I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVEEEEEE! Happy almost Halloween (unless your reading this during Halloween or after) Sorry for the delay school and stuff! ;p but yeah the story is not dead yet but it will take a while for karma and nagisa to show up so don't hold your breathe!
Okuda idly stared out the translucent plane window; silently observing the soft cotton white clouds that rolled slowly pass her…She was happy she was finally able to relax in the airplane, since earlier this morning was such an adrenalin rush. Akari forgot to set her alarm the previous day and they both woke up late. They had to hurriedly drag all their luggage with them, get a taxi, drop off their luggage, go through security, and find their plane before it took off without them…They luckily made it on time…albeit it a bit worn out and frazzled. Okuda let out a content sigh as she leaned her head back against the chair enjoying the silent humming of the plane engine. She was so very glad Akari had invited her over for the summer seeing as she would have just spent her entire summer sitting in a corner waiting anxiously for the bonding ritual.
"Kraa..huh…Kraahuh…..Kraa…" Okuda giggled. Akari was snoring…mm…perhaps a little nap would be good…Okuda thought as she gently rested her head on the headrest of the seat before nodding off.
Koro was impressed. In all his life he has never seen a creature move that fast. (Which was saying something because he was arguably the fastest thing alive) His onyx eyes idly followed his master's fast movements as a small amused smile etched its way onto his face.
"Uh….W-wait! No it's not symmetrical now!" Aguri cried as she made a bee line towards the asymmetrical pillows.
Koro smiled, finding his master's antics entertaining to watch. Aguri had been up very early in the morning cleaning and organizing everything, it was almost as if she was possessed. Now why was she doing this? Well her sister and her sister's close friend were coming over for the summer and Aguri wanted everything to be just right. Koro wondered if humans were aware that the rode to perfection is a similar road towards insanity.
Aguri was now balancing on top of a white stool frantically dusting the top shelves….the wobbling feet of the stool and Aguri's constant shift in weight told him that she would surely fall and hurt herself if she kept dusting like that.
"Come on Koro! Don't just sit there; help me out…Go clea-…!" Before she could finish her request she fell, as predicted. Aguri let out a yelp in surprise as she clenched her eyes shut awaiting impact. Luckily Koro was able to catch her. Aguri hesitantly opened her eyes. She blinked.
"Oh…Uh…hehe….sorry guess I was a bit reckless…" She said sheepishly. "Thanks."
"It seems as though you've fallen for me, Aguri-sama." Koro said with his ever-present kind smile, his onyx eyes twinkling playfully.
"Well then, it's lucky you managed to catch me." She responded as her cheeks slightly flushed, not from the close contact but from the fact that she normally wasn't that clumsy.
"You are indeed very luck. What if I hadn't caught you?" He asked gently scolding her. Aguri giggled.
"What do you mean of course you would've caught me you're the fastest thing alive, and not to mention my loyal familiar." Agrui confidently stated with a smile as Koro set her down.
"Oh but you forget I'm a demon and demons are untrustworthy, horrible dark creatures." Koro said trying to sound menacing but his playful undertone gave him away.
"Wha…you're a demon…? I completely forgot." Aguri said playfully as she dusted herself off, reaching out to grab her fallen duster. "You're not a dark creature, you're my friend and my loyal familiar, I knew you would catch me….So I knew I could be a bit reckless, because you would always be there to save me." Aguri said with a gentle smile. Her tone changing from playful to seriously genuine.
Koro could feel his heart squirm within his chest. He wondered if she knew the power she held over him….He was unsure if he should clue her in on that little fact….on the little fact that he viewed her as more than a master, more than an ally…more than a friend and that he would gladly do whatever she so commanded….no….it would be best to keep that a secret. After all she was merely a human. Humans are fickle creatures. It's a well-known fact. Who's to say she won't fall in love with another man….? Who's to say her feelings for him would remain the same? So with this in mind he managed to fight back the creeping blush and maintain his cool, calm, ever smiling mask on.
"Oh~ And how would you possible know that?" He asked coyly.
"Hmm…Call it women's intuition." She replied.
"Well, then just be more careful. I can't be going around catching you every single time you fall."
"You make it sound like I'm constantly tripping over myself." Aguri said with a childish pout.
"Well you are, take right now for example. You're running around tripping over your own thoughts, words, and stumbling around the house cleaning like a mad women. I know you're excited to see your sister again, I'm excited too, but you have to calm down. Relax. You're over complicating things and over working yourself and as you're familiar it's my duty to make sure you are one hundred and ten percent healthy and safe. What kind of familiar would I be if I let you die of over exhaustion, a terrible one that's what!"
"Okay, okay. I get it." She let out a yawn. "You're right….I'll go take a quick nap…." She said like an obedient child, her exhaustion only now catching up to her. "Thanks Koro….for looking out for me…." She said gratefully.
"No problem! As your familiar your health and safety is my number one priority!"
With a final nod Aguri made her way to her bedroom, happily collapsing on her soft bed. As soon as Aguri was out of sight Koro's smile slowly fell from his face. Your health and safety is my number one priority….I can't have you get hurt….I know you don't like it when I resort to violence, but I'm doing this for your own good….it'll be quick I promise….it's not like you have to know…It's better that you don't….
…Shiro…. Just merely thinking about that monster's name made his bloodlust run high and his demon blood boil over….You will no longer be a threat; you will no longer hurt the person I care about the most.
