Guest: I'm so sorry I didn't see your review on the previous chapter! T.T I don't think I explained Mai's looks very well in the beginning of the story. She has shoulder length, chestnut colored hair. Her eyes are a coffee brown color. Overall, she likes to wear more comfortable clothing, i.e. baggy sweats, larger t-shirts, but she does know how to dress nice when the occassion calls for it. She's a little taller than Yui, and her overall body shape is different. She's fuller than Yui, but she isn't overweight. If that makes sense! T.T Sorry again!
Sarahnoel03: No need to apologize! :D Thanks for letting me know it was you! :D I appreciate reviews, so I always try to reach out to readers! :D I do agree that their personalities do change between games. ): I lean more on their Haunted Dark Bridal personalities than I do the More Blood when it comes to the Sakamakis. :/ I guess it's because I personally like them better in that game (or it could be the fact that I saw the anime before I ever played the game and those personalities stick best with me). I like More Blood's plot, but it mostly feels like the character development (if there is any XD) is more rushed. :/ BUT, thank you for your compliment! :D I hope that you continue to enjoy it! :D
Cat McHall: Yes, he is! I have plans for him, but he isn't the only focus of the upcoming conflict. :D Haha, Mai is stubborn and has yet to heed their warnings. :3 Haha, though you are right. Cordelia comes first! XD
freeminds4all: Ah! Thank you! I'm glad you were excited! I tried to get this chapter out quickly! :D I hope you enjoy it as well! :)
Guest: Thank you! I hope you've continued to enjoy the story!
Guest: Thank you! Haha, it seems that there are quite a few people who really like Shuu with Mai, and vice versea! I may go back through and tally them up. :D Thank you for you're opinion! :D I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
ZaxForever: XD Laito is practically a stalker! I'm glad you liked it! :D Haha, it means I succeeded in what I set out to do! XD
Nina3KPop: Sorry about the cliffhanger! It just seemed like the best spot to end it! XD I'm glad you are enjoying the story so much! :D I appreciate your review! :D Haha, Laito is indeed an ass, but I find it hard not to like him! XD I'll keep your opinion in mind! Since I do like them both! I'll try to do more with Shuu! :D
Thank you everyone for all the favorites/follows/reviews! :D I truly appreciate it! I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! Thank you for reading!
Her body feels like it has become rooted to the floor. She can't get herself to move. In fact, she doesn't think that she's even breathing anymore, and she can't hear her heart beating, though she can feel it racing like a rabbit's. That's exactly what she feels like in this exact moment. A rabbit that has been caught by a predator while out in the open. There is nowhere to run or hide. She tries to tell herself that it's her friend standing in front of her, but she knows that's a lie. It's Yui's body, but it is not Yui. Green eyes lazily wander down her body in such away that she feels like wrapping her arms around herself and cringing away. In fact, she's sure that those hauntingly familiar green eyes have taken in almost every inch of her body. She shudders when the person in front of her hums softly before the sound of footsteps cause her to open eyes, though she doesn't even know she shut them. 'Yui' is slowly moves toward her. Once the blonde is within arm's reach, she slowly starts to circle around Mai.
Now, she's positive that every part of her body has been looked over. 'Yui' stops directly behind Mai during the second circle, but she can't force herself to look over her shoulder. Without any warning, two petite arms wrap around Mai's shoulders and a cold body lightly pushes into her back. Every muscle in her body feels ready to snap, and she sharply inhales. A sultry chuckle in her ear reminds her of Laito. She wants to flinch at the thought, but a puff of cold air on her cheek clears her mind completely.
"You're not bad looking. Not the best, but you have your qualities," a sultry voice coos softly in her ear. A cold finger suddenly begins to trace down her jaw. "You like leftovers, do you?"
Mai can't get her tongue to move. Her throat, mouth, and even eyes feel so dry that it borders on painful. She inhales a shaky breath, but it does nothing to calm her almost fried nerves. The cold finger traces around to her chin before slowly working it's way down her throat to the tip of her collarbone before disappearing. Without warning, she's spun around to face 'Yui'. Once again, she's struck by how familiar those green eyes are, all the way down to the playfulness. She wants to pull away; she wants to run; there are so many things that she wants to do, but she can't get her body to even try to breath properly. Her lungs begin to give a painful burn, but she doesn't respond. Her attention remains fixated on the girl standing in front of her. Mai flinches when 'Yui' clicks her tongue lightly.
"Poor thing, they've abused you," 'Yui' says with a look of almost genuine concern. "Do you want me to help you?"
Mai isn't able to answer, but it doesn't seem to matter. The blonde's hands gently land on either side of her cheeks, like she's a child in need of comforting.
"I can help you with that, my dear. Together, we can get revenge on those who have or wish to hurt you."
Mai makes a strange noise in the back of her throat, causing her to flinch. On the bright side, she's slowly regaining control over her body. She quickly focuses on gaining what little control she has. With a hesitant voice, she manages to ask. "Wh...y….? Ho…..w…..?"
The girl in front of her hums softly and uses one hand to pat Mai's cheek. It feels like a corpse is touching her. Her skin begins to crawl at the feeling. She swallows hard and tries to focus on pulling away next. While she is doing that, 'Yui' says, "Well, my sweet girl, we will do it in slow steps. The first step will be getting all of th-"
"Who are you?" Mai asks more confidently than she ever thought possible. A startled look takes over 'Yui's' face for only a brief moment before it changes into a sultry smile.
"My dear, can't you tell?"
Irritation warms the very depths of Mai's stomach, making her realize just how cold and numb she feels. She swallows hard and puts as much strength into her next words as she can. "You are not Yui."
"Has he not spoken of me?"
Mai can feel her eyebrows drawing closer, and confusion fills her body, though it's not at the question. She finds herself staring at the smiling blonde before her in silent contemplation. She knows exactly who it is, but she can't bring herself to say. Saying it will make it even more real than it already is. After a few seconds of silence, the girl sighs. A shred of relief feels Mai's chest when the cold hands pull away from her. She watches one hand reach up to casually flick some stray strands from her friend's face. "Ah, it is just like that insolent child to behave this way."
A smile reappears on Yui's face, though it's nothing like Yui's usually gentle one. The next words are like a punch to Mai's gut. "My name is Cordelia."
All the air in Mai's body rushes out, and she feels like she can barely stand. How is this possible? Cordelia is Laito's mother. That simple thought sends a shudder up her spine. Still, how is the person in front of her Cordelia? Didn't Richter tell her that the triplets killed their mother? Her mouth opens and closes a couple times, but no sound comes out. Cordelia's smile widens, and her hand lifts to touch Mai's cheek once more, but Mai is finally able to control her body again. She rips herself out of reach. Before she knows it, she's across the room from the woman. Without meaning to, she hisses softly, "Don't touch me."
The smile quickly melts off Cordelia's face. With a frown, she seems to actually observe Mai for the first time. The frown only lasts a moment though before a chuckle erupts from her so suddenly that Mai's heart skips a beat, and she presses her back against the wall against the wall in response. Her breaths come out in ragged pants, and she can now hear her heart racing wildly in her ears. Cordelia's chuckles stop just as suddenly as they began. Her voice still sounds amused though. "Ah, so he has spoke of me. My dear, I will save you the heart ache now. He doesn't want you. You'll only ever be a replacement to him."
"I don't care," Mai states, though she's not sure why. A look of mock pity takes over Cordelia's face. Mai feels rage building inside her.
"Ah, do you love him? This silly girl seems to think so. It is a mistake to fall for someone like that pathetic boy. He will never amount to anything."
"Shut up," Mai whispers, but the woman in Yui's body doesn't seem listen.
"Ah, my dear. I know the pain of loving someone who you can't obtain!"
"Let her go," Mai whispers. She closes her eyes tightly, desperately wishing that she could get out more than a whisper. She knows it's a mistake to close her eyes on an enemy, but it helps her think that this is nothing but a dream. Unfortunately, that thought process only lasts a few seconds.
"Now, now," the sultry voice coos closer than before. Mai's eyes snap open, and she presses her back as tightly against the wall as she possibly can. Cordelia had moved across the room while her eyes had been shut. She is now hovering just outside arm's reach. A look of sympathy colors her face, but Mai has a feeling that it isn't genuine. "I'm just trying to help her. Ayato is the worst child of them all, and she made a rash choice to pick him."
Mai opens her mouth, but she doesn't get a chance to say anything. Cordelia simply continues. "I gave that child all the love and support I possibly could. I gave him everything. I just asked for one thing. Just one!"
She holds up a single finger before releasing an airy sigh. "All I asked is that he climb to the top. He just had to beat that worthless Beatrix's children. How did that ungrateful brat repay me?"
Anger is leaking into her voice at this point, causing it to lose it's sultriness. Mai still can't find a way to cut into her speech. Cordelia spins away from Mai and carefully picks her way across the game room. Her fingers reach out to run along the velvet edge of the pool table. Once she is far enough away, she says softly, "I just want to help this silly girl. She's making a mistake."
Mai wants to nod. She wants to agree that Yui is making a mistake giving her heart to Ayato, but she finds herself unable to. Unfortunately, Cordelia doesn't seem to plan on waiting for her to say anything. "I'll keep her safely locked away until the time is right. I don't want her to have to see what we are about to do."
"We?" Mai flinches at the fact that her voice comes out as a squeak. Cordelia spins to pin Mai with a piercing green gaze. With a jolt, Mai realizes that it's not familiar.
It's nothing like Ayato's confident, but arrogant, gaze.
It's definitely not Laito's playfully flirtatious gaze either.
The color may be the same, but the ones looking at her are so much colder than either of theirs. Mai never thought that she'd ever think of Laito or Ayato's gazes as warm, but they were compared to the one staring at her right now. She feels a shiver working it's way slowly up her spine. She jumps when Cordelia says. "I knew there was something about you the first time I saw you through her eyes. I can save you and her both. I have the power to. We just need to…"
"No." Mai states louder than she meant to. She can't deny that the thought is tempting, but she finds that she doesn't want to deal with this woman longer than needed. She wants her friend back.
"What?" The voice that comes out of Yui's mouth is easily the most terrifying thing Mai has ever heard. Despite the growing fear, it takes only a second for her to decide to stay on the path she chose.
"I said no." Mai states more confidently than before. With those words out, she finds straightening her spine to be so much easier. She's able to stand tall and stare as coldly as she can at the person invading her friend.
A look of pure anger colors Cordelia's face, and she looks ready to say something, but Mai beats her to it. She coldly says. "You are a bitch, from what I understand. If your children are any indication of what you were like, then I don't want to make a deal with you. I don't want to work with you. I just want you out of my friend and out of my life."
"You insolent human!" Cordelia snaps, but Mai wasn't done yet.
