A few days have past, and it was Yuuto's day off. It was early morning and he just got back from the local bathhouse, and now he was cooking up breakfast, wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of brown trainers. While he was cooking breakfast, Vee was crawling around the kitchenette in her blob form, cleaning the floor like a Roomba as she went along. Yuuto smirked to himself as he saw the orange slime crawl around him from the corner of his eye.
''Who would've thought slimes could be so useful.'' The blonde muttered to himself as he was finishing off the miso soup.
Just as he was finishing up breakfast, Vee changed back into her child-like form, and emptied everything she picked up into the bin. She then moved to the human's side and wrapped her arms around his waist.
''Did I do a good job?'' Vee asked, beaming up at him with a joyous smile.
''You did great, Sweetie.'' Yuuto replied, patting the slime on the head.
Vee giggled happily and nuzzled her cheek against him as she was being petted.
''Vee, can you got and sit at the table? Breakfast is almost ready.''
''Okay!'' The slime exclaimed, untangling herself from the human before taking a seat at the table.
Yuuto then began to bringing trays of food to the table, both consisting of grilled fish, miso soup, a bowl of rice, dried seaweed, fermented soy beans, and a green salad. He placed the two trays down on the table before heading back to the kitchenette to retrieve another two trays of the same.
''Kasumi, you can come out now.'' Yuuto said out loud, which caused Vee to look around the room quizzically, seeing that the empusa was nowhere in sight.
After a moment, the doors to the wardrobe opened, and the shinobi in question poked her head out slightly, eyeing up her squad captain. ''How did you know I was here?'' Kasumi asked, perplexed by the fact that she'd been discovered so easily.
''Lucky guess, plus you left the window open again.''
She looked towards the window, and saw that it was in fact left ajar like the blonde said. She then stepped out of the wardrobe, wearing a green t-shirt, a black skirt, and a pair of white trainers, and bowed to him. ''My apologies, Senpai. It seems my techniques have been getting sloppy as of late.'' She responded flatly.
''Yeah, that's not what you should be apologising for…'' Yuuto replied, being somewhat annoyed by the empusa's antics.
Suddenly, his phone started vibrating in his pocket as he placed the two remaining trays of food on the table. He pulled it out from his pocket to find that it was from Lala, which was hardly surprising seeing that she texted him on a daily basis at this point.
''Kasumi, can you close the wardrobe please?'' He asked the empusa as he opened up the email on his phone.
''As you wish, Senpai.'' Kasumi answered with a bow.
As she was doing that, Yuuto started reading the message from his chuunibyou girlfriend.
Greetings, me Love. Prepare fer me imminent arrival upon yer plane o' existence. I anticipate the offering ye have prepared fer meself. Lala x
As Yuuto put his phone away, Kasumi took a seat at the table next to Vee after she had shut the wardrobe doors. ''Senpai, are we expecting any guests?'' The empusa asked, tilting her head to the side.
''Give it a second.''
Kasumi raised an eyebrow in confusion until the wardrobe doors flung open suddenly, soon followed by the young reaper stepping out of it, wearing her usual gothic attire, trench coat and all. Lala took on a dramatic pose and placed a hand over her face, ready to announce her arrival in her typical chuunibyou fashion.
''Do nay fear me, mortals. This Knight o' Death merely seeks sustenance fer me eternal task o' ushering lost souls tae their rightful place.'' The Chuunihan said aloud with a smile curling onto her lips as she laid her eyes on the group before her.
Kasumi had a look of awe on her face as the dullahan stepped out of the wardrobe she had been only moments ago, both her and Vee applauding the spectacle they just witnessed.
''You know, it wouldn't surprise me if a talking lion came out of the wardrobe one of these days.'' Yuuto said sarcastically, a cheeky grin forming on his face as he locked eyes with his girlfriend.
Lala lowered her hand as she sauntered over to her boyfriend, eager to feel his embrace. ''Ye are fortunate that it is free o' such a curse, seeing ye are already affiliated with a Spectre o' Death.'' She replied with her cheeks flushed red, before she placed her hands on his shoulders and lightly pressed her lips to his.
Yuuto wrapped his arms around her waist as he reciprocated the kiss, only for their lips to part soon after. ''Well, lucky me then.'' He replied as his cheeks went red too, resting his forehead against Lala's as he looked lovingly into her golden eyes.
