Equinox: Hello everyone!
Zena: Am I back now? Can I talk without being dragged off by the she-devil?
Equinox: Haha! Yea you should be good.
Zena: Good...
Kerushi: Did you just call me a she-devil?
Zena: Umm...
Kerushi: Because that's pretty accurate...
Zena: Then yes, I did.
Equinox: *sigh*... I will never understand you two...
Makkay: Why not? They are you and me after all...
Equinox: Yea well I don't really understand us either...
Makkay: Why do you say that?
Equinox: Well, when we had our YuYu Hakusho Marathon not to long ago, we kept going, "Puu..." in the same voice Puu uses.
Makkay: ...
Equinox: And let's not forget during our previous Anime Marathons, we would end every sentence we said with -nya, just like Yoru from Shugo Chara-
Makkay: Yea but-
Equinox: AND we would always do the *And Then!* thing with Happy whenever we would watch Fairy Tail.
Makkay: ... Alright... Yea I don't understand us either... Puu...
Equinox: Puu...
Puu: Puu!
Equinox and Makkay: OH MY GOD HE'S SO FREAKING CUTE!
Zena: Umm... can we get on with it?
Equinox: Oh yea... Puu! Do the disclaimer!
Puu: Puu puu puu puu puu puu puu!
Equinox and Makkay: GOOD ENOUGH!
Equinox: Chapter 7, here we come!
It's SHOWTIME!
Chapter 7
And So It Shows Itself Again, Part 2
"Alright boys, we are off to get Zena some more clothes!" Keiko yelled to the boys as they headed out the door. They came from the walls to hug their respective loved ones. Zena stood by the steps, waiting. She wore a simple outfit, one that didn't have much style like the others. Simple black fitted cotton tank top, black skinny jeans, converse, and black fingerless gloves. A black choker was around her neck with a small silver bell attached to it. A silver headband was placed in her hair, but didn't pull back her bangs so they still covered her eye.
She let out a breath, waiting for the girls.
"I thought you would be out here. You do get rather impatient."
Zena turned to see Kerushi in a brown flannel shirt with a navy blue camisole underneath. Normal jeans covered her legs and tan converse were on her feet. They looked as though they had seen better days. Her hair was in a big messy bun, pieces of hair sticking out from the back.
Zena gave a smirk. "You know me so well Nee-san." Zena turned back towards the stairs. "So... the others 'bout done with their whole... thing yet?"
Kerushi smiled. "Yeah. They will be out in a second." She cocked her head to the side. "You've got money, don't you?"
Zena reached into her back pocket, pulling out a black leather wallet with a silver chain. She waved it in the air, speaking, "Well duh. I'm not letting these people spoil me. That just wouldn't be right."
Suddenly, her wallet was snatched out of her hand. She turned back, eyes full of fury as they settled on Botan, her wallet slipping into Botan's purse.
"Ah ah ah. Sorry, but you won't be getting this back until it's time for lunch," she said, her voice airy and upbeat.
"So help me Enma, you will give me that back now," Zena spoke in a clipped tone, thrusting out a hand. "That was my fathers, and you will do good by giving it back to me." Botan's eyes widened, quickly fishing out the wallet and set it in Zena's palm. Snatching it away, Zena stuffed the wallet back in her pocket, stomping down the stairs. As she walked, she heard Kerushi whispering something to them.
*Switch to Zena POV*
I waited at the bottom of the steps, my iPod blasting in my ears. I just needed some good ol' MCR, PatD, and FOB to calm down. Whenever people touched my father's things, I just had to listen to music to get rid of the anger that I was sure would consume me. I slowly rocked side to side as I hummed "Young Volcanoes" by Fall Out Boy. My anger melted away with every note, leaving a smile on my face.
I just had to be careful of singing out loud. I hated when people heard me. I am a very self conscious person after all. I thought back to the whole Jin incident, blushing slightly at the memory. I can't believe he heard me! I slipped, letting myself get too comfortable, and, as I have experienced many times, Karma is a complete and utter B.I.T.C.H. But then again, he is so cute, why should I care anyways? I should have just told him the truth, but I had to do the stupid thing and lie completely to him.
"And it wasn't even a GOOD lie!" I mutter curtly under my breath, pacing back and forth. I raised my hands to frame my face as I mocked myself, saying, "'What are you talking about? I don't sing!'" I sat on the step behind me, placing my head on my fist and sighed a, "Perfect."
