[DISCLAIMER: This is all fictional about characters from Hololive.

Thank you for the reviews! I really loved hearing you all are enjoying the story. It really makes me smile. ^_^ The reviews also pushed me to write another chapter here before the other stories. So, cool!

I also just happened to publish my novel yesterday. I'll maybe link it on my front page on the weekend. The e-book is available, but not the hard copy.

Enough of that; I'm sure you want to find out what's going on with AmeSame and this story. We move forward with the case of the missing yubi's and there's more Korone and we get a little glimpse into the murderer. But mostly, this is all about the romance developing between Amelia Watson and Gawr Gura. (Listen to, Sunday Morning, sung by Gura. It fits.)

Again, I don't like writing crime/serial killer stories. It's a necessary evil in this story. I hope you all don't mind. All roads lead to Atlantis and The Ancient Ones. Someone said they didn't like them. Well, my opinion is people who try to run other's lives for their own outcome are problematic at best, and evil at worst. Maybe? Something to think about.

Chapter 12 – Obsessive Love, and an Amazing Love

The show was on again. He used to watch while in his dorm in college. When in a deep depression, and feeling near the brink of death, he caught a show. It changed his life forever. The beautiful girl on the screen was talking to him.

"Yubi, Yubi," and he would laugh.

Soon, he was sending money and subscribing to everything she did. He'd watch her streams over and over again, just to hear her voice. Her laugh, the balm of healing to his soul.

Being a half-human breed in the world meant you had gifts. You could be slightly stronger than plain humans. You had heightened senses. This, he knew, was a gift from the Ancient Ones because they had told him so in his dreams. The Ancient Ones, were the ones who he truly followed. It was something started in his college years while studying history. He found a tome and would read it and they would speak.

He had joined a forum of others who also followed the Ancient Ones. None, of course, were as gifted as him.

While obtaining his degree in history, he was particularly interested in torture methods and the best way to send a soul to the other side. Water was always used in sacrifices for a reason. Water was needed to purify the soul. And then, he read about the Dani tribe who removed fingers as sacrifices. He knew this was his calling considering why his idol had asked for yubi's. Everything matched up.

So, he started with one sacrifice to the Ancient Ones. You know, just to see if it worked. He was blessed the next day with a good job.

The next time he removed two fingers and won some cash in the lottery. Was it a whim?

When he removed three fingers, he won a trip to the states. This, he knew was a sign. His idol, Inugami Korone, lived in the states.

He would hum a song:

"With the hands lovers meet.

Hands shape and form

And destroy and disarm

Fingers in their idle movement

Play with things they shouldn't."

And so, they had to be removed.

He'd write letters to Koro-chan over and over, but never got a response. That was okay. He could admire from a distance.

In England, where he'd spent a few years, he would go to the park to watch the dogs play because of his idol. Doggos were amazing, in his mind. He was of a canine type half-human, and so felt kindred. He'd never hurt an animal, but humans were another story. They were evil creatures, as the Ancient Ones had told him. The more he studied history the more he understood they were the bane of the world.

The voices again were speaking and he listened.

Landing in the states, he needed to show his gratitude and so there needed to be a special offering. That night on the beach, he gazed at his creation. It was a masterpiece. For him, death and pain were art. This time four and five fingers were the offering to finally meet his idol.

And the gift was fulfilled when he saw her there at his place of employment. He was being blessed once again by the Ancient Ones. He would work at the 50th Street Bar and wait on tables and she smiled at him.

He was struck in place at her smile. She was there. His idol even spoke to him.

His world felt complete. He asked her for an autograph and she gladly gave it, but then offered him her girlfriend's autograph, as well. This bothered him greatly. He didn't ask for the cat-girl's autograph. Why would she do that?

There she was, holding hands with a cat. The cat looked smug, like all Neko types. It nearly ruined his night.

But it would be okay. He knew she was being generous and kind when she offered up her girlfriend. He realized it was a sign.

He would have to bring another sacrifice later that night because of his good fortune.

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Calliope walked casually beside the one that would depart the world. She, at times, felt sorry for those who would meet violent deaths.

This one was cute, light purple hair coloring, and when she saw him there, hiding in the shadows, she knew this would be the time. He had done it before. He was a strong creature who enjoyed pain much too much. Another fanatic.

She left for only a moment and would return after his cruel game was through. This Neko would go silently into the night and not be seen again.

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Amelia Watson was woken by her phone going off. The sun was barely rising, and she lifted slowly in the bed. She didn't want to answer. It was a call from Shishiro Botan. She turned off the volume, not wanting to wake the one sleeping beside her. She wanted to allow her more sleep, since their evening had been so restless.

Her sleepy eyes stared across the blankets. Colors slowly transpired across the world in light pastels to brilliant primaries. This was how it looked as she watched the morning's light spread through her small bedroom on the top floor of the apartment building.

