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The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: Quietriot on June 16, 2012, 06:20:11 AM
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Table of Contents
Chapters One-Four (You are here!)
Chapter Five (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=33164.msg1058717#msg1058717)
Chapter Six (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=33164.msg1063873#msg1063873)
Moving this outta the sketchbook cuz like, what was I thinking, there's no way this is a short story. XD I know I have two other fics and that one is in limbo, oh well, I DO WHAT I WANT. Plus it's werewolves and magic and an art major's take on science (read: BS) XD
Chapter one is basically the three parts I had in the one-shot thread all smushed together. Next chapter coming, like, soon. Maybe tonight. :P Enjoy~
Crimson, Chapter One
Steel boots crunched through snow and brush as their wearer tramped sluggishly through the forest, her steps shaky and unstable. The armor had done the woman little good against razor sharp fangs and claws, and with every move she made, blood oozed from the wounds at her shoulder and at her hip, leaving behind a trail of crimson stark against the frozen earth. She knew very well that she wouldn't get far in this condition, but the woman pressed on, desperate to escape the borders of the wood before she succumbed to unconsciousness... perhaps even death.
With her good arm she gripped her shoulder tightly, attempting to stem the flow of blood a bit, and in her injured one was her sword, dark and slick with the life of her more unfortunate opponents. She was having great trouble keeping hold of it, and thus the tip dragged along the ground, scraping roughly against every rock and root it encountered.
The woman lurched suddenly, swaying dangerously into a tree, her sword falling to the ground with a clang. She slid down against the trunk until she was seated, grunting as her wounds complained in waves of pain.
This was it. She could not will her aching muscles to move any farther, and the blood loss clouded her ability to think. Even if she had the strength to stand, at this point she no longer knew where she was going. As the snow chilled her body, she drew her red cloak tight around herself for what little comfort it would provide.
As she lay there waiting for the darkness to take her, the woman's thoughts were of the people she loved: her best friend, torn to pieces while defending her home, her parents, likely dead as well, and her sister, whom she hoped was faring better than she. Hot tears burned trails down her cheeks, and she leaned her head back against the tree, silently mourning all that had been lost.
And then anger washed away the sorrow, and she gritted her teeth hard to hold back the bile that burned in her throat.
The attack had come with no warning at all, no provocation, not even a glimpse of suspicious activity around the borders of the city. Instead, the wolves had descended upon them in the night like deadly shadows, destroying everything in sight, everything she had held dear. There was simply no time to react; her years of training to slay the beasts were useless in the face of an ambush so carefully calculated. And with them being so easily outnumbered...
She did not deserve to be a knight after such failure. It would have been better that she died alongside the others than to suffer the cruel fate of lingering here. The woman coughed weakly as she allowed fresh tears to fall for herself.
A branch snapped somewhere nearby, and she lifted her head slightly, unable to discern if the sound was real or hallucination. Even now with death breathing down her neck, her instinct was to reach for her sword, and she pulled the weapon towards her, propping it up against her knee as best she could.
Her eyes had begun to flutter shut as a large shape emerged from the trees in front of her, and though black spots were taking over her vision, the low rumble that followed told her all she needed to know.
Of course... I've left a trail so thick even a cub would be able to find me here...
"Well, well..." A voice, sounding much more like a constant growl than anything else, brusquely interrupted the silence, "Never in my life did I expect to see a Red in these parts... And never in a thousand lifetimes one so near her final breath..."
The woman coughed out a laugh, smirking as best she could.
"Have you come to kill me, wolf? I spilled the blood of at least three of your brothers before I came to be here..."
The figure loomed closer to the woman, to where she could now fully make out the details even as her vision was fading. It was a giant wolf, standing a good six feet from massive paw to shoulder, light brown fur easily contrasting with the snow. The woman noted that the beast was a bit more slender and much less wild-looking than the wolves that had laid siege to her home, almost like a dog, and she thought this was peculiar until her eyes landed on something secured around the wolf's neck.
A collar, fashioned of a length of leather and pieces of metal--the knight knew from experience this was silver--was fastened tightly around the beast's neck, obviously much too small as it was embedded into fur and skin.
A slave...
"My brothers?" The wolf questioned, something akin to amusement coloring its' growl, "I have no brothers here. And neither do you, it would seem..."
The knight feebly lifted the tip of her sword, pointing it towards the wolf's neck as it padded closer.
"I have some bite left in me." She warned, having no intention of going down without a struggle.
But the wolf stopped moving, settling down on its hind legs in front of the knight and lowering its head so that the woman could look into piercing golden eyes.
"Indeed. What is your name, Red?"
Never once lowering her sword, the woman used her good arm to prop herself up against the tree as best she could.
"Niigaki Risa." Came the labored response, "What do you intend to do with me, wolf?"
"I intend for you to rest."
Those golden eyes began to blur in the knight's vision, and were the last thing Risa saw before she faded, a peaceful haze overtaking her.
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The dark-haired woman was staring quietly out of one of the castle's large glass windows, her expression neutral as she scanned the forest below for signs of life. It had been over a day now since her partner sent out her... "pet" on a retrieval mission, and there had been no word of the wolf's return yet. Not that she was worried, of course; she cared little about what happened to the beast. But if Aika didn't come back alive, their research would be sure to grind to a halt, perhaps even cease altogether; that was a thought she refused to entertain, particularly now as she and her partner were entering their fifth year of working on this project.
She was Michishige Sayumi and she was known simply as, in laymen's terms, a witch. Her affinity for magic began developing at a very early age, and was realized one day when she accidentally turned her younger brother into a toad. Fortunately, a traveling wizard happened to be passing through her hometown at the time and managed to rectify the problem before any real permanent damage was done, though afterwards on occasion she had caught her brother eyeing houseflies with rapt attention. The wizard had lectured her parents on how obvious it was that she needed training to gain control over her abilities, and within a month she was shipped off to the capital city to study magic at the Academy.
She easily surpassed her peers in skill and ability, and every year she ranked top of her class. Before long she was the one teaching others, and was frequently called upon by the royal family to aid in magical disputes, despite her young age.
That was where her partner came in. Tanaka Reina was a spitfire and recent graduate of one of the kingdom's most prestigious medical schools; a surgeon by trade, the girl was ambitious and fancied herself a scientist of sorts. Their first meeting ended in a shouting match that nearly evolved into a full-blown fist fight, simply because their ideologies were so wholly different from each other. Sayumi believed that magic was the solution to most of the world's problems while Reina put her stock in science.
An alliance between them would have never occurred naturally, but the two were referred by higher-ups in their respective fields and brought together for a very specific task: they were to use their talents to develop a cure for lycanthropy.
They set up their base of operations in the castle; an abandoned military fortress that had been converted into a trading outpost over the last several years. Reina had the dungeons converted into a laboratory of sorts, and together they spent countless hours of research and testing in it. Of course, finding specimens to use was the difficult part, as no werewolf would voluntarily offer themselves up, and neither she or Reina had the skills to capture the beasts. Primarily they relied on the service of the Red Knights, whose entire existence was based on slaying and enslaving the lycans, but even then it was rare that the Reds managed to bring a wolf back alive.
With Aika, they had been extraordinarily lucky. The kid had survived a lycan raid while sustaining major wounds, and managed to live through the painful process of the venom turning her into something less-than-human. Though Sayumi carried a distaste for the wolves in general, she had to admit that Aika's cooperation and willingness to submit to their trials was impressive--and she had no doubt many of the treatments were excruciatingly painful. The girl adored Reina more anyway, and followed the young scientist around the grounds like a puppy, probably because the woman treated her... well, like a human being.
But she's not.
Sayumi sighed, narrowing her eyes. Reina's bleeding heart was sure to cause them trouble someday...
"Have you seen her yet?"
A voice broke into her thoughts and Sayumi turned to see her partner standing at the doorway, looking as though she was trying hard not to be too hopeful. The elder of the two shook her head, turning back to glance outside as the other woman joined her at her side.
"I haven't seen the dog yet, no. It's still not been too incredibly long, though..."
"I told you, she's not 'dog' or 'pet' or 'slave,'" Reina replied with a huff as she bristled next to the witch, "Her name is Aika. And maybe you don't care, but it hurts her when you call her things like that. It's not like she chose this... It's a terrible curse and burden for her to bear."
Sayumi shrugged, tossing raven-colored locks back over her shoulders. Reina could scold all she wanted to, but it wouldn't change how she felt; a wolf was a wolf.
Suddenly the scientist jumped and pointed at something in the distance, and the witch followed her finger to spot what had been seen. A flash of crimson was racing against the snow, a tiny pinprick in the distance, and as it neared Sayumi realized it was a cloak; specifically, the signature trademark of a Red. The cloak's wearer was slung limply over Aika's back, and even from the tower the witch could tell the knight was badly injured.
Perhaps they'd be lucky again a second time.
In an instant, Reina darted out of the room with Sayumi on her heels, the duo descending from the tower as fast as their legs would carry. When they reached the main hall, the servants were already opening the giant wooden entrance, and Aika burst inside, scattering snow and dirt all over the floor. The exhausted girl was already returning to her human form, and Reina was there with a warm fluffy cloak to drape around the werewolf's shoulders, while Sayumi and the servants eased the unconscious knight to the ground.
"I... ran as fast as I could..." Aika panted, drawing the cloak tight around her bare skin. "She's still holding on to life, but she was horribly weak to begin with when I found her..."
"How ironic that it should be a knight..." Reina murmured to herself, allowing the younger girl to lean on her for support. Her eyes briefly settled on the knight's face, observing her features. The woman couldn't have been much older than herself, even.
"Are you sure she was bitten?" Sayumi asked from her knees, glancing up at the werewolf with an eyebrow raised.
"Positive. The venom is all over those wounds. And she was the only survivor for miles..."
"Either way..." Reina cut in quietly, "She's hurt and we need to treat her now or she won't make it through the night whether she's infected or not."
The scientist motioned to the servants to carry the knight, and then she made her way towards the dungeons, Sayumi and Aika trailing behind. She could only hope the girl was as much a fighter on the inside as she looked.
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"Put her on the table there," Reina motioned to the servants, who laid Risa out on a raised stone slab in the center of the room. The main area of the laboratory had once been the dungeon's torture chamber, a fact that never failed to set the scientist on edge whenever she set foot inside. Though it had been completely gutted and refashioned with the proper equipment and looked nothing like its previous incarnation, the atmosphere always seemed a bit oppressive, and Aika complained of hearing faint screams now and then. Reina attributed this to the unending mysteries behind lycanthropy, and had long since ceased to doubt the younger girl's claims...
