+Rosario + Vampire: Steam
By: The 483
Disclaimer: I do not own the right to the Rosario + Vampire franchise.
Really going to try and close it, here.
Chapter 11: New Years
(...)
December 30th
(…)
12: P.M.: Tsukune
Tsukune was stumped. He had done exactly what he had been told, but he had been blocked. Go to this bus stop. Go up the small hill lined with oak trees, and enter the tunnel. Once in the town, go down to the level above the lake, and go to house #4.
He hadn't gotten past step 2. He had climbed the hill only to find a large concrete wall creating a dead end butted up against the mountain, and fences preventing him from going around. He stood, trying to figure it out for five whole minutes. He finally decided her should call and see what was up, when her heard voices coming up the hill behind him. A pair of boys, no more than ten or eleven appeared, talking animatedly, one carrying a skateboard. They paused, growing quite, and looked at him suspiciously.
"You alright, buddy?" The shorter asked, almost hostilely.
"Who, me?" Tsukune felt intimidated, sure that the predatory look in these kid's eyes meant they were not human, even though he could not ask.
"Um... duh? You a tourist or something?" The other asked sarcastically.
"Well… sort of. I am supposed to meet some friends."
"Then you'll want to try down in the village, guy. There isn't anything up here except a nice out of the way place for teens to drink." The one with the skateboard said, set his plank down on the mostly snow free asphalt, and started down the hill. His friend called angrily after him, and followed at a trot. Tsukune heaved a deep sigh, and felt tired. Maybe coming was a mistake after all…"
"'scuse me, friend, is everything alright?" A deep voice asked, his very precise pronunciation slightly blurred by a Scottish accent. Tsukune looked quickly back up to see a well-built man his own age with a very spiky beard looking curiously at him. Tsukune decided to try and edge around, and see if he could find out if this man was really a monster. The Japanese's tendency towards extreme racism was well known, and one of the things Tsukune had noticed was that there were a large number of foreigners at Yokai Academy. He did not know that this was because, at the time, there were only two schools for Monsters looking to get better acclimated with humans. Yokai Academy, in Japan, and the Peter Venkman Institute in the United States.
As such, a lot of the foreign presence in Japan was related to the monster population. Tsukune didn't know this at the time, he just knew there were a lot of not native people at the school.
"I think I might be a little lost…" Tsukune said, trying to sound a bit spacey, rubbing the back of his head.
"I'll say. Isn't anything up here to see, I am afraid." The man said almost wistfully. He did not explain what he was doing up there, thought, with a plastic bag of some items that one would not usually bring to the top of a dead end hill. Then Tsukune thought he understood something… if this guy WAS a monster, he would be able to sense Monster energy, of which Tsukune had none. A thing most would not bother to hide in human society. So, he fell back on an old trick used by people trying to bluff their way into places they had no reason to try and get into: name dropping.
"You see, a friend from school invited me for a New Year's celebration, but I guess I must have got the directions wrong, as they told me to climb this hill and proceed through a tunnel." The other man looked slightly pensive.
"A friend from school, eh? If you don't mind, what's the family name? I have been living in this village for a good piece, now, I might know the person."
"Uh, okay, thanks. The name is Farnsworth." Tsukune thought he saw a flicker of recognition, but wasn't sure. The man rubbed his beardy chin thoughtfully.
"Sorry, friend. I am not aware of anyone down in the Village by that name. What School did you say you go to?"
"Yokai Academy up north." Now there was a clear flicker of suspicion in the other man's eyes.
"Really? Would you happen to have your school ID handy, by chance?" Tsukune nodded, and handed the laminated card over after digging it from his wallet. The other's shoulders relaxed after studying it briefly.
"Ah, it seems you are not mistaken then. You are looking for Laguna Del Diablo, correct, Mr. Aono?" Tsukune smiled with relief.
"I am." The other man looked… interested.
"When you look at the wall here, you do not see a road and foot path through it?" Tsukune, puzzled, looked again, and saw just a blank gray wall.
"No…" The man bit a finger.
"The Farnsworth you said you know… pretty normal chap, yeah?" Tsukune got the gist of what he was really being asked.
"Not at all. Very strange. In fact, all of my fellows at Yokai have some interesting… quirks about them. You might even suspect that they weren't entirely human." Tsukune tried to say that he knew they weren't with just the emphasis on the word.
"And you ARE entirely human, sir?" He replied calmly, with an arched brow.
"I am." Tsukune breathed a sigh of relief. The man paused a second, then walked toward the barrier. He did not slow, but walked straight through, vanishing as if it were not there. Tsukune was stunned. He had felt the barrier, and it was solid.
