she recalled from the world was falling into Miki’s shoulder.
Risa…
And at the same time… Water could destroy it.
I'm itchy for more comments. Hmm. xD
You know, maybe I should do those things where instead of waiting for a quota, I'll just choose random readers and their reviews will be worth more points, huh? xD Half assed comment is a one pointer, a good comment is two points. The point range you all need in order for me to write the next chapter is ten points xD. Um. Just because this is a bit new, my beloved JFC and his commentary will still be worth four points <3
I'm such a comment whore xD. It just bothers me when I see stories with A LOT of views, but hardly any comments.
-
And the glare of the reflection became softer. It was almost as if the maiden was trying to give voice to something, but something had prevented her from doing so. Even without the verbal communication, Rika understood the gist of the other’s body language.
Her eyes looked almost helpless.
Almost like she was watching something, and could do nothing about it…
Kamei…?!
But...but...but...but...but...WHY ERI?!?!? :gyaaah:
Maki's glare became softer? Her eyes looked helpless? Why is that? Is Maki actually the one that kills her? Perhaps she isn't directly involved or has no wish to see her die, but Eri's death is inevitable? :cry:
“You okay? I heard a noise so I came to investigate,” chirped the youngest Fujimoto sister.
Did Rika make a noise? She probably did when she snapped into reality, perhaps a shivering exhale—a rather loud one at that.
“Nah, that’s okay. The water was too hot,” Rika lied, giving her best poker face hoping that it would not be too suspicious.
“Alright!” Miyabi smiled, successfully falling under the lie.
Rika, now is NOT the time to be keeping secrets! There might be a chance to save Eri, but you can't do it all by yourself!
Possible interpretations of her vision came flooding into her head. Was Eri to die by drowning? Was she to die with the other people she had seen? Did she have a connection to the maiden of flesh residing in her? What was going on? Was the vision a premonition? Why did Maki suddenly give Rika this cursed gift of clairvoyance?
What was her purpose in doing so?
Is Maki trying to give her a chance to save Eri? :O
She witnessed her transformation on the mirror. The pulse seemed more abnormal than usual, but she paid no attention to that. She saw the tattoo of lotuses and butterflies consume her frame. After its completion, the black ink spread, turning everything on her into a pure darkness. Almost as if the new look was another entity altogether, it had opened it’s black eyes, and the shadow suddenly dispersed into butterflies which flew away from the new body. After reaching a certain distance away, the butterflies turned into dust.
She had transformed.
But she wasn’t cast into the Twilit Sea like she had been in the past…
…Why did she retain her eye color of dark brown?
…Why were the tattoos now missing?
…And why was she actually in control of the body?!
EHHHHHH??? :shocked:
Her body transformed, she probably has Maki's strength and abilities...but Rika's still in control?!?!? PLEASE say Maki is doing this so Rika can save Eri!!!
She even had Maki’s voice instead of her own!
“What just happened to me?!” Rika raised her un-Rikaish hands and placed them on her un-Rikaish head in a panic.
“You are in sephiroth mode,” came the answer of a familiar voice that she did not happen to speak.
Maki—the real one—was in the reflection. She had a simply stoic gaze, locking her golden eyes on the person in her form. She seemed awfully calm to see that Rika had somehow morphed into her body without losing her mind to the passageway of death she governed.
HUH? So is it like, both of them are consciously sharing Rika's body? :dunno:
“Sephiroth? From Final Fantasy VII?” Rika raised her brow, still feeling odd in Maki’s body.
First thing I thought of too. :P
When Maki opened her eyes again, she found Rika grabbing her chest and her rear, almost …fondling with them?
“I must ask that you refrain from molesting my body,” Maki looked at the other with a discontented face.
XD XD XD
BTW...that's hot.
“You have bigger breasts than me! That’s not fair!” Rika narrowed her eyes.
“It is not my fault that I am gifted with better assets,” the maiden said flatly, unhappy with where the conversation was going.
:bouncy boobs: :bouncy boobs: :bouncy boobs:
“Oh well, at least I can boast about my butt being better than your’s! Your butt is flat like CD cases!” Rika bounced, half wanting to express her triumph and half wanting to test Maki’s breasts.
:shakeit: :shakeit: :shakeit:
“What do you wish to speak about? Seeing how you willingly gave in,” Maki’s expression returned to a sense of stoicism, forgetting all about the display of rude behavior earlier.
So Sephiroth mode is for when the spirit wants to speak with the host?
Maki thought of a way to explain in a simple manner. “…All maidens, particularly complete ones like us, are gifted with an extra vision that we can ‘turn’ on and off at will.”
...
“What does that extra vision do?” Rika tapped her fingers along her upper arm.
“It could be used to see where pressure gathers, so I would know which body part is going to attack. That’s one primary function.”
Wow, that undoubtedly comes in handy in a fight. It also provides another reason why Maki was so formidable when she fights.
“You mean there is another?”
“Just one other,” Maki confirmed.
“What is it?” Rika became intrigued.
“I can see how much time a person has.”
Oh...crap. :o
So then what Rika saw is definitely going to happen? There's no way to stop/prevent it?
“Kamei does not have a year. She does not have a month. She doesn’t even have a day left. Just seventeen hours and forty-six minutes.”
:stunned:
“Screw fate! I’m going to find her and protect her!” She revolved about her foot, trudging towards the door as Maki simply watched in a glare, knowing that nothing would make her listen to reason. Without so much as a blink, the maiden of flesh dispersed into butterflies in the reflection, disappearing from sight.
...
It was a mistake to walk out in Maki’s body.
Miyabi had a desert eagle pointed at her.
Two of them.
“I will not permit you to leave in that state. Let Rika out,” the sniper said in a cold voice, devoid of the energetic enthusiasm she normally had.
Uh oh...think fast Rika!
“M-Miyabi… It IS me…” Rika stuttered, also wondering if this is how everyone else felt if they had also been at gun-point.
“It’s obvious that you are that maiden.” No emotion.
...
“The other day, I bought a bath softener, Noboribetsu I think?” she began giggling as she continued; “it was quite the bath! I promised myself that I would buy extras for my leisure!”
Miyabi loosened the tension in her grips, spinning her guns around her index fingers before holding them so that her arms were down with the weapons facing the floor. “Yup, you’re you,” the sniper sighed of relief.
“Eh? What could you figure out from that?” the older cocked her head to the side.
“You laugh even though it’s not supposed to be funny,” Miyabi placed the desert eagles in hidden holsters under her white padded vest.
“Eh?!” Rika’s eyes widened, baffled.
SAMUI!!! :lol:
“Anyways… Why are you in maiden form?” Miyabi stopped laughing, taking on a serious air. She did see a maiden in front of her instead of the woman she had grown accustomed to.
“Long story short, I’m in sephiroth mode.”
“Sephiroth? From Final Fantasy VII?” the teen raised a brow.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/rimshot.gif)
I have her physical attributes, and I might even have the magical ones too…” Rika stroked her imaginary chin.
...
“Really? Do a trick!” Miyabi’s eyes began to sparkle with excitement and anticipation like a little kid that was just about to dive into her favorite cake.
Rika = :hehehe:
Miyabi = :w00t:
Imaginary chin? Maki doesn't have a chin? (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/giggle.gif)
“Um…” Rika stuttered, trying to figure out how to convey her message to the other.
“Well?” the teen seemed to be glimmering vibrantly today…
So… Cute…! Rika’s eyes began to swirl. She wanted to run over and attack her with hugs and tickles, but knew she would have freaked out, considering Rika was not in her correct body so to speak.
Miyabi = :mon cute:
Rika = :wriggly:
“Er… I can’t…” Rika mumbled.
“What?”
“I don’t know how…” Rika mumbled louder, eyes rolling to the side, afraid to meet with Miyabi’s eyes. Apparently, the teen heard her this time, for there was a brief silence that followed afterwards. When she heard a small disappointed whimper, she knew it was over for her. She tried. She tried very hard to resist the temptation to look at her face. But if she did look at her face, Rika would probably melt to her doom! Why are children always so cute, damn it?!
“Aww…” she heard Miyabi say.
Miyabi = :mon cry:
Rika = :depressed:
If she saw someone crying, her maternal instincts would kick in and she would pull that person into her bosom and utter sappy, yet caring, words to comfort the other.
Now that she was not in her body, pulling someone into Maki’s bosom will suffocate the poor children!
Then she came to a conclusion:
Maki’s cleavage can kill children! Rika placed her palms on her cheeks a la ‘The Scream’ style, thinking about all those poor children who might have the misfortune of having their faces buried in such a deep dark space!
Rika = :scared:
“HEY!”
Rika blinked.
“I can glimpse into your thoughts you know! It is impossible to murder a child with the mere pressure of breasts!” Rika heard Maki raise her voice within her head.
Maki's probably right. :mon sweat:
Rika was about to talk back, but in doing so, she accidentally turned her head to face Miyabi.
…Who had already gotten bored and was polishing one of her guns.
She nearly fell over, anime-style, but knew she would be stupid to even consider doing such a thing at her age.
Rika = :mon heh:
Miki walked into the room, having an expression reminiscent of a happy, frivolous old man. But then she opened her eyes and realized just who was standing in front of her…
“Holy shit!” Miki jumped in surprise. “I’ll save you, Rika!” The groping demon looked like a bull ready to charge the Spaniard in the tights and the red cloth.
“No wait!” Rika held her hand up to stop the other.
…Was it her or was everything slower than usual? Miki’s speed seemed to have halved as she ran
So another of Maki's abilities is that she can take herself outside of normal time? Neat.
With a smirk, Rika stepped out of the way of the slightly slow-mo Miki and then decreed “I order you to run into that wall!”
Oh shit, will that still work even though she looks like Maki right now? :twisted:
BAM!
“Ow… Fuck…” Miki grumbled, having ran into the wall and landing face flat on the ground.
I guess so. :rofl:
“It’s alright, Nee-san. Rika-san is in sephiroth mode!” Miyabi called out, still cleaning her best guns: the desert eagles.
...
“It’s called that when Rika keeps her mind even though she has the maiden’s body.”
Yep, Rika's personality and Maki's body...which means Maki's boobies.
/me suddenly wonders how long it'll be before Miki tries to grope Maki's boobies. :grin:
“But now I’m conflicted. If I step out of this room, Hitomi might catch me because she’s on her job shift right now…”
“Well then you should have let me make out with you! So you wouldn’t look like the maiden!” Miki rolled over and sat up, her voice suddenly full of conviction.
Miki has a point here. :yep:
“Since I can’t exit the room for the time being, I want you to do something for me, Miki.”
...
“There’s a woman out there right now. She’s a little taller than me, has about shoulder-length maple hair… And she’s got quite the thighs…”
...
“Yeah! What’s her face… Kamei Eri?” The demon felt proud that she actually knew the name of someone she had kissed randomly. It’s not everyday that Miki remembers the name of a person amidst the masses she had flirted with. Player indeed.
“…You didn’t do anything to her, did you?” Rika grew cynical, half-expecting the younger to disagree.
“What ever do you mean~?” Miki said in a sing song voice, rolling her eyes blatantly as she shrugged.
Rika = (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/blink.gif)
Miki = :roll:
Kagami sat behind his desk, staring quietly into space. He had always had that taciturn and stern image to him. Call it the air of a business man. Call it the air of an intelligent man. But most importantly, it was to be called the air of an ambitious man.
He was the mastermind behind it all, or so it seemed. He had a high office in the trading firm that his father was the CEO of. However, he was not satisfied with his position. Despite being wealthy, Kagami wanted to aim for the highest position in anything. He was not content with running the measly bio-research branch. To ensure the success of the project requires the apex of the company.
So all of this has been happening because Kagami's on a power trip? :grr:
The ‘true’ leader of the Shibata clan was awakened every 50 years. This year happened to be that year where the progenitor was supposed to emerge. But why was it such coincidence that the maiden had also emerged this year? Supposedly, the maiden was to appear every twenty-two years… So with some simple mathematical calculation, this year might be the twenty-fifth cycle of maidens, for the first multiple that twenty-two and fifty shared was the twenty-fifth.
This implies that the re-appearances of the progenitor and Maki could not/cannot be stopped/prevented. One way or another they're destined to happen. The cycles must have therefore been made the way that they were so that the progenitor and Maki wouldn't cause wanton destruction everytime they each re-awakened. It doesn't completely prevent them from meeting each other again, but it at least lessens the frequency in which they do.
Strictly tied with the legend, the goal was simple. It was Maki who bore the Shibata ancestor’s children, and they had flourished into the remarkable family now. The ideology of birth and children… The goal of the celestial project
…
He wanted to create the perfect race of celestial beings.
What...the...fuck?
So then...he hasn't been planning to kill Maki, but rather, to use her to start a new race? But that would be impossible if the progenitor is in Shiba-chan (for obvious reasons).
Don't tell me Kagami wants to transfer the spirit of the progenitor into himself? (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/crazy.gif)
Kamei Eri… Eri was someone unique to her, she thought. Weaknesses aside, she was one of the few people who made Miki realize something—someone who was able to preach to her. Because of that, the demon had a certain respect for the other. And she was going to find this woman out of that respect for her.
Definitely sounds like Miki-sama's way of thinking.
Don't forget that Eri's awfully cute too. :)
There.
Sitting in front of a café drinking a cup of coffee… The scene seemed reminiscent of a French restaurant where there were myriad small circular tables and around two chairs with it.
Okay, step one complete. She's found Eri, now it's just a matter of protecting her.
When Eri’s eyes laid on Miki coming towards her, they widened in realization.
“Ack! You’re that lesbian!” the taller pointed an accusing finger at the other.
Speak up a bit? I don't thing the people in Hokkaido heard you.
Speaking of which, how's Miki going to explain why she's hanging around her for the next few hours? She can't very well tell her that Rika had a vision of dying before the day is out.
“There’s something I have to protect you from,” Miki hunched her back over the table, making sure that no one could hear what she was saying to the other. “There’s someone after you, so it’s my duty to help you out.”
...
“S-something… after me…” Eri repeated, lowering her head in a deep thought. “D-do you… have any idea who?”
“No, but I was given orders to protect you.”
Ummm...forget what I previously said.
“Where are you going to take me?”
“Just back to my hotel room.”
I’m going to be alone with that lesbian again!? I don’t want my third kiss to be taken by her, thank you! Eri began to grow anxious.
:wahaha:
Then she felt it.
A pulsation.
...
“No…” Eri gripped pressed her palm into her eye with more force, “It’s happening again…”
“What is?!” Miki paid full attention to the other, grabbing both of her shoulders. “What’s happening?!”
“Leave me be…” Eri’s voice was filled with desperation, her eyes were clenched shut, as if she was afraid to open them…
“Kamei!” Miki grabbed the taller’s wrist and yanked it away from her face.
The demon’s eyes widened.
There was now a dark blue tattoo across Eri’s right eye.
EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
ERI'S ALSO POSSESSED BY A SPIRIT!!! :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: It must have been that spirit that killed Eri's best friend. But...who is this?
Shocked at the events happening before her, Miki turned to look at Eri again. “Snap out of it!” To no avail, Eri was paralyzed in her mid-transformation. Gathering all of her experiences with maidens, the demon could only do the one thing that has saved her life situations before. Pulling the taller closer to her, Miki raised her head and kissed the other with full force.
The maiden’s golden eyes widened. She felt her eyes flicker back to brown, and the tattoo on her face receding back into her right eye. As she transformed back slowly, the waterfall froze temporarily in the air yet again, astounding the viewers. Then, the falls came down with a loud splash, resuming it’s natural order of being unable to defy gravity.
Damn lucky that seems to work with Eri like it did with Rika.
A maelstrom of feelings rushed into taller’s head.
I’m so scared…
Eri slipped into darkness.
Save me…
The last thing she recalled from the world was falling into Miki’s shoulder.
Risa…
OMGASS ERI! OMGASS RISA!!! :frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated:
Just because this is a bit new, my beloved JFC and his commentary will still be worth four points <3
I'd be pretty peeved if all my commentary work was only counted as one stinkin' point. :(
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You are the best, seriously. You totally threw me for a loop at the end I was like RISA!!!! REALLY!!! I thought it was Sayumi Eri was thinking and talking about but I was wrong yet and I'm 100% cool with that. Anyway Kudos and keep up the good work.
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Hey, is Miki going to grope/make out with all the maidens that show up? :lol: Sounds like fun complication. XD
And, it was Risa? Damn, I was way off. I thought it was Reina... :?
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Yeah, I thought it was Reina too when Eri says Miki was like her XD
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Maki’s cleavage can kill children!
It can probably kill adults too. And "the lesbian" Miki would be the first one in mind willing to volunteer to prove that theory true. XD
:lol: @ Sephiroth Mode and Rika trying to be funny.
Risa is Eri's best friend who got killed?! :cry: Now who could be the demon who possesses her? Reina? It can't be Sayu since she's one of the rainbow pink cart girls. :?
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whoa! so eri's also possesed!? COOL!!!
but with remaining time less than 24 hours?!?! :cry: nooooooo!!!!!
@yuusama :kneelbow:
more great chaps! pls! :)
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Ohhooooo.... So there are other Maiden's possessing Humans.. I thought only Maki would possess those that match her 'type'. Then who is the one possessing Eri? Reina? But it has to be someone who is somewhat similar to Eri right? Whats her story then? And how is this other Maiden related to Maki?....
*Tried to imagine Maki's body under Rika's control...* ahhaa that was funny. And I liked how you showed that Maki actually does have a normal side, not always vicious and all.
I'm guessing Eri's gonna get killed by the Kagami clan? Is Yossi gonna be involved?
toooo many questions! Next chapter pleaseeeee. "Counts points* JFC's comment is 4 points right... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 plus mine :w00t: thats 10 already! Next chapter next chapterrrr! haha, just kidding... take your time if you need ta~
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Boink! This should stay on the first page.
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Boink! This should stay on the first page.
yeah right! :lol:
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Sorry for taking so long, y'all o_o...
I'm thinking of scrapping the comment replies idea.
I have this feeling that people feel... super intimidated by me when I'm really a nice person... o_o....
So for now, everyone can comment whenever the hell they want. xD.
But you know what they say. The more you comment, the more likely you'll see another chapter because I get inspiration.
xD.
I've also done something just a lil something too... The OCG II version you see here is the "free" version where anyone could read it. However, I've also posted OCG II elsewhere where there's A LOT more content and more "secret scenes" that didn't make it to these "free" chapters. That place is NOT lurker-friendly, so tough luck for you lurkers who read my story and would like to read all those secret scenes :B.
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Teehee xD Shortass chapter though. (Those who have read and commented on this chapter's 'secret scene' might want to take it out of their comments if you intend to copy and paste your comment. )
Chapter 17: This Pain I Hate
I don’t want to be sad.
“That was a scare,” Miki sighed, sitting on a simple stool. Next to her was the bed Eri resided in.
They were back in their hotel room. Rika (who was now in her old body thanks to time) looked on with a worried gaze behind Miki. Miyabi was sitting on the bed with her back turned to Eri, though her face was looking at the other.
“So she is a maiden, huh?” Rika stood her ground, hands firmly tightened.
“Yeah, it’s just like what that narcissistic fox said,” Miki’s eyes were still drawn to the unconscious girl’s face, “If we find a maiden here, their element is water. And what Eri did was definitely a water technique. She made the freaking waterfall flow backwards,” the demon’s eyes widened slightly, still stunned at what the shy girl could do. It’s not everyday Miki would meet a girl who could change the flow of water, let alone a powerful waterfall like the Kegon falls…
“Now that she’s with us, no one can come in and kill her, right?” Miyabi’s questioning eyes darted up to the maiden.
“I hope so,” Rika replied. Miyabi’s gaze returned to the water maiden, sharing the same solemn expression as the flesh maiden.
Seventeen hours isn’t a lot… But is it possible to defy death? The way Maki said it, her death vision seems like its a hundred percent accurate… Is it impossible to change how much time you have left?
It’s the only way to save Kamei-chan…
We HAVE to be able to save her!
I can’t forgive myself if she dies!
Rika clasped her hands together and put them to her lips, praying that the water maiden would be alright.
Kamei-chan…
I’ll defy fate if I must!
The flesh maiden’s eyes opened, a resolve of iron determination reflected within her gaze.
Behind those eyes, the true maiden also watched. Maki looked on with a sympathetic and sullen face. Hearing Rika’s thoughts in her head almost made her want to hurl. What girl in her right mind would reject such a truth? Perhaps giving Rika a taste of clairvoyance was a bad idea after all. Firstly, she only gave her host that vision to prove that she could not defy fate. Second, her foolish host still has not realized the gravity of the situation. The Shibata family may be a handful, but handling another maiden is particularly troublesome.
Maki watched, and still governed, over the Twilit Sea. She knew about every creature that existed within the earth and the parallel realm. Whether those creatures are fox spirits like the girls from the Rainbow Food cart or those annoying, trouble-making lightning spirits, she has seen them all. Fighting against small fry like them, she would have absolutely no trouble because a maiden’s power is strong. However, it is because of that reason that handling other maidens is so problematic.
The original flesh maiden narrowed her eyes at the scene again. The people around her were being foolish by thinking that they could change fate. Oh well, let them bathe in their illusion. Eventually, they will realize that it is not so easy to have the winning hand. They will know that being a hero is easier said than done.
They were so pathetic, learning a life lesson the hard way.
Maki watched as they clung to a false hope. Watching such idiots trying to resist death in futile efforts was the only thing she could do, considering they would completely ignore her objections. Crossing her arms, she could not help but let out a sigh at these naïve people.
Justice is and will always be blind.
I want this pain to go away…
Miki brought her knees close to her chest, clinging to them tightly as she watched the sleeping water maiden in front of her. She had sent Miyabi out to the nearest takeout restaurant so everyone would have dinner to eat. Rika was already dozing away on the armchair she was sitting on. Earlier, Miki had placed a spare blanket on the other maiden so she wouldn’t catch a cold sleeping like that. In truth, she actually wanted to tuck Rika in the other bed, but feared that Rika would beat the shit out of her because she might mistake her for trying to take advantage of the maiden in her sleep.
Miki rested her head on the crevice provided by her knees, wrapping her arms around them tighter.
Kamei is looking peaceful…
Death.
Miki has seen it more than she wanted to. Her profession of being a snatcher had led her into many incidents where she thought she might have died. There was no doubt that Miyabi had probably felt the same way towards their job. Whenever something had disrupted their plans, they would always find themselves at a tight spot. It was usually at that time where it felt like their vision cleared. Everything would become brighter all of a sudden, as if a white light had shown down on them…
Was it just the illusion of adrenaline rush? Miki had thought. While it was true that an adrenaline rush would happen under dire circumstances and abilities become stronger… What was it that Yuko called it?
It’s when your fear takes over you. While having ‘too much’ fear will cause your body to be paralyzed, having a certain excess will make your nerves tighten and spread out further throughout your limbs, making you more efficient in fighting. That state is called “Oversoul” in the spirit realm.
Was that what Eri or Rika felt when they transformed? Or was it a different sensation? Judging from all the experience she had with maidens, Miki realized that transforming must have been a terrible pain to endure.
Well, they DO change physically… It must be extraordinarily painful to have your internal structure change too…
Miki heard a soft knock at the door. Deciding that it was Miyabi returning with the groceries, the demon stood up and sauntered over to the door, opening it. Of course, she expected to be greeted with the fine smell of take-out and someone taller than her, and she certainly got half of the deal.
There was no smell of take-out.
But the person in front of her was certainly taller than her.
Miki made an exasperated expression. Her right eye twitched as her lower jaw sort of moved along with the eye.
“Am I intruding?” Came that annoying low voice.
Slam.
Miki locked the door via her card key and walked back to her chair, refusing to acknowledge the presence of that infuriating bronze-red haired woman.
To her dismay, she heard a click behind her, and saw that Hitomi was leaning against the door frame with a matching card key in her hand.
“I work here, remember~?” the guard chided with a smile.
“Do you have no definition for privacy?” Miki gritted her teeth in a forced smile. She walked towards the taller and pushed her out the door.
“Come now, I’m not in my working shift! I’m a free woman at the moment.”
“Yeah yeah…” Miki sighed as she shut the door behind her so that they were both standing out in the hallway. “What the hell do you want, Ms. Androgynous?”
“I dunno, can’t I just say hi?” Hitomi smiled with a raised brow.
“Hey there,” Miki said sarcastically. “Now get out of my sight.”
“Don’t be such a prick,” the taller pouted, “What did I ever do to you?”
“What did you ever do to me…?” Miki grew dark as she forced another smile. The demon suddenly recalled her traumatizing memory of being thrown out of the window. Miki twitched at the flashback of seeing her life flash by her eyes as she plummeted towards her doom. If Maki wasn’t there, Miki would have been human jelly, and she would have tasted sour of her hatred for the idiot who threw her out in the first place.
Perhaps… that was a bad comeback? Hitomi smiled nervously as the shorter glared with animosity. The guard could have sworn she felt a blizzard blowing her way!
“What is the real reason you are here?”
“I heard that you two are watching over Miss Kamei over there, and since I don’t start another shift until the next two days, I thought I might help.”
Hmm… Maki’s time suggested that Eri would … pass away… tomorrow night… Perhaps her help would be nice… Then again, she DOES work for those bastards that are after Rika… Could she be lying?