Impatiently dismissing the servants with her hand, the impulsive young woman hovered over the table, able to see her patient more clearly now under the lights--strange orbs that were some trick of Sayumi's, intended to hover around anyone who entered the room.
"Help me get her armor and clothing off."
Aika obediently moved to begin undoing the knight's boots, and Reina shot a pointed glance at Sayumi, who stood off to the side with her arms crossed.
"She's bleeding all over the place," The witch stated dryly, making it obvious she wasn't about to lift a finger. "I don't do blood."
Reina snorted, biting back the urge to comment that there wasn't much Sayumi did do other than make her life difficult. Soon she and the werewolf had rid the knight of all barriers, and the scientist winced at the sight of the deep wounds on the woman's shoulder. Lycan fangs could crush metal like dead autumn leaves, and the venom they transmitted was extremely potent and nine times out of ten, fatal. If a human wasn't ripped to shreds during an attack, the poison was sure to kill them. Rarely was a person fortunate enough to be consumed by the curse instead.
"She's got a great body, though~"
The scientist scowled at her partner's words, quickly draping a white sheet over Risa's body.
"Pervert," She hissed, though she couldn't control the way her face heated up at the words, "Make yourself useful and conjure up some water, will ya?"
Sayumi smirked devilishly, but complied nevertheless, murmuring words in an ancient tongue, drawing water from the air to coalesce into a sphere that hovered in between her hands. This Reina passed pieces of cloth through and used them to clean Risa's wounds. As she worked, she realized Aika was shifting uncomfortably at her side, and the scientist looked to see that the werewolf was fidgeting with the collar about her neck, fingers recoiling in pain each time they accidentally brushed against the silver bits.
"It's about time we built you a new one, I think," Reina commented, nodding at the device, "You've outgrown the last three so fast..."
"I don't like it," Aika whimpered, "It burns and it chokes me when I transform..."
"It's a symbol of your rightful place," Sayumi cut in, shooting Reina a sharp glare before the scientist could attempt to comfort the younger girl, "Without that collar, the knights would cut you down on sight. You should be grateful you've been afforded the distinction."
The scientist whirled to face the witch, prepared to give her a sharp tongue-lashing, when the girl on the table moved, a light groan escaping her lips. The trio gathered closer around the knight, each with varying degrees of shock on their faces.
"Impossible- an attack like that..." Reina's eyes shot to the wound on Risa's shoulder, and watched in bewilderment as the edges of skin began to slowly stitch themselves back together of their own accord.
"Proves your theory that the venom affects everyone differently." Sayumi replied, curiously watching the wound as well.
So focused were the two that they realized too late that Risa's eyes were beginning to open, the irises colored a deep amber-gold. But Aika's focus never left the knight, and as soon as the woman lunged for Reina, the werewolf shifted, snarling and pinning Risa to the table with her massive paws.
The knight struggled against Aika, a growl of her own escaping her mouth as she stared the wolf down. Reina watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as the woman spit blood and teeth from her mouth, sharp canines quickly moving to fill in the gaps. She'd watched Aika transform many times, but this was the first time for her to witness the venom taking hold of a victim.
"Sayu!" Her worried shout snapped the witch out of her own fear, and Sayumi uttered a spell that caused the chains dangling at the corners of the table to spring to life. The chains wound themselves tightly around Risa's limbs, binding her to the stone slab. But soon they would be completely ineffective, and Aika was not exactly the strongest representative for her kind.
As the knight convulsed and writhed against the chains, Reina darted to the other side of the room, fumbling with a pouch attached to her waist. Eventually she managed to produce a key from it, and the scientist knelt down beside a small wooden chest, quickly unlocking it. Inside lay a single item: an intricately carved amulet with a blood-red stone set into it, attached to a delicate golden chain. The stone glowed faintly when she reached in to grab it, the result of some ten months of magical endowment by Sayumi.
When she returned to the table, prepared to slip the amulet around Risa's neck, the witch's hand shot out to stop her.
"It's not safe." Sayumi hissed, "The incantations aren't yet complete- we have no way of knowing what it'll do to her."
"We don't have time to test it," Reina replied firmly, yanking her arm free, "And in minutes we're going to have a very angry newborn lycan on our hands. Unless you have a better idea, we have little choice."
The witch relented, stepping out of her partner's way as she moved forward again, pulling the amulet over Risa's head. As soon as the stone touched the knight's skin, it shone more fiercely, and the woman fell limp against the table, unconscious once more.
A heavy silence fell on the room, neither the witch or the scientist able to speak, and a few moments passed before Aika relaxed enough to shift back into human form. The young werewolf peered curiously at the amulet, its crimson glow reflecting in her eyes.
"Is she dead?" Aika questioned, reaching a hand out tentatively as if to touch the stone. Reina quickly pushed her away.
"No. Not dead. But you might be if you touch that." The scientist warned, still tense from what could have happened.
"What... is it?"
"Think of it as an inhibitor of sorts..." Sayumi offered lazily, her demeanor the polar opposite to Reina's edge, "It's meant to keep the venom from spreading throughout her body. I assumed it would need much more preparation than this but even I surprise myself with how good I am at magic sometimes~"
"I don't think it's stopped it completely," The scientist started, hovering over Risa once again, "Her wounds are still regenerating, and her body temperature definitely exceeds that of a normal human being."
It wasn't even close to a cure, but perhaps it would buy them some time. Working with Aika had been all but fruitless, as the curse had overtaken her system so completely that it was completely resistant to anything she and Sayumi tried. But the knight was in a limbo stage of sorts now, and there was a chance they could cure her before she turned. It gave Reina hope that their research hadn't been in vain.
"So what do we do now?" Sayumi asked, growing impatient.
"We wait until she wakes up. I don't feel comfortable doing anything until we've at least asked her about it first..."
The witch rolled her eyes.
"You know we have to carry out the experiments whether she agrees or not."
"I don't care, I still want a chance to explain everything first."
Sayumi threw up her hands, shaking her head as she turned on her heel to exit the room.
"Fine, but I'm having a collar made in the meantime. ...I'll get another one made for you as well, dog."
Reina scowled as the witch insulted the young werewolf yet again, but Aika simply smiled and nodded her head.
"Thank you, Michishige-san..."
"Whatever."
And then she was gone, much to Reina's relief. Sayumi was intelligent and extraordinarily talented but they'd never once ceased to get under the other's skin. How Aika managed to greet her with a smile everyday was beyond the scientist's understanding. Reina sighed, running a hand through her hair as she gathered her thoughts.
"I need you to watch her. And let me know as soon as she wakes up." Reina turned to Aika, earning a nod from her companion, "I don't know if the amulet will suppress her emotions, and though she hasn't turned, I want you there with me just in case."
"Of course." She didn't need to ask. There was simply no way Aika was about to leave the person she considered as good as blood alone with a potential threat.
It would be another three days before Risa finally woke up.
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Faaaaack yeeeasss!!!!!
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XD Thanks for the unintentional wedge, Rndy~
Mkay I'm on writer's strike for a while after this. Need to rest my mind and my eyes (and I'm busy this weekend anyway, too~) So enjoy~
Crimson, Chapter Two
Sunlight filtered softly into the large bedroom, the gentle rays ghosting across Risa's sleeping face. The light caused the knight to stir slightly, and she cracked one golden eye, groggy brain trying to make sense of her surroundings.
The room was clean and carefully decorated with ornate furniture, as if no one ever entered, despite the fact it was obviously well cared for. The bed she was in all but swallowed her with its massiveness, and felt soft beneath her fingers as she pushed herself up into a seated position. To her surprise, the pain she expected to feel did not come, and Risa gingerly traced her shoulder beneath her shirt, realizing that her wound was gone.
Where am I...? How long have I been here? A month?
The knight continued to check herself, finding that the gashes in her side had also healed, and taking note of the clothes she was dressed in. They definitely didn't belong to her, being much too expensive for someone of her station in life. Stranger still was the mysterious amulet she had looped around her neck, and Risa couldn't resist the urge to touch it, somewhat calmed by the pleasant warmth it emitted.
Interesting...
She decided it was best to leave the necklace on until she better understood her situation, and quietly slid herself off of the bed, rising to her feet. It was then Risa realized she was not alone in the room, a soft snore alerting her to a presence in the corner. Instinctively, she crouched down, eyes darting to the source of the noise.
A young girl was sitting on a chair in the corner near her bed, arms crossed and head hung forward as she slept. She looked exhausted, and Risa felt sorry for the kid until the sunlight caught on something metal around the girl's neck, and her eyes widened in realization.
That must be... The wolf from before...
She should have been wary, even sick to be in the presence of a lycan, but despite her personal feelings and her training, she couldn't look at the girl with anything besides pity. For it was one thing to cut down a snarling mass of fur and fangs, and something entirely different to see the wolves as having once been human.
And she's only a child yet... Barely a woman. And to bear such a curse...
Risa slowly rose out of her crouch, straightening up quietly so as not to wake the girl. She slipped out of the room, where she emerged into a large stone corridor, lined with torches and various paintings, tapestries and artifacts like suits of armor. There were other rooms as well, but these were closed off and looked so similar to the one she had just left that Risa decided not to check them all, instead hoping to find signs of life outside of the werewolf.
As she padded barefoot through the castle, she began to notice how clearly everything appeared to her, as if her vision was sharper than ever before. Her other senses were more acute as well, ears picking up on the tiniest of sounds and nose able to distinguish scents she'd never experienced before.
It can't be... am I... have I...
Risa refused to follow that line of thought to its conclusion, willing to delude herself until someone could tell her where she was, even as her tongue ran against the fangs in her mouth. The knight eventually emerged in the main hall, a new combination of scents assaulting her nose. Most were quite pleasant--pork roasting over a flame, flowers, freshly picked to adorn vases in different parts of the castle, and of course, dozens of people. There were stranger smells as well, ones she could not identify, foreign and sharp and a few even caused shivers to run down her spine.
The knight tried to veer away from these, and attempted to lock on one of the scents she was sure belonged to a person--a mixture of light perfume and pleasant warmth and... something else. How she was sure, she could not explain, but now wasn't really the time to question her newfound instincts. Instead, she took a deep breath to make the trail clearer, eager to discover what had happened to her.
The scent lead her down a dark flight of stairs, the likes of which filled her with a deep sense of dread and foreboding. Shadows created by the torches on the walls seemed warped and twisted, and the part of the scent she couldn't identify was sharp and oppressive now, overwhelming her and drawing a deep rumble up from her chest. Risa paused at this, startled that she could even make such a noise.
And as if that weren't distressing enough for her, whispers echoed off of the stone walls, heightening her anxiety. They were unintelligible murmurs, some fearful, some malicious, all sending chills down her spine.
