Infuriating Desire
Chapter 01: Testing the Waters
By Twisted Eternal Wolvetta & Souhai
Rated: M. Genre: Drama/Psychological-Military Thriller. Timeline: Nearly Complete. COLLAB.
Pairings: Nao/Tomoe, Shizuru/Natsuki, More.
This was completely, and utterly aggravating. Chie Hallard, her dear upperclasswoman had stuck Juliet Nao Zhang onto her? What was the meaning of this? Didn't Hallard realise how problematic this was? The infuriating Pearl merely stood before her in the training grounds, pointedly staring at her. What did she expect her to say? 'Oh, thanks for sticking her on me?'
Meanwhile, a particular redhead reacted much the same as Tomoe Marguerite.
'Can someone remind me why I'm doing this for Hallard? It's boring as hell.' As a result of getting Marguerite dumped onto her, Nao had far less time to herself. Even if her daily business was rather boring after skipping classes, she didn't appreciate the shackling. 'Oh, she's looking this way. Should I wave to her?' She wondered, the lack of amusement getting the better of her. 'Or perhaps…' Nah, Miss Maria was scary-even for her. Pacing around before squatting down, she spied as Hallard spoke with Marguerite in the distance. Her classmate must be advising her about something or other. How Hallard had flawlessly slipped into Coral training was beyond her. But you had such conveniences when you were a glorified student idol. But seriously, why was Hallard here? Miss Maria was bound to catch her. Or worse case scenario; Arika Yumemiya.
Ah, if only she could return to her room. But alas, Hallard would give her hell carnate.
Standing up, the bored redhead slinked away towards the library instead. She would get a better vantage point from there without being plucked from her comfort zone. Not to mention, the library was one of her favourite haunts. It was a location where she could easily find a good book or a nap. Perhaps others thought her lazy? Not like Juliet Nao Zhang cared. No, as the fourth Pearl she avoided the scrutiny which the Trias are subjected to.
Linking her fingers together, she propped her palms against the back of her head. Slothfully walking through the classroom building, she climbed the stairs. Fortunately, the area was vacant, allowing her to slip by undetected. Once entering the library on the top floor, she casually wandered to her vantage point.
Here, the windows remained open, and from a distance the sounds of sparring reached Nao's ears. Resting her head within her palms, she disinterestedly surveyed the courtyard. The sunlight filtered through the windows gently, making it rather cozy. In fact, she could fall asleep right here. 'Hallard wouldn't notice, right?' It wouldn't matter if she stopped watching for a minute or thirty. The redhead mused, watching a distant Tomoe deftly parrying a blow from Arika. The manoeuvre took the pigtailed Coral by surprise, resulting in a crippling blow to her abdomen.
Nao had to admit that Tomoe was an excellent combatant. She could tell from just observation that she would give most Pearls a difficult time. Though, eh. Exhaling, she lost interest, closing her eyes.
Whatever, she'd have five minutes.
Dusting herself off nonchalantly, Tomoe hardly tossed her opponent a single glance. 'That was a waste of my time if that's all she's capable of.' Watching Arika stumble back onto her feet-albeit appearing ready to throw up. "Up on your feet so soon? Not too bad for a coddled pet." She shot, though seemed unamused nonetheless. She despised Arika Yumemiya for several reasons. Usually her thoughts were kept in check so no one was none the wiser. However… Yumemiya. 'Ugh. Let's just get this over with.' Drawing a short breath, Tomoe leapt forth towards the battered Coral. Aiming for the girl's abdomen where her punch had previously landed with her polearm. Her attack was barely blocked by Arika's own Element, but the stronger Coral had already anticipated it. With a sharp spin, she swung a solid kick to the Coral's defenseless head, sending her toppling to the floor.
Concluding the spar finished, Tomoe eyed the barely conscious, heaving Coral. 'You deserve it.'
"Marguerite! What is the meaning of this?!" Miss Maria came rushing towards Tomoe, and the downed Coral. Immediately setting her sights on Arika, she knelt down beside her. Easing an ear to the student's mouth, the epitome of grace frowned. She had clearly noticed that Yumemiya was struggling for breath. "Wang! Ho! Fetch Doctor Helene this instant!" She called for the two students.