''Senpai, your food is getting cold.''
Yuuto and Lala were brought back to reality at the empusa's prodding, before reluctantly separating from one another. The pair then made their way to the table and sat next to each other opposite Kasumi and Vee.
''Yeah, would be a waste not to enjoy it.'' He replied, picking up his chopsticks. ''Let's eat.''
''Thank you for the food.'' The girls said in unison after finishing their meals.
''Glad you girls enjoyed it.'' Yuuto replied as he started taking the trays to the kitchenette to be washed later.
''Aye, it seems ye have been enlightened by Kurusu's culinary talents.'' Lala replied, dabbing a handkerchief to her lips.
KNOCK KNOCK
Just as Yuuto placed the first two trays in the kitchenette, there came a knocking from his front door. The human then sighed to himself as he started making his way to the door. ''I bet that'll be either Zee or Blare, god knows what they'd want though.''
''Along as they keep their hands tae themselves, they will be nay bother tae me.'' Lala declared out loud, her jealous streak kicking in.
The blonde glanced back at her as he pushed the handle to open the door. ''Yeah, I think you've made it clear enough that you've staked your claim on-''
''YUU-NII!''
''AAAAHHHH!''
Yuuto was suddenly tackled to the ground by a young human woman, who had blue eyes and shoulder length blonde wavy hair, and was wearing a grey tank top, blue skinny jeans, and a pair of white trainers. After landing hard on his back, Yuuto looked up at the girl in annoyance, who was currently lying on top of him with her arms wrapped around his neck, looking down at him with an innocent, yet mischievous grin on her face.
''Damn it, Hikari. Do you always have to do that?'' Yuuto asked in an annoyed tone, barely keeping himself from karate chopping her head for tackling him.
''Aww c'mon, Yuu-nii. How else is a little sister supposed to show how much she loves her big brother?'' Hikari answered back in a playful tone as she nuzzled her cheek against his.
''Oh, I dunno. Maybe hug them like a normal person would? He retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
''You know you love it really.''
Yuuto just groaned back in annoyance as his sister continued to nuzzle him while giggling to herself.
Lala, Kasumi, and Vee were in the corridor of the apartment at this point, staring at the human woman with curiosity, and in Lala's case, with a pang of jealousy as well. Hikari looked up at the girls and immediately eyed up the orange slime, her face now beaming with awe and excitement. She quickly got off her brother and ran towards the slime, now wrapping Vee into a tight hug as she nuzzled the slime's cheek lovingly.
''Aww, you're so cute!'' The blonde woman exclaimed, while Vee giggled joyously, wrapping her arms and tendrils around the human.
''Me apologies, Mortal, but who are ye, and what do ye want with me Love?'' Lala asked the girl, gazing down at her sceptically.
''Are you by any chance related to Senpai?'' Kasumi added with a quizzical look on her face.
Hikari looked up and was now focusing her attention towards Lala, before breaking the hug with Vee stepping right in front of the dullahan, her eyes beaming with excitement once more. ''Love?! Then does that make you my brother's girlfriend?!'' She exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain herself.
''Well, in a manner o' speaking,'' The dullahan began in an embarrassed tone as her cheeks went red, shifting her gaze away from the blonde girl in front of her, but before she could finish, the human grabbed hold of her hands tightly, now visibly overjoyed to find out that Lala was going out with her brother.
''Wow, that's awesome! When did you two first meet?! How long have you been going out?! How far have you-!'' Hikari was stopped dead in her tracks as Yuuto karate chopped the back of her head hard, causing the girl to wince in pain for a moment, before looking up at the culprit with teary eyes and a disapproving look on her face. ''Ouch! What was that for, Yuu-nii?!'' She exclaimed in a whining tone.
''Would you mind not interrogating my girlfriend? You've only just met.'' He replied in an annoyed tone, furrowing his eyebrows at his little sister.
''Jeez, you don't have to be so mean about it…'' She complained, rubbing the back of her head where she was hit. ''Anyway, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?''
''I'm surprised you haven't done it yourself yet.'' Yuuto answered before turning his attention to the other girls. ''Girls, this is my little sister, Hikari Kazama. Part-time waitress and full-time pain in the ass.'' He continued in a snarky tone.
''Hey! How rude!'' His younger sister exclaimed, pouting at him.
''Should've introduced yourself then.''
