My name is Iris Hiroto, I won't lie or say some bullshit cliche line like 'this is the story of how I die,' because it isn't. This is more along the lines of one of those cheesy love stories, a dance of soulmates that lead to the demise of my father, and of how I ran away. It begins when I was 5 years old, a time when my father was still around. A time long before his sadism leads us to the present. The year of 2003, when my father's company was still but a sapling, three years after my half brother was born.
I lay in bed with my father sitting under my blankets beside me. I nuzzled into his side as he gazed through his glasses lense to peer upon his book. It's days like these I wish lasted, as his company eventually pulled him from my grasp and sunk its oozing claws deep within him.
I wish my dad loved me more than he loved ruining the lives of innocent people.
"Will you tell me the story again daddy?" My small voice sounded from his side as I met his brown eyes with my own. One of his thick black eyebrows raised questioningly, his eyes danced in amusement. Papa always used to know what I meant.
"Which one, flower?" His book had been discarded as he directed his attention to me.
"Y'know dad," I pressed, pushing myself up into his lap unaware at the time he truly did know, "The story of Sek-e-rays looking for their soulmates so they can be happy forever and ever."
My dad never went into the gruesome aspects of what was to come, at the time, and I suspect he never would have if-
"Iris, you're doing it again." I blink back into awareness as Mutsu startles me from my memories. He's holding a mug out to me, and I straighten out pulling my head up from its resting place against the back of the couch. Smiling sheepishly up at him, I accept the warm mug and sigh my content as I take a sip and allow the hot chocolate to pool down my throat. As my eyes close to savor the feeling I can almost feel Mutsu's eyes roll. I know that he sometimes doesn't completely understand me, but I'm glad he's my Sekirei and puts up with my shit.
"Sorry, Mutsu. I was just reminiscing." He raises a brow as I set the empty mug on the coffee table. Our living quarters are silent aside from our voices, the flat-screen hangs dormant on the wall adjacent.
"Reminiscing on what, exactly?" Mutsu sits beside me, draping his arm over my shoulders as I lean into him.
"The days back when my dad wasn't-" On cue, the television flickers to life, a man with white hair, clothes, and glasses grins wickedly when his eyes land on me. I feel my gaze harden as I glare sharply.
"Hello, dear flower." My father greets, unaffected by the spears my eyes are throwing at him. "I've reached out to ask you something of great importance." I feel my annoyance grown as I further into Mutsu's side, flipping my dad the bird. Before he can react, I pull a blanket over our heads to avoid my dad's line of sight.
"Can't you just call like a normal person? I'm 22, you don't have the right to invade my privacy anymore. What if Mutsu and I were getting it on?" Mutsu shakes slightly as he chuckles against me. Though I can't see it, I'm sure my father blanches.
He sputters before he replies.
"No, I can't. Not only have you blocked me, before that you used to ignore all my calls. Or, did you forget?" I didn't, "I have a very important favor to ask of you; I'd like for you to be the Ashikabi of my new disciplinary squad." I look up to Mutsu in disbelief to find his brows furrowed. Mutsu had been a part of the original squad- perhaps that's why my dad thought of me? It still doesn't make sense as Mutsu had practically ran from the old squad. Curiously I peer out from my hiding place and pull my blanket from my head.
"You know that I would never wing a Sekirei unless we had a mutual reaction," I oppose heartily with deeply furrowed brows. Mutsu throws the blanket from his head as I continue, "I would never weaken someone or make them miserable for your benefit. Forcible wingings are immoral and unforgivable." Another glare takes over my face as my dad's grin widens, anger boiling in my chest as he begins chortling.
[ "Sekireis and Ashikabis work like soulmates dear flower," my dad explained excitedly, "If they're meant to be, when they get near each other- or close, their hearts will draw them to each other- almost pulling them together. A pull neither of them can resist."
My eyes were wide in awe as my dad continued his explanation.
"But, if there is no reaction… And, the Sekirei is winged against their will… Not only will they grow bitter, they'll be infinitely weaker than they were before being winged." ]
"I had a feeling you would say that," the TV flashed off as I felt a harsh tug in my chest. Mutsu threw the blankets from us, sensing my sudden mood change, he looks at me in silent question. I ignore him and neglect to answer his silent question, feeling my subconscious carry me through the front hall to the front door. Silently staring at the wood in absolute silence, Mutsu comes to stand beside me gazing at me warily, That's when I hear it, three rushed taps on the front door. Anxiously, I bite my lip and wring my hands while making no move to answer. A moment passes before the previously tentative tapping becomes more incessant and rushed. Mutsu shoves me behind him before pulling the door open himself.
