Incoming Warnings
This is my first story. I refuse to read it as it makes me wince (however I did do a quick spell check). All I know is there's OCs. Seductive Smile (2010, though started in 2009) isn't to be confused with Seductive Smile. They're two totally different stories. What you see here, eventually evolved into Twanged Nerves and Renascence with heavy adjustment.
Seductive Smile
Part A: Coral Years
Chapter I: All Her Fault
Room 19, Shizuru Viola + Haruka Armitage; Pearls NO. 1/2 [Trias Members]
Gah! Seriously, all of this nonsense because she is the Number Two Coral? Like shit more like! This is all Miss Maria's fault!
"Shizuru Oneesama?" Tapping against the door roughly, Natsuki frowned, glaring death over to a few fellow students who had dared to watch her rather... intriguing situation. There was always some form of organisation spying wasn't there? This time being a certain crimson-eyed Pearl's fan-group. Pfft, trust Natsuki to end up with the most popular Oneesama in the school, who acted as if she had no real personality! It's sickening!
"Ah, please do come in," the alluring voice rang out, almost tripping Natsuki over her feet who gave the door a dumbfounded and astonished look. What? Natsuki had of course heard of the Viola's rare accent, but where in Earl had it come from? Now that she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder. It sounded vaguely similar to one from mid-Zipang, but its twang was far too... pure? Delicate?
Grumbling under her breath, the Coral entered shortly after, molten-ruby soon locking onto her innocent forest-jade orbs. Mirth gleaming inside those devil-eyes as Shizuru stood from her desk at the far end of the room, smoothing her Pearl uniform down as she smiled gently.
"So Kruger has arrived, I remember Miss Maria telling me you're the Number Two Coral, correct yes?"
"A-aa..." Natsuki nodded stiffly, blinking as Shizuru gestured her over towards her, further into the room. "Shizuru Oneesama?"
"I must apologise," Shizuru murmured, clasping her hands together before her, tilting her head afterwards. "I was not expecting a Coral of my own so quickly," she quirked a chestnut-honey brow, amusement reigning inside her eyes.
Glancing around curiously, Natsuki took note that the Pearl's room had a ridiculous cleanliness to it; books were on the shelf, the desks tidy with everything such as pencils, pens and ink neatly tucked away at the sides. The beds were made; nothing was out of the ordinary at all.
Utterly nothing at all...
"Perhaps I should make a mess ready for Kruger's next visit?" Shizuru teased lightly, chuckling behind a slender hand as she was rewarded a blush of disapproval. 'Oh my, this girl is rather interesting. I wonder what Haruka will think of her?'
"I'd much rather there not be another time!"
"My..."
"Eh?" The Coral cocked a sceptical brow, confusion etching upon her soft features as the older student gave her a masked smile. Emotions were completely guarded as she took a step forward, nearing Natsuki, but saying nothing as the girl in turn took a step backwards.
"Ara, Kruger seems to not trust me!" - 'Yet.'
"Obviously I wouldn't!" She snapped, biting her tongue she twisted around, rubbing her temples roughly she released a frustrated loud sigh. Avoiding the curious eyes which were burning into her back, 'Not this again...' The tablets aren't working! 'Damned things.'
"Kruger?"
"Aa..." Facing back to her Oneesama, Natsuki fired a lopsided smile, hands tensing into fists at her sides as she did so, uh, she felt awkward. "Sorry about that, Oneesama." Smooth, real smooth. 'Yes, that should do it.'
"... Of course." The Pearl would let it slide, at least for now anyway. She would find out another time, she would eventually, Viola's always did. It was in their nature to do so. Studying the girl intensively, Shizuru then glanced over to the clock, the small contraption reporting to her silently that it was 3:32pm. 'Plenty of time left.' - "Perchance Kruger has some homework she requires to finish?" She asked, "Coral's aren't permitted to vanish from their Oneesama's room for a good hour; even if they have nothing to carry out."
"N-no." Hey! It's true! Although her dancing is a complete and utter failure, it wasn't like she was going to tell Shizuru that! It would probably be used to tease her for a good few years. Besides, it wasn't her fault in the first place! She had always been with the male servants in the Palace back home since the girl's irritated the hell out of her. 'Uh... dolls...'
Dolls didn't go well with Natsuki, no - not at all! Motorcycles yes, girly clothes and dolls? Absolutely not!
"Is that so?" The elder suspected Natsuki wasn't telling her the whole story, 'Ah, I'll have to ask Miss Maria for her learning chart and teachers marks it seems.' - "If so, would you be willing for some tea then? Zipang's special edition of course," she said softly, a twinkle of mirth highlighting itself once more as Natsuki made a face of disdain. 'Oh my.'
