A True Friend Stabs You In The Front
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat. No really, I know it's hard to believe but I really don't own it. If I did I might be able to pay off my ridiculous student fees. -.-
Author's Note: So ya I've been having kind of a rough time at school but now I'm done for the summer so YAY! I finished this chapter a long time ago and forgot to post it. I'm about halfway done the next chapter so I hope it won't be long.
Again thanks a billion to my beta reader who is exceptionally patient with my meandering grammar and confused sentences. Also thank you so much to my reviewers. Every review is a little ray of sunshine in my day. I end up smiling like a crazy person for hours after I receive them.
To answer a few questions:
Yes, Morgan is my very own character. I was having a lot of trouble getting the plot to move along and I created Morgan to kind of be my exposition fairy. Then I started having a lot of fun with the character and now she is a little voice in my head while I write.
One person asked why Kyoko had so much attack power when attacking Maria's followers. That is because at this point she had been training for several weeks and had exponentially increased her skills. Also, they were untrained humans. They really didn't have any fighting experience so she seemed a lot tougher then she would fighting people who knew what they were doing.
…
Kanae and Kyoko sat silently on the dark basement floor.
They had long ago given up trying to force open the locked cellar door. The room had no windows, no other doors, and no hope of escape. Only the soft steady glow of a single bare bulb prevented them from being subjected to total blackness.
"Just for the record," Kanae seethed, "this is entirely your fault."
"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Kyoko whimpered pathetically in response.
As if to protect herself from the verbal beating Kyoko drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Seeing the girl in such a pathetic state Kanae couldn't help but feel the smallest twinge of sympathy. With a long suffering sigh she leaned her head against the wall, dreading the question she was about to ask.
"Mo, so are you going to tell me what that little display was about?" Kanae took a little too much pleasure in the way the other woman flushed a deep red and tried to bury herself further in her knees. "I mean, not that it wasn't entertaining to watch you go berserk on that vamp but I think since you effectively destroyed our cover I think I deserve to know why."
…
"Kanae-chan," Kyoko hissed nervously looking around the hall. "Are you finished yet?"
Kyoko couldn't have looked any more conspicuous if she tried. Standing outside the large wooden door, she waited for her partner to complete her task, nervously wringing her hands the entire time.
Meanwhile, Kanae typed furiously away on the keyboard of a computer that looked very much out of place in the ancient book-filled room. Words flashed across the screen at lightning speed.
"Mo, when I am done you'll know," Kanae whispered back through gritted teeth, "and don't call me Kanae-chan."
"Kami this woman is annoying," Kanae grumbled to herself.
It was such a simple Run. Enter the Shirojima compound disguised as maids. Get some information off Shirojima Hojou's computer and return to the L.M.E. building. So simple to Kanae and yet that stupid Kyoko had been twitching like crazy since she set foot in the mansion. If the women couldn't handle something so simple, then she had no business being a Runner.
With a few more taps of the keys the computer hummed contentedly and Kanae pulled the flash drive from the machine and stuffed it into the apron pocket of her maid's outfit. Hojou must have been some kind of pervert to dress his female staff in maid outfits, Kanae decided.
Slipping quietly out of the library Kanae glanced at Kyoko and subtly patted her pocket. Recognizing the signal Kyoko nodded, visibly relaxing. Without another word they started off calmly towards the back door out of the mansion. Their mission was over.
A figure emerged a short ways down the hall and dread laced Kanae's system. Even from a distance she could scent a living vampire. As they drew closer the dread turned to panic, the man was none other than Shirojima Hojou himself. Catching sight of them a slow, lusty smile spread across Hojou's face and his sharp, vampire fangs glinted in the low light.
"Well, who do we have here?" Hojou sauntered over to Kanae and Kyoko, his eyes glittering. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?"
Kanae felt Kyoko tense as the man got closer, but brushed it off. Living vampire or not, the man didn't look too smart, it would be easy enough to bluff their way out. Turning to face Hojou, Kanae kept her posture straight and her face calm.