“Screw off, we don’t need you.”
And on top of that, she even knows Kamei-chan’s name… She also happens to be one of the people who are gathering the seven descendants in this very hotel… I wonder if I can get any more information from her…
“How mean,” The enigma frowned.
“Alright, how about this, why don’t you grab me a list of the other maidens you and your posse gathered here, and I might consider your help…”
“There’s a problem,” Hitomi tilted her head in a smile.
Miki stared at the taller. However, when she looked at the new angle available now that the guard moved her head… She saw the corner of the intersection of the hallway, and she saw a broad shoulder near the edge of that intersection…
Fuck, we’re being watched? Well what do you know… Spies watching spies, huh? That’s the Shibata company for ya…
“I’ll trust you… For now…” Miki still kept her eyes on the other’s. “Why don’t you invite yourself into the room for now? Miyabi probably needs help with carrying the food, since she’s very late…”
“You do that…” Hitomi’s eyes hardened into a glare as she smiled. “I’ll watch over Rika and the other…”
“Yeah…” and with that, Miki turned around and walked away.
It’s clutching my heart tightly…
Hitomi walked into the room, finding that everything was tidy and clean. She wondered if Miyabi or Rika had been the one to keep the room clean as it was, excluding Miki since she struck her as the kind of person who wouldn’t clean her room at all. Noticing that both Eri and Rika seem to be sleeping, she quietly walked over to the bed next to Eri’s and sat at the edge of it, watching them both sleep.
But the second she sat on the bed, it made a slight creak.
A creak that was loud enough to wake up one of the sleeping people.
The maiden on the bed had opened her eyes.
“Are you alright?”
For some reason, those words came out without her ever thinking about it. Had she become soft? Oh well, she won’t let it bother her.
“It… just hurts…” Eri replied, sitting up in bed.
“What hurts?”
“My eye…” the water maiden said, placing her hand over her right eye. As if suddenly realizing something, Eri backed away slightly, “…Who are you?”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Hitomi smiled, “…Or grope you like a certain person I know…”
“Do you know Fujimoto-san and Ishikawa-san?”
“Yes I do.”
“You must be that bishie they were talking about!” Eri pointed her finger at the older.
“…Yeah?” the guard raised a brow. “So they think of me as bishie, eh?”
“Well… It wasn’t them… They described you so… I…s-sorta concluded that y-you were…” Eri retreated back into the bed, now officially embarrassed that she admitted such a thing.
She’s so shy… How adorable… Hitomi smiled inwardly to herself.
Unbeknownst to the other two, Rika had actually woken up, but had decided to remain “sleeping” since she would have been embarrassed to wake up on the conversation as of now. Besides, she was interested to see how Hitomi and Eri would interact.
“Ah, introductions, my name is Hitomi,” the guard bowed her head to the other.
“Kamei Eri,” the maple-haired woman did the same. “Um…”
“If you have trouble speaking, shouldn’t you rest more?”
“Don’t be a meanie, Hitomi-san!” Eri let out an adorable pout. “I’m just… thinking…”
“What are you thinking about then?” Hitomi bent over, clasping her hands together and letting her elbows rest on her knees.
“I… Just don’t want to talk about it…”
“Why not?”
“It hurts.”
“Oh…” Was all Hitomi managed to say.
“I don’t know… It’s just… It hurts thinking about the past… All that happiness I had felt that time… In the blink of an eye, everything was taken away from me…” Eri looked down on the bed, letting her imagination trace images from the designs. “I can’t go where she is… But I wish… I just want to see her again, but I can’t… She’s gone…”
Hitomi finally formulated a response.
“I know you’re lonely. Everyone is lonely in their own different ways. There’s no one out there who isn’t feeling that pain.”
Eri turned to look at the older woman. “What about you? Do you have anyone, Hitomi-san?”
Rika tensed up slightly, wanting to hear Hitomi’s reply.
“I don’t.”
The maiden of flesh felt crestfallen, but continued listening in.
“What about your parents?” Eri asked.
“I never knew them,” Was all the other said.
“It must have not been easy growing up then…”
“I guess it wouldn’t…”
“Hitomi-san… Have you always been alone?”
The enigma’s eyes lowered, watching the ground.
“...Then… You must be really sad…”
Hitomi’s eyes looked at Eri, who in turn, squeaked at the intensity of the stare. Regardless, the younger continued on.
“Right now… Because I’m alone, I’m very sad… But I’m also very scared… I want to hold onto someone right now, but the only person who can comfort me is gone… And with that person gone, I just… can’t go back to the way I used to be when I’m with that person… And I don’t want to make another friend, because then that’s just me being selfish and wanting to find a replacement… And I’m not that kind of person…”
Hitomi remained silent.
“I’m just… really sad and really scared… I don’t know what to do…”
“I can’t really say anything, because I’ve never… ‘lost’ someone before… But I will answer your question earlier,” Hitomi said. “I am scared. But I’m not sad. You can’t be sad if you don’t miss anything, especially when you don’t have anything to miss. I never had anything to miss nor is there anything I want to miss.”
Rika felt her heart being stabbed repeatedly after hearing that. Even though it wasn’t her pain to bear… Hitomi… You’ve… You’ve been so lonely…
“But just recently… I might have to think otherwise. There is something—someone I want to miss. There is someone I have…”
Rika felt her heart beating throughout her body.
“Then you are happy, right?” Eri asked.
“No. I’m not.”
What…? Rika thought in her head.
“It’s only going to cause trouble for us. I don’t know who or what I am. As long as I have this sort of personality, I can’t trust anything I say or do. For our sake, I’m trying not to be too close. I don’t know what will happen if we both get into a situation that we would regret.”
“You can’t make it better by running away? That’s always helped me…”
“This… This feeling I have for that person… Other people have explained to me what it is, but I’m not really convinced if that’s the emotion I’m feeling… I want to be sure. For the both of us, I’m trying hard to figure out what I’m feeling… Therefore, I don’t want to run away.”
Rika remembered the same thing from before.
“I… Just don’t know anything yet. I’ve been trying to figure out this bond we have. I never realized it until someone pointed it out to me. If that’s the case, then how can I express what I hardly understand?”
She finally understood her.
The reason why Hitomi couldn’t give Rika a definite answer…
The reason why she couldn’t say the right words…
It's because...
...Those words don’t exist.
Why is it so painful?
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New chapter!! :muffin:
I have a bad feeling about Miki and the others helping Kamei. They're not doing anything wrong by helping her, but I think Maki is too sure that something bad's gonna happen. And nothing bad should happen to them right now! Miki and Hitomi are still angry with each other, they still have their feelings for Rika and Miyabi still needs to talk to Risako and get that confession over with! :lol:
looking forward to the next chapter :yep:
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SELF-QUOTING FTW!!!
“So she is a maiden, huh?” Rika stood her ground, hands firmly tightened.
...
“Now that she’s with us, no one can come in and kill her, right?” Miyabi’s questioning eyes darted up to the maiden.
“I hope so,” Rika replied.
But, what if...THEY are the ones that end up killing her? :cry:
Maki looked on with a sympathetic and sullen face. Hearing Rika’s thoughts in her head almost made her want to hurl. What girl in her right mind would reject such a truth? Perhaps giving Rika a taste of clairvoyance was a bad idea after all. Firstly, she only gave her host that vision to prove that she could not defy fate.
Maki obviously is underestimating human resolve. She expected Rika to just blindly accept what fate wait would happen, but in truth, when presented with something like that, humans will often try that much harder to keep it from happening.
Justice is and will always be blind.
Justice? How is justice supposed to fit into all of this? :?
EDIT: Oops, wasn't supposed to put that part. :P
Miki heard a soft knock at the door. Deciding that it was Miyabi returning with the groceries, the demon stood up and sauntered over to the door, opening it. Of course, she expected to be greeted with the fine smell of take-out and someone taller than her, and she certainly got half of the deal.
There was no smell of take-out.
But the person in front of her was certainly taller than her.
Miki made an exasperated expression. Her right eye twitched as her lower jaw sort of moved along with the eye.
“Am I intruding?” Came that annoying low voice.
Yossi? :O
“What is the real reason you are here?”
“I heard that you two are watching over Miss Kamei over there, and since I don’t start another shift until the next two days, I thought I might help.”
Hmm… Maki’s time suggested that Eri would … pass away… tomorrow night… Perhaps her help would be nice… Then again, she DOES work for those bastards that are after Rika… Could she be lying?
“Screw off, we don’t need you.”
Never mind that Miki's logic is still on top of the game, but the fact that Yossi shows up, and she knows Eri's name is suspicious enough, since it's not like they would have made a point of advertising that they had a second maiden.
“Alright, how about this, why don’t you grab me a list of the other maidens you and your posse gathered here, and I might consider your help…”
“There’s a problem,” Hitomi tilted her head in a smile.
Miki stared at the taller. However, when she looked at the new angle available now that the guard moved her head… She saw the corner of the intersection of the hallway, and she saw a broad shoulder near the edge of that intersection…
Fuck, we’re being watched? Well what do you know… Spies watching spies, huh? That’s the Shibata company for ya…
Not entirely surprising, given what's at stake. The Shibatas are probably thinking that Yossi is doing recon for them or something like that.
“Hitomi-san… Have you always been alone?”
The enigma’s eyes lowered, watching the ground.
“...Then… You must be really sad…”
The whole Yossi having amnesia thing is a bit of a downer, when you think about it.
Hitomi said. “I am scared. But I’m not sad. You can’t be sad if you don’t miss anything, especially when you don’t have anything to miss. I never had anything to miss nor is there anything I want to miss.”
...
“But just recently… I might have to think otherwise. There is something—someone I want to miss. There is someone I have…”
...
“It’s only going to cause trouble for us. I don’t know who or what I am. As long as I have this sort of personality, I can’t trust anything I say or do. For our sake, I’m trying not to be too close. I don’t know what will happen if we both get into a situation that we would regret.”
And THAT is why she hasn't been able to tell Rika how she feels. She's unable to figure it out herself, because she has no idea about who she really is herself. :(
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Ok, this chapter was great..
OMG!!! That part of Maki saying all those things about the humans... I really could imagine, it was cool, but now about the story, she must really hate humans and she has a point when she said that about the maidens, and for some reason I think that if Rika saves Eri this could bring more problems but if she can't is going to be problematic too
Poor Rika... but Yossy is being honest
:OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG: :OMG:
After read JFC post I really want to hit my head in the keyboard... those secret scenes looks really interesting! and just when I was beginning to wonder when Aya-chan would appear... She's dead :pleeease:
What can I do to stop being lurker? Do I need I specific number of post or what? Please, someone tell me, I really want to keep reading this fic and not missing anything
Onegai :kneelbow:
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Psh, Three comments?
THREE?! xDDDDDDD
Perhaps I should have enforced my 10-comment rule again...
Nah, I promised I wouldn't use it until later...
So you lurkers are pretty damn lucky >:C
WARNING: Super short chapter >_> -hides the pitchforks- <____<;
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Uh xD There's no omitted scene like last time, this is everything xD
Chapter 18: They are Always Watching
Don’t turn off the lights…
“How are you feeling, Ayumi-chan?”
“Really horrible…” the aforementioned woman groaned, dropping her head onto her desktop. “Kagami-kun… Do I really have to do that memory machine thing every day? I keep getting the same unclear images…”
“Abe-san is trying her hardest to update that machine based on the reports you give, you know,” the stern man said solemnly, sitting on the couch.
“Psh… I hardly see the difference…” Ayumi traced a finger along the outline of the scar on her cheek—or at least, where the scar once was.
The scars on her body and her face healed. It was as if nothing had ever happened to her. However, moving around too much still strained Ayumi to an extent, so she was still forbidden from leaving the building or even exercising in fear of reopening the wounds again. For some odd reason, the progenitor felt… oddly energized for some reason.
It was as if her skin had hardened as a result of those scars…
“Oh by the way… We’re going to send Hitomi on a bunch of errands, so we’re thinking about hiring new guards for you.”
“Hmm?”
“In fact, we’ve already contacted them and received replies saying that they were willing to help us out when we need it.”
“They?” Ayumi tilted her head in bemusement.
“They’re both prodigies under the assassin field—not that they will actually kill anyone under our employment…” Kagami reassured her when he saw Ayumi’s eyes widen in disgust.
“So… prodigies…?”
“Indeed. Both are extraordinarily young.”
“How young of assassins are they? 20? 19?”
“The older one is 16 and the younger is 15.”
“Whoa! They’re really young!”
“You know, there’s an interesting scenario for the new guards…”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember the young Fujimoto sniper who helped the older Fujimoto break into our building?”
“Yeah, what about her?”
“We’ve arranged it so that whatever High School Fujimoto-chan goes to… Those two are sure to transfer in as well…”
“You’re… You’re…” Ayumi pointed a shaky finger at her older cousin.
“Yes, those two will spy on the Fujimoto family and will make sure they don’t do anything reckless to ruin our plans.”
“I see…” Ayumi continued tracing the area where her scythe-shaped scar once was. Although the prospect of new guards was exciting—and perhaps a little worrisome with what Kagami intended them to do, Ayumi’s thoughts wandered over to her best friend’s well-being once more.
Rika… I need to hear from you… Are you alright out there?
I’ll keep you out of harm’s way as long as I go with what my cousin says…
No doubt that you’re worried about me too…
I have a good person as my guard, so it’s alright…
“So how’s Hitomi? I haven’t heard from her lately. Is she still at the Kegon Falls?”
“Yes she is,” Kagami said as he strummed his fingers on his lap, “In fact, Ishikawa-san is there as well, reports tell me.”
“She is?” Ayumi turned to face her cousin, anxiously gripping the sides of her chair, “How is she?! Your workers didn’t do anything to her, right?!”
“Of course not. If that was the case, I’d be betraying our promise,” Kagami’s eyes stared at the other, almost studying her.
“Ahaa.. That’s good…” Ayumi let out a sigh of relief, falling back onto her chair lazily.
“Hitomi is being unpredictable though… Going in and out of her duties… playing her romantic games with Ishikawa-san…”
What?
Ayumi’s heart began to beat faster.
“Hitomi and Rika…? Together?”
She knew Rika does have her share of romantic interests from time to time, but a woman? That was new to Ayumi… She had always thought of Rika has a straight person, so this was really… odd to her.
Had Rika always been … flowing that way? It’s not that Ayumi was against lesbians in particular, she does respect them and she even had a few friends who were gay or lesbian…
…But Rika?
That was just…
Ayumi could only sit there, stunned at what she was hearing.
Kagami noticed the effect of his words, raising a brow at Ayumi’s peculiar silence. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Yes I do…”
Kagami’s eyes widened slightly.
“She is my woman… No one is supposed to own her but me…” Ayumi’s eyes took a golden hue to it, gleaming almost dangerously. Kagami watched in astonishment as Ayumi’s scars began to reopen without blood dripping down. The apprehension in the air became heavy, burdening Kagami with its weight.
“A...A-Ayumi…” Kagami raised a hand, hoping to calm the other down. He could feel himself beginning to sweat with the dark aura in the air, becoming confused and afraid all of a sudden.
“She is mine and only mine…” a menacing, obsessed voice came out of the scarred woman’s mouth. Her cross-shaped scar came to being once more, appearing even more conspicuously than before.
“Ayumi…” Kagami said again, this time with more force.
The golden hue disappeared.
“Huh?” the progenitor blinked a few times. “What’s up?”
The head of the corps blinked as well, watching as the scars on the other’s face disappeared, closing itself as if regenerating.
“Nothing…” was all the man could say, his sweat feeling very cold all of a sudden now that there was nothing malicious in the air to induce it.
“Nothing at all…”
Just now…
Did she just…?
Don’t turn away…
“Nee… Hitomi-san… Do you think I should stop running away as well? Stopping and facing the problems like you are?”
The bronze-red haired woman let out a chuckle, “I don’t know if the way I do things would help you, but give it a try.”
“Maybe it might work for me… I don’t know if I don’t try, right?” Eri questioned as she stroked her maple-tresses, a habit she always found herself doing whenever she talked.
Watching Eri caress her bangs, Hitomi couldn’t help but do the same. “I’ll be rooting for you.”
Eri blushed lightly at the reassuring smile Hitomi gave. Ishikawa was right in saying that Hitomi was really ‘mysterious’ and well… ‘bishounen-like.’ She understood why Fujimoto was jealous: it’s hard to compete with someone like Hitomi…. Why couldn’t men be more like Hitomi? The water maiden blushed further at the thought.
“Mm…”
Hitomi and Eri looked over at the third party within the room.
Rika had finally awaken (at least, to them she awoke when in truth, she was listening in the entire time.)
“Ah! Ishikawa-san!” Eri’s eyes lit up, but her expression still remained cautious and shy, “good afternoon!” the water maiden bowed her head.
The flesh maiden’s face brightened up and she returned the younger’s bow with a small one of her own. Then her eyes went straight to Hitomi.
“What are you doing here?”
Rika had to try her utmost to keep a straight expression. Hearing everything before she ‘woke up,’ it had made her want to cry.
“Fujimoto let me in,” the bronze-red haired woman let out a smile.
Rika watched as the other smiled. It was all just a mask, wasn’t it? She wouldn’t want the other to worry about her, right? Is that why she looked like she hadn’t spoken with Eri at all?
“Speaking of which, where is Miki?”
“She went to help the little Fujimoto.”
“I see…” Rika scratched her head. She then turned her head to look at Eri, who became surprised and winced at the intensity of Rika’s stare.
“W-what?”
“How come you never told me you were a tennyo?”
“A wahhh?” the water maiden blinked a few times.
“A tennyo—you know, celestial maiden?”
“Oh…” Eri’s downcast eyes glossed over.
“Kamei-chan…” Rika uttered, making the other look at her, “Look at me…”
Their eyes made contact.
“You are a tennyo, aren’t you? The tattoos… The water…”
“I don’t care what it’s called. It’s no different than being a monster…” Eri let her head drop into her right hand. Her fingers curled up, grasping her head as her palm made contact with her right eye—her cursed eye.
“Kamei-chan… I’m a maiden too…” Rika leaned forward in her chair, concern written all over her face.
Eri didn’t look up.
“I am the maiden of flesh…”
“Just… Stop…”
Rika was taken aback with Eri raising her voice.
“Just stop it, alright? I don’t want to learn what I am. I don’t need help in recognizing that I’m a monster…”
“Kamei-chan…It’s not that…”
“It’s not what? I’m a monster and there’s nothing you could do about it!” The water maiden lifted her head from her palm, revealing a tear-stricken face.
“Kamei… Calm down…” Hitomi lifted a hand in the air, ushering an ease of tension, or at least, hoping to ease it.
“You don’t know what I’ve done! You don’t know the pain of losing your best friend!”
“I do know—”Rika began, wanting to throw in her current situation with being separated from Ayumi, but Eri wouldn’t let her continue.
“You haven’t killed your own best friend with your powers!”
Rika’s mind frame paused, registering what she had just said.
Eri…
She killed her best friend?
But still… I have to explain…
It didn’t matter anymore. She had to throw in something that would shut Eri up and make her listen to her!
Anything at all!
“You’ve killed your best friend…”
“Yes! I killed her! It was all my fa—”
“But did you kill countless people like my alternate self did?” a sort of a gloom was cast upon the flesh maiden’s being. There was no denying it. Rika was sure that Maki had killed people when she broke into the Shibata Company to attack Ayumi…
“Did you completely mutilate your best friend so much that it’s unrecognizable like the strangers I’ve killed…?” It was very shocking when Rika found out about that from Miki the other day.
The only noise disturbing the silent air was Eri sniffling quietly to herself, stunned at the facts Rika presented to her.
“If you’re the monster, then what does that make me? I’m much worse than a monster. I’m almost literally hell itself…”
Utter silence.
“What do you want from me?” Eri finally asked. “Fujimoto-san found me for you… Saying that I needed to be protected… What is after me?”
“The Shibata Corp,” Hitomi cut in.
Both of the maidens looked at the guard.
“Right now, they are hunting down anyone with a 90%+ inherited maiden blood. They are gathering them as we speak. I’m sure with that waterfall stunt you pulled earlier, they are looking for you too.”
“You work with them though, why are you telling us this?” the flesh maiden asked solemnly.
“Kamei has… helped me sort out my head a bit…”
Rika recognized what Hitomi meant. She was talking about the conversation she had with Eri while she was eavesdropping, but she didn’t let her know about the latter part.
“So I thought I should be nice and help you two out of this mess.”
“You work with them?!” Eri brought her sheets up to her nose, backing up away from Hitomi.
“Relax, she’s not going to hurt us. She means what she says. She always means what she says…” Rika got up and stood near Eri, her eyes locked paths with Hitomi’s. She placed an emphasis on the ‘always’ since it was true. When the enigma said she’d do something, she’d do it. Even toss Miki out of a window with intention to kill her…
Hitomi caught Rika’s emphasis and smiled.
“I never break promises,” the grin on the guard widened. “Never…”
Don’t close your eyes…
Miki stood with her arms crossed. The bags of food were sitting on the floor of the elevator by her feet. Miyabi also happened to be standing next to Miki, her hands at her side, twitching occasionally.
Could the elevator go any slower?
The corners of Miyabi’s eyes glanced at her older sister nervously. There had always been something she had wanted to ask her, but it was a really… touchy subject. Even for her, it was a dangerous thing to bring up. But she couldn’t help it, she wanted to know badly…
“N…Nee-san…?” the younger turned her head to look at the other innocently.
“What?” The older didn’t bother to look.
Miyabi gulped.
“You said Kamei-san’s tattoo started from her eye, right?”
The air within the elevator felt heavy all of a sudden. Miyabi saw Miki tense up, digging her nails into her arms tightly, knowing what was about to be broached. However, she decided not to pay attention to it, regardless of the indirect warning being sent.
There was a silence.
“Does Ishikawa-san know about… Matsuura-san?” she said the name almost inaudibly. However, her confidence was gaining and she continued. “Also… does she know about your eye and how it’s—”
Miyabi couldn’t finish that sentence.
Miki’s hand had darted towards Miyabi’s neck and grabbed it tightly, causing the younger to gag slightly at the initial contact.
“Don’t…”
Hearing the trembling voice, Miyabi opened her eyes despite the pain at her throat.
Miki's eyes...
They looked like…
They looked like they were about to cry.
Miyabi felt the hold at her neck loosen and then she staggered backwards (she wasn’t aware that she was lifted off the ground) into the elevator wall, gripping the hand rail tightly while rubbing at her neck. When she looked up at Miki again, she found that the older’s eyes had hardened again.
“Nee-san… I’m sorry…”
Miki glared at the other before facing the elevator door once more, ignoring the younger’s apology.
Nee-san…
She clearly hasn’t gotten over it…
Matsuura Aya…
I hate you.
Why did you die?
If you were still here, Miki wouldn’t be acting this way…
She wouldn’t be a shadow of what she once was…
You weren’t the only one who died that night.
You took her with you…
Nee-san is a shell now…
The elevator door let out a ring, signifying that it had reached its destination. Miki and Miyabi picked up the food at their feet and went along their way.
The entire trip went without a word.
Don’t try to hide…
<3
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I don't know if I've ever commented on this story but I love it!
Glad to see an update!
I wonder who the friend that Eri killed is? And who Ayaya is? I mean, why has she had such an effect on Miki?
And no emitted scene= :heart:
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Ayumi was kinda scary in this chapter... Miki was too, I mean, she attacked her younger sister!
Now I'm curious about Miki's past. Obviously it's related to Aya :yep:
I'm still commenting, so keep it up! :lol:
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Psh, Three comments?
THREE?! xDDDDDDD
Perhaps I should have enforced my 10-comment rule again...
Remember the deal. You can have your 10-comment rule, but mine counts as 2 (at least :) ).
“How are you feeling, Ayumi-chan?”
“Really horrible…” the aforementioned woman groaned, dropping her head onto her desktop. “Kagami-kun… Do I really have to do that memory machine thing every day? I keep getting the same unclear images…”
“Abe-san is trying her hardest to update that machine based on the reports you give, you know,” the stern man said solemnly, sitting on the couch.
“Psh… I hardly see the difference…”
It must be really exhausting (both physically and mentally) for Shiba-chan to keep going through that machine, especially when it doesn't look like a lot of new progress is being made or if progress is going at a snail's pace. :(
Ayumi traced a finger along the outline of the scar on her cheek—or at least, where the scar once was.
The scars on her body and her face healed. It was as if nothing had ever happened to her.
Wait, she never got any medical treatment (i.e. surgery) for those, did she? They just healed and apparently disappeared completely on their own? :O
However, moving around too much still strained Ayumi to an extent, so she was still forbidden from leaving the building or even exercising in fear of reopening the wounds again. For some odd reason, the progenitor felt… oddly energized for some reason.
It was as if her skin had hardened as a result of those scars…
Well, you know the old saying..."What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
“Oh by the way… We’re going to send Hitomi on a bunch of errands, so we’re thinking about hiring new guards for you.”
Errands? Is this why she had those few days off that were mentioned in the previous chapter? Was she really "off" then? :?
“In fact, we’ve already contacted them and received replies saying that they were willing to help us out when we need it.”
“They?” Ayumi tilted her head in bemusement.
