I, Kaze, do not own MaiHime!

)(Maihime)(

"You have got to be kidding me!" Natsuki fell to her knees with a groan, than proceeded to punch the locker in front of her. Why, you might ask? She had just been laid off. "Fuck! Now I have to get a new job!" She growled under her breath as she tore off her old, worn uniform. They could've at LEAST told her they were going to lay her off before she had worked a six hour shift! There was no way she was going to let them get a free service from her, she's raise Hell if she doesn't get a pay check within a week.

Stuffing her duffle bag with her personal belongs, Natsuki cussed under breath enough to make a sailor blush. Do to the small company she worked for being bought out by another, and much larger company, they had laid off over twenty people. It was ridiculous, as if the job market wasn't bad enough already!

The raven haired beauty let out a long sigh and rested her head against her now closed locker. Sure, she could try getting a job on campus, but they didn't pay all that well. Even with Mai covering half the rent on their shared home, there was still other bills, not to mention the gas needed for her bike.

"Shit. How am I suppose to tell Mai!? She'll kick me out!" The emerald eyed biker stomped childishly out to her bike. I could always go back to... No. There's no way I'm ever doing that again. Shaking her head, as if it'd rid of her previous thoughts, Natsuki mounted her bike and sighed. Probably for the tenth time in the past hour.

She perked up when she heard the sound of motorcycles approaching her.
A small VTX (due to only working with Victory and Honda, she couldn't place her tongue on the name of the bike's model) and a Honda Rebel all decked out.
They slowed down and parked next to her, both seeming to be woman. Than again, it wasn't that difficult to tell with the leather hugging their every curve. She had to stop herself from staring, the last thing she needed right now was some biker guy getting told by his girl that she had been stared at my Natsuki. Just the thought of it made her shiver.

"Ara, someone seems a tad bit upset. What has caused such a beauty to have such a frown on those sweet lips?" Shizuru smirked widely when she saw the raven haired woman's cheeks turn bright red. She pulled off her full face helmet and undid her bun, letting the wind catch her honey colored hair.

"Who are you?" Nao watched her boss at work, it was rare that Shizuru came out herself to spot out possible recruits, than again, ever since a certain someone betrayed them, she may have needed a distraction.

"Please, call me Shizuru." Natsuki stared at the woman uneasily. Her heart was thumping in her chest, her mind screaming at her to run. The woman didn't offer her last name, that had to mean trouble. Don't push your luck lady. I am SO not in the mood for it.

"And your last name?" Shizuru tilted her head a bit. Most of the time, people didn't ask. Only Nao and three others had ever asked for her last name when she hadn't offered it. The air grew tense, making Nao shift from foot to foot.

)(MaiHime)(

"Why isn't Natsuki home yet?" Mai gently stirred the ramen as she watched the news, she was pretty sure that the news was the only people who said 'Good evening' than tells you every reason why it's not. Nothing major had be on yet that night, so she guessed that was a good sign for her small town. Mai had always enjoyed this small town, she had grown up here and loved being able to pass by the park to recall all her childhood memories. The busty cook shook her head, a small smile cracking her lips.

"I'm home!" Mai hummed in response and her roommate walked through their front door, a frown tight on the girl's lips. Mai knew this look ALL to well. It was a 'I'm in deep thought and going to ignore all the world so don't bother me.' look. Turning back to the T.V., the red head hummed a catchy tune she had heard earlier that day.

Natsuki went straight to her room, kicking off her shoes and collapsing on her bed. The words Shizuru had said to her were running through her head at a 100 miles and hour. Let me make you an offer.

Do I really want to risk getting involved with such a group again?

With the blood stained on your hands? Will you dip your hands in blood again, biker tinker?
Shut up! It wasn't my fault he couldn't control it!
But was it really? Don't forget the sounds of that night, the blood curling screams, metal crashing into pavement, the sights of the night, blood staining the ground, the mangled bodies.
I said shut up! Leave me alone! You're not real! Aren't I though? I am you after all, are you not real?

Natsuki laid on her side as she curled up into a ball. It's just the PTSD, don't listen to it. She took deep breaths through her nose and out of her mouth, something she had learned in her Physiology class. Deep breaths help release chemicals in the brain that relaxes it in small doses, but she was willing to do just about anything to get that voice out of her head, those images away from her eyes.

She came to Japan to escape her past, this was her fresh start. Natsuki lazily pulled her clothes off, all motivation having left her. This was her only chance to have a decent enough paying job that worked around her school hours, even IF it was with a bike game. Just what am I thinking? This is suppose to be a new start for me. Not for me to fall right to what I had done in America. Dad, what should I do?

Natuski sighed in frustration and pulled at her hair. It wasn't fair, why did life have to be so cruel to her?

)(MaiHime)(

"So, do you think she'll take us up on our offer?" Shizuru shrugged, something that seriously managed to always piss off Nao. It was one of Shizuru's favorite ways to answer someone. "Will you be serious and answer the question already?" Nao jumped when someone grabbed her from behind. "Mou, Nao shouldn't be so mean to Shiz-sama!"

"Mikoto you ass! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on people?!"

The red eyed beauty smiled as she watched the two girls playfully fight, it wasn't often they got to act their age.

)(Maihime)(

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long. I've been busy with work and school, nothing new... ANYWAYS, R&R! I hope you all are doing well and have a good weekend!