Hikari calmed herself down as she turned her attention away from him, now focusing on the liminals in the apartment. ''Hey, it's nice to meet you all. I hope we get along.'' She said, bowing to the group.
''Hi, I'm Vee!'' The orange slime exclaimed, waving her arms and tendrils in the air.
''Greetings, I am Kasumi Hayashi. I work with your brother at the ICEP.'' The empusa said, giving the human a bow of her own.
Lala smiled to herself as her reaper persona kicked in. ''And I am a Knight 'o Death, a being that is one with the darkness, me duty being tae…''
''This is my girlfriend, Lala. She's an exchange student in the Exchange Program, though she likes to break out into dramatics every now and again.'' Yuuto interrupted his girlfriend, which earned him an adorable pout from the dullahan.
''Oh, she's kind of like how Kimi-kun was back in middle school, right?'' The blonde girl asked her older brother.
''Basically. Speak of Kimihito, he's actually a host for the program, and it just so happens that he's Lala's host too, as well as a few other girls.''
Hikari's eyes lit up with amazement as she grabbed Lala's hands tightly once more. ''Oh, wow! It really is a small world! How is Kimi-kun as a host?! I bet you must love his cooking!''
Lala was finding it hard to keep up with the woman talking to her. ''W-W-Well, I have found nay grievances during me time living under Kurusu's care, and fer a mortal, his cooking is beyond this world.'' Lala replied nervously, unable to hold eye contact with Hikari.
''That's great!'' The blonde girl exclaimed with joy. ''You know, I'm actually a host for the program myself.'' She boasted as her face was plastered with a massive grin.
''Now that you mention it, where is Mireille? Isn't she supposed to be with you?'' Yuuto asked his little sister.
Hikari's face went pale at the mentioning of her homestay, before she suddenly let go of Lala's hands and started to panic. ''Oh my God! I was in so much of a rush to see you that I left her in the lobby! I'll be in so much trouble if Smith-!'' The girl was cut short again as her brother karate chopped her on the forehead, which succeeded to stopping the girl's worrying for a moment. ''Yuu-nii! You can be so abusive sometimes!''
''Pipe down a sec, will you? She can't have gone- ''
''HIKARI! WHERE ARE YOU?!''
Suddenly the group heard the shouting of a young woman coming from the hallway outside the apartment. Yuuto and Hikari ran outside through the still open door to see where it was coming from. As they looked towards the general direction of the staircase, they found a papillion woman fluttering around with worry, desperately trying to find her missing host. The woman had blue compound eyes and long blue hair, which had a short braid going down the right side of her face. She also had four arms which were covered in a blue carapace, two long antennae protruding from the top of her head, and had two large butterfly wings protruding from her back, coloured with blue and pink intertwining swirls. She was wearing a white t-shirt with four sleeves and a large hole in the back for her wings to go through, blue shorts, and a pair of black trainers.
''Mireille! Over here!'' Hikari shouted, waving her arms frantically to grab the papillion's attention.
Mireille looked towards the pair of humans with a sense of relief, mixed with a feeling of annoyance towards her host for ditching her to go find her brother. She fluttered over to where they were standing, landing only a few feet in front of the Kazama siblings once she reached them.
The papillion looked towards her host with a pout on her face. ''How could you leave moi alone like that? I would've been lost if not for the help of the receptionist.'' Mireille said in a French accent, sounding somewhat annoyed.
''Sorry, guess I got a little too excited about seeing Yuuto after so long.'' Hikari replied, letting out an embarrassed giggle as she rubbed the back of her head.
*Sigh* ''Seriously, you can be so irresponsible sometimes…'' Yuuto added, annoyed by his sister's overly carefree nature.
''Ah, Yuuto. It is good to see you again.'' Mireille said to the MON agent, bowing before him as she did so. ''Are you doing well?''
''Yeah, I'm good, thanks for asking. How about you though? Must be hard putting up with Hikari.'' He asked back, not missing the chance to tease his little sister.
''Hey! You're being really mean today!'' Hikari shouted in protest. ''As a matter of fact, she loves living with me, right, Mireille?'' She asked the papillion, her eyes pleading for the liminal to agree with her.
''Well, living here in Japan has been rather enjoyable so far, but what I really like about it is…'' Mireille trailed off as she noticed someone staring at her from Yuuto's apartment.
