Ok, so Authors notes (or A.N's) will be done in bracketts like these -blah blah blah-. If I have her thinking something specific I'll use this: 'blah blah'. Hmm... if you have any questions feel free to ask me stuff in the reviews and I'll answer them up here at the tops of chapters. If something doesn't make sense please tell me, cause I want this fic to be as awesome as possible! And if any of the jokes suck or don't make sense or anything please please please tell me. Basically I deeply appreciate all reviews, especially criticism, but I am going to ignore any flaming.
I put a lot of explaining in this chapter and in some of the next ones because I added a bunch of stuff that'll be hard to explain once I get to parts where I want the plot to go uninterrupted without having to explain stuff. But if you think it all sounds too wordy please feel free to complain!
Ok, I think thats it! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned CCS, I would try to take over the world. Or at least buy Japan. But i don't own it...
All's Fair When You're in Love in War!
I landed almost soundlessly on the dark rooftop and continued to move, my hand going to the Swiss Army knife tucked into my jeans as I strained to hear the quiet footsteps that followed me. If they didn't give up I was going to have to fight. Definitely not pleasant, especially since I had promised Sonomi that I wouldn't start anymore fights this week. Not to mention that trying to fight Eriol and Li at the same time alone should be listed legally as assisted suicide.
I spotted a fire exit and slid down the side of the ladder quickly, landing on the ground as softly as I could. Bouncing into a sprint, I rounded the corner of the building, trying to retrace my steps before I turned a different direction to lose them.
Praying that they didn't have people following them on the street and cursing the fact that I had run out of roofs I realized that needed to find a club. Any club would do so long as there was a crowd and a phone. One of Meiling's clubs would have been nice, but I wasn't any closer to one of hers than I was to a subway.
I dash across a deserted intersection, glancing up at the street signs as I did so. 'Liberty and Hawkins'. Damn! Still too close to their area to find any clubs they won't have connections at! And I'm not near any club of Meiling's; I won't even make it ten more blocks… Wait… Liberty?'
I paused, allowing the brief familiarity I had just felt to surface, becoming a memory. Meiling's new high-class club, Skylight something, was two turns and just a few more city blocks away. Soundlessly thanking the good Clow Mirror for the memory, I shuffled to the edge of a streetlight, despite the obvious risk of being seen. I yanked the directions and pass I had skimmed over two days ago out of my left jacket pocket. Memorizing the directions written on the paper and stuffing it back into the denim pocket, I gripped the elevator pass tightly in my ice-cold hand and began to move.
Hearing a faint exclamation from the roof of the building to my right that sounded awfully similar to the word bitch as I passed through the streetlight, I glanced up, seeing one of the two guys I was so desperately trying to evade. He was waving with a hand holding a gun for his partner to hurry up and I could see a small ponytail where his hair was tied back due to the angle of his head.
A/N: yes, I promise that isn't a useless detail…-
Not stopping to question the lack of gunfire, I shook my head to focus. Cursing myself silently for my stupidity I ran faster, taking a right at the intersection I was in. I could feel my body slowing down as the night began to take its toll on me. I do not tire quickly, but tonight had been very… eventful. Plus, I had been running all week, so I was a bit worn down. In my head I began alternating praying to any and all Clow to help me make it, and repeating the directions.
Finally, I turned onto some busier streets and sped up, but could still hear following footsteps and distant cries of outrage from the people walking the street, who had obviously been shoved aside. One more block and I saw the club. It was a gorgeous building that was thin for about ten stories before branching into a spiraling glass oval at the top. Its name was written vertically over the first few stories, spelling out 'The Skyline' in white-blue light. Apparently naming clubs in English was also all the rage -A.N: They're in Tokyo, remember-. I remembered reading raving reviews on the genius of the design. Meiling always had had a flair for the so-extremely-stylish-it-walks-the-fine-line-of-good-and-bad-taste type of architecture. Fortunately for her, the designs she picked always turned out just on the fabulous side of the line. Or maybe she just had truly impeccable taste.