My mind stayed on Jin. He was just so great... A smile to light up a room (cheesy), a laugh like a clap of thunder (incredibly loud), and he could go shirtless around me as much as he pleased (WARNING: EXTREMELY HOT OBJECT CLOSE BY. STAY ON ALERT). He flew around without a care in the world, and when he heard I had gone "missing" he was searching frantically for me.
But what chance did I have with him, anyways? I was the scary daughter of Sakyo, the one who fell two grown demon men with one hit each. The one who denied everything.
I snapped out of my thoughts as someone gently tugged on my ear bud, making it come loose and fall. I turned to see Botan with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "I'm sorry for grabbing you wallet. I didn't realize it was your father's. We girls just didn't want you spending all of your money today."
I gave her a small smile, saying, "It's okay, Botan. At least let me pay for some things, okay? I don't want to be a burden." I stood, dusting off my butt. "So," I started, turning down my iPod, "where to first?"
*Switch to Narrator POV*
The girls walked the short distance to the station, talking about nonsensical things.
"So Zena," Keiko said, grasping onto the railing of the train, "do you have any idea as to why your one eye is blind?"
Zena gave a shrug from her seat, one ear bud still sitting in her ear. "I think Dad's family had a slight trait of blindness. Though I'm not exactly sure as to how only one eye became blind. And the idea behind its odd coloring, I have no idea about."
"No one in our entire family understands that, Imouto," Kerushi said, thrumming her nails on her arm. Zena snapped her fingers, pointing at her sister with a smirk on her face.
The train stopped, a voice coming over the intercom, saying they were in the shopping district. The girls piled off, their chatter continuing.
"Kerushi, I've got a question for ya," Shizuru started.
"Yeah?"
"Have any of the boys caught your interest?"
Kerushi stumbled, shocked by the sudden question. "Why would you ask something like that so suddenly?!"
Shizuru shrugged, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "Just wondering is all," she muttered as she lit one.
Kerushi held her chin, thinking. Her eyes grew wide as she remembered a certain ice shinobi, her cheeks flushing slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by any of the girls. Keiko squealed in the background as Shizuru prodded for a name. Yukina clapped her hands in joy, Botan spinning to face Kerushi full on while walking backwards.
Only Zena stopped, a shocked expression on her face. "Really, Onee-chan? I know I'm the younger sibling and all, but do you think you can handle a love interest so soon? I mean aren't you still healing from the whole... Nerozu ordeal?" She whispered the last part, the name like acid on her tongue.
Kerushi stopped, causing the group to jerk forward. Her breath became shallow as she thought about the boy from her past. She turned to her younger sister, her eyes slowly flooding with pain filled tears.
Yukina spoke up, asking, "Who is Nerozu?"
Kerushi swallowed the lump in her throat, answering, "He was a boy who had taken in my sister and me when we were in need. He was kind and sweet and I fell easily... But then I found out how much of a dick he was. He didn't care about me... And I fell for his trap.'
Botan frowned, hugging the poor girl. She perked up then, seeing a shop that caught her eye. "I have a great idea! How about we spoil ourselves?"
Zena raised her eyebrows in shock. When the girls gave her a weird look, she laughed to herself, looking down while saying, "Sorry... My mind is TOTALLY in the gutter."
Kerushi face palmed before smacking her sister on the back of the head. She turned to Botan after hearing a faint 'I deserved that' from Zena, asking, "What do you mean, Botan?"
Botan's grin grew even more as she pointed to the salon across the way. It was a purple color, the sign above in bright neon green, saying 'Electra's Hair and Nails'. The girls looked towards each other, nodded, and entered the shop.
Inside was all purple, green, and black, giving it an edgier look, but still appealed to the girly girls. The lady at the desk was pretty with her bright blue eyes and black hair. Her bangs covered her right eye completely, making the blue one turn a more sea foam green. She wore a simple black belly tee and blue skinnys. She looked up to welcome the girls, saying in a proud tone, "Welcome to Electra's! Who is getting done?"
They all raised their hands. Botan stepped forward, leaning on the counter, saying, "We are having a girl's day out and decided to spoil ourselves. We would all like a mani-pedi. I want a new hair cut, too. These girls will say what else they may want."
Shizuru came forward, asking for a hair cut also, as did Yukina and Keiko. Kerushi stepped forward next, asking for a major cut and color, making the women smile wide and nod.
