Opening Note(s): School's been a total sod. I've been swamped with lots of work and exams... The bum's I got kicked out of my college 'cause I can't maintain the average required... I've got two failing marks this sem! Now I'm finding myself a new school fast... damn... I was supposed to be a graduating student...
How I wish I enrolled on a less demanding university... T.T
So there you see! I'm full of teenage angst so please understand my late update! XD
—
Rules
of Abduction
Written by: Snow Sparkle
Chapter VII – When the
Universe Conspires
—
Rule 7: If compatibility always depends in similarities, then how come north and south poles attract and jigsaw puzzles are cut unevenly?
—
—
There has got to be some exaggeration in her part.
There was no way she could have fallen for him!
Perhaps a crush or an infatuation... but love?
Where in the nine hells did she get the idea from?!
Obviously she had been reading too much romance novels lately.
Obviously! her mind squawked, almost livid. Her conflicting and blurry emotions last night had gotten better of her. She wasn't in love with him, was she?
She simply found him... a little attractive and appealing... and sexy—
She had to stop her thoughts right there or she'd be deemed a pervert for the rest of her shamed life.
Mikan paced anxiously around her room, chewing her fingernails. She was being impulsive on her decisions like always. After her silent confession last night and after she had awoken with a fresh new mind, she felt extremely embarrassed.
Severely mortified.
Compare her situation last night to a drunk, who had done embarrassing things like stripping naked and the next day, after the alcohol was out of the system, felt shamed for even doing those things.
Too bad the drunk excuse wouldn't work on her. For one, she was underage.
It's not like I've said it aloud... she placated herself and momentarily stopped her pacing to welcome the new light. But... She began to pace uneasily again. What if Koko reads my mind and finds out?! She whimpered helplessly at the very thought. If Natsume would know she had feelings for him, she would never hear the end of it. I'm so done for...!
Mikan hadn't thought of all the possible ways to lead her downfall when quite unhelpfully, Koko skidded the shoji door and a standard grin plastered on his face.
All Mikan could do was to gape foolishly, blanch and turn beleaguered. "Oh no..." she wheezed, half whimpering. "You already knew, didn't you?"
Koko gave her a look of innocence. "Know what? I am here to announce breakfast is ready."
It was then when Mikan realized her blatant gaffe and before Koko could crack an impish grin and read her mind, she did her best to scatter her wits and concentrated her mind into a different topic. However, as someone in dire pressure, it could be trusted that Mikan couldn't organize her psyche and so her thoughts unwittingly drifted to the decapitated princes.
Then Koko frowned.
"He didn't do it." Koko immediately avowed before he could even stop himself. Inwardly, he wanted to smack his head for the witless slip of tongue but he felt incredibly relieved that he had defended his captain.
Of course everyone knew what happened yesterday. It came as a shock to the group but it wasn't Mikan's fault that she got curious and all. If he was Mikan, he would have done the same. Heck. He had done the same. It was everyone's nature to just find answers. And since Mikan had been somewhat a part of the group, she was bound to find out the truth.
But not the whole and absolute truth.
Natsume had warned them and they were to obey. It wasn't because they didn't trust Mikan and spill the secret. Heck, if it was someone else, he would have thrown accusing stuffs, ran away and maybe report to the police and hide forever for fear. But Mikan didn't.
And that was exactly the reason why they have to keep her from the truth. They couldn't let her get involve more to their mess and mess up her own life more.
It was: What you don't know can't hurt you. Right?
They hoped.
"I know." Mikan smiled placidly at Koko and quickly shifted her gear by scratching her cheek distractedly. "So, has the milk arrived?"
"Yeah!" Koko chirped in happily covering up his shock and immediately brightened up. He should get back to his habit in reading minds every time to avoid being caught off-guard. Nevertheless, he felt amazed at Mikan's ability to trust. Did she know that newspaper publishing was being controlled too by GPU and that the truth was immensely different compared to the broadsheet?
No.
They why?
Koko didn't know. He was a mind reader. Not a mind interpreter.
Maybe Mikan was plainly a simpleton that she only needed a simple answer and elaborate, complicated explanations were rubbish, as she didn't have a large brain capacity to handle it.
Still it was somewhat a remarkable and quite a commendable trait.
So it would too despicable of him if he wouldn't reward her... With that, he abruptly stopped to his tracks, making Mikan collide lightly against his back. Koko need not to look back to know she was slightly peeved. "Oh yeah... I lied. I know about it."