The man was back in a matter of seconds. He held out a hand, with a small gold coin on a leather necklace line.
"Here, put this on, and you should be able to enter." Tsukune did so, and when he looked back at the wall, a gaping tunnel and foot path were visible in the wall.
"Whoa…"
"All good now, my friend?" Tsukune shook the disbelief from his mind.
"Oh, yes. Thanks, and my name is Aono, Tsukune Aono." The other man smiled.
"I know." He held up Tsukune's I.D. card, which he had forgotten to take back. Tsukune gave an embarrassed chuckle, and retrieved it, where in the other man extended his hand to shake. "Name's Aries. Aries McDougal." He added when Tsukune took the hand. "So, you say you're in Yokai? I haven't seen you around."
"Well, I try not to make too much of a scene."
"Ah, I can understand that. I wasn't aware we were having humans enrolling." The tone was friendly, not accusatory.
"Well, I think I kind of slipped in through some loop hole. I know I was surprised when I found out my classmates were all monsters… and more than a few would be more than happy to take a bite out of me. But, I made some good friends, and really actually like it there."
"That's good. I suppose it's to be expected, though, as the purpose of the school is to get our two races acclimated to each other."
"Hey, about that… I thought most monsters really didn't like Humans? I mean, even at school, it took a long time for those that do know I am a human to get used to the idea. But you don't seem to mind at all."
"No mystery there. Round these parts, humans are not uncommon. In fact, there are some humans that actually live within our town. So, Humans are not quite the big deal here that they are in other places."
(…)
12:15 P.M.: Moka
Sitting at the kitchen table, Moka had a steaming cup of coffee she was sipping, while Mizore and Jennifer continued to flit about, pulling out, preparing, and putting away varied foods. Moka had offered repeatedly to help, but had been kindly snubbed. She was a guest, and should relax. Yukari had shown her to her room, chatting excitedly about what she had been through over the past two days, and all the amazing people she had met. Moka had changed into lighter clothes, as winter was no longer in application within the mountain, and had been left, everyone but Mizore dispersing to get things ready. The beach had been opened at noon so that people could begin staking out their camps for the next day, and begin to sign up for the activities.
But Moka felt bad, sitting idle while the rest were working. So, she had taken a brief, solo tour of the house. It was amazing, part Onsen, part hotel, and whole homey. She thought she should have felt intimidated, being a stranger here, but the whole place gave of such a warm, friendly vibe, that she was oddly comfortable. Yukari had told her, when she had confessed this, that it had been the same with her, except that Capris had taken more than a full day to do more than glare sulkily at her from behind Mizore's legs. Moka went to take another sip of her drink, when a door in the living room slammed open, making her jump.
"…I don't care!" A bellowing, deep, smoky voice roared, getting louder as it approved the kitchen. "You get it done, or I will find someone who can, and send them to do it." Moka gaped as an old man, bald, wrinkled, and spotted, wearing a Hawaiian patterned shirt, long shorts, and loafers entered the kitchen, not yelling, but projecting angrily into a cellular phone. Physically, he stood only about 5 and a half feet tall, but his very presence made him seem to tower like a giant. "No. No, damn it! I told you… … … no… no. NO." He kept interjecting, getting angrier with each interruption. "Enough!" He finally said, the air vibrating with the menace of the word. Apparently the person on the phone stopped for he continued. "Put the scaly bastard on the phone. Now." There was a pause. He then started sharply, talking slowly, and menacingly. "Listen, you slope headed ridge backed lizard. I told you, if you kept up your pathetic antics, there would be repercussions. Now, you may either conform, whole heartedly, to each and every guideline I have placed, or I shall personally come down there and eradicated you, your family, anyone who shares your bloodline, and anyone they have even looked at. When I get done, there will not even be any rocks bigger than a grain of sand to show that you or your settlement ever existed. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" He punctuated the last words into each their own sentence.
"Carruthers? Good. Make sure they obey. If they as much as think about violating any of the conditions I imposed, terminate them. If they need to be made an example of so that the others fall in line, so be it. If they think can hide in their little jungle, you let them know that we will comb that damned country tree by tree to weed them out if we need to. Good. Now get it done." He hung up the phone, and sighed wearily, sinking into his chair at the head of the table. Mizore had already placed a frosty glass at his elbow, looking perfectly at ease, while he shouted at the people on the other line. His eyes then snapped up, and fixed on Moka.
"Jennifer! Why is there a …" He started to snap out, and Moka felt a thrill of fear run up her spine.
"Oh, blow it out of your ass, Gerald." The woman answered, hands on her hips, the classic "say it and you're in deep shit, mister" look on her face. To Moka's surprise, the man looked sheepish, cleared his throat, and squirmed in his seat.