"You must have tortured your children to get them to turn into who they are today. Ayato, the ungrateful child as you call him, is an asshole. I totally agree that I don't approve of him and Yui together, but she loves him. I have decided to respect that, and you know what? I think a part of him loves her, too. So, no. I won't hurt my friend just to please your sick sense of revenge against your own kid. I don't need your help with my own problem either. I w-"
A resounding smack effectively kills any other words. Her head snaps to the side so hard that she worries that her neck might snap. The pain follows only seconds later. It feels like she had just walked into a pole. She's too startled to say anything, or even turn her head back. Unfortunately, she isn't given a chance to even recover. A hand delves into her hair and grips it so tightly that she's worried that her hair will be torn out by the roots. Her head is snapped back to face a very angry Cordelia. With a barely audible hiss, Cordelia says. "Do you think that I really need your help? You're an insignificant human. Know your place!"
Before Mai can even prepare herself, her face is hit on the other side. Unfortunately, her cheek is pinched between her teeth. In response to being pinched, her skin gives way, and warm, metallic blood fills her mouth. She lets out an unintentional whimper. Cordelia tugs harshly on Mai's hair. With a sickening sound, she feels and hears some of her hair come loose. Her scalp calls out in even more pain due to the cuts on the back of her head. Her head is jerked to the side, revealing her throat to the vampire before her. Her heart skips a beat, and her eyes slide tightly closed. She finds herself expecting to feel a piercing pain. What she doesn't expect is to hear Cordelia's voice spoken directly into her ear. "Laito does not love you. He will never love you. You'll only pass the time for him, nothing more."
She's not sure why she says what she says next, but she does. "Like he was for you? I don't care if he loves me or not. I don't even pretend to like him, so your words don't hurt me. You sound like a pitiful child having a tantrum."
The wind leaves her in a rush. Her head spins, and she's not even sure what happened. She just knows that she is laying on her side, Cordelia is laughing over the top of her, and her body hurts all over. She tenses when something cold touches her and tries to flinch away. Without warning, it feels like a bucket of cold water has been poured over her. She hears Cordelia call out something, but the sound is lost to the drone of women screaming at the top of their lungs in pure pain. Mai tries to open her eyes, but they refuse to even move. She finds herself curling into a fetal position. Just as quickly as it started, the screaming stops. The only sound is Cordelia's haunting laughter. A sharp metallic smell reaches her nose, and Mai realizes that it's blood. She can't tell if she's bleeding, or if it's just a phantom smell due to the fact that her mouth tastes like she just sucked on a handful of change.
"I forgot how weak humans are! How pitiful!" Cordelia states before another round of laughter. This time, her laughter is cut short.
"Ah, how unpleasant!" A voice states with a playful hint to it. One of Mai's eyes open just enough to see Laito's blurry outline. She watches Cordelia turn to face him, and she tunes out the rest of the conversation. Instead, her eyes shift to look at the door just behind Laito. She figures her chances of making it to the door is slim to none. There are two vampires between her and the door. They'd notice if she got up and tried to casually stroll out. Her eyes move up to look at Cordelia, who had moved so close to Laito that their bodies were touching. She is laughing like a schoolgirl. Mai's eyes shift to Laito. He's wearing a smile, but she doesn't think it reaches his eyes. A jolt runs through her body when Laito's green eyes slowly shift over to glance at Mai for only a moment.
But it's enough to get a message across.
Or, she thought he's trying to silently tell her something. She can't be a hundred percent sure. She turns her attention back to the door. Laito seems intent on distracting Cordelia, so Mai'll play her part. She flinches when she reaches out to put a hand down. Every muscle in her body screams in agony, and she has to bite back a whimper. She uses a leg to propel herself forward. Once again, she feels every single muscle in her body, but she focuses on using her other arm to reach even further.
This is how she moves across the floor. She figures that Cordelia is less likely to notice her basically army crawling away than she would if Mai were to try to get up and walk out. Still, it feels like an eternity passes before she finally makes it to the door. She considers looking back, but she decides against it. It'd waste what few precious seconds she had left. With a soft intake of breath, she slowly climbs to her feet, pulls open the door just enough to slip out, and leaves. She spins to shut the door as quietly as she can. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see that Laito and Cordelia haven't moved much. The door doesn't even make a sound when it closes. She turns to face an empty hallway and freezes. What should she do? Who should she go to? Reiji? Shuu? Kanato? Ayato?
She flinches at the thought of going to any of them. She glances back at the closed door, and a sense of resolve fills her. She has to get Yui back, and she has to help Laito. It's only fair. After all, he did help her when he didn't have to. She turns and tries to hurry down the hallway. Every limping step sends a new sense of pain radiating throughout her body. While she walks, she checks over her body for injuries. Her cheek and a small cut on her abdomen are the only places that have been cut. Most of the pain is radiating from her abdomen, but her cheeks seem to throb in time with each heartbeat. She barely manages to bite back a whimper each time she accidentally steps too heavy and jars the wound. The pain clouds her mind, and she finds that she's still not sure who she is going to go to for help yet.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" A harsh voice calls out, effectively stopping her. A small shred of relief fills her aching stomach. At least she won't have to decide who to go to now.
She slowly turns to look up into red eyes. Her body tilts before sagging heavily into the wall. She isn't sure when it happened, but she finds that she's out of breath. Every time she inhales or exhales, her abdomen aches. Subaru's red eyes narrow and run along her body. She wants to shy away, but she can't bring herself to even flinch. After his gaze returns to her face, he scoffs and states coldly. "He really did a number on you this time, didn't he?"
Mai breathlessly shakes her head before gathering what strength she has left to give Subaru a stern gaze. She tries to tell him what happened, but her voice comes out in a hoarse, garbled whisper, which seems to only frustrate Subaru.
"Are you asking for something?"
"...lp…" She coughs. "Lai…. ti… Cord…."
Pink dusts what she can see of his cheeks before he practically growls. "I don't need to know what type of bondage you two are into!"
To her horror, he turns his back on her. She lunges to grab the back of his shirt. Unfortunately, her abdomen chooses that point to cramp, effectively distracting her. She ends up plowing into the back of him instead of just moving enough to grab him. Pain explodes through her abdomen, causing her vision to go white for a moment. The next thing she knows, she's sprawled out on the ground with Subaru leaning over her with a rare look of amusement on his face. Humiliation fills her body, and she wants to curl into a fetal position, but she's not sure her abdomen muscles will allow it. Her humiliation only grows when Subaru says. "Wow, you're pathetic, aren't you?"
She's happy to finally hear something other than anger coloring his voice, but she still can't bite back the huff of frustration. This isn't how it's supposed to go. She's suppose to be getting help, yet here she is laying flat on her back while being laughed at. Well, Subaru isn't exactly laughing, but it's still the closest she's ever heard him get. After a few seconds of silence, she finally works up the courage to at least sit up. Pain racks her body, but she manages to achieve her goal. She doesn't even think twice about her next actions. She simply acts.
Her hand wraps around his pant leg, and she tugs lightly. The look of amusement quickly turns into one of annoyance, but she doesn't give him time to shake her off or say anything harsh. Instead, she breathlessly says the name of someone that she thinks will be of some help. "Ayato. Please. Take…."
Her voice trails off when her face gives a particularly painful throb. Her hands tighten on his pant leg, and she feels the air rush from her lungs. She has no idea what Cordelia did, but it feels like she's been run over by a truck. She flinches away when she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. Her attention turns in that direction, but there is nothing there. The sound of movement close by causes her head to snap back only to find Subaru squatting in front of her. She flinches when his hand suddenly reaches out, causing him to pause. A look of pure anger flashes over his face, and he snaps. "Hold the fuck still!"
She almost cringes away, but she somehow manages to keep herself from doing so. His cold fingers prod the cut on her cheek, causing her to release a sigh of contentment. Without realizing it, her eyes slide closed, and she leans her cheek further into his hand. The cold feeling seems to seep into her skin, contrasting the burning sensation. Disappointment fills her body when the pleasant cold feeling disappears. She opens her eyes to get ready to protest when the unthinkable happens.
Two arms wrap around her body. One is under her shoulder blades, while the other is under her knees. Her body becomes weightless for a moment, and she finds herself cradling uncomfortably close to Subaru's body. She doesn't even get a chance to demand that Subaru put her down. A spinning sensation fills her body for a moment before disappearing. Once again, she doesn't get a chance to say anything to Subaru before he unceremoniously dumps her in a chair. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the proper posture to catch herself, and the chair is surprisingly hard. It feels like she was just dumped on the floor. A yelp is torn from her throat, but Subaru is already gone.
Unfortunately, she's not the only one to hear it.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Mai's gaze snaps in the direction of the voice. All of her strength returns in the form of adrenaline. She surges upright and crosses the room in a matter of seconds. Her hands find the front of his clothes, and she leans in close, just in case her voice fails her. "It's…
Ayato roughly shoves her away, and she stumbles backwards, but she manages to keep her balance somehow, despite the pain. She's determined to not let it deter her though. Instead, she says in a rush. "Something is wrong with Yui."
The minute she utters Yui's name, she finds Ayato's undivided attention on her. She doesn't give him a chance to get impatient. She says in a rush. "There is very something wrong. We went to talk alone, and she changed. She said that she felt like something was always there. She said that she felt different. Then she looked down and back up, but it wasn't Yui. Her eyes weren't red. They were green. You're green."
She can see Ayato stiffen, but she doesn't stop. She breathlessly continues on to say. "She was trying to get me to help her ki…"
She finds that she can't say the word, so she skips over it. ".. you, but I just can't do it. She tried to say that you are only using Yui. I don't agree with you being with her, because she's such a kind and gentle person, but I do know the two of you love each other. When she realized that wasn't working, she switched tactics and tried to tell me that Laito doesn't love me, but I knew that already! I just... "
"You keep saying 'she'. Who is 'she'?" Ayato asks in a barely audible voice. Mai pauses for a moment before closing her eyes and releasing a soft breath to recapture her nerves. Unfortunately, they seem intent on keeping just out of reach, so she decides to just plow on.
"She said her name was Cordelia."
Her voice goes silent after those words. It feels like something is crushing her. It feels like she is missing some giant piece of the puzzle, and she's about to get blindsided. Ayato appears before her. His hands grip her upper arms in a bone crushing grip. His voice comes out so full of anger that Mai could have mistaken him for Subaru for a moment. "Where is Yui?"
Mai softly says, "Game room. This floor."
She reaches up to awkwardly grab his elbow. She's not sure why, but she says softly. "Laito helped me. Please don't leave him behind. Please don't hurt Yui. It's not her fault!"
Ayato practically sneers at her before easily shaking her off. He takes a step away before glancing back at her with a look of disgust on his face. "Don't bleed out all over Your Truly's room."
Mai gives him her best scowl, though she knows it's not effective due to a wince that happens at the same time. She manages to snap out. "Oh, I'll be sure to smear the walls with it while you are gone."
