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Author Topic: Gegenschein [Ch.18: Open] - 16/5  (Read 71572 times)

Offline lollipopgirl

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #80 on: September 14, 2008, 02:20:37 PM »
lollipopgirl: Just for you, I'll make sure Aichan wears leather somewhere in the future for whatever reason. XD Does that make you happy~? Haha. Nah you're not weird for being excited, I think it's cool. Lol.
It suuuuuure does! :w00t: I can certainly be patient in waiting for more Ai-chan if it means eventually there shall be leather :drool:

Dude, I didn't even notice how long it was till it was mentioned and I went back and checked, WOW... for me not to have noticed whilst reading must have meant it was that captivating that I couldn't think about anything other than what was happening, awesome job!

The edition of the 'new' characters and information is extremely intriguing and keeps the excitement levels up nice and high! :D
I too am confused by who the child could be, I originally thought Sayu (wtf?!) till i got over my blonde moment and remembered she is accounted for, very nicely mind as well!

The council scare me, not in the sense that I am frightened of them, just that it implies impending doom, I don't want the shit to hit the fan just yet, but yet I also can't wait for it to happen XD *fingers crossed Gaki gets stuck in the middle of it and Ai protects her* :heart: :lol:

Awww Risa's sister:( That sounds like it shall be playing an important role later on... I wonder what that could end up being? :?

Offline kRisZ

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #81 on: September 16, 2008, 02:45:51 PM »
Daywalker...

Risa...

 :dunno:

Offline rokun

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #82 on: September 17, 2008, 05:52:58 AM »
You should feel happy - I wrote this nice long comment last night after reading your chapter back at my dorm, and so now I'm posting it for you. :D Flash drives are my new best friend. Apparently I'm definitely back in the writing mood to be drafting something like this, as well as writing 6 pages of notes for my new story as well as even my Japanese essay homework. XD 私はすばらしい!XD そうすろと。。。

Quote from: lilhamz
The thing that I wanna say though is, you have to finish writing this. I wanna read it to the end before I die XD
I definitely agree with this. XD With the way it's going so far, it has me worried... Six chapters now and things are barely getting set up, and each update is about a month apart. XD Well... I'll have faith in you.

As for this update hmm... I too thought by some descriptions Ai-chan's kid might be Koharu, but if she's not the case I have one more guess at this time XD though that seems wrong too based on some descriptions... so who knows. XD Whoever she is, she's quite the violent one. She and Reina would get along well I'd bet, although it seems Reina isn't near her level... maybe she just needs a bit of Ai-chan's blood to rise in the ranks. ;) I look forward to seeing it sometime...

Tuesdays are your day off huh? No wonder I was able to talk to you today. :) It's actually a slower day for me too, so hopefully it won't be the last time!

Ok it seems I'm just spouting random thoughts, hmm, there was more I wanted to say. I'm looking forward to see what all is going on with Sayu and Risa. Not much is going on with the latter yet aside from the vision from Eri's mom and odd chance run-ins with er... someone. XD Why do I think they're more than chance run-ins though? I can't imagine that she would have bumped into that person on the street had that person not intended to be bumped into for some reason...

I'm curious how all this is going to tie in - the large scale happenings such as the looming war among hunters and the different vampire ranks (and there are apparently other types of "demons" around too such as that one guy Reina noticed at the bar) seem obvious enough on the macro end of the scale, but also how Reina, Ai and Risa (who seem to be the major characters so far) get involved, how they get linked with the child in the desert at some point, and also with everything else that's going on. :)

I must also say that how the character of Ai-chan/Seirei is being presented so far is so damn COOL! When I've read vampire books, the thing that was most awesome to me were stories about ancients and the mysteries of what they've experienced as well as what power they might wield. Apparently Ai-chan is world reknowned in fact, even despite what seems like a highly ordered society of vampires (the nobles etc.). I just think it's sooo intriguing and mysterious what someone like that may be thinking. For example, you alluded to it too:
Quote from: Estrea
"What of the Ancients?" A slow, deliberate voice entered the discussion. "They may yet take a hand in our affairs."

"Not those who are active." Snake Voice deterred. "They no longer worry themselves over mortal concerns."

For someone who has lived as long as one of these "ancients" and faces the prospect of an eternity ahead of them, 'twould be interesting indeed exactly how they treated mortal concerns... "material" concerns... Seirei seems to retain that curiosity to some extent at least with the interest she has in Reina (c'mon, you don't expect me to believe she didn't set up that meeting in the bar either, and the mere fact she didn't have Raimond set his hounds on her seems to speak volumes), and also with whatever she did that resulted in her child and what she's doing right now. If she had truly shrugged off the world, someone like her wouldn't have set someone loose like that.

Anyway, where was I going? It'll be interesting to see exactly what her concerns are and what motivates her... and why she'll have an interest in Reina and I would also guess Risa. More of kick-ass Ai-chan in any respect though, please. :w00t:

I'll repeat again what I said earlier - keep this up! Otherwise I might have to be forced to come up with something along these lines as well with all the thoughts you're putting into my head with it. XD


Offline Estrea

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #83 on: September 17, 2008, 05:34:21 PM »
Well guess what, you guys are lucky and don't have to wait another month for updates! Haha. XD

Ok, comment replies first.


JFC: You know I can't reveal critical information at this stage. :P Yeah well you gotta think about how Risa feels, she's not too enthusiastic about random creepy pronouncements of her fate. Hell, I wouldn't be either. Hehe, wouldn't you like to know who Aichan's child is. :P About Risa, well, just wait and see. Hehe.

Ichigo-chan: In response to your question, yes, the vampire that killed all those hunters is Ai-chan's kid. XD Tough cookie, isn't she? Haha. I wonder about Gaki's twin too. :P

Sukoshi: Glad you enjoyed the packed chapter, I was afraid that it might be too much for people to process. Lol. XDD; Sorry about the brainsharing request, as of now only Sai, poe-chan and Fimmy have visiting rights (actually, it's only because I can't seem to keep them out entirely >_>...). Haha. Reina appears this chapter! So you won't be deprived of her usual antics. XD

lil_hamz: Oi, don't give out secrets ok! Haha. At least you know how to keep your mouth shut. :P Yeah Tuesdays really help. XD And hey, don't insult my slowness in updates! XD

Grisours: Mmhmm, Risa should be careful about what she wishes for. XD Have fun processing, but then again the coming chapter has significantly less information to process. Haha. XD

lollipopgirl: -pats- Don't worry, blonde or not I still like you. Haha. Don't worry, the shit ain't hitting the fan yet, but it sure is getting piled up in preparation! XD Everyone's so curious about what's gonna happen next, but only I know everything. >D Hehehehehe....

kRisZ: -pats you too- Don't worry, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. XD Don't think too much. :P

rokun: Ah, I'm so flattered by your long comment. <3 Love ya for it. XD You have very incisive thoughts about the situation, and the other readers would do well to look at your comment to guess a few things. Damn it, stop revealing all my hidden motives! Haha. At least I can still keep a few secrets though, and keep you all in suspense! Teehee. As for the Ai-chan question, let's just put it this way: the part you quoted was a comment from someone else about her. Whether or not they really understand her is up for debate. What I can tell you is that most of the vampire council thinks that the Ai-chan is eccentric, for good reason. As for why Ai-chan does the things she does, well, stay tuned! Haha. As for kick-ass Ai-chan, hey, it's me! Of course Ai-chan kicks ass. XD


So I've kept you all waiting long enough. Story time~

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline lollipopgirl

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #84 on: September 17, 2008, 05:36:20 PM »
Wedge <3
Always wanted to do that :otomerika: Not that I can read it just yet :P

Offline Estrea

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.6: Vortex]
« Reply #85 on: September 17, 2008, 05:45:58 PM »
Chapter 7 - Capo


"Waaaaaaaah~ I can't believe break is almost over!" Eri wailed in utter anguish as she buried her face in her arms on the table. The ice cream parlor ignored her. It had had its fair share of whining students in the past week or so. One more wouldn't make a difference. Actually, the business was rather welcome.

"It's ok, have a parfait." Sayumi consoled her in the most practical way possible: dessert. Eri's eyes lit up at the mention of the cold, sweet treat.

