It is the next day, at nine o'clock; August has set foot in the shop. He dressed himself in business casual clothes; sporting khakis, a red shirt underneath a black and red plaid shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He was eager to begin his duties for Yuuko and have his wish granted.
"Welcome back August!" Maru and Moro cheerfully greeted, waving at him as he enters the house.
"Hey there Maru and Moro." August greeted the twins as he slipped his shoes off at the entrance way. "Care to take me to your mistress?"
"Mistress is with a customer right now." Maru spoke.
"She is?" August said, interested in seeing what she does with other customers in her work.
"Yes." Moro replies. The twins looked at one another, missing all the times they would be with the 'Part-Timer' eavesdropping on the conversations going on between her and her customer with him thinking out loud with him causing mischief with the mistress in the process. Then the twins look back at August all smiles. "Would you like to see what she does?"
"That'd be interesting to see." August said as he nods.
"Then follow us!" The twins cheered. The three of them went along in the house. August was close behind Maru and Moro following them where they go. They stopped at a sliding door and the twins slid one door slightly open for August to take a peek at what Yuuko does with her client. The both of them put their fingers on their lips as if to hush August before he looks in on the conversation going on. It was at a room with a coffee table with the two sitting at each side of the table.
Yuuko was dressed radically different from yesterday. Compared to her red kimono he first saw her in and her black shirt, she is in a black dress shirt with a black long skirt that went down just above her feet. Yuuko also wore a large purple and tan Kashmir pashmina with flower markings around her neck and shoulders making her look even more elegant.
The man that sat across from Yuuko was dressed in a black and white business suit and a red tie. He has hair that has long gone gray despite looking like he doesn't have any wrinkles on his face. August sees that the man looks mildly insecure about something; was it the piercing red eyes that peered into the man's soul, or is he scared about something else. August was certain to find out soon enough.
"It's a bit of a mess you see. I have enough incidents go on in the gallery as is and it has become something of a PR nightmare." The man across from Yuuko explains. August then suddenly recognizes the man. That is the curator of the Portland Art Gallery.
"Can you describe them to me?" She asks the curator.
"Well… where to begin." The curator thought out loud before going into detail of the events. "To start, a few of the night security went missing only to wind up dead, as if they suffered from a heart attack. There were reports of a few figures in the gallery, I had feared at first that it was a burglar but in hindsight I'd rather that than what goes on inside the gallery as none of the art pieces seemed to of been taken. What goes on in there is what puzzles me the most as the security systems shut down between one in the morning to four in the morning with most of the activity seemingly centered around three A.M."
August grimaces; that was the art museum he had frequented as a child. He kept listening attentively to the conversation.
"Do you suspect someone is turning the system off when they come in?" Yuuko asks.
"I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but so far that is what is most likely happening." The curator said. "As to either who's letting them in or how they are getting in remains to be seen. So far, after the fatalities that happened in the gallery the night security staff were too afraid to do their job fearing that it would happen to them."
"No one else was hurt after that then?" She asks.
"No… at least not yet." The curator gulped. "I have a feeling something is going down in the gallery tonight and I don't want that happening."
"I see." Yuuko said before sipping her tea. "I may have the solution for you that'll work. It may be the best option we have for that problem."
As August is observing the interaction, he notices Yuuko's red eyes turn towards the crack in the doorway as if she already knew of his presence to begin with and smiles devilishly at August. This made him yelp and jump out of view with fright, making Maru and Moro giggle wildly. She looks back at the curator with the same sincerity as before.
"I'll have someone investigate the gallery tonight and take care of whatever is happening there." Yuuko said.
"Thank you, madam." The curator said as he stood up from his seat.
"Maru! Moro!" She calls the twins and the sliding doors open wide, Maru and Moro stood ready. "See the curator out for me please."
"Of course mistress!" The twins cheered.
Then the twins, Maru and Moro, showed the curator out of the shop with the eagerness to help their mistress. August came back to the room with the coffee table. He was curious to know what is going on. He sees Yuuko was still sitting at the table and her eyes were fixated on him.
"What was all that about?" August asks Yuuko.
"A customer." Yuuko replies as she sips her tea again. "And your major task for tonight."
August took a seat. "Forgive me for eavesdropping in on that conversation but what do you think is happening at that gallery?" August inquires.
"Occult activity." Yuuko said. "The Curator didn't want to say it himself but he also didn't want to stir public panic. You must have caught on to all of the things he said, have you not?"