Kasumi had her sickles clammed around the frame of the doorway as her eye were fixated on the papillion girl outside of the apartment. Mireille was spooked by the sight of the empusa, letting out a yelp of surprise as she darted over to Hikari and hid behind her, clinging to the human's back.
''Hikari! There's someone peeping on us!'' Mireille exclaimed, trying desperately to hide herself from the empusa.
''Quit being such a scaredy-caterpillar. She probably just wants to say hi.'' The host replied in an upbeat tone.
Yuuto looked towards the empusa and furrowed his eyebrows at the girl. ''Kasumi, quit being creepy and just introduce yourself.'' He said to the shinobi in an annoyed tone, not in the mood for her antics.
Kasumi complied, and removed herself from the doorway, now standing in front of Hikari and Mireille. ''G-Greetings, I'm Kasumi Hayashi. I-I-It's nice to meet you.'' The shinobi stuttered uncharacteristically, her cheeks flushing red as she bowed to the butterfly girl hiding behind Hikari.
Mireille's cheeks also flushed red, astonished by the sight of the beautiful empusa standing before her. Kasumi looked back at her, the papillion's eye now fixated on her. Kasumi glanced away from her as her heart rate quickened, unsure of what to make of this feeling as she rubbed her sickles together and fidgeted with her hands nervously. When the shinobi glanced back, Mireille was now standing right in front of her, her blue compound eyes staring back at her curiously, as if to take in all her features.
''I'm Mireille, it's nice to meet you too.'' The papillion replied as a smile curled onto her lips.
Kasumi glanced away again, unable to keep eye contact with her. Why was she feeling nervous? She was usually unfazed by most things, but the gorgeous papillion in front of her was causing her heart to race a mile a minute. No one had made her feel like this before, not even Yuuto to her surprise, who she admired deeply, but the sight of the girl in front of her was something else entirely.
''Oh, I'm sorry.'' Mireille spoke up, feeling as if she'd upset the empusa. ''I should apologise for my reaction earlier. You just startled me, that's all.''
''No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stared at you like that.'' Kasumi replied, her fidgeting steadily increasing as she was losing her composure. ''I didn't mean anything bad by it, I just…'' She trailed off as the papillion grasped her hands and sickles in an attempt to calm her down.
''It's alright. I'm not mad at you, so don't worry.'' The papillion replied in a calming tone, locking eyes with the shinobi once more.
Kasumi was almost instantaneously put at ease by both Mireille's comforting words and the brief contact between them, her cheeks going a brighter shade of red than before. ''Thank you, you're too kind.'' The empusa said as she averted her gaze again, not noticing the smile curling onto her own lips.
As the two insectoid liminals continued to chat, Yuuto and Hikari looked on at the sight with smiles on their faces. ''Aww, they look so cute together.'' The younger sister stated, feeling warm and fuzzy from watching the pair getting along.
''Well, it's nice to see Kasumi come out of her shell for once.'' Yuuto replied. ''She could do with some friends outside of work.''
Just then, Lala and Vee both stepped out into the hallway to see what was happening, the slime girl now wearing her blue rain coat and wellington boots. Upon seeing Kasumi talking to a new girl, the orange slime ran up to the pair to introduce herself. Lala headed straight for her boyfriend and latched her arms around his.
''Me Love, what task did ye wish fer us tae undertake this day?'' The dullahan asked as a smile crossed her lips, looking up at him with loving eyes.
''Well, I didn't exactly have anything special planned, so…''
As soon as he uttered those words, Hikari leapt into action. ''Oh, I know! Why don't we go to the mall and do some shopping?! It'd give the girls a chance to get to know each other!'' Her exclamation had caught everyone off guard for a moment, and she took the chance to pull her brother from Lala's grasp, dragging him towards the staircase. ''C'mon, let's go!''
''Hey! Quit dragging me!'' Yuuto protested in vain, unable to free himself from his sister's grasp.
''Wait! What hellish plane o' existence are ye taking me Love tae?!'' Lala cried out, chasing after the pair as she did so.
''Hikari! Wait for moi!'' Mireille shouted before turning her attention back to Kasumi and Vee. ''We should go after them. There's no telling what she'll do if left to her own devices.'' The papillion continued, before she started to flap her wings and fluttered off after her host.