"Parfait? For me?" She squealed as the delicious dessert was pushed in front of her. "Yay!"

Sayumi watched her best friend tear into the parfait with a sweet smile playing on her lips, then tapped at her chin as she wondered aloud.

"But you're right, where did the whole month disappear off to? It's like, poof and its here; but one blink and it's gone again..." The devil bunny sighed, stealthily stealing a spoonful of ice cream with her spoon from Eri at the same time. Eri spluttered and waved her spoon around like a baton, eyes wide and accusatory. There would be no leeway given in the war over dessert!

The ensuing tussle over the slowly melting pile of ice cream involved a lot of clinking, shoving, and smeared cheeks. Finally, it was resolved by a second double order of parfaits after the last of their prize had melted away during their scuffle. Lesson to be learned? Never get between girls and their ice cream. It could be deadly. Or profitable, if you happened to own an ice cream parlor.

"Mou...where's Gaki-san? She's taking so long..." Eri whined again. Sayumi delicately finished off her dessert, dabbing at her lips with the napkin.

"Oh, she sent a message earlier. Said something about having to drop something off at the post office so she would be late." Sayumi informed her somewhat airy friend. "Weren't you listening when I told you just now?"

"I was...but she still is taking too long..." Eri pouted, twisting her spoon around in her empty bowl. Sayumi grinned evilly as she thought of something else to distract (read: scar) her best friend with.

"So have you thought of what classes you're gonna be taking next semester?" Her grin was positively vicious as Eri groaned aloud at this unwanted reminder of school.

"Did you have to remind me?" Eri pouted harder, and Sayumi stuck her tongue out at the older girl. "Someone has to remind you or you'll forget to sign up for classes again."

"Meh, I have you and Gaki-san to remind me, and I don't forget anyway!" Eri pretended to look offended, then paused, a puzzled look on her face. "When do we have to do the registration again?"

Sayumi broke down laughing. Eri whined again, poking her childhood friend in the shoulder insistently. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Gosh, Eri...classes start in 2 weeks and you still haven't noticed?" Sayumi managed to compose herself after a while. "We have to pick our classes this week!"

"Oh." Eri frowned, then shrugged after a moment. "I'll figure something out."

"Really, you..." Sayumi shook her head. "Oh well, that's my Eririn." She smiled indulgently, hooking her fingers with Eri's and leaning on the older girl's shoulder. "I like you just the way you are~"

Eri grinned, absently playing with strands of Sayu's lustrous black hair. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Eri piped up again.

"So, what classes are you taking?" Sayumi arched one delicate eyebrow, but did not remove herself from Eri's shoulder.

"Mmhmm, I was thinking of taking this one class in applied mathematics..." She started off slowly, hiding her grin as Eri's eyes bulged in horror.

"Maths?" The turtle girl squeaked, giving a shocked look at the mass of dark hair to her left. Sayu tilted her face upwards, an impish grin on her lips.

"Well, I am doing Economics, you know. It's in the requirements." Eri was still cringing at the idea of mathematics in general as Sayumi went on.

"But I might still switch over to Business. I'll have to see first." She finished with a shrug even as Eri suppressed the last of her shudders at the dreaded mention of mathematics. Before she could comment any more though, a familiar voice cut in.

"What did you do to Kame again, Sayu? She's all pale and shaky." Risa grinned, having caught on to the tail end of the conversation as she swung into the seat on the opposite side of the table. "Been talking about classes?"

"Yeah. Mathematics~" Sayumi couldn't resist putting that in, and Eri whined again, covering her ears. "Bad word!"

Risa laughed at them. "Oh quit it Sayu, you know you don't have to traumatize her like that."

The youngest of the trio smirked and flashed a peace sign. "But it's so much fun!"

Eri scowled, or tried to. "It is not." She ended up looking cute instead. Sayumi giggled and sat up, snuggling closer to Eri while claiming sole possession of the latter's arm. Risa rolled her eyes at the display, absently taking up a menu and glancing at it.

"I'm taking a class on theater next semester." Risa offered while scanning the list. "It looks like fun. Kame, do you wanna join me?"

Eri brightened up. "Theater? Sounds cool!"

Risa looked up with a smile. "Yeah, we get to watch some pretty cool stuff. I checked out the lesson plans." She cocked her head to one side, thinking. "Plus it would go with some of the literature classes I'm taking, and it's a nice break from staring at a bunch of moldy old books." A wry grin. "So I guess you're in too?"

"Yeah, totally!" Eri cheered. "You can lend me your notes!"

Sayumi made eye contact with Risa, and simultaneously, they smacked their foreheads with their palms. Eri blinked, looking between her two best friends.

"What?" Sayu looked at her and sighed, her expression a combination of exasperation and affection.

"Nothing at all, Eri. Nothing at all..."

~*~*~

A crumpled aluminum can hit the far side of the brick wall, growing even more dented as it bounced and just barely rolled back to where it had first started. An irritated snarl, and the inoffensive can was crushed down to scrap metal.

Tanaka Reina was a ticked off vampire, and for good reason. Well, reasons that were good enough for her anyway.

"Damn you Seirei! Some kind of vampire you are!" A random crate splintered against the wall. "ONE WHOLE MONTH AND NOT EVEN A FUCKING CLUE!" The remains of an old cupboard smashed into that poor, abused wall. "What are you, some kind of coward?! Hiding just cos Reina is looking for you? Huh? Huh!"

Reina felt marginally better after she destroyed a few more inoffensive pieces of junk. She had snooped around, threatened various people, bribed them when necessary, and even went to the extent of following that creepy old bartender around, but all to no avail.

She did manage to find out about quite a few other interesting things that was going on in the city though. Just not what she was interested in.

"Argh." Reina slumped against the least grimy section of the wall, glancing down the very long and dark alley to check that she wasn't being observed. Once satisfied, she scuffed at the gravel surface with a boot, scowling to herself.

It was as if Seirei had vanished into thin air. Reina mentally went through all the tidbits of information she managed to gather. Many people knew of Seirei, but no one else seemed to know anything more about her. Her skill was almost legendary, as was her elusiveness. Only few could even remember anything about her appearance; that was what had mystified Reina. Surely more would have remembered such a striking character.

Even then, all they could appear to mention were her eyes. Those eyes. Reina shuddered, in fear or in excitement, she wasn't entirely certain. Shaking her head, Reina focused, trying to dredge up more concrete memories of Seirei's physical appearance. She came up mostly empty. Just the unforgettable instant of mysterious eyes.

Pale skin, lips curved in a smile that wasn't. Reina frowned. She had almost forgotten that. A melancholy that seemed to transcend all things. Very powerful, but very lonely.

Reina wondered why. And she fully intended to hunt down that elusive vampire and ask her about, well, everything.

"I will never give up!" The young vampire pounded her fist against the wall, sending a shower of sawdust spraying out from where she had struck. She wrinkled her nose and dusted herself off, stepping away from the less than clean surface.

A whisper of sound, too vague to be human, made her react instantly, fangs half-bared. There was no sense of a heartbeat or of breathing, so it could be no living thing that made that sound. Reina cocked her head to one side, listening. The main problem with facing another vampire was the lack of sound. Sight wasn't much better, what with their ability to blend into shadows. The lack of a heartbeat or breathing made things worse.

Still, there were ways. Reina kept her senses sharp, slowly moving her head around to scan the area. If that other thing out there moved, she should be able to catch sight of that movement.

She hated every single moment of this. It was like something out of a bad horror movie, and Reina hated horror movies.

Never mind that she could technically be the star of a horror movie given her current status in life now.

Another whisper of sound, heavier this time, followed by a very loud drip. Reina was moving before her mind even processed the information. As her brain caught up to her actions, it had to wonder at how clumsy her supernatural stalker was. No self-respecting vampire would make that much noise while trying to sneak up on someone else, much less someone with the exact same sensory capabilities.

Nevertheless, Reina wasn't about to kick a gift horse in the mouth. She did, however, kick the ass of the lousy stalker blended in at the turnoff into the next little alley in that backstreet maze. He, she, or it flew across the short intervening distance before making painful contact against the other side of the alley.