All the while, Tomoe watched the event befall apathetically. A hand clasped to her hand, but she already knew who this was. "Chie." She murmured neutrally, not turning to face her.
"Did you have to go that far?" The Pearl questioned. She hadn't expected differently from the dangerous student, but Chie had never understood her intentions fully.
"Do I always need to answer the same questions from you?" Tomoe snapped, pulling herself away from the Trias. Annoyed by the frightened glances shot by her classmates, she headed for the secluded section of the courtyard. 'I doubt they want me back anytime soon.' She may as well do something productive instead. The library, perhaps? It was always a nice place to hide away inside. Least she could hang out there before Miss Maria tried gutting her.
Since classes rotated for outdoor activities, there was not a soul to be found inside the classrooms. This made her journey effortless, at least. A grating annoyance ploughed Tomoe's senses as she climbed the stairs to the library. It was a joke that combat practice was so petty. Not like Tomoe cared, but what would Yumemiya do in a true Otome battle? She was being merciful. Steinberg, and Graceburt? Those Corals would be dead in a few years, Tomoe was confident in this.
Fortunately, the library was almost void of students as well, save for occasional Pearls reading. The Coral's footsteps echoed noisily throughout the library, attracting mildly annoyed glances from her seniors. After noticing who the culprit was, faces submerged back into the pages. Tomoe's infamy had spread fear even amongst the weaker Pearls, pathetically.
Woken from the ringing footsteps, Nao stirred from her sleep. With heavy eyelids, she peered at the courtyard. The students had huddled around what seemed to be an unconscious Arika. Helene was there too, and was attaching a neck brace to the downed Coral. '...How long have I been asleep for her to be in that state?' Nao mused a tad guiltily, somewhat wishing she had paid more attention. Arika was her room attendant, after all. Releasing a drawn-out yawn, Nao lazily stretched with her arms pulled back. 'I should do my work before Hallard seriously kills me. Figuring Marguerite's psycho grudge would probably save my ass later.' Probably Arika's, too.
"Oh, is that you, Juliet?" A voice called out from behind her. "What a surprise to see you here." Miraculously Tomoe was standing by her side. "Seems you were observing my sparring session with Yumemiya? May I ask what you thought of it? I believed that she could have done a little better…" A hint of an brusqued sneer unveiled her malice for a brief second. Until a moment later, it was swiftly replaced by a far more appropriate smile.
'Heh. You dirty little psycho.'
"People refuse to spar with me these days." Tomoe sighed, seemingly saddened over the fact. She peeked outside to the congregation outside. At last they were moving Yumemiya, and she momentarily cocked a brow at the neck brace. "Even the Pearls are terrified of me." Who could blame them really? Despite so, it was rather cowardly since she fought them as her enemy would her. They were training to become Meisters; killers. Sure, she had certainly injured Yumemiya, but this was the reality of their battlefield.
"Nobody likes getting a prolonged visit to the infirmary with Helene." Nao took a verbal jab at Tomoe. "Looking at how Arinko ended up, you made me wonder whether there's a score you're trying to settle."
Tomoe stared at her for a long moment. 'You have no idea.' Studying the Artain with mild suspicion, she drifted her eyes across her body. "Everyone knows she'll come bouncing back sooner or later. I simply fear she doesn't understand the reality of things, thanks to her… Ant-like qualities." Inwardly Tomoe cursed. Perhaps that had been a slip of the tongue on her part? She knew very well how difficult it was to bypass Nao.
"If you ask me, killing one of our own comes with a conscious decision to go through with it." Nao considered for a moment, returning the Coral's studying gaze with a curious look. Compared to the other girls, Tomoe is a killing machine, that much was certain. In that aspect, even Nina may not be a match for her. Nao found her talent rather unsettling; something even she would not want to face one day. In that sense, she certainly understood where Hallard was coming from. 'But me, of all people?' That being said, Nao found it easy to read Tomoe like an open book sometimes. The Coral is a stubborn one who doesn't take no for an answer. Honestly it was refreshing, and the redhead admired her for that. "I wonder whether that influenced your decision? 'Arika wouldn't die from that anyway; Helene's a miracle worker.'