''Right. C'mon Vee, let's go.'' Kasumi told the slime before following after Mireille.
''Okay!'' The slime girl exclaimed, now running after the empusa.
Sometime later, Yuuto and the group found themselves in the shopping mall in one of the clothes boutiques. Once in there, Hikari went off somewhere with Lala in hand to have a 'Girl Talk' with each other, whatever that meant. This left Yuuto to look after Mireille, along with the other girls that accompanied him. As Yuuto was browsing some of the menswear, he noticed Kasumi out of the corner of his eye, peering from around the corner of one of the aisles. He then saw that she was spying on Mireille and Vee, who was currently in her adult form, as they were talking to one another. The human sighed to himself before subtly sneaking up on the unsuspecting shinobi.
''Having fun there?'' He said in a hushed tone.
This startled Kasumi, who wasn't used to being snuck up on. Before the blonde could say anything else, the empusa latched onto his arm and pulled him down till the two of them were crouching. Kasumi covered his mouth with one of her hands while she pressed a finger from her other hand against her lips.
''Sorry Senpai, but I can't afford to give my position away.'' The shinobi told the human with her eyes narrowed at him, keeping her voice low to avoid being spotted.
After a moment, Yuuto nodded at her before she removed her hand from his face. ''Kasumi, remember that whole conversation we had before about your stalking habits?'' He questioned the empusa, furrowing his eyebrows at her.
''This is merely reconnaissance.'' She replied flatly, looking away from him as she resumed her spying.
''…Whatever. Can I at least ask why?''
Though he couldn't see it, Kasumi's face went bright red as he asked her. She then hid herself again as she looked down at her sickles, which were nervously rubbing against each other. ''It's hard to explain. Since I met Mireille earlier, I've had this strange feeling in my chest. Every time I look at her, I feel it tighten, and I can't figure out why it only happens with her.''
Yuuto's eyes widened briefly before he smirked to himself, confident that he figured out what was wrong with his squad mate. ''Sounds like you have a crush on her.''
Kasumi looked back quizzically at her squad captain. ''A crush?'' She asked, not sure what he was talking about.
''Yeah, like you're infatuated with her.'' He replied, his smirk only getting bigger.
Kasumi's face went a brighter shade of red at his statement, causing her to look away from him as her sickles rubbed together at a quickened pace. ''That can't be right, she's a woman, and I'm a woman too. I still like men, but I can't deny that she's beautiful, almost stunning even. I think I'm just admiring her looks, yes, that must be it. There can't be any other- ''
''Okay, maybe you're bisexual then. Is that such a big deal?'' Yuuto asked bluntly, causing the empusa to stop in her tracks for a moment.
''I am aware that same sex relationships are a thing, and that they're frowned upon in Japan, but those sorts of relationships are also discouraged by my people, seeing that our population is so low right now. Even if I did have a 'crush' on Mireille like you said, my family and the people around me would disapprove of it, not to mention that she probably wouldn't feel the same way.'' Kasumi's head was hung low as she said this, starting to feel depressed by the situation she found herself in, but her squad captain wasn't about to allow her to let this opportunity pass her by.
''I suppose it's a good thing for you that Mireille's a lesbian then.'' He replied with a sincere smile.
Kasumi's eyes widened in surprise before looking back at the blonde agent. ''How do you know this?'' The empusa asked.
''Hikari told me. Turns out Mireille tried to hit on my sister not long after she moved in with her. It was awkward for them for a few days after Hikari turned her down, but they've gotten passed it. At the very least, Mireille seems interested in looking for a girlfriend, might be a chance for you to catch her eye.''
The young shinobi was glad to hear that the papillion would potential be interested in her, but she couldn't help but feel nervous about the situation. She went back to fidgeting with her sickles again as her nerves got the better of her again, but she was suddenly interrupted as Yuuto placed a hand on her head and began to pat it. She looked back at him as he gave her a reassuring look.
''You'll never know until you try, Kasumi.''
The empusa smiled back at him, happy that he was willing to help her out. She then stood up and bowed to him. ''Thank you, Senpai. You truly are a good friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to accomplish.'' With that, Kasumi made her way around the corner and walked up to where Mireille and Vee were.
As she approached them, Mireille saw her from the corner of her eye and a massive smile appeared on the papillion's face. ''Hey Kasumi, I was wondering where you were hiding.'' She said jovially as she turned to face her.