The last was Zena. She looked left and right, then leaned forward, whispering, "I just want a color and trim, but can I have someone trusted do it?"
The woman tilted her head, asking, "Why is that, child?"
Zena lifted her hair, showing her different eye color. "This is why. I don't want to freak anyone out."
The woman smiled kindly, lifting her hair to show a ruby red right eye. "I understand completely. It's your lucky day then."
Zena raised a brow, looking at the woman with curiosity. She moved her long hair out of the way to reveal her name tag, which read, 'Owner and Manager, Electra Zetric'. Zena's eyes widened and Electra paged for a few more girls.
"Mira, you handle Botan. Ginni, Shizuru. Wasami and Yukina. Pyona and Keiko. Kerushi and Zena, follow me. Fero and I will handle you in a different room," Electra said, shooing the girls away with their separate stylist. Zena and Kerushi were then led through the salon, Electra stopping to chat with a few of the other stylist and some customers. Electra stopped before a one-way glass door, looking both ways before beckoning the girls inside and quietly shutting the door.
*Switch to Botan and Company*
The girls sat in their respective chairs as the stylist began to work on their nails. They chatted with each other before Botan asked a question.
"Why did that woman take Zena and Kerushi somewhere different?"
Mira looked up, flipping her silvery hair out of her face. She smiled and replied with, "Because Electra is just like your short haired friend."
Keiko tilted her head to the side asking, "How so?"
"Multicolored eyes, one of which is blind," Pyona answered, staring carefully at Keiko's nails.
"Really?" Shizuru asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Did she do the same for Kerushi and us four?"
Ginni gave a nod, saying, "I am like you. Completely human, yet able to pick up on the energies of demons and spirit energy."
"I used to work for King Crybaby, but he set me loose after a few years of service," Mira said.
"Well I'm dating that so called 'King Crybaby'. I may not be very happy with him right now, but you'd best watch your tongue," Botan said, giving a slight glare to the woman before her. Mira merely raised her hands in defeat, chuckling slightly.
"I'm not an Ice apparition," Wasami said, "but I am an ice user."
"Strait up human with no weird abilities!" Pyona said with joy.
"Shizuru raised her brow once more, asking, "So how is that Fero chick like Kerushi."
The stylist burst into giggles, making the girls tilt their heads in confusion. After their giggles subsided, Wasami spoke up. "Fero isn't a girl! He is the only male stylist in this salon. But he is just like Kerushi. He is always looking out for his little sister Electra."
*Switch to Zena and Kerushi, Zena POV*
My sister and I walked into the room, which was slightly darker than the other side of the door. I was able to see a body leaning against the wall to my right. I turned to see a man, maybe a few years older than Electra. He had a red Mohawk and tanned skin. He had a cigarette in his mouth, the smoke causing my lungs to scream in envy. His eyes were a deep violet that made them shimmer like jewels. He had a silver suit shirt on, the sleeves rolled past his elbows. A black vest was on the outside of it, the color of it the same shade as his pinstriped pants and shiny shoes.
"I see you have found a good pair of sisters, Lectra," he said, his voice huskier than I had imagined. I had thought he would have a major gay boy accent.
"That I have, Fero. You will be taking care of Kerushi. I have Zena," Electra said, gripping my arm gently and dragging me over to the opposite wall of Fero. My other arm was suddenly grasped by rough fingers. I turned in surprise to see Fero by me. Up close, I saw that his eyes had a ring of green in them.
Not going to lie, I felt frightened. But I wasn't going to show it anytime soon. As he reached to lift my hair, I swung my hand, effectively swatting it away. His eyes grew wide with surprise, his lips turning up in a smirk. Suddenly, he gripped my chin, hard, keeping my head where it was. He then brushed away my hair, revealing my green eye.
That is until Kerushi tackled him to the ground, pinning him under her weight.
"You'd best stay away from my sister," she snarled, pulling his arm back more.
He laughed, saying, "You are just as protective of her as I am with Ele. Us older siblings must watch over our younger siblings."
He easily pushed her off, rising slowly. Electra walked to him, helping him up, as he was saying thanks, she hit him on top of his head, causing him to fall again. "What was the point of that?" he muttered, rubbing his head.
Electra sneered, walking towards me. Her hair was now tied up in a ponytail, her bangs pinned out of the way. "So you are having a mani-pedi and a trim and color, right?" she asked, ignoring her brother.