There was a long line, most likely due to the fact that it was the opening night of a club whose owner was well known for several other recently chic and popular clubs. I flashed my pass at Sammi, the bouncer for opening night and, thank the Clow, a bouncer I knew (I go to clubs a lot and Sammi's fun), stopping in front of him to smile gratefully as I pulled at my lungs for breath. He nodded understandingly, seeing how breathless I was and knowing my taste for trouble, soundlessly allowing me entry and scanning the street for my followers.
"Wait!" I whispered once I was past, keeping my voice low and talking as quickly as possible, "They're gonna try to pay you off! It's ok to let them in. But, only if they pay enough, ok? Complain until they pay too much, but don't let them leave. I'm just gonna need a little time. They can figure out how to get up the elevator themselves." I wasn't going to give up an opportunity to talk with them in one of our clubs. They had come too far, and understand our rules of civility and politeness far too well, to simply turn back. Plus I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little dancing either. Turning away from Sammi's friendly nod and shove in the direction of the door, I glanced out at the street, and, seeing a dark figure pointing and yelling at Meiling's club, I stepped quickly inside.
I sighed, safe for a few minutes and sat down in the nearest chair, letting the music of the Dragostea Din Tei remix, by O-Zone, wash over me.
A.N: yes that is a real song, and yes it kicks ass-
My head shot up again when I heard the clang of an elevator, my rest disturbed, and I waited patiently for the people leaving to clear before jumping through the doors. I slammed at the buttons to close the doors and grinned when they closed on the face of an annoyed employee, thanking Meiling for installing the first fast doors I'd seen on an elevator since I had first ridden in one. I then slid my passcard into the scanner and pressed TL for the top level. Thanks to my carrying around the card as well, I didn't need the employee.
I sat back and sighed, looking at the wall of the elevator, and seeing a surprised look on the face that stared back from the glass. Gazing intently at the reflection, I watched it smile as it realized I was not exactly dressed for the VIP section of a club. The mirror showed a tired 17-year-old girl, about 5''8 or 5''9, with amethyst eyes that were a shade too purple to be normal. It reflected the paler form of Asian skin (-A/N: Tomoyo was always a little paler, remember-), a loose, knee-length black denim jacket, designed like a trench coat, with a dark purple flower on the back. The dark denim was complemented by the black, ripped and stonewashed jeans worn above dark gray Puma's, despite the fact that denim on denim normally looked bad. Thanks to the slanted mirrors placed where the corner of the elevator would have been, I could see that my hair covered most of the flower.
"Well." I commented to myself quietly, "Meiling certainly found a solution to a VIP getting claustrophobic in a semi-crowded elevator. Not to mention anyone made slightly dizzy by drugs would probably throw up on the way. Not bad… But this will definitely get comments from the critics about being the only bad thing in the club. Hopefully she didn't overuse the whole mirror and glass theme…"
The shirt the girl in the mirror wore was white, flimsy, and clinging. A gray picture of a sad woman looking into a shattering mirror was on the front, and the material was sheer enough that you could see the mirror-girl wore a black tank top. Her hair fell just past the edge of her jeans, curled the nearer it got to the bottom, and contained several different shades of gray and black that shined in the glare of the elevator lights. It was messy and wind-blown from the race through the city, which was actually a good look for hair that was usually too flat on top.
All in all, my look wasn't too bad. But usually girls these days wore short skirts to dance in, not just tight jeans with a tight shirt. Everyone knows that's what most guys like dancing with. The multi-layered skirts that had a lot of cloth while managing to stay amazingly short were all the rage this season. I smiled at the irony. Me, the daughter of one of the most famous designers in the world, who had just recently finished a show in Milan, dressed in something not the latest for a VIP room in the most chic club in the Tokyo. Of course, it definitely would have been more difficult to run in a skirt so I suppose I shouldn't mind too much. At least I had makeup, even if it was a touch heavy around my eyes from where it was smudged. That's how it was done in the clubs these days anyway.
Busy inspecting my finely-boned face, I smiled as the elevator clanged again and the doors opened as I straightened, my temporary contentment gone. I stepped through to a room where the thick frosted and layered glass walls spiraled upward. Blue and white lights flashed around the room, centered in the middle, causing a sharp contrast to the darkness found at the room's edges.