''Um, yes. I was just looking for you actually.'' The empusa replied nervously, trying her best to calm herself down, but her nerves were getting the better of her again.
As the two insectoids started talking, Vee noticed Yuuto motioning her to come to her. ''I'll be back in a bit, I'm going to find Yuuto.'' The orange slime spoke up before making her leave.
''Okay, do take care, Vee.'' Mireille replied cheerily.
As the slime rounded the corner of the aisle, she wrapped herself around the human while giggling to herself. ''Hey Yuuto.'' She said with a smile on her face.
''Hey Vee, you having fun?'' He asked in a hushed tone.
''Yeah, Mireille's really fun to talk to. Why did you call me over, and why are you being quiet?'' Vee asked, keeping her voice low too.
Yuuto peeked around the corner again, along with Vee, to check on the two insectoid liminals. ''I just thought that Kasumi and Mireille could do with some alone time.''
As they were spying on the pair, they saw Kasumi fidgeting with her sickles with a massive blush on her cheeks, while Mireille was listening intently to what the empusa was saying to her. They couldn't quite hear what they were talking about, but the human figured that Kasumi was at least attempting to tell the papillion that she liked her. After a moment, a massive smile and a light blush appeared on Mireille's face, who then excitedly grasped Kasumi's sickles and hands, obviously overjoyed by what she'd been told. Kasumi averted her gaze from the papillion for a moment, but Yuuto could see a barely noticeable smile appear on her face. Before long, Mireille began guiding the empusa down one of the aisles until the pair was out of sight.
''I guess that went well.'' Yuuto muttered to himself as a sincere smile crossed his lips, proud that his empusa squad mate was able to pluck up the courage to admit her feelings to someone, something he couldn't imagine the reclusive shinobi doing before.
''They looked at each other like you and Lala do.'' Vee added.
''I guess so. Speaking of Lala, where did she and Hikari get off to?''
As if on cue, the little sister in question appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing herself against his back. ''Hey Yuu-nii!'' She exclaimed joyfully, nuzzling her cheek against his back.
''Speak of the devil…'' Yuuto replied looking back at her, looking unimpressed by his sibling's clinginess.
''Quit being such a sour puss already.'' Hikari replied while pouting at him. ''Anyway, what are you and Vee up to?''
''Oh, nothing much.'' Freeing himself from her grasp, he looked around to see if Lala was with her, but the dullahan was nowhere to be found. ''What have you done with my girlfriend?'' He questioned her, his annoyance evident in his voice.
''That's why I came to find you.'' She replied with a mischievous grin on her face, before grabbing her brother by the wrist, now forcing him to follow her. ''C'mon, let's go!''
''Hey! Cool it will you?!'' Yuuto protested, while Vee silently followed the pair.
Before long, the trio arrived in front of one of the changing rooms in the store. Hikari let go of her brother's wrist before twirling around to face him, her face now plastered with a look of innocence.
''She's in here, and I think you'll like what you're going to see.''
''H-Hikari, I believe this outfit does nay befit a Spectre o' Death.'' Lala said in an embarrassed tone from within the changing cubicle.
''Oh, c'mon Lala. I bet it looks cute on you, plus Yuu-nii wants to see it.'' The blonde woman replied, trying to entice the dullahan into showing off what she had changed into.
''W-W-What?! Me Love is with ye?!'' The young reaper exclaimed in surprise.
Yuuto smiled to himself at how adorable Lala was acting right now at the mere mentioning of his name. ''It's okay Lala. I'm sure it'll look good on you.''
''…Promise ye will nay laugh?'' Lala asked nervously.
''Promise.''
''C'mon, just show us already!'' Hikari exclaimed excitedly.
''Yeah, show us!'' Vee added with the same enthusiasm.
After a moment's hesitation, the young dullahan drew the curtain to one side and stepped out of the cubicle. She was wearing a sleeveless black blouse with a turtleneck, a red plaid skirt with the hem reaching half way down her thighs, a pair of black knee socks which were shorter than the stockings she was used to wearing, and a pair of black short heeled ankle boots. Lala stood there with her arms crossed in front of her and her cheeks bright red as she gazed at the floor, feeling embarrassed about exposing so much skin compared to what she was comfortable with. Yuuto stared at her for what felt like an eternity with his mouth slightly agape, his own cheeks going red as he was bewitched by her beauty.
