The morning air was cold. Almost bitterly so. The man with dusty blond hair woke with a start, huffing heavily. Wh…where am…I…? He lay there, motionless, trying to remember the events of yesterday. They were nothing but a blur. He remembered hearing the name Izayoi Aki, then…nothing. Everything until now was completely gone, like pages missing from a book. He painfully forced himself into a sitting position. It felt as though he had been through Hell and back, and he knew the sensation immediately. The bastard Shinji had used him as a puppet…again! This made his blood boil, and he clenched his fists in anger. "…Damn…!" The night stood silent as dawn quietly cut the darkness.
He almost fell out of the bed as he tried to stand, eventually gaining his balance. He fumbled around the wall searching for the light switch, and tripped over his duel disk in the process and hit the floor hard, swearing under his breath. He propped himself up on his elbows, grumbling, and rolled over onto his back so he could get back up. He grabbed his duel disk and crawled to his feet as he attached it securely to his left arm. The door creaked open, and a young girl with vibrant green hair poked her head in. "Oh! You're awake." She turned around and yelled down what appeared to be a hallway. "Lua! Come in here and gimme a hand!" She reached over and flipped the switch that he had sought, blinding him with the sudden burst of light. He grunted, putting his hand between him and the source of the light source and casting a shadow across his face. The door opened and she walked in; trying to offer help, although clearly frightened of him. A young boy who also had vibrant green hair, but a different hair style, followed her in while rubbing his eyes. They appeared extremely tired and their clothes were a mess, almost as though they had been up all night trying to care for him. He couldn't imagine why anyone would do that for him, though.
"Here, let me help you into the living room…" She held a hand out to him, but he brushed it away. "…I don't need…help. Especially from…you." He walked past her and bumped into Lua on his way out. Lua turned. "Hey, watch it! At least apologize!" Luca placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't start. Not now." The twins followed him.
"Here. Please, sit down…" Luca motioned to a chair. "…You can't be feeling too good right now." She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Without his cloak, he almost looked…cute. He looked at her, with those blue eyes of his. He looked almost puzzled. "…No…Thank you." He walked towards the door, and she grabbed him by the arm. "You're hurt. You shouldn't go anywhere, yet. Please…Just stay here until Yusei and the other come back…" He looked at her again; she couldn't take her eyes off of his. He growled. "…Fine…" He sat down in the chair.
"Would you like anything to eat?" He was silent. "Toast? Waffles? Eggs?" Silence. "Oh, come on. You MUST be hungry. You haven't eaten in days!" Still nothing. Luca put on a pouty face.
"You know…" The voice came from the restroom in the back hall. "You made a bad enough first impression. You're not making it easy to forgive you."
"Shut it, Lua. I already said that it wasn't his fault." He laughed as he stepped into the main room. "And I said that I didn't care. He must be a pretty sad excuse for a person if he's getting possessed THAT easily." She hit him. "Like you would do better."
"Of course I would! I'm Lua, and I'm gonna be the best duelist in the world!" He pointed at 41. "Remember it!" He didn't even turn. "I don't care…who you are. You are…nothing. Utterly…insignificant." Luca had to hit Lua again to put him in line as the youth lunged for him. "Oh! Where are my manners? Here I am, trying to tend to your wounds; and I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Luca, sir. It's nice to meet you." She gave him a quick curtsy, but he fell silent once more. She gave him a pouty look. "You could at least tell us your name. I get it, you don't like to talk; but it's still polite to introduce yourself."
"…I don't have a name…" This confused Luca, but intrigued her at the same time. "What do you mean by you 'don't have a name?' You've gotta have a name!"
"I am…41. That's the only 'name' I've ever known."
"You have to have a name! Everybody does!" He shook his head. "Well…Then we'll GIVE you a name! How about…Seiji?" He looked her in the eye, and she felt her heart race again. "I'm not Japanese…"
"Xavier?"
"…No…"
"Nikolaus?"
"…I'm not…German…"
"How about Takashi? Would that be alright?" 41 said nothing for a minute, he didn't even look at her. "Just…stop. I don't need…a name…"
Lua couldn't help but butt in. "I know! Iabi!" He obviously knew what it meant, as he sniggered uncontrollably. 41 gave him a glare that would scare the devil. "Call me that…again, boy…" Luca hit them both. 41 didn't even seem to notice, Lua cried out. "Owww! Stop that already! That freakin' hurts!" She shooed him back to his room, then came back and resumed her efforts.
"I'm sorry about him. Hmmm…Let's see…A good Egyptian name…How about…"
"If you…insist on giving me…a name…the only one that…I would accept…would be…Kamenwati."