“They’re both prodigies under the assassin field—not that they will actually kill anyone under our employment…”
The fact that he calls them "prodigies" implies that they're probably really young.
...
Looks like Miyabi's going to have some new "opponents".
“How young of assassins are they? 20? 19?”
“The older one is 16 and the younger is 15.”
“Whoa! They’re really young!”
I'd laugh so much if one of them was Momo-chan. :lol:
“You know, there’s an interesting scenario for the new guards…”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember the young Fujimoto sniper who helped the older Fujimoto break into our building?”
“Yeah, what about her?”
“We’ve arranged it so that whatever High School Fujimoto-chan goes to… Those two are sure to transfer in as well…”
“You’re… You’re…” Ayumi pointed a shaky finger at her older cousin.
“Yes, those two will spy on the Fujimoto family and will make sure they don’t do anything reckless to ruin our plans.”
Oh boy did I call it. :pimp:
Can't help but wonder though if the prodigies are/have been given "other" orders that Kagami just isn't telling Shiba-chan about.
“So how’s Hitomi? I haven’t heard from her lately. Is she still at the Kegon Falls?”
“Yes she is,” Kagami said as he strummed his fingers on his lap, “In fact, Ishikawa-san is there as well, reports tell me.”
“She is?” Ayumi turned to face her cousin, anxiously gripping the sides of her chair, “How is she?! Your workers didn’t do anything to her, right?!”
“Of course not. If that was the case, I’d be betraying our promise,” Kagami’s eyes stared at the other, almost studying her.
“Ahaa.. That’s good…” Ayumi let out a sigh of relief, falling back onto her chair lazily.
The fact that he's her family makes it easy for Shiba-chan to blindly trust him, which is probably what he's counting on. If everything goes as he plans and he gets what he wants, he likely won't have to worry about whether Shiba-chan believes him anymore.
“Hitomi is being unpredictable though… Going in and out of her duties… playing her romantic games with Ishikawa-san…”
What?
Ayumi’s heart began to beat faster.
“Hitomi and Rika…? Together?”
Shiba-chan = :stunned:
Ayumi could only sit there, stunned at what she was hearing.
Kagami noticed the effect of his words, raising a brow at Ayumi’s peculiar silence. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Yes I do…”
Kagami’s eyes widened slightly.
“She is my woman… No one is supposed to own her but me…” Ayumi’s eyes took a golden hue to it, gleaming almost dangerously. Kagami watched in astonishment as Ayumi’s scars began to reopen without blood dripping down. The apprehension in the air became heavy, burdening Kagami with its weight.
“A...A-Ayumi…” Kagami raised a hand, hoping to calm the other down. He could feel himself beginning to sweat with the dark aura in the air, becoming confused and afraid all of a sudden.
“She is mine and only mine…” a menacing, obsessed voice came out of the scarred woman’s mouth.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh shit...it's the Progenitor, trying to assert himself through Shiba-chan!
:OMG:
“Ayumi…” Kagami said again, this time with more force.
The golden hue disappeared.
“Huh?” the progenitor blinked a few times. “What’s up?”
The head of the corps blinked as well, watching as the scars on the other’s face disappeared, closing itself as if regenerating.
Safe...for now. Looks like he's still not strong enough to take complete control yet.
“Nee… Hitomi-san… Do you think I should stop running away as well? Stopping and facing the problems like you are?”
The bronze-red haired woman let out a chuckle, “I don’t know if the way I do things would help you, but give it a try.”
“Maybe it might work for me… I don’t know if I don’t try, right?” Eri questioned as she stroked her maple-tresses, a habit she always found herself doing whenever she talked.
Watching Eri caress her bangs, Hitomi couldn’t help but do the same. “I’ll be rooting for you.”
GANBARE ERI!!! :rockon:
Ishikawa was right in saying that Hitomi was really ‘mysterious’ and well… ‘bishounen-like.’ She understood why Fujimoto was jealous: it’s hard to compete with someone like Hitomi…. Why couldn’t men be more like Hitomi?
Heeeeeey....:badluck:
“What are you doing here?”
...
“Fujimoto let me in,” the bronze-red haired woman let out a smile.
...
“Speaking of which, where is Miki?”
“She went to help the little Fujimoto.”
“I see…” Rika scratched her head.
Something tells me that Miyabi probably won't take too kindly to being referred to as "the little Fujimoto". :lol:
*RIKA/ERI TALK*
Poor Eri...:cry:
Her not wanting to know about what's happening to her is a pretty common and in a way, understandable reaction. To know it would be to acknowledge that it's a part of you, and considering what Eri did, it's definitely something that she doesn't want to associate with herself. She doesn't want to associate it with herself because she doesn't want to deal with it. She just wants her life to go back to the way it was before this all happened.
“You’ve killed your best friend…”
“Yes! I killed her! It was all my fa—”
Now poor Eri, she obviously wasn't strong enough to suppress the spirit/being that's within her. However, she still blames herself for not being strong enough to keep it from taking control of her in the first place. Eri herself obviously did not want to kill her best friend, however because she was the one that the spirit possesses, in her eyes she might as well have wanted it.
What is after me?”
“The Shibata Corp,” Hitomi cut in.
Both of the maidens looked at the guard.
“Right now, they are hunting down anyone with a 90%+ inherited maiden blood. They are gathering them as we speak. I’m sure with that waterfall stunt you pulled earlier, they are looking for you too.”
Well, now they know a little bit more about the "why" part of it.
“You work with them?!” Eri brought her sheets up to her nose, backing up away from Hitomi.
“Relax, she’s not going to hurt us. She means what she says. She always means what she says…” Rika got up and stood near Eri, her eyes locked paths with Hitomi’s. She placed an emphasis on the ‘always’ since it was true. When the enigma said she’d do something, she’d do it.
That's one of the good things about Yossi here. While she doesn't always tell you what you may WANT to hear, when she does tell you something you can rest assured that she's being truthful about it.
“I never break promises,” the grin on the guard widened. “Never…”
And in all likelihood we're going to see that statement put to the test sometime down the road. :yep:
“N…Nee-san…?” the younger turned her head to look at the other innocently.
“What?” The older didn’t bother to look.
...
“Does Ishikawa-san know about… Matsuura-san?” she said the name almost inaudibly. However, her confidence was gaining and she continued. “Also… does she know about your eye and how it’s—”
Miyabi couldn’t finish that sentence.
Miki’s hand had darted towards Miyabi’s neck and grabbed it tightly, causing the younger to gag slightly at the initial contact.
“Don’t…”
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH?!?!?! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
Miki's eyes...
They looked like…
They looked like they were about to cry.
...
Nee-san…
She clearly hasn’t gotten over it…
Matsuura Aya…
I hate you.
Why did you die?
If you were still here, Miki wouldn’t be acting this way…
She wouldn’t be a shadow of what she once was…
You weren’t the only one who died that night.
You took her with you…
Oh no... :k-sad:
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UPDATE! YAY! :D
woah shiba looked scary after hearing that rika and yossie were in a relationshp :O
great chap yuu sama! :w00t: :inlove: :w00t:
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“Oh by the way… We’re going to send Hitomi on a bunch of errands, so we’re thinking about hiring new guards for you.”
I had a dream that the new guards were Koharu and Sayumi. XD (I've been having strange dreams lately. And it wouldn't fit since Sayu's 18, not 16 or 15. Hehe.)
Anyway, great chapter! I wonder what's goin' on with the whole Aya thing, and Ayumi bein' scary, and who the new guards are... Ooo, a lot to think about, hehe.
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OMG *dies* It's you! :cow: Woot!
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Damn you water tenyo Reina for killing off [bgcolor=#f50000]Risa[/bgcolor]!
And now a few suspicions:
1) Aya may have been a maiden or a woman with much spiritual power when she was with Miki.
2) Miki's eye may be false, enchanted/cursed by Aya, or have actually belonged to Aya.
3) Ayumi's spirit must be weaker than Rika's... No wait, the triggers are just different. Rika's is love or lust (as some would say a sin of the flesh) while Ayumi's is most likely jealousy with the way she reacted when here cousin told her about Rika and Hitomi's relationship.
4) Why do I feel that the spirit possessing Ayumi wasn't exactly human to begin with, and that it might do something to Natsumi? Not kill her but something else.
Finally, It's nice to have you back. It's hard to do this with someone else. :cow:
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^
Huh? :dunno:
Spoilers???
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^ LOL Getting confident in your speculations, are yah, GL? I won't say anything, but your way of thinking does fit this story much more than the first OCG fic. xDDDDDDD
Next chapter is still being written, but I have an AP exam tomorrow, so I'm devoting all my time to studying for today XD;
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xDDDDD
Ichigo-chan: xDDD Actually I already wrote who that friend was, but that's okay, we'll see her getting mentioned again. And much to everyone's happiness, this chapter won't have an omitted scene either :3
Guri-chan: Creepy, ain't she? xDDD But yes, bit by bit... we'll see a lil more of Miki...
JFC-kun: WOO! Commentaries <333333 You're hitting on a lot of key points here. I'm hoping with this chapter, I'll get to see another amazing commentary <333
Guruu-chan: WOO! xDDD Yes, the progenitor possessing Ayu just for that one instant is scary, huh? Can you picture the progenitor back then those centuries ago? :x
Naomi-chan: Well, Aya's going to be mentioned in this chapter too, so maybe more hints will lead you to what happened? xDDD
Gl-chan: Well uh, colorful imagination you got there xDDDD
Next post is the chapter :heart: :heart:
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-hides-
Chapter 19: End of the Stream
00:00:00:16:45:59
Eri felt bad in a really woozy way. There was nothing wrong with her health in particular, but there was something wrong. She couldn’t figure out why she felt like something bad was going to happen, but it just… felt like it.
She nervously ate the takeout, frequently ‘missing’ her food and instead, hitting her cheeks or chin. The water maiden’s eyes glanced left and right, watching everyone cautiously. The paranoia she thought she left behind had returned when she heard Hitomi’s frightening revelation, and now she could not stop fidgeting. The sudden twitches were small though, so no one noticed her anxious behavior.
No one but Miki.
Every time she glanced around, she would always find that tanned woman looking at her in a weird way. Her face was very tightly strained and even looked like it was glaring but her eyes…
Her eyes…
Eri wasn’t sure whether she had something to do with Miki’s frightening expression, but Miki’s eyes looked very forlorn and maybe even…sad…
Nervousness crawled into Eri’s veins again. This time, it really affected her eating habits, for she started to drop food with her chopsticks. She let out a squeal when the slice of eel slipped from her grip and onto her lap. With a speed of a cheetah, Eri quickly reached for the eel with her bare hand and plopped it into her mouth—never waste food she was taught. The maple-haired woman glanced about nervously again, wondering if anyone saw her.
A small jackal-like smile appeared on Miki’s lips.
Oh no! Eri blushed profusely, realizing that Miki of all people had caught her doing something so embarrassing and un-feminine. What if the demon went and teased her in front of the others!? Eri’s blush just went a tone darker! What if the others notice and ask her about her conspicuous red face?! She felt her face heat up even more at the thought of it!
“Kamei-san, is something the matter?” came the question of Miyabi, the younger sister to Miki Fujimoto. She didn’t really look all that much like Miki, but the water maiden believed that their eyes were similar… Very… lonely… But the orbs of Miyabi were not as intense as her elder sister’s. On the contrary, Miki’s eyes felt very… Unreachable…
“N-nothing!” Eri stuttered in a high pitched voice. Oh great, now everyone’s looking at her…
“Rika. Any dreams while you were waiting for us?” Miki skillfully diverted the attention of everyone from her. Eri internally sighed of relief at Fujimoto-san’s save, promising to thank the demon later. She looked down into her food, picking idly at the rice with her chopsticks. She meekly looked at her unorthodox savior from underneath her bangs, watching the others carry a conversation. All of a sudden, Miki’s eyes came in contact with Eri’s for a brief second, smiling slightly before reverting to her previous bored expression.
Is she doing this for me on purpose…? Eri blinked a few times, putting another slice of eel in her mouth. This is another side of Fujimoto-san… I guess there’s more than meets the eye, huh?
“Kamei-chan?”
“Nn?” Eri looked up at Miki.
“Can you please start chewing? Watching that slice of eel hanging out of your mouth isn’t hot.”
“H-HAI!”
00:00:00:16:38:43
“Abe-san… Why are you doing this here…?” Ayumi breathed out as she was pinned against the door of her bathroom.
“I’m getting restless~” Natsumi drawled out, licking her lips hungrily as she was eyeing her prey.
“B-but…”
“No ‘buts’ my dear Shiba-chan~!” There it was again, that predatory look.
“I never knew you were so…” Ayumi managed to rasp out, but was cut off by…
“Physical?” Natsumi let out a drawl.
The younger nodded with a light pink blush tainting her cheeks.
“You look so adorable when you’re cornered~ It makes me want to do all sorts of questionable things to you~”
“W-what sort of things?” the progenitor stammered, watching her predator move closer…
“This sort of thing,” was all the scientist could say before claiming Ayumi…
…
… by pulling the trigger on her laser tag gun.
“Damn it, why do you always win at games!?” Ayumi groaned as the chest piece let out an alarm, letting her know all too conspicuously that she had been hit by a laser.
“I just rule at laser tag~!” Natsumi let out a bright smile.
00:00:00:01:16:44
Eri felt something nagging at her again. Actually, her head wasn’t too clear… It was almost… It was almost as if she was drifting in a stream of air… She recalled falling asleep at the bed after eating that delicious take-out… Then she woke up in the morning to have breakfast… Afterwards, she went out shopping with Rika and came back in the late afternoon to take a nap…And here she was, waking up. But waking up to what? She was curled up into a ball, almost like a turtle nestling in its shell. She felt a hand softly shaking her shoulder a few times—it was the primary reason why she woke up.
She slowly stirred, the lethargy of sleep was heavy on her.
“Nee…” a soft voice.
It sounded familiar…
Who’s voice is that…?
“Wake up…” came that voice again.
Risa…?
Eri slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was immediately consumed by a bright light. Everything was a blur. Her eyes looked towards the origin of the voice, seeing a silhouette which looked vaguely familiar.
“Nee…” the owner of the voice continued shaking Eri lightly out of her sleep.
The water maiden turned over softly, still trying to process the awakening command. However, her eyes remained on the figure sitting on top of the bed.
It’s her… But…
“I thought you were gone…” Eri’s voice was no louder than an airy whisper.
“I’ve been here the entire time…” the soft voice of Risa cooed, brushing Eri’s bangs softly aside. “I have never left your side…”
Tears began to gather under Eri’s eyes, lending a hazy unreality to her vision. She really is here…The water maiden’s hands shakily found themselves covering her face. This is too good to be true… Why is she here…? I thought I had…
I thought I killed her…
Risa isn’t dead?
I’m… so glad…
Eri could only hear the echoes of her sniffling within the room.
“Nee… Why are you crying?”
She felt a hand on her shoulder, sliding down her arm and up again in comfort. Eri could only weep in silence at the presence she longed for.
“Everything will be alright…” Risa’s voice soothed. The tears of the maiden flowed down her cheeks little by little. Her sniffles became lighter—more controllable.
“It must be silly of me to cry like this…” the maple-haired woman smiled sheepishly as her hand wiped her tears away.
“Silly turtle,” Risa smiled serenely, her kind brown eyes glistening with a tranquil light.
If only they could stay like this forever…
“Risa…” the maiden’s lips broke into a more confident smile.
“I’m not Risa, though…” the older softly chided.
…Huh? Eri blinked once. Twice. She sluggishly rubbed her eyes, clearing up the foggy sight.
The remaining visage of her best friend evanescently disappeared, leaving behind the image of one Fujimoto Miki in front of her. Eri’s eyes widened before covering her face in embarrassment. I can’t believe I mistook Fujimoto-san of all people for Risa!
“I’m sorry…” Eri managed to say amidst her shock. “I thought…”
“It’s alright…” Miki said quietly as she continued sliding her hand up and down Eri’s arm, “It’s alright…”
The two of them remained silent. The water maiden even heard the last of her tears fall onto the wet pillow beneath her. She garnered what energy she could and sat up in bed. Miki’s hand retreated from its ministrations as the other got up.
“How long was I napping? Where is everyone else?”
“About 3 or 4 hours?” Miki shrugged, “Rika left me in your care to talk to Hitomi about something. Miyabi’s here though, she’s just looking for drinks now.”
So… I’m alone with the kissing demon? Eri wanted to slide away from the aforementioned demon. But…
“Everything will be alright…” those words echoed within her head. The younger glanced shyly at the tanned woman.
Fujimoto-san…
Miki had a sort of a scowling face, brows knit together closely as if she was angry. On the contrary, the demon’s dark eyes were expressing concern for her…
She seems like a really mean person but…
Eri giggled quietly to herself, earning a bemused expression from the other.
“What’re you smiling about?” came an annoyed voice. Miki raised a brow ambiguously, albeit still wearing a bored, frowning mask.
“It’s nothing,” Eri smiled widely at the other.
She really is a nice person deep down…
00:00:00:01:09:54
“What did you want to talk about?” Hitomi asked in a solemn voice, confused as to why the maiden of flesh had pulled her up to the roof of the hotel they were staying in.
“Well…” Rika began, but fumbled for the right words to use in her awkward silence. She looked down in defeat, idly swinging the bronze-red haired woman’s hand. When she found the right words, she glanced up at the taller, but lost her words as she looked at the other’s eyes for too long. She looked down again, attempting to fight for the words she wanted to say.
“I’m waiting…” Hitomi said with a soft impatient tone to her voice.
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
Now it was Hitomi’s turn for having a loss of words. But she didn’t have as much trouble finding them.
“For what?”
“For getting mad at you earlier about your feelings…” Rika avoided meeting the gaze of the guard’s eyes. “It was my fault for not thinking about your feelings…” she gave the other’s hand a light squeeze.
The taller didn’t know what to think. Her mind was blank, but her body was reacting. She pulled Rika into a soft hug, wrapping her arms loosely around her waist. As if by instinct, the maiden also embraced the enigma in return.
You’re forgiven…the body language of Hitomi’s hug seemed to say.
Thank you…the return of her embrace said nonverbally.
Hitomi’s head nestled on Rika’s shoulder. “It isn’t your fault,” the taller breathed onto the other’s neck, eliciting a sharp, but quivering breath from the other. “I’m partly to blame too, for being like this…” The guard felt Rika distancing herself. With confusion, she lifted her head from the other’s shoulder to find the other’s soft eyes on her own.
Any concept of distance was immediately forgotten when their lips met.
The usual fierce attraction was missing, however. In place of the heated passion was a gentle, amiable ardor. Their tongues deftly explored each other in a calm manner—there was no need to prove dominance in a comforting kiss such as this. Just like how it started, the two women pulled apart softly, resting their foreheads against each other’s.
Rika looked into Hitomi’s eyes in search of something, anything.
When will she know?
The answer did not surface within the depths of her gorgeous eyes.
When will she say those three words to me?
She looked longingly into her eyes even deeper, hoping to find that conviction which made her gravitate towards the taller. Her search veered downwards onto the guard’s inviting lips, and the maiden found herself drawn to them once more.
Feeling their warmth was all that mattered.
00:00:00:00:39:07
Eri felt that bad feeling again. Everything looked normal, but something just didn’t feel right to her… She timidly walked closer to Miki, almost clinging to the older’s arms in her anxiety.
“What, you want another kiss?” Miki looked at the shy girl with an amused expression. “I don’t remember you being all clingy like that.”
“I-its not that!” Eri retorted as her cheeks became flushed with deep crimson. “And don’t do that in public!”
“Kamei-chan, there’s hardly any people out here at night,” Miki said as she turned about her foot lazily, planting herself in front of Eri’s vision.
“Yes, but I’m here, so please don’t go conquering conquests while I am,” Miyabi butted in with an annoyed expression.
“Psh, it’s not like you haven’t walked in on me before,” Miki retorted as she turned around and began walking again.
Eri blushed even further. Her little sister walked in on WHAT? When she looked at Miyabi, she found that the younger had a face just as flustered as her’s!
“Are you coming or what?” Miki called out to the younger two, having already treaded quite the distance while Eri and Miyabi were blushing.
“H-hai!” Eri called out as she ran over to the older Fujimoto, Miyabi tagging along.
The three walked in silence down the desolate street.
So quiet…
“Kamei, there’s something personal I want to ask you,” Miki said aloud, not turning back to look at the other.
The water maiden perked up. “Nn?”
“If you don’t mind me asking…” Miki said with a slight hesitance, “Who is Risa? You mumbled that name in your sleep a lot so I’m just curious…”
Eri’s mouth opened, but no sound came out of it. She closed her mouth slowly as her eyes were downcast on her feet as she walked sluggishly. Eventually, the maiden glided to a stop, almost ghostly in color and cold to the touch. Miki noticed the absence in footsteps and turned about her foot in a slow, drawling motion, her other foot stopping lightly on the concrete.
The sisters’ feline-like eyes watched the other in curiosity, becoming anxious at the silence of their peer. Miki felt obligated by regret to call back her question, seeing the troubled expression Eri was wearing on her face, but as she was about to say something, the other said it first.
“Niigaki Risa… She was my best friend since I started High School a few years ago…” A flicker of acknowledgement appeared in the elder Fujimoto’s eyes, beckoning the younger to continue. “I used to be bullied a lot, and she was the first person to have ever stood up for me. But just a few months ago, my powers started to surface…”
Eri covered her cursed, wretched eye with loosely splayed fingers as she looked down. “The bullies were after Risa… I just… It just came… The pool next to them… It became a huge tidal wave that came after them… and Risa too… She…” Her fingers curled tightly into a fist over her eye, quivering and trembling as she tried to finish what she had wanted to say.
Before she treaded over the tear-stricken words, she felt Miyabi’s arms wrap around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry to hear that…” was all the teen managed to say. Eri burst into tears again before uttering her thanks in return. Unable to say anything at the state she was in; she returned the sniper’s hug with a trembling grip.
The elder sister could only watch the scene with a blank, yet deep stare. She stood her place, running what Eri said in her head again and again, including the brief episode back at the hotel where she had mistaken her for her best friend. She scrutinized the crying girl that her sister embraced, the intensity of her gaze softened.
She…
She’s just like me…
Back then…
Back when…
Miki shook her head at the thought.
No… I shouldn’t think about that again…I nearly broke down when Miyabi mentioned her…
I can’t…
I have to stop thinking about her…
Aya…
“Kamei-chan. There will be times when we will let our loved ones down, maybe even be the source of their pain—or even their death. But that’s the past. Right now, our main focus is to move on. I hate to bring out the tough love, but if Risa saw you crying like this after so long, what would she think?”
Eri remained sniffling on Miyabi’s shoulders, clinging tighter, “B-but… I killed her… I can’t go on knowing I’ve done that…”
“I’m no psychologist, so I’m pretty bad at this. The most I can say to you is just live on for her sake. Her life is still in your hands. What are you going to do with it? Are you just going to mope around, cradling it in your arms? That’s a waste. Just take it in and live enough for the both of you.”
“Tan, you can’t die with me. You’ve already sacrificed something precious for me and I won’t allow your life to be next. Go out there and live the best life you could ever live. I won’t be able to have it with you, so have it for me… Alright?”
Miki let out a sigh, unhappy with the sudden memory that her words brought. Then, out of the ordinary, she thought she saw a glimmer of something in the distance… An all too familiar glimmer… And she saw that her younger sister was already prepared for it.
Eri felt a gun cock behind her. Her heart began to throb painfully fast. She realized that Miyabi held her with one arm and had the other arm outstretched over her shoulder.
“When I fire…” she heard the teen whisper in her ear, “Run for Miki…She’ll protect you…”
Bang!
Eri ducked under Miyabi’s outstretched arm and immediately bolted towards Miki, who already was reaching out for her with her right hand. The maiden practically slapped the hand and held on for dear life as the demon sped off in the opposite direction.
She took a look back amidst the run to find Miyabi running backwards, dual-wielding her desert eagles and firing away at men who appeared out of nowhere, also armed with handguns. Before Eri could register any more of the scene, she was yanked into a different direction and her attention had to be returned to Miki once more.
They had managed to slip into an alleyway for a breather while Miyabi had her back to the wall and reloaded her bullets. However, the bullets were coming in on their hiding spot, ricocheting off of the corner Miyabi was standing in. After reloading the bullets, the teen waited for the moment where gunfire ceased for reloading and stood out to fire and retreat accordingly.
“Are we going to a hiding place or something!?” Eri shouted out, the gunshots near her deafening her sense of sound.
“Anywhere without those gunmen on our asses!” Miki yelled back as she fumbled around her jacket pocket for her cellphone.
“I’m taking higher ground, any idea where you’re going to go so I can cover for you?!” Miyabi shouted as she reloaded her weapons again.
“I’m heading straight for the waterfall. The hotel’s a few kilometers from that and Maki can just fly over!!” Miki panted as she sped-dialed Rika’s number, grabbed the maiden’s hand, and broke out in a sprint and turned around, expecting something to be thrown to her.
“I’m navigating by rooftop then!” Miyabi threw an earpiece to her, “You know the drill. After you tell her, be sure to call me!” the teen placed an identical earpiece around her own and connected it to her cellphone. “Be safe, Neesan!” and with that, she scaled up the ladder and jumped across the gap overhead.