Without giving the rascal time to recover, Reina was already on him, hauling the poor sod to his feet and putting him into a stranglehold, ready to separate his head from the rest of his body should he try anything.

He was in a bad shape, that much Reina could register, and not all of it was a result of her own assault. For one thing, his skin was pale, paler than what was normal for a vampire, and felt oddly papery. He was also much lighter than someone of his size should have been. More significantly, his eyes were a solid red, fangs protuding unnaturally long in his mouth. When Reina shook him for a reaction, all she got was an animalistic snarl in return.

"Dude, what's your problem?" She was taken off-guard, however, when he swiped recklessly at her, sending her staggering back as she released her grip, seeing stars for a moment. She couldn't remember being hit quite that hard before! Wary now, she circled back around the other vampire cautiously.

He looks half-starved...maybe that's why he's like that... Reina didn't like the idea of a starving vampire running loose on her territory though. Too much risk of exposure, and Reina didn't think it was a good idea for humans to know that vampires existed. It would make her existence so much more inconvenient if humans started taking precautions against their kind.

"Hey, if you need blood, I can go grab someone for you..." Reina offered cautiously. She was a bit reckless sometimes, but after being backhanded like that, she felt that erring on the side of caution wouldn't be such a bad idea for once. Besides, it was rare enough that she came across a strong vampire, even if it was one that was just a little loopy from starvation.

Reina had only gotten really hungry once, and that had been bad enough. She didn't want to think how bad it would be like to get into the same situation as the poor sod in front of her. It must be difficult to even think coherently in that state, much less move around unseen like he sort of was earlier.

"Blood..." He grunted, a glimmer of intelligence coming back to those feral eyes. Reina backed up a little, not wanting to leave her back to a dead end, but blocking off the only exit to that alley. In case he wanted to run off, he was going to have to get past her first.

"Yeah, you look you could use some..." The two vampires were sizing each other up now, the stranger's eyes still glowing with that weird intensity, staring at a spot near her ear. Reina was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the fact that his blow earlier had opened a gash above her ear, and although it had sealed up almost immediately due to her rapid healing, the blood remained.

Reina hadn't so completely shed her humanity that she couldn't feel doubt and fear, and a knot of unease tangled her insides even further. She swallowed nervously, her fangs slipping out into view as she licked her suddenly parched lips.

The sight of her fangs seemed to spur some kind of adverse reaction from the other vampire, who growled angrily and narrowed his eyes to slits. Reina readied herself, wondering what she did wrong. If he wanted a fight, she would show him that Reina was no pushover.

"Are you with him?" He snarled, the sentience in his eyes fading back into a primal bestiality. Before Reina could even reply, he was attacking, swinging and kicking wildly like a rabid beast. Reina, taken aback by his ferocity, fell back at first, defending herself as she tried to figure out how to beat the guy.

Feinting quickly, Reina neatly dodged a double-fisted swing that might very well have decapitated her, the strike crashing into the concrete behind her. Running was not an option; given his crazed state she couldn't very well just leave him to run wild, and she was fairly sure he would catch up anyway even if she did run. After turning into a vampire, Reina felt that she might easily outrun a normal human, but against a rabid vampire out for her blood? Very unlikely.

So she would fight. In the split second it took for the hostile vampire to yank his fists out of the rubble that was once a perfectly good section of wall, Reina rounded on his back and struck at his spine. The snapping sound was clearly audible in the night, but it barely did anything against the enraged creature in front of her. Reina had to dodge another wild grab at her, bounding backwards to assess the situation.

Ok, so spinal damage doesn't kill us. Learning new things all the time... Reina thought grimly, ready for another attack. However, it seemed that even vampires were not entirely immune to such a move, because after that desperate grab at her, the stranger fell to his knees, then flat on his front. His legs did not seem to be responding, although his upper body was very much active. He was actually frothing at his mouth as he glared at her, unable to speak.

Finish it, leech. His mental voice was as clear as day, and Reina cringed at the pure hatred concentrated in those crimson orbs.

"Fine, whatever. R.I.P. and all that." Reina grumbled as she approached him. One swift blow, and his head was left in an awkward angle. For safety purposes, Reina borrowed the metal pipe she found lying nearby, and drove it into the heart with a wet thud. The corpse flinched with the impact, then seemed to contract in on itself.

Reina blinked in shock as the corpse seemed to relax, a kind of inaudible sigh coming from the final death, then disintegrating right before her eyes. As the ashes were blown away by the wind, Reina dropped the pipe and looked around nervously.

"I didn't do that..." Reina mumbled, backing out into the main street as fast as her legs would carry her. She had never seen a dead vampire do that before, at least not to the same extent. The first time she had killed a newly turned vampire, it had died right there like an ordinary human corpse, and she had had to dispose of it the regular way. Another time, the corpse had shriveled up and looked like the flesh had all but rotted off. Reina had to burn that one up, it looked so disgusting.

"Hmm..." Reina was so caught up in her thoughts, she almost completely missed a conversation being held by a group of obviously drunk young punks with hair in shades of wild color. Normally, she probably wouldn't have bothered with the likes of them, but a certain keyword made her perk up her ears almost instantly.

"...wildest party this month! They even got Seirei to come down! How cool is that?" One punk, his blond mohawk adding a good 3 inches to his height, was gesturing at his friends, sloshing beer from his can everywhere. Intending to take a drink after his oration, he brought the can down with every intention of putting it to his lips, only to find that it was no longer in his hand. Startled, he turned around, only to see a smiling girl holding the article in her hand.

"Now why don't you tell me all about that party, hmm?" Reina's grin was positively vicious as she slowly but deliberately crushed the can into nothing more than a very squashed ball of scrap metal. With a predatory smirk, she tossed the remains of the can aside.

"Shall we begin, or do I have to make you talk?"

The results, as anyone with two nickels to rub together can guess, was fairly predictable. Reina smiled benignly as she dusted off her hands and walked off, leaving a groaning pile of young men who now vowed to never EVER cross cute girls like that again.

Reina whistled as she went on her merry way. This night was turning out to be just fine after all.

~*~*~

"Akito is dead."

The announcement was heavy, but held no further emotion otherwise. As if the loss of a life was yet another number to be taken note of. The tatami room seemed very cold and formal in that instant, the evening breeze lending an appropriate chill to the atmosphere.

The elder sat ramrod straight in the traditional position, his expression inscrutable as he studied the reaction of his youngest grandchild. His only grandchild, after this most recent bereavement. The child, no longer fit for that term, he corrected mentally, looked at him with the eyes of one who had seen too much, too young.

"Did he die well?" Her face was pale, her teeth stubbornly holding her lower lip in place as she returned his gaze, chin up and not betraying her still tender years. A faint discoloration that was slashed across one eye was visible for an instant when she blinked, determined not to show emotion before the head of her family.

"His...remains...have been cremated and placed in the family shrine." The clear implication being that Akito had been in no condition for a public funeral by the time he had been returned to his homeland. The girl gritted her teeth, her jaw rippling with a clear anger that was barely controlled after a moment.

"The family shares your loss." The old patriarch acknowledged, a note of pain briefly underlying his tone. The loss of one of their most promising children was a bitter blow to bear for their diminishing family. Now all that was left for the new generation was this young child kneeling before him, still too young to even undergo the ceremony.

That would soon change. He straightened almost imperceptibly, watching with some approval as she composed herself in the way befitting one of their family. She would do, she had to. Their duty brooked no other choice.

"We have recalled you back from your duties for more than just your brother's death." Here he paused, giving her a moment to digest it. His granddaughter was a smart one, even brighter than Akito himself had been, and her eyes narrowed as she obviously reached some conclusions herself.

"You are the only one of your generation left in our direct descent, and the other branch families send their condolences." Pausing again to gather his thoughts, he continued.

"It is unprecedented, but the other elders agree that it is time for you to undertake the ritual. We are short-handed as it is, and we cannot afford to leave our region unprotected." He let that sink in, watching as the young girl's eyes widened fractionally, but nodding in acceptance without any hesitation.

"You must understand the risks of the ritual. There is no turning back after it, and it is a coming-of-age ceremony for our clan." The girl nodded again, her eyes downcast.