"Alright! From now on, you're Kamenwati. So, would you like anything to eat?" He shook his head. Luca noticed how his hair was slowly fading from the blonde of yesterday to white and laid flat against his head; parting naturally down the middle and flopping lazily to either side, as though that wasn't how he normally wore it and gravity had dragged it down after whatever held it in place had worn out. It looked out of place against his darker skin, but it was kind of fetching in a way. Luca sat down across from him. "Well…what are we supposed to do, then?" She couldn't take her eyes off of him. It looked like he worked out. Not too terribly often, but just enough to keep in shape. He had muscle, but not too much. It looked as if he knew well where the boundaries of 'sexy-fit' and 'crazy-repulsive' were, with him clearly classified as sexy-fit. Combined with his sleeveless black shirt, dark grey cargo pants, and black combat boots; it gave him a look as though he were a big-shot in the military. The iris of his eyes had a red glow to them. He had the same mark as his partner, the Millennium symbol, branded on his forehead. Luca's heart skipped a beat when she looked at him.
Ohh…He's really cute! She closed her eyes and tried to rein in her feelings. She took normal breaths, trying to look as though she were only resting her eyes. Oh…It's no use! But I wasn't expecting anything like this until I was at least 14! Well…what am I supposed to do? Y'know…I wonder what he…No…No; he'd never…Not me. I mean, he's like…what? 20? 30?
"…I'm…sixteen, physically. Or…seventeen, depending…on who you ask." Luca's heart almost stopped. Had she said that out loud? No. She was sure she didn't! "What…did you just…say…?" His glared sent shiver down her spine. "I didn't…stutter…" Luca blushed profusely and hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment. "How? How did you know what I was thinking?" He tapped at the side of his head with his index and middle fingers. "Oh my God…I'm so sorry! It just popped in there! Ohhhh…You must think so poorly of me!" She trailed off into sputtered, incoherent apologies. Kamenwati did not even try to comfort her; he just sat there and watched, mildly amused at her seeming idiocy.
Ooooh! No-no-no-no! He can hear me! What do I do? Oh, I'm so embarrassed! I could just die!
"…It means…nothing…I…despise people…" This did little to calm her down. She continued to panic until curiosity hit her like a train. "Answer my question. How can you hear my thoughts?" He shrugged. "…Just can…Always been able to…" She blushed again, but not as much as the last time. Why not? "Well, then…I guess I should…ummm…What I mean is…Maybe…Would you not be against…going to a movie later…together?" She couldn't take her eyes off of the floor; her heat was beating wildly. I can't believe it! I actually just asked him out! He spoke, his voice still no more than a whisper. "…Not a chance…" Luca felt disappointed and relieved at the same time. Disappointed that he said 'no'; relieved that she knew she was simply infatuated with the guy and that they could get the matter cleared up. "…Tell me…" He got up an walked to the window that overlooked the city. Luca noticed that he had a slight limp to his walk. Maybe he was still in pain? "…What…happened? How did I…get here? What did Shinji…make me do?" Luca filled him in on what had happened; never taking her eyes off of the floor; whether it was out of sorrow or if she just could look him in the eye was unclear.
"…And that's what happened. You've been unconscious for about four days. Your partner, who said his name is 'Zuka,' is out looking for this 'Shinji' guy right now." Kamenwati said nothing for a while, he only gazed upon Luca. "So…you and your brother have been…tending to me?" She nodded. "Yeah…" He stood up. "…Come…Let us retrieve my cloak…and…find your…friends…I must apologize…" She nodded, her pigtails bobbing gently. "Yeah. That's a good idea. Lemme go tell Lua where we're going. I'll be right back." She ran into the back and knocked on Lua's door.
"Whaddaya want, Luca?" He spoke before he opened the door. His hair was down and fluttered loosely. "Kamenwati and I are going down to the city park to see if we can find his cloak and the other Signers." Lua didn't seem to care about that. "Why are you being so nice to this guy, Luca? He tried to hurt Aki-san and the others! He almost killed you!" Luca avoided eye contact with her brother. "Well…I…" Luca's heart sank when she saw the pained realization dawn on her brother's face. "Wait…Do you…like this guy?"
"Of course I like him," she said. "He's a nice guy…kinda…" Lua gripped her by the shoulders. "Luca…You know what I mean! Do you like him?" She brushed his hands off. "That's none of your business, Lua." He smacked his palm into his forehead and dragged it down his face, mumbling to himself the whole time. "Luca…why? How? How could you fall for someone like him?" She began to shyly trace her foot in circles on the floor, leaving faint trails in the carpet. "I…I don't know. I just did, alright?" He grabbed her shoulders again, only much harder this time. "Luca, I can't in good conscious let you do this! He tried to kill you! And Yusei! And the others!"
