LOL ok um…I got a message that someone thinks this is a crossover between another otome game…I just want to clear something up about that. Yeah I did not do a cross over with another game in any way…I actually got this idea from a side story in Pirates in love…it's the story where they open a temp. host club. I just wanted to clear that up so there wasn't any confusion about that and I'm sorry if I did make it seem like a cross over that was not my intention. ok back to the story.
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Lady of the Lycoris
I couldn't go out after seeing that. I had to cancel my plans yesterday with Fuzzy and the others. I couldn't think straight; hell I couldn't even talk on the phone. It's hard to wrap my head around the idea that Christopher is a vampire and that possibly all the hosts know as well. I felt dizzy when I walked home I don't even remember half of the trip on the train or walk home. As I sit on my bed still in my pajamas Pocky now sits in my lap falling asleep as I pet him lightly. I stare out the window as I hold a pocky stick in between my fingers as if it was a cigarette as I slowly puff on a real one. I hardly ever smoke; only severely stressful situations such as this push me to it. It's not something I make a habit out of. I'm still finding it hard to wrap my head around the events that played out before me last night.
What the hell…! I didn't even think something like that existed. I switch the cig out for a the pocky as I chomp on it; once I swallow I take a long puff and the smoke leaves in a puff to float up to the ceiling. I clearly saw something I shouldn't have…he was a completely different person when he was alone with her, not anything like the Christopher I'm used to seeing. There was that one time he pushed me down but he said that was a joke…what am I supposed to do? What do I even say to him when I see him? I take another long puff still brooding my options when my cell phone rings. Careful not to wake up Pocky I reach over and grab my phone. It's a text from Christopher.
How was last night? That's right I told him I was going out with the others…but right now I don't even know what to think of him. is he a monster hiding behind a mask or a kindhearted, misunderstood person? Either way I don't know if I should be around him right now. Another text suddenly comes in, did anything interesting happen.
He's persistent I'll give him that…
Unable to think of anything I set my phone down leaving his messages to go unanswered left with only my thoughts again. He just…bit her…there wasn't even any warning…does he do that with all his bite victims? Ugh…why is this so confusing. He hasn't really given me any reason to not trust him…is there a reason why he wouldn't tell me? Well…at least this explains what he meant when he said he had experiences with monsters…he IS one. That's another thing, how long has Morgan known about him? Do the others know? …I can't just keep sitting here brooding over this on my own. I need to find out from him…I need to come clean and tell him I saw. Yeah right how exactly do I tell him that I saw him bite a person? "Hey Christopher I need to talk to you about something; the other day I eavesdropped on your conversation with that woman and followed you to the ally where I saw you TAKE HER BLOOD! Hope you don't mind telling me what that's all about." …yeah that's not going to go over well. We both sort of betrayed the others trust…he kept secrets and I invaded his privacy… Something passes out of the corner of my eye in the window forcing me to look out the window. Something in the back of my head seems to be telling me to run, to get away. My heart thumps in my chest as I stare out the window when suddenly,
*Knock, Knock*
Pocky immediately reacts by shooting his head up barking and yapping from my lap. He jumps down and runs to the door.
"Pocky, hold on!" I put out my cigarette and head for the door. This time the person rings the doorbell as I walk cautiously into the living room. Standing my the sofa I try to decide whether I should open the door or not. I'm not sure what it is that I saw out my window but I didn't get a good look at it; thinking it's the same person at the door I wait to see what happens, but the feeling I had moments ago is gone so instead I walk to look through the peephole. My whole body jolts away from the door at who I see.
"Miri are you in there?" What is Christopher doing here? I never replied to his texts. "Miri?"
"Y-yeah…just a second." I race up to my room to put on some pants since I was sleeping in only a shirt and my underwear before heading back down. My heart is racing as I replay the events of last night. As I place my hands on the door chain and the lock I take a breath to calm myself. the lock and chain clink and clack as I unlock the door. Just don't freak out…
With that last mental thought I open the door and greet him. Pocky bounds out the door to greet him, barking and yipping, begging to be picked up. Christopher complies unable to resist and allows Pocky to snuggle against his cheek.
"I think he got cuter since I last saw him…"
"You mean the day before yesterday…?" I try to play it cool.
"I guess; you look like you just got out of bed."
"I…kinda sorta did." I guess it would seem weird if I don't let him in… I step aside and gesture for him to come in. he sets Pocky down which only seems to rile him up. "Pocky…Shush."