"Ah, yes… sorry dear." He turned back to Moka.
"Um… So, Miss, what brings a Vampire into my house?" Mizore spoke over her shoulder.
"This is the one you wanted to see, who is dating the human. He should be along later today."
The man's manner shifted to one of happy solicitude, and Moka could have sworn she felt the entire mood of the place change.
"Ahh! Excellent. I am always so happy to find instances of Monsters and Humans coming together of their own accord, outside of the influence of the department. May I ask your name, child?
"M-moka. Moka Akashiya, sir." She stuttered slightly. The man looked concerned, and she felt the weight of his personality.
"Ah, didn't mean to scare you there, Moka. Just some unfortunate business. A band of Sauroids preying on some remote villages in the jungles of Peru, despite the warnings they were given before. I am pleased to meet you." He rubbed his chin. "Hmm… Akashiya… sounds vaguely familiar, but then, at my age, everything does. Might I ask your clan?"
"umm…" Moka thought, taken aback. She didn't know her clan title, just that her dad was boss. "I don't know the right title, sir." He waved a dismissive hand at her.
"No need for the formality. Gerald is fine. Who is the head of the clan?"
"My father, Issa Shuzen." He blinked at her in stark disbelief.
"Excuse me if I seem rude, but… Issa Shuzen, the Dark Lord?" Moka nodded, and he looked even more taken aback. "So, you are saying that you are the daughter of the ancient Vampire Issa Shuzen?"
"Uh… yes?" She was slightly confused now.
"And you are dating a human?" She nodded again, and jumped as the man suddenly exploded into laughter. For minutes, he continued, lost in a frenzy of laughter, pounding the table, and at one point, almost choking. When he finally calmed slightly, he still giggled from time to time, and had hiccups. He wiped tears from his eyes first with a finger, then with whole hand.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!" He finally managed to gasp, with another chuckle.
"Explain." His wife said, pointing a rubber spatula at him. He hitched a deep breath.
"As you know, Jenny, the starch collared old stiff backed blood sucker had been my biggest opponent in getting the schools started, and working toward human/monster cohabitation. I would have had Yokai founded more than 50 years sooner if he had not commanded enough support to block it." Moka was… not really surprised. She was well aware that her dad had a very potent dislike of humans.
(…)
12:45 P.M. Tsukune
Tsukune could not help but marvel at the sheer immensity of the hollowed out mountain community. Aries was tolerant of this, as were all who were used to bringing people into the community who had never been before. Tsukune, being considerate by nature, clamped down on his awe, and his apprehension, and returned his attention to his host.
"Sorry, but I've never really seen a Monster city before. It's magnificent… and a bit frightening." Aries smiled and nodded sagely.
"That it is. But I do not think you are likely to come across another. My father says that this place is unique, kind of an experiment to see if different species of monsters really could live together without destroying each other." Tsukune nodded as he looked around, seeing all the different Monster people walking, laughing, shopping, and doing other, less identifiable things. Well, to him anyway. It might just be his own bias, not being used to trying to follow what 12 tentacles all moving at once were doing.
"Things seem to be going well, then." He replied, his neck still craning to take in all of it. Tsukune was surprised at the fact that he was not scared of this place. It did not seem to possess the subtle menace he had felt at school for the first year. Maybe he really was getting acclimated to this other world. All of his friends were monsters, and his girlfriend now too… he found he actually excited to see this side of things. But Aries was just standing there, scratching his cheek and looking bleak.
"Yes, it is nice to see, I won't deny. It is nice not to wonder when the next time a rival clan will march upon you, or another species will try and crowd you out. But I do not know if we as a whole have what it takes to make it work." Tsukune turned, confused by the admission, and followed as Aries began to walk down the gentle slope.
"What do you mean? Am I missing something?" Tsukune asked when he caught up.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. I do not know if you are aware, Mr. Aono, but the monster species of the world are a fairly aggressive bunch. Many of our habits and traditions reflect this nature. I have only heard this second hand, but did you know, that Yokai and its sister schools were originally supposed to have a mixed student body, not just one exclusively aimed at educating Monsters about Humans?" He asked pensively.
"No, I hadn't heard. Really?" Aries nodded gravely.
"Yes. But there was a dispute among the Dark lords on the subject of trying to create a united front, and learn to live with the humans, and ourselves. Upon this goal, One Dark Lord was opposed, one stood neutral, and the other supported it. The one that supported it is the current head master." Tsukune did not have to ask who had opposed it. He had met that man. "With no clear majority, the neutral Lord's request for more research into the feasibility of this proposal was reached as a compromise, and this city and the schools were founded.
