The World God Only Knows: All the Kings Horses…
By: The 483
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the The World God Only Knows Franchise.
Spoiler Alert: Warning: Light to mild spoilers for the Anime may be included herein.
Trying to get something out. Been just… completely unable sicne the release of Heavensward. (So much grinding) but I've rewatched all the the World God only knows, along with a few other titles, been to an expo, and need to do something, so I'll try with this, because I just enjoy this series so very much.
All the Kings Horses…
Chihiro did not quite know what the proper analogy for what she was witnessing was. It put her in mind of a group of predators fighting over a kill. Ambush predators, in a few cases, as two of them were already in the Café, waiting for him. She was somewhat pleased that Elsie had not gone far, so it looked like she had entered with her.
She had not really… told anyone that she and Katsuragi were… doing whatever it was they were doing. Possibly, it could be called dating, but it was unlike any dating she had ever seen on television or read about. But, it gave her a feeling that was hard to describe. Something like, being happy to the point of her heart bursting, but with an odd sort of heavy sadness at the same time. But the reason behind it was just beyond her grasp. She shook her head, and lifted the mug of coffee to her lips. She finished the paper she was reading, and flipped the page, before having to adjust the binder clip to a better angle. Two questions plagued her as she was reading.
Why the hell would he keep these notes, and why the hell could she not stop reading them? It was like some morbid curiosity was easting at her even since they had showed her some of the materials that were kept on prior conquests. She boggled at the extensiveness of the records he kept. She was about half way through TakaharaAyumi, and was amazed by the amount of set up he did, even more so that his re-conquest of her, about three months ago. The profile of her was quite complete, so at least it could not be said that he did not know his targets.
She didn't know yet if she would read her own when she got to it, and was a bit relieved and a bit irritated that there were four more girls to go through before her turn came. She sighed, and took a sip of her empty coffee. She pushed back her chair, and rose, moving to the counter. Elsie was behind it, sweeping at the moment, and Chihiro refilled her own cup. She was not allowed to pay for what she consumed, beverage wise, he status having been upgraded from "customer" to "permanent guest" after her first visit, almost a month prior. She tried to protest this, but it was difficult to argue with Mrs. Katsuragi when her eyes flashed and she looked less like a mother and more like the biker she used to be.
Returning to her table, she cast a glance at the six sided war going on in the corner. Loudly. At least this time, there were no other customers, and Elsie had relieved her "mother" of the watch for the night.
"I have told you all, multiple times. He belongs to Tsukiyo." The small, porcelain doll said from its seated position in front of the blonde girl who was nursing a small cup of tea and watching with fixed interest. With her odd duality with the goddess she was hosting, she was one of the two who did not often become possessed by their goddess when such sparring matches took place. The other, her best friend, caught her eye, and gave her a look of pity that hurt her and made her feel guilty and ashamed of the "secret" she was keeping. She really needed to tell Ayumi.
"He is what she desires, so he is what she shall have." The doll continued, pointing a pair of scissors like a sword at her most energetic opponent, who Chihiro was actually surprised to see. How the Idol had managed to get a Saturday night off, she could not guess. The mocking smile Apollo was returning, had the flavor of Kanon, but was far too cynical for the girl to ever wear in her own capacity. "Besides, we were the first to be awakened, so we have seniority in the matter.
"Using that logic, Vulcan, Diana would hold that, as she has been awake since the summer school break." A lazy voice said from Ayumi's vicinity. Mercury rarely took possession of Ayumi, preferring the lower effort of remaining incorporeal. The doll, Luna, could not change her face, but the narrowed eyes were in clear evidence in the hissing rasp of her voice.
"Very well, then. As an eminent example of the rare beauty to occasionally make itself manifest in this world, it is only just that Tsukiyo gets the dirty little man." The disdain she held in her voice made it hard to tell that she was trying to take possession of Katsuragi. Apollo clicked her tongue.
"Now, Vulcan. While your host is definitely pretty, it is all in how you'd measure such things, isn't it?" She scolded boisterously. "I mean, after all, if you look at my Kanon, a good chunk of this land mass certainly view her as quite the object of beauty. Not to mention that, if you take into account another set of criteria, she outpaces the rest of you save maybe Mercury." Apollo made a gesture that left what she was referring to without doubt.
"True." Said the ethereal voice from the other goddess. "If that were the determining factor, I think we might be out ahead. He has already seen us naked, after all." Ayumi, who had only faintly been following the conversation turned suddenly bright ready, and snatched up her own tea, with the tiny reflected goddess in it.