"So did you just get out of bed?"
"Huh?"
"You never replied to my text messages."
"Sorry I didn't see it…" his eyes narrow as if he senses something. Crap…can he tell I'm lying? "What is it?"
"Did you burn something?"
"Burn something…?"
"I smell smoke." Oh I get it he smells the cigarette…I forgot I just put it out.
"Um…yeah sorry that's my fault; I just finished a cigarette." His eyes widen as he stares at me stunned,
"You smoke?"
"N-not very often…I only had one."
"Those aren't very good for your health…"
"Like I said I only had one…besides I only go to those as a last resort I try not to make a habit out of smoking."
"Is it really that simple?" Christopher laughs slightly.
"My last one was when I was having a difficult time with adjusting to college life. That was last year during my very first semester." Why are we even talking about my health habits…this isn't exactly what I thought he would talk to me about. "So…what are you doing here? Don't you have work today?"
"I don't have to go in until later this afternoon." He studies me for a moment, "Did something happen?"
"Huh…?"
"You said you don't usually smoke so…I can only assume something happened that made you turn to that." I can't seem to say anything to his suggestion. He's not wrong but how do I even get out of telling him?
"You…could say that I guess."
"I knew it…that look on your face says it all." Christopher give me a gently smile. I don't know whether or not if I can trust him or not. I mean what I saw last night his whole personality did a 180…and now it's like that side of him doesn't even exist. "Miri?" I just need to come clean and tell him…it would be better than trying to hide it. but how do I even bring it up?
"H-hey um…the other day do you remember the conversation we had about…believing in ghost stories and what not?"
"Hm…?"
"H-how serious were you about that?"
"I was half joking when I said all that; you don't have to take me seriously about that. Everyone has their own belief about things like that."
"Even about vampires…?" I ask very boldly looking at him from the side. He seems a bit taken aback by my question unable to say anything. "Are you…hiding anything Christopher?" the air is very thick and tense as I press him further. His expression is blank and I can't seem to tell anything from the look in his eyes. I just need to outright ask him…then tell him what I saw…I need to know what's going on. "Are you-"
*KNOCK KNOCK!*
Someone nearly busts my door down as they knock with all their might. I say nothing at first and the person bangs on my door again. Clearly I can tell it's not my landlord and I'm not expecting anything else. Obviously they're not going away so I head over to the door. I'm about to pull the handle down when Christopher grabs my wrist. He has a serious look on his face as he places a finger to his lips gesturing for me to stay silent. Slowly I nod as the unknown person outside once again bangs on my door. I would be fine with answering it but even Pocky isn't barking instead he's cowering and shivering by my feet his floppy ears folded down as he tries to get as close as possible. Quietly I bend down and pick him up holding close as he tries to climb on my shoulder to hide even more. Christopher walks over to the nearby window and looks without moving the curtain. After a few seconds, footsteps fade away as the person leaves. Finally able to breathe I let out the breath I was holding.
"He's gone." Christopher says patting my head, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I guess…who was it? Did you get a good look at them?"
"No I didn't." he's still staring out the window…and what's with that look on his face? I don't even know any more…not like I need anything else to worry about…guess I should finish that cigarette I still can't seem to think.
"I'll be right back…if you want help yourself to what's in the fridge…something tells me you're going to want to stay here for a bit before leaving." I set Pocky down and head back to my room grabbing my half finish cigarette. Grabbing my lighter I place the cig in my mouth and while walking back into the living room I try to get the lighter going. Only thing I seem to get is a few sparks each time, "Damn thing…" I mutter irritated by my situation; finally my lighter cooperates and ignites a small fire. Taking in a deep breath I watch the end of the cigarette glow back to life before setting down the lighter. placing it between my fingers I let off a puff of smoke.
"Is it classes or something else?" I hear Christopher ask me from the kitchen across the way. There's a relaxed look on his face but no smile as he stares at me placing the cigarette back in my mouth.
"…kind of both I guess you could say… more so the second than the first…" I say honestly. I plop down on my sofa still in view of the kitchen and slouch in the cushions. Footsteps follow me over and Christopher stands towering above me, scrunching my legs up I give him space to sit down and he does so quietly. I study him out of the corner of my eye as I continue to let the smoke drift from the light cigarette. He doesn't seem to notice that I'm studying him while he studies me. I notice him stare at my chest and he gets a serious look on his face. I take hold of the cigarette in my hands and sigh,
"Pervert…" I slightly glare at him as he looks at me with an innocent yet confused look on his face,
"I'm sorry?"