She pressed on, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, and watching in bewilderment as a light appeared in front of her face. The tiny orb illuminated the dark way ahead of her, and she reacted by backpedaling up the stairs a bit, watching as it disappeared. When she stepped forward, it returned, and she came to terms with the fact the light was going to stay with her regardless of whether or not she liked it.
Ahead, she could see several chambers extending off to the left and right, but Risa dared not stray from the path the scent was taking her, not wanting to linger here more than was necessary. The sound of breaking glass alerted her to movement in one of the rooms up ahead, followed by the sound of cursing.
The knight cautiously peered inside, inadvertently finding herself in the lab. The sights and smells inside unnerved her a bit, but her attention was soon drawn to two women at the other end of the room. One of them, a tall, dark-haired girl with a cute face, was crouched on the ground, clutching at her arm. The other had reddish-brown hair that was tied in a wild side ponytail; she had her back to Risa, and seemed to be busy working on something in front of her.
"I told you not to touch it, Sayumi..." Ponytail girl said, seemingly unconcerned by the other woman's pain.
"Since when do I listen to you?" Sayumi snapped, hugging her injured arm closer to her body.
"You never do. That's why you're the one with the acid burn right now..."
"Ah, my beautiful, flawless skin..." The older girl lamented, a pout spreading on her face.
"Oh, be quiet. You'll be fine. I'm sure you have a spell somewhere in that book of yours for that."
The two continued to banter back and forth for a while, Risa watching the exchange quietly from the shadows. They kept mentioning something about a cure, and "the knight," which she assumed meant her. It was clear these women knew why she was here and she decided to make her presence known.
"Excuse me..." She started, stepping forward as the two women whirled around to face her. They were obviously surprised to see her, but Risa registered fear in their eyes as well.
"You're awake..." Ponytail girl murmured, reaching for something at her side, "Good, we were beginning to worry."
Risa caught the glint of metal in the dim lighting and didn't need her years of training to realize the girl was concealing a dagger. She held up her hands, taking careful steps forward.
"Who exactly would 'we' be, then? And where am I?"
Reina gripped the dagger tightly, quickly trying to judge whether the knight was a threat or not. Werewolves could be unpredictable, newly turned ones even moreso, and the amulet guaranteed nothing. Still, the woman seemed to be in control of herself, despite her confusion, and so the scientist lowered her guard slightly.
"You're in Fort Aconite, in the castle stationed at the-"
"At the base of the mountains," Risa finished for her, earning startled glances from both Sayumi and Reina, "My village is but a day's journey from here."
"Very few people even know this castle still exists..." The witch spoke up, eyeing the knight with no small amount of suspicion, "It's odd that you were aware of it, Red or not."
"My captain and I made it a point to be aware of many things, my lady." Risa replied, easily meeting Sayumi's gaze.
"And yet, you were still caught off guard when the lycans came."
The sharp-tongued response hit Risa like a blow to the stomach, and she felt herself literally heating up with rage. Her fists clenched at her sides and the rumbling in her chest returned, thoughts consumed with the urge to lunge forward and tear Sayumi's throat out. Reina seemed to realize the change in the knight's demeanor and pulled the dagger from her belt, while Sayumi stood her ground as if daring Risa to move.
Given a few more seconds, she may have attacked, but a hand touched her shoulder, and when Risa turned to snap at whoever dared to get so close, she was met with a hypnotic golden gaze. Almost instantly she felt her anger beginning to melt away, replaced by a deep sense of calm.
"There's no need for anger, sister." Aika murmured quietly, keeping her eyes locked on Risa, "Michishige-san often says things she doesn't mean, it's better to ignore them."
The young werewolf's words brought on a slew of responses from the witch, most unkind, but Risa found herself stuck in a pleasant haze, as if the world had stopped moving around her. When Aika looked away, she managed to snap out of it, sluggishly regaining her senses.
"Wha... What did you do to me?"
"You're still mostly human, so my powers hold some sway over you yet," the girl responded cheerfully, "Not for long, of course, but I can aid in keeping your emotions in check."
Risa blinked, infinitely more confused than she had been to start with. After shooting Sayumi a nasty scowl, Reina turned back to the knight, stepping forward.
"Perhaps you should come with me. There's much you need to know."
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Can we just get married? I think we should just get married. Yeah, that sounds pretty good right now <3
EDIT: Whoa, that was a close one there. Like, wow LOL I would have laughed if Sayu got her ass kicked here hahah I'm so mean~
I wonder what's gonna happen next~ BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I can wait =] You deserve a break yo, bustin out these chapters like a BAWS all week <3
I'll take that as my hint to get a move on with updates of my own ho ho ho~
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Have I mentioned that I so love where this is going. I can't wait for how Gaki reacts to Reina when they're alone. >.<
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Omg this story is pulling me in so much XD i love it!! Can wait for the next chapter, u r toooo talented and awesome quietriot :cathappy:
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So now this is going to be a full fledged fic? APPROVAL STAMP~
Here's to hoping that Risa doesn't pounce Reina and rip her to shreds~ :D COME BACK TO US FIMMEH~ :bow:
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But I like lurking in the shadows. :thumbup
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Here's to hoping that Risa does pounce Reina and rip her clothes to shreds~ :D
Fixed XD
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:panic: she's awake! and already wants to tear sayu to shreads LOL XD good thing aika calmed her down in time ^^;
i swear this is what happens when i try to have a social life, ppl update and dont tell me @~@ i cant wait for the next part~! >3<
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@kjpop: If you like it then you gotta put a ring on it, otherwise get in line~ :cathappy: XD and I think you just want Sayu to suffer. lolol she's not really that bad in this. It's too easy to make her the villain/pseudo-villain anyway. XD Also, you need to update. Otherwise... Well, let's just say I have plans to leave off at a rather painful cliffhanger in another story of mine~ :heart:
@Rndy: I think you'll be quite pleased. XD also, best fix ever. And exactly how I read Rini's sentence anyway lolol
@darkacex99: Glad you like it! ^^ And thanks for the praise, though I don't know I deserve it :heart: I'm like, not even really a writer, I just do this when I'm bored XD
@Rini: T___T where have you been, I missed you! (In the most non-creepy way, I swear. XD ) Glad to have your approval stamp, tho. I can continue on in peace~ :heart:
@KB: haha I would dare to say a social life is more fun. XD But yeah~ here's an update!
Haha I'm so used to updating like, once a day, that going a weekend without writing was weird. But it was totally good, I definitely needed a break. X___x Also, whoa, post 200. XD I apologize if the story seems slow at the moment, but there's still a bit of setup left yet. Enjoy~
Chapter Three
Risa walked slowly behind Reina as the scientist led her through the castle, silently processing everything she had been told up to this point. The younger woman had explained as much as she could, recounting the details of how the knight came to be in the castle and her situation with the amulet. She certainly hadn't expected to be told that she wasn't yet a werewolf, but instead of being relieved by the news, Risa felt more as though her fate was being prolonged.
This necklace will only delay the inevitable, right? ...So what's the point?
Currently, Reina was up ahead going on about her research with Sayumi, though the knight had stopped listening to her after a while. It wasn't that she couldn't understand--Risa was one of the few knights in the area that actually pursued an education before joining--but simply that she didn't bother with technicalities. There were too many other distractions to focus on, anyway.
For one thing, they weren't completely alone; quiet footsteps behind her were a constant reminder of Aika's presence. The werewolf wasn't even very close--the last time Risa turned to look, the girl had been at the end of the hallway--but her now-hyper sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of the girl following as though she were inches behind. That and the knight could almost feel those yellow eyes on her, glinting in the dim firelight and carefully watching her every move. Aika offered her nothing but kindness, but it was clear the girl was wary of anything being between herself and Reina. Especially when that something was a time bomb on the edge of becoming a monster.
And then there was the scientist herself. Risa felt drawn to her like a magnet, every sense attuned to the younger woman. The scent of Reina's perfume had assaulted her during their entire trek through the castle, and the knight had long since stopped trying to ignore it. Her golden eyes followed the slight sway of the scientist's hips as she walked, and her ears picked up on the steady rhythm of the girl's heartbeat as it pulsed warm blood through her body. Reina continued forward, unaware of the intense scrutiny while she talked, and Risa unconsciously ran her tongue against her fangs, aware of a dull burn settling in the pit of her stomach.
"You want to eat her."
Aika had suddenly appeared at the knight's side, breaking her concentration so forcefully that Risa nearly stumbled into a nearby sculpture. She blushed hard, both at her mistake and at what she thought were hidden implications.
"I-I- wh-what?" She stammered out, attempting to regain her composure even as her eyes trailed back to the woman in question. Reina hadn't stopped, still oblivious as she continued explaining the finer details of chemical composition to the air.
"I mean, literally," Aika responded easily, clicking her teeth together in a chomping motion, "It's instinct for a newborn, anyway."
"To want to eat humans?"
"Not necessarily humans, just anything that isn't wolf. The first transformation requires an extraordinary amount of energy." Aika explained, looping her arm through Risa's. The knight was sure this was to keep her from doing anything unpredictable; she could sense the power and energy radiating from the young werewolf even in her relaxed state. "So newborns go into a frenzy, and slaughter just about anything in sight. If they don't, they'll go into shock and die, but the madness of wanting to kill is generally impossible to ignore."
...Kill? Risa glanced at Reina again, this time with a much graver expression on her face.
"Don't worry though, Nee-chan," Aika patted the knight's arm reassuringly. "You're lucky. You have the amulet, and Reina and Michishige-san working on a cure, and me. And I promise I'll do my best to help you."
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Risa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"All wolves are family, Nee-chan. You are my sister now, and I yours." The werewolf replied matter-of-factly, seemingly content to be at the knight's side.
Sister... Risa's heart ached painfully as she thought of her own, wondering about her fate. There was no way she could even begin to consider someone else as family, but she supposed it didn't matter what the werewolf thought of her. Nor did she think she could get Aika to call her by anything else.
They slowly caught back up to Reina just as the scientist was reaching the end of her little lecture.
"...and well, Sayu couldn't walk in a straight line for a week after that. So we've tried to avoid the use of fire in the lab since; with the exception of those unearthly enchanted things she's got floating around in there..."
Risa cleared her throat.
"What is to become of me now?"
Reina finally paused, turning to face the knight. The apologetic look on her face told Risa all she needed to know, but she braced herself for the words nevertheless.
"You... must remain here... by order of the king," The scientist replied slowly, wary of provoking the knight's rage, "Believe me, I do not wish to confine you to the castle... But I'm afraid I took away any choice you may have had in the matter the moment I placed that amulet around your neck."
"Well," Risa snorted, "I was already property of the king before this happened. I suppose it doesn't matter. Besides..."
