I Hate Losing
Madoka was gone as he always was on workdays, and his warmth was long gone from his bed. Benitsubasa had slept in well past noon. She made her way to the kitchen/dining room and helped herself to some dry cereal, finding herself too lazy to bother with anything more involved. It tasted good enough anyway.
It was as she headed to the living room that she realized just how different things were going to be with another sekirei around. Her couch was being... defiled.
"That's my spot." Benitsubasa felt her hands ball into fists without even thinking about it. Sukaime looked up from her lounging position on the couch.
"Hm? Is it? My bad," the teal haired girl replied and then yawned. She didn't get up.
"Yes. Now get off." Benitsubasa reached down to forcefully remove Sukaime, already out of patience since the day before, but Sukaime swatted her hand away.
"I don't want to. Besides, you can't claim the couch. It belongs to Madoka-sama, not you," Sukaime replied, looking and sounding bored.
"Then you can't claim it either!"
"Hmm, but I got here first."
"No, I did!"
"Oh? Then why is it that I'm on the couch and you aren't?" Sukaime countered with a sly little smirk. "You may be his first sekirei, but while you were sleeping over half the day away I took my spot here. I'll have to get up eventually, so you can feel free to steal it back then." Her answer only served to infuriate Benitsubasa. Where did this little slut get the nerve to act so superior?
"That's it..." Benitsubasa grumbled and walked around behind the couch. She got on her knees and reached under the back end of the furniture piece. With her inhuman strength she easily tipped it until she was rewarded with a satisfying thud. She stood up with a triumphant grin and saw Sukaime now sitting on the floor. Her grin faded as Sukaime laughed.
"You just don't have the ability to give in, do you?" Sukaime looked at her, not seeming irritated in the slightest.
"I told you... it was my spot." Benitsubasa felt quite justified in her actions. She'd warned Sukaime.
"If I stole a chip from you, would you make me spit it back out so you could eat it?" Sukaime raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe just the first part." No way she'd eat anything that had been in Sukaime's mouth.
"Well, knowing what you want isn't such a bad thing I suppose. Seems you're more than willing to fight for it too. Or maybe you just like to fight, period, and look for excuses wherever you can." Benitsubasa didn't like how Sukaime seemed to be analyzing her. Maybe it was because part of her knew she wasn't far from the truth.
"Shut up, slut." Benitsubasa vaulted over the back of the couch and reclaimed her spot.
"You just got up. Are you planning to go to sleep again already?" Sukaime asked.
"I always lay here and wait for Madoka-kun." Benitsubasa took the chance to correct Sukaime's improper suffix usage again. She'd already told Sukaime how Madoka preferred to be addressed.
"Hm, and how long do you have to wait?"
"Nine or ten hours usually."
"Really? Sounds boring. Is there nothing else to do?"
"No."
"There is a T.V. right there you know." Sukaime pointed to said object. "But let me guess; if I turn it on now it'll disturb your lounging and you'll yell at me again."
"Yep."
"Can't we go out?"
"Last time I did that I almost got terminated." Benitsubasa instantly regretted what she saw as an admission of weakness.
"Ooh, do tell!" Sukaime seemed quite eager to pry.
"I got into a fight, messed up, and Madoka-kun saved me. End of story." Benitsubasa shot a soul incinerating glare at Sukaime.
"I see, I see, but he couldn't have fought off a sekirei for you. What happened?" Sukaime rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin up on her hands while her feet kicked lazily behind her.
"Ugh..." Benitsubasa stared at the ceiling for a few moments before deciding to relate the events of her fight against Mitama to Sukaime. "After Madoka-kun showed up I got my second wind and then beat the hell out of her and got to her crest," she wrapped it up concisely. The rest of the tale hadn't exactly been riddled with fine details either, but it seemed to satisfy Sukaime.
"Mm, the damsel in distress rescued by her knight in shining armor." Sukaime giggled happily. "Of course most damsels don't then go back and demolish the villain."
"Shut up! You got your story, now leave me alone!" Benitsubasa snarled at Sukaime. No matter what the girl said it always felt patronizing.
"What? I'm just saying it's a very romantic tale."
"Go away or I'll romance your teeth right out of your face. There's nothing romantic about ending up face down on a sidewalk."
"Are you saying there's nothing romantic about having your ashikabi show up and give you the strength to fight on?"
"I shouldn't have needed his help!" Benitsubasa sat up, about ready to jump off the couch and pummel Sukaime. Sukaime recoiled at the sight, but calmed down quickly.
"Ah, I see. You feel like you should have had the strength to win from the start. You won, but all you can think about now is how he saw you when he showed up: weak and battered on the ground." Sukaime smirked knowingly as she said exactly what Benitsubasa was thinking.
"Wh-why won't you just go away!" Benitsubasa bit her lip. Suddenly she wasn't feeling angry anymore. Sukaime's words were sucking the life out of her.