Eri was blatantly swept away by the change of atmosphere. One minute she was crying her heart out and the next, she was running for her life from a bunch of men carrying guns! Miki and Miyabi seem to know what they’re doing, so she could only hope that she could make it out of this alive!
“Shit…” Miki cursed under her breath, closing her cellphone and reopening it again to dial her little sister’s number. “She didn’t answer… What the hell is she doing? Oh well, who cares, she must have at least heard the fucking gunshots! Alright, Miyabi! How’s it faring for you?”
“Avoid getting out in the open, there’s a lot of snipers tonight…” Miyabi panted on the other line.
“What, you running?”
“Obviously…” the younger gritted her teeth as she made another rooftop jump.
“Well that’s fine and dandy…”
Why is she still so laidback in a situation like this!? Eri screamed within her head, struggling to keep up with the older woman. All of a sudden, they’ve stopped and the maiden was immediately pushed against the wall with Miki leaning closest to the corner. The maiden wanted to ask what was up, but kept silent after seeing shadows walking towards their hiding spot around the building corner. The younger felt beads of sweat crawling down her face from all of the running, and even more now that the shadows were coming closer to them.
Miki looked at her and signaled a silence with a finger to her lips. Eri nodded nervously and watched anxiously as the other pulled out a pair of… chopsticks? The maiden wanted to cry. They were running from men with guns and her savior is a kissing demon with a pair of chopsticks?
As soon as the shadows got close enough, Miki made the first move. She ran and slid into the nearest crony’s feet, knocking him over. The surprised group took a moment to register what had just happened and would have shot the woman if it weren’t for her still sliding on the floor. Bringing her slide to an end, the demon planted her hands on the ground and twisted her feet around in a spiral before shooting herself into the air, catching another man’s neck between her legs and then planting her hands on the ground again, launched the poor man into the wall as she landed perfectly on her feet.
The remaining five men’s jaws went agape, but they swallowed their astonishment and brandished their guns at the lone woman.
Miki could only smile mischievously.
She went straight for the nearest man, using her chopsticks to block the gun hole and then swerved around him, bringing his gun hand with her, twisting the weapon out of his hand and then pointing the rather pointy ends of her own tool at the man’s neck.
The others couldn’t do a thing to bring Miki down, for their own man was her shield and hostage. However, the demon did not bother keeping her advantage. She shoved the man forward into another. As they collided, she immediately ran into a different man, ramming her sharp black chopsticks into his thigh. Leaving her weapon in there, she located the next man and spread her feet out and forced the crony into doing a split. With all of her power, she brought her feet up, hitting the other in the crotch.
Afterwards, the woman retrieved her weapon and pulled it out of its resting place, eliciting a painful cry from its fleshy pedestal.
“KYAAAA!!”
Miki snapped her head to the left after hearing that piercing, yet familiar scream. Two men in suits were holding the maple-haired woman by the hands and feet, almost resembling a human jump rope. With a flick of her wrists, two very sharp projectiles shot across the air like javelins and landed at the intended targets. The cronies howled in pain, clutching at their punctured feet. Eri scrambled onto her feet and hid behind the other, clinging tightly to Miki’s left arm.
“Well that’s lovely…” Miki drawled as she walked over the henchmen screaming in pain. “Time to sleep~” she said in a singsong voice before kicking both men in the head, rendering them unconscious. She bent over lazily to retrieve her chopsticks from their feet and stood up with a scoff.
“Small fry… How’s it going for you, Miyabi-chan?”
“Oh, wounded several, but I got grazed on the leg. You?”
“Not a single bruise!” the older let out a hearty laugh. “You’re losing your touch, sis!”
What are they!? Ninjas!? Eri’s eyes widened. Before she had the chance to rest, Miki pulled her into yet another run.
“Shut up…” Miyabi grunted, “It also seems that the Shibata agents have manipulated all the telephone lines, so no police will be coming for us…Oh and the routes to the waterfall are clear. You don’t have to worry about snipers. I’ll help pick out the small fry if they’re out in the open.”
“Thank you for making our lives easier~!”
How can she be so energetic!? It’s scary! The maiden clung to the other’s hand even tighter than before.
Up ahead, two henchmen were standing guard in the dead center of the intersection, blocking their path. Eri was thinking of Miki being crazy for continuing to run at them! The two men noticed their presence and were about to pull out their guns, but someone else saw to that and shot them both in the arm.
That must have been Miyabi! Eri thought in her head as she and Miki jumped over the wounded.
Back on the rooftops, Miyabi was looking through the scope of a rather expensive wall-mounted sniper. Hearing a groan behind her, she unconsciously kicked backwards, hitting the previous sniper in the face, silencing him for ten more minutes. “Hurry up, Neesan…” the young prodigy uttered under her breath as she followed her sister’s movements through the scope.
She scanned the area again, disregarding her sister’s movements for the time being just to check up on any missed snipers. As she watched over the rooftops like a hawk, blurred silhouettes caught her attention. She focused her scope on the zooming objects, attempting to get a clearer picture of who the two were.
“Oh my gahh, I think I found Rika-san and Hitomi-san!” Miyabi’s eyes widened as she followed the aforementioned people.
“Seriously!?” Miki panted, “how’re they doing?!”
“They’re being chased like us! But Hitomi-san’s got a gun and there’s no doubt she will be able to protect Rika too, so they’re fine for now… Where are you? I’ll follow your movements for now.”
After hearing the location, Miyabi’s sniping eye immediately turned towards the area her sister and Eri were likely to be in. However, as she focused in, she saw two more people on the rooftops, dressed in all black. One had a black mask while the other had a white mask. They both had pistols and were pointing them straight at Miyabi!
They can’t possibly shoot me at that distance…the sniper smirked, before pulling the trigger on the masked one on the left. What happened next astounded her….
She heard the person on the left firing at her, and there was a brief flash in the air, and she knew what that flash meant…
Our bullets hit!? What kind of person is that gunner!? Miyabi zoomed in closer on the two, finding that their pistols had fairly long barrels, which meant that even though they were handguns, they still had the power and range of rifles and shotguns. Before she could study them further, the one on the right shot at her location, bouncing off the edge of the wall.
The sniper duck in her cover, breathing heavily. Those two had black and white masks made of metal… Holy shit… They sent prodigies to kill a prodigy…
Those two were the Double Shinigami…
I better get out quick before—
Miyabi’s thoughts were interrupted when a bullet grazed the side of her leg, bouncing off of the floor in front of her.
I gotta run! The sniper thought frantically as she crawled around the perimeter of the roof with haste. They can freaking curve their bullets like I can! Shit!
As Miyabi got up, she turned around and aimed carefully with her Desert Eagle. She felt her body tighten and her eyesight strain. Allowing the adrenaline to rush through her body, she used its momentum of transition to pinpoint the exact location of the two assassins with her enhanced eyesight.
There.
The prodigy swung her arm in an arc as she shot—causing the bullet coming out of it to curve at a slight angle. The person on the right donning a white mask saw the bullet, but dismissed it as a miss that was going to hit the nothing to the area next to them, but was caught off guard when it went through the partner’s right arm.
Miyabi saw as the other came to their partner’s aid, staring contemptuously at the general direction the sniper was at.
“You’re special. But I’m far more special…” Miyabi mouthed to them in a taunt before running off into the distance with an all-knowing grin indicating that she had bested other prodigies.
00:00:00:00:11:59
Miki and Eri were silent.
They were quietly traversing in the forest, hand in hand. Each step was as cautious as its last, no mistakes could be afforded. Not now.
Especially not now.
“Fujimoto-san…” the younger whispered. Miki let out a grunt, signifying to Eri that she was listening.
“Um… I’m sorry… for everything…Throwing you all into this mess and putting your lives in danger just because of me…” the maiden pressed closer to the older, though still clinging tightly to her left arm.
“It’s fine…” Miki said quickly as she glanced about her surroundings. “You…” she turned to look at Eri, “remind me a lot about something that happened in the past. I really should have taken my own advice… Living on instead of dwelling on the past…” the demon trailed off.
Utter silence.
“Erm… It’s my turn to ask… what is it that happened to you?”
All that answered her was the rustling of the leaves they were stepping through. Finding the silence eerily frightening, the maiden spoke again.
“I’m sorry…”
Miki did not reply.
Eri stopped.
So did Miki.
The maple-haired woman reached out a hand, grabbing one side of the other’s face and turning it towards her.
It was that look again, Eri thought.
Miki looked like she was about to cry. Looking deep into those lifeless black orbs, everything that lay beyond it yielded inexplicable pain.
Did she always look like that?
Had she always been like that?
Had she been like Eri too?
Unmoving…
Frozen…
Suffering…
“Have you always been in pain?” Eri finally asked, having looked at the other’s eyes for too long without saying anything.
Even if she didn’t hear Miki say it, she felt her eyes telling her “yes.”
Eri bit back on her lower lip, as if struggling to figure out what to do. Then she did what she thought she would never do to Miki.
She pulled onto Miki’s hand, softly bringing herself into Miki’s body and then she embraced her tightly. The demon was at a loss of words at Eri’s hug, but her body had words of its own. Her hands slowly wrapped around the other’s shoulders, almost trembling with sadness.
“I’m sorry…” Eri repeated again into Miki’s ear. “I’m so sorry…”
“…Don’t be.” Was all the older managed to say.
They held each other for what seemed like an eternity. At least, they would have held their embrace for such lengths if it weren’t for interruptions.
“Aww… Look at them lesbians…”
Miki whirled around, holding her famed weapon with one hand and shielding Eri with the other.
Only to be met by the end of a gun barrel.
“You’ve kept Kamei away from us for too long Miss Fujimoto. It’s about time you hand her over,” a menacing voice smiled. Miki could only glare at her aggressor, a male standing about a few decimeters taller than her. Her eyes wandered over to the finger resting on the trigger… She couldn’t do anything… Not now… Or else risk blowing her brains out of her head.
“What are you going to do with her?” the demon gritted her teeth in anger, her narrow eyes still focused on the gun in front of her.
“Of course, take her back to the corps. We need more examples of celestial beings like your dear Ishikawa,” the pale man grimaced, “now if you just hand her over, we can let you go easy and we’ll forget you ever existed…”
A low growl ensued from the demon’s throat. She felt her left hand being squeezed reassuringly by Eri.
Does she have a plan…?
“I’ll go then.”
Miki twitched.
“Kamei-chan… Don’t do this…” the older growled.
“I’m sorry…” Eri whimpered, navigating around her before finding herself next to the man’s side.
“Good…” the man lowered his gun slightly.
Now!
Miki kicked the gun out the man’s hands and scratched his face severely with the sharp ends of her chopsticks. As the man doubled over in pain, holding his face, Miki grabbed Eri’s hand and bolted for it once more, ignoring all the gunshots she heard around her.
Fuck! Are we surrounded!?
Before the tanned woman could think any further, her foot caught on a branch and she toppled over, landing just before the mighty waterfall itself…
But Eri wasn’t so fortunate.
With the momentum of the fall, Eri was thrown further than Miki, slipping past the cliff and would have fallen with the water below if it weren’t for Miki’s tight grip on her hand.
But no miracle would happen twice.
With Eri launched over the side, Miki followed. They both slid down the cliff roughly until Miki’s other hand managed to take a hold of another edge just below the rocky cliff they fell over. With Eri on the one hand, clinging for dear life, Miki almost screamed in agony at the pain her other hand was emitting. The edge was sharp and she could feel the blood ooze from her badly cut fingers.
“Hey! I hear the waterfall and screaming! What’s happening over there!?” Miki’s earpiece was screaming into her ear.
“We… fell over the cliff next to the waterfall… We’re hanging by a thread here…!” Miki huffed, struggling to keep a tight grip on the ledge. “Kamei… Try to get up to my back and hold on tightly… Better two hands to hold us up… than one….” The demon clenched her teeth tightly, attempting to ignore the agonizing feeling of rock cutting across the base of her fingers like a sword.
“Oh my god… Sis… Hang in there! Rika and Hitomi-san are up there right now! You hear the gunshots, right?”
“Of course I … fucking do…” Miki rasped as she attempted to pull Eri up to her back. When the maiden clung around her shoulders and clung onto her back tightly with her legs, Miki’s free hand shot up to accompany her bleeding one on the ledge.
“Miki! Where are you!?” a desperate voice called.
“DOWN HERE!” Eri screamed.
“OVER HEEEERE!” Miki also yelled out.
Not long before, Rika’s head popped up over the higher cliff face. “Oh my… Miki! Grab onto my hand!” the flesh maiden stuck her hand out as far as she could, dangling it below. Miki attempted to reach out for it, but to no avail, she did not have the strength to pull herself up far enough to grab her hand. The strain was becoming too much on her bloody hand, whose skin sunk even deeper into the rock’s sharp cliff…
“I see…” Eri’s voice whispered into Miki’s ear. “You can’t pull the both of us up…”
“I damn well can!” Miki retorted. “Why don’t you reach out for Rika’s hand first?!”
“But you won’t last much longer! If I try, then you will give out and you’d die!” Eri cried back.
“She’s right! I have to get the both of you or else it’s over for the both of you!” Rika cried in desperation.
“Fujimoto-san… I’m glad to have met you…” Eri snuggled her face deeper into the back of the older’s neck.
“Kamei, what the hell are you saying?!” Miki’s brow knit together in confusion, her voice underlined with fear. “What are you doing!?”
“Just grab onto my hand!” came a new voice.
When Miki looked up, she found that Maki had taken the place of Rika, making use of her longer arm to reach out.
“There’s hope for us both, Kamei! There’s hope for us both, damn it!” Miki screamed out, trying once more to reach for Maki’s hand, but again, she was too weak to thrust herself upward.
“No… Only one of us can make it out alive…”
00:00:00:00:00:11
“Miki! Use oversoul!” Maki called out, struggling in futile in attempts to reach out her hand for the other.
The demon breathed quicker, trying all of her might to focus her strength onto her good hand—and she thrusted herself forward.
Maki managed to grab hold of her bloody hand, but it proved too bloody… and her hand slipped out of the bloody one’s grasp.
“Shit…” Miki cursed under her breath, biting back on her lip as her bloody hand returned to the ledge.
“Fujimoto-san… I’m sorry…”
“KAMEI!”
“Thank you for listening to me… and now I can go on peacefully…”
“NO! DON’T!”
And with that, Eri kicked herself away from Miki, falling backwards into the waterfall.
Maki plunged after Eri, her golden eyes gleaming fiercely and the tattoos all over her body looking blacker than usual. “You fool…” the flesh maiden frowned as she flew after the falling girl.
00:00:00:00:00:09
I’m so happy to have met them…
00:00:00:00:00:08
Miyabi watched through her scope in horror at the falling girl and the maiden flying down in attempts to rescue her, her breath quickening with every second.
00:00:00:00:00:07
Ishikawa-san…Miyabi-chan…Hitomi-san...
00:00:00:00:00:06
Eri felt the wind flow through her body as she dived down. She looked up past the maiden flailing to reach her and into the starry night sky behind her. Now etched within her mind as her final vision, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, basking herself in the cool air.
00:00:00:00:00:05
And Fujimoto-san…
00:00:00:00:00:04
Rika watched in horror behind Maki’s eyes. “Go faster! Faster! You can save her!”
“I’m trying…!” Maki attempted to mutter an incantation instead, hoping that she could finish it in time.
00:00:00:00:00:03
Will I find you afterwards?
00:00:00:00:00:02
Risa…
00:00:00:00:00:01
I’m coming…
00:00:00:00:00:00
Comments would be lovely. Especially for a chapter like this :x...
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::Frowns at the newbies and lurkers::
:tama-mad:
Shame on you! Yuu-chan finally updated and all you do is lurk don't ya!?
....Though, I have to edit my comment later...
My father came to pick me up...But this post will be epic >:D
-edit!!-
...Okay, people commented that's cute lol.
Now, dude longest chapter i've read in a good while....
A chapter from you! That's been a while~
It's cute how observant Eri seems to be, to notice like..Miki and Miyabi share the same eyes (i.e. loneliness)
Sad though, Eri blames herself for Risa's death TT_TT...
Then, Eri's death...
Well, my memory of this story is a little fuzzy..
But I would guess there is a 50/50 chance...Eri could have survived..
I mean doesn't she contain a water maiden in her?
But I could be wrong and it means I need to read this story over =A=ll
The Miyabi scene...Although, short..
Fucking awesome as hell, best gun fight scene ebaarrrr
Curved bullets and all ;P
I kinda' wish the fight scene with the prodigies are a bit longer..
But you have things up your sleeves..You always do >;T
So I just need to be patient..
..oh and, the Abe and Ayumi scene..
Very misleading but cute and funny nevertheless XDXD
Update! >;O
....My comment, it wasn't as epic as i imagined...lmao
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Eri!!!! :cry:
Just as I was getting to really like the character, too. Dammit Maki!! Save her!!! That actually kinda surprised me though, because Maki was the one going on about how it's useless to fight against fate.
Miki and Miyabi work quite well together as a team. I guess being sisters comes in handy at times as they can joke around and save each others' lives at the same time, eh?
Hitomi and Rika's quiet moment was quite touching. One's unsure, and the other is doing her best to be understanding; it's really sweet when you think about it. I'm really intrigued by them and want them to be happy, but I have to wonder at Hitomi's loyalties. She'll always be my favorite character, but like in the first "Our Cursed Gift," I have to wonder if she's being sincere with Rika or if she is scheming or just playing a role. I also have to wonder about her abilities too. Is she some type of maiden also? Or is she some other type of reincarnated being? Curiouser and curiouser.
I just have to add that the Nacchi and Ayumi moments are hilarious and work as great tension breakers! I wonder what they will be "playing" next!
I really am going to try and reread the whole thing one of these days. The plot is so full and the characters are so rich and in depth that it's hard to just pick up and read a new chapter after not reading it for a while. Hopefully I can get enough free time to do so.
As always, keep up the awesome work! I look forward to the next chapter and Maki saving Eri ;)!!
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...
:O
Nooo, Eri! Someone save her! :cry: Just when I start to like someone, they have to die. XD
I really liked the moment between Nacchi and Ayumi, too. :lol:
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eri!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bleed eyes:
great chapter yuuyami :mon beam:
poor miki, if eri dies... then she will feel guilty for aya and her :mon emo:
nacci and ayumi are so funny :mon XD:
miyabi is so cool, i love her :mon lovelaff:
waiting for a update!! :mon thumb:
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:w00t:
“Can you please start chewing? Watching that slice of eel hanging out of your mouth isn’t hot.”
Actually, I find this quite....hot. But maybe it's just me.
Poor Eri can't accept she mistook Miki as Risa. But who can blame her? Miki's like 90% of H!Ps collective evil in one body while Risa's a goody-two-shoes type. But Eri knows, that Miki's a kind soul, the rugged character she displays is just some kind of defense mechanism to prevent her enemies from seeing any weakness. Aya-Miki<3
Damn, the chase and the battle between Miya and the Double Shinigami was intense. I wonder who those two are. :O
Don't let Eri die. :cry:
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Damn it... you just HAD to do a cliff hanger ending thing?!
If Eri dies.... poor Miki she'll have to go though MORE sadness.
If you really kill her... I'll kill you.
hehe.
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^ You won't be the only one going at her with a chainsaw. :lol: Though I'm not so sure... it is rather ambiguous apart from the clock. :P Wondered what that was earlier in the chapter. It's sad and pointless on many levels really... Miki will have someone else to feel guilty over (there's no way she'll go back to her regular aggressive self unless it's just insane overcompensation, and I was looking forward to the budding Miki/Eri that was going on), they did their best to escape from those guys with guns just so she could die anyway... I guess she could be with her Risa. Then again, as a water maiden you'd think she could do something about falling over a waterfall too. :P You better not disappoint!
Otherwise, your story seems to be getting better! Even with the incredible exclamation point use! :P The gunfight was pretty cool - imagine you're using some manga/anime tricks there, which would explain why I'm not really familiar with the concepts :P (such as the curving bullets and all - I swear I remember that style of thing from Trigun or something at least though!). And I give you :heart: for making Miyabi so cool too :heart:. Well... in the battles at least... She's gotta finally at some point make her grand gesture to Risako. XD Hopefully more coolness is still to come too! I normally don't like descriptions of gun fights and stuff, but I like what you do. I think that may be almost precisely because of the anime/manga-ish feel... Now that I'm thinking of it, about the only other times I enjoy gunfights and stuff is in animes and such (like Trigun). Also kinda in the Matrix, but that of course has to have some inspiration from the anime/manga style...
Only problem I have with the story is the parts with Rika/Yossy etc. I guess I just really don't care about those characters (not just within your story - probably actually a nod to you of doing the characterizations well maybe? :P), and so try to at least skim (if I can't just skip over) those parts. The Nacchi/Ayumi part was cute though. I've always never minded Shibata. Or Nacchi really...
If you are killing Eri off, you better have something damned interesting coming up to compensate for it! :angry:
Hmm, what else to say. Glad you updated. Another nice and long too. :P Yours are the longest chapters I read, so you better feel special that I do it! :mon geek: <---- (one of my new favorite emoticons. It's so domineering... yet with that geeky undertone. :P) Wait, what am I talking about...? :sleep:
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JFC-kun: WOO! Commentaries <333333 You're hitting on a lot of key points here. I'm hoping with this chapter, I'll get to see another amazing commentary <333
You're just lucky that yours is one of the few fics for which I'll put in the effort. :D
My father came to pick me up...But this post will be epic >:D
So what's that make mine? 8)
Eri felt bad in a really woozy way. There was nothing wrong with her health in particular, but there was something wrong. She couldn’t figure out why she felt like something bad was going to happen, but it just… felt like it.
Either she's ill, or it's the maiden within her (whose identity we STILL don't know, BTW).
She nervously ate the takeout, frequently ‘missing’ her food and instead, hitting her cheeks or chin. The water maiden’s eyes glanced left and right, watching everyone cautiously. The paranoia she thought she left behind had returned when she heard Hitomi’s frightening revelation, and now she could not stop fidgeting.
Looks like Option 2 it is.
The sudden twitches were small though, so no one noticed her anxious behavior.
No one but Miki.
…
Eri wasn’t sure whether she had something to do with Miki’s frightening expression, but Miki’s eyes looked very forlorn and maybe even…sad…
Sad? Could it be that Eri reminds Miki of someone?
“Rika. Any dreams while you were waiting for us?” Miki skillfully diverted the attention of everyone from her. Eri internally sighed of relief at Fujimoto-san’s save, promising to thank the demon later.
Better be careful, not sure how Miki would "accept her thanks". :lol:
“Kamei-chan?”
“Nn?” Eri looked up at Miki.
“Can you please start chewing? Watching that slice of eel hanging out of your mouth isn’t hot.”
“H-HAI!”
XD
00:00:00:16:38:43
Clock going backwards? The previous segment was set a little bit ahead of this.
...
A countdown?
“Abe-san… Why are you doing this here…?” Ayumi breathed out as she was pinned against the door of her bathroom.
“I’m getting restless~” Natsumi drawled out, licking her lips hungrily as she was eyeing her prey.
Eh? :O
“No ‘buts’ my dear Shiba-chan~!” There it was again, that predatory look.
“I never knew you were so…” Ayumi managed to rasp out, but was cut off by…
“Physical?” Natsumi let out a drawl.
The younger nodded with a light pink blush tainting her cheeks.
“You look so adorable when you’re cornered~ It makes me want to do all sorts of questionable things to you~”
“W-what sort of things?” the progenitor stammered, watching her predator move closer…
“This sort of thing,” was all the scientist could say before claiming Ayumi…
HOLY SHATZ! NACCHI'S A HORNDOG?!?! O_O
… by pulling the trigger on her laser tag gun.
“Damn it, why do you always win at games!?” Ayumi groaned as the chest piece let out an alarm, letting her know all too conspicuously that she had been hit by a laser.
“I just rule at laser tag~!” Natsumi let out a bright smile.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!! XD
/me wonders how many readers forgot Nacchi was a geek here. :D
“Nee…” a soft voice.
It sounded familiar…
Who’s voice is that…?
“Wake up…” came that voice again.
Risa…?
Probably Rika.
...
...
but watch it be Miki. :P
It’s her… But…
“I thought you were gone…” Eri’s voice was no louder than an airy whisper.
“I’ve been here the entire time…” the soft voice of Risa cooed, brushing Eri’s bangs softly aside. “I have never left your side…”
Not fully awake yet...hence somewhat dreaming? She thinks she's talking to Risa but it's really someone else? :?
“I’m not Risa, though…” the older softly chided.
…Huh? Eri blinked once. Twice. She sluggishly rubbed her eyes, clearing up the foggy sight.
The remaining visage of her best friend evanescently disappeared, leaving behind the image of one Fujimoto Miki in front of her. Eri’s eyes widened before covering her face in embarrassment. I can’t believe I mistook Fujimoto-san of all people for Risa!
Damn, I'm good. :cow:
She seems like a really mean person but…
Eri giggled quietly to herself, earning a bemused expression from the other.
“What’re you smiling about?” came an annoyed voice. Miki raised a brow ambiguously, albeit still wearing a bored, frowning mask.
“It’s nothing,” Eri smiled widely at the other.
She really is a nice person deep down…
:hee:
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
Now it was Hitomi’s turn for having a loss of words. But she didn’t have as much trouble finding them.