Mikan blinked, perplexed. "What it?" When all Koko did to reply was to wink meaningfully, she finally got it and soon found herself flushing hot red in embarrassment. "You— You—!" She pointed a trembling finger at him, obviously too distracted and felt betrayed and embarrassed to find the right words to say.
"Don't worry." Koko cracked a wide grin, ruffling Mikan's hair and slinging his arm over her shoulder like they had been friends for eons.
Coffee irises trained expectantly at Koko, doing her best impression of being pitiful. "You mean you won't tell a soul?" she uttered in a stage whisper and sounded hopeful... way too hopeful... not to mention desperate.
Koko waved an offhanded hand, trying to placate her. "Nah... Just a couple of people..."
Mikan had to stop and shrug his arm away. "And who are these couple of people?" She narrowed her eyes, giving him a warning.
Unfortunately, she was as scary as a stuffed animal dressed in colors of Christmas that Koko ignored easily her warning. "Oh you know... Ruka, Misaki, Tsubasa, Tsubaki-san—"
A gasp cut through his enumeration. "Well why don't you tell the whole crew except Natsume!?" Mikan snapped sarcastically, clearly cheesed off.
Koko beamed at her and looked at her like she was some kind of a misunderstood and covert genius. "Good idea!"
Mikan gaped at him. "You're unbelievable!" she squawked. Albeit, a small smile tucked her lips and she began to laugh with Koko.
Laughter came to an abrupt stop, halfway to the kitchen, when Natsume met them head-on and gave the two a silencing glare. Obviously, he was looking so not like a happy bunny.
Mikan caught her breath in her throat, suddenly feeling ill at ease and finding the situation genuinely awkward. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, mentally berating herself for not properly combing her hair before she pulled them into pigtails. Her face seemed to heat up, fighting the temptation to look at him and gave herself away. "Umm..." She nervously twiddled her fingers. "Good—"
"Koko, after the breakfast, help the others load our stuffs. We're leaving." Natsume instructed then looked at Mikan who seemed to be struggling to hide her irritation for cutting her off.
"So soon?" Koko tried to stall and kill the awkward air with his grin.
"Persona called. He was getting impatient. The reward got a centimeter smaller."
Mikan had enough being denied of her existence. She harrumphed and purposely stomped her foot and furiously skirted to the kitchen. Her trail was followed by muttered I'm-such-a-sucker speeches.
Natsume raised a brow. "What's wrong with her?"
Koko grinned goofily. "It's a girl thing."
—
—
Her steps were prompt, even and purposeful while she made her way through the dirt road. It was a miracle that her freshly shinned shoes were not gathering unwanted dirt on its sides. It was as if the dirt and she were on the same pole and thus repelled one other.
She knew deep inside of her she was lost, yet her gray eyes were unfrettingly scanning the whole area in search of the place. She could have asked the villagers but she had chosen not. She really didn't like talking to people whom she thought was lower than her. Besides, she was top class and used to do things by herself.
And then, she found it.
781 Cystein Street— The little inn called Halcyon Dreams.
"Good morning..." someone greeted her upon her first step into the inn's reception area. The greeting was unenthusiastic and almost monotone like the receptionist wanted everyone to know that it wasn't really her job and she was just a stand-in.
"Good morning to yourself." she spat back equally unenthusiastic and eyed the green-eyed receptionist's crude nameplate on her right breast callously. Hi my name's Sumire, it said.
The girl watched Sumire robotically flipped open the guest book, picked up a pen and without regarding her, asked, "Name?"
The girl straightened up. It was time to get down to business. "Actually, I'm here to see Natsume. Natsume Hyuuga."
"Name?" Sumire insisted, pretending deaf about the girl's request to see the captain. She was trying not to give anything away but her tightening of her grip on the pen betrayed her.
"Look," the girl said impatiently. "I don't want a room. I want to see Natsume Hyuuga."
Sumire looked up to smile at the girl contemptuously. "Well then, you have no business here. This is an inn not a place to search for missing persons. That would be the police station several blocks from here."
"Don't test me." she warned but then decided to let it pass. She sighed irritably and pulled out her identification card gloatingly to Sumire's face. "Luna Koizumi. GPU. Sent for inspection."
Sumire regarded Luna's I.D. banefully, trying to hide her growing trepidation and hope it was a fake I.D. "Nice try but you see, I'm not informed of this scam so—" she made a shooing gesture.
Luna scoffed. "Well clearly, your captain doesn't trust you enough to inform you even the most trifle of matters."
Sumire slumped the guest book shut and significantly stood from her seat to reflect her growing rage. "What. Did. You. Say?!"