"Fine, fine. It's not good to bottle those kinds of things up, though." Sukaime finally stood up and walked out of the room. Of course she'd waited until Benitsubasa felt terrible though. She was beginning to hate Sukaime out of more than just jealousy.
. . .
"This place is too empty," Avaron said, looking around her barren house. It was devoid of... well... most everything. Food, especially, was scarce. It reminded her of her cell.
"Are we going to go shopping?" Masukagami beamed in excitement.
"I suppose we'll have to." Avaron was getting twitchy in the house. She honestly felt she had to do something about it.
The twitchy feeling didn't go away even as they headed out. Avaron had been feeling very agitated lately. She found it very easy to get angry at the smallest things. At least, she hoped, furniture stores wouldn't have much to get angry at.
"We need chairs, and tables, and shelves..." Masukagami listed as they walked through the store. "Hmm, I hope they deliver." Fortunately they did, because by the time they were done they'd picked enough furnishing to take care of both floors of the house. Well, Masukagami had picked and Avaron had simply nodded or shook her head. She was having trouble thinking again.
As they headed back home, Avaron was losing patience with herself. There was a cloud in her mind that was making life harder than it had to be. This time she was simply getting angry despite no provocation. Eventually her expression was noticed by Masukagami.
"Are you OK Avaron-sama? You look upset." She moved closer and tried to catch Avaron's eyes.
"Shut up," Avaron growled from in her throat. Couldn't Masukagami ever be quiet? She was trying to think!
"Wh-what?"
"I want you to be quiet! So shut up!" Avaron snapped and glared at the confused girl who was now backing away from her.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I will b-"
"Don't apologize, be quiet!" This time Masukagami simply nodded, her eyes growing moist. She looked scared, but that didn't matter to Avaron right now. She walked over to her sekirei and grabbed the girl's top to pull her face close. She saw Masukagami blush as their faces hovered mere centimeters apart. The way the other girl's lips twitched she knew she wanted a kiss. That realization only seemed to fuel Avaron's sudden rage. "Why can't you ever think? Are you always this slow and single-minded? If you want to please me so badly then why can't you just obey me?" Avaron shouted right into the cowering sekirei's face.
Masukagami didn't answer, probably trying to obey her previous order.
"Speak you blithering idiot!" Avaron shouted louder, causing Masukagami to wince.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry. I'll d-do better, I-I p-promise!" Masukagami hiccuped, beginning to cry.
"Good," Avaron replied coldly and shoved her back. Masukagami stumbled and stood where she ended up, sobbing quietly, looking hurt and confused. "What are you waiting for? I'm heading home, follow me or I'll leave you behind!" With that, Avaron did as she'd just said and began heading home. Masukagami obeyed readily.
They didn't make it all the way back. A trio got in their way, one boy and two girls. The boy was fairly average, but wearing a nice wool jacket despite the fact that the cold weather was rapidly fading day by day. He had an air of superiority about him.
"She's a sekirei isn't she? Just look at her, it's so obvious," the boy said.
"Yep. Aww, she's crying. How pathetic," one of the girls replied. She wore a sleeveless, loose-fitting, low-cut top with a sash tied tightly around her waist above baggy pants that were also tied tightly at her ankles. Her black hair was tied up in a bun with a pair of hair sticks. A pair of kama were tucked into the sash at her waist.
"Don't worry dear, we'll fix everything. We'll take you away from your cruel ashikabi," the other girl, sekirei, added. Her brown hair was in a simple ponytail. She wore a tight fitting orange jumpsuit, but with crisscrossing black stripes over her thighs and shoulders.
"Get back, Avaron-sama!" Masukagami rushed forward and put herself between the aggressors and Avaron.
"What do you want? Why are you ugly fools bothering us?" Avaron said, venom lacing her words. She didn't care for the way the three were regarding her and Masukagami.
"Ugly? Why you little bitch! I'll scratch your eyes out!" the first sekirei retorted.
"So easily offended, Kayanezumi. Keep your calm," the male ashikabi said to the first sekirei.
"You won't lay a hand on her!" Masukagami pulled out her mirror and aimed it at the offending sekirei. She gave it a spin and disappeared. She reappeared behind the sekirei and then swung the mirror, striking her target in the head with the golden frame of the mirror. The other sekirei turned, shocked at Masukagami's sudden relocation, but she only turned in time to get the mirror swung up into her jaw.
. . .
Kayanezumi recovered, turning around and pulling out her pair of kama. Masukagami quickly backed off, putting her mirror away. She then unlatched something from her wrist. It was a much smaller, palm sized mirror now dangling by a golden chain. Masukagami quickly grabbed it and held it in her hand, mirror side facing her opponents.