A glass-topped bar formed an unending circle in the center of the room with blue and white modern chairs circling it. The DJ was seated on top of the bar, which had its own roof. Lining half the room were circles of floor that had been pushed up more and more each level, connected by steps that sloped upward as each separate piece curved between its two circles. They came complete with a railing that looked to be solid, and probably very thick, glass going from the floor of each connecting walkway to a little above a tall person's waist. It was obviously there to assist the drunks. I could see little rooms set inside the top few levels as the cylinders got high enough to allow enough room to sit. At the top level there were less people than in the rest of the room. There was also a circle of furniture that seemed to belong there more than the couches and chairs that lined the remainder of the bottom level did. You could tell that Meiling enjoyed spending money.
With a low whistle, I began to pick my way around the edge of the room that would take me to the lowest platform. Rubbing my head, I willed back a migraine as I prayed desperately to any and alls for Meiling to not be too busy to see me. That would provide unnecessary complications. I paused to gather my composure halfway through the room, after I barely managed to avoid a drunk. Walking more confidently with a high-held head, and playing off my pride to get more awake, I reached the platform and worked my way to the fourth before being stopped by a guard I did not know.
This was where the VIP guards began to be suspicious, annoying bastards. Rather than argue I simply pulled the sleeve of my jacket up to show a guard the hennaed circle on the inside of my wrist, the VIP marking for this club, circled by a larger circle, to get me all the way to Meiling and the… extra special elite VIPs, I guess you could call them.
The invite and directions had been sent to me in the mail a week ago. The directions had been for me, but the invite every VIP here tonight had received. Only a select few, including businessmen and women, critics, and certain friends had gotten permission for a second circle. If everyone at the top level had been a true VIP then there wouldn't ever be enough for a really good club level.
It was a current fashion to provide a way to have important guests be visually recognized as invited by the bouncers, rather than take a pass with you to get into clubs. An employee could let you up to the top level with the tattoo, and you wouldn't have to waste time getting out a pass each time someone was suspicious. A fashion, which, coincidentally, had been started by Meiling. On the invite I had received a week ago, but had not read or shoved into my jacket pocket before yesterday, it had offered a circle done in henna as the body pass. I had gotten mine done that same morning. If you preferred the marking to a pass, each club provided several different tattoo artists who each held specific lists as to who to provide a mark with if one was requested. Pretty weak security unless, like Meiling, you had gang ties that could stretch into the henna business. Plus that had made many of my jobs easier, not that I myself wasn't privy to any VIP club passes that I wanted.
I went through the process of displaying my wrist several more times before reaching the top level. By the time I was done I felt like a suicidal teenager stuck in a mob of sickeningly helpful psychiatrists. Spotting Meiling talking with Chiharu, Takashi, and some older men I didn't recognize, I walked briskly over to them.
Interrupting at the first chance, which was fairly easy, considering the fact that Meiling stopped her conversation the moment she saw me, I politely requested to speak with her. Tugging Meiling away gently and nodding regally, as if I were important, to the men, I left two puzzled friends to excuse us further. Meiling walked with me over to an empty couch on the very edge of the circle away from the snobs gathered in the middle and waited expectantly, raising her eyebrows, unfazed by my somewhat disheveled appearance.
"Sorry. I met up with a few of the Scarred after me, Rika, and Terada raided their gun stash. They didn't know what I had done of course, but I was in their territory and Eriol and Li were there. I was alone because Terada and Rika had left, and you know that I'm their favorite person to play with… well aside from Sakura anyway. So I had to kick some guy in the balls and run. Thank Shadow they weren't expecting me or he'd've been wearing at least a cup.
A/N: Shadow is the Clow of surprises and tricks, I dunno I couldn't really think of anything better. I'm trying to substitute the clow cards for kami's, or gods. Tell me if its really not working…
I got pretty far ahead because I lost them temporarily, but those two spotted me when I was getting up to the connecting roofs outside South Plaza. I was still a ways ahead, but they managed to gain a lot of ground. Thank Maze only those two found me. Anyway, then I remembered your new club and Voila! God has been kind. I promise it won't get messy, but I told Sammi down front not to detain them after they paid a lot."