The knight slipped her arm out of Aika's, moving over to the nearby window to peer out into the forest. The trees and ground were coated in a fresh blanket of snow from the previous night, making the landscape appear much more gentle than it had seemed when she was staggering through it before, clinging to life. Her eyes focused on the dark mountain looming in the distance, and it occurred to her that she'd never once been beyond that peak. Now, she certainly never would.
"...I have nowhere else to go." She trailed off in a whisper, closing her eyes as an image of her burning home flickering through her mind.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, slender fingers giving it a gentle, comforting rub. But when Risa turned to look, Reina's gaze was anything but gentle, burning with determination.
"I have dedicated my life to finding a cure. And I still believe there is one out there, and whether by magic or science or luck, I will find it, I swear to you. Or I'll die trying."
Risa couldn't help but be swayed by the younger woman's sincerity, and she offered her a weak nod, daring to hope that there was a chance, however small. She held Reina's gaze a bit longer than necessary, a pleasant warmth flooding her body and wrapping her mind in a haze. The scientist stared back, in a trance, before Aika stepped forward and cleared her throat.
"Reina." She watched the scientist snap out of it and blink owlishly in her direction, "I think it's time for lunch."
"Oh. Yes. Right." Reina stumbled over her words, glancing back between Risa and Aika and putting a bit of distance between herself and the knight once more. For her part, Risa immediately missed the warmth of Reina's hand on her shoulder, a thought that troubled her as she came back to her senses as well.
"The servants have prepared us a meal... And there are a few things I'd like to test; we can kill two birds with one stone." The scientist stated, voice growing more confident as she turned to continue walking once more.
Risa watched her go for a moment, allowing her head to clear as she tried to work out what happened.
"I guess now we know you can do that with the amulet as well..." Aika mused when Reina was out of earshot, watching Risa thoughtfully.
"What did I do?"
"You tried to hypnotize her. Unintentionally, of course. We've discovered that wolves have some degree of psychic power, which translates most directly into our ability to sway the minds of our prey, including humans." Aika replied, smiling as Risa turned to her in shock, "It's how I was able to calm you earlier, and how I managed to keep you from doing anything to her just now. You're still part human. But wolves are unaffected by other wolves, and so I don't have as much power over you as I could."
"How do I control it?" Risa asked, still shocked by what she'd accidentally done.
What I could do...
"Be aware of your mind. Or simply don't make eye contact."
The young werewolf began to follow after Reina, which prompted Risa to move as well, the latter silently resolving to get herself under control. If she was going to end up as a wolf, she would fight this killing nature to the bitter end.
"Also, I wouldn't recommend trying it on Michishige-san," Aika commented playfully, glancing back at Risa, "It doesn't work on magical beings, and besides she'll try to hex you."
The knight couldn't help but laugh, remembering the dark-haired witch and imagining her chasing Aika through the halls of the castle. Perhaps being here didn't have to be so terrible all the time.
"I'll keep that in mind."
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OH HEYYYYYYYYYYYY~ *rolls up tin foil and makes it into a ring shape* <333333 Poor student here, but my love T__T TIS REAL <3333
AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look LOL I have 2 updates and a perv coming, will that be enough to make you happy? ;D BUT!!!!! You're threats don't scare me 8)
BRB TO REVIEW CUZ I'M SUPPOSED TO BE BEING RESPONSIBLE AND WORKING SJKDFHLSJKDFHSDJKFSDF
EDIT:
Bahaha so I lied and took an extended potty break because of this ahha My phone was being a pain in the ass anyway.
SO...
"You want to eat her."
WE WERE ALL THINKING IT. DON'T EVEN DENY IT. WE WERE ALLLLLLLLLLLL THINKING IT. :drool:
And I love science geek Reina <3 Being cooped up in the lab and finding a cure!!!! Sounds just like me~ cept I'm not surrounded by attractive people, nor am I attractive myself HO HO HO~ *cries* lol
Sooooooooo, I'm thinkin' Gaki mind control can lead to some fun, fun times ;D Just fetch Aika a bone to some other kingdom or something. Gotta have the variables of the "experiment" controlled after all HO HO HO OH my god I am so sorry >__< science jokes are my life T___T
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LOL not with a boring life like mine^^; the few times i do go out is with mygodsister and that'll get cut pretty soon anyway^^;
woot for an update~! 1st risa wants to eat reina then she unknowingly hypnotizes her what is next? XD atleast aika is there to keep things in check but what'll happen down the road when she's not there? plus i felt tottally sad when risa wondered about her sister ;3; i hope she's ok too ;3; i shall patiently wait now~ :deco:
DAMN KJ BEAT ME!
:catglare:
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I disappeared to have a social life too!!!
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...
...
nah. Who am I kidding~ :roll: I'm as sociable as a pillbug hiding underneath a rock XD I WAS STALKING TUMBLR AND RISA~ :heart:
Anyways~ Your wolves/lycans > Twilight wolves :3 Nuff said~ Lol I thought that Reina was already falling in love with Risa...but it was just hypnosis! Darn! XD Save the best for last I guess? XD
The part where Risa oh so dramatically/mopey-ly scuttled over to the window to lament...ahhhh~ POOR RISA~ :gmon tears: :deco:
Meal time...I wonder how wolves eat...o.O I imagine like Goku from DragonBall Z...except more violent XD
I have plans to leave off at a rather painful cliffhanger in another story of mine~
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:mon wtfmm:
Here's to hoping that Risa does pounce Reina and rip her clothes to shreds~ :D
Fixed XD
I had a feeling that someone who do that XD Especially due to the usage of "rip to shreds" XD I LIKE YOUR THINKIN~
Waiting time :D :cathappy:
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I am quite pleased!
"You want to eat her."
XD zomg, way to state facts there Aika, except that:
And then there was the scientist herself. Risa felt drawn to her like a magnet, every sense attuned to the younger woman. The scent of Reina's perfume had assaulted her during their entire trek through the castle, and the knight had long since stopped trying to ignore it. Her golden eyes followed the slight sway of the scientist's hips as she walked, and her ears picked up on the steady rhythm of the girl's heartbeat as it pulsed warm blood through her body. Reina continued forward, unaware of the intense scrutiny while she talked, and Risa unconsciously ran her tongue against her fangs, aware of a dull burn settling in the pit of her stomach.
does not seem like the kind of hunger you think it is.
...Kill? Risa glanced at Reina again, this time with a much graver expression on her face.
And now Risa thinks its the literal eat as well!
"...and well, Sayu couldn't walk in a straight line for a week after that. So we've tried to avoid the use of fire in the lab since;
That sounds like an interesting story XD
She held Reina's gaze a bit longer than necessary, a pleasant warmth flooding her body and wrapping her mind in a haze. The scientist stared back, in a trance, before Aika stepped forward and cleared her throat.
I wonder what Risa would have done if Aika hadn't interrupted?
What I could do...
Apparently Risa's thinking of the possibilities, too
"The servants have prepared us a meal... And there are a few things I'd like to test; we can kill two birds with one stone."
I know I've been saying it a lot, but I can't wait for the next part!
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@kjpop: It's okay I'm a poor student too, we can be like starving artists and live in a cardboard box, it's allllll good~ :heart: also, I'm not sure it's my threats you should be worried about... XD Also, oh god, Gaki mind-control+sexy times... You may have given me ideas. Ahahahahah~
@KB: ^^ At least you go out. I sit around all day because no one will hire me here~ and my brother doesn't live at home anymore. T___T -forever alone- What will happen when Aika isn't around, indeed... I wonder~ thank you for your patience! :cathappy:
@Rini: stalking Tumblr and Risa are noble pursuits, my little pillbug. xD And it may have been hypnosis, but who says it didn't affect Reina a bit more than that? Kitty isn't one to let things show~ Also, that is a terrifying emoticon, and if I don't update, uh, you only have kjpop to blame. :D (See what I did there? Ahahah~)
@Rndy: Risa's hungry for Reina, alright~ Aika's just not that perceptive teehee~ probably woulda jumped the kitty's bones if the faithful doggy weren't around XD and I'm happy to say your wait is over!
Holy wow, long chapter is long. But I've gotten all of the setup out of the way~ -twirls- which means more time for action and romance and drama! :D Also, there may be some delay before my next update; I'm considering illustrating this fic~ Enjoy~
Chapter Four
"Catch." Risa watched as Reina pulled something from the pouch at her belt, and reacted on instinct as it flew towards her, easily snatching it from the air. The object was small, and she realized what it was before she even opened her palm to examine it. It was a single silver piece, adorned with the image of the king, so ordinary that Risa glanced up at Reina, confused as to what the significance should be.
The scientist was focused on her hand, and after several moments of silence she let out a satisfied hum. It was then that the knight made the connection.
"This... should be burning me. Shouldn't it?"
"Were you fully turned, that amount of exposure would have you convulsing on the floor." Reina replied dryly, catching the coin as Risa threw it back to her. "I rather expected you to drop it instantly, but it seems you remain immune to silver's effects for now."
Risa nodded, making a mental note to be careful with her sword from that point on. She knew many ways to kill, injure, and capture wolves; she'd never once expected to apply that knowledge to benefit her own self-preservation. As she and Aika continued to follow Reina towards the dining hall, the knight remembered that she'd not seen her possessions since waking up that morning.
"Where is my armor? My sword?" She questioned, ears picking up the sounds of shouting somewhere ahead of them. Before she could think about it much, though, Reina answered her.
"In the room that's been prepared for you to stay in. Your armor was in terrible shape, but I had the blacksmith do what he could."
"Do you mean the room I woke up in isn't where I'll be staying?"
"Oh, absolutely not," The scientist replied as though the idea was ludicrous, "Not even the servants sleep in that wing. No, you were put there..."
The woman seemed to be struggling to find a tactful way to say what she meant, though Risa was sure she knew why. She'd been kept away from the others as a precaution. Reina had already admitted that neither she or the witch knew what the amulet would do to her; likely they didn't trust it, or her. Not that the knight could blame them, after all, she had witnessed many a lycan attack in her service to the kingdom. And especially after Aika's words, even she didn't trust herself yet.
More shouting sounded down the way, and Reina muttered some curse under her breath before taking off suddenly, darting into the dining hall. Aika seemed unconcerned, and Risa was confused as she strained to hear what was happening.
"Probably just Michishige-san toying with the servants again." Aika answered the unspoken question. The knight wasn't sure whether or not she found the trait helpful or annoying.
Or maybe she can read my mind...
An explosion shook the area, and Risa wobbled unsteadily, quickly bracing herself against the wall. Maniacal laughter floated to her ears, followed by the sounds of more shouting and cursing, Reina's voice distinct among the latter. Aika sighed, shaking her head good-naturedly as she continued calmly forward.