"We're filling in today Shirojima-sama," Kanae put on her best pretty girl smile and fluttered her eyes. "Two of your regular girls called in sick. We will be in your care."
Kanae noticed almost immediately that Hojou's attention was not on her though. His eyes were trained on Kyoko, more specifically on her neck. It was not the first time Kanae noticed the scars marring Kyoko's neck but it was the first time she thought about them seriously. Kyoko on the other hand stood stock still, a similar polite smile on her face. If it weren't for the hands clenched at her side Kanae would not have even noticed her discomfort.
Slowly Hojou circled Kyoko, his eyes never leaving her stiff form. He raised a hand onto her shoulder and Kanae swore mentally, Hojou was going to bite Kyoko.
Kanae forced herself to calm down and think rationally. On the plus side it was another thing they could charge Hojou with. Biting a person without their express permission was very much illegal. Kyoko had been bitten before, she could probably handle it.
It was unlikely that he would bind her as his shadow, not with one bite at least. That would be a problem as shadows were essentially human puppets. They had no will of their own, only a desire to serve and feed their master. Fortunately turning someone to a shadow was a long process, often requiring years to complete fully.
Hojou lowered his mouth to Kyoko's shoulder and her eyes clenched shut. Suddenly a chill ran down Kanae's spine and subconsciously she took a step backwards. There was magic, strong magic, strange magic, and she didn't like it one bit.
Before Kanae could seek out the source, it was gone and Kyoko became a blur of motion. She jerked out of his grip and pulled back her fist, sending it flying at Hojou's face. He stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. Not even pausing Kyoko swung out again and again, catching him in the face and chest. Screaming over and over, "Don't touch me. Don't touch me…" Finally with one final blow she sent him flying into a wall with a thunk.
The noise had summoned several of Hojou's body guards, who immediately grabbed Kanae and Kyoko. They were large, muscle-bound vampires, clearly low in the hierarchy if their sloping brows and vacant eyes were any indication.
The remaining guards helped Hojou to his feet. Angrily the man wiped some blood from his split lip.
"Search them." Hojou snarled, fury etched deeply in his features.
Kanae struggled as hands riffled through her pockets but it was no use. Kyoko, seemingly drained of power, hung limply in the burly man's grip. The men had the advantage of numbers and one of the guards finally pulled the flash drive out of her pocket, holding it in the air for all to see.
"It looks like we have a pair of curious kittens on our hands." The guards chuckled brainlessly as Hojou straightened himself fully. The cut on his lip healing before their eyes. "Lock them in the basement, until I decide what to do with them."
Again his eyes rested on Kyoko, hunger lurked beneath the surface.
…
Kyoko's stuttering and muttering brought Kanae back to the present.
"Well are you going to explain yourself or not?" Kanae finally snapped, tired of the other woman's babbling. "Mo, you are so aggravating sometimes."
Kyoko sighed and tightened her grip on her knees. She sat silently for so long that Kanae thought she had fallen asleep.
"I used to be in love with a boy named Sho." Kyoko said finally. "We were childhood friends; I even lived in the same house as him and his parents after I…lost, my mother. Even then I loved him, maybe I always loved him."
Kyoko's tone had turned bitter and cold. Her face held no emotion, like a doll's face.
"As we grew older I tried everything to fit in, in his life. I took etiquette lessons from his mother and cooking lessons from his father. In between I followed Sho everywhere. If he had chores I did them for him, homework too. If he got detention I would wait outside until he finished. Pathetic, right?"
Kyoko let out a choked sound that might have been a laugh or a sob, Kanae was unsure which. Seeing the despair on Kyoko's face made her want to stop the other woman, but Kanae couldn't bring herself to do it. It was like watching a traffic accident, no matter how much you want to stop it all you can do is watch.