"He didn't try to kill us, Lua! I told you that! He was possessed!"
"And I still don't care! What if he gets possessed again! You can't do that! I forbid it! That rotten piece of scum will-" She slapped him. Hard. His hands left her shoulders and instinctively rose to the bright red mark on his face. He was utterly stunned. She stood there, wide-eyed at what she'd done. Her hand had seemed to move of its own accord. She…She hit me! I mean, I'm used to her hitting me when I screw around, but…SHE HIT ME! A stunned silence passed between them; Lua unable to grasp the concept of being struck, and Luca (whose hand still hung limply in the air) upset, angered, and shocked. "L…Luca…" Tears silently ran down her cheeks. "Don't you EVER tell me what to do or who I can fall for again, Lua! It's none of your business." She turned to leave, but hesitated halfway through, not looking at her brother. "We're going to the park, now." She began to walk down the hallway, back towards the living room. She stopped again, sniffling, and then turned to him, wiping her eyes. "Lua…I think it's best that you go back to the academy now…I don't think I'll be joining you anytime soon." There was a ferocity in her eyes that frightened him. Perhaps he'd gone too far. He called out to her as she walked away and left him standing in the doorway, alone, still holding the throbbing red spot on his cheek.
…Luca…Why…him?
The city was bustling with people today; chatting, laughing, having fun. It made Kamenwati feel even more like an outsider than he already felt. He already felt like he was less than human and every citizen except the young girl leading him through the city ignoring him was making him feel like he was less than that. No one even looked at him, let alone greeted him. The sky was clear and almost beautiful; not a cloud to be seen. Perfect picnic weather. He looked at the young girl who guided him to the city park, her green hair swaying gently in the wind. The girl who everybody acknowledged and greeted, as though they had known her forever. The only person outside of Zuka who had treated him as a friend, instead of a monster and an enemy. Why? She was different from them, so why did they treat her so well when he was different and was treated like a mindless beast because of it? "Tell me, Luna…" She turned to face him, not once breaking pace.
"It's Luca. Not Luna. There's no 'n' in my name." She sounded slightly annoyed. Perhaps she was fed up of that mistake being made?
"…Sorry…Tell me…Luca…Do you ever feel…alone?" Her golden eyes showed confusion. "What do you mean?" He hesitated a beat before speaking again. "…I mean that…you're…different…from everybody else…Doesn't that make you feel…lonely…? Isolated from…society?" She shook her head, still walking backwards. It was astounding how she could do that. "No. Not really. I have Yusei-san and the others. On occasion I wonder why I got dragged into the Crimson war, still being a child and all. Other than that, I feel…pretty normal." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "You were treated poorly because you were different when you were a child, weren't you?" Nothing. "Even though they treated you like that, you still came to your people's aid when they needed you? Didn't they start to treat you better after that? I mean, they did let you into your organization."
"…No…My Red-Eyes and I…We saved Egypt and…were treated worse for it…Even though we…saved their lives. Only Zuka thought…that I…should join the…Pharaoh's Guard…because of it. The others…feared that I would…turn against them. Zuka's…brother…was a higher-up, so…they had no say…But still…" He saw the sorrow and the pity in her beautiful eyes. "That's horrible! I'm so sorry to hear about that! Zuka…He's your only friend, isn't he?" His silence told her the whole story. Zuka was his only friend, and had been his only friend for thousands of years. It was no wonder that Kamenwati didn't like people; and Luca felt as though she thought less of them now, after hearing of their true colors.
"Why? Why did they hate you so much?" He looked away. "Because…My dragon was known as…'The Devil's Dragon'. They thought…that I was…the incarnation of Satan…because I bonded so closely with…the Red-Eyes. My telepathy…only added to…their hatred…Even the all-loving…Pharaoh Atem…despised me…deep…down…" She definitely thought less of people now. "They treated you like a monster because of a card! That's despicable!" She leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. She spoke softly, bordering sensually, in his ear. "I'll be your friend, Kamenwati. Nobody should ever have to suffer through that like you did. Nobody should live forever with only a single friend." People were finally looking at him, though not in any way he'd wanted.
Who's that man with that young girl! Despicable...
Damn pedophile. The authorities must be notified.
That can't be decent!
Trying to seduce a child! That beast!
The harsh thoughts came fast and hard, blurring together into a single word that he was all too familiar with. Monster. People who didn't even know him were judging him, based only upon actions that were not even his. Luca seemed to feel his anger, and tenderly let him go. She backed up a bit. "The people…They were thinking bad things about that, weren't they?"
