Tags: aleyn, kuro ningyou, multi-fandom, multiverse, private
Character Approval: Yes
Player Level: Advanced
New Players: Closed
Creator: Kuro Ningyou
Created: 01-03-2013, 03:08 AM
Inu x Boku Secret Service
Our lives are lived continuously.
That is why time is irrelevant.Yet in the same breath...
tengu&weasel"...-ama. Atori-sama. Atori Hasumi-sama."
Time is so important
tengu&weaselJostled awake by the sound of her subordinate's voice, the petite raven blinked owlishly as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. A mop of chocolate brown hair and a singular silver eye gazed at her as the man at her door held out his gloved hand.
tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, we have arrived."
Because it will slip away before your very eyes.
tengu&weaselA hesitation before she took his hand. "Thank you, Obi."
Time is precious.
tengu&weaselThe door shut behind her as she stepped out of the car with her butler's assistance. No, wait. That wasn't quite right anymore.
tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, are you alright? Is there anything you require?"
Time is painful.
tengu&weaselNot far away, workers were unloading her furniture and things from a truck. Behind her, as the car drove off after setting her carry-ons next to her, she could hear whispering.
tengu&weasel"Oh my, what a precious little girl."
tengu&weaselStrong arms around her, shielding her from harm. "You're my precious master and friend. I'll do anything for you."
tengu&weasel"A new tenant to Maison de Ayakashi? Isn't she the daughter of the Atori family?"
tengu&weaselRoars and howls. His battle cries amongst the clash and roar of battle, powers at full throttle.
tengu&weasel"I heard her brother and fiance died in a terrible accident. How tragic."
tengu&weaselThe cloying stench of blood. Blood everywhere. On the ground, on her clothes, on her hands. On his tiny limp body, cradled in the crook of one arm. On his tattered wings. Matting his beautiful hair to his beautiful face.
Time is cruel.
tengu&weasel"DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!!"
It has torn me apart...
tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama?"
...And I don't know how to fix myself.
tengu&weasel"...I'm fine. Help me carry some of this up, please?"
Please, God...
tengu&weasel"That's the last of it, little miss." A friendly smile from one of the movers. "Looks like we're getting quite a bit of attention, aren't we?"
tengu&weaselReflexively, she graced him with a polite smile and a bow. "I suppose it's not every day this place gets new tenants. Thank you for everything, sir."
If there is one out there.
tengu&weaselHasumi left the rather flustered mover behind as she stopped to stand beside her waiting butler. Eyes like the deep emerald depths of the Kurama mountain forests gazed up at the building that would be her new home.
tengu&weasel"So, this is the place..."
Turn time on my side.
tengu&weasel"Yes, Hasumi-sama. Maison de Ayakashi. As you wished for."
Give me those moments back.
tengu&weasel"Yes... Thank you, Obi. For coming all this way with me."
It doesn't matter if I have to be hurt
ten,
twenty,
a hundred,
a thousand times.
tengu&weasel"You are my mistress, Hasumi-sama, and now my protege. You have and always will be my top priority. I would follow you to hell and back."
tengu&weasel"That's a little extreme, Obi. But... thank you for the thought."
Please
tengu&weasel"As I said, there is no need for thanks. I am your secret service bodyguard now. It is only right that I do so."
Give me one life
tengu&weasel"I'll be counting on you then, Obi."
Where I can smile and laugh
tengu&weasel"Of course." A pause, and then his features and tone softened as he held out his hand once more. "Shall we, then, Hacchan?"
tengu&weaselHearing her childhood name, the girl allowed herself a soft smile as she took the offered hand. "...Okay, Obi-nii."
and hold the hands
of my most important people
One more time
holderThere was a bit of a commotion below the room of the resident Kawa-uso. Peeking out from the sheets of her bed, Chie yawned and rubbed her eyes. She lingered for just a moment before she decided to give in and ooze out of her bed. It was already near noon and she knew that lounging in bed all day wasn't the best idea. Not only that, but she'd probably have someone on her case about it and she was just not in the mood to hear it today. Speaking of... where was he anyway? Usually, he was near to greet her when she finally got out of bed. Though, knowing how he was, he was off doing something for her.
holder"Nnn, Souchin... doko desu ka?" she called out as she plunked herself into the plush couch that sat not even ten feet from her bed. "I'm hungry... did you make something to eat yet? ...Souchiiiin?"