The kama wielder moved in and swung down at her, but she raised her hand-mirror and blocked it. The glass of the mirror was unscathed, but the kama was knocked away. She tried to swing with her second kama, but Masukagami was already moving out of the way. Masukagami held out her small mirror, moving it close to Kayanezumi's arm and suddenly the skin split open and she dropped her left kama as she cried out in pain.
"Dammit, Yozora, help me!" Kayanezumi called out to the second sekirei who was still nursing her bruised jaw.
"Fine, fine," Yozora pulled a few shuriken seemingly out of nowhere and threw them at Masukagami with deadly accuracy. Three stars flew at her and Masukagami held out her small mirror, deflecting one while dodging the others. The shuriken that bounced off the mirror headed right back to where it had come from. Yozora's eyes shot wide and she dove out of the way at the last second.
"Be careful. She's using a mirror. I think you can guess by now how it works," their ashikabi spoke calmly.
"Yes, ashikabi-sama." Kayanezumi nodded and grimaced, holding her wounded arm gingerly.
"You two are not that skilled. I'm sorry that you won't get to ascend with your ashikabi," Masukagami said in an unusually serious tone. She aimed her mirror at Kayanezumi and without warning a wound opened up on her shoulder. Two more followed, one in her other shoulder and one on her side. Upon closer inspection, one might have noticed a slight distortion in the air moving from the mirror to the now wounded sekirei.
"Shut up!" Yozora threw two more shuriken, but Masukagami aimed her mirror at both and both were knocked out of the air. She turned her focus on Yozora now and wounds quickly appeared across her chest one after another until she collapsed.
"Yozora!" Kayanezumi's eyes went wide. She tried to rush at Masukagami, but with her arms and one leg wounded she could only swing clumsily. Masukagami dodged out of the way and reached out, grabbing the limping sekirei in a headlock with one arm. She let her mirror dangle, and with her free arm she found her captive's sekirei crest.
"My mirror reveals my pledge, reflect misfortune upon her ashikabi!" Masukagami chanted and, with a gasp from her victim, Kayanezumi went limp and collapsed as she was released.
"Watch out!" Masukagami quickly turned towards the only remaining source of danger as Avaron called out. She had just enough time to lean out of the way of a shuriken. Yozora had propped herself up on one arm so she could attack with the other. She didn't get the chance to attack again when Masukagami used her mysterious, tiny mirror to cut her open twice more from a distance. Yozora couldn't withstand the wounds and her crest disappeared as she succumbed to her injuries.
"Thank you, ashikabi-sama," Masukagami turned back to Avaron, grateful for the warning. She'd assumed she'd already defeated Yozora.
"What... what are you? How could you hurt them just by looking at them?" the ashikabi of the defeated pair looked completely bewildered and more than a little afraid.
"My mirror doesn't just reflect an attack, it memorizes them. Whatever type of damage I reflect, I become able to send at an enemy. I am of course restricted by the form of attack. She used a ranged weapon, so I was able to attack from a distance. I can't do that if my mirror remembers a punch or close range weapon," Masukagami explained. Her opponents were gone, so she saw no harm in detailing her powers to this now impotent ashikabi. Besides, she'd never explained to her own ashikabi, so she figured Avaron would be able to learn from her explanation as well.
"Using their own powers against them... that's so cheap! You're weak unless you steal another's abilities!" the defeated ashikabi retorted.
"Be silent you ugly brute!" Avaron entered the argument. "Your sekirei were the bumbling weaklings! My Masukagami was making fools of them from the start!" With that said, she grabbed Masukagami's arm and led her around the infuriated ashikabi. So infuriated, he lashed out as they went by, reaching for Avaron. Masukagami didn't appreciate this in the slightest.
The man soon found himself with Masukagami's smaller mirror an inch from his forehead with his offending hand caught in a vice grip from Masukagami's free hand.
"You've lost. Leave now," Masukagami ordered, her normally mirthful eyes burning with malicious intent towards the man who dared raise even a finger towards her beloved ashikabi.
They made it home with no further interruption after the enemy ashikabi had fled in terror. However, despite her efforts to protect Avaron, despite fighting with all her might to prove herself, Avaron had immediately locked herself in her room... alone. Masukagami didn't understand, it made no sense to her. Avaron had even spoken up for her, called Masukagami "hers." Masukagami could only assume Avaron liked her and wanted her, so why was she keeping away now?
. . .
Avaron was starting to feel exceptionally jittery. She suddenly hated what she'd done. She'd been mean to Masukagami. Hadn't she said Masukagami was beautiful? Hadn't she called her perfect? However, she'd been cruel and even assaulted the mirror sekirei with violence.
She didn't want to be near Masukagami. She was afraid. Afraid both of and for Masukagami. She'd never known Masukagami had a violent side, not until that night, not like that. She was certain that Masukagami would never hurt her, so she couldn't hold that violence against Masukagami, at least not too much. She despised violent people; she didn't want anything ugly to mar her precious sekirei.