"Well… that's good, right? I mean, the school isn't so terrible, now that I am used to it, and this place seems fine. What is the problem?" Aries gave a wry smile.
"There may be none. Maybe we can all get along. But there are those who believe that the whole thing may only work because of the support and leadership of very powerful, very ancient monsters whom do not leave room for argument." Tsukune thought this through for a moment. The he got a bit of resolve, and smiled.
"Well, me and my friends will support it. We may be in school, and not able to do much, but it's got to start somewhere. When we met, I was terrified of them, one was afraid of humans, two hated humans, another was trying to kill humans, and a third just hated everyone that wasn't herself. So, I chose to believe we can move past our differences." Aries smiled and shook his head in slight disbelief. Humans really were crazy."
(…)
1:00 P.M. Mizore
Mizore had been amused. She had merely worked about, as Gerald had interview Moka in such an informal and rambling way, that she doubted that Moka had even known she was being interview. Gerald had not explicitly stated it, but he most certainly knew Moka's father well. So they had talked of many things, how school was, how she got along with Tsukune, how the other girls got along with Tsukune, and dozens of other topics, sometimes seemingly completely random. And when he had finished, getting what he wanted, or as much as he could, he just up and left, taking his wife with him.
This left Moka, seated at the table, and Mizore, arms folded and leaning against a counter, in the middle of possibly the most awkward silence either of them had ever known. Both had several false starts, and finally, Moka managed to force her voice out, without looking up.
"Have you been having a good vacation, Mizore?" It was an odd question, given the circumstances, but one light enough that Mizore could answer.
"Fair." She said, all per her usual manner, but it seemed cold, aided by the cl-clack of her lollipop against her teeth. Moka looked worried.
"O-oh. Been here long? It's a very impressive house." Cl-clack.
"Since the day after break started." Mizore was not trying to sound terse. It was just the damned awkward air about them; it made them both feel that her words were harsh. Moka looked surprised despite herself.
"Really? That long? I… we tried to call you, once… you know… but your mother refused to tell us anything. I guess this explains it…" She stuttered about. Cl-clack.
"Yup." Mizore was starting to get pissed at herself. She knew she was supposed to sound like she usually did. After all, she didn't say much when she wasn't fighting with Kurumu, and when she did, her voice was almost always a deadpan. So why did she feel she was coming off like a bitch now, even though she wasn't doing anything differently? Moka felt like it too, apparently, because every time Mizore spoke, she seemed to get closer to tears. Her voice actually cracked.
"Mizore, I am so sorry!" She said, with a harsh intake of breath between name and sentence, almost like a dry sob. Mizore, feeling terrible that she was accidently hurting her friend, came forward and leaned over the table.
"Moka, no." She said, trying to use words to convey herself the way she couldn't emotionally convey. "There is no need to be sorry." Cl-clack, cl-clack. Moka looked up miserably, but Mizore held a hand up. She looked uncomfortable, and Moka gaped, sensing something was brewing under her normally impassive face. "I have never been good at expressing myself. I think I am coming off as a bitch here, but I am really not trying to. This is… awkward, but I am not mad, and do not dislike you for it."
"Mizore…" Moka said, but disbelieving it at the last second. "It's okay, you don't have to lie. I know I've hurt you all."
"No!" Mizore said, actually managing to put some of the negative in the word. Moka's eyes widened. "Yes, we are all hurt, but I know it is not your fault. Tsukune chose you because he likes you. We have no right to be mad at you for that. If he had come to any of the rest of us, we too would have said yes. So if I were to blame you for choosing to be happy, I think I would have to hate myself for it."
"…Mizore…" Moka was looking at her and crying. But they were clearly happy and relieved tears.
(…)
1:15 P.M. Dominic
Everything was finally set. Dominic had been slaving since earlier then he enjoyed being awake, hauling stuff down to the lakeside plot they had roped off. Luckily, the Neighborhood Association had laid out the ropes, so there were narrow aisles between the plots, otherwise they would have never been able to haul all their stuff to their own section, where they had 4 plots. The Farnsworth's were nothing if not respected within the community. Now, finally, all of the chairs, coolers, awnings, and all the other stuff they would need, including a grip of fireworks that bordered on an arsenal, he could hopefully spend the rest of the day screwing off. Things had calmed over the last day or so, but he still had endured far more stress then he felt he should have to deal with. At least Mizore was speaking to him, again, though he didn't know how she would react now that Moka, and soon Tsukune had arrived. If anything even looked like it might go sour between her and himself, he would apologize with both barrels, and make the last 100 feet crawling on his belly.