Meiling looked at me sympathetically and said, "That's right. You promised Daidoji-sama no fights till tomorrow so you can go without bruises to exhibit a design at that premier tomorrow night. I remember her complaining about that last time when a reporter saw bruises where someone had grabbed you around the neck, and it took treating them to a coffee and explaining that you were trained in martial arts for… what was it? Oh yes, 'Ladylike Self Defense', and that your sparring partner had won or something. Hahahaha! She was so freaked because she thought they were gonna investigate your parentage and see if you were abused. Good thing she convinced the reporter there wasn't a story. They were dying to get one on you too, ever since you began to hang out with her a lot in public. Ok, so back to business. All the guns left are disabled, right? And Rika and Terada left with the ammo and the good ones?" She switched gears quickly, remembering what I had originally most likely come for. I had said I'd give her a call later that night, but I suppose she thought I'd come to check out her club even earlier than I'd originally said. Past eleven thirty or so was when the real parties began, anyway. Before that Meiling was likely to be doing business. Past one even she would just be partying.
"Yeah, up to them catching me everything went smoothly. Minus one guy we knocked out and tied up and gagged and stuff. But he should be out for a while. And he didn't see what we did or anything. And I wouldn't have listened to Sonomi, but I owe her money for fabric and this apparently 'pays off my debt', according to her." I said as I stretched my arms up to loosen them, "But why aren't Yuki, Yue, and Touya here? Normally, they hate missing openings…"
Meiling smiled wickedly when I mentioned her adopted brothers, both gang veterans, and Touya, Sakura's, or my best friend's, brother. Yukito and Yue were identical twins who dressed in completely different styles. Both the boys had been raised in a well-respected and sophisticated family, the sons of a famous actress who married a businessman, their father, late in life. Their parents, both old to have children, had died two years ago, one of a disease, and the father in a car accident as he received the news. The boys had been in school. They joined the gang Touya, their close friend then, belonged to and shortly after, the two became famous for their curious talents. (I mean really, to be Touya's closest friends, they would have to have skills worthy of his notice…). Not really gang, actually. More like a famous Japanese clan and the group of street people they enlisted to help with their war against the Li's and the other large Clan's, or Zaibatsu in the area. Meiling had made it her birthday present for her parents to adopt them, and her parents agreed, after hearing Yelen praise them at Meiling's birthday dinner.
A/N! For those of you who do not know what Zaibatsu are, they are basically Japanese families that own large companies that cover more than one product. Massive companies, whose net worth is insanely high, like Nissan, which doesn't just do cars, but a bunch of other stuff, and is a massive company run and owned mainly by one family. I guess for an American equivalent you could look at Ford, but I think they just do cars…-
Both the boys were very good fighters already, because the twins had been enrolled in different types of martial arts with Touya since first grade, which was where they had met. They had only begun school together in High School, however, with Yelen paying their private school tuitions.
Yukito had his father's almost cunning to nearly the point of being cruel, business outlook, but his mother's cheerful mannerisms. He could argue a deal around while still staying perfectly polite and cheerful, and maybe even get a free lunch by the time he was done. After Yukito had inadvertently attended a business dinner Yelen held which Touya had been invited to, and turned the deal around for her (and Yelen rarely needed help in business), she had insisted that he be taken under the clan's wing. Meiling enjoyed keeping Yukito around because her business always benefited from it.
Meiling's strong points, and what some might say were her only strong points, was her business mind, her fashionable sense, and her weapons fetish (often substituted with her striking looks, courtesy of her good family .), and since Yukito gave her competition in the first of these, Meiling was always happy to keep him around. She claimed she only liked him because the competition was good for her business, but we all know she can actually be a nice person.
Although Yue and Touya had better aims with guns, Yukito was the one who had excelled the most at their hand-to-hand combat. Not to say that the other two weren't good…
Yue took after his mother, but with his father's stony businessman face. An actor at heart, we all know he loves the assignments he receives, although he tends to complain about the things he was asked to do until he improved upon the idea. Yue, who kept his silver hair long, and I mean long, had a sort of respectful fondness for Chiharu's boyfriend Takashi. Yue had a fondness for weapons that rivaled Meiling's love for guns, and the two would often chat for hours about the latest weaponry that they were going to request for Christmas.