What kept her in her room was the other part of her fear. She was afraid she'd be cruel again. She was afraid she'd do ugly, ugly things to Masukagami.
. . .
Masukagami had ended up laying on her back on the floor on the bottom floor of the house. She wasn't sure if it was because of her mood or simply because the new furniture wasn't there yet. It must have been her mood, though, for despite the still sparse furnishing there were places to sit. She was staring blankly at the ceiling. The plain white ceiling matched the lack of thoughts in her head. The only thing that could be on her mind was Avaron, but she'd sulked over her for over an hour already, leaving her with nothing else worth thinking about.
A moment later, she had a new reason to have her mind go blank. Mostly, this was due to shock at what she was seeing. That just happened to be up Avaron's dress as her ashikabi walked into a position granting her a perfect line of sight. The first, shameful thought to go through her mind once it started working again was that this moment would be better if only she'd convinced Avaron to buy the underwear she'd picked out...
"Enjoying the view?" Avaron asked, causing Masukagami to panic and start stuttering incoherently. She attempted to get up, but Avaron knelt down and placed her hands on Masukagami's shoulders to keep her in place. "I've been bad to you."
"Wh-what?" Masukagami was now completely befuddled.
"I've been mean to my precious Masukagami." Avaron then moved around so she was laying on top of Masukagami. The sekirei's heart began to pound inside her chest. She was precious?
"N-no... it's OK. You were... uhh..." Masukagami wanted to put her ashikabi at ease, but she really had no idea what she could say. She had no idea why Avaron had been so irritable.
"What does Masukagami want me to do to make up for it." Avaron placed her hands on Masukagami's chest, under her breasts, and sat up; her legs now straddling Masukagami's waist. It took the startled sekirei a few moments to start thinking straight, again, before she could even begin to think of an answer. It was like a fantasy come true. Of course if this followed the path of her fantasies... they were going to need whipped cream.
"Uh... uh... uh..." OK, so she was still a little dazed.
"You like kisses, right?"
"Uh-huh." Masukagami gave a small nod, for now content to just let Avaron take this where she wanted to. She readily accepted Avaron's kiss as she leaned down, the floor beneath them moments later becoming bathed in blue light as Masukagami's body reacted. She gasped when Avaron's kiss moved from her lips to her neck. "A-Avaron-sama," she mumbled breathlessly, her heart now threatening to burst right out of her chest. This gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "kiss and make up." Suddenly Avaron stopped.
"You were really embarrassing me you know."
"What?" Masukagami panted.
"All those perverted outfits you made me wear." Apparently Avaron had been quite aware, or at least had figured out, what Masukagami had been going for.
"I-I-"
"Is this what you wanted?" Masukagami's jaw fell open when Avaron reached down to start taking her dress off. Part of her never quite forgave herself for what she did next.
"A-Avaron-sama, stop!" She reached up and grabbed Avaron's wrists right as the hem of her dress was being lifted past her navel.
"What's wrong? Too soon?" Avaron smirked in amusement.
"Why are you doing this? This isn't like you," Masukagami argued gently. She was quite concerned now that she'd regained her wits, if only a little.
"You don't know what I'm like. You don't know anything about me," Avaron replied. Her eyes showed she only wanted Masukagami to let go of her wrists so she could keep going.
"Th-then tell me. I want to know about my ashikabi-sama." Masukagami propped herself up on her elbows, though Avaron was still upon her so she couldn't sit up any further. Avaron's hands let go, letting her dress drop back down.
"Fine," Avaron mumbled. Her strange bout of hedonistic energy seemed to be over. She got off of Masukagami and headed back to her room, the sekirei following closely. Once both were seated on Avaron's bed, the young woman began speaking. "I was locked away because my mother didn't want me anymore."
. . .
"What?" Masukagami seemed shocked to hear this. "Wh-why would anyone not want you?"
"I hurt someone. They deserved it, so ugly, but no one understood!" Avaron's face contorted into rage. Just thinking about that moment, that person, filled her with the blackest, most vile hatred. "They were ugly so I took a knife, beautiful, sharp... and I hurt him." Masukagami gasped upon hearing this.
"Wh-why? Wh-what did he do?"
"Made me cry. Made mother cry." Her hands balled into tight fists. Her nails dug in, painfully, but she ignored it. "I saved mother, but she didn't understand. She screamed at me, ugly words, and sent me away." Her voice began to shake. "Ugly words, cutting me like I cut him." She spoke in a throaty growl now.
"Ashikabi-sama." Avaron stiffened when she felt Masukagami's hands on her wrists. She hadn't even noticed that the sekirei was now kneeling at the foot of the bed before her. Masukagami tenderly opened Avaron's hands, revealing bloody palms cut open by her own nails. There were old scars on her palms showing that this was not the first time she'd closed her fists so tightly, but clearly no one had been there to stop her before. "I won't let anyone make my ashikabi-sama cry ever again." Avaron felt a strange sensation wash over her as Masukagami moved closer to pull her into a hug.