He was still bemused by the fact that they were actually dating now. He had never really had a girlfriend before, despite what one would have thought. Oh, he got on well with females, of course, he was not unattractive, and his criteria were not set to high, he thought. But he spent most of his years in human schools. Nothing against humans… but he just had no desire to date them. After all, what if he fell in love, she accepted what he was, and they married? 50 or more years later, she would die, and he would have to deal with it for however long he managed to hang on. The thought terrified him. He liked three girls very much, but they were always the wrong girl.
Kurumu, was… well… Kurumu. She freely admitted that they could make a good couple; they had lived together since childhood, they got along quite well despite appearances to the contrary, and she didn't not like him. When he had casually broached the subject, on a break when they were about to go into high school, they had a frank, long discussion about it. She just didn't feel it, and he was not offended. It didn't hurt their friendship at all, it was just brought out, looked at, and dismissed, no hard feelings.
Arabella, she had been 4 years his senior, and the only person he had ever met that was simply so very beautiful that it left him at a loss for words. Thankfully, he had never gotten up the nerve to ask her out, especially as she had been with her current man for almost 7 years now. He wondered absently how long it would last after she managed to hatch a baby, and was curious to see if the blood of the Widow was strong in her.
And finally, Celestina… They had always been close, if for no other reason then because, other than the fact that she was the classic foil to a Devil, they were essentially the same, save she carried Light elemental blood where he had fire. But then, all Angels of the Seraphim line did. The fact that she would live as long as he would, was a great factor in him asking her. She seemed to disagree, as she had been kicking his ass ever since. But there was no love lost.
He was now fairly excited, because Mizore had chosen him. It did not hurt that his family liked her. His mother would be fine if Mizore wished to stay forever, Capris adored her, and even his father approved of her, although he had words with Dominic about her being an ephemeral. But Dominic needed to make his own mistakes, no matter the cost, in order to learn. It could not be avoided.
He began the trek back up to the house, only a level above the beach, with Aurora and Yukari in tow. Kurumu, wishing to avoid Moka, but not saying so, had gone to her own house with Eris, in order to ascertain what else she may have needed. Doc Cliff and his new assistant were Egg knew where, harassing someone else, and Leo had gone home to shower, as he was taking Eris out tonight, to make up for the fact that he had been gone for such a long time. It was a short walk from the top of the stairs to his house, and as he rounded a gentle curve, he saw another pair of people walking in from the other direction.
"Oy, the hell do you want, you goat bastard?" He called gruffly. The one shouted to looked over, and did not seem impressed.
"I found this out on the surface. Seems you forgot to give him an access token." The man replied with a Scottish accent. Dominic sighed and looked exasperated.
"Well, just goes to show that Kurumu cannot be trusted to remember such things." HE said, mostly to himself. Aurora, seeing the look on her precious little Yukari's face, assured her that everything was fine, and ushered her into the house. Dominic turned his eyes to Tsukune. "Hey, Tsukune. All okay, besides Kurumu's inability to plan ahead?"
"Uh… Yeah…" He answered. Aries turned to him.
"Very well, Mr. Aono. I bid you good day, and maybe I shall see you at the festivities tomorrow.
"Alright, thanks. I really appreciate the help." Aries smiled, and turning on his heel, returned the way he had come. Tsukune closed the distance to Dominic, looking curious.
"Do you guys not like each other or something?" Tsukune asked, wondering if he had soured himself with his host already. Dominic shook his head.
"Nah. That Satyr is alright, for livestock. Heh. We go back a ways. Never really friends, but no issues. He's just a bit… competitive." Tsukune clearly didn't understand. "Okay, every year, during the New Year's eve celebration, we have our own Auld Lang Sine thing. Basically, people with grievances against each other come together, and beat the hell out of each other. When it's done, all is forgiven, and we start fresh. Well, some of us younger ones, wanting to show off, will duke it out, too. Like our fight club at school. Aries and I have gone at it for the last 6 years. It's fun, and he's a good fighter. Better than I am. But I think I will get him, this year."
"Why's that?" Tsukune asked, absorbing this fact rather quicker then he used to. Dominic smiled a predatory smile.
"Because this year, I actually have someone I want to impress." He shook away the expression, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now, I hope you are ready. I warn you now, things can get a little strange inside. But a heads up, no matter how he blusters, my father is harmless. Odds are better than even that my mother will be naked, and either made of fire of in her skin. Ignore it or stare, she won't mind either way, but if it makes you uncomfortable, just say so and she'll dress. Also, you'll notice a little black haired succubus scampering around underfoot. Careful, she bites." Tsukune knew Dominic a bit, but was unable to tell if he was joking or not. He looked serious.
