Hey guys, so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been really busy with marching band, which pretty much takes over your life, if you didn't know :)
There is more to come soon, most likely tonight or tomorrow. Thanks! Read and review, please!

6: PATCHED UP, CRAZY

When Gumi was finally able to open her eyes, everything was purple.

She shrieked. Purple covered her vision; blinded her. Was there something wrong with her? She started to panic, and squirmed in the infirmary cot.

Suddenly, the purple receded, and a concerned face loomed over her. "You're awake, I'm sorry, I was just fixing your bandages…had to lean over you…"

Gumi blinked hard. Oh.

"I'm Kamui Gakupo."

She didn't care who the man beside her was. She didn't care where she was. Because the memories were coming back into focus, and tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"Shit. Did I do something?" The man looked across the room to someone Gumi couldn't see. A woman's voice replied, "No, she's in shock. Are you sure you can't come back, Gakupo?"

"Ma'am wanted me to talk to Gumi right away. Sorry, Luka."

The medic sighed. "Just don't take too long," And left the infirmary.

Gumi tried to wipe the tears away, but they just kept coming, in thicker streams. Gakupo waited patiently until she'd collected herself, and then said, "Um…welcome to the Matryoshka."

Gumi snorted. "Yeah. So glad to be here." If sarcastic words were daggers, Gakupo would be dead three times over.

"Miku- our leader- sent me here to talk to you."

"She wants me to go back to the streets, right? Or do I know too much, and you have to kill me?"

Gakupo frowned. "Neither. It's your decision. Would you like to join?"

Gumi's eyes widened. Back to the original plan, then. It only reminded her of Haku's enthusiasm for joining, and she started to tear up again. She blinked it away and said, "Of course, that's why we were coming here in the first place. Except we took a few wrong turns, and…and…" She looked at the floor, heaving breaths.

Gakupo didn't know how to deal with this. Comforting people was not in the mindset of a Matryoshka. But this girl was so pathetic, so miserable…

Gakupo placed his hand over hers, and waited until she was able to speak again.

"Anyway, yeah. I have no choice now. No roommate to protect me. No one to hide behind. So where do I sign up." All emotion in her voice was gone.

Gakupo removed his hand. "Come with me."

... ... ... ... ... ...

Gumi screamed and gripped the arm of the seat.

"Sorry, miss, almost done." The man grunted, forcing her to hold still with his heavy hand. The needle dug into the skin over her cheekbones, and she had never known such agony. Why, why, WHY did she choose this design? She could have gotten one stripe on her nose and left.

"It's looks awesome." Gakupo said from the corner, crossing his long legs. Gumi didn't care if it was the most beautiful tattoo on Earth. She just wanted the bastard to finish.

"Done." He pulled away, grinning. "Badass."

Gumi groaned as she faced the mirror. Sure, they were cool, but they were red and swollen and painful. I guess that's what happens when you get a tattoo from an amateur, she thought snidely.

After inspecting hers for a while, she turned to look at the other two in the room. The purple-haired man, Gakupo, wore a tailored three piece suit and had his long hair swept into a ponytail. This exposed his tattoos- three small black dots in a row down his face, and one stripe across his nose.

The tattoo artist looked very young to even be in a gang. He was quite short, had big blue eyes, and white wispy hair sticking up from his head. For some reason, he had two stripes instead of two.

Gumi was about to ask why, when someone poked their head around the door.

"Hey, Festival is in an hour." The girl said, popping her gum. She had a long blonde ponytail and clutched a cellphone. "In the warehouse."

"Thanks, Neru." Gakupo nodded, and Neru disappeared.

"What's Festival?" Gumi asked, swinging her legs off of the parlor chair and stretching.

"Exactly what you'd think- a festival. Everyone just gathers in the warehouse and sings and dances."

When Haku got really drunk, she would sing at the top of her lungs. Gumi grimaced. Don't think about it.

"Gumi?"

"Hmm?" Gumi blinked. "Sorry, what?"

Gakupo raised an eyebrow. "I said let's go get ready, alright?"

… … … … … … …

"Ready, lift!" Kaito said, and the four men groaned as they hoisted the piano into the air. Len grimaced. "How did I end up with the heaviest end?"

"Because you're so buff." Kaito replied. "Now, to the door, ready? Move!"

Mikuo and Sora glanced nervously behind their shoulders as they inched the piano towards the door of the warehouse.

"Keep up the good work, boys!" Rin shouted. She was perched on a table, filling the punch bowl with the usual flavorless purple drink. No doubt gallons of vodka would be added in later.

Luka appeared at the table, holding a cell phone in her right palm. She thrust it at Rin. "It's for you."

Rin only knew one person who used a cell phone. "Hey, Meiko." She answered, cradling the phone with her neck and pouring punch at the same time. "Are you almost home?"

"Um…no. Slight problem. I won't be home until late. Very late."

Rin frowned. "What? Why?"

There was a pause. "I've sort of been….kidnapped."