Takashi's extreme skills at lying and acting, which everyone had apparently discovered in elementary school during his performance as the witch in Sleeping Beauty, Chiharu had put to use soon after, had been toned quickly to be of use in real life. Chiharu couldn't ever stand Takashi, who she considered to be one of the best and brightest, (as she would often tell her parents when they were considering a richer match for her) wasting any skills he might have. Takashi often reminded her of the times she thought he was wasting his quick wits on useless lies that got him nowhere, which she apparently responded violently to when they were younger. On top of Takashi's acting ability, he wasn't afraid to cross-dress, which Yue strictly forbid anyone to try and convince him into. He thought that the long hair was enough, apparently.
"They're… relandscaping, should I say? It's punishment for blowing up the bathroom in the pool house again while trying to install that Jacuzzi with Touya. I did warn them… Are you sure you want to let Hiirigizawa and Li in? At the push of a button Sammi could have guards holding them at gunpoint." She answered, smirking at the thought of two large annoyances held still at the wrong end of a gun. Tsk, tsk, tsk, Meiling and her gun fetish. Personally I preferred chairs, or, better yet, something long and sharp. If it had to be violent anyway… my general preference in sticky situations was blackmail.
"Nah, its ok. Trust me on this, they know our rules, and they respect the fact that if they are let in, they're guests. We all know each other too well. Know thy enemies right? I just wanted to know where I could take them to talk. I also want to make absolutely sure they don't know what we did yet. Not to mention the fact that we absolutely need to know what happened to Kaho!" I replied, ending in a slightly more fierce tone when I mentioned the lady who had been in an arranged marriage with Touya.
"Hmm. Ok, I trust you, and plus, information on Kaho is vital. Touya may not care, but she's got the rest of us worried sick. Just ask the bartender, and she'll let you in a private room in the middle. Don't worry, I've had it soundproofed enough to keep a lot of the club music out, which'll definitely keep any words spoken inside." She told me quickly, glancing over at the man she had been speaking to earlier. "I've got to get back to Mr. Suzuke, he has issues with the design in the elevator, something about pregnant women might have problems… honestly what sane pregnant woman would come to one of my clubs. Anyway, I'll be in that room as soon as I can! Is there anyone you want me to send in with you? Two on one won't be too fun for you. Chiharu and Takashi aren't the only ones up here. Don't worry about identification 'cause Naoko wanted to work the bar 'till twelve, I think to flirt with that new guy, Fai, or whatever." I nodded and thanked her. Naoko, who had worked bars this summer in order to become more useful around the clubs and to have an excuse to go out to them as often as she liked (her parents weren't as carefree as some of ours), was still looking for a boyfriend. And when I say looking, I mean with a vengeance. Plus, Naoko had high standards that were difficult for any guy to meet. I would have to remember to meet this guy sometime.
"Well, is Sakura here?" I asked her, hoping she was. I knew we could more than deal with Syaoran and Eriol, seeing as how we were the two that clashed with them most often. Plus, she was someone that I fully trusted at my back in a fight. One of few, although that group of few had been growing uncomfortably quickly as of late. Unfortunately she hadn't been able to come with Rika, Terada, and I earlier because her mother had set up their summer wardrobe fittings.
"No, she's still with Nadeshiko on the other side of town. They were gonna come later. It's gonna turn into quite a party. But hey, Kero is in. He's a bartender tonight, but Naoko can spare him. I made sure to have a lot of people working tonight, so tell her I'm excusing him for his last two hours. Plus, he's prolly just in it for the free food and booze later on." She answered, beginning to speak even quicker. "I've really got to go now, and so do you, because I bet those guys have found their way up by now. Have fun. I'll be there in... oh, lets say twenty minutes. It's already eleven thirty." She waved and walked off in her spike heels, black hair done up as an intricate ponytail and swinging in time to her steps, her black skirt and the red sleeves hanging free past her elbows swinging in the opposite direction from her hair. Damn. Now that was a confident walk. I was so gonna need to work on mine. I stretched and slowly turned on my cushioned bench to survey the club beneath me.