"Coming, Nee-chan?"
"You want to go towards a sound like that?" Risa snapped incredulously, pulling her hands away from her still ringing ears. The young werewolf did not stop, however, and the knight was curious, quickly catching up to her companion.
The scene they stumbled upon was a chaotic one, dust swirling thick in the air. A gaping hole had been torn in the opposite wall, brick and stone still crumbling away from the spot, and the area surrounding the impact was charred a deep black. Most of the servants were still cowering beneath the huge table in the center of the room, while others had already begun scrambling to clean up the mess. Reina was standing on one of the chairs, covered in dust and shaking her fist up towards the ceiling in between coughing fits.
"Michishige Sayumi, get your ass down here, NOW."
Risa blinked, eyes darting skyward and catching on the witch, who was currently dangling upside down from the chandelier chain by her foot. She was swinging back and forth and cackling to herself, and Risa noticed that the girl's arms were smoking.
"Ah~ nothing like chasing a baby dragon through the castle to get your heart racing..."
"I don't care if it was a fucking chimera- for heaven's sake, get down here and explain yourself!" Reina shouted, grabbing a nearby spoon and chucking it up towards her partner. "You blew up the wall!"
"Correction," Sayumi started, holding up a finger, "The dragon blew up the wall. I was trying to put him back where he belonged when he decided I might make a tasty snack."
As an afterthought, the witch reached up to tug on her leg.
"...Also, I'm stuck."
"...You have a dragon?" Risa interjected, a bit slow in following the conversation.
Reina groaned, slapping her hand to her forehead in frustration. It was one thing trying to constantly explain everything to the knight, she wasn't in the mood to babysit her destructive partner all day as well. Aika suddenly reappeared at her mistress's side--causing Risa to jump as she hadn't even noticed the girl's absence--offering Reina an intricately carved wooden bow.
"Figured perhaps this would be a quick and creative way to get her down," The werewolf explained as the scientist took the weapon in hand, gripping it in a manner that told Risa the younger woman definitely had experience using it. Reina pulled an arrow from the quiver in Aika's other hand and pulled it taut against the string, pointing the tip up towards Sayumi.
When the witch realized her intent, she began to panic.
"Whoa, hey, wait- Reina, this is a bad idea."
The scientist ignored her pleas and took aim, releasing the arrow from her grasp. The bolt whistled through the air, connecting with a weak link in the chandelier's chain and causing it to snap open. Sayumi let out a shrill scream as the entire thing jerked downwards, landing with an impressive crash just some feet away from the table. Fortunately for the witch, at some point before she was destined to break every bone in her body, Aika intervened and managed to catch her, standing casually away from the mess while holding the taller girl bridal style.
It took Sayumi a moment to realize she was safe and not dead, but when she did, she was not happy.
"Ugh! Reina, your dog is touching me... Put me down!"
"As you wish, my lady."
The witch was dumped unceremoniously on her rear before she could take a swing at the werewolf's face, Aika moving back obediently to join Reina's side. Risa remained rooted to her previous spot, equal parts stunned and amazed, and still wondering about the alleged dragon and it's whereabouts. The dragon that for some reason no one else seemed worried about. But the question that was on the tip of her tongue, however, had to do with the fiery woman standing next to her.
"...Where on earth did you learn to do that?" She questioned, voice colored with awe, "That was a perfect shot."
For the first time since they'd met, the scientist offered the knight a toothy smile, and Risa couldn't help but find it endearing.
"We all have our secrets, Niigaki-san," Reina replied mysteriously, "Some more than others, perhaps."
...What's that supposed to mean?
Risa wanted to question the woman further, but before she could, the hole in the wall crumbled again, one of the bricks knocking a suit of armor to the floor with a loud clang. Reina sighed, shaking her head.
"Well... Let's eat, hm?"
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The servants were surprisingly quick to clear the room of debris, and while the wall remained damaged, the dining hall itself was otherwise restored to a state of elegance. Risa overheard one of them telling Reina that the baby dragon had been returned to the dungeon, and though that eased the knight's mind slightly, she still felt uncomfortable in such a formal setting. She'd only been to one banquet in her life; while this was simply lunch and places were set for only three people, she was reminded of that stuffy, disastrous occasion.
Risa watched as two plates were set in front of her, one layered with slices of perfectly roasted meat, greens, and a bit of fruit, while the other had a slab of raw pork in the center of it, freshly cut and still oozing blood. The knight went pale at the sight of the latter, fighting the urge to vomit as the coppery scent roughly invaded her nose. She looked over at Reina, who was in experiment-mode again, watching her intently.
"I know it's a bit unsavory, but we need to see what type of food your body will digest right now." She explained, "From what I've gathered, lycans cannot digest cooked food well, and completely reject anything that isn't meat. The blood seems to be an important component of the diet, though why, I've yet to discover."
"Is that why you sent the girl away?" Risa asked weakly, referring to Aika. She imagined the werewolf's face and hands covered in blood, and her stomach lurched uneasily.
"Watching the dog eat is a good way to lose weight," Sayumi cut in, chewing on an apple slice as she stared across the table at Risa, "You'll lose your appetite for days."
The knight looked back down at her potential meals, deciding to experiment with the one most familiar to her first. It certainly didn't taste any different, despite being of a quality much, much higher than she was used to.
Guess working for the king like this has its perks.
"How am I supposed to tell if this is what I'm meant to eat?"
"Oh, we'll find out in a few hours," Reina replied, signaling for the nearest servant to take away the plate of raw food, "If you're violently ill by that point, well..."
"Then I'll have to get used to something different." Risa finished for her dryly, not at all looking forward to the inevitable. It was just an animal, cooked or not, it shouldn't have bothered her. But Aika's words from earlier about eating humans kept ringing in her head and she suddenly lost all desire to eat.
Soon the women finished their meals, and Reina led the other two into an adjacent living room, where Aika was already waiting for them, adding wood to the massive fireplace in the center.
Sated by what little she ate and finding her tension slipping away with every sip of the wine in her hand, Risa sunk down into one of the chairs next to the fire, tempted to fall asleep then and there. Sayumi seemed to be headed in the same direction, lounging casually on a fur-lined couch, while Aika stood vigilantly in the corner, and Reina stood off to the side, studying the bookshelf against the wall. It was a comfortable scene, and Risa found herself succumbing to her drowsiness before Reina's voice interrupted the silence.
"Do you know the story behind the founding of the Red Knights, Niigaki-san?"
Risa lifted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't believe in fairy tales, my lady. Some say it started with a wolf eating a child--a local woodcutter saved her by cutting him open, decided to wear a red cloak in her honor... The rest is history." She stated with a shrug, "Though that's just a story. The truth is that the king simply began selecting elite knights for the job and that red was used to distinguish us. There's no other significance."
Reina smiled, walking away from the bookshelf to sit down beside Sayumi, who had fallen asleep.
"You're wrong on both accounts. That story is a pitiable shadow of the truth, and what you think is correct is simply just the king's attempt to cover up his own shortcomings."
Indignation welled up inside of the knight, but the effects of the wine were making it too hard for her to be all that angry.
"And you think you know what really happened?"
"I know what really happened," Reina corrected her, "I haven't spent five years on this research simply to guess about something like that."
Risa considered this for a moment, unable to deny her curiousity. The scientist did seem to know what she was talking about, and if nothing else, the knight decided it was worth humoring the girl if only for the excuse to watch her without seeming creepy.
"...Tell me."
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Though the modern incarnations of the story are far from the truth, they are pieced together with some fragments of the original after all. To begin with, the characters involved were all the same, besides alterations to their descriptions and ages and appearance.
There was a girl. Young enough to be treated like a child, and yet old enough to make the decisions that any other woman could make. She was beautiful, wild and free-spirited, and spent much of her time in the forest amongst the plants and animals. Her parents were well established in the nearby village; her father was a farmer, and her mother made delicious things out of the crops he grew. These goods the girl would deliver to nearby villages, and she quickly became recognizable for the white cloak she wore to camouflage herself against the snow.
The girl had an admirer; a quiet, gentle woodsman, who was much too shy to make his feelings known for her. But though he couldn't bring himself to speak them out loud, that did not diminish the strength of his love for her. He watched over her silently, always around whenever she needed someone, always there to protect her from the dangers she could not see.
But another had his eyes on the girl as well; a wolf whose trails the girl frequently passed on her way through the forest. He could not tell the girl of his feelings either, for he was a wolf, and this was in the time before they walked among us like men.
As time passed, the wolf's obsession grew, and in desperation, he turned to the aid of a witch who lived deep in the forest. Now, the witch had lived many lifetimes due to her skill and cunning, and saw the value in having the allegiance of a beast as strong and powerful as a wolf, so she granted his request; she gave him the ability to become a man at will. What she did not anticipate was his beauty, and the witch fell in love with the wolf, her heart growing black with jealousy for the girl that claimed his heart.
As a man, the wolf was finally able to reveal himself to the girl, and soon they were married, much to the dismay of the woodsman and the rage of the witch. The latter began plotting a way to lure the girl in to get rid of her, and one day, she sent a request to the village for some goods to be delivered to her house.
The girl, thinking nothing was amiss, set out to do her job, failing to inform her husband that morning of where she was headed. When the wolf noticed his wife was missing, he immediately followed her trail, unaware that the woodsman was following his.
The witch had set a trap for the girl, coaxing her into her house with the promise of a fresh meal after a long journey. But as soon as the girl was inside, the witch turned on her, attempting to stab her with a silver dagger. The wolf appeared just as it seemed too late for his wife, and he took on his true form as he struggled with the witch. Eventually, the evil woman was killed, but not before she managed to stab the wolf with her dagger, dealing him a mortal wound.
As the wolf lay dying in her arms, the girl's cloak became stained with the crimson of her lover's blood. The woodsman appeared last, and when he saw the wolf, he acted on instinct, swinging his axe through the air with the intent to slaughter the beast. But the wolf leapt for him first, biting the man with the last snap left in his great jaws before succumbing to his injuries.
The woodsman fell to his knees, writhing in pain as the venom from the wolf's fangs traveled through his body--a curse the witch had placed upon the wolf the moment she gave him the ability to become a man. As he turned, losing his humanity by the moment, the girl rose from her spot, moving to retrieve the silver dagger from the body of the dead witch. She looked upon the woodsman with pity and grief, kneeling down to speak to him.
"My silent guardian, if only this had never happened to you... I am forever grateful to you for what you have done for me... But I will never return to this place."