"I said you look good in that costume, pirate." Luna challenged rudely. She trusted herself she could fight back if Sumire would happen to strike. "Why don't you inform Hyuuga. Here's my I.D. show it and he'll know."
—
—
"They seem chummy. Who is she?" Tsubasa threw a thumb on the direction of the newly-arrived girl who was talking to Natsume.
It was Luna and she was holding up a clipboard and making several notes and checks (maybe more than a few X-marks too). Her eyes were scanning and checking every detail of the crew and the ship. It wasn't the first time GPU had sent someone for inspection but it was certainly the first time they had sent someone apparently attractive rather than the nerdy clipboard girl named Nessy.
She wasn't docile-looking too like Nessy. Sure she wore glasses like Nessy but Luna looked like a tyrant and stiff so they couldn't possibly bribe or wheedle her to write good things about them...
Bugger...
"Who?" Koko's voice was strained due to massive cargo he was pushing up the ship through the lever. He had managed to throw his head back to see who was Tsubasa asking about though. He was momentarily stumped at the incredibly pretty girl. "Maybe old girlfriend?" Koko guessed vaguely then dismissed it when he realized it was quite unlikely. "Hey! Help me here, would you?"
"Can't you see I'm doing work here?" Tsubasa griped crabbily, pretending to examine something interesting on the cargos but not before taking another look at the young girl and whistling in appreciation.
"Like what?" someone challenged behind him and dragged him with his ear to force him to face the very livid Misaki.
"Misaki—!" Tsubasa exclaimed and was taken aback nervously and somehow guiltily. "Hi baby— oof!" A mop was shoved none-too-gently against his chest and he gawked at the mop dumbly. He scratched the back of his head thoughtlessly. "What am I gonna do with this?"
"Oh, I don't know, hit yourself with it?" she snapped and shoved a bucket of water and Tsubasa need not to exaggerate the stagger he did at the incredible force she exerted. "Get the idea, you moron!" she screamed and then began to walk away then spared at Tsubasa who was still frozen on his place. "Move it!"
At the commanding and demanding voice, Tsubasa immediately scampered off to work and watched Misaki join Sumire guarding over their performance with their arms and eyebrows crossed.
Sumire too was giving Koko an accusatory glare and tapping her foot impatiently as if she was expecting him to do something she wouldn't like.
Koko wisely chose to keep his mouth shut, inwardly thankful his sweating was at least had a job for display and refusing to read the girls' minds. He had read lots of murderous thoughts before, but Koko knew better that those evil thoughts were nothing compared to those two undecidedly jealous girls.
Sometimes they're even scarier than Natsume...
"What's wrong with those girls?" Tsubasa asked in an inconspicuous manner, still rubbing the sore parts of his body with a frown. Too distracted, he accidentally placed too much stress on one of them. "Ow!"
Koko carefully crept closer. "I think they're being threatened." Koko answered back in a whisper.
Tsubasa momentarily stopped picking his sore and whipped his head to Koko with a surprised face. "By the new girl?" Tsubasa uttered in disbelief.
Koko shrugged and took his rest atop one of the cargos. "Perhaps."
It took moments to process the information then suddenly, Tsubasa grinned like a lunatic, sniggering. "Wow! This is sweet!"
Koko read his mind and laughed at his thoughts. "I like the way you think, so silly!"
"It's not silly!" Tsubasa gripped, hurt. He had mopping the same spot for quite a while now. "I knew it! Misaki has a thing for me after all! I could use the girl to make her jealous."
Koko gave Tsubasa a look that was cross between mock and amusement. "Get real. It's not like the girl will be interested enough to you to make her jealous."
Point. "I bet you're being threatened by me too." Tsubasa bit back. His tone suspiciously sounding he was hurt.
"Sure. Look at my threatened and panicky face." Koko point blank pointed his face with a wide grin.
"Whatever..." Tsubasa grumbled, defeated. He decided to give up on mopping now that the girls went down to join Tsubaki. But he didn't put down the mop so he'd be ready to go for a show if ever they came back and rest his cheek over the mop's handle. "Too bad Natsume couldn't use her to his advantage... What a waste."
Koko played bemused just for the sake of running the conversation. "Why?"
"Because he had no cherished someone. Poor guy. I actually pity him. At least Misaki shows she cares for me by hitting my face."
Koko shrugged. "You look like you really don't pity him. You're more like mocking him. If you ask me, you're worse. And who said he had no one to cherish?"