''Wow, you look great Lala.'' He muttered out loud, causing the dullahan to lock her now widened eyes with his.
''D-Do ye really think so? I-I-I canna say that I am used tae revealing so much o' me physical being tae anyone.'' Lala replied, quickly averting her gaze, only to look straight back at her boyfriend.
Yuuto's face softened as a sincere smile crossed his lips, his eyes now half lidded as he admired his girlfriend. ''Of course, I do. To be honest though, I think you'd look great in anything.''
Lala smiled at the compliment, before she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck. ''I'm glad ye think so, me Love. I was worried ye would think this attire would be unlike meself.'' She replied while nuzzling against him.
He wrapped and arm around her waist and place his free hand on the back of her head comfortingly. ''It's not that much different from what you normally wear, though it's kind of weird not seeing you wear your scarf.'' Yuuto joked, now gently stroking her hair.
''See, I told you you'd love it.'' Hikari boasted, striking a victorious pose.
Lala lifted her head and turned to face the blonde woman. ''Thank ye fer yer assistance, Hikari, and fer the knowledge ye have gleamed tae me.''
''Wait, what?'' Yuuto spoke up as he quirked an eyebrow at her, only to have the dullahan press a finger to his lips.
''Do nay worry, Yuuto. I will guard yer secrets with me very being.'' Lala replied, staring lovingly into his eyes.
''Hikari, what the hell did you tell her?'' He asked his sister, staring daggers at her.
''It's a secret.'' Hikari replied, flashing him a mischievous grin and a wink.
Just as he was about to press her on the matter, Kasumi and Mireille showed up with a number of outfits in their hands, and the papillion quickly took notice of Yuuto and Lala clinging to one another. ''Ooh la la. I do hope we aren't interrupting anything.'' She said in a suggestive manner, placing a free hand over her mouth in mock shock.
''This is nothing unusual for them, they're practically inseparable.'' Kasumi answered flatly, unsurprised by the site before them.
''Well, looks like you two have been busy.'' Yuuto said, giving the empusa a cheeky grin.
''Um, yes, we have.'' She replied as her cheeks went red and a smile crept onto her lips.
''Oui, I just can't wait to see how Kasumi looks in all these outfits.'' Mireille added before grabbing the shinobi by the sickle and dragging her towards one of the free cubicles, ready to treat her new friend like a dress up doll. ''C'mon, let me help you change!'' She exclaimed excitedly as her own cheeks went red.
''Um, Hikari…'' Yuuto said in a worried tone before being interrupted by his sister.
''Yeah, Mireille's a bit of a perv, but I'm sure Kasumi will be fine. She's probably looking forward to it if I'm not mistaken.'' The blonde woman replied as another mischievous grin appeared on her face.
''Looks that way.''
''Yuuto,'' Lala spoke up, grabbing his attention. ''I'll be changing back in tae me usual attire, but I wish tae acquire these new garbs, seeing ye enjoyed the sight o' me dawning them.'' She added, her usually blue cheeks turning a faint shade of crimson.
''Sure, I'll see you in a bit.'' He replied, smiling back at her.
The dullahan quickly peck him on the cheek before making her way back to the changing room. While Yuuto was smirking to himself, Hikari grabbed him by the arm for the umpteenth time that day and started dragging him further into the store.
''Hey! What're you doing?!'' The blonde agent protested, but his efforts were in vain.
''While the girls are doing that, let's go find something for you. Think it's about time for a wardrobe change.'' Hikari replied in an innocent manner, before turning her attention to the orange slime girl. ''Hey Vee! Can you help me find and outfit for Yuu-nii?!''
''Okay!'' Vee yelled excitedly as she followed behind the pair.
''Seriously, I can walk on my own!''
Fuchū Prison, the largest prison in Japan. This was the current home for one Gaku Takahashi, the former Yakuza who was responsible for the attempted robbery of the Metropolitan bank. His trial had been swift, and now he was serving a twenty-year jail sentence, all because of a certain blonde MON agent. The cell he resided in was small and cramp, only being a ten-foot by ten-foot cubicle which had a small bed and a personal toilet and sink. The man was pacing from one side of the room to the other as he replayed the memory of his fight with the MON agent in his mind, of how he denied him his only means of escape, how cocky and confident the boy was, and how he had made a fool of him in the following confrontation. The anger welled up inside him as he was forced to replay the encounter in his mind over and over until he couldn't contain his anger any longer. He walked up to the mirror before punching it as hard as her could as he let out a furious roar, causing the mirror to crack. He retracted his fist to find small shards of the mirror imbedded in his fingers and knuckles, but he didn't care. He was so filled with rage at this point that he was now numb to the pain, though he would probably regret it later.