Lying there quietly, was the one she was growing more and more fond. The evening had transpired like a light literary novel, unexpectedly growing into a story that stays in your memory. Gura shared her past and the tale of her life and they eventually made it to her place.

Both were exhausted from their own sad stories and lay down. Sleep came fast and they found comfort beside one another.

Her eyes grazed the contour of the shark girl's back as she lay on her stomach, her arm hanging off the side of the bed. She was a restless sleeper.

Carefully, she lifted the blanket, pulling it over her so she wouldn't get cold. She simply watched her sleep, the way her angel bones lifted as she snored lightly. It made her laugh.

She couldn't imagine living so long and to never age. Some would call it a dream come true. When Gura shared her story, it was a never-ending nightmare.

Watson looked down at her phone. It was Detective Botan again. She realized something had happened.

She lifted carefully from the bed, not wanting to disturb the shark girl, and walked into her kitchen to take the call.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"There was another one – on the beach."

"Another?"

"Yep – six missing fingers. And this time it was personal." She then went into detail, as Watson listened.

She held the phone in her hand, lowering her head, not wanting to have to deal with this right now. Not another murder. What did she mean it was personal?

When she looked up Gura stood there in one of her T-shirts, her feet bare and looking beautiful in the morning's light. She had unique eyes, light blue, exotic like an Asian beauty with thick lashes.

Her hair was a mess.

"Mornin' Watson."

She giggled. "Good morning, Gura."

"This is…" she looked over the apartment, "…awkward?"

They both smiled, laughing quietly in the early morning.

"Want some coffee?" Watson offered.

"I'd love some."

"Breakfast?"

"Don't usually eat it – but if you want something, I'll join you."

"Me neither. I just wanted to be a good hostess."

"Hm…"

"Hm…"

They both giggled again.

Gura's phone was ringing, and she spied over at it on the counter. "Looks like my landlord is calling."

"Kind of early."

"Yeah, but then proper etiquette isn't one of her strong points."

They both laughed again.

"I actually need to head out to meet Detective Botan."

"Why?"

"Something happened last night on the beach… just something."

Gura cleared her throat, walking closer when she saw whatever happened bothered the ex-investigator.

They both stood half-smiling, feeling awkward. They had spent most of the night talking, and then came to the only place they knew would be quiet and private, but both ended up falling asleep, worn out.

Gura had never opened up and told her story to anyone in her life. She had never felt so at ease with anyone else, like Amelia Watson.

"I like how my shirt looks on you."

"Yeah?" She turned, her tail swinging. "Bet you never wore it like this."

Eased, they both giggled.

"Want me to go with you to meet the detective?"

"Oh? I'd hate to bother you with that."

"I just need to stop by the bungalow and see what Koro wants and I can meet you and head over with you."

"Okay, I'd like that."

Gura walked into the bungalow, Amelia Watson following her inside, as she was about to run in, shower, and then head back out.

"I'm just going to jump in the shower. Be around fifteen or twenty minutes."

"That's cool - I'll go chat with your landlord."

Amelia had been wanting to ask her about the yubi fans and ask if she noticed anyone paying close attention to her recently.

"Good morning, Korone."

"Oh hey, can you help me with this thing?"

She could see her struggling with the coffee maker.

"I called Gura earlier to ask if she could fix this. I think I broke it."

"You called her this morning… to fix your coffee maker?"

Korone nodded, enthusiastically, and looking very bright-eyed and extremely bushy-tailed as it wagged. "I need to head into work early - meeting Okayu for early practice because of our show on Holios. We fly out tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, that's tomorrow."

Amelia walked over, standing beside the doggo. She was amazingly cute, and taller than the ex-investigator. She could see how she lit up when she mentioned her girlfriend.

"I think I'm supposed to head over there tomorrow too."

"Want to fly with me and Okayu? Gura's coming."

"She is? I think I'm traveling with my company."

"Well, if you want you are welcome to join us – just tell Gura and it will be done."

"Thank you, and this was a simple fix." Amelia replaced the filter basket into the right spot. "There. Want me to make you some coffee."

"Yes please, Ame-san."

As Amelia worked on placing the filter and coffee in the coffee maker, she made small talk.

"I hear you use a phrase, 'yubi yubi,' with your fans."

"Yes."

"Has there been any fans that you think take it too seriously?"

"Yes."

"Oh, have you met them? Did any approach you?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"After my show. I walk out and they approach me." Korone walked up to grab two cups for the coffee. "A lot try to look like my Korone-suki animation. It's common for some to shave their heads and that's what you saw that night when we met."

"The Korone-suki's you call them?"

"Yes."

"Those were the ones chasing you?"