"Yes, Grandfather. I understand and accept."

The aged patriarch spared some pity in his glance for his grandchild, sorry that the full weight of the family's duty had to fall on such young shoulders. However, she had been raised well, and if she lived long enough, she would be a menace to the darkness they fought generation after generation.

"One more thing." He waited as she looked up to meet his gaze again. "The clan has decided also to pull you off active duty for a while after your ceremony has taken place. You know it is custom that we normally give the newly initiated at least 3 months of recovery time." She nodded, aware of the tradition. Satisfied with her knowledge, he continued.

"Due to certain circumstances though, we are unable to give you that same time for recovery." At her sudden stiffening, he quickly added.

"No, we will not send you on active duty immediately. To do that so soon after the ceremony is suicide. We do not intend to lose you as well." The girl relaxed, waiting attentively as curiosity burned in her eyes.

"One of our branch families have requested aid in locating one of the wayward members of their line." The old man watched as the girl's lips twitched, as if about to say something. "You may speak freely."

"Grandfather, would that be the same case as the one I read in our archives? The eloped couple?"

The old man nodded approvingly at her quick deduction. "Yes, the very same. Our relatives have been devoting what little resources they can spare towards recovering their lost son, and they have made little progress in all these years. Recently, however, they have uncovered some clues that prove to be very interesting."

"They have had children?" She guessed quickly, and her grandfather actually smiled at her deduction.

"A child. To be precise, one of those." The girl's eyes widened in surprise. The elder nodded.

"Yes, as you can see, we are interested in recovering that offspring. It's far too rare for us to merely ignore." He reached for the cup of tea, sipping elegantly from it.

"However, the training for your distant cousin has been sorely delayed thanks to the willfulness of the father, and so we charge you with not only the recovery, but also the mentoring duties for your cousin." The girl blinked, about to say something but clamping her mouth shut at the last moment.

The elder raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"Um, with all due respect, Grandfather..." She sounded a little hesitant. "Why me?"

He actually smirked. "Because we cannot spare anyone else, and you're free for at least 3 months after the ceremony. What better than to put you to this task?" His expression grew warmer as he perceived the subtle frown creasing his granddaughter's face.

"Frankly, child, you're one of the smartest ones of the whole generation that our clan has produced. If there is anyone capable of tracking our wayward relatives down, there is no other that I would trust more. Your brother would have said the same." He added for emphasis, noticing that she straightened with a determined look in her eye at the mention of her brother.

"I understand, Grandfather. I will not fail the clan." She bowed to him respectfully, then asked.

"When will the ceremony be held? I must make ready for it." He nodded, pleased by her decorum.

"At the next full moon. Until then, rest well and prepare yourself for it." She bowed again, before humbly taking her leave.

He watched her go with sad eyes, sorrowing that he had to deliver such burdens to her so young. Absently, he patted his one good leg, before awkwardly touching his other limb. The prosthetic leg always felt so unnatural, but at least it enabled him to walk with only the aid of a crutch rather than being confined to a wheelchair.

Such was the price of following their duty. Death or dismemberment. He sighed, picking up his tea again as he gazed at the waxing moon in the distance.

Akito...watch over your sister. Watch over Aika...

~*~*~

The moon was hiding shyly behind noxious clouds, but the distant flickering of artificial light provided some scant illumination in the night. The wind whistled in its passage, stirring up dirt, dust, and other unidentified particles.

A shadow moved, a darker patch against a black canvas, barely noticeable to anyone of normal eyesight. A stray cat, rummaging in an overturned trash bin, froze in place as the ominous shadow passed, giving vent to a screeching yowl as its hair stood literally on end, tail upright. Then it did what any intelligent animal would do: run like hell.

Patent leather shoes seemed almost loath to step into the dingy little back alley, but the resulting crunch of the step taken announced that necessity came over an aversion to grime. Still, there was barely any noise other than that first step, the figure pretty much ghosting along into a very familiar looking little alley.

A polished wooden cane snapped down sharply next to an abandoned metal pipe. At one glance, the pipe looked rusted at one end...or perhaps not. The figure did not bend to check though, at least not for the pipe. He was far more interested in the ground next to the pipe.

"Interesting..." The voice that slithered out was oily, with a distinctly aristocratic ring to it. He eyed the destroyed wall, then back at the ground. His face split into a very pointed smirk, touching a gloved hand to his chin.

"Very interesting..."


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


Well that was fun. XD Aww lolli...you wedged! XD
« Last Edit: September 17, 2008, 05:50:36 PM by Estrea »

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
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Offline whytphyre

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #86 on: September 18, 2008, 03:51:24 AM »
*clears throat, makes first post*

So that's an awesome fic ^^ I'm big on vampires, so it's smexy, and even smexier now ^^

Offline Sukoshi

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #87 on: September 18, 2008, 04:46:39 AM »
Ah! that explains a lot!  Well at least I think it does...

my guess is Aikito was the hunter that got killed by pyro child in the last chapter...while Gaki must be offspring of the eloped couple.   I wonder if Gaki's really going to become a hunter...I can see Ai chan interfering with the clan's plans...after all she did "accidentally" run into Risa the other night.  hmm...I also wonder if the vampire Reina killed was being controlled by someone to test Reina....lol did I just say this chapter explained a lot earlier?  Well it did but it also left me twice as curious =D

Offline JFC

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #88 on: September 18, 2008, 06:06:50 AM »
Quote
JFC: You know I can't reveal critical information at this stage.  :P  Yeah well you gotta think about how Risa feels, she's not too enthusiastic about random creepy pronouncements of her fate. Hell, I wouldn't be either. Hehe, wouldn't you like to know who Aichan's child is.   :P  About Risa, well, just wait and see. Hehe.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Still...



Quote
"Waaaaaaaah~ I can't believe break is almost over!" Eri wailed in utter anguish as she buried her face in her arms on the table. The ice cream parlor ignored her. It had had its fair share of whining students in the past week or so. One more wouldn't make a difference. Actually, the business was rather welcome.

"It's ok, have a parfait." Sayumi consoled her in the most practical way possible: dessert. Eri's eyes lit up at the mention of the cold, sweet treat.

"Parfait? For me?" She squealed as the delicious dessert was pushed in front of her. "Yay!"
I picture this scene, and kami-sama, it's so cute! :lol:



Quote
The devil bunny sighed, stealthily stealing a spoonful of ice cream with her spoon from Eri at the same time. Eri spluttered and waved her spoon around like a baton, eyes wide and accusatory. There would be no leeway given in the war over dessert!

The ensuing tussle over the slowly melting pile of ice cream involved a lot of clinking, shoving, and smeared cheeks. Finally, it was resolved by a second double order of parfaits after the last of their prize had melted away during their scuffle. Lesson to be learned? Never get between girls and their ice cream. It could be deadly. Or profitable, if you happened to own an ice cream parlor.
LOVED THIS! :rofl:



Quote
Risa laughed at them. "Oh quit it Sayu, you know you don't have to traumatize her like that."

The youngest of the trio smirked and flashed a peace sign. "But it's so much fun!"
:wahaha:



Quote
"Damn you Seirei! Some kind of vampire you are!" A random crate splintered against the wall. "ONE WHOLE MONTH AND NOT EVEN A FUCKING CLUE!" The remains of an old cupboard smashed into that poor, abused wall. "What are you, some kind of coward?! Hiding just cos Reina is looking for you? Huh? Huh!"
Hmmm...makes one wonder if Seirei is even aware that Reina's looking for her, and if she is aware, if she's concerned or not about it.



Quote
She did manage to find out about quite a few other interesting things that was going on in the city though. Just not what she was interested in.
I wanna know. :P



Quote
*REINA VS THE OTHER VAMPIRE*
Starved? Seems odd, considering the presence of the local population.  Methinks there be something else afoot. :yep:



Quote
"Are you with him?" He snarled, the sentience in his eyes fading back into a primal bestiality.
Enter...a twist. :O



Quote
"...wildest party this month! They even got Seirei to come down! How cool is that?" One punk, his blond mohawk adding a good 3 inches to his height, was gesturing at his friends, sloshing beer from his can everywhere.

...