"One day he came up to me and said, "Kyoko, I'm running away to Tokyo. Wanna come?" It was the happiest day of my life. I didn't even think twice, I just went. It didn't matter that we didn't have any money, or anywhere to stay, or even a high school diploma, because Sho wanted to be a Runner and I would have done anything he asked. It was great at first, living together, supporting each other. It didn't matter that I had to take three jobs to pay the rent on the apartment that Sho insisted on. None of it mattered because I had my prince."
Suddenly Kyoko's eyes turned from empty to dark. It was like she wasn't even aware she was talking to Kanae anymore. Like before, a chill went down Kanae's spine and she could sense the unfamiliar magic in the room as Kyoko continued obliviously.
"It was hard for Sho though. He was a human among so many Hiragana. He just couldn't keep up. One night he came home and he was different, not a completely different person, but still different. Sho had become a living vampire. I'm not even sure how it happened, he never told me, but from that night on I became his main source of blood. Every night he would feed then head off to work. Eventually he came home less and less, until I was lucky to see him once every couple of weeks. On those nights he would drain so much of my blood that it still hurt the next day, and sometimes even a few days after that. Who knows how long it would have gone on for, if I hadn't gone to visit him at work a couple months ago? I heard him talking to some woman, saying I was only good as a maid and a blood source. Basically, since then I have avoided living vampires as much as I can. I have an unclaimed mark on my neck and some vampires, like Shirojima apparently, feel that makes me an open target."
Kyoko finally lapsed into silence, leaving Kanae to stare helplessly. She had always assumed that the chipper Kyoko had lived a charmed life. No one who had experienced hardships could be that happy all the time. But to have such a hard life and being forced to relive the whole thing made Kanae feel like a cruel person.
'I should say something,' Kanae thought, 'but what do you say to someone who has just spilled their life's story at you? Mo, this is too hard.'
"Oh well," Kyoko said suddenly with a bright smile, all traces of depression gone, "there is no use dwelling on the past. I can only move towards the future."
Kyoko leapt to her feet and struck such a silly dramatic pose that Kanae fell over from shock. This woman was freaking bipolar. No normal person could switch emotions that fast. Here she was worrying herself sick over Kyoko's depression and…and…Kami what an annoying person.
Meanwhile Kyoko raised her hands over her head and stretched contentedly.
"Wow, I feel much better now," said Kyoko cheerfully, "I've never told anyone my story before, not even Morgan-san."
Pausing Kyoko gave Kanae a thoughtful look, who found herself squirming under the intense scrutiny.
"Moko-chan, I've decided something," Kyoko said finally. "You and I are going to be good friends."
Whatever Kanae had been expecting her to say, that was not it. To her great surprise Kanae felt an embarrassed blush spread over her face. She had never been very popular; her sharp tongue had often cut people away.
"D-don't go deciding such things on your own," Kanae sputtered out, "and don't make up weird nicknames."
"But you won't let me call you Kanae-chan and Kotonami-chan sounds so impersonal. Since you always say "Mo," I thought Moko-chan would be the perfect nickname."
Kyoko gave Kanae such a pleading, hopeful look that Kanae felt her face heat up again.
"Whatever," Kanae replied helplessly, unable to deny Kyoko's glittering eyes.
"Yay!' Kyoko threw her arms in the air and danced around happily.
"Hey. HEY!" Flushing an even deeper red Kanae smacked Kyoko upside the head to get her attention. "Enough of that. We should be focusing of getting out of here."
A look of realization crossed Kyoko's face. As though it was only now dawning on her that they were trapped in a crazy vampire's basement with no hope of escape.
"Door?" Kyoko asked simply and Kanae smacked her forehead.
"That was the first thing I tried when they locked us in," she growled through clenched teeth.
Kyoko stood still for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. Kanae could only shake her head; clearly she would have to come up with an escape plan herself. Kami, she wanted to smack Kyoko so badly it hurt.
Suddenly a devious but effective thought came to mind. Kane turned to Kyoko, biting back a mischievous grin.