"Yes."

"And do they all shave their heads?"

"No."

"Are you trolling me?"

She giggled, "yes."

"At least you're honest."

Amelia poured two cups of coffee, and then Korone placed the cream and sugar beside. "I like mine with lots of cream and sugar. I read that psychopaths like their coffee black and so I always put cream and sugar in my coffee."

"Seriously?" Amelia laughed.

"No," Korone again giggled.

"You're trolling me again, right?"

"Yes." Korone then kept snickering in such a cute manner with a face that lit up and a smile that made her cheeks turn red.

"Can we talk seriously, for a moment?" Amelia waved to the table for them to have a seat and Korone followed over and sat down.

"What made you think of using the yubi, yubi close on your videos?"

"I read that there was a tribe that used to offer them as a sacrifice and then I thought it might be cute to do it at the end of my streams and it caught on. I was encouraged by my manager that it would be a good gimmick. At first, well it seemed a little too violent, but then I don't mind violent things."

"What do you mean… you don't mind violent things?" Amelia took a slow sip from her coffee, that had only a touch of sugar and cream. Certainly not as much as the hyperactive doggo.

"In life," Korone held around her cup, her big brown eyes looking outward in thought. "Violence happens. It's not unusual in the animal kingdom, or among insects, or pretty much the entire world we live on.

"If you consider how time has passed and life and death – they walk hand in hand. And so, to push violent things aside, or things that seem 'bad' per se, it's lying to yourself." She then smiled, her gaze to the ex-investigator. "Unfortunately, we live in a violent world from predators killing prey in the shadows to weather patterns that destroy large swaths of land and sea, and killing thousands." And more pointedly, her eyes drew in the young blonde, "do you understand that, Dr. Watson?"

Amelia Watson felt a chill go through her entire being.

"Yo!"

Gura's sudden voice made her jump in her seat.

"Hi Gura!" Korone leapt up from her seat. "Want some coffee?" She laughed, "you like it black, right?"

"Sure."

Dr. Watson watched the doggo move about in the kitchen, fetching Gura her cup of coffee. She understood psychopathic tendencies. She had done some perfunctory background on Inugami Korone. She was smart, possibly brilliant in how she read people. She made the comment about the black coffee simply for her and their discussion.

Ms. Inugami had a major in philosophy and perhaps that's why she spoke outside the box. She enjoyed playing with other's emotions to see their reaction. She'd seen it before, but whether she was a psychopath who killed others, was the question. People lived with psychopathy without actually hurting another in life.

The three eventually headed out together, saying their goodbyes.

Korone left in her car, while Amelia and Gura hopped into the ex-investigator's small vehicle.

They drove further past the lighthouse to where they'd meet Shishiro Botan.

"How'd it go with my landlord? Did you get the info you needed, Watson?"

"Probably more than I needed." Watson glanced over quickly to her passenger, dressed casually in shorts and her blue hoodie that she often wore.

"About last night…," Watson started.

"…It was nice."

"Yeah… it was."

Gura placed her hand on the center console as Amelia continued driving along the meandering back road, this murder past the tall redwoods and tucked into a small cove on the northern coast of California.

"I know, we didn't do anything," Amelia began slowly.

"No."

"Is that okay with you?" She turned slightly to catch the gaze from Gura.

"What? To keep it platonic?" She laughed low and guttural, almost in a nervous reaction.

"I guess… that's what I meant."

"Hm, it's not so much is it okay, but it's what we are right now. I just loved… lying beside you."

Amelia licked across her lips. "Same."

And then with a quick glance they both caught the other's smile.

"Sam-eh, haha."

"Yes." And they both laughed lightly, eased with one another.

"Maybe…" Amelia began, "next time."

"Next time?"

"Well," Amelia cleared her throat. "I meant; I was invited to fly over to Holios tomorrow on Korone's private plane… with you too."

"I'd like that."

"Would you?"

"Yeah. We'd have a lot of fun, Watson."

"We would." Amelia Watson felt a lightness inside as she spoke with Gura. "I would… like that very much."

This was a lightness she'd never felt with another in her life, and each moment they were together made her feel more and more as if she was being lifted to the clouds. It was a strange sensation, to feel so light in the world.

It's like meeting an old friend and time had never passed. They fit so easily together, and she didn't understand, but she welcomed this old friend and then placed her hand over Gura's, as they slowly maneuvered, touching the tender lines of each other's hand, until fitting into one another and holding hands.

They held hands easily, driving up the coast.

This all seemed so right.

[END NOTE: Again, thank you for reading. I appreciate the follows and faves, but really love reviews. Next chapter will be more Ina, Enma, Nene, Holios, Ancient Ones, Botan, and Gura and Amelia visiting a murder scene. Oh yes, and a little surprise.]