"Now why don't you tell me all about that party, hmm?" Reina's grin was positively vicious

...

The results, as anyone with two nickels to rub together can guess, was fairly predictable.
Question is though, would Seirei still be there by the time Reina arrives?



Quote
"Akito is dead."

...

The elder sat ramrod straight in the traditional position, his expression inscrutable as he studied the reaction of his youngest grandchild. His only grandchild, after this most recent bereavement. The child, no longer fit for that term, he corrected mentally, looked at him with the eyes of one who had seen too much, too young.

"Did he die well?" Her face was pale, her teeth stubbornly holding her lower lip in place as she returned his gaze, chin up and not betraying her still tender years. A faint discoloration that was slashed across one eye was visible for an instant when she blinked, determined not to show emotion before the head of her family.

"His...remains...have been cremated and placed in the family shrine." The clear implication being that Akito had been in no condition for a public funeral by the time he had been returned to his homeland. The girl gritted her teeth, her jaw rippling with a clear anger that was barely controlled after a moment.
So...Akito was the vampire that Reina fought? If so, they must have had someone following him, as they were likely the ones who did whatever it was that they did after Reina took him out.  Does his family know about his "condition"? Or dare I say...did they have something to do with it? O_O



Quote
*GRANDFATHER/GRANDDAUGHTER CONVERSATION*
Hmmmmm....more mysteries. What's the purpose of the ceremony? What does the initiate become and what duties are he/she given and expected to perform?



Quote
"One of our branch families have requested aid in locating one of the wayward members of their line." The old man watched as the girl's lips twitched, as if about to say something. "You may speak freely."

"Grandfather, would that be the same case as the one I read in our archives? The eloped couple?"

The old man nodded approvingly at her quick deduction. "Yes, the very same. Our relatives have been devoting what little resources they can spare towards recovering their lost son, and they have made little progress in all these years. Recently, however, they have uncovered some clues that prove to be very interesting."

"They have had children?" She guessed quickly, and her grandfather actually smiled at her deduction.

"A child. To be precise, one of those." The girl's eyes widened in surprise. The elder nodded.
One of "those"?

...

The daywalker? Common legend does say that vampires have a deep-seeded hatred for dhamphirs.



Quote
Akito...watch over your sister. Watch over Aika...
EEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!??!!??!?!?!
:OMG:



Quote
A polished wooden cane snapped down sharply next to an abandoned metal pipe. At one glance, the pipe looked rusted at one end...or perhaps not. The figure did not bend to check though, at least not for the pipe. He was far more interested in the ground next to the pipe.

"Interesting..." The voice that slithered out was oily, with a distinctly aristocratic ring to it. He eyed the destroyed wall, then back at the ground. His face split into a very pointed smirk, touching a gloved hand to his chin.

"Very interesting..."
Undoubtedly this must be the "him" that was mentioned earlier during Reina's fight. :yep:

JPH!P :heart:'s kuro808, Fushigidane, ChrNo, Jab & marimari. Always.

Offline strawb3rrykream

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #89 on: September 18, 2008, 06:36:19 AM »
Sayu, Gaki and Kame are so cute as college students. Urg, I agree with Eri, planning out your classes sucks. I hate doing it every semester....(so I wait until the last minute :P )
Wow, Reina really wants to find Seirei/Ai-chan. Ewww, scary hungry vampire! :shocked: But I'm glad Reina was able to take care of him. But who is this guy that the other vampire thought she was connected to? I wonder if she'll be able to find Seirei now? :D
Wait, hold up. Aika....is she a vampire killer? Or are they vampires too??? I'm actually leaning towards the first one. Ai-yah~
Oh, so this guy is the guy. :lol:

Gah, I really love this! :heart:

Offline poets

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #90 on: September 20, 2008, 08:27:42 PM »
Quote
I was afraid that it might be too much for people to process. Lol. XDD; Sorry about the brainsharing request, as of now only Sai, poe-chan and Fimmy have visiting rights (actually, it's only because I can't seem to keep them out entirely >_>...).

Es-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan... shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush... dont tell people about our brain sharing XD :lol:

okay now to rewrite the comment (i had posted a comment earlier but it didn't go through ~.~ for some ODD reason *shakes fist at forum*)

I just LOOOVVEE how u write kameshige... particularly Shige <3 <3 <3 <3 <3. I've said it before... I enjoy how you take the chemistry of the couplings and apply them accurately to different settings ^_^. I'm gald things are somewhat back to normal between the trio. Love the fact that Sayu's into economics XD... considering it's a class i'm taking right now =D.

Reina has a hectic life.... foh shizzel! Beating up weird vamps, stalking this ancient, scaring the crap out of punks.........all in a days work for a vampire XD.

Oh and LMAO @ her stalking the old bar man  :rofl:

Now on to aika...........OMG AIKA XD is a HUNTER XD didn't see that coming... but I really like it. Things are gonna get mighty interesting now. Initiation sounds painful.......big time. I've seen the crazyness of clans when it comes to this kind of stuff.... and the fact that you mentioned that it would take three months for recover proves right there how many ouchies she's going to say through it. GANBARE AIKA ;-;

Now all this talk about an eploped couple and their child................. I'm super curious..... lets see if i get a direct link to your brain today and spot the info i'm interested in >=D
« Last Edit: September 20, 2008, 08:31:05 PM by poets »
Rika <3 So funneh

Offline Estrea

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #91 on: September 24, 2008, 09:45:18 PM »
Aloha! I'm back again! And wow, fewer comments. Oh well, it makes replying somewhat easier, I guess. Did everyone just give up on the story already? o_o?

Anyway, comment replies first.


whytphyre: Cassie! You commented! Haha. Thanks for being nice enough to do that. Yeah vampires are smexy. XD Now go write IK. Me wants more. :P

Sukoshi: I'm glad I stirred your curiosity! I hope to continue keeping your attention. :P Or at least, I plan to. Hehe. Hopefully this chapter will answer some questions and raise more as well. Teehee.

JFC: Epic comment again. XD Several of your questions will be answered by this chapter, it seems. Hopefully you can guess what's going on...or not. Hehe. Gotta have a few secrets after all. XD

Ichigo-chan: Yeah GakiKameShige is awesome. XD I hate planning my classes too, and I figured Eri wouldn't really like it either. Haha. Read on and find out whether your speculations are correct! XD

poets: Aww. *huggles* You make me happy with comments like that. XD Pity I closed the brain connection so I don't let things slip. :P Can't let people know my evil plots. Muahahaha. XD


Right-o. Some editing and I'll be able to post. Watch this spot!

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline Estrea

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #92 on: September 24, 2008, 10:01:56 PM »
Chapter 8 - Accel


"...dubbed the Dark Terror soon after initiation, Soujirou was one of the clan's greatest assets until his defection. On his departure, he also took with him one of the clan heirlooms that had been entrusted to him; the Demon Fang, which draws out the full potential of the warriors of our clan..."

Aika closed the book, leaning back against a wall as she stared outside at the gardens outside her room. It was a beautiful night, she reflected. Wonderful for heading out for a hunt, but duty kept her indoors.

It just wouldn't do to exhaust herself before the ceremony anyway. Given what she had read about what was involved, it sounded painful...and exhausting. It would take some getting used to, certainly.

Still, it had to be done. She would be stronger after the ritual. Idly, she flipped through the book she had already all but memorized from cover to cover. Reading about the traitor helped her get into how he worked, making it easier to deal with him when the time came.

The initial facts didn't really make her feel that much better. Soujirou had been a warrior, much like her own brother had been, and excelled in hand-to-hand combat, mixing magic with physical strikes.

Akito... The sudden reminder of her brother evinced a sharp pain to her chest. His loss had been akin to a physical blow, not only to the clan, but to her as well. He had always been strong, a good warrior, and he had always looked out for her whenever he could.

Even to the point of bending the rules... She smiled a little at that memory, of her first hunt and the unexpected circumstances that had led to her first scar, that jagged reminder of how close she had been to losing an eye or even her whole head to that damnable creature.

She only took some small comfort in the fact that she had also left a deep scar on her opponent in return. Still, it had been a close shave. Her brother had had to step in to rescue her and deflect the killing blow that had left her with the mark commemorating her first near-death experience.

