Tokyo Mew Mew a La Fresco: Chapter twelve: Sorcerer
While Ichigo was dubious, Ryou was enthusiastic, and Keiichiro was skeptical, Zakuro was depressed and Mint was furious.
"How could you have done something like that? I would have expected this from mother but from you?! I thought you had more fucking sense!!" Mint screamed at her father the day after she'd stormed out of the cafe.
Her parents had called her joyously out of the blue due to a retraction that several of the cities tabloids had printed, stating that the story they had printed days ago about the relationship between their daughter and a certain model was a hoax and that charges had been pressed against their annoymus informant for the false info.
Mint, confused, had called Zakuro to discover what exactly was going on. Upon reaching the other mew, she had been informed, bluntly and coldly that her parents were the source of the problem and that it should be taken up with them before any more of Zakuro's time was wasted on juvenile non-sense before the connection was cut.
"Well, we thought it for the better that the problem as it were, with you and this sinful little tryst, should be delt with directly rather than indirectly, through you. Zakuro-san was much more understanding and logical about the whole thing and didn't seem to be quite as serious about it as you in the long run. She said that it was simply a means to an end. The end being, of course, the money which was generously given by your loving father. While I don't condone blackmail I think she's highly intellligent in the long run for having foreseen what exactly our reaction to the problem would be. In fact, I rather like her for her astute obsevations and excellent business sense. And, since rumor has it that she's recently signed a major contract with N-G, she would be a very welcome contact for my own personal career" Ginger said, with an aristocratic flip of her hair.
Mint was artistocratically speechless.
"Your mother has also invited Zakuro-san to have dinner with us tonight. She'd didn't think you'd mind." Parsely sighed, as he rubbed his temple in frustration "It was your mother's brilliant plan that we slove the problem monetarily. She says that no woman in their right mind would turn down half a million dollars over something so frivolous as a relationship. That's how we were set up after all." The long-suffering tone in her father's voice cooled Mint's ire at him but only fueled her anger at her mother.
"You are a sociopath, do you realize that?"
"Oh, sweetheart, I've been called worse thing, believe me." She sailed out of the parlour where the convorsation had taken place and into the foyer just as the massive doorbells to the mannor. "I'm sure that would be our esteemed guest now. Would you be a dear and go answer the door Mint, darling, while mommy goes to powder her nose?" Ginger called as she practically sailed up the stairs, an evil mist seeming to trail in her wake.
Mint wasn't all together sure that her mother wasn't the anti-christ.
So did as her mother bade anyway, rather that having her eyes clawed out if she hadn't and was very, very tempted to blow up several small countries with her father's military connections.
"I hope I'm not late. Your mother said to be here approximatly close to eight." Mint almost chuckled at how nervous Zakuro was and reminded herself, ruefully, that she would be the only person who would be able to tell the slight difference in the stoic model. The way her wolf ears, which were visibly showing, twitched ever so slightly when she recognized the look of betrayal and loathing in her fellow mews eyes as she was led into the house and through the foyer to the dining room.
"You aren't late. I just got here myself. " She had resolved not to act like anything was wrong and that the whole situation didn't bother lest she bo forced to stab someone over the dinner table. "Mother went to freshen up and Father went to check on dinner so I suppose that I have time before they come back to ask you one thing: What the fuck?" Zakuro winced as the other girl turned around to look at her. The swearing being the only thing that betrayed her true feelings to the rest of the world.
"There are certain circumstances beyond our control that need to be delt with before anything else. Our relationship falls in the something else catagory and as such, must be handled second to one of those circumstances. " Zakuro explained with a sigh, trying to will her canine features to disappear.
Mint raised an eyebrow as she sat down at her place at the table. Zakuro sat at hers and was astounded by the number of insults that Mint's mother could pack into seating arrangments.
She was to sit at the foot of the table, about five feet away from the Family and she was being referred to as Fujiwara--Model, contrary to the Family who all had their names lovingly handwritten on the seating cards as opposed to typed out.
Yes, there were seating cards.
"Would those certain circumstances involve Ryou's hairbrained scheme about us being reincarnations or something?" Mint--Daughter, called down the table, raising her voice to be heard over the distance.