"Now, one last word. Yukari and Kurumu are staying here too, so if you need somewhere to lay doggo for a bit, come and find me. Now, let's go in before I turn chicken." And, he pushed Tsukune in front of him like a shield, and marched him up to the door.
(…)
10:00 P.M. Mizore
All of the girls save Mizore were settled in the spring, relaxing and playing around after dinner. Dinner had been a lively affair, with Mr. And Mrs. Farnsworth in their places at the head and foot of the table. Tsukune sat to Jenny's right, and Mizore to Gerald's with Kurumu, Moka, Yukari, Celestina, Aurora and Eris, and Allison strung down the long table. Across, more widely spaced due to their smaller number, were Dominic, Capris, Leofric, and Doctor Clifford. Capris got to sit on the male side of the table opposite Mizore, because she insisted, and her father was helpless to deny his baby girl. Since they were going to be at the lake tomorrow night, they had their New Year's feast tonight instead, and dress was truly semi-formal, I.E. both shirt and pants were required, unless someone wore a dress, though only Eris and Jenny did.
The Farnsworth's ascribed to no real customs; Gerald's lifespan and his wife's indifference did not lend too much ceremony. So Jenny had went around, and queried to each if they had any rituals they would like attended too. No one did, at least, no one claimed to, so they had simply settled on a toast to good health and a happy and productive year to follow.
Mizore had been sent to the cellar to bring up half a dozen bottles which Jenny had listed. There was a metal door near the house in the backyard, and Mizore descended a short flight of stairs into the copious space. The floor space was equal to that of the mansion, and was used as both storage, and a place to put the wine racks. The ceiling was maybe 2 and a half meters over the floor, and easily 4 rows a dozen racks of wines spread toward the back of the room. A rough guess had 4000 bottles within its scope, organized in library fashion, by years, and the note then made sense. Mizore poked around a bit, finding positively ancient bottles near the area where the storage section started. She looked at a tag, and realized the section she had been browsing was all bottles recovered from shipwrecks for the 9th to the 16th centuries. At the end of the rack, on a special table under glass, was a bottle recovered from the wreck of the Titanic.
It made Mizore wonder what kinds of historical artifacts from human history she would find if she dug through the storage, but shook her head and located what Jenny wanted. She would not have been able to appreciate the stuff enough to bother.
Everyone was allowed to join in the toast, even Capris, though she was given so little it hardly wet the bottom of her glass. She still made a show of it, though, and was refreshed with juice. There had been some question about letting Yukari drink as well, so Jenny had called her parents earlier in the day, and inquired. So she was allowed, as long as someone was on hand to chaperone. Moka volunteered, as she did not really drink outside of ceremony, and Yukari's mom was most likely to trust her.
So now, Mizore sat in her own chilled pool, head resting on her arms, slight buzz coloring her cheeks, watching the large pool below full of drunk girls, and Moka. The boys were… she had no idea, but likely not in the house, as a sheer number of drunk naked girls exceeded safety tolerances, except Doctor McIntyre, who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that women were something to pay attention to. But general consensus there was that Allison was going to do something to rectify that.
"I really can't express how relieved I am that you don't hate me." Moka was saying to the bottom of a bottle of wine that Kurumu was doing her damnedest to drain. Celestina was keeping her eye on her, so she felt no need not to let Kurumu drink herself into a coma tonight. She'd earned it, and Celestina had switched it with non-alcoholic cider after the 5 of them had killed the first bottle, and kept the real wine between the girls who were not bordering on depression. Not that that stopped Eris from hoarding it, and Egg helped the person that tried to take it from her. She was cradling it in the water like a child. Kurumu finished with a satisfied "ahhh" and looked at Moka, her eyes slightly bleary.
"It ca't be help." Kurumu said cloudily, then looked surprised, and let out a minor burp. "Ah, 'scuse me. I mean, it can't be helped. We knew this day would come, and he chose you. If it were either of these other…" She caught Mizore and Yukari (who was sitting smugly on Aurora's lap, with Aurora's arms crossed over he own chest) by eye, paused and continued, "bitches, I would expect that you had tried something while we were unable to fight back. But I know you well enough to know that you are not that sneaky. Felicitations." She grunted the last. The whole speech, she had been speaking expansively, in an exaggerated tone, volume rising and falling. Mizore and Yukari ignored her insult. She was half right. Moka looked slightly worried, like the girls would start fighting, but after meeting both Yukari's and Mizore's gaze, smiled.
"Well, still. Thank you for being such good friends." Her voice was thick with emotion. Everyone involved made noncommittal noises. Moka perked back up. "I was a little surprised to see how happy everyone around here seems. I really expected animosity, but when I arrived, Yukari almost seemed happy to see me."