There had been more since that first time, naturally. Hazards were unavoidable in their line of work. Akito had helped her out a lot, training her between assignments, and taking time to have fun whenever possible too.

Aika had since realized that compared to the average 15 year old out there, she had had a very dysfunctional childhood, and an even more dysfunctional life. It was a credit to her brother that she had any kind of a normal childhood at all, what with the endless training they were faced with since birth.

Aika did not blame the clan; it was necessary for what they had to do. Although sometimes, when lying on the ground in a puddle of her own blood, she had to ask: why me?

And yet she still lived, but her brother was dead. Aika mourned him, as was expected. But she could not show grief; grief incapacitated their mental functions, and the slightest error could get them killed in a situation where one mistake could make the difference between life and death.

It hurts...but I have to be strong...I have to... The ink under her fingers smudged as she brushed them lightly across the page, and she lifted her hand, slightly shocked.

Soft pink fingers, just like that of any human, touched one cheek. It came away wet, and Aika stared at her hands, and the tears that they had caught.

Brother, I'm scared... For the first time since she could remember, she admitted that fact to herself. She was afraid. Of the ceremony, of her lifelong task. The weight of the clan's expectations on her young shoulders.

Can I really do it? There was no room for failure. She had to do it, or die trying.

But she had this night to herself. Hugging her knees close to her body, Aika curled into a small ball, letting her tears flow, grieving for her brother...and herself.

In the end, we are still only human after all.

~*~*~

"...night isn't over yet, is everyone having fun?" Her voice rose like a siren call above the raucous crowd, weaving its subtle magic as she projected her aura in a way that allowed her to gauge the general emotions of the revelers.

Even as she spoke, Ai calmly adjusted the music to best pump the crowd up some more. Being able to read the mood of the crowd as accurately as she did could be terribly handy as a DJ.

The party was already in full swing; hell, it had been in full swing since over an hour ago. Ai knew how to work the crowd; partly from skill, mostly from experience. Dealing with crazy mobs was a whole lot more exciting than this, she regretfully reflected.

Opening her senses thus, it helped her reconnect to a humanity long since denied her ever since she first woke to the night as a predator. It was part of why she chose to become a DJ in this particular incarnation; watching humans have fun helped her put things in perspective. She could and did get a bit grim about things at times.

Speaking of grim, something wicked this way comes... A half-smile emerged from the shadowed planes of her face, her highly attuned senses picking up the familiar aura of a person, or should we say, creature?

"For tonight, everyone, forget about the world, forget about reality...spread your wings and Fly!" On cue, she started up the funky beat to that song, adding her own spins and clicks to the already catchy tune. Unconsciously, she started to sing along, adding her own voice to the rapid rapping; fast, slow, soft, hard...she knew music, felt it thrum through her soul, or what was left of it.

Despite knowing the fact that her fragile peace would soon be abruptly and rudely intruded upon by the young upstart so intent on tracking her, she refused to abandon her music, especially not for someone like that. She felt alive in the music, and no mere fledgling was going to disrupt her from that.

On a whim, she started another song, mixing it with Fly...a song she felt was appropriate for her newly acquired stalker. The hypnotic effect of the dual rapping and beats seemed to doing its usual magic, and the crowd seemed lost in their own world of alcohol, dance, and drugs.

If you've fallen in crazy love...if you've fallen in stupid love...if you've fallen in helpless love...

Ai smirked, the tip of one fang peeking out just barely. Almost here...

Even if you don't know who I am...

And there she was. Ai rolled her shoulders around, and waited for her stalker to notice her.

Here I am, so come to me.

~*~*~

Well this sure is a rocking party...

Reina had paused at the other end of the shadowed alley leading to the abandoned carpark where the party was, taking in her surroundings before entering.

Had she still been alive and a teenager at this time, much like she was at the time of her death, she would probably have been at a party like this, having fun and not giving a damn about whether the world was going to collapse in the next minute or not.

Fun times... She actually sighed aloud. Life was a lot less complicated as a human who knew nothing. Dying and being resurrected as an otherworld creature really did a number on one's perspective.

"Whatever." Reina grumbled to herself, shoving her hands into her pockets and trying to appear less conspicuous by blending into the largely drunk and high crowd. It wasn't too difficult, since her outward appearance matched the profile of the kind of people who came to such events.

For another, nobody really cared about her since they were busy doing their own thing. Reina wrinkled her nose. Alcohol, sweat, and clashing perfume mixed with lingering vomit somewhere off in a corner did not mix.

The music really was catchy though, and despite herself she began to bop along with the music while slinking past young people bumping/grinding/groping each other. Among other things. Reina growled when someone tried to paw her, and he backed off.

Being a scary vampire had its benefits. The least of which would be to freak the hell out of people, or at the very least, keep them away from her. Humans might not know about the existence of vampires, but instincts hardwired to the sense of survival automatically shunned the presence of a predator.

And Reina was a predator. On a mission. Target: one very elusive, very annoying, very...holy shit.

Reina very literally froze in the middle of the crowd. Oh wow. Was everyone in the fucking crowd blind? Oh wait, they were drunk and high, that explained it.

Still, how could they miss something like that. Humans. So blind to the world around them. Ever since dying and coming back, Reina had found out just how little she had appreciated the world at large up until then.

Incredible...just...wow... Spellbound would be an understatement. Reina was utterly enraptured. It was like seeing a angel descended from heaven. Or better. Was there a better?

Reina had no comprehension of how long she stood there, admiring the perfection, the sheer power that blazed from her quarry like a veritable halo. It was beyond overpowering; it was pain and pleasure exquisite just to be there.

And then she looked up, a smile hidden in the depths of those eyes that had haunted her since the first time she had seen them, and a shudder ran throughout Reina's cold flesh.

The realization was stark even as she locked gazes with that, that witch standing there, feeling very young and very foolish as she understood just what had been going on the whole time.

Bitch...yanking me around like a fucking dog on a fucking chain... Reina narrowed her eyes at the Ancient, who continued to smile so genially, completely unbothered by the fact that the young vampire was shoving her way through the crowd to get to her.

Wait till I get my hands on you, then I'll, I'll... Reina frowned as she got closer. Eh, I'll think of something.

Right now, she had an Ancient to catch. And damn it all, no one stops Reina from getting what she wants! No one!

A feral grin, a predatory gaze. All aimed at the still relaxed prey. Well, she'd show her.

Cos no one ignores Reina like that, damn you.

~*~*~

Ah, youth. Ai kept her cool even as the little fledgling shoved open a path to her. She had handled worse things than a fledgling stalker. This was hardly a problem.

Not a problem at all. Definitely not. Quite the pleasant distraction, even. Ai only had so many things to amuse herself with, so a little amusement like this could be entertaining for as long as it lasted.

When one has been around long enough to watch Babylon change hands several times, so many other things would seem mundane in comparison. Ai wouldn't call herself jaded, not really. She had merely developed what some might consider a rather...perverse sense of humor.

On second thoughts, the little one is rather charming. Ai watched Reina with a certain bemusement. She had done a little checking up on her young stalker, and was surprised by how the young vampire had managed to survive despite the obvious lack of training and temperance that enabled a long unlife.

She had wanted the other vampire to stay away from her right at first. A peaceful life sounded like a good idea, all 50-odd years of it since that last fiasco. Passing as human was so much easier when she wasn't hanging around other fanged ones. Just the very presence of another vampire reminded her just how not human she was. And she didn't like it. Not really.

Ok, maybe she was just in denial. But cut the girl a break, she's over 4000.

And no, you probably don't want to remind her of that either.

So, repressing. All safe and human makes for a boring vampire. At one time, boring seemed like a good idea. Well, after an overly exciting period of time, taking a break definitely looked a lot better. But half a century of taking it easy?

To be perfectly honest, after all that time, Ai felt that she could use a little fun.

Closer. Reina did not look particularly happy when she obviously made the connection to the fact that Ai had essentially been playing her for a while. Still, the young vampire was clearly unaware of the way she was basically wearing her heart on her sleeve, displaying her emotions for all to see.