And she did not, true to her word. The girl exiled herself to the mountains, where she gave birth to the son she had been carrying. To her relief, he was not a wolf, but like his father he craved adventure and frequently left home in search of it. When he became a man, he went out one evening in search of food for himself and his mother, carrying with him his bow and the dagger that--unbeknownst to him--once belonged to the witch.
When he returned, he found his mother in the arms of the woodsman, her body broken and bleeding, dead. To this day, it is not known what happened to the girl, but her son blamed the woodsman, who quickly shifted into a wolf and fled the scene. Picking up the crimson cloak now stained with the blood of his mother and father, the boy swore he would not rest until he had slain every wolf, and devoted his life to hunting down the one that killed his mother.
Thus began the line of Red Knights, and the bloody war between man and wolf.
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"That's quite a tale..." Risa murmured, unsure whether or not to believe it, "At least, much better than the story about the child traveling to her grandmother's house."
"That's because it's true." Reina replied firmly, crossing her arms. "I'm a scientist, Niigaki-san, I don't believe in fairy tales any more than you do."
The knight grunted, deciding not to push the matter further. Reina obviously believed that what she said was true, regardless of whether or not it actually was. What she believed really wasn't Risa's concern, and besides, it was an interesting story.
"I wonder what might have happened had the boy given the woodsman a chance to explain... Or if he'd gotten there in time to save the mother." She wondered aloud, absently chewing on her lower lip and being careful to avoid cutting it on a fang.
"I think we'd all be wolves by now, Niigaki-san." Reina mused quietly. "Though with each day that passes, I'm no longer sure that's such a terrible thing..."
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AHAHHAH OH MY GOD. DID YOU PLAN THIS OR SOMETHING?! AHHAHAHHAHAHHA BECAUSE WE KEEP UPDATING AROUND THE SAME TIMES AND IT FREAKS ME OUT. STOP BEING MY SOULMATE OR SOMETHING <3 CUZ WE TOO IN SYNC <33
Brb to edit though T__T lunch break over =[
BAHAHAH no no~ We won't starve~ I'll just break into the cafeteria at the lab and grab us nomnoms and we can have a lovely lil afternoon picnic or something <3 AND WOOOOOOOO FOR GETTING IDEAS INTO YOUR HEAD :thumbup
HOMAHGAH LOL FREAKIN' SAYU IS A HOOT. OH MY GOD LOL I'm spitting my drink out cuz I'm gonna end up snorting it or something from laughing so hard xD I like her here, like a lot a lot LOL Way more than Rockstar Sayu :heart:
OOOOH~ Wine + story time? My kind of evening!!!...but it's still too early to take it out for me XD Maybe later~
"I'm a scientist, Niigaki-san, I don't believe in fairy tales any more than you do."
Freakin' hell Reina. Stop being so attractive with your science crap. That's my job!!!! lol But I'm totally down with the whole being werewolves things LOL I'd love the whole mind control thing~ but then again, I wouldn't be able to use it on other werewolves *le sigh* so no sexy times hhahaha
But ho ho ho~ Sayu's passed out and Aika can go shoooo~ Sexy time yet? LOL jokes jokes~ :lol:
P.S. We're like totally on the same wavelength ~_^ obvs meant to be~
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Yay we get a history lesson on the red knights history sooo awesome,
Guess whose afternoon just got better, MINE O0 nice chapter
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u and kj should update together all the time! and trust me i cant get a job either and its only me and my mom and she's out usually 6 days a week for 9hrs. plus i gots little to no friends who dont bother to hang with me so yeah ^^;
risa+drinks=a good combi lol i'd rather have this then making her life suck...or both lol and sayu's a total riot in this chapter XD i also want to know why noone's spazzing over the fact that a baby dragon was loose XD
that story was also pretty interesting~ i cant wait for more~!
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I guess crazy in just par for the course around here XD Poor Risa, thrust into this place with no warning only to find herself assaulted by so many new experiences.
Sayu is total lols. :lol:
And finally, that story was interesting. A better take on Red Riding Hood than Red Riding Hood. XD
Rockstar's Guide soon?
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Ya know, living in this lover-ly castle with Sayu, Reina, and Aika sounds fun :D TAKE ME AS A TEST SUBJECT PLZ XD
while the other had a slab of raw pork in the center of it, freshly cut and still oozing blood. The knight went pale at the sight of the latter, fighting the urge to vomit as the coppery scent roughly invaded her nose.
Ugggggggh~ :barf: I feel your pain Risa~ One time, my family went out to eat at this casino buffet and they were serving prime rib. My dad and my sister each got a slice that was pretty much cooked fabulously on the outside...but not the inside...it was so fresh that the cows were probably still mo~oooooing Dx AND THEY STILL ATE IT! AND THEY ENJOYED IT DX So gross, so gross Dx :sweat:
"I think we'd all be wolves by now, Niigaki-san." Reina mused quietly. "Though with each day that passes, I'm no longer sure that's such a terrible thing..."
:O whatchu talkin' bout Reina? :O
soooo....updatesoonpureaze~ or I'mma creep back at'cha if ya know what I mean o.o
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Meh, comment replies later. Been sick today and I'm just totally antisocial atm XD
@kj: ahaha and we just continue to update around the same time~ :heart: Crimson Sayu I def love more than Rockstar Sayu as well, but to be fair, the latter hasn't had the best life, so... This Sayu is gonna continue to be weird and hilarious XD No sexy times yet, but very soon~ There's gotta be at least a few obstacles when it comes to stuff I write. ;)
@darkacex99: thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it :)
@KB: ahaha I promise we don't plan it, but it just keeps happening! XD and I think you might be living my life, maybe. If we lived closer together I would totally be your friend T.T yeah I'm giving Risa more of a break in this story. She's got some things to angst about, for sure, but at the moment, she's a bit distracted ;)
@Rndy: haha glad you liked my reinvention of the story. Hopefully the title is pretty clear now after that? Though the color red is basically a recurring theme here besides that. I've thought about writing other stories with color titles (help my art nerd is showing XD ).
@Rini: I wanna live in this castle too XD and I kinda like meat that's still a bit rare, but to each his own, I suppose. ^^;
Anyways, this is kinda filler and I intended to make it a bit longer but oh well~ next time there will be a bit of rabu rabu and TENSION and mystery anywayz so yeah, haha
Enjoy~
Chapter Five
Her heart pounded in her ears like a temple drum, racing faster than she ever thought it could. Risa chalked it up to her body's changing physiology, and besides, she had other things to focus on. She skidded to an abrupt halt beside a tree, kicking up a spray of snow as she breathed in deeply, tasting the air. Aika was close, but Risa was getting smarter, and she knew she only needed to close the gap between them by a little more before victory would be within reach.
The knight had been staying with the werewolf and her mistresses for over a week now, and was beginning to get used to the way things worked around the castle. For one thing, she learned that none of the servants were actual human beings; they were puppets, enchanted by Sayumi to appear real and to quickly and obediently follow every order. Apparently most of the suits of armor lurking in the castle were also magically engineered, but they were meant to activate only upon the witch's command.
Aika generally stayed pretty close to the knight, something that at first had unnerved her but ended up being more of a comfort due to how large and lonely the castle could be. Besides, the girl was easy to be around, and a well of information for the still-adjusting Risa. The werewolf had shown her most of the castle, save for a few sections that were restricted for even her--something about a few of Sayumi's spells going terribly wrong or the area being cursed during a past siege on the fort. Aika had even taken her to see the baby dragon in the dungeons, whose name she learned was Kemuri.
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"Why does Michishige-san even have a dragon?" Risa asked, pushing a hand through the bars of the cage to stroke the creature's nose.
Kemuri was easily the size of a small boat, but he was barely a month old and was incredibly friendly and eager for attention. His teeth were sharp as daggers, but Aika assured the knight that he didn't bite those he felt safe around, and because he was so young he couldn't quite breathe fire yet--just a few sparks. Risa had never seen a dragon up close and thought he was beautiful, his black scales reflecting the candlelight like glass, and smoke billowing almost constantly from his nose.
"Dragon fire has magical properties," Aika stated simply, tossing a few fish into the trough in front of him, "Well, so do their scales and such, but the fire is especially important from what Michishige-san has told me. She... broke a few royal decrees to obtain the egg but she and Tanaka-san could do just about anything and the king would allow it."
"The king seems particularly invested in what they're doing here..." Risa replied, pulling back as the dragon shuffled around in his cage to eat. Aika shrugged, leaning against the bars.
"I know a lot, sister, but I'm not as omniscient as you might believe. Tanaka-san and Michishige-san know what agreement is between them and the king, and neither have seen fit to divulge that information to me."
Risa nodded, used to the fact that the two women had many secrets. She was curious, of course, but would have to figure out all of these mysteries on her own.
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The only resident of the castle she hadn't spent a lot of time alone with was Reina. The scientist seemed to be purposely avoiding such a scenario; while she was polite enough whenever they did encounter one another, she always seemed to find some sort of excuse or reason to slip away from the knight. It confused Risa, irritated her to some degree, even, and she began to note the way her body ached whenever the younger woman was in her presence.
The knight mentioned this to Aika one day, and the werewolf had given her a curious glance, humming quietly to herself.
"Perhaps I was mistaken..."
Aika didn't explain her cryptic words, however, and told Risa that she would be watching them. Whatever that meant.
As if she doesn't already watch me like a hawk...
And then today, the scientist had sent servants to her room to inform her that they were to begin her "trials" this morning. Apparently that meant running Risa through every sort of physical test imaginable to see what she was capable of; currently her task was to catch up with Aika and steal from her a bone. The knight wasn't sure what this was supposed to accomplish, but it had been an hour now since this little game started and she was determined now to win it.
What surprised Risa the most was just how hot she felt out in the snow now; she'd abandoned her boots and armor at the starting point, and even now in a thin tunic and tights she was sweating. The temperature was easily below freezing and yet she had trudged through ice and snow with bare feet and no hesitation.
Her sensitive ears picked up the sounds of heavy breathing up ahead, and Risa smirked, easily pinpointing the location of her target. She knew she only had a split-second before Aika was aware of her presence, and so the knight shot forward like a rocket, hoping to catch the werewolf off guard. The knight was successful, slamming into the giant fluffy beast with all the force she could muster and sending them sprawling down a nearby hill, Aika's jaws snapping and missing her arm by inches.
When they landed in the snow, Risa immediately scrambled to her feet, grinning as Aika rose to face her as well, shaking out her fur. The bone dangled from a chain about the wolf's neck and she could tell that Aika was getting tired.
"You're quite strong, Nee-chan." The wolf rumbled, crimson tongue lolling out past ivory teeth as she tried to catch her breath.
"You tried to bite me." Risa accused, not all that angry as she drew her sword from her belt.
