Eidolon's Sin

Summary: As an idol it's a transgression, a breach in one's contract. As a student however...

So this is going to be the first oneshot or whatever that I'll be writing for this pairing. I will be doing more, since that's what I do (writing for the rare/unheard of pairs).

Her thumb hovers over the red button as she directs the metal claw over the doll, pressing down the moment it's in place. She watches the claw descend down into the pile of dolls, the metal snipping around the doll, but the moment it looks like she's got it this time there's a second where the doll stops moving up.

It's suspended for a moment, being dragged upward by the claw, but it's foot is stuck in the mass of dolls and it falls from the claws a moment later. Rise lets out a groan as she watches the claw move over to the dispenser, now empty of her prize. It's claws opening to drop air just taunts her even further.

She really thought she had had it that time. After all, she had managed to dig it out from beneath the two layers of dolls it had been under, but now it was stuck. Another doll was holding it hostage in the metal contraption. Just her luck.

Rise dug into her pocket for another coin. If she could move that other doll out of the way or grab her prize a couple more times she might be able to dislodge it, and then she could give the doll to Yu.

Nanako had told her a couple days ago that he collected the dolls, that he even had a shelf in his room dedicated to the special editions that were 'offered' in the crane game right outside the movie theater in Okina City. This one had just been released a couple days ago and Rise had come into the city just to get it for him. It was getting dark though, and if there was a light inside the game it hadn't turned on yet. If she couldn't clearly see what was keeping the doll locked in there she couldn't possibly get it out.

Though, she had wanted to get it today, it looked like she would need to come back tomorrow and fish it out. Especially since she didn't have anymore coins on her either.

Rise sighed softly, making a silent promise to finish with her task tomorrow, for Yu.

"Ah, Rise-chan." For a second she froze, turning slowly to face Inoue. "It's fortunate that I ran into you today. Could you please reconsider?"

"Reconsider what?" she asked, knowing full well what he wanted from her. But after all the other times he had approached her about the same thing one would think he had gotten the message by now.

"Coming back to the company. I know you said you didn't want to, but lately I've been thinking about it, and if there's something that's stopping you from coming back just name it. If you want a higher salary, more time to spend with your family, anything. I'm sure we can come to an agreement if you just-"

She had been looking around her as he spoke, wishing she hadn't come alone. That the streets weren't practically empty. There were a few people out and about, leaving the stores and getting ready to go home mainly, but that was it. Anyone else still at the shopping district at this time was watching a movie in the theater. It was going to be much more difficult for her to get away from him if she didn't have an excuse. Just a week ago he had shown up while she was hanging out with Kanji, and he had run away shortly after; a side effect of being around Kanji, really.

But Kanji wasn't here now to scare Inoue away, and neither was Yu. Everyone around here was just a stranger, she couldn't drag any of them into the middle of this. It just wouldn't be right, and... she heard a nervous laugh to her right.

"-Please, Rise. Please think about it. Everyone back at the company misses you. Your fans miss you. Don't you want to make them happy by coming back?"

She let out an exasperated sigh, scowling as she stepped sideways. How could Inoue even think about using her fans like that? Rise reached out to grab onto the blue uniform jacket, pulling hard to get the man's attention and divert it from whoever he had been speaking to.

"I don't have time for this, Inoue," she snapped a bit harder than she had intended, but what did he expect? Talking about her fans like that? "This nice officer has been showing me around the new shops in Okina. So if you don't mind-" She tried to step away from Inoue, keeping a firm grasp on the detective's jacket.

"New shops? You were in Okina City five months ago, remember? For a concert. There's nothing new here. Rise, you don't need to pretend you're occupied. Please can we just talk? As I said before, the terms for you coming back can be-"

Her mind ground to a halt for a fraction of a second. He had just called her bluff, and probably thought that she was using a random police man to try and avoid speaking with him about her career as an idol. The same one she had explicitly told him that she had retired from.

That any minute now the officer would speak up, confirming Inoue's suspicions when he sounded confused about just what was going on - like Inoue expected he was.

Rise squared her shoulders, letting her grip on the jacket loosen so that she could wrap her arm around his own. She reached over and down with her other hand, to entwine her fingers with his as she pressed up against the detective in the most intimate fashion she could think up. "So I lied. I'm really trying to enjoy my day with Adachi-senpai, and you're here ruining our date!"

"Huh?" Inoue paused in what had to have been a rehearsed speech, glancing from Rise and then to Adachi, at the way she was invading his personal space while he just stood there.

For a moment Rise thought Inoue was going to call her out for a second time and she tightened her hold on Adachi's fingers, praying silently for him to go along with the ruse. His cold fingers squeezed back a second later and she felt the tension slide out of her body.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Adachi let out a soft laugh. "Idols aren't suppose to go on dates and stuff like that, are they? But Rise isn't an idol anymore, so it shouldn't be a problem now."

"Now?" Inoue repeated, clearly falling for what Adachi was implying by saying such a thing.

Adachi's eyes even widened a little, as if he had accidentally let it slip that him and Rise had been seeing each other before she stopped being an idol. Even so he continued smoothly, "I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. She only stopped being an idol a little while ago after all. Her fans, and former employer must expect her to still act like one. Right?"

"Senpai," she pouted as if it were all true. With her head tilted just slightly so she could meet his gaze, pushing her lower lip out.

He laughed again, this time more cheerful as he ruffled her hair with his free hand. "It's alright." His attention moved back to Inoue, his hand settling on her shoulder just before he spoke, "We should be going, though. I promised Rise that I would get her home at a reasonable hour this time."

"Uh... sure." Inoue continued to look between the two of them, probably trying to judge if all of this was true or not. "But, Rise-chan, if you're having second thoughts, don't hesitate to call, okay?"

Rise frowned at his continued pestering, but since he would be leaving them alone soon... "Got it," she said, pulling Adachi along with her when she hopped forward. The moment Inoue turned around she would be free of him, for today anyway.

He seriously looked like he wanted to question her about her supposed relationship with the detective, but she figured it mostly had to do with what Adachi had suggested. Since if it was true it would've been a breach in her contract as an idol while she was working at the agency. She had to wonder if he would use it - true or not - to try and blackmail her into coming back. "Bye then, I'll see you later."

"Uh huh." Rise kept the tone of her voice neutral as she walked past Inoue with Adachi, still clinging to his arm.

She could hear Inoue sigh behind them, then turn and walk away.

Rise released her own sigh of relief at getting away from him. She went to step away from Adachi - his right hand slipping from her shoulder, - fully intending to apologize for having dragged him into her scheme, but when she let go of his left arm she felt it wrap around her waist a second later, pulling her back against his side. "Huh?" Rise glanced up at Adachi, who was giving her a friendly smile.

"That guy might turn around and realize you were lying to him again. He's your old manager, right?"

"Yeah. That was Inoue." She resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder to see if Inoue had stopped and turned to look back at them or not. There was no way he wasn't suspicious of her, considering she refused to call him back or even pick up when he called her. That's why he came out to find her and 'just talk.'

"Besides, you live in Inaba. It'll be dark by the time the train gets to the station. I wouldn't feel right leaving you to walk home alone with the murders that have been happening."

Oh, yeah. Murders and kidnappings, really. Not that Adachi would know that. Her and everyone else kept saving those getting thrown into the tv by the killer. So the kidnappings weren't even being considered kidnappings since everyone was coming back days after they allegedly disappeared. Barely long enough for other people to notice. Still it was the thought that counts, right?

Rise wrapped an arm loosely around his thin frame, wrapping her fingers around his right hand as she leaned into him. "Thanks, Adachi-senpai."

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