Tsubasa snorted derisively. "Don't give me the sentimental crap that it is us."
Koko grinned wider. "Of course not!"
Tsubasa gave a big thought for a moment, eliminating the possible romantic prospects for the dubbed Cherished Someone. Deciding Koko could read his mind anyway, he thought aloud. "Assuming Natsume's not asexual... Hotaru... heck no. Unless he's into incest. Tsubaki... she's too old. Sumire is, we all know there's no chance in hell. I can't seem to find a profound reason to justify that but it's like common sense. Misaki... I'm her punching bag. But I like sadists so it's actually my sick fetish."
"Natsume's likes sadists too." Koko pointed out automatically.
"Misaki's mine and Natsume could get his own sadistic psychotic girlfriend for himself." Tsubasa defensively grouched. He paused to recall the names rolling in his mind before he was interrupted. "So that'll leave the little princess?" He looked at Koko significantly, as if waiting for his confirmation.
Koko gave him a two-thumbs up. "Congratulations Sherlock for solving your first kiddie crime."
Tsubasa ignored Koko but his patience for this grinning maniac was wearing thin. "Natsume has a thing for Mikan?"
"No. Not yet." And even when Koko said that he looked so cheerfully positive. Like he was not really a mind reader but a fortune teller.
It was now Tsubasa's turn to laugh rudely. "I like the way you think, so silly!"
—
—
"So I guess you're an alice?" Sumire tried to come out as casual yet her voice had an edgy feel to it.
She had waited for the time to confront Luna alone and it came when Luna went inside the ship's kitchen to inspect. It was even a miracle Luna didn't drag Natsume with her to force him become her guide.
Perhaps she wanted to brazen out with Sumire too.
Sumire watched Luna with her narrowed eyes, waiting for her do to something or any changes in her stoic features. It didn't. Even when she answered, "Yes."
Sumire raised a brow contemptuously. She had precariously picked up a knife just to test Luna for any change in facial expression— a fear or something else to rag at her. But none came, much to her displeasure. "And what's your alice?"
"What is your alice first." Luna shot back to her.
Sumire visibly flinched. To her, her alice was as big as a secret as Natsume-incident eight years ago. Although it might be a big overstatement... "I asked first."
"It doesn't matter who asked first. What matters is who wants to get the answer more."
"Don't be smart on me, git!"
She turned her face arrogantly full to her, as if challenging Sumire to say it to her pretty face. "My name's not git. It's Luna."
"How original." Sumire sneered. She hated pretending to be cool girls and this Luna was a great exemplar. Doesn't mean she was GPU's representative, doesn't mean she was the co-boss.
"You don't like me, do you?" Luna asked monotonously as if to tell Sumire she really didn't care and that the feeling was mutual.
"I will if you keep sticking to Natsume like the slut you are now."
Luna let out a contemptuous scoff. "I see..." she drawled slowly. "You're another self-proclaimed girlfriend of Natsume."
Sumire wouldn't be deterred. "And you're not?"
"I'm here to work and since I'm a professional, hanky-pankies aren't my thing." Luna said in a condensing manner and whipped around to open the door out only to see the eavesdropping pirates, Koko and Tsubasa. Seeing as they've been found out, they grinned shakily and scratched their heads meekly.
Luna let out a scoff.
"This is the mighty crew behind the Raven Ridge?" She gave the two male pirates an overall disappointed look. "And here I thought sea monkeys were pathetic." And then she left with an arrogant head poked airily heavenward and the three members watched her wake.
"How cool!" Koko gushed, completely immune to insults. But then he caught Sumire's glare and coughed. "I mean... what a bitch."
—
—
Whoever said that the world was unfair to the women population had never seen the Raven Ridge work.
While the boys were busy loading the ship with goods, slavering under the sun and dehydrated; the girls were busy sogging their cookies until mushy in their teas, under the hefty shade of tree and leisurely watching an entirely different scenery of field of flowers and drifting butterflies— In another term: picnicking.
Tsubaki stirred her tea passively, eyes trained to the slaving boys and smiling and sighing dreamily every now and then. "Luna's a blessing in disguise." she mused. "Just look at how sweet young love is..."
Misaki followed Tsubaki's stare to figure what those dreamy musings about and saw Natsume supervising his teammates work with Luna (insert twitch here) who was chortling amiably and flirtatiously. Luna had seemed to have forgotten she was inspecting as her clipboard was sent to her back's oblivion.
"Sweet?" Misaki cried in disbelief if not disapproval and disgust. "I can't believe you're rooting for her!"