holderThe young girl knew she didn't have to keep calling him, but she just liked doing it. It never annoyed him and he always greeted her pleasantly. It bugged her at first because he never showed anger, he never showed annoyance, heck, she's only seen him furrow his brow in frustration and it was only because he was concerned for her well being. Chie felt lucky to have such an unselfish and loyal SS by her side, protecting her.
holderFinally awake enough to stand again, the girl went over to the large glass window and pressed herself against it. Below, she could see a car leaving the front of the house and two people standing and talking. One was dressed in casual clothing while the other wore an outfit she was all too familiar with.
holder"Ne, Souchin... we have a new resident now~ Lookie~"
justadogeChie had barely gotten up from her place on the couch when the door opened to reveal a young man with mismatched eyes. He blinked in surprise to see his protege up, but smiled softly and, balancing his burden on one hand, quietly closed the door behind him.
justadoge"Ohayou gozaimasu, Chie-sama," he greeted her pleasantly. "I was worried that I would have to disturb your peaceful sleep, but it seems I won't have to forcefully wake you. Did you sleep well?"
justadogeHis words didn't quite seem to reach her, for the kawa-uso was glued to the balcony glass and her eyes - orange-gold, like twin glorious rising suns - were fixed on the scene below. Before Soushi could question her out of curiosity as to what interested her so, she called to him again, and her remark triggered his memory. Ah, yes. He'd heard they were going to be having a new tenant soon. Striding over to situate himself a little ways behind and beside his lady, the silver-haired SS peered down below.
justadogeSure enough, there was the tamed wild brown of the newest agent's head. A kamaitachi, if he remembered correctly. The taller man had undergone SS training, but had quickly been cleared; it seemed much of what was required of an SS had already been drilled into him in a different setting, though the weasel had explained that it was because he had studied and practiced diligently on the material. Which Soushi didn't doubt at all, for he had sensed a quiet, purposeful drive to the brunette's air. A sense that he wanted everything to be perfect and just right for not just a client, but rather, a specific client... no doubt the raven-haired girl that stood beside him now.
justadogeHeterochromatic eyes flickered down to regard the mocha-skinned girl beside him. The desire to make everything just so... yes, he understood that feeling. And he respected the kamaitachi for it. A soft smile.
justadoge"Yes, Chie-sama, and I hear the tenant is a girl. I brought you your favourite lunch. Would you like to eat here? If it pleases you, we can go downstairs afterwards and greet our newcomer."
tengu&weaselThe lobby was cool as she walked in. Obi led his young mistress down the corridor with some of her luggage in tow, giving a nod to the bald security guard sitting behind the protective glass as he passed. Hasumi did the same, bowing politely to the silent man before scurrying to catch up. Since she had come straight from the Atori mansion, she was still dressed in a casual kimono, so while she was used to moving around in it, it was still a little difficult. The raven had every intention of changing into something more casual and appropriate the moment she got to her room, and voiced this to her now-SS.
tengu&weasel"Obi, let's settle our belongings down first. I would hate to obstruct the others when I can move them."
tengu&weasel"As you wish, Hasumi-sama."
tengu&weaselAs the rooms were essentially penthouse-style suites, most of the second floor now belonged to Hasumi, with the exception of the hallway and the other suite that belonged to her secret service agent - Obi. The door opened with a quiet click to reveal the sparsely furnished suite. Much of her belongings were not furniture, so Obi had ordered them for her; he had chosen them well, and she loved it. The rest of her belongings had already been moved up, but not yet established in their rightful places. Well, that could be fixed within the week.
tengu&weaselThe brunette man was already moving, repositioning boxes of belongings and bustling to settle her in. A small hand reached out to stop him. He started in surprise, and to face the girl behind him.
tengu&weasel"Obi-nii, stop. It's okay. I can do it on my own."
tengu&weasel"But--" he began to protest, but the look in her eyes stopped him cold. Instantly he dropped to one knee and cupped her face in his hand. "Hacchan..."
tengu&weasel"Please." Her voice was hushed, and trembled, as if she were ready to cry at any moment. "You've done so much for me already."
tengu&weaselAs she spoke one of her hands trailed to the eyepatch that he wore, traced the puckered skin of the scarring that peeked out from the material. He watched as her eyes roiled with so many painful emotions, remembering how he had gotten the scar, and how much they had both lost. How could he say no, to refuse such a simple request? Relenting, the tall brunette enfolded the petite girl in his arms.
tengu&weasel"Of course. I'm sorry."
ittanmomenBlink blink.