"Why…?" His gaze dropped to the ground. "Why…are you being…so nice to…me? Your brother…was right. I hurt you…so why?" The sorrow in his voice was almost tangible. Honestly, she didn't know. "I…I dunno. At first, I guess it was out of pity. Now, though…I just don't want you to be alone any more. Nobody deserves that. Will you let me? Be your friend?" She extended her hand, but her brushed it away without hesitation.
"Let's…just get…to the park…No more…distractions." She nodded. "Sure…I'm sorry…"
A shadow seemed to fall over him, and he said nothing the rest of the way. Only brooding.
Izayoi Aki strolled quietly through Central Park. The birds sang their sweet songs while the squirrels ran around playfully, going about their usual ferreting of seeds. Surprisingly, not a single other person was present. Perhaps nobody had come here since the one called '41' had trashed it. She found a nice shady tree not twenty feet away. The day was warm, the breeze was nice. Aki felt the sudden urge to take a quick nap. She had been so busy lately that she hadn't had too much time to herself. She actually had all day to relax. He slipped her shoes off and stretched out underneath the tree, hands laying on top of each other on her stomach, feeling the slightly sharp touch of the grass on her feet. It felt good. Peaceful. She closed her eyes, searching for sleep, but found only discomfort. Her mind kept wandering back tothat day.
Forgive me…my descendant…
That man had called her his descendant. Was he really her ancestor? Or was it simply a trick composed by Shinji to shake her up? If he ever recovered, she'd ask him. This was going to bug the hell out of her until she found the truth. The leaves in the tree swayed silently in the gentle breeze. A leaf fell from the tree and landed gently on her face. She brushed it off and lazily placed her hands behind her head. She lay there, cradling her head and looking up into the tree. Her brown eyes filled with doubt and curiosity. Why did he want me, anyways? Why would Shinji want to attack me like he did? He said that he was after Yusei's Stardust Dragon, not my Black Rose…Did he think that I would get in the way? That's probably it. He's probably going to try to take out all of us before he goes after Yusei. Jack, Crow, Luca, and I. All of us are standing in his way. Not to mention those two Egyptians…Or…Maybe he's not after the Stardust Dragon at all. Maybe he's trying to shake us ALL up by acting like that guy from a while back! Maybe... She finally felt sleep begin to take her into its blissful embrace, and passed unknowingly into slumber before she could even finish her thought. The man in black haunted her dreams lately. He was all she could think of…day or night. Crow had caught on to this, and had jokingly suggested that she had fallen in love with the man during their duel. Maybe he had been partially right… Aloof and arrogant as he was, Crow was always a sharp one. Either way, that wasn't her style anymore. Not since the other night…
The sun burned high in the cloudless, brilliant blue sky. The temperature was a tad bit on the excessively warm side, but not by much. It was the perfect day to be outside and spending time with your friends. Too bad for Aki that her apartment had become a pig's sty and she had to spend the day inside cleaning house. She had the windows open, with several of her potted plats sitting in the sill and enjoying the time in the sunlight that they were allotted. She had music playing fairly loudly while she worked. An old American band, called "Linkin Park". Nobody seemed to know who they were anymore, but she found their music enjoyable. It seemed to be full of pain and sorrow, just like she had been. Perhaps that is why she enjoyed it so. She had just finished tidying up her bedroom, dreading having to move on to her entertainment room, when her phone began to ring. The sound was muffled, and Aki realized that she must have swept it up with the rest of the junk that was lying around her room. But where did she end up putting it? She did a quick sweep of the room and found it amongst the pile of dirtied clothes that needed to be washed. She turned her music down a bit and pressed the "Talk" button and held the phone up to her ear. "Izayoi Aki. Who is this?"
"Aki-san? It's Carly. Hey, I was wondering…We never got to have lunch yesterday, did we? Are you free today? Would you mind?" Aki looked at her clock. "Uhh…What time were you thinking? It's already 12:30."
"Well…I was thinking about having dinner at the playhouse across town. Does that sound good?" Aki pulled the phone away from her ear briefly to think about it. "Sure. I've never had dinner and a show before. Do you want me to dress date-formal, or date-casual?" There was a slight squeal on the other end of the line. "Date-fancy! I want to see you when you're all made up and beautified. See you at about 6:00, then?"