“For what?”
“For getting mad at you earlier about your feelings…” Rika avoided meeting the gaze of the guard’s eyes. “It was my fault for not thinking about your feelings…” she gave the other’s hand a light squeeze.
The taller didn’t know what to think. Her mind was blank, but her body was reacting. She pulled Rika into a soft hug, wrapping her arms loosely around her waist. As if by instinct, the maiden also embraced the enigma in return.
Considering her situation, this is probably the first time Yossi has had someone be concerned about her feelings. With her job it's always just been "follow orders/do this/do that", and her private life up until this point hasn't had anything as serious as this thing with Rika is/has been.
Eri felt that bad feeling again. Everything looked normal, but something just didn’t feel right to her… She timidly walked closer to Miki, almost clinging to the older’s arms in her anxiety.
They leave the hotel for something?
“What, you want another kiss?” Miki looked at the shy girl with an amused expression. “I don’t remember you being all clingy like that.”
Miki wishes.
:hip bleh:
“Yes, but I’m here, so please don’t go conquering conquests while I am,” Miyabi butted in with an annoyed expression.
“Psh, it’s not like you haven’t walked in on me before,” Miki retorted as she turned around and began walking again.
Whoa. TMI. :-X
ERI'S STORY OF RISA
:mon waterworks:
She…
She’s just like me…
Back then…
Back when…
Miki shook her head at the thought.
No… I shouldn’t think about that again…I nearly broke down when Miyabi mentioned her…
I can’t…
I have to stop thinking about her…
Aya…
ONOES! MIKI KILLED AYA?!?!?
:OMG:
“Tan, you can’t die with me. You’ve already sacrificed something precious for me and I won’t allow your life to be next. Go out there and live the best life you could ever live. I won’t be able to have it with you, so have it for me… Alright?”
Sounds like Aya knew it was going to happen too. :cry:
Miki let out a sigh, unhappy with the sudden memory that her words brought. Then, out of the ordinary, she thought she saw a glimmer of something in the distance… An all too familiar glimmer… And she saw that her younger sister was already prepared for it
Maybe going for a walk wasn't such a good idea after all.
:mon scare:
“I’m taking higher ground, any idea where you’re going to go so I can cover for you?!” Miyabi shouted as she reloaded her weapons again.
“I’m heading straight for the waterfall. The hotel’s a few kilometers from that and Maki can just fly over!!” Miki panted as she sped-dialed Rika’s number, grabbed the maiden’s hand, and broke out in a sprint and turned around, expecting something to be thrown to her.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait....wait.
...
"Maki can just fly over"??? :shocked:
Miki's calling Rika, but she wants Maki to come out (and take control of Rika's body) so that she can save them? Granted, Maki saved Miki once, but there's not a guarantee that she'll do it again, assuming that Rika can even coax her out (considering that up until now, she's been doing her best to do the opposite).
She didn’t answer… What the hell is she doing? Oh well, who cares, she must have at least heard the fucking gunshots!
Ooooooooooooo boy it's gonna be awkward when she finds out the answer to THAT question.
Miki looked at her and signaled a silence with a finger to her lips. Eri nodded nervously and watched anxiously as the other pulled out a pair of… chopsticks? The maiden wanted to cry. They were running from men with guns and her savior is a kissing demon with a pair of chopsticks?
Obviously Eri hasn't seen the Ranma 1/2 Movie "Nihao My Concubine". :grin:
But seriously, if used correctly, pretty much anything can be a weapon.
*MIKI FIGHTS*
NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!! :rockon:
she located the next man and spread her feet out and forced the crony into doing a split. With all of her power, she brought her feet up, hitting the other in the crotch.
/me brings knees together and winces in sympathy pain. :bleed eyes:
“Small fry… How’s it going for you, Neechan?”
“Oh, wounded several, but I got grazed on the leg. You?”
“Not a single bruise!” the older let out a hearty laugh. “You’re losing your touch, sis!”
...
“Shut up…” Miyabi grunted,
Considering that Miki's the older one, she wouldn't be calling Miyabi "Neechan". The fact that the first sentence ends with "Neechan", and the back-and-forth nature of the dialogue implies that Miyabi is the one initiating the call, which would then mean that the convo went like this:
Miyabi - “Small fry… How’s it going for you, Neechan?”
Miki - “Oh, wounded several, but I got grazed on the leg. You?”
Miyabi - “Not a single bruise!” the older let out a hearty laugh. “You’re losing your touch, sis!”
...
Miki - “Shut up…” Miyabi grunted,
Now we all know that Miki's the older one, meaning that the "older let out a hearty line" part should have been her's and not Miyabi's. Also, the mix up is seen in the last line, which is blatently identified as being Miyabi's. It's the "Neechan" reference in that first sentence of the dialogue that messes it up. Nevermind the fact that it just doesn't sound like something Miki would say anyway, but she's never (to the best of my memory) addressed Miyabi as "Neechan" here (which she wouldn't really do anyway, since it would only be something you would address an older sibling; younger siblings don't get titles like "neechan" from the older siblings).
Back on the rooftops, Miyabi was looking through the scope of a rather expensive wall-mounted sniper. Hearing a groan behind her, she unconsciously kicked backwards, hitting the previous sniper in the face, silencing him for ten more minutes. “Hurry up, Neesan…” the young prodigy uttered under her breath as she followed her sister’s movements through the scope.
So that's where she went. :muffin:
She scanned the area again, disregarding her sister’s movements for the time being just to check up on any missed snipers. As she watched over the rooftops like a hawk, blurred silhouettes caught her attention. She focused her scope on the zooming objects, attempting to get a clearer picture of who the two were.
“Oh my gahh, I think I found Rika-san and Hitomi-san!” Miyabi’s eyes widened as she followed the aforementioned people.
“Seriously!?” Miki panted, “how’re they doing?!”
“They’re being chased like us! But Hitomi-san’s got a gun and there’s no doubt she will be able to protect Rika too, so they’re fine for now… Where are you? I’ll follow your movements for now.”
Uh-oh, their rabu-rabu time got interrupted!
:scared:
After hearing the location, Miyabi’s sniping eye immediately turned towards the area her sister and Eri were likely to be in. However, as she focused in, she saw two more people on the rooftops, dressed in all black. One had a black mask while the other had a white mask. They both had pistols and were pointing them straight at Miyabi!
Might these be who I think they be?
Those two had black and white masks made of metal… Holy shit… They sent prodigies to kill a prodigy…
Those two were the Double Shinigami…
I better get out quick before—
THEY BE!!!
And not only are they obviously good, but they're KNOWN!
:dizzy:
I gotta run! The sniper thought frantically as she crawled around the perimeter of the roof with haste. They can freaking curve their bullets like I can! Shit!
Since when was Angelina Jolie in this fic? :rolleyes:
“You’re special. But I’m far more special…” Miyabi mouthed to them in a taunt before running off into the distance with an all-knowing grin indicating that she had bested other prodigies.
Oooooooooooooh...not a smart move, there. Being able to hit them is going to piss them plenty on it's own, but the taunt? If these are the same prodigies that the Shibata Corp were going to send to Miyabi's school, she won't have any idea of who they really are, since all she's seen of them are their masks. They, on the other hand, HAVE seen her face and will know exactly who she is.
*ERI COMFORTS MIKI*
:hip aww:
Miki kicked the gun out the man’s hands and scratched his face severely with the sharp ends of her chopsticks. As the man doubled over in pain, holding his face, Miki grabbed Eri’s hand and bolted for it once more, ignoring all the gunshots she heard around her.
Fuck! Are we surrounded!?
If they are, then it was a really dumb move for just the one guy to come out and confront them. Had they all come out, their increased numbers would have made it more likely (at least theoretically) been enough of a show of strength that Miki and Eri would have just surrendered.
Before the tanned woman could think any further, her foot caught on a branch and she toppled over, landing just before the mighty waterfall itself…
But Eri wasn’t so fortunate.
With the momentum of the fall, Eri was thrown further than Miki, slipping past the cliff and would have fallen with the water below if it weren’t for Miki’s tight grip on her hand.
But no miracle would happen twice.
With Eri launched over the side, Miki followed. They both slid down the cliff roughly until Miki’s other hand managed to take a hold of another edge just below the rocky cliff they fell over. With Eri on the one hand, clinging for dear life, Miki almost screamed in agony at the pain her other hand was emitting. The edge was sharp and she could feel the blood ooze from her badly cut fingers
ONOES!!!
:mon wtf: :mon wtf: :mon wtf:
“Oh my god… Sis… Hang in there! Rika and Hitomi-san are up there right now! You hear the gunshots, right?”
“Of course I … fucking do…” Miki rasped as she attempted to pull Eri up to her back.
Ah, so the other shots they heard were Rika and Yossi taking out the goons?
“Fujimoto-san… I’m glad to have met you…” Eri snuggled her face deeper into the back of the older’s neck.
“Kamei, what the hell are you saying?!” Miki’s brow knit together in confusion, her voice underlined with fear. “What are you doing!?”
Oh god, she's planning on saving Miki, but not herself.
...
/me thinks for a sec.
OMGASS IT'S THE PROPHECY ABOUT ERI!!!
:mon scare:
“Just grab onto my hand!” came a new voice.
When Miki looked up, she found that Maki had taken the place of Rika, making use of her longer arm to reach out.
“There’s hope for us both, Kamei! There’s hope for us both, damn it!”
Sunnovabitch, Maki's helping! :o
“No… Only one of us can make it out alive…”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! DON'T DO IT ERI!!!
:mon blowhorn:
“Miki! Use oversoul!” Maki called out, struggling in futile in attempts to reach out her hand for the other
Oversoul? How does Maki know that Miki would know what that meant?
“Thank you for listening to me… and now I can go on peacefully…”
“NO! DON’T!”
And with that, Eri kicked herself away from Miki, falling backwards into the waterfall.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!!
:pleeease:
Maki plunged after Eri, her golden eyes gleaming fiercely and the tattoos all over her body looking blacker than usual. “You fool…” the flesh maiden frowned as she flew after the falling girl.
HURRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY~!!!
:mon runcry:
00:00:00:00:00:00
Comments would be lovely. Especially for a chapter like this :x...
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~~~!!!
:frustrated: :hip depress: :scolding: :tantrum: :mon whine: :mon fire: :mon woo: :shilivid: (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/MonkeyNo.gif) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/shakefist.gif) :tama-mad: :banghead: :angry: (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/tantrum.gif)
Kidding, of course. Still wub ya. :wub: MOAR PLEEEZE!!! :mon pray2:
EDIT:Update! >;O
....My comment, it wasn't as epic as i imagined...lmao
/me sits back and listens to the chorus of Montell Jordan's THIS IS HOW WE DO IT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwjAaDKFRU :wahaha:
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o___O...
In regards to JFC-kun's Neechan talk... xD... It's correct, Miki calls Miyabi "Neechan." It'd only be wrong if she had called her "Neesan" because that's for older sisters, not younger sisters xD. So Miya would call Miki "Neesan" while Miki could call Miyabi "Neechan" though it isn't really necessary to do so xDDDD
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^ Btw, I noticed that too and I still don't agree with you on that either. :P I guess I'll find out for sure soon enough when I'm in Japan though!
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xDDD...
Well in that case, I'll just change it around to avoid further confusion, roffle.
But yeah, I hear people call others like, Neesan or Neechan all the time when refering to sisters, so I assumed that the Nee[san] would be reserved for elder ones while Nee[chan] would be for younger sisters. I've seen Neechan use a lot for younger sisters (though very uncommonly) so I thought it would be alright if I used it here too. xDDD...
I feel very dumb now o_o;
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^
It's okay. We still wubz you. :wub:
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Oh, yeah. I forgot about Risa being mentioned. :sweatdrop:
But anyway, :cry: NOOOOO KAMEEEEE!!!!! :cry:
I find it admirable that she did something like that, somehow. It's sick and twisted but I think it was best. I really loved Kame but it seems like the only thing to put her at peace with herself was to join Risa. I guess Aya had a similar fate to Risa, which is why Miki and Kame had a connection.
Nacchi was :twisted:
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Wow, had a lot of catching up to do, but all I can say is...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KAMEIIIIIIIII, DON'T DIE!!!!!
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Epitaph: Kamei Eri
I hear waves…
She opened her eyes.
The cloudless black sky which hovered before her eyes was starless. Its vast expanse was all she saw. She felt like she was on a bed of sand. Wanting to confirm her suspicions, she grasped whatever it was she laid on and lifted her hand meekly into the air.
It was dark grey sand.
Her hand dropped onto the ground heavily.
She was too weak to get up.
Or am I too weak to move on?
She let out a sigh.
Her eyes closed.
Take me away…
To where?
That voice felt somehow familiar, but she dismissed it.
Anywhere.
Alright.
She remained motionless.
Do I have to move on?
If you want to.
What will happen if I lay here without doing anything?
Nothing.
She opened her eyes again. With all of her might, she lugged herself up by the back. Her hands rested idly at her sides, digging her fingers into the blackened sand softly.
There were people around her.
No…
They were too transparent…
They were shadows.
And they were walking.
Ignoring her.
She looked at herself.
I’m…
Just like them. That voice finished for her.
I see…
She pushed against the floor with her hand and struggled to stand on her knees. Staggering a bit, she managed to find her balance and stand appropriately, though there seemed to be some sort of burden on her back, weighing her down to a slouch.
She looked around her.
The shadows were walking past her… She turned around.
She was face to face with a beach. Unlike the beaches she was familiar with, the water here were black. At the far off distance, the beautiful blue moonset sat on the vast darkness below it. As far as her eye could see, the shadows were walking towards that moon, walking across the water in doing so.
It’s…
It is.
Do I have to?
If you want to.
Her glossy eyes looked down at the sand, watching through her transparent feet.
I’ve… lived my life…
It was short, but I was grateful…
She began to walk forward.
Back then…
She didn’t even feel the transition from sand to water.
If I closed my eyes…
“No one cares about you! Why are you still trying to get attention like that!?”
And then opened them…
“Don’t listen to them. They don’t know any better…” a hand reached out, caressing my cheek.
“Risa…”
Everything would be alright…
She moved like them.
Quietly traversing without disturbing the surface of the water—she was a shadow.
Leaving everything behind—she felt the burden on her back slowly disappear…
Little by little…
The moon was getting closer.
She saw what waited for her.
A person.
It wasn’t her person though…
This one was pale with long blood-red hair. She wore a kimono, but the top part was hanging loosely at her waist. Black tattoos of butterflies and lotuses were etched into that person’s skin, from the finger tips up to the sides of her sharp face.
Golden eyes studied her.
I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.
She almost wanted to laugh.
Someone saved me already…
The maiden blinked in confusion, her golden eyes gleaming ambiguously in the moon’s illumination.
Yes… She was a kind person…
So she helped you move on?
Yes she did…
Would you like me to tell her of your thanks?
Very much so.
I will do so then.
She bowed to the maiden and then moved on past her.
Whenever things go bad…
Where the moon met the water, there was a white, open gate.
I would close my eyes…
She felt herself being drawn into that light within the gate.
Then open them.
She continued walking forward.
And everything would be alright…
She walked into the light.
But now…
She felt the light’s warmth all over her body, as if consuming her whole.
…My eyes are closed forever.
.
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Am I first to comment? Coooool :lol:
I really want to know what happens to Kamei, but I can't say that this chapter explains it all, especially because the 'light' in the end of it could be... Well, a lot of things... I really liked it though, because it 'painted' such a pretty but sad situation. :yep:
Looking forward to your next chapter!
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xD...
I thought I made it clear with the chapter title and the place Eri was in o___o;
But yeah, the place she was in, that was the Twilit Sea, the place where the deceased spirits go in order to pass on. A long while ago, Maki took Rika there and told her that she was the one who governs that place which explains why she appeared near the gates in order to apologize to Eri and relay her message to Miki.
So yes. Eri is dead.
>_>
<_<
-hides-
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So yes. Eri is dead.
Well... now that you made it clear... the little hope I had is gone...
-also hides-
(not going to complain much though, you're the author, you have the power to kill your characters XD)
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So yes. Eri is dead.
No she's not! ERI WILL LIVE! :cry:
Great chapter, by the way, even though it's so sad. :(
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:gyaaah:
.
.
Whenever things go bad…
Where the moon met the water, there was a white, open gate.
I would close my eyes…
She felt herself being drawn into that light within the gate.
Then open them.
She continued walking forward.
And everything would be alright…
She walked into the light.
But now…
She felt the light’s warmth all over her body, as if consuming her whole.
…My eyes are closed forever.
.
This was so so so beautiful. :gyaaah: :gyaaah: :gyaaah:
A little disappointed that Kame's character won't be sticking around though...
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*sigh*
byebye Eri.
short chapter but nice one. At least u dedicated a chapter to Eri~ even tho u killed her :angry:
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:stoned: Eri...died... It's so sad, but...at the same time I feel so relieved for her. Not that she died, only that she was able to find peace and solace before the death. I feel really bad for Miki too, she's bound to feel some level of guilt...or inadiquacy for not being able to save her. I don't think the thanks from Eri will be a lot of comfort for her...
This was a very moving chapter, I really enjoyed it :)
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:whistle:
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Aw, so it's final. She's really gone. :cry: But very well-written! :lol:
I like your new sig, btw!
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Epitaph: Kamei Eri
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!!
:mon whine: :mon whine: :mon whine:
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Know why I haven't done any of my homework these past two days?
Because all I've been doing is reading this fic XD
and I got hooked and I loved it!!! :wub:
I had always told myself to read this but never got around to it until now (20 chapters in...)
lol anyways sorry this comment is pretty lame
But I'll start commenting everytime you have a new chapter =D
Btw
Eri dead = :cry:
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o-o...
Grisours: -hugs- ;-;
Naomi: Too bad ;-;
Meowz: That was my favorite part of the chapter too ;-;
Stefy: I see you sound bitter about it xD... Don't worry, more of your favorites might pop up soon. I think o-o;
Wings: You're the first to be happy that she passed on without regret xDD
Ayase: o_o
Ichigo-chan: Thanks xD
JFC: -pats- D:
Heyyouhiya: I was wondering when you were going to read this xDDD Now I'm wondering when Tru_H will, being a hardcore Ishiyoshi fan and all o___O; Anywho, thank you for taking the time to finally read this fic <333 I'm so happy!
Chapter 21: Her Past
People become who they are according to their history…
Miki stared blankly into the nondescript ceiling above her. Her mouth was etched into a slight frown as she lay as still as a corpse.
A corpse…
The tanned woman narrowed her eyes. The hands behind her head wanted to clench if it weren’t for supporting her head—and being bandaged. According to doctors, the slits between her fingers and palms were gaping wide from holding onto that sharp cliff face. It would take weeks for the injuries to fully heal, and it would take awhile after that for her fingers to even be able to fold itself properly.
That injured hand…
The same one I couldn’t save her with…Miki recalled bitterly, resting her injured hand on her left eye.
Again and again… I couldn’t save the people I wanted to protect…
I’m useless…
Miki’s brow furrowed further in frustration. She threw herself up so that she was sitting on her bed. Her arm now rested idly across her raised knee.
Why…?
Why don’t I have the power to save anyone?
Tearing themselves apart…
Rika let the cold water splash her face, feeling its piercing iciness against her skin. Her darkened eyes glanced up from under her eyelashes, finding instead of her reflection, Maki was standing in the mirror with her arms crossed.
“I…”
“Don’t talk,” Rika interrupted, continuing to wash her face.
“You can’t defy fate,” the maiden replied, ignoring the other’s demand.
“What part of ‘don’t talk’ do you not understand?” Rika stood up straight, glaring at the reflection.
“Think of it as an example. A person’s death counter is final,” Maki continued on, her golden eyes also narrowing.
“You had the power to save her!” Rika splashed water against the mirror, “You could fly the speed of a jet! How can you not be able to save her!?” the woman nearly screamed at the mirror. Her hand smacked against the mirror hard and she pointed at the maiden with her other hand, “why couldn’t you save her!?”
Maki remained calm and still. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes flickered with a sort of glint. “I just couldn’t.”
“Just couldn’t my ass!” Rika slammed her hand against the mirror again, “you lead me on… you lead me on into thinking we could have…” her voice cracked as her hand began to slide down the mirror.
“You deluded yourself. I have already told you that there was nothing that co—”
“Just… be quiet…” Rika took her hand away from the mirror, giving her face another thorough rinse.
The maiden could only watch without remorse at the woman on the other side of the mirror.
Punishing themselves…
“How are they?” Yuko asked, leaning against the doorway of her youngest sister’s room.
“They seem to act normal. I’m too scared to ask if they got over it,” the sniper replied solemnly, polishing up one of her guns. She was sitting at the edge of her bed, rubbing the cleansing liquid onto her desert eagle with a small washcloth.
“How are you?”
“Bitter.”
“You didn’t… go berserk that time, right?” Grey eyes studied the back of the younger’s head.
“Neesan, I’m alright.”
“You have to control your temper carefully… Otherwise.. You’ll…”
“I know…” Miyabi sighed, “I know…”
There was a certain time in a past mission where Miyabi… did not act like herself, Yuko recalled. Whatever it was that had made her snap, the results were horrendous. She became so angry that she was unable to distinguish friend from foe, safe spot from fatal injury, life from death… It took Miki, Megumi, and Yuko’s strength to pin the teenager down before she could send any more people into hell with her prodigious gunmanship.
Yuko scrutinized Miyabi further. Miki joined the snatcher business at an age even younger than Miyabi, but she was able to control her emotion so that she would not be able to kill anyone no matter what they did… But Miyabi…
Sometimes Yuko wondered… Who among the sisters is the real demon? Of course, that was a silly question to ask… Considering that she had…
“I was worried really…” Miyabi began, interrupting Yuko’s thoughts, “Ever since Kamei-san’s funeral two weeks ago… I was worried that Miki-nee might be broken again…”
“Ah yes… This Kamei-san was special to her, huh?” the lioness stepped into the room and sat on the bed next to Miyabi.
“She was… But you know, I was glad that Nee-san was a little stronger this time… Not like when Matsuura-san…” the teen trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
“People have to grow up you know,” the older placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. “What they’ve experienced in the past makes them stronger.”
“So am I strong for having stopped mourning like Nee-san and Ishikawa-san right now? Or am I just running away by doing so?” the gun was then placed on her lap after she turned to face her adopted sister.
“You’re still young, and you weren’t as close to Kamei-san like the others, I’d reckon…” the headmistress said as she ran her fingers through Miyabi’s soft dark brunette hair. “now that you’re done with that…” grey eyes rested on top of the gun in her sister’s lap, “I’m going to have all of you organize the shed a bit.”
“The shed!?” Miyabi’s eyes widened. “There’s so much stuff in there though! It took us a longass time to do it last year! And God knows how much stuff you’ve collected since our last cleanup! Can’t you just put your artifacts in there in the way we’ve organized it for you instead of just putting them in random places!?”
“Well, it gives you all something to do every spring…” Yuko raised a brow, “besides, those two need to get over what’s happened in the past, you know?”
Miyabi blinked. “Are you sure? They might not have the heart to do it…”
“I’ll make sure they do it…” a maleficent aura seemed to replace the benevolent one earlier. Swirls of malicious grey colored the lioness’s horrifying glare, as if preparing to hunt.
“Y…Yuko-nee… Calm down…” Miyabi enunciated carefully, ignoring the barrage of daggers that Yuko’s eyes were sending, “I have a gun you know…”
The gun on her lap shifted slightly before zooming up into the older’s hand.
The sniper squeaked.
Endlessly…
The tension is really bad…Miyabi bit her lip as she carefully shuffled around the shed with stacked boxes. The two older women were almost like moving statues. They would say a few occasional “move that with those” or “careful” quotes, but that’s about it. They reminded the teen of all the business people on those tv shows, only the two she was working with weren’t wearing suits and they certainly weren’t doing anything involving the wellbeing of their companies.
A poof of dust sprang into the air as the teen set the stack down. Well that was heavy… Miyabi wiped the sweat off her brow and blinked curiously at what the contents of the box held in order to garner so much weight. Recognizing the familiar temptation from the past cleanups, the sniper pushed that matter into the back of her mind and continued about her business.
“Yuko seems to collect a lot of artifacts in her free time, huh?”
Miyabi was so glad when she heard Rika finally ask a question sort of unrelated to the job at hand.
“Yeah. Folklorist and all. I was told that all of these items are genuine, but I’m not one to believe in ‘em…” Miki said solemnly, moving a barrel of rod-like items into a corner. The maiden nodded in return before retrieving the last circular artifact discarded carelessly and placed it in the box containing similar objects.
She slipped her fingers underneath the box and lifted it cautiously against her chest. Her body staggered with the weight, but she was able to hold onto it. Well, until she tried to turn… As she revolved about her foot, the weight of the box threw her off-balance and Rika began to fall backwards and would have met the floor with an incredibly heavy box if it weren’t for someone stopping her in time.
Hearing a slight cry, Miki effortlessly caught Rika’s back with her extended arm. With the nudge of her arm, Rika was able to stagger forward to place the box back upon the other stack with a grunt.
“You’re useless,” Miki sighed discontently, scratching her head as she placed her other hand on her hip. “If it’s that heavy, you should have asked me to do it.”