"Kyoko-chan I have an idea," Seeing the expectant look in Kyoko's eyes Kanae tried to fight her nature, but it was a losing battle, "but you're going to have to trust me."
…
Kyoko was practically bouncing with excitement. Moko-chan had forgiven her. In fact Moko-chan had asked for her trust, like she even needed to ask. They were partners weren't partners supposed to trust each other? Still a small voice in her head chattered viciously.
Distracted
She knew she had allowed herself to become distracted through the entire run. First, by the excitement of having a real live partner, then by the living vampires that stalked the Shirojima compound, then by her own fear. Had Ren been there Kyoko knew what he would say.
"Pathetic," the Ren in her head drawled, "by not paying attention to the Run you put your partner in danger. How could you break character like that? It doesn't matter if he bit you; you never lose control like that. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy."
Kyoko shook loose the angry little voice. The Ren inside her head was right though. She needed to stop being a distracted idiot and focus.
Unfortunately, had Kyoko been paying attention, she would have noticed a fist flying at her. She did take notice when it made breath-stealing contact with her stomach. Wheeling, she fell to the ground clutching her stomach.
"Remember," Kanae looked over her shoulder at Kyoko as she made her way over to the cellar door, "you said you would trust me. Just play along."
Desperately, Kanae began hammering on the door.
"Help, somebody help!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "My friend is sick. Please help!"
The sound of the cellar door being unlocked confirmed Kyoko's guess. Immediately she began to focus on the pain in her stomach. Tears came to her eyes and Kyoko started making a sound that was a cross between whimpering and retching.
A head pocked through the door and snarled.
"What's goin' on down here?" The vamp's thick Irish accent was tinged with dread. Apparently guarding possibly volatile prisoners was not his idea of a good time.
"It's my friend," Kanae sniffed daintily; "she just fell over and started coughing. I just don't know what to do,"
The man looked indecisive so Kanae decided to use her finishing move. She wrapped her arms lightly around his arm and peered up at him demurely through her eyelashes. Almost immediately the man's face softened and he allowed himself to be pulled into the room.
Catching sight of Kyoko he swore and rushed over to her side. Allowing the prisoners to die, especially this one, would result in big trouble. He reached out a hand to move her into the sitting position but paused. This was the same girl who had gone mental on Shirojima-sama, was it really safe to be touching her?
Another whimper from Kyoko made up his mind. Carefully he moved her into the sitting position, leaning her against the wall for support. Looking her over he was unable to figure out what was wrong.
Tears streamed down Kyoko's face and every so often a choked sob would escape. Clutching her chest another bout of coughs wracked her petite form. Her breathing was so labored that it seemed that she would fall to pieces at any moment.
Helplessly the vamp hovered uselessly over her pained form. He didn't have any knowledge of first aid and even if he did he had no idea what was wrong with the girl. He briefly considered going for help but his mental process was cut short.
He barely registered the sharp pain to the back of his head before he crumpled to the floor. Behind him stood Kanae, an iron pipe gripped in her hand.
Nervously she looked over at Kyoko who was still hunched over and wheezing. Kanae hadn't thought that she had hit the other girl too hard but maybe she had misjudged her strength.
"You didn't have to hit me so hard." Kyoko pouted, getting to her feet.
Kanae said nothing and made her way over to the exit. Peeking out the door she was greatly relieved to find the hallway empty. She turned to motion for Kyoko to follow, only to find her riffling through the fallen guard's pockets.
Kanae was about to tell her that there was no way they would be that lucky, when Kyoko let out a triumphant yelp. Clutched in her hand was the flash drive. Mouth hanging open, Kanae could only shake her head in shock.
Either Kyoko was very lucky or the enemy was incredibly stupid, probably a mix of both.
"Come on," Kanae hissed, and motioned towards the door, "we won't have long until they realize we've escaped."
"How are we going to get out of here?" Kyoko whispered back as they traveled silently down the hall. "I mean, going out the front door really isn't an option anymore."