"Of course. Hey…Carly-san…Before you hang up, I want to say something. If you're going to try anything, it's going to have to be at your place. Or somewhere where you're sure that nobody will find us. We clear?" Carly was silent for a moment, like she hadn't expected Aki to be so blunt as to directly address the topic of where she'd be willing to have sex. "Uhhh…Yeah. We're clear. I'll see you in a couple hours." There was a faint click as she hung up, and Aki hung up on her end as well. She imagined what it might feel like, to have another woman on her…in her. Her body tingled at the thought, almost saying that it wanted the experience. Aki found herself kind of hoping that Carly would try something. If not today, then soon. Aki wondered if she was turning completely into a lesbian. At first she was merely curious and willing to experiment, but now she seemed to crave the body of another woman. The idea of being a lesbian scared her somewhat. It was a whole new idea. A whole new experience. She casually leaned against the door to her bedroom, still holding the phone. She looked at the screen, reading Carly's number. She smirked. Oh, well. If I am, I am. There's no helping it. I suppose that I'll get used to it eventually. She thought more on the idea, tapping the phone gently against her teeth, until a grin that seemed almost wicked spread across her lips. "Yeah…Let's give it a shot. Why the hell not?"
Aki grabbed the pile of clothes and unceremoniously tossed them into the washing room. She started to clean up her entertainment room to pass the time, but decided that she had better put clothes on first. Aki had a dirty little habit of walking around her apartment in the nude when she was certain that nobody was coming over…So basically all the time. It made her feel more free and unrestrained…and gave her much easier access to herself whenever she felt the urge. There were scant few pieces of furniture that didn't have her fluids on it at one time or another. Whenever she was surprised by the unexpected visitor, she quickly wet her hair down and wrapped her voluptuous body in a towel to give the appearance of having just climbed out of the shower. The only person who ever knocked on her door before yesterday was the fatass landlord demanding the rent. She hated that man.
Aki went through her dresser, deciding on which undergarments she would wear today. Not much variation in here… she realized. Thongs and bras; black, red, and a single pairing in plain old white. One pair from each was lacy and/or frilly. She eventually settled on the plain pair. "First date, nothing too fancy…" But then again…What if she's expecting me to, and is herself? Damn her objective mind. She placed the pair back, and pulled out a lacy black bra and her frilly satin red thong with black trim. "This'll do. Turn her on if we go there, she has no idea if we don't." She slipped into her lingerie and resumed her efforts at cleaning, which she abandoned around 4:40. She instead decided to get ready for her date instead.
She slid her closet door open and ran her hands along the length of her treasured dress. She had always wondered when she would wear it. She carefully pulled it out of her closet and laid it out on her bed. It was a sparkling, deep crimson red, with beads of gold embroidered on it, adding to the luster of the dress. It looked like a dress that only someone with loads of money could afford, but it was a memento from her sister; the one person she had ever loved…the first person she had ever harmed with her power. The first person she had killed with it. Her parents had opposed Aki's inheriting the dress. They said that her sister should be buried in it. But it was in Lyra's will that it would go to Aki. Lyra was always a smart one. She was only seventeen, but she kept a will…just in case…
The memory of her sister brought tears to Aki's eyes. Her bastard father wanted Aki dead ever since. He never loved her in the first place, but he absolutely hated her after her sister's death. Why couldn't she be like Lyra? Why couldn't it have been that little bitch that died instead of Lyra? Lyra, Lyra, Lyra! That's all he ever talked about! The only one he ever cared about! He even wrote in his will that all his money was to be divided up between his wife and the decoration of Lyra's tombstone in the mausoleum. Even in death her continued to spite her! He couldn't even care enough to leave her anything! "Damn that bastard!" Aki screamed in rage and threw one of her empty planters at the wall. It smashed into bits, which fell to the floor with a soft tinkling sound. She stood there, panting heavily in both rage and sorrow. It took her a bit before she could regain her composure, but she eventually stood upright and took a deep breath. "It's alright…He's burning in Hell now. He can't harm you anymore…" She picked the dress up carefully and examined it. It appeared to be just about her size. She carefully dropped the zipper in the back and slid the dress over her head. As soon as she was sure that it was on right, she zipped p the back and looked at herself in the full-body mirror on her closet door. What she saw nearly took her breath away. She looked absolutely gorgeous. With a bit of makeup and redoing her hair, she could make anybody turn their heads. Men OR women.
She opened the top drawer of her dress and began to dig through it. She knew she had makeup, but it had been so long since she had used it that she had forgotten where she kept it. It took about twenty minutes for her to find it hidden in the far back of her closet. She set her makeup kit on the table next to the mirror and began to carefully apply it. Her hands were very unsteady, and it took her several tries to get her lipstick on right; let alone her eye shadow, mascara, and blush. When she was satisfied with how she had looked, she glanced at the clock. She still had about a half an hour before she was supposed to be at the playhouse. Plenty of time to fix her hair, and she already knew what she wanted to do with it. She pulled the scissors from her bag and pulled the roller out of her hair. Her bangs flopped lazily against her face. It had been months since she had cut it, so her hair had growth to a fair length. More than enough to do what she had in mind. She lifted the bangs in front of her face and carefully trimmed them so that they lay evenly across her brow. She cut the bundles of hair on either side of her face so that they laid even with her jaw line; then pulled the rest of her hair back and slightly upwards, tying it in a ponytail that fell down to her shoulders. When everything was said and done, she thought that she looked rather attractive. But something was missing. She couldn't put her finger on it…
Ah. Of course. She needed earrings.