Tomoe wondered whether she should say something. But surely saying even a hint would give her away? She was certain Nao knew she despised Yumemiya, especially since the brat was Nao's room attendant. For her own sake, how could she dance around this issue? Sliding her tongue along her teeth, Tomoe mused quietly. She couldn't go down the reality route again. She had simply wanted to knock some sense into the girl because she was infuriating. But she absolutely hated her for having snatched Shizuru's attention so flawlessly. She herself had desperately sought after the Archmeister, But her? That brat waltzed into Garderobe unannounced, and tore the Archmeister away just like that. Worse, she was babied because she was some old Meister's child. It sickened Tomoe.
How was that fair for anyone else? The only reason why any of them were here was due to years of training, luck, and dedication. Over twenty-five thousand people had attempted to enroll into Garderobe this year alone. So why her? Derailing her train of thought, she blinked as she caught Nao's eyebrow lift slowly. She was resting her jaw against her hand, and was lazily studying her. 'Has she been been trying to read me?' Of course she is.
"You know, your expressions have been dancing quite a bit. Deep in thought, aren't you, hm?" The Pearl mused, observing the Coral's poorly disguised surprise. Obviously, Tomoe's face barely changed throughout while Nao watched, but she couldn't help but tease her nonetheless. Perhaps she would give an unexpected reason?
"W-what? No, I was pondering a little. What you said made some sense." Tomoe lied, her eyes peering back towards the courtyard where the students had already dissipated. 'Miss Maria must be looking for me now.'
A reason to kill. Otome had no reason, didn't they? What the Pearl said made no real sense. It wouldn't surprise Tomoe if the elder had merely said it to sound smart. She was beginning to get on her nerves, in fact. "I believe that we kill to ensure our own survival. That is all there is, and it is something Yumemiya needs to understand." Tomoe answered. Turning her back towards the window, she trained her eyes upon the library's entrance. She would know if Miss Maria was here.
"Oh." A deadpan acknowledgement sounded from Nao. It was an answer Tomoe fully expected, but it was still underwhelming nonetheless. 'Maybe if I push her buttons a little more…' "I see. At least it isn't because she got on your nerves then. That's good. You're less petty than you seem." The redhead pulled a feint, trying to figure out the Coral's triggers. "Say, would you like to join me? I would be visiting Arika later; it would probably do you some good to see her."
See Yumemiya? Though, then again, Miss Maria would probably never guess she'd go see her. Would she even be awake? Questions flooded Tomoe's mind, but she angrily pushed them aside. "Alright. I would like to see her." She uttered, wondering whether this would cover her tracks. She would see how this would turn out. At this point, Tomoe doubted things could get any worse. It wasn't like she'd outright kill the girl.
Nao paused for a moment, having not been expecting an answer such as this. Watching the Coral carefully, it seemed as though she hadn't felt insulted by the casual comment on her character. 'Her tolerance has a wider girth than I thought. That, or something's up.'
"Great! Playing nice would probably get you off Maria's hook too. Let's get going. It will be a drag if she shows up now." Nao got up from the table, where she got a better view of the courtyard. The epitome of grace was slowly approaching the building they are in. "She's coming over now. We'll have to go from the back."
Tomoe glanced over her shoulder to the empty courtyard, surprised the disciplinary demon hadn't caught up to them sooner. She squinted her eyes from the brightness, then turned around to face the library entrance. Nao was already walking towards it, her footsteps inaudible compared to Tomoe's.
"Be Jesus, and walk like you're standing on water. You wouldn't want Miss Maria hearing you now." The Artain commented. "I could hear you the moment you stepped into the library."
'Jesu- who now?' "Oh? I am intrigued, Juliet. Your hearing is surprisingly sharp." Tomoe replied, following closely behind the Pearl with slightly audible steps.
"Force of habit." Nao led the Coral down the steps to the classrooms. But instead of continuing down to the ground storey, they entered the classroom by the stairs.
"Why are we here?" Tomoe asked, perking an eyebrow as Nao walked towards one of the windows.
"This is our way out, unless you want to strut up to Maria?" Nao chuckled, throwing open the window where a tree branch grew within arm's reach.