"Security winding up dead, a black out in the system in the dark of the night, creepy figures coming in; something shady is definitely happening." August replies.
"Shady indeed." Yuuko says before sipping her tea.
He nods then he realizes that Yuuko mentioned something about that being his major task of the night. "Wait, you don't mean to send me in there to investigate what's going on, do you?" August asks, now looking slightly frightened.
Yuuko leans back on her chair and nods. "Had I done it myself, he would have to give me compensation for my service. That is why I am sending you in there to investigate." Yuuko answers.
"Um, great." August said before pausing. He then laughs, thinking that Yuuko is joking about sending him into the Gallery to see if there is any sinister activity going on. "Ok, that's a good one Yuuko. Did you drink any sake this morning?"
Yuuko's frowning expression never changed as he was laughing. He looks at her and his laughter was slowly dying down and increasingly unnerved. His laughter stopped, realizing she wasn't joking about sending him into the gallery to investigate the going-ons at night. She leans in, closer to August then smacks her rubber duck on his forehead to put some sense into him with the duck making a quack sound.
"This is serious, August. Lives are at stake here and the weight of someone taking someone else's life is extremely heavy to the point of it becoming near impossible to bare." Yuuko sternly said, with her red eyes now icy and glaring into his eyes, though her eyes have a hint of worry in them. She retracts her rubber duck from his forehead and puts it somewhere hidden.
August was rubbing his forehead at this point, rubbing the pain away. "Ouch! Sorry about that Yuuko." He apologizes.
"I should have you know; I may drink a lot, but I am not constantly drunk."Yuuko said. Then her expression softens with a gentle smile on her face. "However I wouldn't be sending you in there if it meant certain death for you without protection."
"Ok." August replies. "Care to elaborate?"
"I will but for now let's start with the tasks in my shop first." Yuuko says then thinking for a brief moment on what August would start with this morning. "You mow the lawn first, and then dust the treasure room. Once the both of those are done, you make lunch." Yuuko thought for another brief moment on what August should make. "Alfredo noodles with Zuppa Toscana."
"On it!" August says fully prepared to do the lawn mowing first.
Later on when he got to the shed he discovers that instead of an engine run lawn mower most people have today. It was a push powered lawn trimmer. He looks at the Black Mokona questioning the lop eared creature.
"You serious?" August grumbled.
"What can I say; she likes her old fashioned things." The Black Mokona squeaked.
August's brows furrowed. "Remind me later to get an actual lawn mower over here." August spoke, irritated that the push lawn trimmer was the only thing available to use.
He takes the lawn trimmer out and begins his work with the lawn that has a much needed mowing. It took him a good hour and fifteen minutes to get the lawn done as the shop's lawn space was surprisingly large for the space it took up. By the time August has it finished and has the lawn trimmer back in the shed he looks and admires the fact that he got the lawn mowed with a lawn trimmer of all things.
He heads to Yuuko's treasure room next, with a mask on to protect himself from sneezing fits because of the dust build up in the treasure room. While it took less effort to dust up the entire treasure room than the lawn being mowed, it took him longer to get done due to the sheer amount of all the things in the treasure room. In its own way, it was oddly relaxing to him compared to the lawn being mowed as well as the fact that he is able to take a glimpse at what she's got.
"Remind me again how this is a treasure room?" August asks, he knows Yuuko was observing him dusting the mountain of objects in the room.
Yuuko was outside the door leaning on the wall admiring his effort from afar. "These are all the prized possessions of people that have been compensated for their wishes." Yuuko said. "Of course, there are some that are actually mine."
August hummed, intrigued by what he is seeing as he dusted the room.
The twins have come to see what August is up to and sees that he is taking the effort to get everything dusted off as best he can as seriously as he possibly can.
Yuuko sees that Maru and Moro have come to watch the silent show of August dusting up the entire treasure room. "He's absolutely taking this like a champ." Yuuko said to the twins.
"Like a champ! Like a champ!" Maru and Moro chanted happily.