"Mercury, shut up!" She whispered angrily, and then downed the drink in one gulp. She could feel the goddesses smile in the back of her head, and she decided to leverage the embarrassment by casting a death glare at Katsuragi.
"Hmph. Those who view this as solely a battle of physical assets cannot compare to compatibility that Tsukiyo possesses with the dirty man."
"Right you are, sister. Personality compatibility is important as well." Mars now chipped in. Now that she was fully awakened, Yui was…less intense then she had been when their traits were mixing before she awoke. While not as shy as she had been, she preferred, in times like these, to let the more assertive goddess take the fore during these round tables. "Which is why we are the best fit. I am the goddess of war, and he is the god of conquest. A perfect match. My Yui is an Alpha, and he is a clear beta. We are a perfect match."
The last of the goddesses, Minerva, who was hosted by the tiny library girl… uh… crap, what was her name… oh, yes, Shiori, was also incorporeal, and really never added anything unless one of the other girls seemed to actually be making some headway in conflict. Chihiro didn't even think she had ever heard this girl speak, and she certainly didn't seem inclined to, a large book propped in front of her as the debate raged around her.
For Keima's part, pinned as he was between the tiny Shiori and taller Mars, looked as if he'd like to do nothing better than die in the fire Ayumi was clearly whishing his way.
Chihiro, surprisingly to herself, was not jealous of him being fought over like the last of a bargain piece of meat. After all, the goddesses did need to congregate with each other from time to time, and the girls involved didn't not get along. In actuality, Chihiro, Ayumi, and Yui had been seeing Kanon quite a bit more then regularly, since she had crashed in and guest starred during their set at the Mai-high festival. In fact, after the set, when everything had caught up with her, Kanon was the most vigorous one trying to calm and comfort her when she had just completely broken down sobbing. Once that storm had abated, Kanon had hugged Chihiro close, and thanked her for helping to save her. This have befuddled Chihiro, who had, at the time, had no idea what she was talking about. But once she was fully versed in this who goddess thing, a week or two ago, it made sense.
She briefly wondered why she didn't worry about them. Perhaps it was that she figured that if she revealed that her and Keima were… together, that they would likely cease the attempt at romantically involving themselves with him. Or it could have been that she was positive that Keima wanted nothing to do with that nonsense. His priorities remained the desire to play games, finish with the Loose Souls, play games, avoid the real world, play games, and now, a tiny little pocket labeled "Chihiro" with a subsection: (panic.) That caused her to smile to herself, because they were both in the same boat, there.
Keima knew how to get a girl to like him and confess. Chihiro knew how to chase after any guy that caught her attention. Now this part, what to do after confessions lead to a relationship… they were both throw into the deep end of a pool that neither of them knew how to swim in. Add into that his need to keep collecting souls by kissing other women, and the whole thing seemed destined to fail. Miserably. But Chihiro had made the decision that those other girls didn't count. He was doing that because if he didn't, it was curtains for himself and Elsie. She could live with that, for he didn't actually fall for any of them, it was routine for him at this point. And she had already had three chances to test her feelings on this, just in the two weeks they had been together. She was willing to work at it if he was, and that was the impression she got, under his surliness.
"Chihiro?" She opened her eyes at the urgency in the voice, and found herself almost nose to nose with Ayumi. She flushed and scooted backwards a bit, realizing she had fallen asleep, head resting propped up on her arm while she thought. A quick glance showed her that, unless inspected closely, they was nothing incriminating on the page she had open.
"What? Sorry, Ayumi. Guess I dosed off." Her friend smiled guiltily, and shuffled her feet.
"No, it's okay. We've concluded the business we needed to meet for, for tonight, and we were heading home." Ayumi still felt guilty for her feelings. No matter how many time Chihiro told her not to worry about it, and that she was in the same boat, she felt bad for wanting something Chihiro had gone for fist, and been shot down, hard. Chihiro had also, so far, neglected to mention her own involvement on the night Mercury was awakened. Something she needed to rectify.
"Oh, did you want me to walk with you?" She asked, after a convenient yawn gave her the pause she needed to get her thoughts in line. She smiled and waved it off.
"No, it's fine. Yui's going to give me a ride. She told me the offer wasopen to you, too."