'Uh... tea addict.' - "Um... no thanks." Grumbling, she peered over to the clock and sighed, this was going to be a long day. 3:34pm.
56 minutes to go.
"So what was it like with Shizuru Oneesama, Natsuki?" A rather busty redhead asked, peering over from the desk she was sitting at. "Is she as graceful as everyone says?"
"Hm." Natsuki shrugged dismissively, dumping her bag onto the floor beside the door, not caring as she mumbled a faint, "Boring."
"Come now, you're being cold again, Natsuki!" Shifting her chair to the side, Mai Tokiha of Zipang headed over to the older student; shaking a finger from left to right as she gave Natsuki a scolding glance, "Otome are supposed to be warm and sensitive; not firing those chilling Kruger Glares at everyone!"
"I didn't glare at her!" Natsuki snapped, "Besides, all I had to do was drink tea!"
"Tea?" Mai murmured, eyebrows quirking, "I thought you needed help with your dancing?" She asked suspiciously; 'Don't tell me she is still embarrassed over what happened last week...'
"Gah! Not this again!" Huffing she strutted past Mai, glaring over to her own desk which was besides Mai's. The left half of the room belonged to her whilst the other was owned by the Zipang-born, "Like I said, I was brought up around guys!"
"Only because you ran away with them." Mai pointed out, unfazed as a piece of paper was suddenly thrust into her face. Eyes trailing down it for a few seconds she blinked slowly, Natsuki crossing her arms smugly afterwards as it was snatched away from her. "..."
'Miss Maria wants me to be Haruka Oneesama's Coral?' The thought finally digesting inside her mind, the redhead shot a dumbfounded stare over to the now smirking Natsuki. "Coral?-! Why me? I didn't do anything!"
"Hu, huh." Just like Natsuki had, heh? Neither of them had done anything at all! Apparently anyway. "Whatever, Tokiha. But anyway, before you start yapping about something even more ludicrous I need to phone my Mother. I promised I would this week."
"Queen Saeko?"
"Um." Natsuki nodded silently, biting her bottom lip nervously as she glanced over to the door, "Uh... see you later."
"... Yeah."
~S~
"As I said Mother, I'm barely three month into my course. I cannot come back to Anazia! Nor will I allow that man to put his disgusting hands on me!" Yes, train to be some sort of mythological pure Maiden, blow a few things up, save her country then become a breeding machine for her enemy? Err, no. "The Masashi's would try and take the nation over completely!" She said sharply, ignoring one of the teachers who was in the Headmistresses office with her, having to be there at all times when a student was actually allowed to use the phone.
... Only the royalty and important nobles had the privilege of course.
"Natsuki," Saeko sighed loudly, a pause sounding for a few moments as she thought of something calmly. "You know fully well this is our best bet out of this situation. Reito is unable to have children, and the Masashi's don't even have a female heir; nor can Alyssa help us, she is barely of the age to fire a rifle, never mind lead an army."
"Aa, I already know that." Natsuki said softly this time. Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, she then glanced towards the windows at the far end of the office. 'But to freely sacrifice me? Whatever did I do to be treated in this way?' She felt like a dirty old rag being fought over by a pack of stray dogs! "How is Alyssa?" She asked quietly, nodding to the teacher who was pointing to the clock.
"Well."
"Um."
"Natsuki?" Her Mother asked, a trace of worry hinting. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it is nothing." She smiled, knowing full well it would go unseen by the older Kruger. "I need to get to the dining hall before it is crowded, ah... I think my stock in medicine needs resupplying as well."
"Alright."
"Natsuki!"
Sitting down beside Mai in the hall with a steaming bowl, Natsuki grunted in acknowledgement to the shorter, brown-eyed Coral, the girl grinning wildly as she then waved over to a faintly tanned, purple-eyed student. "Laura!"
"Hey," Laura greeted neutrally, sitting herself down next to her fellow Lutecian. "Natsuki, Mai," she nodded to each of them separately. Her attention soon being pulled back to Carla who started to rabbit off about their nation; probably concerning the events in which they had finally inherited their past Otomes' memorials, many of those people having known the Headmistress who still thought fondly of them to this day.
"So what did she want?" Mai asked, handling her knife and fork with well placed care. Inexperienced since Zipang didn't use the same kitchenware, those being in the name of chopsticks. 'Uh... I should really ask to see whether they have them or not.' These things just aren't working for Mai at all.
"Not much," Natsuki muttered, "Just about how long I'll be here, since as you know my Brother cannot get us out of our mess because there is no female heir in Alayas, nor can he have children in the first place," she said. "And Alyssa is far too young to do anything yet." Barely nine years old to be exact. She passed a bored look over to Mai as she earned a frown. "What?"