Tomoe watched while the Pearl leapt out onto the tree deftly. The branch shook from the sudden weight yet withstood it. Only the rustling of the leaves would have revealed the Otome's presence.
"How typical." Tomoe rolled her eyes. 'A serial truant, and her childish tricks...' "Would this be how you skip classes?"
"No, I walk out of here like a normal human being." Nao scoffed, before leaping down onto the tree trunk, and shuffling down skillfully.
Still, Nao probably used this as an escape route, Tomoe didn't believe her for a second. She eyed the woman oddly whom gestured her to follow, and she took a speedy review of their surroundings. The tree was on the back path of the academy which followed the forest's edge. Wasn't this the same path leading to the gardens? Taking one final glance inside the classroom, Tomoe leapt onto the branch. It, too, held her weight... fortunately. She had been slightly worried that it wouldn't. Nao was much leaner than herself, truth be told. Upon that moment of landing on the branch, she heard footsteps. Knowing it was likely to be Miss Maria, she instead jumped down, and landed squarely on her feet, as though attempting to clap into the ground with all her might.
Whilst Tomoe dusted off her uniform, Nao rolled her eyes at her blatant disregard for stealth. Once the Coral had finished grooming herself, she signalled for them to head towards the gardens. This portion of the path was a little more exposed than she liked, but it was better than going around the building. Miss Maria could easily intercept them by the entrance, after all.
Following the naked dirt path, the duo power-walked towards the cover of the trees. It was one of those routes rarely taken by anyone. 'Other than Juliet, probably'. Tomoe definitely had not known of this path.
Only until Nao felt that they were secluded enough, she finally spoke. "You move unexpectedly like a hippopotamus."
Following closely behind the Artain, Tomoe's expression turned sour for a moment. Not that the Pearl could see that, which allowed the Coral's facade to ease slightly. "It… must have been the muscle mass I've been gaining recently." She cleared her throat, trying not to let her displeasure reveal itself.
"Hm? I'm jealous." Nao snickered. "I wouldn't mind beefing up a little as well, but I rather stay sneaky." Maybe one of these days Nao would gain some extra muscle. But for the time being she couldn't afford it. She needed the stealth, and flexibility. Hopefully her Meister robe would suit her well.
Rounding the classrooms they had exited, they remained at the corner. With luck, Miss Maria wouldn't think to come this way. They needed to enter the building again to get into the labs. Though maybe Miss Maria had headed for the labs as well? Only time would tell."What do you think Miss Maria is doing?" She asked the Coral.
"I wonder too… nobody knows what Miss Maria thinks." How would she know? Tomoe didn't have psychic powers, if they even existed.
"Well, just asking." The Pearl murmured.
The duo continued to hide in the shadows, with Nao spying around the corner occasionally. Tomoe in the meantime simply peered down, feeling rather annoyed by their situation. What's this? Cat and mouse? "Do you have to keep watching? I could always visit her some other day." Tomoe grumbled, the energy to keep up this silly mask waning.
"Oh? You should know that I'm stuck with you now. If I have to be on your tail all the time, I'd like to have a say on where we go." The redhead retorted, then deciding to sit for the time being also.
So this is how it is? Sighing lowly under her breath, Tomoe figured she was stuck in this situation. "Why? Were you placed under some sort of duress?" Tomoe knew fully well the Trias had stuck Nao onto her. She was warned about it by the butch herself. Why warn her though? Wasn't that silly? But she wasn't Chie Hallard, was she?
"Me, scared of Hallard? Don't be ridiculous." Growing up in Artai, Nao had quickly learnt to read people, and exploit them when required. It was a skill that kept her out of trouble for the most part. Of course, such an ability fell short when it came to Miss Maria, who appeared almost flawless. Luckily, it seemed to have rewarded her a slight advantage over Tomoe. Empathy isn't one of her strongest points. It would however be troublesome to get on Hallard's bad side; She would be less likely to turn a blind eye on Nao's misdemeanor, and she would have to act like a proper student more. Besides, it was pretty annoying, and her gang needed her. "Let's just say I owe her some favours." She turned to look at Tomoe casually, wondering how she would respond to that.