I laugh, holding up my hands to show my lack of nails. "Scratch the mani-pedi for both of us. They just get in the way."
She laughed along, snapping her fingers. A wall slid between the room, cutting away my view of Fero and Kerushi. I turned to her, ready to fight.
"Why the hell did you do that?" I asked accusingly.
"So I can talk to you and he can talk to her. We are very alike. As are they. I promise you, we won't hurt you, your sister, or your friends." She smiled, leading me to the chair.
I sat, unsure of what else to do. She flung a cape over my front and had me lean back so she could wash my hair. My bangs fell out of my face, my green eye soaking up the clearer vision. As she washed my hair, I muttered, "It feels so nice to see clearly again."
Electra glanced at me, asking, "You mean to tell me that your green eye is the one that can see?" I nod. "Why do you cover it up?"
I shrug, answering with, "I see better when I can't." She watched me as she rinsed out the shampoo. As she rubbed in conditioner, she began to speak.
"I think you're gonna hate me for this, but if you don't mind, I want to cut your hair so you can see with your left eye. You say you see better when you can't, but at the same time, you have missed so much." She pushed me forward, wrapping my hair in a towel to dry it some. She walked to her drawer, pulling out a comb and some scissors.
"Can I try it? Cutting your hair to show your eye, I mean," she asked politely. I nodded.
She turned me to face the mirror as she began to cut. Little bits of hair fell away as she snipped. I didn't want to talk and mess her up, so I just shut my mouth and watched as she cut and snipped away. She paused when her phone rang. She raised a brow, picked it up, and said, 'Fero? Why are you calling me?" She put the phone on speaker as she continued to cut.
"Ask that little spice ball if her sister can handle her alcohol."
I reply with, "Usually. Wait, why the hell does she get a drink and I don't?"
Electra looked down at me, saying, "I wouldn't want to drink something that had my own hair clippings in it, so I was waiting to give you one."
Fero cut in. "I'm asking this because I-"
Kerushi's voice suddenly appeared over the phone as she slurred, "Zeeeeennnnn! You GOTTA come try his Bloody Mary's! Sooooo tasty!" She proceeded to have a fit of giggles, her voice becoming softer. I laughed, as did Electra.
"She should be fine. Just give her a Dr. Pepper and she will calm down."
"Got it. Thanks Zen," he said as he hung up.
Even though I knew he hung up, I shrieked, "PERV!"
Electra laughed, saying, "Sorry about him."
I huffed in response. She continued to cut my hair until she reached the front. She turned my chair, making me face her. "Close your eyes."
I shut them as I heard her snip away at my bangs. She pulled back after a few minutes, then instructed me to open.
My eyes snapped open to see my bangs still in my eye. When I raised a disapproving brow, she said, "Your hair will be shorter when you dry it. Now what do you want to do for colors?"
She handed me a big book full of shocks of colored hair. I flipped until I reached the odd colors.
"Those two," I said, pointing to two of the shocks.
She looked, smiling, and said, "Nuclear Acid Green and Atomic Purple? Nice choices."
I looked at her, asking, "Can you dip-dye the tips purple?"
She nodded, grabbing the proper chemicals. She brushed the goo over my hair, wrapped it in foil, and set a timer. She had Fero send over a Bloody Mary for me to drink while I was waiting. I sipped it as she sat across from me.
"I know who you are," she said suddenly.
I quirked an eyebrow to which she responded with, "Zena Teraki, daughter of Sakyo."
I nearly spit out me drink, but was able to swallow. "Why didn't you turn me and Kerushi away if you knew?"
"I'm not a total bitch. We are a lot alike, believe it or not. You will find out in due time." She got up, walked to her cart, and pulled loose a card. She handed it to me for me to read. It read, "Hirou Ganika, Tattoo Artist for the Troubled Misfits".
"I'm friends with him. His shop is only a few down from mine. I want you to take this and go to him later today. Be sure to go alone. At some point today, you are going to receive some information on your father. Once you receive it, go to Mr. Ganika for a tattoo. He will do it free of charge. My father left Fero and me when we were young too. I know things about you that you have never told anyone. Things that you don't even know. Get a tattoo to show your father so he can see what he did to you."
I didn't understand why she was telling me this, but I nodded anyways, thinking it was all too good to be true. The timer went off and she washed the crap from my hair. She had me face away from the mirror, so I had to wait to see the finished product. She blow dried my hair, spiking the back with gel. When she turned me around, I was shocked.