"I merely wanted you to take this more seriously," The wolf's lips curled back in an eerie version of a grin, "My lady is testing your limits, after all."
Aika reared up on her hind legs, brandishing tooth and claw and bringing her paws down to swipe at Risa, a clang sounding as the knight brought her sword up to defend herself. Lycan claws could easily rival a steel blade, and as the two traded blows, the clashes rung out through the trees; a battle song for the forest.
Overhead, a small cloud hovered out of place against the blue sky, and atop it sat Reina and Sayumi, the latter carelessly dangling her feet over the edge. They were watching the fight--Reina more intently than her counterpart, of course--and the scientist was continuously making notes on the paper in her lap.
"This is amazing... Reflexes fast enough to keep up with a fully turned lycan..." Reina murmured quietly, "I must take into account the fact that she is a knight, but even the Reds try not to directly engage the wolves in combat if they can help it..."
"She's reaping the benefits of being a wolf without actually being a wolf," Sayumi replied apathetically, playing with strands of her hair, "If we could get the amulet to cease the progress of the venom entirely... Well, think of the possibilities."
"But it's not a cure."
"Who needs a cure when you can be invincible and immortal without all of the side effects?"
Reina chewed on her lip, considering her partner's words. She was thinking of the possibilities, how could she not? Sayumi was right; if they could strengthen the power of the amulet, Risa could live forever, superhuman, and free of the curse that plagued Aika. But not knowing truly what it would do to the knight bothered her, and Reina wasn't about to chase after such an uncertain possibility.
"I agree with you that we need to create a second amulet to be safe. However, for now, we continue searching for a cure." She stated firmly, earning an eye roll from Sayumi, "I'm not throwing five years of research for a whim, not now when we're on the verge of a breakthrough."
"Fine, fine," The witch relented, tossing her hair, "You're so boring sometimes..."
A snarl brought the duo's attention back down to the fight, and Reina watched in disbelief as Risa stood, holding Aika's jaws open with her bare hands. The wolf was thrashing about, attempting to free herself and to swipe at the knight with her claws. Suddenly, Risa twisted her body, flipping Aika onto her back in one fluid motion.
The werewolf lay there, stunned, giving the knight a chance to pick up her sword. Risa slipped the blade between the chain, snapping it off like a twig. She swiftly grabbed the bone, smirking as she held it up in the air for Reina and Sayumi to see.
"My my, this just keeps getting more interesting," The witch stated quietly, and the scientist could only nod as the cloud slowly lowered them to the ground.
Forget superhuman... She's stronger than wolves as well...
The scientist stepped carefully from the cloud into the snow, while Sayumi took the opportunity to lay on her side now that she had the room to.
"Impressive," Reina stated sincerely as she walked towards the knight, "They trained you well at the academy, it would seem."
"You and the witch aren't the only ones to be top of your class, my lady," Risa replied with a grin, dropping the bone into the younger woman's hands. There was a moment where their eyes met and Risa felt that calming warmth wash over her again, but unlike before, Reina refused to hold it for long, shyly looking away. This drew a small frown from the knight, at least until she felt gentle fingers graze her cheek.
"You're burning up!" Reina gasped, concerned, "Feverishly so... Do you feel alright?"
"I feel fine," Risa replied, and it took all of her willpower not to lean into the younger woman's touch, "Amazing, even, like I could climb up the mountain and back."
"I'll have to ask you not to do that," The scientist turned to Aika, who had since pulled herself together, wobbling on all fours. "We need to go back the castle now. If we may..."
The giant wolf nodded, lowering herself so that Reina could climb on her back. The scientist extended a hand towards Risa, who blinked, confused.
"I can run there, you know."
"Not until I figure out whether or not it's safe for you," Reina insisted, "That's why I had you do this in the first place, to see how your body would respond."
Risa thought perhaps the girl was being too cautious, but she supposed that was her job. Besides, the benefits of doing as she was told quickly became apparent as she swung herself up onto the wolf, sliding in behind Reina. The scientist completely tensed up at the contact, but said nothing, even as Risa dared to place her hands on either side of the girl's waist.
"Coming, Sayumi?" The scientist asked the witch, who waved a hand lazily in her direction.
"I have things to do in the forest. I'll be home for dinner, darling~"
Risa chuckled slightly as the girl in front of her huffed angrily. She immediately regretted it when Reina suddenly told Aika to run, very nearly falling off the wolf. The knight retaliated by moving closer to the other girl, though this was half out of necessity at the speed they were moving. She was enjoying her position immensely, but this couldn't distract her from her curiosity.
"What sort of business does Michishige-san have in the forest?" Risa shouted over the wind, ducking just as a branch nearly caught her in the face.
"I've been wondering that for years myself," Reina called back, seeming to relax when she focused on conversation, "I tried following her once, but it didn't get me anywhere. I don't question her methods anymore--she always pulls through on her end, so it doesn't matter."
The knight thought that the witch was a bit strange, but then everything about the castle had been weird to her, and so she decided not to think too much of it. It was much more pleasant to think of Reina anyway, and Risa did, remaining blissfully unaware of everything else around them until they reached the castle.
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Omg update!!! Will edit later
EDIT: Ok!
We get to the physical tests! Risa is so badass! :inlove:
And the Tanagaki relationship gets a bit more interesting as it becomes apparent that Reina is some kind of uncomfortable around the knight. And Risa still doesn't realize she's lusting after the girl. XD
There was a moment where their eyes met and Risa felt that calming warmth wash over her again, but unlike before, Reina refused to hold it for long, shyly looking away.
Ah, she really needs to get a grip over this power, XD before it gets her in trouble.
Hmm, so, yeah filler, yet important too. A bit more insight into the castle and stuff.
Feel better!
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omg filler or not i loved it~!
i wonder what sayus up to in that forest now lol
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FINALLY AN UPDATE!!!!
Omg omg omg aika and risa dukin it out for a bone XD
risas feelings for reina are getting stronger, wut she gunna do now :?
Anyways nice chapter :twothumbs and i hope you feel better, being sick isnt fun :(
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Ye~eeeeeeeees ultra
manRisa...and she's not even at fully power yet, so if she did become full lycan, she could kick butt in human AND lycan form....how awesome is that? :D
"Perhaps I was mistaken..."
wolves got a lovey-dovey radar too? :3
Overhead, a small cloud hovered out of place against the blue sky, and atop it sat Reina and Sayumi, the latter carelessly dangling her feet over the edge.
Weird comment, but that sounds so much fuuuun~ I wanna ride a cloud too :O
-RisaAikafight-
:shocked :shocked so coool...♫ I got chills~ They're multiplyin'! ♪
It was much more pleasant to think of Reina anyway, and Risa did, remaining blissfully unaware of everything else around them until they reached the castle.
:mon inluv: TanaGaki~ :deco:
I agree with KB: even if this is a filler...me loves :heart: :heart:
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DUUUUUDE lol Sayu's got some mad awesome powers yo.
You're description of Kerumi made me go liek ZOMG I WANT ONE. MOMMY MOMMY CAN I HAVE ONE?! lol And sayu just keeps climbing my charts here LOL breakin' them royal decrees hhahaha
while she was polite enough whenever they did encounter one another, she always seemed to find some sort of excuse or reason to slip away from the knight.
LOSER.
and she began to note the way her body ached whenever the younger woman was in her presence.
Is that what the kids call it these days? xD
Damn, can I get werewolf blood? That ish would come in soooo handy with my winters ahhah
a small cloud hovered out of place against the blue sky, and atop it sat Reina and Sayumi
IM SORRY. I CANT STOP LAUGHING. OH MY GOD. THIS REMINDS ME OF LIKE THAT FREAKIN' CLOUD THAT GOKU USED TO RIDE IN THE OLD DRAGON BALLS. OMG HAHAHHAHA
if they could strengthen the power of the amulet, Risa could live forever, superhuman, and free of the curse that plagued Aika
Risa could be captain america!!! lol
here was a moment where their eyes met and Risa felt that calming warmth wash over her again, but unlike before, Reina refused to hold it for long, shyly looking away. This drew a small frown from the knight, at least until she felt gentle fingers graze her cheek.
OMG THE COCKBLOCKING IS SO FRUSTRATING. MAKE IT STOPPPPPPPP lol
Sayu and her bidness in the forest is madddd sketch lol
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^
Dude...you're in my mind XD Or maybe I'm in yours...or we share (. _ .) I swear, I had the EXACT same thoughts about the Goku-esque cloud ( :heart:) and the Captain America thing (except I haven't read the comics or watched the movie so I'm basing this off my sister's daily fangirling)
-hugs you- :deco:
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I must admit to being slightly inspired by the nimbus XD
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I'll reply to comments in the morning~ <3
Also, watch as I bs stuff about the immune system and how stuff works XD just suspend reality a bit~ Enjoy~
Chapter Six
"...Does she really have to be here for this?"
Risa felt awkwardly exposed; granted, Reina had seen her naked already, and currently the knight was beneath a sheet, but it didn't leave much to the imagination and she had been unconscious during the previous incident. It was bad enough to have the scientist looming over her, analyzing her like a frog being prepped for dissection; she was getting tired of Aika lurking in the shadows as well.
"I suppose not," Reina replied, busy checking the knight's temperature with some strange device she stuck inside Risa's ear. Half of the objects laying about the lab were things that the knight had never seen before, much less heard of.
"I'm not leaving." Aika stated firmly, earning a glare from Reina--the first time the girl had acknowledged something other than the task at hand since they'd arrived back at the castle.
"I'm not a fragile doll. I can take care of myself. If it makes you feel better you can wait outside, but I don't need you distracting her the entire time."
The werewolf obediently did as she was told but, as Risa noted, seemed a bit worried for having to leave. She was sure Aika probably would do exactly as Reina suggested and wait outside the entrance, ready to jump in in case anything went wrong. Risa didn't blame her; the rational part of her mind didn't trust herself either. But the other part, the part that was becoming increasingly clouded by whatever the venom was doing to her body, was quite happy to finally be alone with Reina.
...At least until the woman suddenly jabbed her shoulder with a knife.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Risa shrieked, jerking back in pain even as the wound quickly closed itself back up again. The scientist seemed unphased, tapping off drops of the knight's blood into a nearby vial.
"I need to analyze this..." Reina murmured, focused on the vial as she set it in a rack next to some other odd chemicals.
"You could have warned me first..."
But the small cut was already gone, and Risa didn't even feel its sting anymore. The scientist wasn't harsh, but she certainly had no issue with manhandling her subject; a fact that was beginning to irritate the knight. As Reina continued with her tests, however, an idea began forming in Risa's mind.