He gives her one more disgusted look before stating. "Don't throw up either, or you are cleaning it up."
"It was one time, and it wasn't even on you or your things! It was on Subaru!" She snaps, but he's already gone. She allows herself to slowly sink all the way to the floor. She gingerly lays down on her side and pulls her knees to her chest. A wave of tiredness threatens to wash her away into the sea of unconsciousness. Just as she starts to doze, she feels something very lightly nudging her between her shoulder blades. She glances over her shoulder, but she doesn't see anything. Deciding that it's just in her head, she closes her eyes once more. Just like before, she feels a small prodding between her shoulder blades. Just like before, there is nothing there.
The voice is new though. It's spoken directly into her ear. "If you want to help the bride, you have to get up."
She groans in protest, but the nudging in her back has slowly become insistent. She carefully climbs to her feet, but the nudging doesn't stop. Instead, it chances into light shoving. She can hear several voices overlapping. "Hurry. Hurry, Mai! If he reaches her, it'll be too late!"
She reluctantly makes her way toward the door, though she has no idea who 'he' is. She finally reaches the door and jerks it open. Unfortunately, the hallway isn't empty like she's hoping for. Cold red eyes turn to meet hers. It's a face that she doesn't immediately recognize, though she knows it's familiar. She barely manages to repress a groan of pain and leans against Ayato's doorway while staring up at him. He gives her a cold sneer before turning away. Black dots start to form along the edges of her vision, and the sound of a hauntingly familiar voice says softly in her ear. "Mai, if you want to help Yui, keep Richter from reuniting with Cordelia!"
After these words are spoken, a sense of urgency floods Mai. She's not sure why, but she peels herself away from the doorframe and reaches out to grab Richter. Unfortunately, he seems to have heard her moving and quickly side steps her advance, causing her to stumble past him. Once her balance is regained, she spins to face the furious vampire before her. The sense of urgency continues to grow to a near hysterical point, but she can't seem to locate where it's coming from. It feels like she's stuck in a panicking crowd. The overwhelming feeling cause her to not think properly, so she blurts out. "Richter, I need to see Tougo."
She cringes away from the violent snarl, but she forces herself to straighten back up. There is no point in cowering away from him, especially when she has a feeling that this is the 'he' the voice was referring to. Unfortunately, she finds herself releasing a sharp gasp and doubles over in pain. Between the pain and the growing hysteria, she finds herself unable to form a single coherent thought. She's barely aware that Richter brushes past her. Her panic continues to mount when the nausea inducing scent of rot washes over her. Her gaze snaps around, but she doesn't see the women approaching yet. She tries to tell herself that she has nothing to fear from them, but it still induces a sense of terror when she smells them coming. Without a single thought, she finds herself lunging for Richter, but he once again evades her grasp. He spins on her with a cold snarl. "Don't touch me, disgusting human."
He turns away from her once more, and she expects him to disappear before her eyes. To her surprise, she finds that he doesn't move a single muscle. She takes a cautious step toward him, but a voice halts any further advancement.
"Are you the reason she is here?"
It sounds almost like a whine with a hint of strange hopefulness. The sense of urgency seems to disappear almost instantly. In fact, Mai finds that she can now think clearly again. She cautiously leans to the side, trying to ignore the horrible pain in her abdomen at the action. Once again, she is surprised to see who is now blocking Richter's path.
"Move aside, brat," Richter coldly states. Mai turns her gaze back to the green haired vampire, but it only lasts a moment.
"You didn't answer my question," Kanato states with a deadly calm voice. Mai's eyes flick back to Kanato, and she sees an opening that she can't pass up. If the voice is to be believed, she can't allow Richter anywhere near Yui right now.
"You aren't being fair," Mai says softly. She cringes when both vampires turn their attention to her. Gathering what shattered courage she has left, she fixes a cold look on Richter and says as sternly as she can manage. "He has a right to know, you know."
"Shut up, bitch" Richter hisses at her.
"Richter! Don't you dare ignore me!" Kanato's voice seems to echo through the hallway, and Mai's heart starts to race. She knew that this spur of the moment plan could possibly backfire on her. Kanato is unpredictable in a good mood, but she has to something. She waits till Richter's furious red gaze turns to face a very upset, purple haired vampire to put as much emotion as she can into saying loudly.
"He's your nephew! Don't you have a heart?! You should give him what he wants! He's her son! If she's here, you have to tell him! It's his right! You're just being cruel! How dare you keep such vital inf-"
Her voice is lost to the sound of both Richter's and Kanato's. Slowly, she begins to back away from them. Richter looks ready to kill Kanato, but it seems like Kanato doesn't really care. Tears are running down his face, but he still somehow manages to wear a furious look. Once she is what she deems to be a safe distance, she spins and staggers down the hallway. She needs to get as far away from the angry vampires as possible, since it's likely that she'll somehow become a target for one of them. She doesn't know much about Richter, since she has only seen him a handful of times, but she knows she doesn't want to be on the receiving end of Kanato's rage. She can only hope that she had worked Kanato up enough to distract Richter for a while.
She casts a glance over her shoulder before shuddering softly. They're out of sight now, but she can still hear them. She considers going to Laito's room, but the thought sends a shudder down her spine. She has a feeling that Cordelia might look there first. There is also the off chance that Laito might rekindle his relationship with her.
The thought makes her feel sick to her stomach. Could he claim that it isn't as twisted if it happens while she's in Yui's body? Her heart sinks to the pit of her stomach, and she slows to a stop in the hallway and leans against the wall.
No. She doesn't want think about this. It'll hurt so many people if something like that happens. She presses the side of her head against the wall and closes her eyes. She knew Ayato won't admit it, but he'll be furious and hurt. Mai hates to think about the possibility, but she thinks he does in fact harbor true feelings for the petite blond. Yui has to be in there somewhere, and it's going to be like she's trapped in a prison, helpless to watch what Cordelia does with her body. Mai closes her eyes and releases a sigh. She can't imagine loving someone only to be taken over and have to watch that relationship deteriorate over something that she has no control over. It'll likely break Yui, especially when it is with someone who looks so much like her loved one.
And she refuses to admit it out loud, but she has a nagging feeling that it'll hurt her, too. She doesn't think that she's falling for Laito, but she knows that she at least views him as a twisted friend. She cringes a little at that thought, but she knew it's true. Despite everything he's done to her, he has done some kind things too, and he always seems to be there to help when she needs it, whether she wants him there or not.
An idea floats to the surface. Her eyes open, and a shudder runs down her spine. She isn't sure she can trust him, not after last time, but it's the only solid idea she has. It's either him or Subaru, but she doesn't think the silver haired vampire will really want to help her. Still, she feels like every muscle in her body is on fire. That fact alone settles her choice. Laito's room is so far away from where she currently is, while she is relatively close to both Subaru and Reiji's room. She lightly touches her stomach and hisses in pain before quickly pulling her hand away.
The adrenaline completely drains away leaving her body feeling like a roiling mass of pain. Her shaking hand stares down at the red coloring her skin. Thankfully, it's not an alarming amount. Her gaze slowly turns from her hand to her abdomen and inspects the cut once more. The scratch isn't that long. In fact, it looks to be only about three or four inches long, but it still continues to slowly seep blood out without any sign of stopping soon. The thought makes her feel sick to her stomach. Some sort of red flag will be raised if she's admitted to the hospital again. A deep concerning bruise is forming all the way out from the wound. It's such a deep colored purple that it appears black, and it reaches from her pubic bone all the way up to disappear under her shirt. She pulls her shirt higher, exposing the bottom part of her bra. The bruising reaches all the way to the bottom few ribs on her ribcage. She cringes. She should remember how it happened, but she can't. She hates to admit it, but she doesn't want to remember.
"You should've told me that you wanted me to see you without any clothes on," a lazy voice interrupts her thoughts. She jerks her shirt down, and two things happen. The first is a horrible tearing sound. The second is the air in her lungs rushes out in a painful gasp, and she almost lets herself collapse. Thankfully, she's able to catch herself and turns a frustrated look in the direction of the voice. Shuu is standing not far behind her. She can still hear the distant sound of arguing followed by the sound of something breaking. She cringes at the thought of Kanato's temper, but she can't fight the smile of Richter getting knocked down a notch.
A frown quickly takes over the smile. At least, she hopes Kanato can take Richter down a notch. She hadn't thought of that at the time. Even more guilt starts to gnaw at her insides. Not only had she abandoned Laito and her friend, but she hadn't even thought about how Kanato would fair.
Which brought up another question. Had Laito actually been helping her? Or was he simply wanting to see Cordelia again?
Once again, she finds herself sick to her stomach. Her gaze drops to the floor, but she doesn't get long to stew on her guilt since Shuu releases a sigh, drawing her attention. He starts past her with a lazy gait. She's not sure why, but she reaches out to grab his sleeve. His tired blue eyes turn to face her. She hesitates for a moment, since she's unsure what to say. After silently reminding herself it's for Yui's benefit, she softly says, "I need your help. I need to get to Reiji. It's Yui. Sh-"
"Bothersome," Shuu sighs softly and gives a small shake of his head. She can't stop herself from rolling her eyes at his behavior and pulls at his sleeve more insistently. Once she recaptures his attention, she stares into his tired blue eyes and chooses her words carefully.
"Shuu, I can't make it to his room by myself. It's getting really painful now."
"I don't see how this concerns me."
Mai barely bites back a snarl. She swears that she can see a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, but she's not sure. She's never sure when it comes to the blonde vampire. She takes a slow breath before trying again, only this time she says it sternly. "Yui's in trouble. I would really like to help her, and I need your help to do that."
She hears a soft scoff and expects him to mutter about how bothersome she is being again. To her surprise, she hears him say. "We're all aware of what is happening."
Her entire body stiffens for a moment, and she has to remind herself that they all have better than senses than her. She cringes at the thought. Could they have heard her that ni-? She crushes the thought before she can even complete it. She returns her attention to Shuu, only to see the light hint of amusement still floating just beneath the surface. Her eyes narrow a little. His amusement never bodes well for her. It isn't as painful as Laito's, but it doesn't seem to make it any less humiliating.
She decides to not dwell on it. If she wants his help, she'll have to do something for him. There always seems to be one thing that he wants. She struggles to gather her courage by telling herself that it's for her friend's sake. Once she's able to piece what she can together, she shakingly holds out her hand to him. He glances at it with his usual disinterested look before slowly looking back up to her. She somehow manages to force between gritted teeth. "You want blood, right?"