ittanmomenA young man stood in the hallway, scratching the back of his head in mild confusion. He vaguely recognized the brunette; his clothing obviously giving him away as an SS. But he didn't recognize the dark-haired girl in the kimono. Was she a new tenant? It seemed that way, since the SS had a suitcase on him. He had wanted to flag them down and greet them, but they had disappeared into the elevator before he could say anything. Huh... maybe she was busy...
ittanmomenStrolling into the dining hall, looking back the way he'd come, his hand moved to his neck as he ambled toward the counter.
ittanmomen"New face... Wasn't that the new SS with her...?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone.
kawausoFinally, the voice she'd been waiting to hear, the voice that greeted her each morning without fail. Now, she was definitely at ease since Miketsukami Soushi, her own SS, entered her suite. As he joined her at the window, Chie leaned over and held onto his arm as she often did partially to keep her balance because she was still a bit sleepy, but mostly because she enjoyed it and she knew that it made him happy for her to rely on him. She perked up at the mention of food.
kawauso"You brought my favourite?" the kawauso beamed up at him. "Thank you Souchin~"
kawausoOff she flitted to where the SS had placed her food. Just as she thought, he had brought her a platter of steamed oysters on a half shell with a wedge of lemon. She practically drooled as she gave the sour fruit a squeeze, covering each shellfish with a hint of the tangy juice. Without another moment's delay, the young girl pried the meat from the shell with her fingers and ate happily.
kawauso"Mm, ne Shouchiin," she began between her chews. "Can you get me an outfit ready? I do wanna see the new girl after eating. I hope we'll be friends~"
yukionnaComing from downstairs in a bit of a hurry, a buxom blonde made her appearance. Her glasses were fogged over with a delightful pink on her cheeks. She seemed to be extremely happy and she wandered around asking everyone if they'd seen the new tenant, becoming more and more disappointed each time she was told either no or she'd already gone by. Finally, she resigned and went back downstairs.
yukionna"Ehh, I really wanted to see her," the woman whined softly as she sat in one of the lounge chairs.
tanukibanFrom outside, two voices were now drawing closer. A high-pitched tone could be heard teasing their companion and the voice of a teen boy could be heard responding angrily. Not much later, two appeared in the lounge of Maison de Ayakashi, both male. The taller of the two wore the familiar black suit accessorized with a black bunny ear headband and a bandage covering his right eye. The shorter of the two had messy blonde hair pinned back with a few hairpins and was dressed in cargo pants with one leg pulled up and a polo shirt.
tanukiban"I told you that I don't care that someone new has moved in," the young man firmly insisted speeding up to get away from his troublesome SS.
tanukibun"But aren't you just a little curious to see what she's like~?" the light-hearted voice continued. "I heard that she was a cutie~"
justadogeChie's weight on his arm caused him to start almost imperceptibly, but it was familiar by now, and he quickly relaxed. He gazed down at her and gave a soft smile. Ara, she was still sleepy. He could see it in her eyes and in her movements. How cute she was when she was still bleary. The kitsune's smile only widened further as she brightened and skipped over to the tray that bore her lunch. Though it had only been a month since the kawa-uso had moved into Ayakashi-kan, Soushi had learned much about Chie. She was a girl who was transparent about her beliefs and unafraid to speak her mind. She seemed lazy and lax, but was a keen person with sharp intuition. To top it all off, she was exotically, adorably beautiful. And though his own behaviour left his feelings ambiguous and seemingly out of duty as an SS, he was enthralled. What shaped such an amazing creature, and what blessed fates had brought her into his life?
justadogeAt her request, the platinum-blond bowed. "Of course, Chie-sama. I'm certain that you will get along wonderfully. You have a talent in making friends, after all."
justadogeChoosing outfits for Chie was always so fun. It was like an ever-changing puzzle, where the right pieces changed depending on the occasion and the image he wanted to enchance in his radiant client. At last he decided on a casual outfit that sought to cumulate the mocha's personality: simple but inviting, sweet and fun. Gentle but bright colours, nothing floral or formal, cute and chic, but not restricting in movement. And of course, the colours and cuts complimented the young woman's own natural tones and curves. With a satisfied smile he held up the ensemble for Chie to see.
justadoge"Are you alright with this outfit, Chie-sama?" Though he was certain she didn't quite mind and trusted his tastes, he asked out of formality. She was still his client and she had the final say.
ittanmomenThe blond's melodramatic whine caused her roan-haired client to look up from his lunch. The ittan-momen's eyebrow quirked up. See "her"...? Oh. She must have meant the new resident. Swallowing his bite of food Renshou flagged his voluptuous SS over.