She felt safe.
. . .
She didn't want Sukaime around her, but yet she was the only other person around at the moment. Benitsubasa couldn't even go see Madoka yet because he didn't get out of work for another three hours. That meant about two more hours of mind numbing boredom before Benitsubasa could even go to walk him home if she wanted to.
She decided it wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, Sukaime didn't know where he worked nor did she know his work schedule yet. It was something she could hold over her head.
She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt the couch shake slightly. She realized it was because Sukaime was leaning heavily against the back of the couch, her arms draped over it.
"What now?" Benitsubasa glanced at the other sekirei. She'd enjoyed the hours of peace and quiet on the couch. OK, so that wasn't true, but she had enjoyed the lack of Sukaime.
"So... bored..." Sukaime groaned. Benitsubasa had to repress a grin at this. Sukaime was finally showing weakness. "How can you do this every day?"
"I'm used to it," Benitsubasa lied. To be honest, she had had a similar moment not too long ago when the nauseating boredom of sitting alone waiting for Madoka had nearly driven her mad. Despite that, she felt no sympathy towards the competition for Madoka's affection.
"Really? You don't strike me as the patient type."
"Well, uh, if it's Madoka-kun I'm willing to wait forever." Benitsubasa really had to learn how to lie better. She was starting to annoy herself.
"Hm. Are you a secret romantic?" Sukaime smiled and raised a curious eyebrow.
"Are you saying you wouldn't wait for him? He's your ashikabi too."
"Of course I would, but you're avoiding the question."
"So does that make you a romantic?"
"Yes, but I'm plenty about it."
"Yeah? I thought you were just being openly slutty."
"Stop calling me that."
"Make me. Slut."
"I told you it doesn't bother me."
"Then why ask me to stop?" This time Sukaime chuckled and grinned at Benitsubasa's response.
"Ah, good for you Benitsubasa-chan, you do have some cleverness in that brutish mind of yours." At this, Benitsubasa was torn. On one hand it seemed she'd gotten Sukaime to admit she was annoyed by being called a slut – on the other hand she'd just been insulted.
"Yeah, well... grr." Her own eloquence amazed her; her lack of it that was.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess that was a backhanded compliment. Did I confuse you with it? Poor Beni-chan." Sukaime pouted and patted Benitsubasa on the head.
"You have five seconds."
"Wh-"
"Four."
"What happens-"
"Three."
"-when you get to-"
"Two."
"-one?"
"You're about to find out." Benitsubasa growled through bared teeth.
"Right then." Sukaime sighed and strolled out of the room, looking bored again. "It always reverts to violence with you. Such a brute."
"YOU'D BETTER RUN!" Benitsubasa roared after Sukaime and pushed herself up as Sukaime and her seemingly always swaying hips rounded the corner out of the room. Sukaime did not run.
. . .
Finally Benitsubasa could leave and go meet up with Madoka to walk him home. She headed for the door, but perhaps she should have expected Sukaime to make her presence known once more.
"Whatcha doin'?" Sukaime asked innocently.
"Getting some fresh air," Benitsubasa replied with a frown.
"Aren't you the one who said going out was a bad idea?"
"You're right. Next time I won't stop you from getting out of my face." Benitsubasa rolled her eyes. In hindsight, she really should have just let Sukaime leave... and hoped she never came back.
"So mean, so mean," Sukaime sighed and placed a hand on her hips while shaking her head.
"Well then, I'll do you a favor and remove my mean, mean self from your presence." Sukaime gave one of her infuriating giggles in response.
"Keep it up. One day you might be just as good at wordplay as I am. That was a good one!"
"Go die in a fire." Benitsubasa walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
. . .
"I can't stand her! She never shuts up! She always knows exactly what to say to piss me off!" Benitsubasa clung to Madoka's arm. She was in a very bad mood, so Madoka had decided to let her cling just this once. It wasn't like not letting her would make her stop trying to earn his affection, after all.
"Well, then maybe you should stop baiting her," Madoka suggested. He knew from experience that Benitsubasa was quite the hothead and he was almost certain that she was unknowingly giving Sukaime bucket-loads of proverbial ammo.
"I don't bait her! She just takes anything I say and twists it!" Exactly as he'd suspected.
"Well... I'd say stop talking to her, but you two have to learn to coexist. You can't do that in absolute silence." Madoka shook his head. Why couldn't he have gotten better behaved sekirei? "Don't argue with her if you can help it. She probably finds it fun."
"I hadn't noticed." Benitsubasa's words were laced with sarcasm.
"Then why argue?"
"It's not that easy! You don't have to deal with it because she likes you! Worthless little wh-"
"Benitsubasa," Madoka scolded her preemptively.