"I memorized the compound's layout before we started the mission," Kanae hissed back. "Just follow me. Quietly."
Kanae led them both through the hallways. They only paused twice, once to duck into a broom closet and the other to hide under a large table.
This bothered Kanae greatly. Word of their escape should have spread through the compound long ago, and yet its inhabitants continued to act as if everything was normal. Biting her lip she ran over her options.
Had she been alone she might have hid until nightfall and escaped then but with Kyoko that would be far more difficult. Hiding one person was infinitely easier than hiding two. Practical as she was, even Kanae couldn't find it in her heart to use Kyoko as bait/distraction to escape.
"Mo," Kanae groaned, "I've got a plan but you have to do EXACTLY as I say."
Kyoko nodded, her eyes shining in a way that Kanae found exceedingly disconcerting.
"At the end of this hallway we'll take a right and about three doors down is the study. On the far wall is a door that leads to the kitchen. We can get out through the back door. This is important. Don't forget. As soon as we're out the back door, run for the tree line. Don't stop and don't look behind you, just run."
Again Kanae began to chew on her lip. There were too many extraneous variables for her to be comfortable. What if people were in the study or the kitchen? Kanae knew she could take 3 maybe 4 and Kyoko…well who knows with her. What if they were spotted before they made it to the trees? What if Hojou already knew they had escaped and they were walking into a trap?
Shaking her head slightly Kanae steeled her resolve.
As silently as possible the pair made their way down the hallway. Finally reaching the study door, Kanae peeked around silently. No one in sight. Gesturing for Kyoko to be quiet she lay a hand on the knob and turned.
As Kanae entered the room blinding pain exploded through her head. The pipe she still clutched fell to the ground with a clatter and somewhere in the corner of her mind she heard Kyoko gasp. This idle observation was overridden as she desperately considered her predicament.
"Oh, look what I've found." Hojou leered cruelly, tangling his fist in her hair, the vampire dragged Kanae to her feet. Peeking up she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.
Hojou's pupils had dilated to the point where it seemed like his eyes were entirely black. Living vampires didn't need blood to survive, despite craving it. When their hunger took over they were a different story though. Strong emotions, from either the vampire or even someone in their vicinity, could trigger a loss of control. Once this control was lost only a very strong will or sating their thirst could bring them back.
Fighting back the urge to cringe Kanae tried desperately to think of a way out, despite the pain in her scalp.
'Kyoko's close to the kitchen door,' Kanae thought. 'I can probably hold Shirojima back long enough for her to escape. Then I can use my real strength.'
With a jerk Hojou pulled Kanae's head to the side exposing her neck.
"Such a pity," he sighed, disappointed, "I was hoping for the other kitten. Ah well, there's no helping it."
He ran his tongue across his captive's flesh, savoring the flavor.
"Wait."
Hojou grinned manically, exposing his very sharp teeth.
"Problem?" He asked mockingly. "I'll make you a deal then. If you agree to come to me willingly then I'll let this pretty little morsel go. No tricks, just a straight up trade. You for her."
Kanae sighed in relief, despite the slight clenching sensation in the pit of her stomach. This suited her plan perfectly. There was no way Kyoko would agree to such a dangerous trade. The girl was terrified of vampires and even if she wasn't only a complete fool would agree to willingly walk into the hands of a hungry vampire. This way Kyoko could escape with the flash drive and Kanae would hold Hojou off until the other girl could bring back help. The thought of what would happen to her until help arrived was terrifying, they were in the middle of nowhere it would probably take a while, but Kanae had confidence that she would survive.
"Fine."
Kanae's head jerked up, ignorant of the pain in her scalp.
'That idiot,' she thought, trying to fend off the warmth that was spreading from her core. It radiated out from her stomach, sending pleasant tingles out to the tips of her fingers.
No one had even considered making such a sacrifice for her before. The thought delighted her as much as it embarrassed her.