ittanmomen"Ou, Nobara," he called. "If you're looking for the new girl she went upstairs." A pause, and then thoughtfully, more to himself, "Oh... maybe she went to change. That kimono didn't look very easy to walk in..."
tengu&weaselObi held his young charge in his arms until he felt her relax in his embrace. Then, her own arms around him, or as far as she could reach.
tengu&weasel"I'm sorry, Obi-nii. For putting you through so much grief in the past." Her voice was quiet, no longer teary, and sincere. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long."
tengu&weasel"No." The kamaitachi tightened his hold on her. "There is nothing to apologize for, Hacchan. You're here now. That's what matters."
tengu&weaselNothing. It was his fault, not hers. He hadn't been able to save her best friend. He hadn't been able to protect his master, her fiance, twice. He hadn't been able to help her brother. And in the past, he hadn't been able to rescue her from her sorrow and loss. He would not allow himself to make the same mistakes again.
tengu&weasel"Thank you, Obi-nii." Lightly pushing him away, but not fully. Just to see his face. "We can tidy up around here later. Can you help me unpack some clothes?"
tengu&weaselWhile she eased herself out of her kimono behind the curtain, Obi moved the season-appropriate clothes into their rightful places, laying out a layered halter-top and a soft flowing skirt on the foot of the bed, with sandals on the floor. Once she had changed, he bowed to her.
tengu&weasel"Are you hungry, Hasumi-sama? They have a dining hall downstairs, and the chef is quite flexible with the menu."
tengu&weasel"That would be nice, Obi. Let's do that."
tengu&weaselThe elevator ride down was quiet, but not solemn. Hasumi had recovered from her spell, and hunger was driving her far more than the haunting of her past. The ding of the elevator as they reached the ground floor, and the two strode out...
tengu&weaselThe flash of blond and pink, movement in her peripheral. Hasumi turned to see who it was and to avoid them, but too late; she collided with the other and felt herself topple backwards.
tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama!"
kawausoChie honestly wondered why Soushi insisted on asking her if some of the things he did were okay by her. He should have gotten used to the fact that she adored everything he did. Her SS was always so perceptive of her and knew just what to do at what time. Only a few times she had to scold him for something, but it wasn’t even as harsh as one would think it was. In fact, it was only a few correcting remarks she’d made regarding what she liked to eat. Once he picked up on that, she never had to correct him again. What she found odd, but refreshing was his ability to pick out outfits that flattered her well. Not even she could do that and it was her own clothes and body! How unfair that was.
kawauso”It’s just fine, Souchin,” she replied to him, looking back at him with honey-orange eyes smiling at him. ”Arigatou yan~”
kawausoJust as she voiced her thanks for her meal, she leaned back on the plush sofa and patted her stomach. Now what she had some food in her system, she was ready to take on the day! Hopping up from her place, she went into her private bathroom and washed her hands and face before returning to the bedroom to get dressed. As per normal, she proceeded to undress despite the presence of her SS. The kawauso didn’t mind him seeing her. After all, she liked him though she hadn’t quite told him yet. Part of her wondered if he’d already picked up on her feelings and was just waiting for her to actually say something, but another part of her wondered if he was honestly oblivious.
kawausoShrugging it off mentally, she slipped into the clothes that the silver-haired SS picked out for her and smoothed out any minor wrinkles that may have come up during her getting dressed. Walking over to her mirror, she looked at herself and twirled before turning to face Soushi. ”How do I look Shouchin~?” the mocha asked him with a grin knowing already what he’d say.
yukionnaUsually Yukinokouji paid little attention to her client unless it was absolutely necessary. Since he wasn’t a cute girl, she had no interest in him, however today he had information on where the cute new resident went to so she decided to tune him in for once. Leaning over and adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose, she looked at him.
yukionna ”Upstairs you say~?” she repeated the info with a grin. ”A-a kimono?! Ahhhh~ I wish I could have seen it~ Fate is so cruel to me!”
yukionnaThe busty SS’s mind went off on its own adventure imagining an adorable teen wearing a kimono and acting in, what she found to be, a cute but clumsy manner. As it often did, her imagination ran away from her giving her all sorts of wild ideas. Again, her glasses fogged over and her cheeks were red from her own excitement. To make matters worse, a stream of blood was now flowing from her nose from her own strange thoughts.
tanukiban”I said I don’t c--!” Banri began as a figure moved into his path, his eyes widening upon collision. ”Abunai!!”