The younger woman was at the moment, ignoring her, staring into some strange contraption she'd referred to as a microscope. She was mumbling to herself again as well, and Risa couldn't help but be curious. The knight gathered the sheet about herself, making sure to tie it well before hopping off the stone table. She crept quietly up behind Reina, almost close enough to touch her.
"What is it? What do you see?"
"Well, it's fascinating, but, I'm not sure what to make of it," Reina replied, not moving from the machine, "How much do you know about the immune system, Niigaki-san?"
"Not much, my lady. My schooling was spent on geography and navigation," The knight reached absently for the light orb floating around her head, watching as her fingers passed through it, "All I know is that it's responsible for keeping the body healthy."
"Mm, basically that's true. To be more specific--at least, so I can get to my point--everyone has cells, white blood cells, and these fight against anything in your body that isn't supposed to be there; infection, viruses, the like. When you get a fever, it's generally a reaction to things like that, and while it's unpleasant, a fever can actually aid in the movement of these cells as well as kill off some of the invaders.
Your temperature is well above fever level at the moment, which worries me, but I did expect something like this to happen. We've only been able to witness the change from human to lycan twice, but in both instances, the body temperatures of the subjects skyrocketed."
Reina began adjusting a few of the knobs on the machine.
"It's almost as though it's the body's last ditch attempt to destroy the venom, and it's an incredibly violent reaction; hence why so many people don't survive the bites. At these temperatures, blood coagulates, organs shut down--you die. And so I was reasonably alarmed when I realized yours was so high. However..."
The scientist slid a glass plate out from beneath the microscope, and Risa watched as she exchanged this for a fresh one, atop which was placed several drops of her blood. Reina snapped the new plate into place, carefully scrutinizing it beneath the lens.
"Interestingly, it seems as though the amulet has suspended your transformation in a very unique place. What renders humans helpless to the change is the fact that we simply don't have enough time to fight off the venom before it completely takes over; the first transformation happens within hours. But your body has changed only just enough to withstand the temperatures, but not enough that your immune system still resembles that of a human."
"Meaning...?" The information was starting to go over Risa's head, much as she was trying to pay attention.
"Meaning that it's still trying to resist the takeover. If given enough time, or perhaps some help, you might be able to fight it off yourself."
"But that sounds more like a virus. I don't understand why you keep referring to it as a poison."
"An astute observation," Reina finally turned to face Risa, the pleased grin on her face dropping as she realized how close they were. Her cheeks glowed a faint pink, and she seemed to be purposely avoiding the knight's eyes, "W-well, it is a venom. It's meant to paralyze, disable... Werewolves are predators and normally hunt large things, and the venom aids in that. But with humans, it acts differently..."
Risa fell the inner pull towards the scientist again, unconsciously moving closer to Reina so that the girl was pinned between her body and the nearby shelf. She was acutely aware of the younger woman's breath catching, the sudden spike in her pulse, and the warmth of the blood flowing beneath tempting flesh.
She smells so wonderful...
The knight's hands slowly moved to rest on Reina's hips, and she managed to catch the scientist's gaze for a brief moment before she surged forward to claim the girl's lips. Risa didn't know if it was some strange new instinct that urged her on or if she wanted to do it or both, but she certainly wasn't complaining. And the scientist wasn't resisting much, seeming almost to melt against her as she returned the kiss.
But it wasn't quite enough, Risa thought as the haze inside her head began to grow, and she began tugging at the younger woman's blouse in an attempt to rid her of it. She was successful in her endeavor, but as one of her hands moved upwards to trace against exposed skin, she hesitated, snapping out of her trance as she broke their kiss.
"What...?" The knight traced the thick outline of scars along Reina's collarbone, and as her vision focused she realized they were bite marks.
Wolf bite marks...
"You...?" Risa met Reina's gaze in confusion, but what she got in response was mostly terror, and before she could question the girl, a mass of snarling fur ripped her away and slammed her into the ground.
She struggled against Aika, but the ambush attack meant the werewolf had the upper hand, and Risa made the mistake of looking up into those golden orbs, already feeling sluggish. As she felt consciousness slip away, she could hear the wolf scolding the other girl.
"I told you. She's not in control of herself... And neither will you be around her."
"Alright, I understand," Reina replied, breathless as she searched for her top, "When Sayu comes back, we'll put the collar on her..."
"Good. Because she's likely to kill you otherwise."
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Sayumi landed gracefully outside the palace gates just as the sun began to set beyond the mountains, carefully dismounting from her broom. Though she preferred traveling by cloud, it exhausted too much of her energy for the distance it took to get from the castle to the royal city. She sauntered confidently towards the gate, tossing her broom at the nearest guard as she entered.
"Watch that for me, will you darling?"
She was one of the few in the king's employ with the privilege of walking about the palace unescorted, especially without prior invitation, and Sayumi had on several occasions taken advantage of said privilege to explore its many rooms and secrets. But tonight she was due to report to the king directly; something she had secretly done every week for the past five years.
Part of her felt guilty for not telling Reina, and yet, her duty was to the kingdom, and in the end the king was the one who paid her.
Sayumi made her way to the throne room, entering without interference from the guards. She strolled quietly down the long chamber towards the throne, where the king was currently holding counsel with one of his personal advisors.
When he saw her, however, he waved the man away, and Sayumi waited for the rat to be well out of earshot before she knelt in front of the throne, removing her pointed black hat.
"Your highness."
"I trust you have promising news for me?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." She rose, placing her hat back on her head, "We've acquired a new subject for our experiments, my lord."
She watched as his fingers gripped the gilded armrests tightly, prepared to deal with the man's unpredictable temper.
"How is that any more promising than what you've been telling me for the past five years, Michishige? I'm growing impatient..."
"The subject is- was a Red Knight," Sayumi continued, unfazed, "We found her just before the venom took hold, subduing the change with our recreation of the amulet."
The king's grip on his seat relaxed slightly.
"You... Were able to make another?"
"It's not a complete recreation, as there was no time to finish the incantations before using it on the knight," Sayumi replied, picking a stray strand of hair from her cloak, "But it seems to be doing the job."
"And what does my daughter say about all of this?"
The witch glanced calmly at the king.
"Reina seems to believe she can cure this one. The amulet will give us more time than we've ever had before, perhaps."
Grunting at her, the king stroked his beard a moment before rising from his seat, beckoning silently for the witch to follow. This she did without question, until the king led her into a dark room, lit only by a strange red glow in it's center. The glow was radiating from an amulet much like the one Risa wore, fastened around the neck of a woman who was sleeping peacefully on a bed there.
"Ai doesn't have time." His voice rumbled quietly, "She doesn't even have the choice to become a monster. Every day the venom makes her weaker and weaker."
Sayumi nodded slightly, eyes memorizing the face of the heir to the throne, the woman her partner admired more than anyone.
"I understand, my lord. I will remind Reina of the urgency needed for this task."
She turned to leave the king alone in peace with his eldest child, when his voice stopped her at the door.
"And Michishige?"
"Yes, my lord?"
"Don't forget the other task that has been assigned to you as well."
Sayumi's eyes narrowed, but she kept her back to him and nodded again anyway.
"Of course, my lord. The first test is set to begin as soon as I return home."
"Excellent, you may leave now."
She was more than happy to.
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Update!! Yes!!
Finally some Tanagaki alone time! With a little kissing action to boot!
Though I have to wonder now...Wolf bite marks...
"You...?" Risa met Reina's gaze in confusion, but what she got in response was mostly terror,
Reina's been bitten? But I though she was human...? Especially since it seems that Risa's hypno power works on her... Also, why terror?
"I told you. She's not in control of herself... And neither will you be around her."
If she's not human than this statement makes a little more sense.... And less.
And Sayu, ho man, that is a whole other can of worms. I'm not even going to touch that yet.
EDIT: Omg, I came back because I have a crazy theory!
What if, what if Reina and Ai are one in the same? What if, that amulet somehow split the two of them apart, keeping Ai in a stasis until her brains (Reina) could come up with a cure? But time is running out because the amulet with only slow down the process, not stop it. It could be because of this, not Risa's hypno gaze, that Reina can't control herself around the knight.
Also, cuz Risa's awesome...
Omg, I know this is stupid theory, but if it was true, it's be like, pairing inception! We could have Takagaki in our Tanagaki! :panic: :panic: :lol:
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Oh junk an update XD risa and reina chemistry :deco: nice :twothumbs
I like how things are headed, ai is slowly dyin while her sister reina works on a cure gud gud and sayumi has another task that has been assigned to her? I wonder wat i will be :?
Nice sixth chapter :thumbup
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...At least until the woman suddenly jabbed her shoulder with a knife.
So I thought of X-Men and how wolverine can do that same thing with his wounds xD
SO WAIT. ALL THAT SEXYTIME MESSED ME UP. REINA GOT BIT?!!?!? :?
Sayumi landed gracefully outside the palace gates just as the sun began to set beyond the mountains, carefully dismounting from her broom.
Bloody hell this mental image of Kiki's Delivery Service xD
SO WAIT. AI GOT BIT TOO?! AND LIKE WHAT. ALL THESE SKETCHY SECRET SERVICE AGENT TASKS THAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW :panic:
Curiosity is gonna slay this cat. More por favor :P
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...At least until the woman suddenly jabbed her shoulder with a knife.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Risa shrieked, jerking back in pain even as the wound quickly closed itself back up again. The scientist seemed unphased, tapping off drops of the knight's blood into a nearby vial.
OH GOD IT'S LIKE GETTING A SHOT! Dx Actually, it's worse...since there's a freakin knife! -imagining chef's knife- At least it was a surprise so she'd didn't have to sit there and spazz out XD
"You could have warned me first..."
No Risa...I don't think you'd want a warning o.O Last semester when I got a shot (well, it was actually me getting my blood sucked out of me...stupid pnemonuea Dx), RIGHT before the needle pierced my skin, the worker lady shouted into my ear "BIG NEEDLE COMING!" thanks for the relief lady >.<
But yeah...take it like a knight Risa XD You should be prepared for this kind of attack~ :lol:
"Alright, I understand," Reina replied, breathless as she searched for her top, "When Sayu comes back, we'll put the collar on her..."
"Good. Because she's likely to kill you otherwise."
quick! A collar! Or else...there won't be any TanaGaki lovin' :cry:
Oh no Aichan is dying? Dx Hurry Reina! :O why are they testing her anyways?
moar fik plz :3
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Gah! Just finished reading this chapter and all I can think about is that this fic is so FREAKIN' AWESOME!! :grin:
I'm loving this even though I tend to avoid werewolves stories since the Twilight craze exploded XD I also kinda hated Tanagaki... until now... Great work!
Will be waiting unpatiently for the next update~!