He's silent for a few seconds, but it feels like hours. Impatience starts to eat away at her. She doesn't have time to wait for him to decide. Finally, she's had enough. Her hand drops back to her side, and she releases his sleeve. It looks like she's going to have to slowly make her way to Reiji's room. Tears of frustration and pain well up in her eyes, but she stubbornly holds them back. Only seconds later, humiliation mixes with the other two bitter emotions. She doesn't like crying in front of the brothers. They always seem to pray on it like it's some sort of delicacy. She tries to swallow the tears back and forces her mind on the task at hand. She's already wasted time on Shuu. She should've known better. She should've just gone to Reiji without a second thought.
The thought of trying to find Subaru makes her uneasy. He's easily violent and highly unpredictable. She isn't sure he'd actually be willing to help, but she honestly doesn't think he's as cruel as he plays off being. She believes that he's doing the best he can with his situation. If anything, she thinks he's probably misunderstood. Still, it doesn't excuse the violent outbursts he's prone to, nor does it excuse any wrong he's done.
Though she's sure she'd be pretty cranky too if she grew up with siblings like the ones he has.
She's almost past Shuu when his voice stops her.
"You'll owe me three times."
Her body feels numb, and her thoughts begin to race. She slowly returns to the wall and leans on it. She quickly scrapes her brain for what he's talking about. When she can't come up with anything, she narrows her eyes to give Shuu a suspicious look. The silence continues to stretch, and she scrapes her brain once again. She jumps when a sigh cuts through her thoughts. Once her attention is turned back to him, he teasingly says. "One favor is for ruining my bed with your nasty, wet smell."
She levels him with a stern stare. "That was not my fault. It was Laito's! He's the one who pushed me into the pool!"
A smirk spreads over Shuu's face, and his eyes narrow a little. He lifts two fingers and continues to state playfully. "The second is for sleeping on my floor without permission and making a mess of my closet, perv."
She bristles at the name, but she doesn't say anything. She can't ever win when it comes to Shuu. Instead, she childishly sticks her tongue out. Unfortunately, this time turns out different than any other time. He moves quicker than she would've thought possible. His cold fingers grasp her tongue before she can suck it back into her mouth and pulls on it just enough that she has to lean up onto the tips of her toes to avoid any extra pain. She glares at him the best she can, but she can barely think about much past the pain in her stomach. Thankfully, this only lasts a few seconds, but those seconds might as well have been hours. During this time, Shuu's face becomes dangerously close to hers. For a brief moment, she panics and wonders what he's about to do. Thankfully, he just leans close to her ear. A shudder slowly works down her spine when he states. "I got you."
Once he releases her, she stumbles back and falls onto her butt. Unfortunately, this turns out to be the worst possible outcome for her. Pain races all the way out to her fingertips. She's not sure when it happened, but she finds herself curled up on her side while holding her abdomen the best she can without actually touching it. She hears him chuckling and sends a cold glare in his direction out of the corner of her eye. Shuu stares down at her for a moment, then a tired look passes over his face. His eyes slowly travel over her body, and it takes her a moment to realize what he is silently telling her. Her gaze drops to find that her shirt had torn even wider earlier, and it's now revealing a large chunk of her bra on one side due to the way she is laying. She releases a groan and forces herself to sit up.
"How do I repay you for those favors? Do you want blood again?"
Silence is her only answer. Just as she begins to lose her patience again, he slowly leans against the wall beside her and slides down to sit on the floor. His eyes drift closed, and his voice becomes so soft she has to strain to hear it. "Not everyone is after blood."
She frowns at him for a moment before saying words she knows she'll regret. "Listen, I really want to help Yui. She's a good friend to me, so I… I will ac-"
Thankfully, she manages to catch herself before blindly accepting whatever he has in store for her. If there is anything she's learned from dealing with Laito, it's that she shouldn't jump into decisions without putting some actual thought into it. She takes a moment to really look him over.
She doesn't have time for uncertainties, but she doesn't have enough life chances to keep gambling away. She'll run out, and it's likely going to be soon. The hallways have become eerily silent, and she can feel an uneasy sense of worry for Kanato settling in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps she'd worked him up too much. With a firm shake of her, she dismisses that thought. Her thoughts turn back to her problem with Shuu. Her gaze fixates on his face, and it appears he's fallen asleep. It takes some struggle, but she finally settles on a plan. With a tiny sense of accomplishment, she says. "I have some restrictions. One of them is nothing of… sexual nature. I'm not going to...have sex with you."
A light blush forms over her face when she says that. That statement was harder to get through than she thought it'd be. She opens her mouth to continue on when Shuu interrupts her with amusement coloring his tone. "They are my favors, but I will promise you that I'm not Laito. I won't use dirty tricks to get you to sleep with me. If you want to, though 'when' is more practical, you'll be the one choosing."
Her eyes narrow a little. Why did 'choosing' sound more like 'doing all the work'? She rolls her eyes at her train of thought. It doesn't matter how he said it. It isn't going to happen. "You sound awfully arrogant there. I can almost see a resemblance to Ayato."
He either doesn't care enough to answer, or, the more likely scenario, he isn't listening to her. His eyes are shut, so she also considers the possibility that he simply fell asleep. To her surprise, he says. "You'll be the one choosing. It's too troublesome to try."
If Mai wasn't already sitting on the ground, she's sure she would've fallen over. She never expected to hear a male say that sex is too troublesome to work for. She isn't sure if she should laugh or feel sorry for Shuu. Instead, she deadpans. "Let me guess. I'd be doing all the work, right?"
A small smirk is her only answer. She rolls her eyes, but she still has to bite back the laughter. How could Shuu make such an uncomfortable subject even more uncomfortable?
Still, Shuu isn't harmless by any means. In many ways, he's probably more manipulative than Laito is. She glances up and down the hallway before turning to look at him. "Alright. Fine. We'll make this a deal, but only after you listen to my conditions. If you interrupt one more time, I'll leave."
Thankfully, he responds by a small nod of his head. She doesn't give him a chance to second guess himself. "No sex. No groping. I'd prefer if you didn't take my blood, but I'm willing to trade it for her life. Also, there is a time limit for each one. I'm only willing to serve them for a day, but I'll go as far as a week if it's something simple like helping you with homework or something, though you are older than me. I'm not going to dress in some stupid outfit either. I'll dress how I normally dress."
It's silent for a few minutes, and her heart starts to sink. Is he going to deny her? Thankfully, he finally says. "I agree."
Her heart skips a beat, and she doesn't feel like she's sold herself to something evil this time. Though, she does feel an uncomfortable feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, Shuu lifts his hand and lazily gestures for her to approach him. Reluctantly, she carefully rolls onto her hands and knees and crawls her way over to him. She fully expects him to lash out an arm and grab her, which is why she's instantly suspicious when he doesn't move at all. After a moment, he gestures for her to get even closer. She gives him a doubtful look but scoots a few inches closer. One hand lifts to seal the hole in her shirt. He gestures for her to get even closer. Frustration builds, but she silently does as he asks. This continues until her knees are touching his side, and she is leaning awkwardly over him. Without warning, he leans up. His chest lightly presses against hers, and his face buries itself in her neck. His arm wraps loosely around her waist, but it doesn't pull her closer. Before she has a chance to protest or jerk away, the familiar sense of spinning overwhelms her. Once it stops, Shuu leans on her heavily. Unfortunately, she doesn't expect to go from kneel to standing, so she isn't ready to support his weight. She stumbles back, but her luck continues to escape her when something collides with the back of her knees. The horrible sensation of falling overtakes her, and she releases a startled yelp.
Several things happen all at once. Her back collides with something soft, but it has hard edges. Unfortunately, she finds this out when her shoulder painfully rams into it. Her legs are resting over the top of something soft. Sadly, this leaves her pelvis elevated.
The second part is more painful. Shuu didn't even try to catch himself. Instead, he followed her down. His shoulder slams into her chin, effectively smashing her teeth together. Every tooth in her mouth gives out a painful throb, but she's happy that she didn't bite her lip or tongue. The next part is even more embarrassing. Her legs had spread in her flailing to regain her balance. One of Shuu's legs had found it's way in between hers and now is pressed against the apex of her thighs. The only amusing thing is the fact that her leg had ended up between his, so when they fell it drove her leg up into him. He released a painful grunt in her ear, which sends a thrilled tingle through her body. Still, it's not enough to get her to laugh. His weight effectively drove her breath away, and she can't seem to regain it. It doesn't help that he relaxed against her the moment they made impact, effectively leaving him as little more than dead weight. Tears of pain prickle at the edges of her eyes, easily keeping the breath from her lungs. Shuu's body presses on the already tender bruise.
A sigh of pure irritation grabs Mai's attention. She turns her gaze upward to see a look of disgust filling Reiji's face. She wants to shrink away at the look, even though she knows it's directed at the back of Shuu's head. She pushes on Shuu with all her might, but all she manages to do is lift him a little before her arms give out. He drives what little air she has from her lungs, and she unintentionally releases a whimper. Her gaze shifts from Shuu's shoulder to Reiji. Humiliation colors her cheeks when she sees he'd lifted his hand to his face cover his face at some point. His eyes are closed, and a look of annoyance spreads over his face. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mai manages to gasp out. "I need your help."
Reiji's eyes slowly open and find hers. "I suppose you're the reason that his stench will linger in my room for months?"
His voice is so icy that she flinches, which causes the pain in her abdomen to flair up even more. She bites the tears back again and forces herself to talk in an effort to ignore the pain. "It's Yui. She…."
"I'm well aware of what is going on with her," Reiji coldly states. He turns away from her, and panic fills her body. Is he not even going to listen to her? She tries to rock Shuu off, but she feels like she's fighting gravity, and the couch she's pinned against doesn't allow her to get a good angle on the body above her. The pain isn't helping either. Unfortunately, Reiji disappeared behind the back of the couch. Desperation overwhelms her, and she finds it threading it's way though her voice.
"Wait! Please, Reiji! You can help her! I know you can!"
She hears a scoff and closes her eyes tightly. She needs to see his face to see if she's saying the right words to stroke his ego. Once again, she tries to rock Shuu off of her. Somehow, she manages to wiggle enough to slowly roll him off. He lands on the floor with a solid thump followed by a groan, but he doesn't bother to move. She tries to quickly scramble to her knees, but the pain in her abdomen causes her to hiss. Black threatens to cover her vision again. Somehow, she manages to fight it off, though she ends up slowing her movements down to an agonizing pace. Once she settles on her knees, she peeks over the couch to look at Reiji's back. He appears to be standing beside a bookshelf. She silently wonders just how many books he owned, but she pushes the thought away and says as confidently as she can. "Reiji, I know you can help her. Please help Yui."
He releases another scoff and coldly states, "Of course I can."
She patiently for him to continue. Seconds quickly tick by. She shifts a little and says softly. "Reiji, you're so smart that this'll be cakewalk."
He turns to face her, and she has to force herself not to duck behind the couch. His voice is just as bitingly cold as his stare. "Good grief, those pathetic tactics may work on that good for nothing or even Laito; however, pretty words don't mean much to me."