Before us stands three women. The first is cold and calculating, and she stares down with me with wicked brown eyes that almost promise a swift death. Shuddering as I move my gaze from the older, familiar woman, and turn to the next. Just behind her to her right stands a short girl with long pink hair and dark red eyes. As our eyes meet she blushes and I quickly divert my gaze to the next female standing in my doorway. Her focus is on a pair of blades that form claws, strapped to her hands. Silver hair hanging in her face as she silently avoids me. I spare a glance behind me as I feel Mutsu stiffen slightly, his eyes apprehensively sizing up the wicked woman.
Remaining silent, not entirely sure what to say at this point, I sigh lightly and move from their immediate path. Gesturing the trio into the house I lag behind them as the all take in the home. From its light grey-purple walls, dark wood flooring, to the lone painting of an Iris that hands just above the sofa. As they stand in the middle of my living room I grab my mug from earlier and quickly side step into the kitchen before zooming back to plop on the couch. I make no moves to speak as I stare up at the women who are finishing their observations of my home. When they're done, they make it obvious as they all turn their attention back to me, I can feel the brown eyes of the wicked older woman boring into me as Mutsu's eyes follow her like a hawk from the archway we had entered from. He doesn't move to my side until they all make a move to sit, his had rests on the hilt of his sword.
"Karasuba, I didn't know my dad trusted you enough to make you the leader of the 3rd disciplinary squad," I comment with a bit of mirth in my voice. My hands rest in my lap as I meet the stare of the cold-hearted Sekirei. Having known her sinister ways since childhood, I find myself glad that even now my heart fails to react to her. Mutsu has always been kind, even if albeit distant and strong willed at times. Karasuba offers me a close-eyed smile, a false act that offers a half-hearted peace offering.
"Yes, I suppose he doesn't tell you much of anything, does he?" She chuckles into her fist, my eye begins twitching slightly in my annoyance.
"On the contrary, he tries to tell me lots of things," I offer her my own condescending smile, "Unfortunately he tends to leave out irrelevant people such as yourself." My clap back leaves her silent as she tilts her head with a raised brow, but I say nothing more as I don't wish to please her. Especially not with the knowledge that my dad can't tell me much of anything since I blocked him.
After an hour has passed, I find myself still on the couch, Mutsu off in one of the other rooms occupying himself- to my knowledge.
I sigh, tapping my fingers on the couch as my phone buzzes atop my thigh. I groan loudly, tossing my phone across the room as my head falls back onto my cushions in irritation. Squeezing my eyes shut I get up to grab my phone that had bounced off the opposite wall, turning it off before ripping the TV's plug from the wall. The last thing I want right now is my dads impatient and incessant pestering as I decide what to do with the newly found information.
Not only was the pink haired woman, Benitsubasa, reacting to me, it had also been revealed the bored one had been two. Now I have to decide what to do- if I should accept the two that were reacting to me, and I was reacting to, or; reject them both so Karasuba doesn't find a reason to try and off them faster.
Flopping onto the couch I pull a pillow to my face and let out a long scream.
The wooden floor creaks from the hall, footsteps sounding closer and closer until the weight of Mutsu dips the couch. He pulls my feet into his lap as he occupies the half of the couch I've thrown my legs across. I glance up as he open a book, not once looking to me in acknowledgement as he flips the page.
"You'll have to decide eventually." He comments, earnin another groan from me as I launch my face back into my pillow. We remain in silence for a few minutes before I resign to my fate- knowing he's right- and scurry over to my phone turning it back on. As the Samsung boots up I impatiently tap my fingers on the hardwood. When the lock screen pops up I am quick to hop to my texting app.
[ txt: Dad
I will do it.
txt: Dad
If, you either find a new leader
OR
You find a way to stop Karasuba from killing Benitsubasa and Haihane before they should be fighting. ]
I turn my gaze to Mutsu who has gazed up from his book to look at me. His gaze drops after I meet his for a brief moment, and my phone buzzes in my hand.
[ txt from Dad:
Deal.
Karasuba wont kill Benitsubasa or Hihane unless it is time for them to battle, and not a second before.
txt from Dad:
I'll send the girls back over. ]
And that's how I ended up with three Sekirei- as if one wasn't enough. The worst part? They were just the beginning.
[Authors note: It's 2018 and I'm finally publishing the Sekirei fanfiction I've been working on for the past... Millennia we'll just say. Anyways, I don't normally write 1st person so I'm using this story to practice. I will be rewriting the Sekirei/Ashikabi dynamic, and hopefully make it into more of a 'soulmate' thing. If you're interested, I'll probably update sporadically. Sorry in advance.]