'Don't we all owe favours?' Tomoe mused, looking into the nearby forest. Being almost right beside it, she began to wonder what was inside. They had always been forbidden from the Sprites' Forest. Probably due to its close proximity with the Black Valley, and everyone knew how dangerous that nomadic land is. "I know the sort of person she is." She replied. "But I don't understand her motivation at all." Why would she care what happens to others? Wouldn't it be best to get rid of your rivals?
"Colour me surprised. You want to understand others?" The Pearl joked, finding what she shared to be highly amusing. The Coral was much less humoured, her feelings betrayed by a momentary scowl. Oops? 'I guess she was being honest.' She awkwardly cleared her throat. "Sometimes there are people we'll never understand. It's strange how close we can actually get to them, but understanding them is a separate thing altogether." Nao mused to the younger girl, whilst trying to avoid pushing her too far.
"...You sound like an old hag." Tomoe eventually sneered after what seemed like a volatile moment.
"I'll take that as a compliment." The redhead chuckled.
A few silent moments passed them by, and Tomoe got bored. Looking discreetly around the corner, nobody was seen. This was irritating, and with Nao sitting by closely she felt uncomfortable. Another urge to throw insults rose, causing her to shift her gaze back to the Pearl. Nao had lifted a leg with the other loosely crossed beneath it. Seemingly uncaring of her skirt, Tomoe frowned. "Not bothered about flashing anyone?" She grumbled, her annoyance piquing as the redhead rested a wrist atop her knee. This Pearl was beginning to get on her nerves, and Tomoe couldn't quite understand why.
"Who cares? Striped panties are meant to be seen. Especially these pink, and white ones, you see?" The unorthodox Pearl chuckled. She seemed to be in a good mood somehow, despite their situation. Perhaps it was because Tomoe seemed to have taken an interest in her?
"Why would anyone want to look at your underwear?!" The Coral shot Nao an incredulous look at fist, but now that she had mentioned their pattern… Tomoe's curiosity got the better of her, and her sight flicked downwards for a split second. Her slip-up didn't go unnoticed.
"Oh, I saw that!" Nao chortled, incredibly amused that the Coral even took the bait.
"You-!" Tomoe's expression twisted, and she shot the Pearl a flustered glare. Tearing her gaze away from her, Tomoe scoffed. "You think I'm interested in you?" Who did Juliet think she was? An inexperienced child?
Much to Tomoe's chagrin, Nao took longer than expected to calm down. After several deep breaths, the Pearl admitted; "At least I'm taking an interest in you now."
Tomoe couldn't tell whether Juliet was taking her seriously. Pondering for a moment-until the redhead's chuckling interrupted her mulling, that is. 'She definitely thinks she has her little finger wrapped around me; This woman…' "How charming." Rising from the floor, Tomoe shifted her legs. Again, she looked around the corner, noticing a small group of Corals leaving. Behind them, Miss Maria followed. Jabbing her shoe into the redhead's leg, she gestured her to stand. "Get up, she's leaving."
"I think you broke my leg with your kick." The Artain smirked, getting up onto her feet, and brushing herself off. Only receiving a flat stare, the duo started at an inconspicuous speed to reduce suspicion. Juliet was lagging behind however. Tomoe was about to turn the corner before she noticed the distance, and with a groan she spun around to return to the redhead.
"What's wrong with you now? Do you want to draw attention?" She hissed in question. To her, it is highly difficult to anticipate what Juliet Nao Zhang would pull on her next. Her antics were driving her insane.
"Seems you really did hurt my leg." Nao lied through her teeth, even willingly faking a limp against the wall to prove her point.
"But I didn't even kick you." Tomoe grumbled.
"I don't care-carry me." Nao demanded, stretching her arms out to the bewildered Coral.
Staring at Nao in disgust, and speechlessness, Tomoe jeered. 'Dumbass moron.' Turning around, she quickly knelt. Pointedly she glanced over her shoulder. "Well?"