"She is!"
"What if it was reversed? If 'd winged you second, would you just let her have me all to herself?" Madoka looked down at her questioningly.
"She does other things to earn the name," Benitsubasa muttered.
"Like?"
"Nothing I want to say out loud. It would probably taint my soul."
"Right." Madoka chuckled mirthlessly. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew Benitsubasa wanted to take physical vengeance against Sukaime, he'd find this little feud funny. That said, his influence was the only thing stopping a bloodbath. It was actually quite unsettling when he thought about it.
"Let's stop talking about the... her," Benitsubasa corrected herself this time. "It's just us, so let's focus on us!" She pressed herself closer to him as they walked. Madoka laughed at this. This was funny to him; watching the impatient and short tempered Benitsubasa switch gears to a more cuddly persona.
"And how do you propose we go about focusing on 'us?'"
"We-"
"I told you they'd be here, Avaron-sama!" The voice was vaguely familiar. Madoka quickly remembered it being the voice of Masukagami, the sekirei of their new "ally." He just hoped Avaron planned on keeping things civil, as she herself had suggested.
"Oh for fuc-" Benitsubasa was not pleased.
"Calm down, please," Madoka interrupted her before she could finish her vulgarly constructed sentence. He didn't need her starting a fight, verbal or otherwise.
He then sighed; he really needed a new route home. This one was getting too exciting. He looked over at Avaron and Masukagami, who were in a similar but opposite position to them in that it was Avaron who was clinging to her sekirei instead of the other way around. However, at this point Benitsubasa had let go of Madoka's arm and was on edge in the presence of another sekirei.
"We were lonely and I thought maybe it would be a good chance to get to know each other better if we're going to be friends," Avaron finally spoke her reason for intercepting them.
"Friends?" Madoka crossed his arms at her choice of words. "That suggests more than just an agreement to not attack each other."
"I'm in a good mood today," Avaron replied and leaned against Masukagami more heavily.
"I see. That's good I suppose," Madoka said in a low voice. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but he didn't want to turn her away if she was honest.
"Why should we trust you?" Benitsubasa, of course.
"Dammit," Madoka groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Why are you so mean?" Masukagami pouted, looking confused. Madoka had a feeling that Avaron's sekirei was a little naïve.
"Let me do the talking, please?" Madoka placed a hand on Benitsubasa's shoulder and motioned with his head for her to step back.
"Fine. Just don't embarrass me by doing anything stupid," Benitsubasa relented, much to Madoka's relief. One could practically taste the tension in the air when she got riled up.
"Of course, your pride is my primary concern at all times." Madoka curtsied teasingly.
"Stop acting like her." Benitsubasa gave him a look of warning.
"Sorry, she's just looking out for me. You understand?" Madoka turned his attention back to Avaron.
"I do." Avaron glanced at Masukagami when she spoke. "But it's silly to stand around on the side of the road while the sun is setting. Is there somewhere we can talk?"
"Err, we could go to my place, I guess," Madoka suggested. He was a little nervous about bringing them to where he lived, but he had no better ideas. He heard Benitsubasa's palm collide with her face behind him.
"That works."
. . .
"Welcome home!" Sukaime exclaimed as the door opened. She then paused before speaking again. "Oh. Company?"
"Yes." Benitsubasa pushed past her, not intending to entertain their guests. She was not happy about this. Not terminating Masukagami when they first met was bad enough, but inviting them over? This was too far. While she felt she had to concede to Madoka's wishes, she hoped he knew what he was doing.
She made her way to Madoka's room, in the back of the house where she hoped no one would bother her. That was true for five whole minutes before someone knocked on the door.
"If you're not Madoka, go away," Benitsubasa warned whoever it was. She hoped the tone of her voice would make it clear that whoever it was should listen.
"That's interesting, his door doesn't have a lock!" Even before the door opened, Benitsubasa was able to identify the intruder as Sukaime, her second most hated person in the world.
"I will break you." If only looks could kill, then Sukaime would be out of her hair.
"Aww, that's mean!" Sukaime whined, but she was smiling as usual. How Benitsubasa longed to rip that smile off her face.
"I'm not in the mood. I will hurt you." Benitsubasa stepped towards Sukaime, her face broadcasting malevolence.
"H-hey, calm down." Sukaime raised her hands and actually took a step back. Benitsubasa wanted to smile; it felt good to see her scared, but she didn't want to ruin the moment.
"You should leave." Benitsubasa kept walking forward, causing Sukaime to continue her retreat... until she hit the wall. Benitsubasa took the opportunity to trap her, placing a hand on the wall next to Sukaime's face. Maybe she didn't want her to leave after all. Maybe she wanted to drink in the fear that Sukaime was exuding.
"So, err, what do you think of Avaron and Masukagami?" Sukaime tried to change the subject.