Mai feels herself cringing, despite her best efforts. It feels like her entire body becomes deflated. That's when a new voice cuts in. "Is this where I say 'I told you so'?"
Mai turns her attention to the talking 'lump' on the floor. She faintly hears a soft sneer, but she doesn't turn her attention back to Reiji. Instead, she gives Shuu a confused look. He slowly rolls onto his back and gives a light stretch. His eyes remain closed, and he settles back into a more comfortable position. One of his legs is stretched out, while the other is lifted slightly. One of his arms rests over his stomach, while the other is tucked beneath his head like a pillow. A small strip of skin is revealed just above the hem of his pants. Mai's eyes narrow at him when one of his eyes opens just enough that she can see blue.
"What are you talking about?" She cautiously asks.
A small smile spreads over his face before the eye slides closed again. He shifts a little and says in a tired voice. "He can't do it. That's why he is denying you."
That statement drives home what Shuu is doing. It's also when she notices the hand resting over his stomach is clearly signalling four fingers. Irritation builds in her stomach, and she can't help but make a face at him, though she flinches when she hears an uncharacteristic snarl from Reiji's direction. She peeks over the couch to see his face twisted into disgust and anger for only a moment before it smooths back into its' indifferent mask. Despite herself, she finds a feeling of sympathy building for Reiji, though she's careful to keep off her face. She doesn't think he'd appreciate it. Shuu lets out a sigh and slowly sits up, drawing Mai's attention back to him. His voice is exhausted when he says. "I suppose there is only one person smart enough to help that pathetic woman."
"Shuu!" Mai hisses softly, but it seems she's too late. Reiji appears beside the couch and glares down at his older brother with an expression that can only be described as someone who just stepped in dog poop. Mai quickly says. "Reiji, I'm sorry. Don't li-"
His red eyes turn to look at her with the same expression he'd given Shuu, and she finds herself painfully shrinking away from him. She makes sure to bite her lip hard to keep from whimpering. The last thing she wants to do is upset Reiji further by making too much noise. His voice is even colder than normal. "Do not apologize on this spineless person's behalf. Do not cover up his faults."
She feels like there is more that he wants to say, but he cuts himself short. His gaze turns back to Shuu, who appears bored by the exchange. After a short staring contest between brothers, Reiji finally states. "I have no desire to help Yui, nor do I have any desire to help you out."
She simply nods, though the bitter taste of defeat fills her mouth. Her gaze drops down to her abdomen, and she fights the tears with all her might. Even though Reiji didn't work out, she'll still do what she has to. She'll even team up with Ayato to do it. Between the two of them, they should be able to figure something out. A sigh draws her attention up. To her surprise, she finds Reiji's fingers lightly pushing up his glasses. His voice has returned to its' usual, coldly polite tone. "However, we cannot let that woman run amuck within these walls."
Hope fills Mai's chest, but she quickly crushes it. She stubbornly tells herself to not get her hopes up. Reiji turns his full attention on her and seems to regard her with a contemplating look. To her surprise, he gracefully sits himself on the opposite end of the couch. Frustration fills her body when she finds that Shuu left her there alone. She silently tells herself that she never agreed to the fourth favor, so he can shove it where the sun don't shine. She jumps when a gloved hand touches her cheek. Pain races through her face, and she flinches away. Her eyes easily find Reiji's. His voice is low when he asks her to explain what happened. She quickly does so before adding at the very end. "I think she's struggled against her, but I don't think Yui really understands what is going on. I don't even think I know what is going on."
During her explanation, Reiji carefully prodded her cheeks and inspected her abdomen. Thankfully, he didn't lift her shirt far. It takes a few minutes, but she finds herself bandaged up. Once she is bandaged, Reiji stands and moves out of sight. After a few minutes of silence, she finds herself staring at her knees while trying to fight the worry coiling deep in the pit of her stomach. Reiji didn't tell her to leave, so she doesn't think he minded her being there. Finally, she glances over her shoulder to look for Reiji. It doesn't take long to find him. He seems to be mixing some sort of disgusting colored liquids together. Still, a question weighs on her mind, and she can't keep it silent anymore. Cautiously, she asks, "Reiji?"
He makes a soft sound that she assumes is the go ahead to ask. "Does…. Is she going to be alright?"
He releases a sigh, but he doesn't turn to look at her. His simple answer is. "If her willpower is strong enough, then I assume she'll be able to struggle against that woman."
Mai swallows hard and whispers her next question. "What about Laito?"
She flinches at the fact that she sounds worried about the cruel, red haired vampire and states quickly. "What about Ayato and Kanato as well?"
When she hears Reiji's sigh, she flushes and turns her gaze back to her lap. Worry starts to gnaw into the embarrassment, and she casts a cautious look in Reiji's direction. He hasn't stopped working. Finally, he coldly says. "I'm not going to reassure your silly fears. If you're worried about them, you shouldn't have left them."
She feels guilt join into the mix. To her surprise, Reiji continues talking. "On that note, I'll tell you that Ayato and Laito grew up with Cordelia. They know the best way to handle her. Should Kanato be injured, it'll be your fault for goading his hysterics. Richter is not one to take lightly, and I do not think that Kanato has enough experience to deal with him."
She rests her elbows on her thighs and puts her hands over her face. Unfortunately, Reiji isn't done talking. "You'll have a part to play soon, so don't waste your energy worrying about those you have already failed."
She barely bites back the retort. The last thing she wants to do is upset Reiji to the point that he won't help Yui. She slowly repositions in order to pull one leg up, but her abdomen gives a painful throb, so she lets it slide back to the floor. After a few minutes of silence, she says softly. "Reiji, I just want to say I'm sorry about what Shuu did. I didn't th-"
"Enough." That single word is enough to silence Mai completely. She flinches and closes her eyes. She wants to tell him that she wouldn't have begged Shuu to take her if she had a choice, but her abdomen hurts so bad. His voice coldly cuts through her thoughts. "Get out. Tell the others to meet in the kitchen in an hour."
"Will you…" She trails off. Perhaps it isn't best to question him at the moment. It takes her a few minutes, but she finally gets up and leaves.
It turns out to be almost tear inducingly painful to walk. Still, she accomplishes what she set out to do. It takes most of the hour to knock on doors and tell them to meet in the kitchen. Once she is done, she limps to the kitchen only to find Reiji is already seated at the table, waiting patiently. She carefully chooses her seat as far away from him as possible and settles in to wait. Unfortunately, the only people to show up are a very irate, and bloodied, Kanato and a very irritated Subaru. Though she feels disappointed, Reiji doesn't appear to be. He states. "We're all aware of the situation at hand."
He pauses, but no one speaks up. This doesn't seem to bother him either. Mai finds herself squeezing her hands together in her lap. The anticipation is starting to wear on her nerves, and she isn't sure that she how much more she can take. Finally, Reiji breaks the silence. "We're going to do nothing."
Those words hit her like a ton of bricks, and she finds it hard to wrap her head around them. Before she has a chance to second guess herself, she slams her hands on the table and leaps to her feet. It feels like she's been punched in the stomach. The air rushes out of her lungs in a sharp exhale. She stubbornly leans on the table, intent on ignoring the pain. Unfortunately, she's not the only one outraged by this.
"You can't just…..!"
"This is stupid….!"
"...Richter invaded our…..!"
"...this! We have to…!"
"...I demand that you….!"
Mai and Kanato yell at the same time. Their words become a garbled mess, and both start to yell even louder, trying to out do each other. Reiji's lips move, but his voice is lost in the commotion. Kanato's furious, purple eyes turn on Mai, but she ignores the cold insults he begins to yell in her direction and continues to try to convince Reiji to help Yui. Finally, Subaru seems to have had enough. He gets to his feet, drawing Mai's attention. The look of pure anger on his face sends her heart to her throat. Fortunately, adrenaline helps her quickly move away from the table. Subaru's voice easily cuts through Kanato's wailing. "Shut the hell up!"
The table gives under the pressure of Subaru's fist. The cracking of wood is so deafening that it halts all other sounds. Everything falls silent save for Subaru's ragged panting. Mai's finds it hard to breath and watches him cautiously. Finally, Reiji's harsh voice snaps. "Subaru!"
He practically snarls at Reiji before turning his angry gaze on everyone in the room. Finally, his cold furious gaze turns back to Reiji, and he snaps. "You suggest we do nothing? That's bullshit!"
Gratitude fills her chest, but she silently turns her attention to Reiji. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Kanato is tightly clenching Teddy to his chest. It's silent until Reiji finally sighs. He reaches to push up his glasses. With his eyes closed, he says. "We can't hope to outwit her, though we may have a chance of getting close to her."
Reiji's eyes open to meet Mai's. It feels like a bucket of ice cold water is poured over her. She glances around to find the other two looking at her. Despite her panic, she turns a confident gaze on Reiji and asks, "What do I have to do?"
She can feel her body shaking, so she's happy her voice comes out more confident than she thought it would. Reiji seems to be observing her for a moment before he releases another sigh and pushes up his glasses again. His voice is barely audible. "Allow her to grow closer to you. Use your relationship with Yui to put Cordelia at ease. Once you have that type of relationship with her, you'll come to see me. I'll make something to get rid of her."
Mai nods once, but something's still bothering her. She clears her throat and forces herself to ask. "What are you planning to do? Kill Cordelia?"
Reiji gives her a simple nod. She frowns for a moment before asking her next dreaded question. "What will happen to Yui?"
Reiji doesn't say anything, but his silence is answer enough. Mai starts to shake her head. There is no way that she'll be a part of a plan that will harm Yui. She swallows hard starts to say. "I'm no-"
"This isn't up to you," Reiji states coldly. "This woman being here affects us all."
Full blown panic fills Mai's chest, and she turns to look at the others. Neither of them seem to be as concerned as her. She turns her attention back to Reiji and states coldly. "We're not hurting Yui, Reiji."
He frowns down at her like a disapproving parent, but he doesn't respond. Mai grits her teeth, and her desperation turns to anger. She quietly says, "I won't do it."
Her voice begins to quiver, but she continues to stubbornly stares at Reiji, who gazes back with a cool expression. Finally, he releases a sigh and continues on with his explanation. "We're going to do nothing. We'll treat the situation just like any other day. Do not interact with her if you do not have to. Mai'll attempt to get as close to her as she will allow."
His eyes shift back to Mai, and he gives her a serious look. "You'll have to make this work. Use your connections to our father and use your connection to Laito."
"That's…" Mai starts to say, but Reiji cuts her off.
"If you gain her approval within the next month or two, Yui may still be there. Past that, and I'm afraid she'll no longer exist. You have a time limit, so don't be afraid to use whatever means necessary. If you don't, then you won't beat her. Cordelia is crafty, so you'll have to be weary of her traps. You'll need to get her to trust you enough that you can slip some of my poison to her. It should help the pathetic bride win the internal struggle against that vile woman."