It was almost endearing, really. Ai could read a peculiar kind of tension writ large across the tiny shoulders, the intense focus in those off-center eyes. The young one wanted to get to her very badly, that much was obvious. For what reason though, she was less interested.

Right now, all Ai wanted to do was play. And play she would, now that she had the right partner to dance with.

You want me? Come and get me then. Her mental voice was directed straight at Reina, who growled cutely and bared her fangs. Ai rolled her eyes at the display, clearly unimpressed, which seemed to irritate Reina all the more.

And here we go~ Ai handed over her position to her replacement, having arranged for it earlier on. She was a responsible person after all.

One more glance over her shoulder, a taunting smirk. And then she took off, willing the young one to follow her, to chase her.

Reina did not disappoint. Ai felt a familiar thrill as the hunt began. The night called to her, drawing out the vampire from within. And she laughed, soundlessly, an echo of fragile sanity.

Though this be madness, let me revel in it!

~*~*~

If there was one thing Reina was firmly convinced of right at this moment, it was that the woman she sought was clearly mad. Completely, utterly infuriating.

Yet if truth to be told, Reina was having a lot of fun with this. More than she thought she would. Hell, it made her realize that hunting humans was no fun. They didn't even know what was going on.

Hunting Seirei though, was a lot more interesting. Damn that woman. Spreading the crazy bug. Hate her. Love her. Want her.

"Now where did she go?" Reina muttered to herself as she crouched on one darkened rooftop, scanning the veritable causeway of roofs stretching out before her. They had taken the chase from street level to the roofs. Just because they could.

Damn that Seirei. Reina knew the woman was just toying with her, but she stubbornly refused to let go and admit defeat. Tracking that ancient vampire was like playing hide and seek, complete with all the handicaps. Reina had been forced to use all her senses, stretch them to the max, to even catch a whiff of a clue to where that damnable woman had gone.

If she had been thinking about it, she might have appreciated this little game a lot more. In effect, she was getting what she wanted all along: training.

Now, crouched on the edge of a very tall building, Reina scowled at the city below her, just because she could, and it was there. She knew that Seirei could shake her off any time the older vampire wanted, and that knowledge offended her greatly. Just the idea that she was being yanked around on a chain irritated her to no end.

Yet, she couldn't just let it go. It wasn't in her nature to give up. No, she was too damn competitive to just throw in the towel. Concentrating hard again, she tried reaching out, find that elusive presence...and nothing.

"Looking for me?" Her voice. Reina whirled around, saw her quarry sitting on a water pump, swinging her legs like an ordinary schoolgirl and smiling just as sweetly.

Reina had never been known for her patience. And the chase, exhilarating as it had been, was rubbing her nerves raw. She needed to say something, do something, or she'd explode.

Well, she didn't explode. Something else did though. But we'll get to that later.

Right now, Reina was just ticked off. All that unrelieved tension was getting to her. And chasing this beautiful vampire halfway around the city was making her hungry...for all sorts of things.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? It's all a game to you, right? Reina won't lose to you, you know!" Reina accused, stalking closer to the calm vampire seated on the water pump.

Just a bit closer... She pounced. Too late.

"Ow..." Hitting her nose on her pipe wasn't the most glamorous thing she had ever done. She straightened, about to turn around, when she froze again.

Proximity. Reina felt little chills run up her spine, unable to move as a cool hand touched her cheek. Felt the closeness of another body, pressed up against her back. Reina whimpered, as soft lips fluttered across her ear, down to her neck.

For the first time that night, Reina realized another very important fact.

Who was the hunter and the hunted?

It certainly hadn't been her in control. Feeling very helpless, very vulnerable at the moment. Her neck felt very exposed. Reina didn't like the feeling. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little thrill of excitement run through her. Damn instincts.

"Don't worry, I don't bite." An amused voice whispered, stroking Reina's cheek. Despite herself, Reina leaned into the touch and purred, her senses on fire as they reacted to the seductive aura projected by the irresistible vampire touching her.

"You're cute, I like you." If Reina had been in full control of her faculties, she might have been embarrassed by her own reactions. Because she had very damn near melted at the husky tone of that voice.

"Stay out of trouble, alright?" Right into her ear, a voice that practically oozed sex. Reina thought she might faint. A soft kiss to her cheek, almost burning into her skin.

And then just as suddenly, the magic was gone. Reina blinked, missing almost instantly the feeling of intimacy that she had so recently been receiving. She turned around, only to find that she had been left alone on the roof.

Ditched. Again.

This time, her anger was very real and very immediate.

"FUCK YOU, STOP MESSING AROUND WITH ME!" Reina yelled at the uncaring night, flinging her arms outward in an expression of fury.

Behind her, a water pipe burst. Exploded, rather. Into a rather pretty display for plastic shard fireworks. Minus the fire. Because, you know, water and fire don't really mix.

Speaking of water, Reina got a jet stream right in the back, making her not only an annoyed vampire, but also a very wet one. Take that as you will.

Had she been paying more attention to the rest of her though, she would have noticed her hands were still glowing faintly. A glow that soon subsided, as she calmed down after that little hissy fit.

Reina was still sure of one thing though. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

If anything, the game had just officially begun.

~*~*~

Ai smiled faintly at the outburst from her cute little rookie vampire. So young and so volatile. So much fun to play with.

It had been a pity to cut short their time together, but she had things to do. A frown creased her eternally young face as she went back to what had pulled her away from that lovable distraction.

Someone had been watching them, and Ai didn't like that at all. More disturbing was the fact that she hadn't sensed whoever it was until a little earlier. That had been more than a little unnerving.

For the record, very few people (or not-people, you get the idea) could effectively sneak up on her. The fact that someone had been observing her without her noticing shook her more than a lot of other things could.

Also, it probably meant that another non-human was stalking her. Because she was certain that no normal human could come within a hundred meters of her without her noticing. Or even watch her from a great distance without her feeling it. She was just that sensitive, after all.

Now, the first order of business would be to accost that unwanted observer. Ai was fond of her privacy, and if the Covenant had anything to do with this...well, let's just say she would not be pleased. At all.

Latching on to that faint trace of presence that had first alerted her to that other entity, Ai started to move, the very picture of a woman on a mission.

No one ever escaped her. And she wasn't about to break her own record now.

~*~*~

Interesting, I had not expected such potential from one like that. The rhythmic clack of wood on concrete was thoughtful, paced by soft footsteps that barely made a sound.

It had been a very rewarding experience, though tricky. He had not expected someone that powerful to be in the vicinity as well. It had tested all the skills of concealment and misdirection that he had at his disposal to its limits.

To that end, he supposed that his lineage could be credited (or faulted) for that. Gabriel had been a man of certain status in life, but his second life had been rather...disappointing in many respects.

Prejudice, it seemed, ran deep no matter which context one escaped to. It was just a matter of which side one was on. It was something politics had taught him, and it had stayed on even after death.

Perhaps it was only after death that the lessons of life seemed all the more pertinent.

This changes things. The chance was too good to pass up, but the prospect itself was not without risks. He would have to move cautiously, but when did he ever not?

A tug on his senses, a searching pull. Immediately, he suppressed his presence, blending as he deliberately moved into the station. Despite the time, there were still a considerable number of people moving in and out. Perfect for his purposes.

Ah, humanity. He sank into the crowd, becoming part of it. It was fortunate that he had chosen clothing that was not particularly flashy, but still finely cut as his more refined tastes dictated. Naturally, he was still fashionable. Wouldn't do at all to look outdated. One should always keep up with the times, particularly when one had all the time in the world.

He could feel the sense of watching sweep the crowd. He had to give the other one some credit. Not many could even detect his presence, not even those with centuries of experience on him. He had turned a weakness into a great asset on his part. Adaptation, that was the key.

Try as he might though, he could not track the other presence without revealing himself either. No mere Kindred this was, that much he could surmise. Highly skilled, and sensitive to the currents of power. He would have to be very careful indeed.

Gabriel d'Orsay smiled as he stepped onto the last train of the night. For him, all had only just begun, and he had plenty to do.

Little things like planning a reception for that delectable little potential. And avoiding the old one at all costs. So many things he had to attend to himself. After all, who was there to trust if not himself?

He smiled to himself, thinking. Planning.