She knew that she had a jewelry box, and she found this hidden in the dusty rear of her closet as well. She blew the dust off of the top and opened the box. It was full of old jewelry that she had once adored, but had since lost the affection for. Sitting on top in the small drawer on the lid, was a pair of golden, dangling earrings. Perfect for the situation. She drew them out tentatively and held them up to her ears in the mirror, picturing how they would look. That's when it hit her. Why am I getting so into this? Look at me! All dressed up and WEARING MAKEUP! This isn't me! This…isn't… The though trailed off. She didn't know why she was so excited about this, but she knew that she was going…and something told her that she was probably going to love it. She looked at the clock. She had ten minutes, which was about the length of the drive. She put her earrings on, fumbling twice trying to do it right. Aki grabbed her handbag; then decided to ditch it for a purse, which was once more in the back of the closet. Classic brown leather. She pulled everything that she thought she would need out of her usual pack and placed it in her purse. She slung her purse over her shoulder, grabbed the keys to her Duel Runner, and shut the door behind her. It locked with a satisfying click.
The streets were nearly empty, but the air still smelled of gasoline and exhaust. Aki figured that she had just missed rush hour. She walked around to the side of the complex into the parking lot. She lifted her helmet off of the seat and placed it firmly on her head. She attached her purse firmly to the bike and straddled the machine. She kicked it to life and hesitated. She wasn't wearing the proper attire for riding her bike. She sighed heavily, killed the engine, and got off of the bike. She placed the helmet back on the seat, grabbed her purse, and walked. She arrived a few minutes late, but had plenty of time before the playhouse opened. The sky had not yet even begun to turn dark, which was very odd for 6:00 P.M. towards the end of summer. It must be the doing of either Shinji or the man with his Light dragon.
"Oh my GOD! Aki-san? Is that really you?" Aki knew the voice immediately. She didn't even bother to lower her gaze. "It is indeed me, Nagisa-san." She dropped her gaze upon Carly. She wore her hair in a bun and had taken off her glasses, hopefully replacing them with contacts. She wore a stunning black dress with shimmering golden trim, and a white leather purse was slung over her shoulder. She dressed simply, but looked absolutely beautiful anyways. "Aki-san…"
"Oh, come now. Given the circumstances; I think you can drop the suffix." Carly blushed. "R-Right. Aki…You look beautiful. I never knew you could dress like that." It was Aki's turn to blush. "I didn't either. It took a lot of effort, let me tell you." They laughed. While they stood talking, a man wearing a handsome uniform unlocked the doors to the playhouse and opened it for them. "Welcome, ladies. Might I escort you to a table?" He bowed politely and motioned for them to enter. Aki smiled at him. Her first honest smile in a long time. "Thank you, sir. That would be nice." Aki placed her hand on her hip, forming a loop with her elbow. Carly wrapped her arm through Aki's. The two entered together.
xxxxx
The sky was black when the couple emerged from the playhouse. They were both laughing. Carly's hair was slightly mussed, and her face was flushed from a little too much to drink. Enough to get her tipsy, not drunk. She had a slight stagger to her step. "Wow, Aki! I had no idea that you knew so much about Shakespeare!" Aki smiled coyly. "It's nothing impressive, really…" The play had been Hamlet, but the two of them had gotten bored by the end of the second act. They had paid for their dinner and left. The night breeze was refreshingly cool against their skin. It was a nice change from the sweaty, somewhat cramped playhouse. "Carly, did you walk here earlier?" Carly stumbled over her words a bit. She obviously had about zero tolerance to liquor, as this was the result of a single glass of wine. "I…uhhhh…I-uh-walked…" Aki sighed. "Alright. I'll take you back to your place. See if we can't find something to pull you together." Carly nodded. "D'ya know where I live?"
"I've been there with Jack a couple of times, when he dragged me on his errands." She nodded. "Arright, 'en." Carly's apartment wasn't far away. About five minutes. Much closer than her own. "C'mon. We'd best get a move on. Who knows what kind of creeps are lurking about right now, and I don't have my deck with me." Carly half nodded, half fell over. It was kind of comical, and even brought a smirk to Aki's lips. However, it wasn't enough to mask the hole that she felt growing in the pit of her stomach. She knew what would happen if she went back to Carly's apartment, that she would not leave until the next morning…That she would share the bed of another woman. She tried to imagine what that would feel like, and it made her tingle all over; as if there were a current running through her. The two set off down the street together.