Sumire nodded stiffly, a frown visible and muttered darkly, "Traitor..."
"What?" Tsubaki looked severely offended especially on the traitor part. "Of course I am rooting for her. I thought you guys were too! After all, Natsume seems to like her the best."
Sumire broke the cookie into two crossly to show her spite. "I object." Sumire said crustily accenting the cookie crunch.
"I second the motion." Misaki concurred, raising a hand.
"Look, she's a hypocrite. She says she's a pro and hanky-pankies are no-no but she suckers up to him like a slut."
Tsubaki gave Sumire a reprimanding look for using the S-word. "Sumire, darling, how could you accuse her of such?"
The two anti-Lunas slapped a palm against their forehead as if to say There goes another fooled one...
Sumire frowned disapprovingly. Then, facing the general direction of Luna, she closed an eye and pretended to quash the miniature Luna with all her spite. "Luna's entranced you too? I can't believe you've been hoodwinked by that hypocrite."
Tsubaki blinked amusedly, realizing what were they on. "No, no, no." she admonished as she tittered. "I was referring to her." Her old finger pointed the moping Mikan sighing miserably and doing nothing but pick on the glass blades and throw it poutingly to Luna's direction who was about ten feet away. Of course the grass blades would reach about a few centimeters only to be blown back by the wind to her face.
"Oh..." Misaki grinned puckishly, hit by a realization.
"What about her?" Sumire frowned. Apparently she still didn't like that it was Mikan. She was rooting for herself...
"She's jealous." Misaki pointed out cheerfully then clasped her hands with Tsubaki as if in an excite and were watching a chick flick. "I knew you'd side with me!"
"Well I'm jealous too!" Sumire gripped defensively. "Wouldn't that make me sweet too?!"
"More like envious. So that would make you bitter rather than sweet." Misaki said drolly, smiling. She nudged her friend, trying to pull her to their side as well. "C'mon Sumire, you see it too, don't you?"
"No." she was defiant.
"A lie."
The three almost jumped at the new voice.
"Hotaru!" Tsubaki said half edgily and half admonishingly, clutching her heart from the shock. "When did you get here?"
Hotaru looked comfortable from her seating position and refilled her tea. "I was here from the start—" She jugged the empty teapot and looked at Tsubaki accusingly. "No more."
Tsubaki looked down innocently at all of their unfinished first teas. "How many servings have you had?"
"Six." She sipped her quarter-filled cup slowly, trying to preserve the tea. "I've told you I was here from the start."
"Okay..." they all said slowly and somewhat doubtfully. Hotaru had the habit of popping out of nowhere...
"So what are you, on our side?" Misaki asked testingly, her eyes narrowing to gauge Hotaru's reaction.
"I side where I'll gain more."
"And where'll you gain more?" Misaki pressed. With Hotaru in their side it would be like having nuclear bomb versus spears and arrows in a war.
Hotaru took another sip of tea but discovered instead that none was left. Hotaru frowned, displeased but proceeded to talk. "Luna first. I say she's more like Natsume. They possibly agree in a lot of things. And possibly understand each other so-called angst." Hotaru made an airy quote on angst with a scorn. Obviously finding the thought very ridiculous and infuriating. "Mikan, on the other hand, is different. Way different. They argue in the simplest things and being raised up in a positive environment, she quite can't grasp Natsume's retarded and rather disturbed psych."
"So... you're saying Luna's better off with Natsume?"
Hotaru quirk a small sagely smile. "Tell me, can a blind man lead another blind man?"
—
—
Ending Note(s): I think I've made my characters OOC... But I've warned you the very first chapter, right? Yes I know, I've CRAPPED this seemingly unprogressive chapter but I swear this is the best I could get out for now. Updates might be extremely slow... Parents say my life revolves around computer too much that it affects my studies...
On a lighter note: Happy Halloween!
Or maybe it is a darker note...
Thank you so much (!):
crimsoneyes44, Shmeeko, Mistress Symphony, xXRainbow-ChanXx, Neko-chan and Caicai, meliss66, StarAngel02, rockerfaith, animearchitect, BnWhites, My Hopeless Romantic, xXbunnyholicXx, Erilin-chan, Rainy Day Pearl, niceladysakura, pApAw, gabyrendon, Orange Sorbet, Xim-no-writerX, Cute Pukite, Nadeshiko-hime, MoonCastic, ~stephmoomoo, Lynneh, Smoochynose, JoiZ. D, Magical Goddess Asahina, storylover1234, kirei31