"I didn't think you liked staring at a girl's chest for so long…" I say puffing on the cigarette again. he laughs slightly
"Alright one," he reaches over and takes the cigarette from my mouth and puts it out in the bowl sitting on the small coffee table. "Those aren't healthy; they're only good for bad health. And two, I wasn't staring at your chest I was looking at the mark."
"Um…same place…" Natural womanizer…and he doesn't even know he does it. Still it is weird that I have the same mark as the woman in that painting…"Actually…I've been kind of wondering ever since we saw that painting…is there some sort of meaning behind it? just who is she?"
"Well…" he takes a moment to gather his thoughts, "it doesn't really have any meaning only that it's supposedly the mark of the Lady of Lycoris." The mark…? "It's said that those who bare that mark are her descendants, her direct descendants."
"So do you know anything about her?" there's a long silence. "Well there are a few suggestions as to who she was but none have ever been proven."
" you're the one who said that she was some sort of creature…remember?"
"I did say that but it's just a suggestion that many commonly use to describe her."
"You must believe it since you said it." I say picking up Pocky who's begging to be let up on the couch. He takes a good moment or two trying to pick who to go to when Pocky heads over to Christopher and lays next to him.
"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"
"Call it a weakness I am studying mythology…" he studies me for a moment before Christopher continues.
"it was said she was born of nobility although no one knows if that's true. They said she had amazing powers that wherever she walked flowers were left in her wake particularly Lycoris. That's how she got her name. She could see things though that others couldn't a different world."
"A different world…is this where the ghost stories and everything come into play?"
"That's right. However since she had her powers that was a given. It was thought that she belonged in that hidden world herself. She was one herself."
"What was she?"
"many say she was one thing or another; I like to believe that she was a vampire." My body sort of tenses at the word and I have a hard time controlling myself from jump out of my seat.
"W-why do you say that?"
"Why indeed?" he says mysteriously as I see the shift in his eyes. The unusual Christopher that I saw the other night makes his appearance as he leans over me. His narrowed eyes hold me in place as he looms over me. He keeps himself propped up by using the arm of the couch that's behind me. I swallow hard not sure as to what he's up to, "You know vampires don't age; they say that she was over a millennium in age yet she never aged a day in her life." then how old does that make him…? he places a hand over my heart, "Your hearts pounding…are you really that excited about this story?" his face comes closer, "now it's my turn to ask you a question Miri. You said you had a dream about the Lady of Lycoris, what was it about?" his hand moves to the center of my chest where the mark is and for some strange reason it sends electricity through my body. "it said that she doesn't communicate with anyone but her relatives. You have the same mark as her I I'm wondering what it means."
"N-nothing…" I look away, "I told you it's just a tattoo."
"Liar…" his hot breath tingles on my neck, "you said it was a birth mark." Does he plan on biting me?! Is he going to do the same thing like he did to her?! I-I have to think of something…anything!
"Yeek!" something crawls up my body and onto my chest; Pocky then pounces onto Christophers face and licks him. "P-Pocky…?" at the sound of his name he turns around and starts giving me the same treatment.
"Hehehe, I guess he got jealous being left out of the conversation." Still left in a daze Pocky continues licking my cheek while pawing at my face; Christopher's phone rings and he answers. All I can do is watch him as he talks on the phone. How can he switch personalities like that? For a second there I didn't know who was the real one. Just who is he…and what does he know that he isn't letting me in on? Christopher ends his call and stands, "Sorry I have to get going."
"Work?"
"Yes they need me to come in earlier; apparently they got a rush of customers and now they're short handed." I stand walking him to the door as he opens it he turns back to me with a serious look, "if that person comes back call me immediately and don't open the door unless you know who it is."
"I know MOM…jeeze I can take care of my self. I'll lock the door as soon as you leave."
"Good." He ruffles my hair before pushing my bangs up and kissing my forehead, "Don't smoke anymore either…it doesn't suit you at all." With that as his final words he leaves and I lock the door behind him. For some strange reason I let out a breath that I had been holding since he got here falling to the ground.
"Just who are you Christopher…?" on the floor something catches my eye and I pick it up, "A…red Lycoris?"
not the most action packed chapter but I still hoped you liked it. RXR please.