Mai feels like her mouth has gone dry. She swallows hard before reluctantly nodding. The plan doesn't sit well with her, but she has to do something. Silence settles over the four of them for a few moments, and Mai's thoughts turn to her encounter with Cordelia. The thought of having to get close makes Mai's skin crawl, and she has no idea where to even begin. She's faintly aware that Reiji is clearing his throat. "Mai."
Her name captures her attention, and she turns her gaze back to him. He's frowning at her once again. His voice is low, as if he is sharing something between just the two of them. "Avoid Ayato if you can. He'll interfere with our plans."
It feels like she's going to be sick, but she nods slowly. Reiji doesn't show any sign of approving. Instead, he adds. "Do not inform Laito either. He's a loose cannon under the best of circumstances. His relationship with that woman is muddy and complicated. Should you require help, come to one of us."
Mai finds herself numbly nodding again. In a matter of moments, she's alone in the kitchen. Her eyes find the broken table, and she frowns again. She doesn't trust Reiji, but she doesn't know what else to do. Slowly, an idea comes to mind. She isn't sure it'll help or make matters worse, but she doesn't want to just blindly follow Reiji. With a deep breath, she tries, and fails, to calm her nerves. Finally she gives up and turns on her heel to slowly exit the room.
She's only halfway to her destination when her phone rings in her pocket. She slows enough to pull it out before trying to quicken her pace once more. With a hiss, she ends up having to slow back down. A hint of surprise fills her when she finds that it wasn't broken in Cordelia's assault. Without paying much attention to who is calling her, she slides to answer the call and lifts it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Mai?" A deep voice asks, causing her to flinch. She slows to a stop. Concern colors her friend's tone. "Are you alright?"
She silently curses. This is the worst time for Shiro to call, and it doesn't help that she's panting like she just ran a mile. Her voice is filled with pain when she pants out. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… um….. Just…."
Her voice trails off for a moment. She closes her eyes, silently berating herself, and finishes lamely. "I'm just exercising?"
"Right," Shiro states suspiciously. It's awkwardly silent for a few seconds. Mai clears her throat, and they both start talking at the same time.
"It's a bad time right now."
"Can we meet up?"
Silence settles over them once more, and she releases a sigh. Her hand lifts to pinch the bridge of her nose. She has to get off the phone with him as soon as possible, but she can't think of a believable excuse. She clears her throat again and tries to keep the annoyance out of her voice. "Look, Shiro, can I call you back in about ten minutes?"
"Mai, I have something I seriously need to discuss with you." The urgency in his voice alarms her, but she stubbornly tells herself that high school drama can wait. She has more important things to be focused on. Things that demand her immediate attention.
"I.. I have something really important to do right now, Shiro. Can't this wait?" She can hear impatience coloring her tone and flinches. He doesn't understand the full gravity of her situation. In fact, she doesn't think he even believed her in the first place, so there is no way she can even begin to explain that Yui is now possessed.
"No. This is important," Shiro says in a more demanding tone. She opens her eyes to roll them but instantly feels guilty. Shiro doesn't know what's going on, so she should be more understanding. She takes a deep breath and releases it as a soft sigh. He continues on to say. "It's about La-"
"I'm so sorry, Shiro. I'll have to call you back. It's…" She hesitates. She almost about told him about Yui, but she needs more time to figure out just what she's going to do. After only a second's hesitation, she says "It's complicated, but I promise you that I'm alright. Everything is alright. We'll talk in a minute."
"No! Mai, you're in da-"
She hangs up the phone and shoves it back into her pocket. The second her hand releases it, it starts to ring again. She chooses to ignore it and continues on her way. After the fourth phone call, she stops once more and angrily rips her phone from her pocket. She manages to only give a sharp intake at the crying muscles in her abdomen and quickly ignores Shiro's phone call. That's when she notices two text messages. She only glances at the first one.
You need to call me back right now! It's very important! I have something I have to tell you!
Mai shoves the phone back into her pocket and finishes her journey. She stops in front of a door and takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. Once she feels as ready as she can be, she slips through the door. It takes her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness in Shuu's room. Once they adjust the best they can, she sees a lump on the bed and pauses just long enough to find that the lump isn't moving. She reluctantly creeps further into the room and pulls her phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her phone is lit up due to Shiro calling her again. She rolls her eyes, carefully turns her phone away from herself, and lights up the night stand beside Shuu's bed. It takes a bit of cautious searching, but she finally finds his phone shoved in the back a drawer. With one last look at Shuu, she slips out of the room. Her feet lead her in a different direction. One that she didn't think she'd ever willingly use.
Finally, she arrives at the door to Laito's room. After a few seconds of deep breathing, she reaches out and opens it. She cautiously pokes her head in and glances around. She feels a mixture of relief and apprehension. The room appears to be clear, but she doesn't feel like that's a good thing. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she steps into the room, shuts the door, and locks it. She glances around the room again before making her way over to the bed. She carefully sits on it and lifts Shuu's phone. She's relieved she chose his phone, since he doesn't actually have it locked. In fact, it appears to be a brand new phone. Nothing is installed. In fact, it still has a generic background. For a moment, she wonders if she got the wrong phone, but she pushes the thought away when she remembers who the phone belongs to. After a few seconds, she finds the contacts. To her surprise, there is only one contact in the phone. It reads 'Karl Heinz'.
She hesitates for a moment. She feels like she's invading Shuu's privacy. With a sigh, she clicks on the contact. It pulls up, but all it shows the name and phone number. She rakes her brain to see if she can remember the name. She can't be sure anymore, so she simply taps to call it and lifts it to her ear. Worst case scenario, she'll be back at square one, only with a stolen phone.
The phone only rings once before a voice answers. "Well, what a surprise, Shuu. You never reach out to me."
Her tongue suddenly feels like it's made out of lead. Why didn't she plan out what she was going to say before hand. After a few seconds, the voice asks, "Shuu?"
"Ah, I'm… sorry," she lamely apologizes. The sound of the voice changes. It becomes softer, almost gentle.
"Mai?"
Startled, she finds herself unable to respond for a few seconds. Finally, she squeaks out. "Who is this? Tougo Sakamaki?"
"It is." The voice sounds so confident that Mai can feel her fears almost instantly melt away. She considers asking why he's listed as 'Karl Heinz' in Shuu's phone, but she decides against it. Perhaps it's an inside joke of some sort. She finally settles on deciding to ask Shuu about it. That's when she realizes that the silence has drug on for an uncomfortably long time. She desperately scrambles at the scraps of courage and quickly says.
"I'm so sorry! I don't have your number in my phone! I know I should have programmed it in, but I didn't!"
A pleasant chuckle on the other end somehow manages to ease her fears. After a moment of laughter, she hears Tougo say. "It's alright, my dear. I don't mind that you are using my son's phone. I doubt he'll even miss it. If you want to, you can keep it."
"Oh," Mai says. She flinches at how stupid she sounds and quickly tries to amend that by saying. "Oh, no, sir. I can't take Shuu's phone! I just… I need to talk to you about something."
He hums softly in her ear, which she takes as a sign to continue. She swallows hard when a sense of longing threatens to overwhelm her. It feels like she's talking to her own father. Her eyes drift closed, and she lets her body fall backwards onto the bed. Laito's smell engulfs her, which isn't a surprise considering where she is. What does come as a surprise is the fact that she takes some sense of comfort from it. She closes her eyes and says softly. "It's… Yui."
The other end is so silent that she wonders if she lost the call. She considers glancing at the phone to see if it got disconnected, but she decides to just jump into what happened with Yui before she lost her courage. She's careful to only talk about Yui. The change in behavior and the temperature are the only things she mentions. For some reason, she finds herself unable to even consider telling him that she knew about Cordelia, but she does tell him a chunk of Reiji's plan. The second she finishes, she draws in a breath and holds it.
The seconds tick by, and her lungs begin to burn. Still, she stubbornly continues to hold her breath. Unfortunately, she ends up having to release it and settles for closing her eyes. What remains of her hope leaves a bitter taste on her tongue. This is nothing but a dead end. She should have known their father would be just like them. She slowly rolls onto the side and opens her eyes to blankly stare at Laito's green wall. A more likely scenario is that Shuu forgot to charge his phone, and it died in the middle of their conversation. She's just about to let go of the phone when a sigh on the other end of the line causes her to jump.
"Reiji believes that to be the best course of action?" Tougo asks. His voice sounds business-like, causing a reluctant bit of hope to spark in the pit of her stomach. She nods for a moment before realizing that he can't see her. She flushes a deep red and clears her throat.
"Yes."
Silence falls once again, and Mai finds herself unable to break it. She can only wait with bated breath. She's so wrapped up in apprehension that she jumps when he starts talking again. "I suppose Richter isn't there?"
Mai opens her mouth, but she stops. A nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach prevents her from telling Tougo that Richter is there. It has nothing to do with protecting Richter since she doesn't really know him,and she doesn't really care what happens to him. Still, it might reveal something to Tougo that she doesn't want to reveal. She finally settles on the fact that she isn't sure she trusts Tougo completely, so it's better to not reveal everything. With that decided, she says softly. "I don't know where Richter is."
It's not a lie. She really doesn't know his exact location. Thankfully, it seems to be enough of an explanation. Tougo says in an almost gentle voice. "I'll think about this and get back to you. In the meantime, follow Reiji's plan."
Mai feels herself deflate. She'd been hoping for more concrete answers, but she hadn't gotten anything from this conversation. She closes her eyes and silently chides herself. She didn't tell him much, so there's no way that he'd know what to do. She carefully states. "Ok, thank you."
The chuckle on the other end of the line leaves her feeling even more tense than before. "Of course, my dear. Keep Shuu's phone, so I can contact you quicker. I doubt he'll even notice it's gone anyway."
"Uh…" Mai finds herself saying. Something just feels… wrong. Still, she manages to somehow say. "Right. I will. Thank you."
There's a click, and she sees light out of the corner of her eye. She doesn't bother looking at the phone. She knows Tougo is gone. She lets the phone slide down to rest face down on the bed beside her head. She rolls onto her back again and blankly stares directly above herself while silently going over facts to see if there is something she is missing.
First is Yui is not herself, but Mai had already figured out what had happened. She flinches at the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Yui isn't human anymore, but that is now the least of her concerns. Right now, there is someone in control of Yui's body, and that is even worse. Mai's arm lifts to cover her face and closes her eyes. Reiji's idea seems… childish to her, but she can't seem to figure out a better way around the problem. She has no idea what Cordelia is like, though she knows that she doesn't like the woman. Not knowing her opponent makes her feel completely vulnerable. She's tangled with Laito and look where that got her. With the frustration continuing to mount, she closes her eyes.