Carly's door opened with a small click, and swung open noiselessly, Carly had since sobered up slightly and motioned for Aki to enter after she had turned the lights on. Welcome to my crap-shack. Please don't judge. Work hasn't been the best lately. The series of rooms was definitely small and obviously not made for two, but it was well-kept and cozy. Aki set her purse down gently on the table next to the door and slipped her shoes off.. "So…What now?" Carly had wandered into the back and fell face-first onto her bed. "Make yourself at home…If you're still hungry, feel free to take whatever you want from the kitchen." She heard a slight noise come from the doorway to her bedroom. Before she knew it, she felt a figure pressing itself into her back. Aki wrapped her arms around Carly and whispered into her ear. "I'm not interested in anything in the kitchen…" She pressed her pelvis tight against the girl's ass to demonstrate her point. Carly swallowed. "Are-Are you sure we should? I-I-I mean…this was our first…date. Are you even sure yet that you-you're into…girls?" Aki lightly licked the girl's ear. "Well, now. I won't know for sure until we try, won't I?" Aki seemed to be running on autopilot. Everything she said, that she did, happened before she could think about it. Apparently her body knew what it wanted.
"Aki…I…I…Are you sure…" She felt the warmth of the redhead's body on her back, felt her heart pounding. Aki loosened her grip on Carly just enough so the she could turn over and face her. "Yeah…I'm sure." Aki's eyes glittered with both confusion and anticipation. "Have you done this before, Carly?" The girl shook her head vigorously. Aki let loose a sigh of relief, and let up a little. "Good…Then I have no expectations to live up to…" She took a deep breath, then lowered her face towards Carly's. Her breath on Carly's face was warm and wet. When Aki paused, it irritated her. She wanted to feel those lips. "Is…Is this okay? Do you mind if I…kiss you?" Carly pressed her lips to Aki's. They were warm and flush, not at all what she'd expected. Carly had taken Aki somewhat by surprise, but she quickly gave in and returned the kiss. There was definitely passion in it. So much so that it sent chills down Aki's spine, but not in a bad way. They seemed to kiss forever, before Carly broke it to take a breath. Aki was taking deep breaths herself. "Wow, Carly…That was amazing…I never thought another girl could make me tingle like that. I'm even more sure of it, now. I'll sleep with you, if you want to." Carly pulled her into another passionate, albeit much shorter kiss. "Yeah…Let's do it."
Aki reached behind her, and lowered the zipper on the back of her dress. She slipped it around her arms and let it flop around the girl's waist. As the two began kissing again, Aki felt her hand slowly move itself over one of her breasts. The girl's hand tightened weakly once, then more firmly a second time. It took her a couple of seconds to become comfortable with the idea of feeling up another girl, then she gently began massaging both of them. Aki could feel Carly moaning into her mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Carly's hand worked their way down the neck until she was forced to stop at her dress. She fidgeted with it a bit to undo the strap holding the zipper up and slowly slipped the dress down revealing Aki's magnificent pair. Aki broke the kiss, inching her way down to Carly's breasts. This was obviously doing something for the girl, as her breathing became quicker and more ragged. "Don't…stop. That feels too good…" Aki broke the girl's grip on her to pull the two of them together, pressing her breast into Carly's and kissing Carly passionately. This time, desire was thrown into the mix. Aki slowly slid her hands down Carly's side, under her dress…
"Aki-san! Aki-san!" Aki woke to a light shaking and her name repeating. Aki opened her eyes, having to shield them from the sun. She sat up groggily, looking for whomever had called her name. It was Luca. "Ughh…Yeah? What's up?" Damn kid, waking her up at the best part. Aki was growing wet from the dream. That was the best sex she'd ever had; she couldn't deny it. "Aki-san! Are you okay? You were moaning quite loudly." Aki's face immediately turned red. "I-I-I was?" She nodded. "Yeah. People were starting to look at you funny." Aki began to crawl to her feet. Her body was screaming for release right now. "Thanks…Look, Luca-chan…When somebody is doing that, the best favor you can do them is to just leave them be." Aki started to walk away.
"Were you having a perverted dream?" She turned slightly, unsure if she had heard her correctly. "What?"