My hair was a vibrant green, bringing out my purple eye, the purple dye bringing out my green eye. She cut my bangs with windows so I could see well. As I got up to thank her, she snapped, the panel sliding away. I looked at Kerushi, seeing her new hair. She had it cut just past her shoulders, straitened. It was a deep blue with two strips of a lighter blue for her bangs. They stayed on either side of her nose. We smiled at each other.
"Nice hair, Onee-san."
"Same to you, Imouto."
We left, waving back to the stylists.
As we left, I thought about the card in my back pocket.
This is going to be an interesting day, I thought to myself as I searched for my friends.
*Switch to Narrator POV*
Zena and Kerushi found the girls easily. They were by the front desk, all chatting about their hair and nails. Botan's hair was just past her shoulders and straightened. Shizuru had her hair in a small ponytail, so small that when she took it out, her hair was barely past her ears. Yukina's hair hadn't changed much, just slightly shorter. Keiko's hair was halfway down the top half of her arm.
When the girls saw the sisters, they squealed in shock, save for Shizuru who merely nodded in approvement. They paid and went to the closest clothing store.
Zena made a B-line for the jeans and sweatshirts, but the girls blocked her path.
"We think you should get a different assortment of clothes instead of just sweatshirts and jeans," Botan said, walking her to the shorts and tank tops.
After what seemed like hours, Zena had purchased five pairs of short shorts, all in dark denim, three pairs of surfer shorts, two pairs of capris, a denim mini skirt, and a mountain of tanks and camisoles. She also convinced Botan to allow her to buy two new sweatshirts and two pairs of jeans. She also received a nice amount of shoes, all of which were mainly boots and heels, and a pair of converse. She was presently wearing a green tank with a purple cami underneath. She had on stiletto heels with straps past her ankle. She wore the miniskirt too, deciding by thinking, "Why the fuck not?"
As they were about to leave, Keiko's phone began to ring.
"Hello?.. Yusuke?.. Yes, I'm still in town... Why?.. What?! Really?"
The girls turned to Keiko. She took a shaky breath, muttering, "The Dark Tournament is back. And Sakyo is the leader."
Zena's heart sank. This was the news Electra was talking about.
"You guys go back. I need to go to one last place," Zena said. The girls gave her a worried look, but left anyways, hoping to catch the train.
Zena began to walk to the address on the card. She stopped before an average sized shop with the name 'The Troubled Misfits'. She stepped inside, looking at the man behind the counter. He was built and covered in tattoos. His brown hair lay surfer style on his head. A red button up and blue jeans covered his frame. The bell above Zena rang, grabbing his attention. His eyes were a soft brown.
"Hello," he said, his voice light. "What's your name?"
"Zena," she replied. "Electra said to come here for a tattoo after hearing something about my father. I assume you already know?"
He nodded, taking her to his station. She sat, pulling down the strap of her tank top.
"What do you want?" he asked, turning towards her.
"I want the word addict right above my heart, in cursive and black, and I want it to be surrounded by smoke, like from a cigarette."
"My opinion. I say we have smoke coming from your belly button, between your chest, and then curving around the word. Yes?"
After a while, she lay there, recovering from the sting of the needle. The man named Hirou said he never did sketches, just strait to inking. And since this was simple, he was done quickly, and it looked incredible. The smoke curled in just the right areas, the word standing out greatly against her pale skin. He was also skilled with spirit energy, making the color stay vibrant and never smear or fade.
As she walked out of the studio, she pulled the pack she always kept on her out and took out a cigarette. She lit it, sending a smoke signal into the air, as if to say:
"Here I come, you bastard."
Equinox: Done! Thanks for waiting so long everyone. I just had trouble thinking about what girls would do on a girl's day out... All of my experiences with those usually involved going somewhere to eat and then going back to someone's house for an anime marathon.
Makkay: Pretty much.
Equinox: Sorry, again for taking so long! Please don't hate me too much! Please review, I love the input! Also, question for you guys.
I have recently started shipping Kusuke (KuramaXYusuke). Thoughts?
Kurama, Yusuke, and Benson: NO.
Equinox and Makkay: WHY?
Kurama, Yusuke, and Benson: Just NO.
Equinox: But my OTP!
*sigh* Oh well...
Bye bye guys!