She barely bites back the cry of terror and pain when something touches her stomach. Her heart practically leaps out of her chest. The bed sags beside her, and she feels a soft sigh that brushes the skin of her neck. She slowly opens one eye and lifts an arm just enough to peek out. Laito's face is dangerously close to hers without actually touching her, and his eyes are shut. The expression on his face surprises, and scares, her.
He isn't smiling, nor is he frowning. He doesn't look to be at peace, but he isn't in pain. Instead, he's simply expressionless. It's almost like he's too tired to keep up his own facade. Worry begins to bubble up in the pit of her stomach, but she finds her tongue uncooperative. The seconds tick into minutes, and she clenches the phone in her hand even harder. That's when everything comes crashing back to her. She has to say or do something to see if he's alright. Before she can second guess herself, she says. "I want to thank you."
One green eye opens to give her a completely blank look. Chills race up and down her spine. Those eyes looks so much like Cordelia's that she finds herself uneasy by it. She finally she manages to tear her gaze away and looks at the ceiling instead. "Is… Yui o-?"
"You stink," Laito states bluntly. There's not a trace of emotion in his voice, and she can feel her body tense. Pain works it's way through her body, and she has to force herself to relax once again. She glances back at him only to find both eyes are open now, but they still hold that frighteningly, blank look.
"I… I'm sorry?" Even she isn't sure if she asking him to repeat himself, or apologizing for smelling bad. She tries to remember the last time she showered. Surely it can't have been more than a day or two ago.
"I believe I asked that you invite me the next time you decide to have fun with others," Laito states in a slightly deeper voice. Mai tenses again, though her abdomen sends out shockwaves of pain.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mai barely manages to get out. He doesn't answer. For a brief moment, she wonders what he is referring to. That's when she realizes that she must smell like Shuu. She frowns and turns her attention back to the ceiling. She takes a moment to decide her words carefully. "If you're referring to the scent of Shuu, I asked him to take me to Reiji, because I was hurt. You can ask Reiji himself. Afterwards, I dropped in to borrow Shuu's phone."
She expects him to ask her why she needs Shuu's phone, but he doesn't. He simply shifts for a moment. Her breath rushes out when he removes his arm from her stomach. Without warning, something cold touches her skin through the hole in her shirt. She jumps and releases an awkward squeak. Her arm lashes out to grab his wrist, and her wide eyes turn to meet his green ones. A smirk has spread itself over his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes. She frowns at him, but he simply says. "Does it hurt?"
She won't admit it out loud, but his icy fingers feel good against her bruised skin. His fingers dance lightly over the exposed skin, and her eyes slide closed. Unfortunately, that's the time her mind conjures up an image. It's the image of Laito tightly against against Yui's body. Unintentionally, she jerks herself away and opens her eyes. She quickly sits up and scoots away from him. Thankfully the rush of adrenaline helps her work through the pain. Unfortunately, the edge of the bed comes faster than she expects, and she teeters for a moment before somehow remaining on the bed. She makes sure that her eyes never once leave the blank green ones. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she clears her throat and cautiously says. "I just… want to thank you for… helping me back there."
"Hm." Is the only response she gets from him. Without warning, he's on his hands and knees, looming over her. She leans even further back, but she can't escape without falling off the bed. His face is only inches from her own. A chill races throughout her body, and she finds that it isn't from the fear of falling and jarring her wounds. With a hard swallow, she tries once again to say something to him.
"I'm...sorry that I lef-" Unfortunately, she's not able to finish her sentence. His cold lips press firmly against hers, casing her lip to slide between her teeth. The last of her teetering balance fails, and she finds herself falling backwards. His arm wraps snuggly around her waist and twists her body, causing her to land half on the top of him. Her abdomen causes a searing pain to race through her body, and her teeth easily bites through her lip. Blood fills her mouth, and she tries to jerk away. A hand tightly winds itself into her hair. With fingers near the roots, she finds herself firmly kept in place. She tries to jerk away, but her reward is an arm around her waist, pulling her firmly against Laito. The pressure on her bruise brings tears to her eyes, but she can't get good leverage to try to pull away anymore.
She stops fighting and goes limp. The second she feels his tongue prodding her lip, she seals her teeth. Unfortunately, one of Laito's hands finds its way to her inner thigh, dangerously close to the apex of her thighs, causing her jump and release a small gasp. It's enough for Laito to wiggle his tongue into her mouth. The wet appendage works its' way over every inch of her mouth, causing her to involuntarily gag. Her hands find his shoulders, and she tries to pry herself away from him. Unfortunately, she's rewarded by a sharp tug to her tender scalp. Tears fill her eyes, and panic fills her mind. She tries to breath through her nose, but it isn't sufficient. Her lungs feel like they are on fire, so she does the first thing that comes to mind.
She bites down.
Hard.
A cool, wet feeling fills hers mouth leaving behind a disgusting metallic taste, and Laito jerks away. She uses his momentary distraction as a chance to wiggle away. She crawls back up onto the bed and quickly rolls to the other side. Despite knowing it doesn't help to have something between them, it still makes her feel better. The shred of relief quickly dissipates at the sound of his laughter. It isn't genuine. It sounds forced and cold. Every hair on her body stands on end when his head slowly appears over the edge of the bed. His hand lifts to run through his hair, and he leans forward. She's sure that he's sitting on his knees, but that's not what strikes her as odd.
He looks painfully close to tears. A lump forms in her throat. Instead of feeling sympathy, she feels an overwhelming sense of danger. His lips curl back into a cold, almost sneer-like, smirk. The tips of his fangs are clearly visible, and the sense of danger becomes suffocating. She swallows hard and tries to calm herself. She needs to remain calm, or she'll do something further upset him. She doesn't bother trying to force a smile; he'll see through it in an instant. Instead, she decides to be completely upfront with him. She clears her throat and doesn't bother to keep any emotion out of her voice. "Laito, you're scaring me."
Upon hearing those words, the smirk disappears from his face. A look flashes over his face so fast that she doesn't have a chance to register it. With a mockingly curious look, he tilts his head and playfully asks. "What do you mean?"
Her breath hitches, and she starts to slowly scoot her way toward the door, though her eyes never leave him. It feels like he's some sort of dangerous wild animal. Just like her, his eyes never leave her, but he does nothing to stop her from escaping. It's not until she's almost to the door that she makes a mistake. She says softly, "Laito, you… you're not…."
She stops talking since she's unsure of what she's trying to say, but she doesn't get a chance to finish it. Laito materializes before her, and she's never felt as small as she did right then. It feels like he's towering over her, and a rare look of fury colors his face for a moment, but a smirk quickly replaces it. He leans down, and she finds it impossible to back away from him. His voice still retains the playfulness, but it's does drop an octave.
"I'm not what, Sweetheart?"
She finds her tongue unable to move, and her gaze drops away from him. She fully expects him to lash out at her, but he doesn't. In fact, he seems to be waiting patiently for her to finish her sentence. She's not sure if that terrifies or relieves her, so she says the first thing to pop into her head. "I... I'm sorry for leaving you alone with her. I just didn't… I couldn't wrap my head around Yui, and you saved me from the situation. Even though that… That woman put you through so much. You, Ayato, and probably Kanato, too."
Mai cringes, but quickly says. "It was wrong of me to leave you, and I'm very sorry. I've had time to… I just wanted to say that you didn't have to help me, but you did. You've always been there to help me. You're a dick, and I hate you most of the time. Still, you help me when I need it most, and I think you deserve credit for that. I'm not stupid enough to think you're a good person, but I don't think that you're straight evil either."
She's fully prepared to keeping talking, but cold hands land on her cheeks. A sting rushes through her face, but she doesn't get a chance to dwell on it. Her face is moved until her eyes lock with Laito's. His face is alight with what appears to be genuine amusement again, and she finds a shred of relief at the sight. He releases a chuckle and says in a sultry voice, "You humans are so adorable. So easily manipulated. All we have to do is show you a shred of kindness, and all the bad done to you is washed away."
She can feel her jaw drop. Irritation fills the pit of her stomach, and she reaches up to slap his hands away. To her surprise, he allows her to easily bat them away. She lifts her chin and gives him a stubborn look before spinning on her heel. To her surprise, he doesn't do anything to stop her from stepping out of the room. The only thing he does is say, "You'll come running to me before this is over."
She almost continues on her way, but her pride causes her to freeze. A hard ball of anger forms in the pit of her stomach. She turns a furious gaze to meet an amused, green one. Without a single thought about consequences, she states as coldly as possibly. "Are you sure I won't run to someone else? Someone like.. I don't know… Shuu? Reiji? Shiro?"
She doesn't bother waiting for a response. She simply jerks the door open, steps out, and slams the door. Fury at his words leaves her clenching his doorknob tightly for a few seconds. She takes a couple of slow breaths to calm herself before mentally running through the words she had said to him. With a flinch, she realizes that she isn't much better than he is. Her hand slowly releases the doorknob, and she steps away. Her gaze lifts to look at the door silently. Perhaps her shrouded compliment came off as rude.
Still the thought of apologizing turned her stomach. He's the cause of almost all of her problems, so she hadn't been wrong in what she had said. One hand rests lightly on her abdomen. The ache is starting up once more since the adrenaline is wearing off.
A puff of cold air on the back of her neck causes her to tense, sending new waves of pain through her body. She carefully turns, only to take a cautious step back when her eyes meet frighteningly familiar green eyes. Cold amusement colors them. The woman saunters forward and wraps an arm around Mai's shoulders. Her side presses into Mai's, and, once again, Mai is struck by how cold Yui's body has become. She doesn't bother to hide the shudder from running down her spine and gives Cordelia a cold frustrated look, but Reiji's words jump to the front of her mind, effectively killing any words from leaving her mouth.
"Hello again, my dear. I didn't take you as someone who liked a puppy such as Laito." She says in a sultry tone, much like her son. Her laugh echoes eerily down the hallway. It sounds completely different from Yui's. The fury from before comes back tenfold. Mai's fingernails dig into her palms. How could she have run from this woman before? "There are much better candidates to slake your thirst."
Mai forces a smile to her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Cordelia lets out an amused laugh and easily flicks Yui's hair over her shoulder. Her voice is low and playful. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Cold fingers reach out to trace Mai's jaw, and it's all she can do to not flinch away. A thoughtful look takes over Cordelia's face. Her voice sounds almost distracted. "You're rather plain now that I get a good look at you, but you're better than this thing."
She vaguely gestures to Yui's body. The knot of anger winds even tighter, and Mai has to release a slow breath in order to keep her cool. After a moment, she feels calm as calm as she is going to get. She scrapes her brain to think of something to say, but she comes up blank. She slowly steps away from Cordelia and starts down the hall. The sound of footsteps beside her causes her eyes to glance over. To her utter frustration, she finds Cordelia had fallen into step beside her. She playfully says. "I don't know what you see in that boy. He's inexperienced."