As Kyoko made her way forward, the sudden realization of the consequences of Kyoko's decision doused Kanae in cold fear.
Kanae knew Hojou was interested in Kyoko in a way that he wasn't with her. She would have looked forward to a mauling but Kyoko was in for much worse. Every dark desire in Hojou's mind reflected in his coal eyes.
A shove from behind sent Kanae stumbling past Kyoko. The other woman steadied her with a sad smile; she knew what she was in for. The scar on Kyoko's neck stood out more vividly in Kanae's mind than it had before. The hopeless look as she backed into the monster's open arms sent a twist of nausea through Kanae.
Then the warmth was back, but it was different from before. It coursed through her veins like an electric current, warming every inch of her body but also filling her with righteous fury.
How dare this monster lay his hands on her acquaintance…companion…partner…friend. The silky warmth stuck into her bones and suddenly Kanae's determination solidified.
With a deep breath Kanae closed her eyes. Like shedding a cloak power fell from her rigid form. With a pop her tails reappeared along with her furry, pointed ears. Kanae had to sigh. Releasing her illusion was like dropping a weight that she had in her very soul.
Not even giving the vampire a second to react Kanae pounced, her black tails trailed behind her like a banner. She swiped her sharp nails across his hand with a snarl, relishing how quickly he released Kyoko and dropped back.
Ignoring her partner, now safely near the door, Kanae snarled at Hojou who bared his teeth in return. Concentrating her strength into her fist, Kanae send a devastating blow to the vampire's jaw.
This was unexpected and the vampire was sent sprawling and Kanae took the opportunity to tower over him. For the second time that day, blows rained down on his face. All semblance of her training was lost, all grace and finesse gone. In its place was pure, savage power.
A hand on her shoulder shocked Kanae out of her trance. She turned to find Kyoko pulling desperately on her elbow. Glancing down at her bloody hand and the unconscious mass that had once been Hojou Shirojima, Kanae winced. She didn't want to see the look of disgust on Kyoko's face at the mess she had made.
"Come on," Kyoko pulled harder. "We have to get out of here before someone thinks to check on all that noise."
Exhausted from the exertion Kanae couldn't even resist. Leaving the semi-conscious vampire where he lay Kanae allowed herself to be dragged to the kitchen door.
Thankfully it was empty. Quietly they passed through the massive room. Despite the modern look of the compound the kitchen was very old fashioned. By the far wall there was a massive gas burning stove, blue flames flickering cheerfully from all four burners.
Suddenly Kyoko froze and Kanae had to resist the urge to snap at her. They were so close to the exit why was she stopping?
"Who are you are what the hell are ya doin' in my kitchen?" a rough voice snarled.
Kanae and Kyoko turned to face the source of the voice, a large middle aged living vampire. A quick glance to his hand found a large meat cleaver which he handled with unnerving ease.
"I asked who the hell ya were." The chef repeated and raised his knife.
Immediately Kyoko held her hands up in a placating manner.
"We're very sorry," she said politely. "This is all a big misunderstanding. Please, we were just leaving."
"Make one move and I'll gut ya like a fish." The chef advanced on them but Kanae and Kyoko didn't dare turn their backs to him. "You're them spies everyone's in a tizzy about."
"No, we're really not." Kyoko argued back.
The man chuckled, deep and rough.
"I think you are. Now I don't give a flying fuck about that Shirojima brat, but you'll make a nice pair of trophies to hand over to the Master."
Kanae bared her sharp teeth, her tails lashing back and forth in fury. She was almost out of energy but there was no way she was going down without a fight. Not again.
Kyoko placed a restraining hand on Kanae elbow, causing her to pause momentarily.
"Follow my lead." Kyoko mouthed silently.
Kanae froze. Was she really prepared to put her life in the hands of this complete amateur? This girl had no discernible skills and had made mistake after mistake. Unbidden came the image of Kyoko surrendering herself in Kanae's place, despite knowing the fate which would befall her. Kanae sighed and nodded. If all else failed she could still fight.