“I just wanted to help…”Rika panted, leaning heavily against her knees. “You don’t have to act so…”
“What am I acting like then?” Miki half-raised her voice as she threw a random staff from the barrel onto the floor in her anger.
She didn’t know if it was the unbearable heat of the shed or the fact that Miki threw something at her, but Rika angrily retorted back, “You didn’t have to act like a jerk about my helplessness, alright?!” and picked up the staff that the younger threw at her.
“Who’s acting like the jerk? I just told you to lay off the hard work and let me handle it; that was me trying to be nice!” Miki spat back.
“You could at least do something about that childish attitude…” Rika muttered indiscreetly to herself as she brushed past Miki carefully (bumping into her on purpose would have been very bad, not to mention immature) in order to return the staff to the barrel. However, just before she was able to do so, Miki grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards her.
“What’s your problem now?” Rika glared into the other’s eyes.
“I heard what you said earlier…” Miki glared with just as much intensity as the maiden.
“G…Guys… Calm down…” Miyabi added in, but was completely ignored.
“Would you like an apology then?” the maiden bit her lower lip tightly, trying to keep control of her accumulating emotions.
“I don’t need a damn apology,” Miki replied in a not so courteous voice, squeezing her arm tighter, “I don’t take kindly to insults that compare me to a brat!”
“Then stop acting like one!” Rika cried out as she smacked Miki lightly on the head with the staff in her grasp.
Before she knew it, Rika felt her world become one huge vacuum. All she could see was a typhoon of mahogany and brown colors swirling around her. She shielded her eyes from the vivid swirls, feeling dizzy from having to see them. She noticed her world around her become very dark all of a sudden, prompting her to take her hands away from her sight.
The ground beneath her was no longer wooden, but instead, soft, dark grass. She looked around her, twirling about in surprise as if she was a dog who was introduced to a new house after being trapped in a dark box. She was in the middle of a most beautiful garden, illuminated softly by the orange lights hung around the trees and traditional mansion’s awnings. She seemed to be back in the Fujimotos’ garden… No… this was even bigger than the one she was familiar with…
She was at… the Fujimotos’ main house?
She heard something that sounded like sniffling coming one direction of her senses. As she turned to look, she found someone coming at her! She did not have the chance to move away, so she braced herself for impact. But for some reason, that impact never came… She opened her eyes in realization as the person walked right through her instead of into her.
Do I not exist…? Rika wondered to herself, looking at her own hands to find that they were flickering between wholesome limbs to static-like limbs. Maki… What’s happened?
“I think you may have hit Miki with a Black Staff…”
Rika nearly jumped as she heard that familiar voice. Next to her, Maki had her arms crossed above her chest, her tattoos were still as dark as ever in contrast to her pale skin. Like Rika, Maki seemed to constantly flicker between a wholesome human appearance and a cloud of static in the silhouette of a human.
“A black staff…?” Rika tilted her head in bemusement.
“Because of it, you’re now inside of her memories…” Maki trailed off as her eyes seemed to be paying attention to something else. Rika also looked at what had caught the maiden’s attention and blinked ambiguously.
There was a man of interest who had walked by. His dark hair was cut short and combed to the side. His glaring eyes and Roman nose was easily recognizable to the two who have seen them on someone else prior. He was clad in an all black suit and was headed in the direction where Rika had heard all the sniffling coming from. She turned to follow this oddly familiar man, but paused mid-step to look at Maki, who showed no signs of wanting to move.
“Are you coming?” Rika asked.
“I have no business to. I’ll stay here and wait,” Maki said solemnly, her golden eyes gleaming brightly under the night sky.
Rika turned and sprinted to catch up with the man. He opened the sliding door to a room filled with probably 40 or 50 people dressed similar to him—all in black. Everyone seemed to be in a messy line ahead of her. But Rika just walked passed them—or through them rather—to see what the commotion was all about. Eventually, she came to the view of an altar, decorated in many flowers and a single portrait in the center. In the picture was a woman with a most alluring beauty. Her glossy black orbs felt like they were staring into Rika’s eyes, almost at her heart. It wasn’t that it seemed that this woman was looking at her like she was studying her though. Instead, it seemed that the woman was looking at her with all of the sorrow and sadness she could muster… Clearly, this woman was familiar, yet not… But Rika had finally realized it.
She was at the funeral of Miki Fujimoto’s mother.
If this was her mother… And who she saw earlier was her father… Then where was Miki herself?
“From what I heard, it was suicide…”
“No one knows…”
“I guess it was so hard on her to have such an unruly daughter…”
“That’s too bad, who will take care of Miyabi?”
“Poor thing…”
Rika couldn’t believe what she was hearing around her.
“Maybe it would have been better if Miyabi was her only child…”
“If only she hadn’t had that Miki…”
“Oh, there’s that Miki…” Rika heard at her side. She turned around, half-listening to the voices around her and half-searching for Miki. Sure enough, she found her…
Miki hardly looked older than 7 or 8 at this memory. Her wavy hair was barely at her shoulder and her face remained as solemn as ever. She was walking in the crowd, her black dress leaving wistful trails as it glided through the air where she walked. The crowd moved aside as she walked, almost as if they were afraid to obstruct her path. Rika followed the young Miki, walking through the crowds at the same pace the younger was. She felt a pang of sorrow grab a hold of her hold, watching the forlorn child walk through the crowd.
The murmurs kept going as they walked through.
“That girl isn’t even crying…”
“Even though her mother died…”
“And it was Miki that pushed her mother to her suicide…”
“SHUT UP!” the crowd silenced their rumors as Miki raised her voice at the woman who brought forth such a statement. The little girl glared at the adult before continuing to walk out of the room, muttering to herself.
Rika had no idea what to think of this. She could only follow Miki out the door and onto the garden. Sure enough, she found Maki idly standing around at the spot she left her at. Her golden eyes watched Miki just as intently as Rika’s own. They both stood together side by side as they continued observing the young Miki walking on top of the bridge, watching the koi playing in the pond below.
“It’s not my fault… It’s not my fault…” the child Miki muttered endlessly to herself, standing with her fists clenched tightly.
“It’s not my fault… It’s not…” the child trailed off.
Rika wanted to run forward to hug the poor child, but knew that if she did, her arms would only go through her. This side of Miki was so…sad… and so… Rika didn’t want to use this word, but Miki looked very…pitiful…A figure walked past her translucent body, earning a surprised look from the brunette. That person…!
“Miki?”
The child turned to look at her new visitor, a woman clad in a black kimono. The woman looked no older than 20, her dark blonde hair was trimmed in a style similar to Hitomi’s chin-length hair. Rika knew who she was at this point, but was frankly surprised to see her in this memory, and at such an age too…
“It’s not my fault! It’s not my fault!” Miki yelled at the woman, taking a creature-like stance, prepared to jump her if the woman had said otherwise.
“I know,” was all the woman said, her serious face softening into a small smile. “It’s alright…” she said as she bent down to reach eye level with the other.
Miki continued to stare in bemusement at the other.
“I’m Nakazawa Yuko, would you like to stay with me for a while?” the young lioness asked, devoid of her grey contacts and instead, had brown earnest eyes which were softly embracing Miki’s sight.
The young Miki finally began to cry, using the ends of her sleeve to wipe away her tears. “Nakazawa-san…” the girl repeated, then her cheeks grew red as her tears began to come out at full bursts.
“It’s alright…” Yuko hushed again, tilting her head in that small little smile again, “I’m here for you…”
“So you start to cry now?” a disapproved voice pierced the air. Miki and Yuko (along with the two maidens) turned to look at the owner of the voice.
“Yusuke…” and “Father…” were said simultaneously as the man Rika saw earlier approached the two.
“Why did you tell your aunt to shut up? That was very disrespectful of you,” the head of the Fujimoto family growled as he shook his head with disapproval. “Don’t disgrace the family any more than you are already… driving your mother into suicide like that…”
“It’s not my fault!” Miki yelled, almost lunging at him if it weren’t for Yuko holding her back. “It’s not my fault at all! Auntie should die for not telling the truth! I’m not the one at fault here! She is telling a lie! I didn’t kill Mother! She killed herself! I had nothing to do with it!!!” the child panted, out of breath from saying what she wanted to say.
“You’re just a foolish child. You didn’t even cry when you were at her altar. Did you not cry because you were feeling guilty? That you did feel partially responsible for forcing her into suicide?” Yusuke cut in sharply.
“Yusuke…” Yuko said in a low, cautious voice, “don’t say such things to her…”
“She’s just a child. She probably doesn’t understand…” Yusuke said offhandedly, placing his hands in his pockets.
“You’re wrong…” Miki muttered under her breath, clenching her fists yet again.
“Yusuke, I’m going to watch Miki for a while. I trust that it will be to your benefit to have her not be in your sight?” Yuko said as she stepped forward, still keeping her hand on Miki’s shoulder.
“Watch that demon all you want, keep her, if you really want to…” Yusuke said solemnly as he turned about his foot to walk away.
“And Miyabi?” Yuko called out to the head, still keeping a firm grasp on the younger’s shoulder.
“I’ll be watching her,” the head said as he continued walking, “There’s no way in hell that I’m letting her be with that disgusting demon that drove my wife into suicide…”
And with that, Rika and Maki were swept away by the typhoon of colors yet again.
Not easily forgotten…
When Rika came around, she saw that she was in one of the dance halls of Yuko’s school, the same one she was living in. Here in this bright orange room, she saw an older, adolescent Miki with a short haircut along with a bright yellow vest and shorts sparring with an older Yuko with bright blonde hair whose layers jetted outwards.
Now there were those cold grey eyes that Rika was familiar with. Both women had hardened expressions as they were fighting.
Their footwork was amazing. Their feet were in a constant war of extreme footsies. Miki slammed her foot on the ground, swinging her knee against Yuko’s own, causing the older’s leg to almost buckle. However, the lioness found her strength despite the disadvantage and shoved the younger’s knee back, switching their offense and defense situation in a complete 180° turn. Miki brought her other knee up in an effort to get Yuko’s stomach, but the other lifted her knee just the same and canceled out the attack. Then their feet interlaced as they stomped the ground once more.
Watching their hands move was like watching two fierce cats—a lion and a tiger—going at it. Yuko’s hands were like long swipes while Miki’s were always bent at the elbow. Their fingers were both curved to a certain degree, almost as if they were claws instead of fingers.
The lioness’s style seemed to be based on blocking and then punishing mistakes. When Miki missed a palm attack on her face, Yuko grabbed onto her arm and pulled her close for an uppercut which sent the other soaring. Miki twirled her legs in a circle before literally hopping to her feet. Then she used the momentum to spin yet again and then elbow the older hard in the chest. When the hit connected, she did a half-turn and used that moment to charge up another punch to the same spot and then executed yet another half-turn to do a round house kick, sending Yuko flying just the same as she did for revenge.
“Good job, you finally knocked me down…” the lioness smirked as she looked up at Miki.
“Lovely…” the younger smirked as well as she went over to help her master up. “So what now?”
“Your partner should be arriving any minute now,” the blonde said as she brushed herself off, now simply smiling at the other, “you two would work great together!”
“Oh really?” Miki drawled, “But seriously, I don’t need a partner, you’re my partner in that snatching business, you know? I don’t need a third.”
“Actually, I’m thinking of retiring from putting myself into the crossfire.”
“What?!” Miki turned around with widened eyes, “Why!? You’re great with projectiles, I need a long-range fighter as my partner!”
“I’m getting to old for all this action, dear,” Yuko laughed as she patted Miki on the shoulder. “I’ll just pull the strings from now on. I might participate in some missions, but other than that, I’ll be here from now… But that’s why you should look forward to your partner. She’s great with long-range like I am!”
“Pfft! No one’s better than you!” Miki sighed exasperatedly.
“Actually, this girl IS better than me, so it’ll be beneficial for all of us.”
Rika grew curious now. If this new partner was a long-range fighter, did this mean she finally raised Miyabi up for the fighting? But wait… Miyabi was probably only 10 at this point of time, how could she even hold a gun at that age?!
“Yuko!” came the familiar voice of Kei, the main housekeeper of the mansion. Rika was surprised to see Kei with long hair! She actually didn’t look bad in it. But Kei still had a long way to go before being considered the Ayumi Hamasaki of this house… “The guest is here!” she smiled before leaving. The other two hurriedly followed after her, Rika eagerly doing the same (Maki was the only one who wasn’t excited and just walked slowly).
Everyone entered a different room in which Rika recognized as the same dancing hall that she was taken to at first in order to be told about the celestial maiden story. Sitting on a cushion in the middle of the hall was rather cute-looking woman. Rika was right in thinking that it wasn’t Miyabi, but this girl…
She had shoulder-length hair which was brunette in color, but very dark which signified that it was fading back into black. The girl looked to be about Miki’s age, but unlike the other, this one had a more charming, dignified air about her. Her smile combined with her mischievous eyes and snake-like eyebrows made her almost seem like a devilish imp in a sense. Her clothes consisted of a cute red blouse with a V-neck and quarter sleeves and a dark mahogany skirt.
Miki and Yuko sat down and the guest bowed to them.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Yuko said as she returned the bow, “I am Nakazawa Yuko, though formally Fujimoto Yuko since I am now adopted.”
“Fujimoto Miki. Pleasure to meet you,” Miki said simply as she gave a slight bow to the guest.
The guest smiled widely, before also introducing herself. “Nice to meet you, I am Matsuura Aya, please treat me well from now on,” the girl said before bowing again.
Rika wanted to know more about this Matsuura, but before she could listen any more, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at the one who had just squeezed her shoulder and her smile vanished when she found out who it was.
It was the modern Miki.
She couldn’t look Miki in the eye and instead, looked away, feeling all the guilt constricting her all of a sudden. Although the actual Miki did not say anything, Rika knew that that body language meant that she was really edgy about this.
That’s right… I accidentally looked into her past without her permission… Rika thought bitterly. The scene before them became inaudible to Rika’s ears. The only thing she heard was her heart pounding rapidly, overwhelmed by what she had seen and the real thing actually showing up. She saw the colors around them swirling, and also Maki disappearing, probably back into her body.
Rika felt really tense despite the dizziness the swirling colors were supposed to cause. She remained perfectly still, continuously refusing to look at the woman behind her. Memories before the deep dive into Miki’s head came flooding back into Rika’s head and immediately, she regretted picking on her attitude. How was she supposed to face her now?
Not easily forgiven…
The rest of the cleanup went without a word. Rika looked at Miki’s back with a worried expression, clearly still thinking about how to talk to her. Miyabi had already left thanks to Miki sending her away, leaving the two of them to finish the rest of the job by sweeping here and there and then finally finishing.
She wished she didn’t do that.
Hitting Miki with that black staff…
And then viewing her mother’s funeral…
Things got better when they got to meet Matsuura, but that was when Miki came in and pulled Rika out of her memories.
Who was Matsuura Aya?
What was she?
Who was she to Miki?
Why was she even curious?
“Well done, you two,” a clap came. Miki and Rika turned their heads to the entrance of the shed, finding Yuko standing in the middle of it and clapping her hands. “You both did a great job.” The corners of the oldest’s mouth turned upward in a bracket-like smile.
Both of them didn’t say anything in return.
“Well, you two can go free now. I hired some people to cook dinner for us today, since our dear chef can’t with her hand like that.” With that being said, Miki hid her injured hand behind her, looking away from her elder sister. But realizing what she had said at the beginning of the sentence, Miki perked up.
“You hired cooks?!”
“Yeah, they’re in the kitchen right now. Although you can’t do anything, you can still check on them to make sure they…” before Yuko could finish that sentence, Miki bolted out the door past the blonde and ran for the kitchen.
“She must really enjoy cooking if she gets like that…” Rika raised a brow as she and Yuko followed Miki to the kitchen.
“Well, she really won’t be happy once she finds out who I hired…” Yuko chuckled to herself.
The calm aura of the slow day was interrupted with Miki’s scream upon entering the kitchen.
“WHY THE HELL IS MY KITCHEN PINK!?”
Guess who’s back?
Now that it's past twenty chapters, I'm doing the comment rule again. Right now, I'd say either 6 good comments or 12 halfassed ones will do xDDDD
Too bad, lurkers >:]
For the next chapter, I'm thinking of uploading an OST (Original Score Track) update. This time, there's more insert themes like when Rika deep-dived into Miki's mind and a few more character themes, including Eri's theme and her ... death theme... xD; So look forward to that xDDD.
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I just didn't have the time to read it XD and still don't but there were like no updates for a while so I finally did read it (I think that sentence makes sense -shrug-)
But I'm glad I read it =D
It's really sad that they all blamed Miki for her mothers death because it seems like Miki blames herself for everyone elses deaths (Aya and Eri) she must go through a lot of internal suffering...
It was really awesome to see into Mikis past though Rika must feel so bad about it
I know I would be pissed if someone saw my memories (although they're nothing as emotional as Mikis)
and then to have her kitchen be pink XD
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New chapter! :cow:
Miki must feel awful, so much death surrounding her life, specially of people so dear to her. And we don't even know her full story with Aya, so... I do hope Rika founds about her soon, just not in the "Black Staff" way.
Yuko is so awesome, just had to say that! Awesome with the child-Miki, awesome with the teen-Miki, awesome nowadays... But Miki's dad... Yeah, not so awesome, obviously.
And we got to know a little bit about Miyabi in this, so I liked it. It's a pity she already went berserk at such a young age, but I guess it comes with her lifestyle. I would like to see some fluff in her life, though *coughRisakocough*
Keep it uuuup!
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If I fail English, it's because I was reading this instead of doing my homework!! XD
The same one I couldn’t save her with…Miki recalled bitterly, resting her injured hand on her left eye.
Again and again… I couldn’t save the people I wanted to protect…
I’m useless…
So I'm guessing Aya's dead and Miki tried to save her but couldn't. :(
Rika let the cold water splash her face, feeling its piercing iciness against her skin. Her darkened eyes glanced up from under her eyelashes, finding instead of her reflection, Maki was standing in the mirror with her arms crossed.
...
“You deluded yourself. I have already told you that there was nothing that co—”
Maki obviously has the power to save ppl from dying but what Rika doesn't understand is that it wasn't any of her business to do so. When it's time, it's time. Unfortunately.
“You didn’t… go berserk that time, right?” Grey eyes studied the back of the younger’s head.
“Neesan, I’m alright.”
“You have to control your temper carefully… Otherwise.. You’ll…”
“I know…” Miyabi sighed, “I know…”
There was a certain time in a past mission where Miyabi… did not act like herself, Yuko recalled. Whatever it was that had made her snap, the results were horrendous. She became so angry that she was unable to distinguish friend from foe, safe spot from fatal injury, life from death… It took Miki, Megumi, and Yuko’s strength to pin the teenager down before she could send any more people into hell with her prodigious gunmanship.
I'd like to hear more about this......episode that Miya had. :?
“The shed!?” Miyabi’s eyes widened. “There’s so much stuff in there though! It took us a longass time to do it last year! And God knows how much stuff you’ve collected since our last cleanup! Can’t you just put your artifacts in there in the way we’ve organized it for you instead of just putting them in random places!?”
“Well, it gives you all something to do every spring…” Yuko raised a brow
XD
Before she knew it, Rika felt her world become one huge vacuum. All she could see was a typhoon of mahogany and brown colors swirling around her. She shielded her eyes from the vivid swirls, feeling dizzy from having to see them. She noticed her world around her become very dark all of a sudden, prompting her to take her hands away from her sight.
The ground beneath her was no longer wooden, but instead, soft, dark grass. She looked around her, twirling about in surprise as if she was a dog who was introduced to a new house after being trapped in a dark box. She was in the middle of a most beautiful garden, illuminated softly by the orange lights hung around the trees and traditional mansion’s awnings. She seemed to be back in the Fujimotos’ garden… No… this was even bigger than the one she was familiar with…
Oshit. Don't tell me....
“I think you may have hit Miki with a Black Staff…”
Rika nearly jumped as she heard that familiar voice. Next to her, Maki had her arms crossed above her chest, her tattoos still has dark as ever in contrast to her pale skin. Like Rika, Maki seemed to constantly flicker between a wholesome human appearance and a cloud of static in the silhouette of a human.
“A black staff…?” Rika tilted her head in bemusement.
“Because of it, you’re now inside of her memories…” Maki trailed off as her eyes seemed to be paying attention to something else. Rika also looked at what had caught the maiden’s attention and blinked ambiguously.
Holy crap!!! Now we're getting somewhere!!! :w00t:
She was at the funeral of Miki Fujimoto’s mother.
...
“Yusuke…” and “Father…” were said simultaneously as the man Rika saw earlier approached the two.
“Why did you tell your aunt to shut up? That was very disrespectful of you,” the head of the Fujimoto family growled as he shook his head with disapproval. “Don’t disgrace the family any more than you are already… driving your mother into suicide like that…”
...
“I’ll be watching her,” the head said as he continued walking, “There’s no way in hell that I’m letting her be with that disgusting demon that drove my wife into suicide…”
Miki.... :cry:
The guest smiled widely, before also introducing herself. “Nice to meet you, I am Matsuura Aya, please treat me well from now on,” the girl said before bowing again.
Ooooooh, so that's how they met.
She turned to look at the one who had just squeezed her shoulder and her smile vanished when she found out who it was.
It was the modern Miki.
How the hell.... :?
“WHY THE HELL IS MY KITCHEN PINK!?”
Rainbow Pinku~~ :rofl:
Is that a good enough comment for you?! XD
Probably my longest ever!! It's JFC-style. :P
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*sniff* B-but you already killed my favorite....
Somehow I think Miya is getting more and more scary, while Miki is the humane one. A child's temper is.. unpredictable. Ouuu.. So Ayaya was in Miyabi's place at first.. hmm. Probably explains why she's not around now, died in a mission I'm guessing. Instead of pitying Miki, I'll admire her. She's like super strong to be able to handle 3 deaths already... Strong Miki!
Yay~ Shige-pink, Koha-pink is backkk! Let them lighten up the group's mood now~ Or give them more headaches... either one.
Half-asseddddd!~ byebye~
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The hands behind her head wanted to clench if it weren’t for supporting her head—and being bandaged. According to doctors, the slits between her fingers and palms were gaping wide from holding onto that sharp cliff face. It would take weeks for the injuries to fully heal, and it would take awhile after that for her fingers to even be able to fold itself properly.
Crap, that's going to mean that Miki likely won't be able to fight as well (the chopsticks, at least, are probably out of the question) should a conflict come up.
That injured hand…
The same one I couldn’t save her with…Miki recalled bitterly, resting her injured hand on her left eye.
Again and again… I couldn’t save the people I wanted to protect…
I’m useless…
This part of the reason why Miki's a cynic in this fic? Are we going to get details? :?
*RIKA-MAKI TALK*
Maki made no such claims as far as being able to save Eri. Personally, given how resolute she was in her efforts to convince Rika that the effort was futile, I'm still surprised that she actually emerged and tried to do it anyway.
“How are they?” Yuko asked, leaning against the doorway of her youngest sister’s room.
“They seem to act normal. I’m too scared to ask if they got over it,” the sniper replied solemnly, polishing up one of her guns.
The day that death like that doesn't affect you...THAT'S when you need to start to worry.
There was a certain time in a past mission where Miyabi… did not act like herself, Yuko recalled. Whatever it was that had made her snap, the results were horrendous. She became so angry that she was unable to distinguish friend from foe, safe spot from fatal injury, life from death… It took Miki, Megumi, and Yuko’s strength to pin the teenager down before she could send any more people into hell with her prodigious gunmanship.
Holy crap. :O
“Ever since Kamei-san’s funeral two weeks ago… I was worried that Miki-nee might be broken again…”
“Ah yes… This Kamei-san was special to her, huh?” the lioness stepped into the room and sat on the bed next to Miyabi.
“She was… But you know, I was glad that Nee-san was a little stronger this time… Not like when Matsuura-san…” the teen trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
Well, that pretty much explains it. :sweatdrop:
“I’m going to have all of you organize the shed a bit.”
“The shed!?” Miyabi’s eyes widened. “There’s so much stuff in there though! It took us a longass time to do it last year! And God knows how much stuff you’ve collected since our last cleanup! Can’t you just put your artifacts in there in the way we’ve organized it for you instead of just putting them in random places!?”
“Well, it gives you all something to do every spring…” Yuko raised a brow, “besides, those two need to get over what’s happened in the past, you know?”
Yuko's got a point. As hard as it's been for them, sooner or later they would have to get going and start actually living life again.
Miyabi blinked. “Are you sure? They might not have the heart to do it…”
“I’ll make sure they do it…” a maleficent aura seemed to replace the benevolent one earlier. Swirls of malicious grey colored the lioness’s horrifying glare, as if preparing to hunt.
“Y…Yuko-nee… Calm down…” Miyabi enunciated carefully, ignoring the barrage of daggers that Yuko’s eyes were sending, “I have a gun you know…”
The gun on her lap shifted slightly before zooming up into the older’s hand.
The sniper squeaked.
Oh fuck.
:scared:
“I don’t need a damn apology,” Miki replied in a not so courteous voice, squeezing her arm tighter, “I don’t take kindly to insults that compare me to a brat!”
“Then stop acting like one!” Rika cried out as she smacked Miki lightly on the head with the staff in her grasp.