"Hate them. They put me in a bad mood." Benitsubasa flexed her hand, causing her nails to dig into the wall. Sukaime noticed and her eyes widened a little.
. . .
Sukaime decided that talking about their guests while Benitsubasa was like this was a bad idea. She was starting to think she'd gone too far with Benitsubasa. If she didn't do something soon, she had the feeling that living with Benitsubasa might become more like just surviving. That would not be fun.
Then again, maybe the subject of Avaron and Masukagami could work in her favor.
"But why? Masukagami belongs to Avaron; she's not going to steal Madoka," Sukaime pried into the subject. Get Benitsubasa thinking about them, and not her, and maybe her anger would go elsewhere.
"She doesn't belong here, Madoka should let me terminate her." Benitsubasa moved her hand. That had worked surprisingly fast. "And Avaron... bothers me. Something is wrong with her." She crossed her arms and looked at the floor. Sukaime frowned at this; she had also noticed something, but now she had a reason to really pay attention to Avaron.
"Hm, so you're being territorial."
"Don't say it like I'm an animal." Benitsubasa rounded on Sukaime, once again projecting malign intent.
"Ah, but you do like to bark!" Sukaime smiled after that. It wasn't a happy smile. It was an "oh shit, why did I just say that, please don't hurt me" smile. She just couldn't help herself, though. Benitsubasa made things too easy for her.
. . .
"I see you have another sekirei now?" Avaron mentioned. They'd been sitting in the same room for a while, but the conversation hadn't been flowing too well.
"It wasn't planned, I assure you." Another pause in the conversation. "So, uh, how has it been for you out there?" Madoka asked from his place leaning against the wall. He'd given Avaron and her sekirei the couch.
"What's that su-" Avaron began to frown, but Masukagami interrupted.
"G-good! We ran into some other sekirei, but I took care of them," the sekirei laughed nervously. Strange.
"Really? Yeah, us too." Madoka nodded.
"They cheated and made it a two on one, but I beat them easily!" the sekirei smiled.
"You... don't say." Just how strong was Masukagami? That made him nervous. Now he really hoped Avaron planned to keep things civil.
"Their ashikabi was a jerk though. He tried to touch Avaron-sama, but I scared him away!" Masukagami scowled at the memory. Madoka had trouble picturing Masukagami being scary.
"I see. Well I guess I'm glad you won," Madoka replied, but turned his attention to Avaron. "You said you wanted to get to know each other better, right? Did you have anything in mind, or should we just play 20 questions?"
"Why don't we just talk and see where it goes?" Avaron smiled. He almost wanted to say she smiled flirtatiously. She was giving off strange vibes, just like when he first met her. Her personality seemed to at least be more stable this time, but she gave off a sense of serenity that was unusual. It was more like the calm before a storm than a true sense of peace. Maybe that was just his own nerves speaking though.
"Talking it is." He shrugged. It was a good a place to start as any, though it wasn't like it had been going so smoothly thus far.
"How about... how did you meet your sekirei?" Avaron leaned forward, looking genuinely interested.
"Well, Benitsubasa found me. She walked into the store I work at one day, but she freaked out and ran away. Ran into her the next day and she dragged me into an alley to explain what she was." Madoka gave her the short version. "I don't suppose your meeting with Masukagami is more spectacular than that?" He chuckled. When he said it like that, his meeting with Benitsubasa wasn't anything that belonged in an inspiring movie or book. He noticed that Avaron hesitated to answer, and then avoided it altogether.
"You have two sekirei," she reminded him.
"Right. Well, we rescued Sukaime from an ashikabi she didn't want to be winged by. I had to wing her so she could save Benitsubasa from the sekirei of the other ashikabi." He was glad Benitsubasa wasn't there at the moment. She probably wouldn't appreciate him telling others how she needed to be saved, especially by Sukaime. In hindsight, he felt a little guilty just talking about her while she wasn't present.
"Aww, you're a hero!" Masukagami clapped her hands. "See, he's a nice ashikabi just like you!" She turned to Avaron.
"N-no. I'm not that good... it sounds like you've done much more than I have as an ashikabi. I'm a little jealous." She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, suddenly finding her own knees very interesting and not looking at anyone else.
"Well, I'm sure there are better than me. That's not really the example you should judge me by. It's the exception in my opinion." Madoka sighed. He recalled how he'd treated Benitsubasa after winging her.
"Avaron-sama, no! You're the best ashikabi I could have asked for!" Masukagami scooted over to sit as close to her ashikabi as she could. She then glanced at Madoka. "You shouldn't look down on yourself either. Just look at Benitsubasa's eyes the next time you see her." She giggled happily about something. Madoka wasn't sure what she was getting at, but he had to admit he was curious. As a sekirei, had the girl picked up on something he hadn't?