"I asked if you were having a dirty dream. Lua says that they happen when you get older. It's his excuse when he wets the bed." Aki felt herself get a little angry, and a little embarrassed. She flushed as she chewed the young girl out. "Hey! Are you calling me old? I'm only a few years older than you, ya know!" She sighed. "You need to talk about this with your parents, Luca-chan, not me." Luca blushed a bit and avoided eye contact. "I…I already know about that stuff. It's still his excuse. But…There are some things I'd rather talk with you about than with my parents…Like…What am I supposed to do when I like somebody? I mean…like like somebody…" Aki turned around completely now. "Ohhhh…How sweet! Luca-chan's first crush! Well…That's hard to say for sure, because it would depend on the person. Who is it? Do I know him?"
"Well…Kinda…He's a little older than me…About four years…" Aki crouched down to Luca's level. "That doesn't tell me who, Luca-chan. I can't help you unless I have a name." She hesitated a bit. Her eyes kept flitting over Aki's shoulder, as if something were there. "He…He's standing right behind you."
"Am I…interrupting something…?" Aki jumped at the voice; a low tenor, nearly bass, with a thick accent not of Asian origin. She knew it, and the sound dispelled her urge to release. She grabbed Luca and leaped forward, shielding the girl while she glared back over her shoulder. "You! What do you want?" He pulled both hands from under his cloak and held them up in the universal pose of peace. "I do not wish…to fight you. I came to…apologize." He lowered his hands and dropped to his left knee, thrusting his right fist into the ground. It looked as though he were bowing to a king…or a pharaoh. "Please…forgive my actions…I am…truly sorry…" Aki straightened up and crossed her arms, glaring down at him. "And why should I believe you? You broke into my apartment, threatened me, and then attacked all of us! Including this little girl! I don't even know why she thought it was a good idea to nurse you back to health!" He looked at her. "…I have not…harmed the…girl…I…have had…plenty of…opportunities…" He had a point. If he really did bear the Signers ill-will, then why hadn't he attacked Luca? Either he had a thing for her, or he was telling the truth. Or was she being used as a puppet? No…That didn't seem likely. "You…You waltz into town and wreak mayhem, and now you want me to…forgive you? Do you really expect me to?"
"…No. I don't…expect. Only…hope…"He trailed off, not knowing where to begin. He knew better than to hope for anything. Aki scratched at an itch on her arm, and took a deep breath of fresh air. The day was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. It was too lazy a day to hold grudges. "…I forgive you." He looked up at her, his red eyes seeming to glow. "…I beg…your pardon?" She brought her gaze to him and smirked. "I said that I forgive you. Luca-chan trusts you; so I will, too. But on one condition! You have to do something for me." He retuned to his bow. "Of course…Anything…"
"Luca-chan appears to have taken a liking to you. You be nice to her, you got it? She's just a child."
"Naturally. I would…never…harm a lady…willingly…You have…my word…Lady Izayoi." Aki was shocked into silence. This man was definitely NOT the person who attacked them yesterday. This man seemed polite and respectful. She actually believed him now. "Please. Don't call me 'Lady'. It makes me feel like something I'm not." He let his cloak fold shut around him, leaving only his face exposed, as he stood. "As you wish." What appeared to be a dragon began to materialize from the shadow cast by the tree, the dragon from before. The girls watched as the dragon bent down and let the man step onto its back. "I'm…going to help…Zuka…search for…the traitor." The dragon prepared to take off, but stopped when Luca grabbed him by the cloak. "When you're done, or…whenever you just get tired, you're always welcome at my house…" It took all of her effort to look him in the eye as she said this. He cast his gaze from her up to the sky. A cloud was slowly drifting by. "…I'll think about it…" He stood steadily on its back and stood there as it spread its massive wings and took flight. It disappeared from sight in seconds. Neither of the girls said anything while a cool breeze swept over them, throwing Aki's hair about her face. "…So…Him, huh? You have an…interesting…taste in boys, Luca-chan."
"Yeah…There's just something about him, I'm not sure what, that just…makes me feel all warm and tingly whenever I think about him or when I'm near him. My heart pounds faster and I can't think straight." Damn. Aki thought. She doesn't just like this guy. She's head-over-heels for him! This won't end well… "That's one helluva choice for a first crush, Luca-chan. Not sure if it's good or bad, though. He seems like there might be some good in him; but still. Be careful around him. I don't want to see you get hurt if he's possessed again." A bell chimed the hour somewhere, five o'clock. "Well, I've gotta head home and get some dinner. We'll talk about this later, okay Luca-chan?" She grabbed her things from the grass and started walking. She never broke pace as she said one last thing to the confused girl. "The two of you may be legal, age-wise; but most people will frown at it. Make sure it's what you really want." She waved over her shoulder and vanished into the crowd of people.
Ohh…What do I do? What do I do?