tanukibanThe teen reached out to grab the hand of the falling girl and managed to catch onto her wrist. However, he couldn’t keep himself from losing his own balance and ended up on the floor along with her. It was all a blur of an event, but he finally came around as he felt something soft beneath his hand as well as something warm pressed against his lips. Azure eyes flew open to see just what had happened. His entire face flushed a bright red as he noticed the girl he tried to catch underneath him. The hand that grabbed her wrist now held her arm pinned next to her and his other hand - desperate to hold on to something – was now groping one of her breasts gently. Making the scene look even worse, his lips somehow found their way to hers. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he hand landed right between her legs and her skirt and top were embarrassingly askew. To someone who had not seen the entire thing, they would have found the whole scene to be incredibly bold and extremely lewd. Realizing this, the tanuki scrambled to move away from the girl as not to make the situation worse.
tanukiban”Go-go-gomennasai!!” he apologized quickly. ”I-I… I didn’t see you an—“
tanukibun”Hyu hyu~ Banri-chan moves so fast~,” the pink-haired SS hooted at his client. ”Who knew that the gentle tanuki could be such a lecherous beast~?”
tanukiban”SH-SHUT UP NATSUME!!” the blonde screamed at the taller male.
justadogeIf he had been in his youkai form, all nine of his tails would have been wagging. Nonetheless Souichi's expression was one akin to a dog that had been praised by its master as he set the clothes down on the bed along with a pair of low-heeled sandals. Ah, to be thanked by Chie! It left him with such a wonderful feeling.
justadoge"Of course, Chie-sama. It's my pleasure to serve you. I only want to see you smile forever, after all."
justadogeWhile the kawa-uso wandered into the bathroom to freshen up, her SS moved to fix the remains of her lunch (not that there was a scrap of edible food left on it anyways; he always made sure it was exactly enough for her appetite) and began to tidy up. Once he was done that, he opened a pot of water to prepare a cup of tea. By the time the mocha girl came out the light but invigorating tea would be steeped to just how she liked it.
justadogeChie's voice calling for his opinion. Using a pair of small tongs to remove the tea bag, Soushi carried the teacup and saucer over and gave her a look over. Ah, yes, good, that colour certainly suited her mocha skin, and brought out the orange in her eyes. The clothes didn't look stiff and tight, but accentuated her curves subtly. Yes yes, very good. Excellent. Even though he had already visualized this, the kitsune still felt his heart skip a beat seeing her in the attire. How cute, how beautiful. He graced her with his standard smile.
justadoge"Without doubt, Chie-sama looks adorable. The clothes truly suit you. It's pleasing to the eyes." With that he set down the tea. "Chie-sama, here is your tea."
ittanmomenAra, there she went again, her imagination getting the better of her. Renshou wondered how he had ended up with such a peculiar SS. Then again, hardly any of the SS were remotely what anyone would consider normal... except maybe the new one. In an attempt to at least cheer her up (even if she was doing a pretty good job of doing that to herself already) he spoke up.
ittanmomen"She might come downstairs? It's about lunchtime anyhow—"
ittanmomenA sudden commotion outside. Faintly he could hear Banri's voice. Oh dear, was he getting into a fight again? Thinking to help Zange stop him (when did the bunny-eared SS ever try and stop the chaos, anyhow?) he rose from his seat and went out into the hall.
ittanmomen"Oi, Watanuki~ Don't cause trouble for the—"
ittanmomenRenshou's voice died in his throat as he beheld the... uhh... spectacle. Banri on top of an unknown person (ah, wait, that was the new girl. She'd changed out of her kimono,as he'd suspected) and... well now. This was an interesting, if not confusingly bizarre, turn of events. Even as he watched Banri jumped back all afluster, sputtering apologies as his face turned shades of red that would make tomatoes jealous. Just from the younger boy's reactions the ittan-momen could pretty much figure out what had happened...
ittanmomen"Anou, daijoubu...?"
ittanmomenHe took a step toward the girl with the thought to help her out, but her SS was already at her side, checking on her and straightening her out. So Renshou was left standing there awkwardly, not really wanting to leave the scene, but also confused as to what to do.
tengu&weasel"Abunai!"
tengu&weaselA hand on her wrist, but still she continued to fall. Time seemed to speed up until everything was a blur, and then stop seconds later. Deep emerald eyes flew open almost the same time as azure ones did, and Hasumi was left staring at the other person in shock as her muddled brain tried to figure out what had happened, what was going on. And when it did she felt her face turn beet red. The other person's good intentions of catching her hadn't seemed to go as planned, and somehow they had ended up on top of her. It was a boy - her face flushed deeper as she realized she knew that because he had landed in a way that had left them right between her legs, and to make matters worse her skirt had hitched up; she could feel the fabric of his pants against the inside of her thigh. Her shirt was similarly suggestively askew, but the girl was more acutely aware of the boy's hand on her breast, and his lips against hers.