''That little punk will pay once I get out of here, even if it's the last thing I do!'' He shouted to himself in an attempt to relieve himself of his current tension, but it did little to help. ''I'd do anything to get a chance to torture the bastard!''
''Well, that can be arranged.''
Gaku suddenly heard a mysterious voice from out of nowhere, though it sounded otherworldly. He frantically looked around his cell, though he couldn't locate the source. Was he already going mad? He hadn't been in his cell for even a month, yet it felt like his mind was already playing tricks on him.
''No need to panic, Takahashi. You are still perfectly sane, though your temper could use some work.'' The voice spoke again, as if reading his thoughts.
''How the fuck did you know my-?!'' Takahashi exclaimed before being interrupted by the hidden stranger.
''Oh, I've been observing you for some time now, since your incarceration in fact. And I must say, you are quite the interesting individual, and you may be some use to me.'' The voice repliedwith a hint of self-assurance.
''Who, in the fuck, are you?''
''Oh, me? I am sure you have heard stories of the supernatural, stories of ethereal beings, ghosts if you will. Consider me a lost soul with a need for vengeance, vengeance that would benefit you by sheer coincidence. Despite my current state of being, I believe we have similar goals.''
Gaku was thrown threw a loop by what the supposed spirit had told him. Was he just imagining all this, and if he wasn't, could he trust this 'being' in the slightest? He mulled over his options for a moment, those being either to stay and rot in prison, or to hear how he could benefit from the spirit's vendetta.
''How can you help me exactly, Spirit?'' Takahashi asked, very much doubting the capabilities of the ethereal being.
The spirit scoffed at him for even showing an ounce of disbelief. ''Believe it or not, I can get you out of here, and I can help you settle this grudge of yours. All I ask in return is a favour from yourself, Takahashi.'' He replied with a hint of menace in his voice.
''And what would you ask of me?'' The mortal asked, now more curious of this offer of help, despite how slim his chance of escape could be.
''All I require,'' The disembodied voice started as his tone grew darker. ''is a vessel…''
Before Gaku could react to the voice's statement, a sudden shooting pain shot through his skull. He grasped hard at his bald cranium as the pain grew more severe, but his efforts were in vain. It felt like his head was being torn apart as he collapsed to the ground, still clutching at his head. He let out a scream of agony as the pain intensified, sending his mind reeling.
''WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!''
''Calm yourself, it'll be over soon enough.'' The spirit replied in a calm manner, though this didn't help Gaku in the slightest.
Takahashi let out another blood-curdling scream before silence filled the room once more. Out of nowhere, his body was now being slowly covered by a mysterious blue aura, the origins of which were unknown. Soon, the man got up onto his knees, hunched over as the aura intensified around him. After a moment, he raised his head and opened his eyes, his once brown eyes now swathed in a glowing blue hue. As he spoke, his voice was now mingled with that of the spirit's, the ethereal being evidently in control now.
''Soon, we will have our revenge, Kazama…''
A/N: Sorry about the delay again. It's always a pain when you know what you want to happen, but then you struggle putting it into words, but regardless, here's the new chapter. Yes, the imouto has finally shown herself, along with her homestay, Mireille (which is pronounced Mee-Ray if you were curious, it's a french name meaning 'to admire' which I think suits her). Also I wanted to start pairing off some of the MON girls, though not all of them, and I wanted at least on lesbian couple, and I felt Kasumi would be the best fit, so look forward to some possible Kasumi x Mireille on the side in the near future. Wanted to bring Gaku Takahashi back for a while now, though Yuuto's next confrontation with the former Yakuza won't be for a while yet, and the whole spirit thing will make itself clear in the future as well. This'll be the last chapter for 2017, so expect the next one possibly early in January of next year. Hope you've all been enjoying the story so far, and don't forget to follow and favourite if you haven't already, and feel free to leave a review or any suggestions as well. Hope you all have a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year too. See you all in 2018!