"And why not?" Eris giggled. "Most were too busy hating Dominic to do much else, and Yukari has had a supple young minx who adores her hanging one her almost since she arrived." Eris coughed, then looked thoughtful. She looked around. "Hey, look at this. Yukari had Aurora, Mizore has Dominic, and I have my Leo. Kurumu is the only one still alone." She began to chuckle to herself as Kurumu sputtered.
"Aww, Kurumu!" Celestina said, reaching out to the speechless girl. She smiled coyly, as the others, despite themselves, laughed too. "Don't worry, dear. I'll still love you!" And before Kurumu could react, Celestina dove forward, kissing her full on the mouth, and pushing her back slightly from the force of it. The laughter stopped as Kurumu's eyes tried to bug out of her head, and the rest could do aught but stare in shocked silence. It could almost have been considered romantic, but Celestina was far too aggressive, and Moka was blushing almost as red as Kurumu. It looked very much like Celestina was using her tongue. When she had pulled away, panting slightly, she sat back like nothing was happening, leaving Kurumu sputtering wordlessly and everyone around, save Eris, feeling as if they had learned something new about kissing. Celestina licked her lips, and looked pensive. "Hmmmm, you don't taste as drunk as I thought you were. Sorry, love." Kurumu continued to sputter. Aurora could feel the heat of Yukari's blush even though she had her face averted, and even Mizore felt awkward.
"Goodness, Cel. That was something." Eris said, undisturbed and merely impressed. "You might even be better than I am." Celestina gave her a sly smile.
"You ever want to try, honey, I would be happy show you what I know." She gave a big stretch that somehow contained promised of both beautiful, and terrifying things. Eris seemed to consider it.
"Cel, I think I might be drunk. I cannot tell if you are joking." Celestina looked innocently curious.
"Why would you think I was joking?" Eris shrugged.
"I didn't. I merely tried to give you an out, in case you wished to hide you lecherous nature from my friends here." She indicated Moka, Yukari, and Mizore. Kurumu was still bright red and inarticulate. Celestina shifted, coming up floating on her back, drifting out toward the center of the pool.
"I have never had an issue with who I am, Eris. And it seems odd that you, of all people would be the one to chide me for it." She twitched the end of one of her wings, and began to drift in circles. (Had Doctor McIntyre been allowed in the spring with the girls, he would not have noticed the nakedness. He would have seen that Celestina's feathers were coated in a self-produced oil that kept them dry, like a ducks, or that Aurora, being drunk, would occasionally have parts of her submerged body leak away and blend into the water.) Eris chose not to take the semi-catty comment offensively.
"Not chiding, love. Just a concession to the guests. Not everyone is as bold as us."
"Meh. Frankly, I think I am just buzzed enough not to care. And besides, Mizore is asleep, and give her a chance, and Aurora would do the same."
"Not… sleep… just resting…" Mizore muttered, head down on her arms now. She decided she should get up and go to bed.
"Tut tut." Aurora said a bit crossly, worried Celestina would scare her new, adorable little darling away. "You are confusing lesbian with slut, Cel. I would not force myself upon anyone. I have more pride than that."
"Ah, well, then I apologize for the presumption." Celestina raised an arm and made a random gesture. Mizore took that moment to stand, before she fell asleep again.
"I think I am going to bed." She said, and moved a little unsteadily out of her own pool and onto the small groomed walkway leading to the ground level. Everyone called some form of goodnight to her as she toweled, then wrapped herself in a robe before grabbing her underwear from where she had tossed them at the basket. She was still half asleep as she wandered down darkened hallways, and paused suddenly with her hand almost on the knob to open her door.
Something was bothering her… but what? She looked up and down the hall, but nothing was different. Everything felt perfectly normal. Then it hit her. That was what was wrong. She felt completely at home. She guessed that maybe such was always the result of living somewhere for a certain period. After all, the school felt like a home to her, now, it just took a lot longer. She felt odd, felling that she belonged, and was about to open her door when she stopped again. This was not her room. This was Dominic's. So she removed her hand and knocked, and he bid her to enter. It was odd, but it did not feel very odd that she had come there.
He was, as usual at this time of night, laying sprawled on the bed, watching some program on the television.
"What's up?" He asked, looking over her robed figure. "The drunken female soak break up already?" She shook her head.
"No. I was falling asleep, so I decided to go to bed." He nodded, understanding.
"S'been a busy few days, for sure. Celestina and Eris that boring? They usually are livly when they are both drinking." Mizore shrugged moving close. "Am I making room?" He asked, carefully making no inference with his tone. She nodded.