Mai can't help but cringe at the thought of Laito being 'inexperienced'. What would she say about Mai's 'experience'? The thought makes her stomach twist painfully, so she quickly changes the subject. "Do you have any idea what you're going to be doing from here on out?"
She glances at Cordelia and finds herself wondering if Yui's ok. The feeling of playing nice with Cordelia makes her skin crawl, but Reiji said it might get Cordelia to lower her guard. With a flinch, Mai, once again, wonders just how much she actually should trust Reiji. Still, she doesn't see anything in it for him to lie to her, so she figures this is probably her best shot for now.
"Hmm," Cordelia hums softly. She lightly snaps her fingers, startling Mai. Mai quickly glances away when green instead of red meet her eyes. "Is Christa still alive?"
"Ahhh…." Mai finds herself saying. She flinches, since she isn't sure why she said anything at all. She has to give some sort of answer now though, so she gives a small shrug of her shoulders. After clearing her throat, she says as confidently as she can. "Well… I don't really know. I haven't spent much time with anyone but the brothers, and, even then, I think I spend more time with Laito than any of the others."
"Oh, you poor dear!" Cordelia coos. Her cold hands latch onto Mai's arm, and she finds herself spun to face the somehow unfamiliar face. She has a sinking feeling that Cordelia is playing at something, but she just can't figure out what that something is. Cordelia's fingers lift to pull lightly at Mai's hair, almost like she is fixing it. She says playfully. "It's not fair that sad, pathetic boy manipulates all of your time. Love isn't meant to be monopolized."
Her words strike a chord deep inside Mai. She's sure she has heard something similar coming out of Laito's mouth.
"He doesn't," Mai blurts out. She's not sure why, but the fact that Cordelia is repeatedly insulting Laito is beginning to wear on her nerves. "I mean, I don't mind that he tries, but I do spend time with other people. Besides, he's kind in his own way, I guess."
Cordelia releases a cold laugh that leaves Mai cringing. She glances at the woman beside her and frowns. Green eyes slide her way before giving her a sly look. "You don't have to worry about my feelings. I know that all three are worthless, spoiled children."
Her expression becomes dark, and she snarls coldly. "It's no wonder he always favored Beatrix or Christa. My worthless offspring drug my linage through the mud."
Something inside Mai snaps, and she stops walking. Her gaze flicks back to the blonde, who doesn't bother looking back. Mai's voice is low, but she says without any hesitation. "They're not worthless. I don't know Kanato very well, but I do know that he has an amazing voice. As scary as it may be, he's great with creating thing. I've seen his dolls."
Cordelia finally stops and releases an annoyed sounding sigh. She lifts a hand and makes a flicking gesture, as if the words were clinging to her. "That's nothing more than child's play."
Mai doesn't bother listening to her. The anger just continues to build. "Ayato's a dick. He's so arrogant and rude, but he does have his good qualities, too. Yui knows them much better than me, but I do know that he loves her. She loves him, too."
"Love is overra-"
"Laito has his moments, but he does have a kind streak. He's helped me, even if he's the one who created the mess. All three are pushy, rude, arrogant and cold, but I was always taught that children's behavior is a reflection of how they were raised," Mai states coldly. She knew that some of her words were lies. There are some really terrible parents that have great kids and vice versa. Still, she can't help the silent jab at the woman standing not far from her.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work like she planned. In fact, Cordelia throws her head back and releases an amused laugh. Within moments, Cordelia is standing only inches in front of Mai. She reaches up a cold hand and rests it against Mai's cheek, sending a jolt of cold throughout Mai's body, but it's nothing compared to Cordelia's next words.
"Sweet, naive, little human. Your type are my favorites. So arrogant when you've never experienced the utter disappointment when your children don't do what is expected of them. Especially when you've given them nothing but love and tender care their entire lives. I sincerely wish I had never been plagued with their existence."
Mai sucks in a breath, but she finds herself unable to even think clearly. Cordelia lightly pats Mai's cheek. The sting is dulled to almost nothing compared to the numbing shock running through her body. Cordelia's voice is barely audible. "I'm sure that your parents feel the same way about you. I mean, you gave yourself over to the wolves willingly. Those pathetic brats will do nothing but tear you apart, and I won't be able to help you. I can barely help this poor, defenseless girl."
Just like that, Mai is left standing dumbfounded in the hallway. In fact, she's sure that her mouth is even hanging open. Her body feels heavy, and her thoughts are wildly racing. She's not sure when she spoke, but her voice seems to echo all around her.
"My parents love me." A warm trickle works it's way down her cheeks, burning the cut on her cheek. She lifts an arm to carefully wipe the tears away. She's mentally tells herself to never listen to anything Cordelia says ever again. She reminds herself that Cordelia is Laito's mother, and he's hard to handle under the best of circumstances. With a deep shuddering breath, she says softly. "Don't let her get to you, Mai. Don't let her get to you. You're supposed to slip under her defenses. Not the other way around. She is spewing nothing more than lies, just like Laito always does."
She jumps when her pocket vibrates, and she quickly searches her pockets for the source. She pauses just before she finds her phone. Her heart leaps into her throat when she realizes she didn't come out of Laito's room with Shuu's phone. In fact, she doesn't even remember dropping it. She lets out a soft yelp when her phone begins to vibrate again. Pushing the thought aside, she locates her phone and pulls it out with shaking hands. One glance at the screen lets her know that it's Shiro… again.
With a sigh, she answers and lifts it to her ear. "Listen, Shiro. I'm a li-"
"I have to talk to you!" He practically yells in her ear. She jerks the phone away and glowers at it for a moment before moving it back just in time to hear him say. "Sound good to you? Can you meet me there now?"
"What?" Mai asks. Her fingers lift to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. She still doesn't have time to deal with Shiro. She needs to put all her energy into figuring out how to get around Cordelia's defenses.
He releases a frustrated growl and quickly says. "Can you meet me outside the public library? I have something really important to show you!"
He sounds so frantic that guilt starts to build in her chest. She releases a soft sigh. Perhaps it'll be helpful to get away from the house for a bit. She can use the time to clear her head. She's hasn't had enough time to adjust to the fact that Yui might be gone and a bitch might be in her place. With another sigh, she says. "Fine, fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."
He releases an almost choked laugh. "Thank god!"
Suspicion fills her chest, and she softly asks. "Is everything alright Shiro?"
"No." She's startled by how blunt he says that.
"What's w-" She starts to say, but he quickly cuts her off.
"I'll explain everything when you get here. Please hurry!"
She doesn't get a chance to say anything else. The phone lights up, and she releases a groan of frustration. Why did everyone seem to hang up on her? She pulls the phone away to look down at it with a frown. Another problem has risen. With yet another sigh, she shoves the phone into her pocket and readjusts her direction. She hates to do this, but she doesn't relish the thought of walking all the way back to town again. Worst case scenario, Reiji'll just deny her the car.
She flinches at the thought, but she quickly pushes it away. Shiro is behaving strangely, and she won't be able to fully focus on her task at hand if some corner of her mind is worrying about him.
She's vaguely aware that it's a little easier to move, though it still causes a good deal of pain. It seems like no time at all passes before she finds herself standing before Reiji's room. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she raises a hand to knock softly on the door.
To her surprise, he calls for her to enter. Her heart skips a beat, and she quickly tries to crush the nervousness. She silently reprimands herself. All she's asking for is a ride to the library. She isn't asking for his first born child, though she doesn't think he will ever have a first born child.
She can't help the smirk from spreading over her face. Thankfully, it helps to ease some tension, and she is able to confidently open the door.
Reiji's back is to her, and he seems to be reading something. She clears her throat after a few minutes of silence, but it doesn't seem to gain his attention. After a few more minutes of silence, she decides to just ask. "Can I borrow a ride to the public library?"
To her utter frustration, she doesn't receive an answer, even though minutes have gone by since she asked him. She barely manages to bite back some harsh words. It looks like she's walking to town. She turns to leave without another word.
"Don't let her egg you on." Reiji's cold voice grabs her attention. She glances back to stare at him. A shudder runs down her spine, and she considers asking how he knew about her conversation with Cordelia, but she decides she doesn't want to know. "She's a pathetic woman who is grasping at the coattails of a great man that'll never stoop to her level."
Mai finds herself at a loss for words. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to need a response from her. His hand lifts into her view, and he gives a casual flick. It feels like a spell has been lifted with a simple gesture. She wastes no time in leaving the room as quickly as her wounds will allow. She feels goosebumps forming over her skin, and she quickly makes her way toward the door.
Perhaps it's a good thing that Shiro is calling her away. She needs time away to fully comprehend what is happening to and around her. The door opens with a single touch, but she doesn't dwell on it. What surprises her is the car at the bottom of the stairs. The driver bows the second her eyes land on him. Somehow, he manages to flawlessly open the car door without straightening from his bow.
With a couple of short, shallow, painfilled breaths, she quickly dives into the car, completely disregarding her aching wounds. She glances out, fully expecting someone to shove their way into the car with her, but no one does. The door shuts, and the familiar walks around the car before getting in the driver seat.
The car easily starts and smoothly pulls away from the house. Despite getting further away from all of the problems, Mai begins to feel even more tense than before. She finds herself wondering if she made a mistake in leaving. Maybe something terrible will happen to Yui while she's gone.
With a deep breath, she forces all the thoughts from her mind and lets her aching body sink back into the comfortable leather seat. She focuses on her breathing and what she plans to say to Shiro when they meet up.
She can't decide if she'll tell him everything or anything at all. The last thing she needs is him thinking she is crazy. She might end up back in the psych ward, and that'll waste what precious time she has left. Her eyes turn to the window, and she mindlessly watches the scenery pass by. Finally, she decides that she'll start off the conversation by saying that something happened to Yui. She snapped to some degree, so Mai doesn't have much time to help Shiro with whatever problem he has. She needs to return and figure out the best way to help Yui.
She gives a small nod of her head. That's what she'll tell him. It isn't a lie, but it isn't exactly truthful. She's sure that Shiro'll understand. He always understands, even when she told him some outlandish stuff.
With a deep breath, she finds her muscles relaxing for the first time in what feels like forever. Her mind shifts from troubling thoughts to the scenery outside the window. She might as well calm down while she has the chance. After all, it'll seem like no time has passed when she finally faces Shiro. She lets her eyes close, and she lets the feel of the car lull her into a relaxed state.
All her pain and worries begin to melt away.
Unfortunately, it's just as short lived as she thought it'd be. The car slows to a stop. She glances out the window to find Shiro standing near the library doors with a stern look on his face. Mai carefully scoots toward the door and reaches out to open it. Her hand never reaches its' destination, since the door swings open by itself. Startled, she glances through the window to see that the familiar was bowing once more.
"Mai!" Shiro calls, drawing her attention.
It looks like it's time to face her friend.