Games were always more challenging when the odds were against you, was it not?


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


And the plot thickens! Haha.

The songs that Ai-chan played were Fly and Fan, both by Epik High. The lyrics for Fan, particularly, suits the situation. Hehe. Go check it out!

If anyone is interested, I have the mp3s. XD Will upload if anyone wants. ^_^

Till next time then!
« Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 01:22:56 PM by Estrea »

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
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I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline Grisours

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #93 on: September 24, 2008, 11:35:50 PM »
I didn't comment on the last chapter, but I'm reading it. This one was great, as usual. I got really excited when I saw how many Reina and Ai scenes you've put there, and I wasn't disappointed! The insight on Aika was sad, though. And the last bit was as mysterious as ever!

Quote
something this way comes...
something wicked, maybe?

Quote
she's over 4000
oh wow, that's older than I thought. Much much older, lol.

Offline JFC

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #94 on: September 25, 2008, 06:00:19 AM »
Quote
"...dubbed the Dark Terror soon after initiation, Soujirou was one of the clan's greatest assets until his defection. On his departure, he also took with him one of the clan heirlooms that had been entrusted to him; the Demon Fang, which draws out the full potential of the warriors of our clan..."

Aika closed the book, leaning back against a wall as she stared outside at the gardens outside her room.
A defection, eh?

This Soujirou is the "him" mentioned earlier?



Quote
It just wouldn't do to exhaust herself before the ceremony anyway. Given what she had read about what was involved, it sounded painful...and exhausting. It would take some getting used to, certainly.

Still, it had to be done. She would be stronger after the ritual.
Almost sounds like she's going to go through some type of forced/induced mutation.



Quote
Hugging her knees close to her body, Aika curled into a small ball, letting her tears flow, grieving for her brother...and herself.

In the end, we are still only human after all.
:cry:



Quote
Ai calmly adjusted the music to best pump the crowd up some more.

...

It was part of why she chose to become a DJ in this particular incarnation; watching humans have fun helped her put things in perspective. She could and did get a bit grim about things at times.

Speaking of grim, something this way comes... A half-smile emerged from the shadowed planes of her face, her highly attuned senses picking up the familiar aura of a person, or should we say, creature?
Hmmmm...Reina finally tracked her down?



Quote
Reina narrowed her eyes at the Ancient, who continued to smile so genially, completely unbothered by the fact that the young vampire was shoving her way through the crowd to get to her.
An Ancient? Aichan?  :?



Quote
When one has been around long enough to watch Babylon change hands several times, so many other things would seem mundane in comparison. Ai wouldn't call herself jaded, not really.
Babylon?!?!? :o



Quote
She had merely developed what some might consider a rather...perverse sense of humor.
Oooooooooooo...:twisted:



Quote
Passing as human was so much easier when she wasn't hanging around other fanged ones. Just the very presence of another vampire reminded her just how not human she was. And she didn't like it. Not really.

Ok, maybe she was just in denial. But cut the girl a break, she's over 4000.
:stunned:



Quote
And no, you probably don't want to remind her of that either.
Heh...not unless you actually want to be able to hold your still-beating heart in the palms of your hands, that is.



Quote
And here we go~ Ai handed over her position to her replacement, having arranged for it earlier on. She was a responsible person after all.
Hmmm...makes you wonder if the replacement knows about Aichan or not.



Quote
*REINA CHASES AICHAN*
Dang.
:sweat:



Quote
Behind her, a water pipe burst. Exploded, rather. Into a rather pretty display for plastic shard fireworks. Minus the fire. Because, you know, water and fire don't really mix.

Speaking of water, Reina got a jet stream right in the back, making her not only an annoyed vampire, but also a very wet one. Take that as you will.
XD



Quote
Had she been paying more attention to the rest of her though, she would have noticed her hands were still glowing faintly. A glow that soon subsided, as she calmed down after that little hissy fit.
About the "glow", are we talking metaphorically, as in she was still blushing after her contact with Aichan, or literally, as in she was like a lightbulb?



Quote
It had been a pity to cut short their time together, but she had things to do. A frown creased her eternally young face as she went back to what had pulled her away from that lovable distraction.

Someone had been watching them, and Ai didn't like that at all.
Uh-oh. "Him"? :O



Quote
Ai was fond of her privacy, and if the Covenant had anything to do with this...well, let's just say she would not be pleased. At all.
I take it Aichan is supposed to have connections (perhaps even as a member herself) of this..."Covenant"?



Quote
Gabriel d'Orsay smiled as he stepped onto the last train of the night. For him, all had only just begun, and he had plenty to do.
Enter: The unpredictable element.
:dunno:




JPH!P :heart:'s kuro808, Fushigidane, ChrNo, Jab & marimari. Always.

Offline Sukoshi

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #95 on: September 25, 2008, 06:09:33 AM »
ooo that was fun!  I liked the chase~  Reina with the purring and the submitting...so cute!  :wub:  I wonder if Reina's getting more powerful since she made the water pipe explode?  If so I'm guessing that's why the Gabriel guy is interested.  Hehe the more people fighting over Reina the better =D

Offline 0508

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.7: Capo]
« Reply #96 on: September 25, 2008, 06:12:46 AM »
Loved this chapter. I don't think I commented on the chapter with that badass fight scene (which totally won me over btw), but I was happy to see more action in this chapter, though it was a different kind of action. ;)

Quote
You want me? Come and get me then. Her mental voice was directed straight at Reina, who growled cutely and bared her fangs. Ai rolled her eyes at the display, clearly unimpressed, which seemed to irritate Reina all the more.

The mental image I had of this made me laugh. Very cute. Funny she got all the more grumpy when Ai shot down her little attempt to...what was she trying to do? Intimidate? Impress? Reina should know better. Doesn't hurt to try I guess. XD

Quote
Speaking of water, Reina got a jet stream right in the back, making her not only an annoyed vampire, but also a very wet one. Take that as you will.

Whatever do you mean by that?  *whistles innocently* <--because I can't find an "innocent" smiley, or I just haven't look hard enough.

Quote
And the plot thickens! Haha.

Can't wait to see Ai in action. Seems like most people...and non-people would be vaporized if she sneezed on them. (Headline News: Ancient Vampire destroys half the world's population when allergy season hit. jk) She needs a little challenge, and looks like she has a few coming. :D
« Last Edit: September 25, 2008, 06:15:25 AM by rev2hd »

Offline ringo-hime

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #97 on: September 25, 2008, 03:19:25 PM »
OHHH,
Ai is so in control of Reina XD
cnt wait for moar hunting!!.haha.. best hunting game ever. >:]

Offline peti-chan

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #98 on: September 26, 2008, 02:39:56 PM »
Aww~~It's soo good to be back XD

Sooo, wow a lot has happened  :w00t:
 
Some crazy bloody battles, some mysterious characters, some cute Kameshige moments and...AIKA IS A HUNTER?! That sure will be interesting :ding:

Ok so now to the best part...ReinAi! :luvluv1:

I absolutely love you for putting those two into this story :inlove: The building tension between them and Reina being so determined to find Ai and Ai playing with Reina acting all seductive...it's just so...so...so AWESOME! I also almost melted down with Reina at one point :wub: XD I can't wait for their another confrontation :roll: and this time I hope no one will interrupt them :twisted:

So, in addition to all this I have to add one more thing...I hate you Gabriel d'whatever...so yeah, that's all XD

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Re: Gegenschein [Ch.8: Accel]
« Reply #99 on: September 27, 2008, 09:52:01 AM »
Aww, Aika.. :( As much as I don't want her to kill our vampire hotties, I can't help but have some sympathy for her. I really really love how you made Ai-chan a DJ because music is definitely her forte. And I love how flirty-ish and teasing she is to Reina. Oooh, Reina is smitten (more like fascinated)!! :w00t: :heart: And Ai-chan is most definitely an angel! For some reason, I find it extremely amusing when Reina loses her patience. It's just so realistic. :lol: Ai-chan's got our kitty purring already! :drool: Who is the Gabriel and why is he watching Ai-chan and Reina???? :shocked:
I've seen this update for like days but I've been waiting until I know that I have time to throughly read and comment. :D

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