"Yes, please. Oh, not boring, I was just tired. Quite interesting, though, as Celestina pinned Kurumu down and gave her a kiss that was very… intimate." He waved it off.
"Happens every time they have both been drinking, but Kurumu never seems to remember to keep out of reach." Mizore made a noise of assent, and started to open her robe, before realizing she was completely naked and snapping it closed again so fast there was a ruffle of wind. Dominic cocked a brow in the dark.
"S'matter?" He asked, bordering on worried.
"Close your eyes!" She said in a panicked whisper. He wanted to inquire, thought better of it, and complied. "Now cover your head with a pillow!" She said, in the same voice. He played along, and when Mizore was sure he wasn't looking, quickly put her panties on, stopped, took them back off, and put them on again, the correct direction.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned now.
"Yes!" She surprised herself, and lowered her voice. "Sorry, I just had forgotten I didn't change and was naked." He was quiet for a second.
"Oh, I see. Then, did you want to borrow a shirt and some underwear or something?" Neither was in a state to remember that Mizore could simply go down the hall and change, her being slightly drunk, and he being confronted with the fact that she was naked. Both facts inhibited rational thought.
"I… uh… have my… panties…" she said, haltingly, while turning slightly red. He pointed, still not looking.
"Closet's over there." Mizore glided quickly over, pulled open the sliding door, grabbed a t-shirt at random, and climbed into it while still wearing the robe. Then, her comfort restored, she shucked the robe, and climbed into the bed into the spot she had begun to think of as hers."
"Uh… am I allowed to remove the pillow now?" He asked, feigning hesitance. Emboldened by the drink, Mizore swatted the top of the pillow lightly, before she allowed it. They lay quietly, the TV showing something with a bunch of professors and scientists talking about stuff in space. Pretty, even if Mizore could not understand a lot of it. Mizore was curious, slightly, because she no longer felt as if she were on the verge of falling asleep. Watching what Celestina had done to Kurumu had sparked a small flame in her libido. She did not know, however that this was the case. Like many who take up the hobby of casual stalking, Mizore had a touch of the kink of voyeurism in her. As such, the amorous act that she had witnessed, had primed her own engine. But this was not the ravening fury that had possessed her before; she retained the full command of herself. And, the warm glow of the alcohol was encouraging her to be a little more forward then she usually was.
But she was again stymied by the fact that she had no idea at all what she was supposed to do. So, she decided she would signal, subtly, her intent, and let Dominic take the lead. With the way he acted, and the way the girls not in his immediate family and circle of friends acted, he surly knew what to do.
"Hey, Dominic. Do you want to do anything with me?" She asked. Subtle, perfectly innocuous, she thought proudly. Dominic, of course, picked up of the vibe she was throwing, because even if she couldn't tell, she was still releasing enough pheromones that anyone should have been able to pick up on it. And while, yes, he most certainly did want to do things with her, he did not however want to do it while she was drunk. So this left him in the precarious position of how to reject her offer, but not make her pissed. He could not point out that she was drunk. His dad had supplied a piece of advice on that.
"Son, there are three things you NEVER say to a young woman you want not to hate you. One, "You're drunk." You say that, no matter how drunk she actually is, she will tear you a new one and go find someone else with less reservations to do what she wants. Two, "I love you." No matter what little fairytale confession a girl thinks she wants, that time lies in the future. A young woman is not looking for love, and saying it will simply frighten her off. Give it a couple of years, and if she still isn't sick of your ugly mug, then you might give it a shot. And three, "Are you sure it's mine?" If I have to explain this one, you're beyond help. Now scram."
Dominic adjusted himself do that he could get his arm around her shoulders.
Not tonight, Mizore." He said, adding a touch of sorrow to his voice. "I've had a bit too much to drink tonight, and I have a busy day ogling you on the beach tomorrow." Mizore's first thought was: "Ha, lightweight." She then picked up on the flattery, and allowed herself to settle.
"Oh, well, if you do not feel up to it, that's okay." She snuggled in, and let out a contented sigh. She was a little disappointed, and a little relieved. It balanced. She felt the sleep pulling at her again, and did not fight. She was in no hurry. After all, she was sure she had plenty of time.
End 11
Alright, Alright. As I was smashing my head against this at parts, trying to get past certain stumble areas, I realized that the actual New Years beach party could offer nothing for me, unless I could find a way to sneak in a Loch Ness Monster "Three Fiddy" joke, which I could not do organically, so I an ending it here. Following this, sometime, shall be a short epilogue, just to let me get in a few more things I enjoy covering.
So, for those of you that made it this far, thanks for reading! This has been just terribly fun for me to write, and a good experience, growth wise. Thanks again.