Before she knew it, Rika felt her world become one huge vacuum. All she could see was a typhoon of mahogany and brown colors swirling around her. She shielded her eyes from the vivid swirls, feeling dizzy from having to see them. She noticed her world around her become very dark all of a sudden, prompting her to take her hands away from her sight.
Uh oh, Rika's getting emotional again, which means we might see Maki come out.
She was at… the Fujimotos’ main house?
She is? How'd she get there?
:dunno:
She heard something that sounded like sniffling coming one direction of her senses. As she turned to look, she found someone coming at her! She did not have the chance to move away, so she braced herself for impact. But for some reason, that impact never came… She opened her eyes in realization as the person walked right through her instead of into her.
Do I not exist…? Rika wondered to herself, looking at her own hands to find that they were flickering between wholesome limbs to static-like limbs. Maki… What’s happened?
“I think you may have hit Miki with a Black Staff…”
...
“A black staff…?” Rika tilted her head in bemusement.
“Because of it, you’re now inside of her memories…”
Inside her memories? Rika's seeing something that Miki went through? :shocked:
Considering recent events, it's not that much of a stretch to guess what Rika's about to see (and learn) from Miki's past. :cry:
She was at the funeral of Miki Fujimoto’s mother.
If this was her mother… And who she saw earlier was her father… Then where was Miki herself?
“From what I heard, it was suicide…”
“No one knows…”
“I guess it was so hard on her to have such an unruly daughter…”
“That’s too bad, who will take care of Miyabi?”
“Poor thing…”
Rika couldn’t believe what she was hearing around her.
“Maybe it would have been better if Miyabi was her only child…”
“If only she hadn’t had that Miki…”
Sons of bitches, they actually have the GALL to say shit like that AT the funeral?! :angry:
“Why did you tell your aunt to shut up? That was very disrespectful of you,” the head of the Fujimoto family growled as he shook his head with disapproval. “Don’t disgrace the family any more than you are already… driving your mother into suicide like that…”
Ok, don't even get me started on "dear ol' Dad's" behaviour right now.
:mon mad:
It's no wonder Miki went to live with Yuko instead of staying "home".
When Rika came around, she saw that she was in one of the dance halls of Yuko’s school, the same one she was living in. Here in this bright orange room, she saw an older, adolescent Miki with a short haircut along with a bright yellow vest and shorts sparring with an older Yuko with bright blonde hair whose layers jetted outwards.
...
“Your partner should be arriving any minute now,” the blonde said as she brushed herself off, now simply smiling at the other, “you two would work great together!”
...
“I’m getting to old for all this action, dear,” Yuko laughed as she patted Miki on the shoulder. “I’ll just pull the strings from now on. I might participate in some missions, but other than that, I’ll be here from now… But that’s why you should look forward to your partner. She’s great with long-range like I am!”
...
The girl looked to be about Miki’s age, but unlike the other, this one had a more charming, dignified air about her.
...
The guest smiled widely, before also introducing herself. “Nice to meet you, I am Matsuura Aya, please treat me well from now on,” the girl said before bowing again.
Of course.
:mon innocent:
Rika wanted to know more about this Matsuura, but before she could listen any more, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at the one who had just squeezed her shoulder and her smile vanished when she found out who it was.
It was the modern Miki.
...
That’s right… I accidentally looked into her past without her permission…
Miki was aware of what Rika was doing? Was she immediately aware or did it take her a while to figure it out and "interject" herself in there to stop her? If the former, then why did Miki let Rika see all that?
Who was Matsuura Aya?
What was she?
Who was she to Miki?
Why was she even curious?
Unconsciously, she's probably just trying to understand Miki.
“You hired cooks?!”
“Yeah, they’re in the kitchen right now. Although you can’t do anything, you can still check on them to make sure they…” before Yuko could finish that sentence, Miki bolted out the door past the blonde and ran for the kitchen.
“She must really enjoy cooking if she gets like that…” Rika raised a brow as she and Yuko followed Miki to the kitchen.
Excited? I don't know if I'd say that. We all know that Miki's a SERIOUS foodie here, AND that she LOVES cooking. Given this, and taking into consideration how "possessive" cooks can be, one would expect that she'd be more...opposed to the thought of other people meddling around in her kitchen.
:pig huh:
“Well, she really won’t be happy once she finds out who I hired…” Yuko chuckled to herself.
The calm aura of the slow day was interrupted with Miki’s scream upon entering the kitchen.
Oh, did I call it or what?
:k-crazy:
“WHY THE HELL IS MY KITCHEN PINK!?”
Guess who’s back?
OMGASS! Where's the cart??!??
:on lol:
Now that it's past twenty chapters, I'm doing the comment rule again. Right now, I'd say either 6 good comments or 12 halfassed ones will do xDDDD
Too bad, lurkers >:]
Mine's still worth double, right? :akachin:
Is that a good enough comment for you?! XD
Probably my longest ever!! It's JFC-style. :P
Hey, if it helps get more updates...:rockon:
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What a tragic childhood. I think they're just using her as a scapegoat. Her family seems to be well-respected. If anyone learned about the true(if there is one or if we ever find out) reason for her mom's death, their reputation will be tarnished. Good thing Yuko was around to take Miki under her wing. Who knows what her dad or her relatives would have done to her OR what Miki would have done to them. ;)
To echo JFC: Where's the cart?!!! :lol:
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aw......poor miki....but i want to know how miya and miki reunited....plus an update about miya and risako.....
what happen to the always failure confessions of miya to rii-chan???jejeje
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I'm so behind in reading ff's, I'm just not in a reading mood lately but there are stories that pull me back in here xD
I loved the general mood in this chapter, after Kamei's death I was really wondering how everyone would cope. And then there's all the Miki background. There will be more, right? There HAS to be! *shakes fist*
Sorry, I'm a lousy commentor.
edit: AND as the music junkey that I am, I'm looking forward to the OST update! I'm extremely curious what Kamei's themes will be like.
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I can't believe I missed the latest 3 updates. Shame one me!
:kneelbow:
Also, I can't believe you killed Eri. *pouts* Ok, she jumped to death on her own, but still...
At least she was in peace with herself.
:prayers:
Uhm, with the mention of Hitomi's haircut while describing Yuko, are you trying to imply they're similar?
:dunno:
Oh, and why did you stop right after Rika met Aya through Miki's memories?
I was just as curious as Rika.
:grr:
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Uhm.. I haven't commented before but I read this ages ago and didn't know it got updated.. :sweatdrop:
Does this still have the elements of Ayashino Ceres or naah?
i had no idea Aya was gonna be in this fic.. but she sounded like she was way in the past..
As gay as it may sound i did cry as i read the coming death Eri.. :cry:
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... yo... here as well... hmm... just started... i'm way behind... :lol:
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o_O I didn't realise I got comments...
XD; Could be the fact that I'm in Florida (again) so I hadn't had computer access for a while xDDD;
Sorry for the wait y'all, but I must ask you all to wait even longer. I'm coming home sunday and I'd be too busy catching up with homework. So expect a new chapter (AND a kickassly updated OST) next week o___O;
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I don't know if I have said this before but It doesn't matter what you do, it will turn out awesome. I read the OCG. Such a good story. The best ending ever. Now I read this non-sequel and is as awesome as the first. Awesome writing.
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The calm aura of the slow day was interrupted with Miki’s scream upon entering the kitchen.
“WHY THE HELL IS MY KITCHEN PINK!?”
Best line ever!... XD
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Comment replies! It's been forever, mister comment reply box o-o;
Heyyouhiya-chan: Yeah, Miki blames herself for many of the deaths that occured in the past. Such an angsty character :<
Grisours-chan: Poor Miki ;-; But hey, now you get to learn more things in this chapter that you were curious about earlier xD
Ichigo-chan: Aww, adorable xD But some of the questions you may have are answered in this next chapter. Woo! XD
Stefy-san: I'm sorry ;-;... xD Nah, it ain't half-assed. It's a cute lovely comment :B... You'll see how Aya ... passes on in this chapter.
JFC-kun: Yeah, we'll see some things you want to see in this chapter... sorta xD...
Wo-kun: In Miki's room :B... xDD Yeah, Miki's dad is a bitch D<
Ayase: Well now you get to see it here! xDDD
Coachie: xDDD Well we'll see a bit more here! :3 OST update is after the story xD.
Ama-chan: Actually, I wanted to refer to Yuko's hair in Furusato/Love machine xDDD I couldn't figure out how to describe it so uh... there it was o_O xD I'm sure your curiousity will be filled up just a bit more in this chapter.
Zay-chan: Like I said, the beginning was very similar to it, but I said after the beginning arc, everything else will be original xDDD Aww, you cried! -hugs- ;-;
Tru-chan: -waves- xDDD
Yankii-chan: Aww, that's so sweet of you <333333333333
On a final note, I'm sorry for the long wait, it took a while for the muse to get to me xDDD..
I also apologize for my horrible writing in this chapter. It seems almost subjective and lots of telling without showing ;___; So uh... just overlook it and enjoy what's actually happening xD...
By the way, super long chapter xD.
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o___o
Chapter 22: Another Side, Another Story
What has happened?
“WHY THE HELL IS MY KITCHEN PINK!?” Miki’s hands shot into her head, grabbing at her hair tightly as if to pull it all off.
Everything…
Everything she knew and loved…
Pink!
“Well, when we cook something, it bothers us to have an environment that isn’t all pink…” Koharu beamed happily as she popped her right leg backwards and raised her hands at shoulder-length in generic idol-like pose. Behind her, Sayumi, clad in that trademark heart-shaped apron, was stirring a rather gigantic pink pot with an equally alarming sized ladle.
If this was a manga, Miki’s mouth would drop to the floor—scratch that, Miki’s mouth would drop through the pink floor.
“Hey Mi—HOLY CRAP IT REALLY IS PINK!!” Rika’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she walked into the kitchen, Yuko tagging along with an amused expression on her face.
“Good day to you, Maki-sama!” Koharu piped up, soft brown eyes brimming with energy.
“How can you ignore my distress!?” Miki retorted angrily and smacked the young fox demon in the back of her head.
“Waaaah~!” Koharu cried out as she held onto her head protectively, “Miki hit me~!” The kit then hid behind Yuko, pouting cutely furiously as she clung tightly to the headmistress’s sleeve.
“Come now, she’s only 15, Miki…”Yuko chuckled, patting poor Koharu on the head. “Take it easy.”
“HOW CAN I TAKE IT EASY WHEN MY ENTIRE KITCHEN IS FUCKING PINK!?” the demon roared again, causing all of the birds resting in the trees to disperse and flee the scene. “Even the pink-lover is shocked shitless!” Miki whirled about her foot to point at the frozen Rika, her mouth dropping agape like a certain member of a girl band…
“I…I…” Rika stuttered, her eyes seemingly pried open to the environment around her.
“See!? Shocked shitless!”
“I love it!” Rika clasped her hands together, stars twinkling in her eyes.
“I think she’s shitlessly happy,” Yuko laughed, borrowing Miki’s terms for the greater effect.
“Really? I’m happy you love our paint job!” Sayumi smiled gleefully while she stirred the pink pot with a matching pink ladle. “I’ve missed you so much!” faking the stars in her eyes, the older fox ran to Rika in a pretended slow motion, playing up a clichéd overdramatic scene.
“Oh my goodness, I’ve missed you too~!” Rika, also playing along to Sayumi’s melodramatic scenario, ran in slow-mo towards the younger.
Soon, when they were in each other’s distance, they both spread their arms out wide and clung to each other, popping their leg for the greater cheesy effect.
“Oh Sayumi-chan!”
“Oh Ishikawa-san!”
“Bleeeh!!” Miki pretend to throw up to the side.
“It’s been weeks since I last saw you!” a familiar smile returned to the flesh maiden’s face. “How’s it been!?”
“It’s been so lonely without my number two cutest to talk with~!”
“Awww, my number two narcissist was lonely too?”
“Face it Ishikawa-san, you’re too old be to the number one cutest!”
“She’s right,” Miki cut in, but was innately ignored by the other two.
“I’ve been the number one cutest long before you~!” Rika softly chided with a grin.
“Silly, I’m cuter because of my fox ears and tail~!”
“Silly, I don’t need extras to be cute~!”
“Someone please shoot me…”
“WHY THE HELL IS THE KITCHEN PINK!?”
Miyabi gaped as she waltzed through the sliding door into the kitchen area.
“That was my reaction!” Miki added in, “You better change my kitchen back to its original colors when you’re done!”
“Well, we’re going to be here for a while…” Koharu said as she placed her index finger on her cheek, her eyes rolled up in an attempt to think.
“How long is a while?” Miki rushed towards Koharu, grabbing the kit by her shoulders.
“Well um… Yuko-san said that we’ll be here until your hand heals…” Koharu said timidly, shrinking back into Miki’s grip.
“A few weeks… a month even… Oh my gahh…” Miki slouched forward, an impending gloom cast over her face. “Does this mean… that everything you guys cook…”
“Will be pink? Yes!” Sayumi exclaimed, popping her foot in the air.
“You’ll be staying over for a while? Yay!” Rika beamed, interlacing her hands with Sayumi’s, “We’re going to have so much fun together!”
“You bet we are!” Sayumi also jumped with glee.
“Neesan… should I get my gun?”
“Yes… Please…”
“Why? Don’t shoot yourselves just ‘cause the kitchen’s pink. Rainbow Pink beer is quite tasty if you ask me!”
It’s easy to come back to good times…
“Well… that was an interesting predicament…” Rika sighed as she walked up the stairs.
“So, Maki, you actually know these people?” Rika thought to herself.
“Yes. I talk with them on occasion. They bring me offerings from the other demons and spirits on their cart once in a while.” Maki’s sharp voice cut into her head, answering her.
“So, there’s more of them huh?”
“Of course. The spirit realm is like a parallel dimension to this dimension. Those two foxes have the papers necessary to cross realms for their business.”
“So you need papers to do it, huh? How very business like.”
“Think of it as what you and your realm’s people call ‘immigration.’ Crossing realms is an important matter. I don’t need papers because I’m the maiden who also happens to be what you would consider a grim reaper.”
“I see… So are you like… the top maiden?” Rika managed to maneuver into her room and toss herself onto her bed.
“Being the grim reaper is the highest honor, yes.”
“How did you get that position?”
“Well… I suppose I could tell you this because you’re my human host. I believe Michishige told you that maidens have different elements, right?”
Rika nodded, but then felt dumb for doing so because the conversation was literally in her head…
“There’s not very many maidens out there. We have our own element that we rule, and our jobs go accordingly. For an example, a water maiden is in charge of the realms’ water flow and is in charge of all water spirits and demons. Think of it as a monarchy government, only there’s dozens because of there’s more than one maiden. I am the maiden of flesh, one of the most powerful elements. Therefore, I have the highest honor and watch over the Twilit sea and I see to it that everyone meets their death counters.”
A memory of Eri flashed in Rika’s mind, and she gripped the bed sheets tighter. So if she was hearing this correctly…
“So no matter what, you HAVE to let people die when their time comes? What if their death counter is defied?”
“Then something horrible will happen. Once hitsuzen—fate—sets things into motion, we can not defy it. If we do, something terrible will happen…”
“Again with the horror?” Rika narrowed her eyes as she turned over on her side, picking idly at the bed sheet once more.
“I’m sorry. I can’t exactly talk that freely of it. When a death is defied, I’ll show you what I mean by terrible. It is far worse than your current fate.”
“You don’t have to remind me of that!” Rika chided sharply. “It’s because of you, I’m stuck into this mess, why didn’t you possess Miki instead? We’re both the same age, you know!”
“You fit my genetic makeup the most out of all the other spawn I sought.”
“What’s with all the freaky horror stuff at the beginning then? Was that really necessary!?”
“I had no choice. I had to warn you that your death might come sooner than you think. I can’t see my host’s own death counter, you know.”
“You can’t see my death counter?” Rika blinked. If Maki didn’t know when Rika was going to die, then that meant she could… That meant she could die any day… any minute even… And if she died… What about Hitomi? Would she feel sad? Would she feel alone? Would she move on? Or would she find someone else…?
The pulsation happened all too quickly, and before she knew it, she was swept away by darkness’s fluttering wings.
But it’s also easy to come back to the bad times…
“You are a fool…” Maki sighed as she got off of the bed.
“Why didn’t you let me go Sephiroth mode on you?!” Rika’s voice was screaming at the back of her head, but the grim reaper paid no attention to it.
“No. There’s something I promised someone. I must at least fulfill that first…” Maki said solemnly. Rika could only sit back and pout while she watched through Maki’s eyes. The maiden walked out of the door and immediately went next door—to Miki’s room. Without even knocking, the golden-eyed woman allowed herself to open the door and enter the demon’s den.
Miki looked up from the bed from reading her manga, surprised at the sight she was seeing. “Maki!?”
“What? I thought you would be used to seeing me?” the maiden replied curtly.
“Well…” Miki looked away and scratched her head almost nervously. “You’ve got freaky ass powers, who wouldn’t be alarmed?”
“I suppose that is a valid reason…” the older woman said solemnly, crossing her arms. “Regardless. I have a message for you.”
“Eh?” Miki tilted her head in bemusement, furrowing her brow. “Someone asked you to pass a message? Who could it be?”
“Who else could it be?” Rika mumbled to herself, already knowing who Maki was referring to.
“From Kamei Eri.”
“Oh…” Miki looked down on the ground, looking crestfallen all of a sudden. “What did she want to say to me?”
“She wanted to give you her thanks. She has lived a bad aftermath after her friend’s death, but after meeting you and Rika, she finally found her peace and passed on without regret.”
“I…I see…” the younger looked up at Maki. “Thank you…”
“You are welcome.”
Maki’s golden eyes glinted slightly, noticing that Miki seemed to be biting her lips. “Is there something wrong?”
“No… Nothing of your concern…” Miki spat back, her eyes rolling away from the maiden’s piercing gaze. “Well… Maybe…”
“What is it?”
“You’re like a reaper, right? I mean, she wouldn’t be able to pass on her message if you weren’t…”
“I am. Yes.”
“Maki… Have you seen someone called Matsuura Aya two and a half years ago?”
“Hmm…” the maiden’s gaze narrowed, attempting to recall all of the souls she has seen. “I’m afraid I can not. Many die each day. I do not keep personal track of each individual. However, I do recall seeing her name somewhere. So perhaps, I might have seen her.”
“I see…”
“If you want, I can look her up for you…”
“No, it’s fine.” Miki quickly cut in. “It’s fine…” she repeated.
Golden eyes narrowed. “You’re easy to read.”
“Then leave me alone,” Miki looked up from underneath her bangs, glaring her best at the other.
“Really, Maki… You should know better than to make people feel worse with your age-old perception skills…” Rika could not help but recall the time where she accidentally fell into Miki’s memories.
“So be it. I’ll come to you again when I will allow Rika her body back.”
“You mean you’re not finished yet!?” Rika wanted to strangle the maiden so much! She wanted her body back, damn it!
“I am doing this to satisfy both of our curiosities. I’m curious about something I have observed and you are curious about Matsuura Aya and how Miyabi came into this household, are you not?”
Rika did not object to that.
Maki levitated down the stairs, landing softly on her feet. She twirled around with an innate grace and continued walking onwards, almost gliding in the air only she was touching land, though barely.
Now Rika was just plain curious. Not because she finally had a chance to figure out who this Matsuura person was, but she also got to know about Miyabi’s origins as well! Killing… three birds with one stone? The maiden walked outside into the garden, right where Miyabi was doing her shooting practice.
Noticing the maiden, Miyabi kept her yen in her pockets and stiffly faced the maiden, the tenseness clearly showing in the way she strained herself with standing straight. “M-Maki-san… Good day to you…?”
“Good day to you too. There is something I want to ask of you, do you want to sit down? I believe this will take a while.”
Miyabi obeyed Maki without any hesitation. She chose to sit on the bridge, dangling her legs over the pond below with all of the koi fish swimming about. Maki did the same as well, sitting in a classic seiza position—where she sat on her knees formally.
“Um… What is it you want to ask of me?”
“Rika managed to stumble upon your sisters’ memories and could not help but wonder how you came into Yuko’s household if your father refused you near Miki. How did this happen?”
Miyabi blinked.
Then her eye lids lowered, remembering the burden of her memories buried deep into the past.
“I am sorry to ask, but if you are not willing to share, I can leave you alone…”
“No. It’s fine. I can tell. I’m old enough to handle it…”
“Well… Here goes…”
No matter what, the past comes back…
My life… It was like a cage…
A lone girl sat in the corner of the dark room. Her knees were brought up to her quivering chest.
Black.
Everywhere.
All she saw was black.
A black wall.
A black carpet.
A black bed.
A black kimono.
She liked it. It fit her.
They hated it. It didn’t fit her.
“Miyabi-sama…”
Her head rose slowly, mechanical eyes stared back at soft ones.
“Why are you wearing that black kimono? A brighter color would suit you nicely.”
A warm voice.
A soft voice.
Not like her’s.
“I wear it because I like this color,” a cold voice. A piercing voice. Not like any one else’s.
“But Miyabi-sama… Your father won’t like it…You know he thinks you’re losing your mind to the devil… First you get your hair dyed blonde, and you’re only what, eight? Now your infatuation with black is making it worse…”
“So what?” Miyabi looked up to the maid.
The maid bent down so that she was eye level with the other.
“He thinks you’re going to come out like Miki…”
Miyabi gasped.
Fear lit her childish brown eyes. An unspeakable feeling tugged at her heart at the mention of her sister’s name.
“No! I don’t want to be like her! Father says she’s bad! Very bad!” panic clouded the young Miyabi’s eyes. Her voice raised an octave. “I don’t wanna be like her! She’s a monster!”
“Ssh…” the maid hugged Miyabi to her bosom, “It’s okay… You won’t become like Miki…”
“I really won’t, right? I’ll stop liking black. I’ll throw everything black away… I’ll hate black… I’ll turn my hair back… Wait no… it’s black… Do you think Father will be alright if I keep my hair blonde? I don’t want black hair anymore… It will remind me of …of… that demon…Father talks about…”
“It will be alright, Miyabi-sama… It will be alright…”
Father… He used to preach to me all the time that Nee-san was horrible to associate with… That she killed the Mother I never got to see… But that was the least of my worries…At that time, my top concern was being the best dancer of the school…
“You’re not doing it right!” Yusuke raised his voice. “You must move with a greater grace and less shakiness!”
“Y-yes Father!”
He taught me to never trust anyone. Any one could stab my back any minute… And I had believed him. Some friends I had aimed for the number one position, and in my so-called foolishness, I made myself have lower grace than them just to give them a chance… and they totally used me for it… I believed him… I believed my father…
I became as cold as ice.
In order to be the best there is…
I will become emotionless.
In order to be on top…
I will have no mercy.
However…
It frightened me…
Seeing the others my age so care free… I was afraid that I really was different… I wanted to get out… I didn’t want to be number one anymore… I wanted to be a normal kid… Go to a normal school… Have a normal family…
“Nakazawa’s here… and she brought that thing with her…” Miyabi heard one of her relatives say as she walked by them.
Nee-san… I’ve never met her. I was too young to remember anything about her…
Miyabi was forbidden from her Father to go see her sister. She argued that she was already eleven and therefore, had enough judgment to not get tainted by her so-called demon of a sister, but he only kept refusing.
So here she was, snooping around the garden… If she was caught sneaking around the manor, her father wouldn’t let her hear the end of it! Carefully, she tip-toed among the bushes, hyperaware of her surroundings. Even a simple bird chirping made the hair on her neck rise! She crawled down on her feet, finally deciding that she should just hide underneath a bush and wait until she gathered enough courage to sneak about to the main room.
“Ai ni…”
Miyabi perked up, but not enough to rustle the bushes.
“itsumademo…moeru you ni…”
What a sad voice… Miyabi thought as she maneuvered closer to the beautiful sound. I don’t remember someone with this kind of voice… Who could it be?
“musundeku no wa muzukashii desu ne…
Ai wa moetsukita sono tsugi ni wa…
Watashi wa donna nikkichou wo~…”
Eventually, she got to the edge of the brush, peeking up at the shadow looming over her. She was face to face with who seems to be a woman. However, much to Miyabi’s relief, her back was turned to her. She was clad in a simple black pullover and tan cargo-pants. Short brunette hair jetted outwards, her longest layer being only at the nape of her neck.
This woman also happened to be sitting down on a flat-surfaced rock Indian-style. Her back was lazily arched forward, as if she was waiting for someone to come get her and save her from her boredom. Miyabi needed a closer look, she needed to get a good look at this woman’s face! She had to make sure that this was the person she was looking for… She turned carefully and maneuvered once more beneath the brush, coming around in a circle in hopes of seeing what this woman, possibly her sister, looked like.
“ai ga itsumademo moeru you ni
akai nikkichou wo katta keredo
ai wa moeru kara kieru no desu ka
oshiete kudasai nee nee anata~”
Miyabi blinked in astonishment.
“Nice singing, Miki-tan.”
“Hmm… I thought I could have done better…”
Clearly, this person was Miki.
She looked exactly like Father! The stern eyes… The Roman nose… The sharp jaw… That same piercing voice that Miyabi also inherited from their mother…
“This garden’s even nicer than the one back at Tokyo…”
“No kidding, this is the main house after all…”
It took Miyabi a second to figure out that there was another person with her sister. This other person was sitting on the grass, leaning against a rock opposite of the one Miki sat on. This person had a softer edge to her face than her sister. She was incredibly pale compared to the tan Miki. She had bangs swished to one side of her head and like Miki, her hair was short, but it was not layered like her sister’s.