tengu&weaselIt lasted only a second or two, for he had already scrambled off her, as red as she probably was. Dimly she was aware of Obi's familiar presence beside her, helping her into a sitting position. Her head was in a tizzy until she heard stammering apologies and her lips reacted instinctively. Ah, how embarrassing, she could still feel his touch on her chest and her lips...!
tengu&weasel"A-ah... i-iie... A-atashi no sei de... I should've been watching where I was going..." she began to retort, reflexively pulling at the fabric of her clothes to at least be more presentable.
tengu&weasel"Hyu hyu~ Banri-chan moves so fast~" The pink-haired man who had been with the boy. "Who knew that the gentle tanuki could be such a lecherous beast~"
tengu&weaselTo Hasumi, it was as if the air in the hallway had been suddenly sucked out. Did he just say...!? Eyes wide, she looked at the boy who had fallen on top of her. Wild blond hair, azure eyes. His hair colour was different, but his face, his expressions, the way he talked, the way he acted...
tengu&weaselObi had rushed to Hasumi's side the moment the blond boy had pretty much tripped over himself trying to get off. He knew there was no ill intent behind the accident, but to see Hasumi in such a position made the kamaitachi indignant on her behalf. But he said nothing, any harsh words quashed before they could even begin to form. He couldn't bring himself to, for his mistress's sake. That's right, Hasumi was more important.
tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, are you alri—"
tengu&weaselThe man felt the blood drain from his face when he saw the expression on hers. Oh no.
tengu&weaselShe couldn't breathe. All she could hear in her ears was the thundering of her own heart, her own breath hitching in her chest. Staring at his face, a familiar face, a precious face, one she thought she would never see again.
tengu&weaselThe golden glow of happier, younger days. Children's laughter - hers, Obi's, her dear fiance's, her precious friend's. A time of smiles, and silly pranks, and wide-eyed explorations. Of seemingly endless light...
tengu&weaselGrowling, roaring, raking at her ears. Flashes of youkai power, gnashing fangs, slashing claws. The glint of weapons, the blur of wings, the howling of the wind. A small body, launching itself at her, screaming her name. The splatter of something warm and metallic-smelling. Transformation spell undone, his tiny, furry body falling as if in slow motion. She reached out to catch him, cradle him, panic rising at the sight of his battered body splashed with crimson.
tengu&weasel"If I can protect Hacchan... I don't mind giving up my life..."
tengu&weasel"BANRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!"
tengu&weasel"B-......" Her voice barely made it out of her mouth, weak, trembling. Disbelieving. "Ban...rin......?"
tengu&weaselBeside her Obi stiffened. She recognized the boy. He could see the tempest of emotions that roiled in her. She was remembering again, that terrible day. There was no use trying to get her to stand; he knew she would have lost all ability to even feel her own body at this point.
tengu&weaselNo. It couldn't be true. What were the chances? Her knees felt like they had turned to water; she couldn't feel her legs. Had they turned to lead? Stone? Grown roots and planted her to the ground? It didn't matter. Hasumi was focused on one thing and one thing only: the boy in front of her. A painful lump had formed in her throat.
tengu&weasel"B-...Ban......" More of a hoarse croak. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Ban...rin......?" Unbidden, the tears began to spill from her eyes, even as she slowly shook her head. "Uso... Banrin...... Banrin...!"
tengu&weaselHer voice cracked at the last word, and the petite raven curled in on herself as if someone had landed a solid punch into her gut even as she began to wail uncontrollably. Obi couldn't bear it anymore; bundling his sobbing mistress into his arms, he bowed low to Banri and Natsume.
tengu&weasel"My deepest apologies. Hasumi-sama isn't feeling well. We're sorry to have disturbed you."
tengu&weaselAnd with that he whisked her back into the elevator and away. Hasumi's crying was cut short by the doors closing, but her wails seemed to remain echoing in the corridor long after she was gone.
kawausoOnce she got her answer from Soushi – which was the answer she was expecting anyway – she went over to where he was to have her tea. Her SS was such an amazing man. He always knew exactly what to do to make her happy. It was just one of the many reasons she loved him. Yes, she’d realized a while ago that she had fallen in love with the kitsune.
kawauso”Thanks again, Souchin,” Chie said sweetly as she looked at the silver-haired man adoringly.