"That would be one of them,yes" Zaluro called back, feeling more and more uneasy by the moment about this calm Mint that she was being faced with.
In the four or so years they'd known each other, Zakuro had never seen Mint so calm about anything. Even something as simple as which napkins would look best with the christmas theme for the cafe she was passionate about. She never backed down from a fight and never gave up, especially when she knew she was on the right side. It was, Zakuro mused, probably the thing that most annoyed her and most adored about the other girl. To see that gone, possibly from what she had done, was quite literally (And quite clichely) breaking Zakuro's heart.
She had been about to voice this latest concern when Ginger floated into the room, with Parsely skulking behind her, coughing on the 'mist of absolute evil'
"Ah, Fujiwara-san, I'm so glad you could make it. I hope that your ride over was pleasent enough?"
"Yes, Aizawa-san. The bike-messenger you sent over was very kind. Riding on his handle bars was an...experience." Zakuro ground out through her teeth, she'd thought it would be rude to refuse the ride her hosts had sent over, humiliating as it was. It would have been more humiliating if Ginger had been able to point out the rudeness of not accepting the offers of your host.
And Zakuro sure as hell wasn't out to please Aizawa Ginger.
Meanwhile, at the cafe, Lettuce and Ichigo watched with raised eyebrows as Ryou, Nana and Keiichiro argued about the weird symbols they'd drawn with chalk on the cafe floor.
"The chalice has to go in the east! Seiryuu, the GOD of water resides in the east!" Ryuu demanded.
"Why I would I care about where seiryuu resides?! I'm not actually Japanese! Water goes to the west!" Keiichiro argued
"Both of y'all are wrong. Water goes ta tha North! That's were Aqualord Ragradia resides!" Nana insisted.
Ryou and Keiichiro refused to respond.
"Fine, we'll do it your way since you're the one actually casting the spell but if it goes wrong and you get turned into a goat, please don't chew on the table cloths as they are quite expensive." Ryou conceed with folded arms.
"...I'll try to keep that in mind." Keiichiro responded with a twitching eyebrow and an eerie smile.
"Ano...I don't know much about this stuff...but considering that Ragradia is one of the dieties that you think we are, shouldn't you follow Nana-san's directions? Just a thought." Lettuce said hesitantly.
Ryou and Keiichiro refused to respond on general principal but put the chalice in the north.
Nana looked pleased while Ichigo was even more confused.
Seeming to sense this, Lettuce turned to her friend in an attempt to dumb down what they'd been told about the ritual earlier.
"Ragradia is the peice of Ceipheid that corresonds to water. Since she lives in the Northern part of the continent then her direction is North. If I'm guessing right, I suppose that Ragradia is supposed to be my previous incarnation due to the water aspect, where as Vrabazard, who corresponds to fire and lives in the South would be Purin, Rangort who corresonds to Earth and lives in the east would be Ringo and Valwin who corresponds to air and lives in the west would be Mint. Zakuro-san, being that she doesn't use a specific element and that her powers mostly run towards purification and holy magic, likely represents the Ceipheid Knight, who holds the Soul of the flare god within herself."
"And Berri and I?"
"Are the yin and the yang that make up Ceipheids being. Zakuro houses the soul while you two represent the body and mind."
"...Uh-huh...Don't tell me you actually believe any of this stuff, Lettuce. I mean, doesn't it sound like all of them are just bullshitting?"
"Ichigo-chan, you make a living undercover as a Mahou-shoujou and you can cast skepticism on this? That's a little hypocritical don't you think?"
"...You're right. I'm sorry. Totally beliveable. I accept it now."
Author's notes: Egh...I'm sorry if this chapter was kinda like blah but I haven't felt very inspired by this story lately so it might take me a few chapters to get back in the mood for it. I'll try not to continue it for too much longer and actually finish it since people keep demanding that I update. I had intended to just stop and rewrite it angstier but people wanted this one shrug I'll try to finish it but the new one will probably get more work on it since I'm exited about writing it. A copyright note, all of the parts of Ceipheid are actual characters from the Slayers metaverse as is the Ceipheid knight. I didn't intend it but this seems to be becoming a big crossover in my head. Weird ain't it? Tokyo Mew Mew and Slayers? Go figure.