"Teehee, I'll take it." Still pretending her injury, Nao hobbled over to the younger woman, and draped herself over her back. It was way more chiseled than Nao expected, since it was hidden under the horrific uniform. Even after materialisation, the robe would partially conceal her back as well. As Tomoe stretched her arms back to grab onto her thighs, Nao could clearly feel the muscles contracting, and relaxing in many different portions. It felt as though her back was a separate living creature on its own, writhing, and twisting under her. Nao found it strangely comforting to rest against her back, despite the grotesque texture. She was also quickly realising how horrible it would be to face Tomoe Marguerite in a fight to the death. 'This girl is a beast.' She felt slightly worse for Arika now. 'Kruger's blind to make her only the second Coral.'
Letting her hands wander, Nao tried feeling her up. From the touches, it certainly felt as though Tomoe's physique is unparalleled amongst the other students. Underestimating her power would be a death sentence, possible even for Meister Otome. 'Heck, she could probably subdue Yukariko with brute force.'
"Would you mind not touching me up?" Tomoe muttered inactively. She was tired of Nao's antics. Walking them into the corridor, the students throughout the building immediately noticed them. She could care less. Heading straight for the lab, Tomoe suddenly realised why Nao was faking this; She was doing this for her? Tomoe had to admit that carrying Nao to Helene did give a good impression. Shouldering open the lab door, the temperature instantly cooled. "Try touching me up again, and I'll drop you down the stairs." She wasn't kidding.
"Duly noted." Nao could sense the threat in her voice, which made her pull her hands back onto her shoulders. Just like her back, Tomoe's shoulders were extremely well-developed. It took a conscious effort on Nao's part to avoid pinching them. It took Nao a while to realise it, but it was getting chillier as the pair descended down the steps. Helene's lab was a place she rarely ventured to, since she preferred the warmth of the garden pavilion. Her body shivered, reminding her of the time spent homeless in Artai. The country is cold year round, but the winters are especially freezing. When the Grand Duke had discovered her, she was on death's door with her rigid body covered in frost. Inexplicably, Tomoe's beastly back was as warm as the one that saved her those years back. It made her want to hold on a little tighter.
"Doctor Helene?" Tomoe called into the cylindrical lab. She looked around for the medical scientist; Only the hum of machinery greeted her instead. Heading down the rest of the steps, she adjusted Nao against her. In response the redhead only tightened her arms around her shoulders, and she rolled them in response. "Stop that." She mumbled. Where was this woman? Walking further onto the platform, she peered down to the ground floor below. Separated by iron rails, she observed the Founder's System. All five pillars were down, indicating that none of the Columns were materialised.
Was she with Yumemiya, Tomoe wondered? 'Probably. Should I try the infirmary?' To hell with it, she'd check. She wanted to see the damage she had done to Yumemiya anyway. Hopefully Nao wasn't playing a trick on her by dragging her here. "Did you come up with a story for that leg yet?"
Nao rolled her head onto the Coral's shoulder in response. "Let's just say I slipped, and fell from a tree for once. My shin hit the branch because I was trying to catch my book."
"You stupid cat, your leg would be bruised." It was quite a ridiculous tale, even if the Pearl was occasionally spotted in a tree from time to time. Compounded by the lack of visible injury, Helene would probably throw them out of her lab for wasting her time; If it was the usual situation anyway. "As if she would believe that."
"Meow."
A warm puff of air tickled across Tomoe's neck, surprising her-though she'd rather die than let it be known to the jester. 'Is she doing this on purpose? To see how I will react?' Tomoe's muscles tensed up only slightly.
"We don't need to convince her of anything. You'd still get credit for carrying me here." Nao turned her head to face the walls, causing her hair to brush against the Coral's neck. "Anyway, shall we try the infirmary? The Doc doesn't seem to be here."
"I can see that." The duo stepped off the platform, and turned to move towards their new destination. Tomoe wondered if they would run into any of the Columns when they entered Yumemiya's ward. If they were in there, having the elder Pearl here may dissolve the tension if any confrontation arose. 'How would Shizuru look at me? I hope she is elsewhere, it's too soon to find out.' The thought made the Coral anxious. Without much thought, she propped up Nao's body against herself a little more.
Almost coyishly, Tomoe peaked into the infirmary chamber. As usual the huge doorway was open for all to see inside. Unsurprisingly, she spied Helene in front of the central bed. Her back was also facing them.
