Listening to the Mama Mia movie soundtrack (S.O.S in particular) can affect the way you think. I swear.
Sato took Takagi's hand an gave it a gentle squeeze. Then she pulled away.
"Wataru, I need to help Yumi. There's no way she's just going to come with us. She'll pitch a fit. Look how hysterical she is now." Sato said quietly. Takagi nodded. Sato moved to where Yumi had collapsed.
"We'll get him back." Sato said softly.
"H-he's gonna die!" Yumi sobbed. Sato kneeled down next to Yumi. Shiratori stood and backed away. No one had any idea what to say, however that didn't stop Shiratori from trying anyway.
"Stop being melodramatic. He's still got a little time. It won't be too late until the full moon." He said harshly. Yumi's eyes darted upward towards the almost-full-moon.
"He's gonna die!" She sobbed again. Takagi elbowed Shiratori.
"Y-your not helping..." He whispered. Alexander, who was kneeling on Yumi's other side, stood and walked back to where the others were standing.
"So it's a shadow spell?" He asked in a hushed voice as he blinked away the tears that refused to leave his eyes.
"Not now." Takagi said. Shiratori silently nodded his agreement. Alexander cast a sad glance at Yumi.
"At least I'm not actin' like that..." He grumbled. "I've known those guys for decades. and now they're gone..."
Takagi blinked and did the mental math. Alexander wasn't even two decades old... what was he talking about...
"A-are vampires immortal?" Takagi asked. Shiratori elbowed him.
"Later." He hissed, "We can talk once everyone is back at the room."
Sato wrapped her arms around Yumi. "It's ok... we'll get him back... he wouldn't want you to cry... come on... let's go back to the room..."
"What if I can't tell him? What if it's to late?" Yumi whispered more to herself than to anyone.
"He loves the way you smile... that's why he teases you... he can't get enough of that smile... so smile ok? Just a little?" Sato whispered. She was pretty awful at getting people to stop crying. But Yumi seemed a bit better.
"He likes me?" She asked. Her tears slowed. Sato smiled a bit and nodded.
"Now come on... let's go up to the room." She said. Yumi nodded. Sato stood and together she and Takagi helped Yumi to her feet. Shiratori realized he was still holding the half eaten bag of chips. He moved to throw them out but Yumi grabbed his wrist. She snatched the bag away and glared at him. Alexander seemed to find this funny. He let out a laugh. The laugh was wet with tears. But with the last of his willpower he forced them back. His eyes dried. The color began to return to his cheeks slowly. He watched as Yumi tucked the half empty bag of chips into her jacket pocket. Sato and Takagi looked at each other. Takagi gave her his best attempt at a smile.It must have come out as a grimace because she gave him a look that said "We'll get through this." Shiratori glared out at the rain that continued to fall then at his sopping wet clothes. Everyone was soaked again. He resisted the urge to dry them off with a flick of his wrist.
"You'll draw to much attention." Alexander said suddenly.
"... How did you-"
"Your fingertips are glowing"
two minutes later...
Everyone was back at the room and, while the boys were mostly sitting off to the side wondering what to do about Yumi, Sato was trying to get Yumi relax.
"Sit, let me brush your hair. It will make you relax" Sato said. Yumi sat. Sato pulled a brush from her purse and began to brush Yumi's hair... slowly... softly... quietly...
"It's like we're in collage again..." Yumi said suddenly. She'd stopped crying after a minute and now she was trying to get into her happy place.
"You're right. Remember getting ready to go out to karaoke? We spent hours on our hair and then your truck broke down," Sato laughed softly, "We had to walk to the bar in the rain."
Yumi smiled in spite of the tense atmosphere. "Yeah... I remember..."
The next few minutes ticked by slowly in silence. There was only the sounds of the teams breathing, the storm, and Sato brushing Yumi's hair. Finally the quiet drove Takagi over the edge. He stared at the vampires, wondering if they were immortal. If Miwako can live forever without getting old what's she going to do when I die? Am I going to be old and wrinkly while she stay's young and beautiful? And what's a mature vampire? Finally he just asked Alexander.
"Are vampires immortal? What's all this talk about vampire maturity? How come you're not in school?" Takagi asked in one breath. Alexander laughed. Sato and Yumi looked up with startled expressions.
"One at a time human boy," Alexander drawled. Takagi blinked.
"You just sounded like Shiratori?!"
"So..." Shiratori drawled.
"Mm.. You're right. Now are you gonna ask a question or what?" Alexander said. He was trying to keep calm despite the fact that he felt like smashing all the windows in the hotel. He was still grieving but Takagi was a good distraction.
"Are vampires immortal?" Takagi asked. Shiratori shook his head with an amused smile. He'd expected the humans to know that at least.
"Yeah... once we reach maturity we stop aging." Alexander said. Takagi looked confused again.
"M-maturity?"
"It's like puberty." Alexander made a face and flushed with embarrassment, "I-I mean..."
"We grow up just like humans only as we grow we need more blood and we discover our powers. A vampire reaches maturity around age thirty, but negative events in said vampires life can make them reach maturity at an earlier age. The death of a family member is the most common way to speed up the maturity rate. In rare cases a vampire- usually a non-pureblood- will reach maturity years before they turn thirty." Shiratori explained. Alexander gave Takagi a rather dark look.
"I'm seventeen. I've been seventeen since Victor Korsakov attacked me. He was four when he did it."
Ok Now I'm serious. Never listen to the mama mia soundtrack while writing. IT MESSES WITH YOUR BRAIN!
oh yeah MWAHAHAHA The plot thickens!
by the way... If the length of the chapters annoys you tell me.