"Alright, we'll go without a fight." Kyoko said calmly taking a step forward.
The chef looked suspicious but nodded and lowered his knife. In a flash Kyoko turned and grabbed an open bag off the counter. She swung out and a cloud of white powder, which Kanae recognized to be flour, filled the air.
Kanae had to shield her eyes as a blinding ball of fire filled the room. The heat was blinding and flames began to spread, eating everything in their path. The cook roared in alarm but it was too late. The fire began to lick at the walls. Stunned, Kanae could only watch the chaos unfold.
She felt a hand grip hers and suddenly they were outside. Gathering her wits Kanae took off towards the treeline, dragging Kyoko behind her.
They ran through the trees, not pausing to catch their breath. Over logs and through a shallow creek. Finally Kanae felt it was safe to slow down.
"What did you do?" Kanae asked, slightly out of breath.
Kyoko stopped and placed her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
"Flour is highly explosive," Kyoko took a deep breath and stood up straight. "Found that out when I was ten and tried making tempura for the first time. When a cloud of flour is exposed to a flame it ignites. I figured that using the fire from the stove I could make enough of a distraction so we could escape. It will take them a while to put out the fire but we might want to hurry."
Remembering that they were still in the woods Kanae nodded and they started off towards the nearby village where they had stowed the car. As they walked in silence a thought stuck out in Kanae's mind, throbbing like a sore tooth.
"Why did you come back for me?" Kanae asked finally.
Kyoko smiled brightly.
"That's what best friends do for each other."
Kanae flushed a deep red. Clearing her throat she hoped to alleviate the small knot that had formed there. It wasn't like she was happy at the declaration…she was just choked up from the smoke. Right, from the smoke, NOT because she was happy that Kyoko considered her to be her best friend.
Still, Kanae could not find it in herself to deny the claim.
"D-don't decide things by yourself." She managed to bark out, attempting to regain her dignity. "Anyways that was really dangerous. You could have compromised the mission. You had the flash drive, so it was your responsibility to make sure the mission is carried out."
Kyoko shrugged.
"I know, but I figured Shirojima wasn't going to let me go anyways," she scratched the back of her neck, "So I put the flash drive in your pocket."
Kanae stiffened; there was no way that Kyoko could have done that without her noticing. Reaching into her pocket she felt around for the small piece of metal. Finding it she drew it out into the light. Suddenly, realization dawned on her. Kyoko must have slipped it into her pocket when Hojou pushed her.
Kanae shook her head in amazement. As inept as Kyoko seemed she had been able to adapt and plan more quickly than any other person Kanae had ever met. It was like a second nature that the woman wasn't even aware of.
Unable to think of a response Kanae and Kyoko continued to walk in silence.
"So," Kyoko said shyly, "you're a kitsune?"
Kanae flushed again, she had forgotten to reinstate the seals after the fight in the compound. As a result three tails waved from beneath her skirt, as if happy to be free. They were the same deep black as Kanae's hair but had pale white tips. Her ears were similar in colour and twitched, taking in the surrounding noise.
Kanae closed her eyes and prepared for the barrage of questions and suspicious looks that were bound to follow.
"That is so cool." As Kanae cracked an eye open she was surprised to find Kyoko staring at her with a goofy, worshipful smile.
Unsure of how to respond Kanae cleared her throat and muttered something unintelligible. As much as she hated to admit it she had gained a new friend. Somehow that knowledge was not as annoying as it should have been.
"Mo, don't touch my ears weirdo!"
"Awwww but they're so soft."
Mostly.
…
There we go. I added a bonus chapter for informational purposes. I hope you find it interesting and informative. If all goes well chapter 12 should be up within the week. There is going to be a lot of Ren and I will make him suffer…in a good way. Remember reviews are my lifeblood. I just can't get enough even if it's only a word or two. TTFN~