"Attention passengers please stay in your seats and secure your seatbelts we will be landing soon."
Okuda's eyes slowly opened adjusting to the bright light that surrounded her. Small butterflies fluttered in her stomach as the plane slowly descended downwards.
"Oh…A-Akari, wake up…" Okuda said gently probing Akari's arm with her finger to wake her up. Akari squirmed around in her chair and begrudgingly opened her eyes.
After getting off the plane, they went to get their luggage. The echoing sound of footsteps filled Okuda's ears as did the loud chatter of passersby. The loud tapping sounds of feet on polished floors echoed loudly, resonating in-between the walls as thousands upon thousands of bodies pushed against each other scurrying around like black ants. Okuda could feel her heart beat quicken as her hands grew clammy. She was not one for travel. To be in an unknown area swarmed with strangers made her nervous and when she was nervous she usually played with the hem of her school uniform but she had donned on pants today so instead she nervously played with one of her braids to calm her nerves.
"Oh there it is." Akari said a she spotted their luggage.
After getting their luggage they made their way to the wand retrieval center aka WRC. Witches weren't permitted to have their wands with them on board planes. Not since the terrorist attack of December 12th….It was a tragic event. The plane was filled with Normals, many of which perished in the airplane crash. It's suspected that an underground organization of magic users were to blame. This notion stemmed from the fact that this wasn't the first time a terrorist attack against Normals has happened. Many think this secret organization plans to completely wipe out all non-magic users….though their true motives are still unknown. Members of this supposed underground 'secret' organization call themselves SERAPH, which stands for Supreme Enchanters' Regime Authorizing the Purging of Humanity. But, the media and masses have dubbed this organization, SERAGH, which stands for, Syndicate of Enchanters Removing Average Guiltless Humans. Manami let out a sigh….it was organizations like SERAGH that gave witches and other magic users, such as herself, a bad name….
"You okay Manami?" Akari asked when she heard her best friend let out a tired sigh. "Is it jet lag…?"
"U-uhh….Yeah I-I'm just not used to travelling…." Manami responded softly trying to rid her head of previous gloomy thoughts.
"If you want we can get you something to take care of that…." Akari suggested.
"O-Oh no, no. T-There's really no need, I'm sure I can just walk it off." Manami insisted. She didn't want to delay their journey.
"Hmm….If you say so…" Akari responded with a slightly concerned look on her face.
"Here we are!" Akari cheerfully exclaimed as she proudly gestured to her sister's living domain with a flourished arm.
It was a very modern house with gleaming white walls and a single gray accented wall with sharp straight lines, and cube like features. It was two stories tall and its green front lawn was duly protected by an encircling fence. Manami felt like the blinding white of the walls and the melancholic grey wall made the house feel a bit cold and sad, but the colorful bed of flowers in the front yard that were just blooming made her feel more welcomed as did the two colorful wind spinners and chiming furin wind chimes. Just as she was making her way towards the fenced entrance Akari had already bounced off to knock at the front door clearly excited to see her older sister. Okuda calmly waited for the door to be opened while Akari was bouncing on the soles of her feet eagerly awaiting the sound of footsteps beyond the door.
Swiftly the door was pulled open from the other side with great enthusiasm and there she stood with her large sincere smile that radiated kindness. Okuda tried to make eye contact but Agui's choice of clothes was a bit….distracting… It was a rather unique outfit to put it kindly….She was wearing the usual pointy hat and black cape that witches were associated with…no doubt she had been in her witch's cove before she came to open the door. That wasn't what was strange, perhaps it was the tights. Yes in fact it had to be the tights and if they were different the outfit would be less odd…
The tights in question were a pale white with thousands of cartoonish black eyes covering it. The eyes were oval shaped with six eyelashes; three on the top and three on the bottom with a single black ellipse that represent both the iris and pupil which vacantly stared at nothing. Accompanying the odd tights was a pretty bubblegum pink pleated skirt that just barley fell over her knees. Alongside that she also wore a simple arctic blue t-shirt that had a cute lemon yellow carton octopus. The octopus was round with eight equally round small stubs that represent its tentacles. The cute thing also wore a unique little outfit. It was wearing a fancy black top hat with an equally fancy monocle sporting a dashing little mustache. Yellow text encircled the octopus reading: Sir squishy.
In all honesty Okuda would love to have a shirt like that, though she would probably only wear it to bed. Before she could even say 'hello' both she and Akari had been enveloped in a large and slightly painful bear hug. Shocked by the sudden contact Okuda's whole body froze up and stiffened like stone. Even though both Rio and Akari were physically affectionate with her plenty of times she could never get used to such physical close contact, it made her feel awkward. She could feel Aguri's soft hair against her skin as well as the cool touch of her chrysoprase earring. (No doubt her vessel)
"Oh it's so good to see you two!" Aguri cried out happily as her hold on them tighten boarding between an overly affectionate sisterly hug and a cobra's suffocating embrace.
"C-can't…breathe…" Okuda muttered out.
"Hahah sorry, sorry…I'm just so happy to see you two!" Agui said sheepishly as she loosened her hold on them. "Now let me look at you two."
She took a step back to survey them.
"Oh how much you've grown."
"You sound like mom." Akari joked.
"Well come on in. I'm sure you two must be tired. I'll have Koro bring your stuff upstairs while I make some tea so we can catch up, does that sound okay?" Aguri suggested.
"That sounds perfect." Akari said happily. It was good to be home…