"Maybe we should change the subject," Madoka forced a nervous smile. This topic was getting awkward. He hadn't missed that Avaron seemed to be trying to hide something, but he had no desire to pry. Hopefully a new topic would avoid the issue.
. . .
"OW! OW! OW! Stop hitting me-hee-heeee!" Sukaime whined and laughed at the same time.
"Well you shouldn't have thrown a pillow at me!" Benitsubasa brought the pillow down on Sukaime's head with a merciless vengeance.
"I give in! You win! I'm sorry!" Sukaime tried to fend off the blows as she surrendered.
"Good." Benitsubasa dropped the pillow and put her hands on her hips as she smirked victoriously.
"Ugh, you hit too hard!" Sukaime complained and rolled onto her back to look up at her attacker.
"Deal with it." Benitsubasa turned away. "I'm gonna go see if they're gone yet." She got about two feet before Sukaime snatched up the pillow and slammed it into the back of her head with all her strength.
"SUCKER!" Sukaime cackled madly and dashed out of the room first. "Hahah- OOF!" She was knocked off her feet and onto her rear roughly as something got in her way. She shook her rattled head and looked up to see Avaron scowling at her. Madoka and Masukagami were next to her. "S-sorry."
"It's OK," Avaron spoke, suddenly smiling and holding out her hand to help her up. "Were you having fun?"
"I guess so." She took the offered hand. "Might be short live-"
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Benitsubasa burst out of the room a moment later, looking angry enough to do exactly that.
"Is it always this lively here?" Avaron glanced at Madoka.
"Only when Sukaime provokes her." Sukaime laughed nervously when Madoka looked at her after speaking. "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing worth being killed over!" She quickly hid behind her ashikabi. She knew that Benitsubasa would listen to him. She was a good dog.
"She-" Benitsubasa started to speak, but Madoka raised his hand.
"Enough, you two, it's late. I don't need the headache that whatever petty squabble you two were having will cause." Madoka scowled at her. Sukaime took the chance to stick out her tongue while Madoka couldn't see, causing Benitsubasa to bare her teeth, but she seemed more concerned with Madoka's scolding at the moment.
"Fine," she relented.
"Also, because it's late, I'm letting our guests sleep over. They'll be taking my roo-"
"What? No! Too far! I-" She was once again cut off by en even sharper gesture from Madoka's hand.
"Sorry about that, why don't you two head on in. You don't need to stand and watch us argue," Madoka apologized. Sukaime could actually see Benitsubasa turning redder and redder from sheer fury.
. . .
After Avaron and Masukagami had been moved into a separate room, they moved to the living room. Benitsubasa was more than a little displeased. She had been planning to worm her way into Madoka's bed again that night, this time perhaps with no divider of pillows. Her hopes were now dashed, and by another sekirei/ashikabi pair. She should be terminating Masukagami, not giving up her spot in bed to her!
"This is stupid," she grumbled and glared at Madoka. Her anger had already faded to a low boil, so she didn't feel like screaming. That didn't, however, mean she wasn't going to voice her feelings on the matter.
"Deal with it. Maybe you want to terminate every sekirei you see, but I think this entire plan is stupid. If they don't want to fight, I'm fine with that. I'm pretty sure you already know how I feel, so I don't want to hear you complain about them anymore!" Madoka argued. She was surprised how much it hurt to have him completely shut her down like that. She should be angry, angry that he disagreed with her, angry that he wasn't listening to her. Instead she just felt her shoulders sag.
"If you say so," was all she could bring herself to say in reply.
"So uh, where do we all sleep?" Sukaime changed the subject. For the first time ever, Benitsubasa was actually glad to hear her voice. It was a valid question.
"The way I see it one of us gets the couch and the other two sleep on the floor with a spare blanket," Madoka replied.
"Aww, we can all fit on the couch if we really work at it!"
"No. If I get it, I'm not sharing, if Benitsubasa gets it, she won't share with you, and if you get it it's the same problem."
"You take it then, we'll use the floor." Benitsubasa saw both of them glance at her in surprise. She had basically just given up comfort and Madoka and resigned to share the floor with Sukaime, so she understood why.
"Well, that makes it easy. Any complaints?" Madoka looked at Sukaime.
"No. I'm used to sleeping on the cold, hard ground! I was out there for days, weeks!" Sukaime swooned dramatically. "A blanketed floor is heaven by comparison. I'll even have Benitsubasa to keep me warm."
"Touch me and you start losing limbs," Benitsubasa warned in a low monotone.
"I think she's cranky." That... was an understatement.
Wow. That was one hell of a Monday. Yes, this entire chapter took place all in one day.
So it seems Masukagami is ownage in a cute lil' bottle. Also, Avaron is fucking bat shit crazy, but we already knew that. She wasn't in a straight jacket for nothing my friends. At least Masukagami is there to comfort her. So adorable... and sad... but adorable.
(Fixed up in batch two of my edits.)
Til' next time!