"You are expected to do so much..." The redhead shook her head unhappily.
Natsuki shrugged. "It's to be expected, it usually is when your country is surrounded on all sides by your enemy."
The two friends paused for a few moments in their conversation, either having trouble with curling the noodles around their forks properly or listening in on Carla and Laura's own gossiping of their nation.
"I just can't understand why our nation must hate each other though." Carla murmured, placing her knife and fork down respectfully at her bowls side to tighten the yellow bands keeping her hair up. "It's as if we never managed to forgive each other for what we did during the Dragon Lord War."
"I wouldn't think of it," Laura uttered calmly. "We should be grateful we haven't had a Slave attack for forty-two years now."
Natsuki glanced from her bowl as this was said, a furrow marring her eyebrow as she gazed at the lightly turquoise-haired woman. "How do you know that...?" She lifted a brow in wonder, "But hang on a minute; wasn't there Slaves at Wind Palace when the King and Queen was killed?" She asked suspiciously, glancing over to Mai who nodded in agreement. "Those photos of the attack, the creatures sure looked like Slaves you know."
"They were Childs."
Everyone looked over to Carla, who had now finished tightening the bands around her obsidian hair. Puffing her cheek out she then said, "Childs aren't controlled, but the Schwartz and Aswad can with the Slaves!" She piped more gleefully this time, teeth gleaming as she grinned. "Slaves are more stocky, while Childs are spiky!"
"Err..." Mai laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck, Laura stared blankly while Natsuki cocked an eyebrow further, the other soon matching its dark twin.
"But Schwartz AND Aswad were at the castle during the attack..." The Number Two Coral pointed out; a frustrating sigh etching its way through her throat, 'Gah, why did I even bother coming here?' Maybe she should have carried on listening to her Mother moan at her?
"Haruka Oneesama!"
"Get out of the way, Bubuzuke lovers!"
The screeching and the horde of heavy footsteps were heard all across the reasonably average-volume hall until the doors were blasted open. A boisterous blonde pushing her way through the crowd of her own fan-group as the calm environment took a turn for the wild side. Peering over the heads of excited Corals as she continued her search for a certain redhead, "Has anyone seen that Zipang Princess girl?"
"...Gods'." Mai groaned, she didn't know the Aries-born would actually come to look for her!
"Heh," Natsuki smirked, crossing her arms slyly as the redhead attempted to hide by her side from the loud blonde, her more heavy form betraying her from Natsuki's slimmer frame as Haruka quickly spotted her out from the crowd. They, unlike a lot of the other Corals had decided to stay out of the chaos and continue sitting, unlike the Armitage force who were surrounding the future General.
"Jeez!" Strutting past the girls without a single glance, Haruka placed her hands onto her hips as she got to their table, blinking for a second as she realised who Natsuki was. 'Bubuzuke-Onna's Coral is friends with her?' Pushing the thought away quickly, she made a speedy review of Mai, visually sizing her up as the Zipang Princess stood up. "I thought I would never find you!" She exclaimed a little too loudly, folding her arms sternly. 'Sheesh, I'll have to give Bubuzuke a piece of my mind later!' The daft woman hadn't told her where Tokiha would be! She had just run off straight after she returned to their room, saying something about wanting to see Kruger's teachers or something. "You're coming with me!"
"E-eh?"
Without another word, Haruka dragged a confused Mai out of the hall, Armitage and Viola fans alike moaning in disappointment that their Number Two Pearl Oneesama had already left, and with Tokiha of all people! "Nani?"
"Noo."
"Oneesama! Don't leave!"
Ignoring the voices, Natsuki growled. Now who was she going to speak with? No way was she getting into the conversation with Carla and Laura again who were now yapping on about something else. A few snippets of information being heard such as; Oh! You've been to Cardair? And - Yes, it is rather warm compared to Lutecia.
Err... duh? Cardair can be warm, yet it can change overnight, very similar to Windbloom's own weather which could change from heavy rain to scorching heat all in an hour.
"Ara, Kruger."
"Ei-" What? Stiffly, with forest-green widening faintly, Natsuki glanced over her shoulder. Orbs automatically meet with mirth-enhanced red.
...'Someone kill me'...
This is all Miss Maria's fault!
Seductive Smile Countries
King/Queendom of Windbloom – England/France/Tokyo/Arabia
Lutecia Remus/Romulus - Rome
Cardair Empire - France
Aswad - Egypt/Arabia/Iran
Alayas/Anazia Federation - Atlantis
Aries Republic - America