kawausoAfter another few minutes, she had finished her tea and set the cup down on the table. A soft but happy sigh escaped her as she leaned back on the sofa. A nice meal and an invigorating cup of tea, what a way to start her day! All of it made possible by her sweet SS.
kawauso”Let’s head down to meet the new resident, Souchin~” the young kawa-uso beamed up at him, taking his hand in her own.
yukionnaEverything had happened in almost the blink of an eye. Hearing the ding of the elevator made her turn around as she was hoping that the new young lady would be the one departing. Much to her pleasure, it was her! Before the yuki-onna had a chance to properly observe the girl, the tanuki who was fussing with his SS – as per usual – had a collision with her. Though she couldn’t see exactly what happened, Yukinokouji did see the end result.
yukionnaBoth Banri and the girl were on the floor with the male on top, his hand practically groping her breast and laying over he as if they were about to perform the “martial act”. Conflicting emotions welled up inside her at the same time. The entire scene made her seethe with jealousy! Oh how she wanted to be the one who had landed on top of the adorable girl. Yet… seeing them like that was extremely erotic! So young but loving one another to the point that they didn’t care who saw! That was her delusion anyway. As always, her glasses had fogged over, blurring her vision. The woman’s cheeks were flushed and she had a spot of drool rolling from her mouth. Instead of just one side, she now had a full on nosebleed from watching. This was just way too much to bear for her and she reluctantly left the scene in order to compose herself.
tanukibanBlinking owlishly as the girl he ran into stared at him, he wondered why she looked at him that way. Did he look like someone she knew or did she actually know him? When her expression changed from the stare to a look of sheer horror, Banri felt his heart fall to his feet. Why was she looking at him like that? Had he done something to her before? Was she someone who had confessed to him but he turned down? Wait… why did it look like she was about to...
tanukiban”B-…..” she began, her voice quivering. ”Ban…rin…..? Uso… Banrin….Banrin…!”
tanukibanAfter that she’d burst into tears. Needless to say this surprised the tanuki and he scrambled to find the words to say to her. It was too late. She’d backed away from him and curled into herself into a ball, sobbing. What did he do?! He was so confused!! Just what the heck was with this girl!
tanukiban”O-o-oi,” he stammered, wondering what to say. ”W-why are you cry—“
tanukibanBefore he could get out his entire question, the SS at her side had scooped the girl into his arms and apologized to everyone. He stated that the girl, whose name he now knew was Hasumi, wasn’t feeling well. Bowing politely, the man whisked her away, leaving Banri with so many questions about what just happened. Why was she staring at him like that? Why did she start crying? How come she knew his name? Granted, it was a name that someone familiar with him would use, but still. Suddenly, his head began to hurt and he placed a hand on his head. So strange, he thought as he stood to his feet and turned around.
tanukiban”Oi, Natsume,” he spoke softly.
tanukibun”Hai hai~” the SS replied with a calm tone, knowing what his client wanted to do. Though, inside he knew just what made the young girl cry. It was an extremely sad scene and it would be best if the young tanuki didn’t ask. Kawaisou na…
ittanmomenAs the SS whisked the girl - Hasumi, he'd said her name was - away, Renshou scratched the back of his head in confusion. What had just happened? The girl had suddenly gone all stiff when she saw Banri, then started repeating his name, and finally burst into inconsolable tears. Did she know the tanuki well? She'd called him by his first name, and in a familiar format at that. An ex? No, he never recalled the blond dating... A past life, perhaps?
ittanmomenNobara had long run off to stave her wild erotic lolicon imagination. With only Natsume and Banri around, he felt this was his best chance to ask. "Anou, Watanuki, Natsume..."
ittanmomenHe didn't get to finish his sentence, for at that moment the elevator pinged again.
justadogeSouichi remained smiling and standing as he waited for Chie to finish her tea. Her thanks had brought a warm, fuzzy feeling in the kitsune's chest, and he was more than happy to savour the feeling until the girl set her empty teacup down and took his hand in hers, announcing she was now ready to meet the new resident. His smile widened as he nodded and guided her to the elevator.
justadogeThe scene that greeted them, however, wasn't quite what he had been expecting. Banri on the ground, Natsume and Renshou standing in the hall on either side. Confusion flashed across his face for a brief moment before Souichi spoke.
justadoge"Did something happen?"
justadoge"Ou, Mike, Chie-chan," Renshou greeted them. "Ahh... I guess you could say something did? We bumped into the new girl a moment ago, but she went back upstairs. You just missed her."