"Doctor Helene?" She called out, the medical scientist immediately spinning on her heel. Upon this action, the Coral managed to see Yumemiya's face. She was in that ridiculous neck brace still, and she was bruised to kingdom come. 'Good.'
"M-Marguerite… What business do you have here?" The medical scientist cautiously edged towards her. She eyed the dangerous Coral suspiciously, until she noticed the body slumped against her back. "...Wait, is that Zhang?" Wariness was quickly replaced by worry as Helene approached them swiftly now.
'Ah, I got an idea.' "Yes, Doctor. I found her beneath the trees outside the building. She seems to have hurt her leg." Tomoe responded quickly, before Helen pulled her towards a spare bed inside the room. "She was awake earlier, but she complained of feeling sick."
'Wait, what are you saying?'
Tomoe flawlessly put on an expression of concern as Helene fussed over the pretending Nao. Thanks to that, Nao had to fake remaining unconscious. It would backfire on her in the future if she revealed their trickery. What else could Tomoe do in this situation anyway? Crossing her arms, she wondered whether to say anything. The atmosphere was incredibly thick, and she unintentionally glanced at Yumemiya. The girl was still knocked out cold. "...Will she be fine?"
"I'm unsure." The doctor murmured, and Tomoe realised she was talking about Nao instead. ...Wait, had they both pulled this off? Helene was notorious for seeing through anything-
"-I'm going to add a boost to her nano-machines." The doctor spoke, rummaging into a bag by the bed's side. From inside the bag, she brought out a container of syringes. Unbeknownst to the medical scientist, Nao visibly paled.
'Oh, shit.'
With some poking around, Helene fished out one of the thickest needles Tomoe had ever seen. It was unexpectedly broader than the ones used to infuse their bodies with nano-machines. Tomoe felt a pang of guilt for putting the Pearl into this situation, but for just a moment. However, a sense of sadistic glee quickly arose, replacing any shred of sympathy. 'This is payback, Juliet Nao Zhang.'
Despite her tranquil appearance, Nao was internally panicking. Did Helene just did mention boosting her nano-machines?! But why?! She wasn't severely injured!
"Can you help me, Marguerite? Just hold her down while I administer the boost through her artery. It would be faster-crucial if she has sustained brain damage."
'Through my what?!'
"Yes, Doctor." Tomoe could hardly conceal her smirk, which luckily escaped Helene's attention. She was intensely focused on injecting the boost smoothly, as one wrong move could be fatal. The Pearl may even bleed to death if she wasn't careful.
Nao's heart raged as she was unable to observe what was happening. She could hardly see light being blocked from above her, whilst her upper arms were firmly held down. Normally, Juliet is fearless, but this? Under these circumstances, she couldn't help but sweat. The treatment was something she had never received before. That, and she had heard of the agony that she would soon experience herself.
'Fuck.'
The needle plunged into her artery, causing her to shriek out, and her body to react violently in pain. The sensation of the syringe shot from the point of entry to the tips of her fingers, which in response rolled into fists. If it wasn't for Tomoe holding her down, Nao would've leapt up, and whipped the needle from out of her neck.
This agonised expression — and the saliva that dribbled unrestrainedly — would be engraved into Tomoe's memory for a long, long while.
"And… there we go. She will be in pain for quite a while." Helene removed the needle mechanically, and slapped a cotton pad over the puncture mark. "Thank you for bringing her here." Applying tape over the pad to secure it, she added; "I trust you can keep an eye on Zhang while I prepare the report?" As the Coral nodded, the doctor up, and left the room hurriedly.
"Tomoe Marguerite, you bitch." Her voice was incredibly ragged, and her hair plastered her face from sweat. Heaving, she tossed a glance towards the doorway, and fortunately didn't see Helene. "That wasn't part of the plan!" She hissed.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Personally Tomoe was rather proud of herself. They had managed to pull this off. "Besides, couldn't you wake up now?"
"I would much rather sleep than experience more of this pain." The Pearl lamented. She spied Tomoe eye Arika oddly, and pressed a palm to her throat. Nao could already feel her nano-machines swarming inside her veins hyperactivity. It made the entirety of her body tingle, urging her to itch herself unrelentlessly. With this dire need, she sat up quickly. This caused Tomoe's attention to drag back to her from Arika. "What?" Nao cocked an eyebrow.