What caught Miyabi’s attention was the rather confident, strong aura that the other woman exhibited. But at the same time, the other seemed like she was a really nice woman…
Miyabi wanted to get a closer look, but as she slide forward, her arm accidentally snapped a twig. Loudly. The pale woman and Miki turned to look at the source of the noise, causing Miyabi to immediately shrink back into the brush, hoping that they would not notice her.
She watched silently as the other two stared intently in her direction. Miyabi wanted to run away badly. Now she was face to face with the demon her father warned her about…
“Is there something there?” the pale woman asked, tilting her head so as to get a better look.
“You heard it too? I think we’re just too paranoid since our last mission. Maybe it’s just a squirrel or something…”
Miyabi sighed of relief, but realized her mistake and clapped her hand to her mouth.
“There’s someone hiding in the bushes, Tan…A kid, maybe?”
“Really?” Miki’s voice seemed animated with life. Her eyes grew larger with curiosity as she turned around and stared at Miyabi directly in the eye. Miki turned herself around on the rock and planted her feet on the ground, now officially facing the younger.
“Are you supposed to be here?” Miki asked, not looking at Miyabi’s direction anymore and instead, surveyed the area.
“No…” Miyabi squeaked, surprised at her own embarrassed tone.
“Move forward a bit. This rock and Aya-chan is blocking the view from the house,” Miki said quietly, her eyes now downcast, looking at the other.
Miyabi timidly pulled herself out of the bushes, pushing herself closer to her sister.
“I see…You look just like her…” Miki’s eyes narrowed.
“Like who?”
“Like Mother…”
She didn’t know why, but she felt the anger flaring up. For Miki to talk about her Mother like she did nothing wrong…! That was absolutely unforgiveable!
“Yeah… The one you murdered and took away from me…” The younger grit her teeth as she glared at the being towering over her.
The pale woman called Aya looked at Miki worriedly, placing her hand on Miki’s knee. The tan woman did not seem to register her touch and instead, opened her eyes at a normal size as opposed to her earlier glare. Miyabi felt something amiss and she knew it. The glint that was in Miki’s eye was now gone. A sort of glossy look took over her sister’s eyes and she immediately regretted saying those words.
“Is that what Father told you?” Miki said almost inaudibly, almost as if she was confirming what Miyabi had just said to her was true.
“Tan…” Aya shook Miki’s knee slightly, still looking at her face with a concerned expression.
Still ignoring her, Miki continued, “I don’t know what he’s told you, but…” she bit her lip hesitantly, “I did not kill anyone… It’s not my fault that Mother died…It’s not my fault…”
There was a sort of a shimmering light in Miki’s eyes, and Miyabi immediately knew that she was telling the truth.
Always returning…
Miyabi waited anxiously at the low table in the middle of the dance hall. Her father had called her for a meeting with a higher-up that she probably would forget within minutes of leaving, but despite her saying that she no longer cared about meeting others, Yusuke had still commanded her to join the meetings to at least properly say hello.
The almost-teen could hardly contain herself. She wanted to run away from the meeting, but she knew her punishment would be severe if she were to ever do that. In fact, there was an opportunity to run away once, about a month ago when her sister came to visit, but her sister refused her blatantly.
She remembered clinging onto her sleeve as she left. “Take me with you!” she cried out with her eyes. For a moment, she could see the pity and fear in Miki’s eyes, and in that one instance, she thought Miki would truly pity her and would help sneak her out, but no. That didn’t happen. Instead, Miki looked back at her with cold eyes.
And then she yanked her arm out of Miyabi’s grasp and continued walking.
She hated her.
Father was right.
She really was a cold-blooded demon…
Miyabi clenched her fist on her lap, gritting her teeth behind her closed lips. The dark red kimono she wore could not contain her anger. She felt the tension within her push against the constricting fabric, tightening against her body. Remembering where she was, Miyabi began to breathe deeply, feeling the start of the meeting approaching soon. She uncurled her fist and reach out to fiddle with a tress of her hair.
It was almost black.
The dye she placed in it months ago was now faded. If she had ran her fingers in her hair, some locks of hair would be a faint dark blonde. Hearing the voices, Miyabi rested her hands immediately at her lap, exuding a pleasant (but slightly strained) smile to her visitors.
Her father was in a traditional attire, a navy blue kimono with a matching coat and a dark olive scarf. Next to him was a woman of small stature, but she could tell immediately that this person was very strong because of the way she strutted on the floor, almost. She initially thought that this other woman seemed to almost be arrogant, if not cocky. There seemed to be a sort of triumph in her grey eyes.
The same could not be said in her father’s eyes, however.
She knew those eyes very well.
He was definitely pissed.
“Please sit…” her father told the other woman before kneeling on a cushion at the table. The woman obeyed and sat down with a sort of grace Miyabi found very pretty. The woman slid her hand over her shoulder, straightening out a slight crease found in her purple kimono.
Miyabi kept staring at past the woman, hoping that her display was suitable enough for her Father. She remembered being scolded countless times for never looking a guest, for it was rude to not.
“Miyabi, this is Fujimoto Yuko…” Her father said quietly, but sternly.
“Fujimoto Yuko-san?” Miyabi blinked, now officially focused on the woman before her.
“Yes… I’ve adopted her… She is now your sister…”
Miyabi blinked again. This woman she has never seen before… Now she was her sister?
“And out of Nakazawa’s request…” her father glared at the other woman, to which she did the same, but with a smirk to accompany her fierce lion-like eyes. Miyabi almost wanted to ask who Nakazawa was, but suddenly remembered that she was the woman before them, now her sister…Ugh, Miyabi was going to take a while to get used to that…
“You are to perfect your dance under her tutorage in Tokyo.”
Tokyo?! Sister!? What!? But Miyabi didn’t let her internal panic get to her face, instead, the alarm showed up in her slightly enlarged eyes. But then, another thought came across Miyabi’s face in the form of a smile.
I finally get to move out…!
“However… You are to return here after you graduate. Nakazawa is only filling up the heir position since you are too young. Once you finish high school, you are to apply for university up here in Hokkaido so you can also watch over the main branch of our dance school…”
At this, Miyabi’s hopes of freedom dropped right through the floor. When she turned to look at the woman who would be her sister, she also had a rather sour expression. At least she was glad she was not the only one who detested her father’s bargain of the decision.
“Also… Absolutely make sure that she does not become like that failed spawn. If I find any trace of her influence in Miyabi… I’m taking her back immediately,” Yusuke’s glare seemed like it could penetrate the depth of her adopted sister’s grey irises.
“…I’ll make sure of it,” Yuko finally said, closing her eyes as she stood up.
“Miyabi.”
The younger looked at her father sharply at the sound of her name, a trained habit she taught herself since her father did not like it when she did not pay immediate attention.
“The maids already packed your belongings. Even if you return to your room, it will be entirely empty. You both may leave now…” Yusuke also stood up, but without a second glance, he revolved about his foot and walked away.
Now Miyabi felt even more nervous than before. Here she was, alone with her…sister? She still had trouble registering the fact that she suddenly had a third sister in the Fujimoto household.
“Are you excited?” Yuko bent over to look down at the younger, tilting her head in a triumphant smile once more. Her dark brunette bangs fell over her eye, to which she simply flipped her hair for the bangs to correct themselves. Again, her grey eyes, contacts now that Miyabi saw her so up-close, looked at her in a certain honest and very real emotional way—a sight she was not used to, since she had been stuck with stern people her entire life time.
Unfamiliar with that look, Miyabi could only observe, stunned at the other. Yuko only smirked and bent over further, her breath tickling her ear.
“Miki was the one who asked me to free you from here. I know it’s only until high school graduation, but it’s the best I can do for now, kay?”
Miyabi’s eyes lit up with energy at what she had just heard.
It was then I realized that Nee-san really wasn’t a bad person at all. She’s not a completely demonic murderer that Father described her as… Nee-san is human too…
“Hey! It’s Miyabi-chan~!” Aya spread her arms out at the door frame with an annoyed Miki behind her.
“Hey, she’s MY sister, don’t you start hoarding her for yourself like you’re her sister!” Miki gritted her teeth in a comical fashion, intentionally becoming angry with her friend.
“H-hi…” Miyabi said shyly, again, staring past their heads so she wouldn’t look at their faces all that much.
“Aww, Miya-chan’s adorable~!” Aya squealed, “Can I hug you!?”
“Damn it, you’re scaring the poor girl!” Miki smacked the back of Aya’s head lightly, eliciting an ‘itai!’ from the pale woman.
“Girls, girls, relax. You’ll have plenty of time to talk to her, she’s staying here for a long time,” Yuko laughed, placing a hand on Miyabi’s shoulder.
Finally feeling that embarrassing feeling again, Miyabi turned and hid behind the long part of Yuko’s kimono sleeve, peeking at the other two women shyly.
“Tan~ Your sister is too adorable, I don’t think I will be able to help it if I hug her too tightly~!” Aya squealed yet again, bringing her fists to her chin and making cutesy eyes at the other.
“Ugh…” Miki placed a hand on her hip and the other on her head. “Miyabi-chan, don’t get too freaked out by Aya here, kay? Please treat her well…”
That was also the first official time I met Aya-san. She and Nee-san were absolutely inseparable… Everything I saw one, the other’s always nearby… If I asked for one, the other would come with her… They were both my role models, I guess. They taught me proper etiquette… Well, Aya did. Nee-san taught me how to be tough, Aya taught me how to do everything else…
“Whatcha doin’ ?” a youthful Miyabi bent over, hands clasped together behind her back.
The pale woman looked over her shoulder to find the younger staring at her curiously. “Target practice,” Aya grinned as she held up a hand filled with yen coins of various sizes.
“How do you do that?”
“Just flick it~” Aya said in a singsong voice, and to prove her point, she flicked a coin into an empty can on the edge of a rock which was about twenty meters away.
Miyabi’s eyes widened in awe. “That’s so cool! Can you teach me how to do that?”
Aya laughed and poked Miyabi in the forehead with her index finger and middle finger, “Maybe some other time.”
And some promises are broken...
“So what happened to her?” Maki asked, after having been egged on by Rika to do so.
“Well…” Miyabi began, swinging her feet back and forth over the edge of the bridge over the curious koi fish beneath her. “There was a snatching mission they had to go on…”
“Nn?”
“They had to confiscate ecstasy from a big name yakuza firm. One of their men set fire to the warehouse while Nee-san and Aya was still in it. Nee-san was hit in the face with molten debris…”
“So that explains it…” Rika nodded to herself in the back of Maki’s mind.
“Hnn?” Maki thought back to the other.
“I knew it. Ever since I’ve seen how she walks and how she looks at things… I can officially say that Miki is blind in her right eye.”
“Because Nee-san couldn’t see out of her right eye any more, she could not notice the beams falling straight for her… So Aya pushed her out of the way…” Miyabi’s eyes became gloomy, staring down at the pond.
Maki and Rika remained silent.
“Nee-san wanted to pull her out, but Aya wouldn’t have it. She told her to just save herself and live on… and that’s where Nee-san had to leave because the fire was getting too big and the ceiling was going to splinter her in minutes if she didn’t make a choice right a way…”
“I see…” was all Maki could say.
“After that, Nee-san wouldn’t talk… She wouldn’t move from her room… She wouldn’t eat… Nee-san was very broken…” the sniper pulled her knees up into her chest, burying her chin into the crevice provided. “I wanted to take Aya-san’s place. So I learned how to use guns like she did. Those desert eagles I use a lot… They belonged to her… Every single gun you’d see me use, they all belonged to her…”
“Matsuura-san…” Rika echoed sadly. “She must have been a really great person, nee?”
“I’m not as good as her though… Aya had experience than me. But I’ve been working really hard to become better though…”
“This Matsuura had a profound impact on you,” Maki stated simply, her hand reaching out to fix Miyabi’s bangs.
“Aya-san… She was a person that couldn’t be described… ‘great’ is an understatement… There’s no one out there like her…”
“Did… Miki love her in that way?”
“What was Miki and Matsuura’s …?” Maki began, wanting to project Rika’s question out loud, but was cut off by the teen.
“Lovers. They started out as friends that transitioned to best friends until finally, they inevitably became lovers. I’ve never seen Nee-san so happy… nor have I seen her so broken when she lost her… Nee-san blames herself, you know? If she hadn’t lost the sight in her right eye, she might have dodged the debris on her own and they both would have made it out alive…”
“Miki… She’s been through so much…” Maki could hear Rika crying within her mind.
“Are you done?” Maki finally said after a considerable silence, looking at the other in a gaze softer than her usual uptight one.
“Yes.”
“Now… Will you answer a question from my curiosity?” Maki placed a certain emphasis on the ‘my’ part.
Ah yeah… Maki did say she was curious about something earlier… Was she not curious about the same things I am? Rika scrutinized Maki’s vision closer, hoping to find an answer soon.
“Uh… Okay… Ask away.”
“You left out something rather important,” Maki replied solemnly.
Miyabi remained silent. Rika took this as a sign that what Maki said was true.
“Tell me… why is it that you, a human with a human father and a human mother… clearly no trace of foreign blood within your family history…have the blood of a raven demon within you?”
Some things are just meant to never be told.
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o_O
OST TIIIIIME
http://www.sendspace.com/file/6xtrc8
Have fun xDDDDDD
By the way, if ever there happens to be 20+ replies, I will write a bonus chapter just for y'all xD.
The first bonus will be the Eri and Risa sidestory, how they met, how they got along, etc xDDD
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By the way, if ever there happens to be 20+ replies, I will write a bonus chapter just for y'all xD.
Ooo, reply, people! XD
Great chapter! I really liked Aya's reaction when Miyabi, that was so cute. XD And the story of how Aya died was so sad. :( Maki's question to Miyabi was really interesting, too. Can't wait to see what her answer is. :D
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“You fit my genetic makeup the most out of all the other spawn I sought.”
That's because Rika's got boobs!
Miki has none in comparison, therefore... XD
You were right about my curiosity... :p
But, you know, that green you used is killing my eyes! I use the gray layout, and I had to highlight in order to read those parts.
So, Miki's problem is just about being blind in one eye?
Here I was, thinking she'd experienced something similar to Eri.
And there's something going on with Miya?
Is she cursed or something?
You better update soon! :grr:
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*perks up* Eri/Risa side story! REPLY PEOPLE, REPLY!!!
On another note...Oh my. Poor Miki!! T~T *sniffles* And...Miyabi...she couldn't be... *legasp* Egads, you got me hooked. XD One more loyal follower to your story. :P (I just read it all... *stares at undone chemistry work* ...Crud.)
P.S. Your chapters with Eri's death/story and such almost made me cry... T~T I'm really liking this because I used to love Ayashi no Ceres, so I actually understand a ton of stuff going on...this is great! <3
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I am shocked shitless! :rockon:
Nice revelations in this chap.
Miya's childhood and how she ended up with Yuko , her big sis and Aya.
Tragic Miki-Aya story :cry: BUT!!! I have hopes that she's still alive until Maki confirms otherwise. ;)
And WTF Miya's got some demon blood ?! :O
Does Rainbow Pink beer make you twice as drunk than normal beer? :P
I want that GakiKame sidestory too! :cry:
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:farofflook: an update.....YAY!
“Neesan… should I get my gun?”
“Yes… Please…”-------- :wahaha: :wahaha: :wahaha: this made me laughed.....i really like the sisters,,,their similarities,,,,you know what i mean right??? :on cigar:
what??? miya has a raven demon blood within her???? :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: does miki-sama had it too? they're sisters right??
anyways....id like to read a charmy mikitty scene, now that rika knows the sorrowful past of miki, i think she should treat her nicely......but for the record....im still mikitty-ayaya fan..... :luvluv2: :luvluv2: :luvluv2:
oh, before i forgot, author-san.......where's my miya and rii-chan scene??? :pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease: feature them soon! onegai?? :prayers: :prayers: :prayers:
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I totally cracked up with all the foot-popping at the beginning. And the pinkness.... :D That's absolutely insane.
It's kinda scary that Rika could die any second. But at least she knows why Eri couldn't be saved. I knew there had to be a reason. Maki isn't that cold.
Awww, Eri thanks Miki. My heart just melted a little more. :inlove: Hmm, she's looking for Ayaya still?
AHHHH, poor Little Miya. In a way, she wasn't any better than Miki. But I'm glad that their situation turned out ok. I love Aya's reaction to Miya. Adorable.
Whoa, Miki's blind in her right eye?! Didn't see that coming. But Ayaya is such a hero-ish person, so obviously, she wasn't gonna let Miki save her. That's horrible, though. Miki has gone through so much pain. :cry: I hope good things happen for her soon.
Great update! I'm too sleepy to do a JFC-style comment. It's too much work!
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Oh wow. This last chapter really cleared a lot of things.
It also had a lot of emotion, what with the funny start, the cute parts with Aya and Miya, and the tragic story that was being told. Really tragic, I must say. I feel so sorry for Miki ;_;
And I can' forget the end, it was unexpected. I wonder how that type of blood appeared in Miya's body in the first place...
Loved it, keep it up!
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Zomg. I just had to make another comment. (No, I'm not spamming for replies. Don't count this post if you don't want to.) But I just downloaded the OST, and I'm listening to it all now. Recognizing a lot of the songs (but not being able to put my finger on the original names) is making me a happy little girl. xD (The only one I can instantly recognize is End of the Stream...It's To Zanarkand, right?) Egads, this is going straight onto my iPod. (I love Eri's theme, too. So sad... T~T Then again, it's that type of music I like...)
Thankies for the OST! <3
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If this was a manga, Miki’s mouth would drop to the floor—scratch that, Miki’s mouth would drop through the pink floor.
/me curses at the lack of a "jaw drop" smiley.
This is sort of close, though I'm not a fan of the text that's included in it.
Miki = (http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1803/iconhellviolentstarrjawjz6.gif)
“Hey Mi—HOLY CRAP IT REALLY IS PINK!!” Rika’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she walked into the kitchen, Yuko tagging along with an amused expression on her face
Rika = :mon spit:
Yuko = :hee:
“Even the pink-lover is shocked shitless!” Miki whirled about her foot to point at the frozen Rika, her mouth dropping agape like a certain member of a girl band…
*coughcoughMakocoughcough*
“I love it!” Rika clasped her hands together, stars twinkling in her eyes.
“I think she’s shitlessly happy,” Yuko laughed, borrowing Miki’s terms for the greater effect.
Rika = :wriggly:
Yuko = :on lol:
Miki @ Rika's reaction = :stunned:
Oh, and "shitlessly happy" has got to be the muthafookin' bestest, most epic line you've come up with so far!
:wahaha:
“Really? I’m happy you love our paint job!” Sayumi smiled gleefully while she stirred the pink pot with a matching pink ladle. “I’ve missed you so much!” faking the stars in her eyes, the older fox ran to Rika in a pretended slow motion, playing up a clichéd overdramatic scene.
“Oh my goodness, I’ve missed you too~!” Rika, also playing along to Sayumi’s melodramatic scenario, ran in slow-mo towards the younger.
Soon, when they were in each other’s distance, they both spread their arms out wide and clung to each other, popping their leg for the greater cheesy effect.
“Oh Sayumi-chan!”
“Oh Ishikawa-san!”
“Bleeeh!!” Miki pretend to throw up to the side.
/me grabs a barf-bag for Miki-sama as well as one for himself.
“WHY THE HELL IS THE KITCHEN PINK!?”
Miyabi gaped as she waltzed through the sliding door into the kitchen area.
Oh yeah, no doubt that Miyabi and Miki are related now. :lol:
“Well, we’re going to be here for a while…” Koharu said as she placed her index finger on her cheek, her eyes rolled up in an attempt to think.
“How long is a while?” Miki rushed towards Koharu, grabbing the kit by her shoulders.
“Well um… Yuko-san said that we’ll be here until your hand heals…” Koharu said timidly, shrinking back into Miki’s grip.
“A few weeks… a month even… Oh my gahh…” Miki slouched forward, an impending gloom cast over her face. “Does this mean… that everything you guys cook…”
“Will be pink? Yes!” Sayumi exclaimed, popping her foot in the air.
Oh.....jeez.
:on cloudeye:
*RIKA/MAKI TALK*
Interesting to see Maki actually willing to hold a convo of this type with her.
Even more interesting is the info that Maki tells Rika about the different realms, the "travelling papers", what her specific role is...
:mon determined:
“So no matter what, you HAVE to let people die when their time comes? What if their death counter is defied?”
“Then something horrible will happen. Once hitsuzen—fate—sets things into motion, we can not defy it. If we do, something terrible will happen…”
“Again with the horror?” Rika narrowed her eyes as she turned over on her side, picking idly at the bed sheet once more.
“I’m sorry. I can’t exactly talk that freely of it. When a death is defied, I’ll show you what I mean by terrible. It is far worse than your current fate.”
Ah, of course, the "machinations of fate" and the requirement to "do what has to be done". :-\
If Maki didn’t know when Rika was going to die, then that meant she could… That meant she could die any day… any minute even… And if she died… What about Hitomi? Would she feel sad? Would she feel alone? Would she move on? Or would she find someone else…?
The pulsation happened all too quickly, and before she knew it, she was swept away by darkness’s fluttering wings.
...
“You are a fool…” Maki sighed as she got off of the bed.
Oh crap, don't tell me Maki only told Rika all that so that she'd get all emotional, thus allowing Maki a chance to emerge and assert herself? :banghead:
*MAKI GIVES ERI'S MESSAGE TO MIKI*
:k-sad:
“You’re like a reaper, right? I mean, she wouldn’t be able to pass on her message if you weren’t…”
“I am. Yes.”
“Maki… Have you seen someone called Matsuura Aya two and a half years ago?”
“Hmm…” the maiden’s gaze narrowed, attempting to recall all of the souls she has seen. “I’m afraid I can not. Many die each day. I do not keep personal track of each individual. However, I do recall seeing her name somewhere. So perhaps, I might have seen her.”
“I see…”
“If you want, I can look her up for you…”
“No, it’s fine.” Miki quickly cut in. “It’s fine…” she repeated.
:gmon tears:
Maki levitated down the stairs, landing softly on her feet. She twirled around with an innate grace and continued walking onwards, almost gliding in the air only she was touching land, though barely.
Now Rika was just plain curious. Not because she finally had a chance to figure out who this Matsuura person was, but she also got to know about Miyabi’s origins as well!
Oh boy. These 2 had better be careful that they don't stir the hornet's nest too much. :O
*MIYABI'S STORY*
That...sonnuvabitch! :angry:
*YUKO GETS MIYABI TO COME TO HER DANCE SCHOOL*
Hmmmmmm...dad's obviously not pleased because Yuko also took Miki in, and though he probably never asked her, he probably still figures that the two of them have a connection/relationship of sorts. That means the possibility of Miki's presence at the school, which he obviously doesn't want if Miyabi's going to be there.
Yuko must have had one hell of a trump card to get him to let her go with her at this point.
“Miki was the one who asked me to free you from here. I know it’s only until high school graduation, but it’s the best I can do for now, kay?”
Miyabi’s eyes lit up with energy at what she had just heard.
Hell yeah MIKI!!! :rockon:
“Aww, Miya-chan’s adorable~!” Aya squealed, “Can I hug you!?”
“Damn it, you’re scaring the poor girl!” Miki smacked the back of Aya’s head lightly, eliciting an ‘itai!’ from the pale woman.
:mon lol:
Oddly enough, Miki's probably right. Considering the environment they both grew up in, this is most likely the most "emotional" (in a good way) Miyabi's ever seen...well...anyone.
*MIYABI BONDING WITH AYA*
Awww... :oops:
And some promises are broken...
Oh....god...no... :mon oshitwc:
“Now… Will you answer a question from my curiosity?” Maki placed a certain emphasis on the ‘my’ part.
....
“Uh… Okay… Ask away.”
“You left out something rather important,” Maki replied solemnly.
Miyabi remained silent. Rika took this as a sign that what Maki said was true.
“Tell me… why is it that you, a human with a human father and a human mother… clearly no trace of foreign blood within your family history…have the blood of a raven demon within you?”
Say WHAT?!?!?!?
:OMG:
-
Cool new chapter ^^
The pinked up kitchen gave me headaches just imagining it, Miki I can feel your pain xD
Miki is half blind O_O then her mad skillz are even more amazing, I mean with only one eye to handle all the fighting is almost... unbelievable... or is there something we don't know about her yet? ^^
Miyabi + Raven Demon instantly reminds me of Madonna's Frozen video LOL intriguing
And how in the world did Yuko "convince" Yusuke to let Miyabi come with her.
OST here I come!!!!
-
...
raven demon...
....
..
So thats why Miya is scary!
Man... Aya's death was noble. If the death of Miki's mom was also cuz she sacrificed herself for Miki, then BOY MIKI'S GOTTA BE REALLY GUILTY. I wonder when and how Miya knew that Aya and Miki were lovers. Did she accidentally see something she shouldn't have seen? :D (not important huh..)
I wub RikaXSayu moment. Amusingly cute how those 2 were arguing over who's cuter!