"Tell her thanks. But I am going to stay, finish my reading, or nap, whichever seems better, and probably help Ellie close up." Ayumi looked uncomfortable, like maybe she should have thought to offer Elsie help, as well. Chihiro, not wanting that, and feeling a pang of guilt about it, continued before she could think about it. "Say, busy tomorrow?"
"Hmmm… no… not that I can think of. Why, what's up?" Chihiro stretched trying to pop her back, before replying.
"I was wondering if you just want to hang out. I feel like we haven't in a while. Unless you have practice tomorrow."
"Nope. Forecast says it's supposed to rain in the early afternoon, and there is no meet coming up, so the captain told us to just take the day off. Anything in particular?"
"No. Maybe just veg at my house, watch some movies, maybe go out for lunch."
"Alright, sounds good. I'll call you in the morning. Have a good night, Chihiro, I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved, looking happy, at least, as Chihiro returned the wave and smile, want watched her jog to the front door which Yui was holding open. She surveyed the already clean shop, the only anomaly the slumped over and drained looking Katsuragi. She gathered up the sheaf of paper, clutched it to her chest, and took her dished to Elsie before walking over, and taking a vacant chair.
"Having fun reaping what you sow?" She asked, pleasantly. She took the strangled groan he emitted as a negative. She thought about it, then patted him on the shoulder before moving about, pushing in chairs and wiping tables while Elsie worked cleaning up the behind the counter area and washing the remaining dishes. When she turned around, Keima was deeply involved with his PFP, and looking, for the first time this evening, at ease. She supposed it was that same for him as a dog wagging its tail; simply a sign that all was normal. She left him to it while they cleaned, He had earned a respite for what he had sat through so far. Elsie and she were finished just before 9, and killed the main light, though it was not expected that anymore customers would arrive. The shop was mainly a daytime establishment, and having no one come after about 7 was not unusual. Elsie locked the door, Keima rose, and the proceeded into the house to retire for the night.
"If you do not mind, I will go and take a bath now, Chihiro." Keima stated with utmost lethargy.
"No. It's fine. I imagine it was a particularly stressful day." He sighed deeply.
"No more so then any other time all the Goddesses have gathered together here since Vintage was defeated." Chihiro pouted and puffed out her cheeks, casting a mean look at him.
"Oh? And watching your girlfriend kiss another boy had nothing to do with it?" She said hotly. She wasn't going to bring it up, she had wanted to play it cool. And, she wasn't sure girlfriend was the correct term, but she was still nervous and felt slightly guilty. Keima looked at her like the thought had never crossed his mind, and was startled she could think it.
"What? No. Why would it? That boy was nothing but a poor grade of side character, only there to add another event to flesh out the route of the…" He paused on the cusp of saying "conquest," but that wasn't correct. He wasn't conquering Chihiro, but he could still raise her affection stats, even though there was no long a concrete goal to reach anymore. "Um… relationship, I guess. I really don't know much about what goes on after this point. But that boy does not enter into it. He doesn't count." She glared at him, her cheeks slightly red. He cocked a brow and suddenly looked worried. "What?" He edged in nervously.
"Do you know a word that describes feeling irritated and flattered at the same time? Cause I really need one." She smiled when he didn't looked relived, and then he calmed. She had just gotten a look at the innermost Katsuragi again. He really couldn't read the situation confidently, if he had never seen (or more accurately, played) it before. She waved him away. "Go ahead, go on. Since it is the weekend now, and I told my parents I would be at Elsie's house today, I don't have to be home until around 11."
"Very well. I will try not to tarry." He said, and moved deeper into the house. Chihiro watched him leave with a light half smile. The idiot could be really cute when he was being sincere and sweet, if one knew what that looked like, coming from him. As much as he proclaimed his distaste for the real world, he was not hateful about it. Sitting and letting the Goddesses fight over him for an hour or so whenever they felt the needed to gather, showed that he wasn't completely uncaring about the girls that played host to them. But, as far as she was concerned, he was hers, so they would have a fight on their hands, if they tried anything.
That thought triggered a panic reflex, as she realized again that she had to tell Ayumi what she had done/was doing. But, with a momentous act of will, she forced it away into the "panic about it in the morning" box, and went to see if Elsie had something she could do while she waited for Keima to return.
(End 4)
Trying to put out little parts here and there, but should have to many. I just enjoy this show so much, and want to seed in some little cute things, as I find it so hard to do elsewhere. And that means I needed a scene with the scissor wielding doll Luna. So much fun.