I groaned as I heaved myself up off the seat and wearily walked down the platforms, shoving my way through the crowd to reach the bar. It had been too long since I had trained with the cross-country track team. Sighing, I relaxed into a seat and asked the worker nearest for Naoko, as I kept an eye on the elevators behind me using the mirror that covered the wall of the circular bar.
"Tomoyo! Damn good to see you. Ouch, look at you. Girly you look tired! You want a margarita, or something stronger?" Naoko yelled over the DJ, leaning closer as she grinned down at me from her awesome cat-eye contacts. Naoko, who according to Sakura had been as innocent as Sakura herself had used to be, and hated breaking the rules, had moved to Osaka for seventh and eighth grade, apparently coming back wild enough to deal with whatever her friends could throw. I wouldn't really know since I wasn't there, but after hearing stories of Naoko's good student and good girl self, which had apparently rivaled Chiharu's fear of breaking rules and Rika's wanting to please everyone, I was glad that they had all grown up so wild after such solid childhoods. (Please notice how any comment on Meiling's good childhood manners is ignored… Suffice to say, Meiling grew up playing with Touya. And rebelling occasionally with some girl who called herself Ruby… wow were those stories scary. I had never before thought that children could be evil. Of course it took pictures and videos to convince me… but that's another story).
"All I want now is something strong." I said in a low tone, "But unfortunately, to deal with the people that'll be walking up to me in a minute without Saku-chan I'll prolly need something that isn't alcoholic." I groaned, rubbing my head, and tying my hair back in a high ponytail, and tilting my head to look up at her. Although I was seated, it wasn't far. I was built to be taller, and Naoko, like Chiharu, was built to be smaller. Although Chiharu was built with more muscles and Naoko was built more like a ballet girl.
"You'll be wanting a green tea, right? It'll be ready in a minute, k?" I smiled up at the cheerful face framed by brown hair streaked tastefully with a more reddish shade that contrasted nicely with her chocolate eyes now streaked with green because of the cat-eyes. Naoko laughed when I yawned and nodded in response to her question, as she dropped a napkin wrapped around something into my lap. I smiled up at her as I unwrapped it. I found three beautiful mint chocolate cookies inside. Realizing how hungry I was I practically shoved the first one inside my mouth as Naoko went about making more drinks. When she put mine down in front of me, I held up a finger telling her to wait as I swallowed the mints. "And, as usual, it's on the house, this being Meiling's club and you only getting hot water and a tea bag and all…" she added, setting the tea bag down next to the tall glass of steaming water.
"Hey, I'm about to get that company I mentioned. I need to use the room in the middle, and Meiling said that I could borrow Kero for the rest of his shift. She said she overstaffed purposefully anyway. Is that ok?" I smiled apologetically as I told her I would be stealing away one of her workers.
"Ah, its cool. He's not being too much use anyway. Oh hey, here come your… guests. Or at least I assume the only reason they're here is cause of you. I'll go get Kero for you. He can let you in the room." As she hurried off around the circular bar to reach Kero, I sipped at my green tea, waiting for the two people Naoko had seen coming up behind me to make a move.
Yay! That's it for now, ya'll. I'd also appreciate comments on the length of my chapters... but don't feel like you have to give long reviews if you don't wanna. Just a word is cool! Like if you write: Fun! I'd be totally ecstatic with just ten of those. Ok, maybe not.
And, yes Nadeshiko is alive. Fujitaka, unfortunately, died, but if enough people ask, I may do a fic about all these people's parents and stuff.
Yes, Tomoyo did live with her Dad for most of her life with almost no contact with Sonomi. History: Sonomi couldn't leave the gang/pull away from the clan after she had Tomoyo due to difficult times, but Tomoyo's dad wanted her to live a normal life and after talking with Sonomi, left.
Li and Eriol obviously belong to the Li clan. Yelen's clan is the Clow clan. Except I may change it to Amamiya, Nadeshiko and Sonomi's maiden names. I appreciate any opinions on that as well.
I'll add to this section as I get reviews talking about confusing parts of the chapter
Times Edited so far due to things my kind reviewers have made clear: 2