ittanmomenFor Banri's dignity the ittan-momen decided it was best if he left the details out. The tanned youth felt that the tanuki and Hasumi needed to have time to sort things out between them before anything else happened. After the petite girl had sorted herself out first, of course.
tanukibunBefore Renshou could finish what he began to say, the elevator dinged and out stepped Soushi along with his client, Chie. Zange bounced over to his friend, calling out to him and the young mocha next to him by the pet names he’d given them.
tanukibun”Sou-taaaaaan~ Chi-chaaaan~~” the bunny-eared SS sang as he greeted them, his speed behind matched by the younger girl as she jumped into his outstretched arms.
kawauso”Zan-nii~!” the kawauso giggled as she hugged her friend tight then looked over to the ittan-momen and waved. ”Yo, Ren-nii~!”
tanukawaAfter their greetings, the pink-haired man set his younger friend down and patted her head. Despite the two of them knowing that their contact could very well trigger another vision, they still show their friendly affection for one another. Peeking around, Chie saw the mess of blonde hair that had not moved since she’d stepped from the elevator. Obviously curious, she went over to him and kneeled down.
kawauso”Ban-nii, what’s wrong?” she asked him.
tanukiban”Ou… Chie…” he half-greeted, his mind still buzzing about what had just happened. ”That girl…”
kawauso”Who?” Chie tilted her head.
tanukiban”Ah, nothing...” he said dismissively as he stood and dusted himself off. Despite his words, it was quite obvious that whatever he was thinking about wasn’t just “nothing”. He was thinking about the identity of the girl and how he knew her. They had to have known each other for her to use such a familiar name with him. Furrowing his eyebrows in frustration at his lack of memories of the female, he started toward the elevator.
tanukiban”Zange…” the tanuki said simply and his SS wordlessly followed behind him.
tanukibun”Jaa ne, Soutan, Chi-chan~” he waved as the doors to the elevator closed.
kawausoWaving back to the departing pair, the young mocha looked up at her SS and shrugged. ”Since she isn’t here, wanna go to the gazebo for a while?” she asked the kitsune with a cute look she know he couldn’t refuse.
justadogeWhile Banri's unusual reticence concerned and puzzled him, Souichi had little time to ask, for the tanuki had retreated with his SS trailing behind him. Something rather serious must have happened for the rambunctious blond to sober up so much; the kitsune would have bet a tail that it had something to do with the missing new tenant. A mystery, to be sure.
justadoge"Since she isn’t here, wanna go to the gazebo for a while?"
justadogeChie's voice, offering some other activity now that the new girl was absent. Well if she wasn't here there wasn't much they could do about it. Once again his smile graced his kawa-uso.
justadoge"Of course, Chie-sama. With summer approaching it would be nice to enjoy the weather before it got too hot."
ittanmomenThat evening found Renshou and the others downstairs in the dining hall. Having received confirmation from Obi that his client would be well enough to join them for dinner, the staff had pitched together to set up decorations around the hall while the ittan-momen had helped to rearrange the tables and put away the chairs.
ittanmomenWith only the finishing touches to put in and the food and cutlery being laid out, the roan-haired man glanced up to look at the wall clock. Their guest of honour should be coming in any minute now...
tengu&weaselIt had taken her several hours, but at last she was ready to face the world again. Hasumi wasn't quite sure what possessed her to wear a yukata again, but wear one she did, the rich burgundy with gold pine branch patterns and black obi making the green of her eyes stand out all the more. At least she forewent the hairpins; they felt too formal for just a dinner. But she kept her other decorations in. They never left her outside of functional convenience. One last look at herself in the mirror. Then it was off downstairs.
tengu&weaselWhen she opened the door, she was greeted with facefuls of confetti and a chorus of "Irrashimase!" Surprised, the raven-haired girl froze on the spot, blinking in bewilderment as she tried to process what was going on. A quiet chuckle from Obi.
tengu&weasel"A welcome party. Is this alright with you?"
tengu&weasel"Ah..."
tengu&weaselA look of dawning comprehension, looking to Obi as if for help. His eyes held inquisition, mild concern, hope. No, this was her decision. Deep emerald eyes slowly travelled around the room, registering each face there. A new home. A new place to start a new life. She had come here for that purpose. Surely, this was her chance to leave the pain behind. A soft, grateful smile slowly spread across her lips, and she bowed low.
tengu&weasel"Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san. This is all very wonderful." Then, straightening to direct a pleasant smile to everyone there. "Hajimemashite. Atashi no namae wa Atori Hasumi desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
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