"Your personality sure changes when pissed."
"Let me plunge a finger into your neck then! See if you'd like that." Scratching her arms, Nao grumbled under her breath restlessly. She had heard that these nano-machine boosts had side-effects. Oh, boy did she understand the feeling now. She would get Tomoe back for this; mark her words. But how? A tract of devious ideas plotted themselves inside her mind. Yes. She would have her rev-
"-I know you're plotting something." Tomoe propped herself onto the stool by the bed, and crossed a leg atop the other. Tilting her head, she watched the Pearl closely, sliding her tongue along her teeth thoughtfully. "But I owe you a favour now."
"Good that you remember!" Nao snapped before she started rubbing all over her body maniacally. The goosebumps were sending her over the edge, causing the hair on her body to stand on end. This hypersensitivity was awful. It pulsed, and rampaged beyond her physical flesh, hiding from her scratching nails with ease.
"You alright there? You'll explode if you squirm too much." Tomoe threw her a mild concerned glance. Juliet was acting far too abnormally, to the point where she could no longer predict the Pearl's next action.
"Shut up. Leave me alone." Lying on her side, Nao threw the blankets over herself. "...Go take a look at Arika. Helene probably wouldn't mind." She mumbled almost inaudibly. A wave of nausea washed over her, which she desperately tried to suppress.
Tomoe nearly felt bad for the jester. She couldn't imagine how agonising the boost must be for her to react so uncharacteristically. Her initial nano-machine infusion had experienced very little side-effects. She was eternally grateful for this. "You have my thanks." Picking herself up from the stool, she hovered a hand towards the Pearl's shoulder. "You've got a girly voice-use it." Tomoe ended with a snide remark. However, before she could clutch the woman's shoulder, Nao pulled the blanket over her head.
'Kill me now.'
Rounding her fingers into a loose fist, Tomoe straightened. Drifting her gaze across the prone figure underneath the fabric, she then dragged her attention to Yumemiya. Now able to fully observe the fellow Coral, Tomoe could clearly witness the damage she had sustained.
Yumemiya's face was heavily bruised, and a breathing mask was securely tied to her. If Tomoe hadn't been in a good mood, she might've had the urge to momentarily remove it. But even she wasn't that twisted. Or at least she didn't assume so. With the pigtailed Coral remaining knocked out, her amusement quickly transformed into disinterest. Slothfully returning to Nao's side, she sat down upon the stool. "Tell you what. Do you want a certain book?" She eyed the fiery redhead's figure shift ever so slightly. "Something not necessarily legal?"
Not legal? Now that certainly piqued Nao's interest. What was on Tomoe's mind? Turning her head, she eyed the Coral warily. "Where would you get something like that?"
"The forbidden library, surely." Inwardly, Tomoe rolled her eyes. She had expected the renegade Pearl of all people to have at least thought of going in there. "I have heard rumours of a certain book down there that might take your mind out your misery: The Life and Times of Convicted Otome."
That was a title Nao hadn't heard in a long while. It was a book she had heard of shortly before enrolling into Garderobe. However, the Grand Duke didn't have it in his collection. The library didn't have it either, so she had to abandon her wish in reading it. Even Windbloom had banned such a book. A slight pause hung before lime orbs peeked begrudgingly."...What of it?"
C/N: Infuriating Desire has been in the works for over a year now. This means we've been rewriting some of the chapters due to them not reading well. Chapter 01 is one of them. Neither of us are actually sure what the upload speed is going to be like, but we've already got a bunch of chapters which just need checking over. As always, check my profile for info as I frequently update there.
Back in mid 2017, we had been listening to the drama CDs. We noticed that Tomoe, and Nao have a weird sexual tension. Deciding to play along with this idea, we tried out some roleplay (which can work wonders for collab stories), and would you believe it, it just worked. A few weeks later we were developing Infuriating Desire at a smooth pace. Technically there are two versions of Infuriating Desire in the later portion of the story. This shouldn't be problematic however, since we've been redeveloping that half recently. If anything, it's given us plenty of snippets to work with.
Until then!