As the twins chanted and as August dusted the objects in the room, he comes across a picture that is framed. It was a picture of Yuuko and four other people as well as what appears to be the Black Mokona in the photo as well. One of them is wearing glasses and appears to have heterochromia as one eye was blue and the other eye was light brown, he stood between Yuuko and another boy and he notices the bunny ears being formed behind his head coming from Yuuko's hand, his eyes seem to be full of energy. The boy next to him appears to have a blank expression worn on his face having more of a serious expression worn on his face although there appears to be a faint smile on his face, his eyes were light brown. The girl at the other end seems the happiest looking with her long hair and blue eyes that seem to sparkle. The girl towards the front of the group appears to have blonde hair with soulful eyes of blue and is smiling with a hint of sadness to her expression. The picture more than likely was from years ago back when Yuuko was in Japan. He couldn't help but feel like smiling at the photo.
"Hey, Yuuko!" August calls. "Is this back when you were living in Japan?"
Yuuko comes over to August to see what he is holding and her eyes became wide with excitement. "Ah, so that's where I left that photo!" Yuuko shouted, the nostalgia of the memories now flowing in her mind. Yuuko was holding up the photo, she was all smiles. She points to the one with the heterochromia. "This boy, right here, was my part-timer. I have so many memories with him."
"Really?" August says, now intrigued by what Yuuko has to say. "He have a name?"
"Kimihiro Watanuki." Yuuko answered. "He was quite the spaz when he started working for me. He was also such a good worker despite being a big complainer."
"I can see that." August says as he was looking at Kimihiro with Yuuko holding the rabbit ears behind his head now imagining the aftermath of the photo that was taken in his head.
"A pity he doesn't work for me anymore. He was actually really sweet when he isn't spazzing out." Yuuko stated further.
"Oh? What happened then?" August asks.
Yuuko remained silent for a brief pause. Yuuko's eyes still having a wave of memories flow through her red eyes as she looks at the photo. Yuuko then looks at August and her smile returns to her face. "I've granted his wish and we've went our separate ways. To the best of my knowledge now, he's become something of a culinary genius." Yuuko spoke, nostalgia still in her eyes.
August gave a crooked smile beneath his mask. He was intrigued but was curious to learn more but deep down he knows that there's also some other stuff that Yuuko isn't telling him. For now, he isn't going to press on anymore. "Do you want this put anywhere where you can view it more often? Seems like you miss the guy." August asks, genuinely wanting to make sure she doesn't lose the photo.
Yuuko takes the photo. "I'll have it somewhere safe, where I won't lose it." Yuuko replies. "I was beginning to think I may never find it again until you found it."
"Good then." August says as he nods. "I'll keep at it with this treasure room until everything is dusted off. After that, lunch time."
Yuuko nods then leaves him to his work while taking the photo to where August assumes is going to be in her bedroom.
August soldiers on, dusting the treasure room for two hours. By the time he has all of that finished, he looks and admires the now clean treasure room. There were things that he hadn't noticed before while dusting. He looks and sees what seems to be a moving object traversing the many shelves.
"Is that thing alive?" August asks himself as he squints his eyes looking at the thing that seems to magically wander about. Before he could think any further, it seemed to dash at him. He grew wide eyed and shuts the door before it could get to him. "I think I just discovered Australia's homicidal little brother."
Now, he is in the kitchen, hard at work making the Alfredo and the Zuppa Toscana soup. It was a meal for four. He had already got the sake, especially for yuuko and the Mokonas. He was interested in trying out the Italian dish himself when he gets done with it. He knows this was an Olive garden recipe that he is trying and has always liked their food.
In the Alfredo, he has made it a point to put chicken in with the noodles and Alfredo sauce. As for the Zuppa Toscana, he was making the recipe with pork, spinach, and potatoes in with the broth. He was trying his best not to salivate at his own handy work with the food he is making. The aroma of the Italian soup was particularly irresistible.
"Well, this'll be interesting to try out." August says as he gets the Italian dishes ready for lunch.
Shortly after the four of them got done eating lunch. Both the Mokonas enjoyed the Alfredo, August was more than eager for his own soup he had made to eat and enjoy. Yuuko savored every last bite of the Alfredo and the Zuppa Toscana soup with relish.
"We should try this again some other time. You're quite good at it." Yuuko commented.
"No stretch, really. I've worked in a couple restaurants for that type of experience." August said, flattered but was being modest about his cooking. "Plus, I just look up the recipe on my phone so it's really not that impressive."
"What are you talking about?!" White Mokona squeaked. "This was actually pretty good!"
"Mokona enjoys this taste very much!" Black Mokona squeaked also.
He shrugs and sighs. August wasn't used to this much flattery. Then August remembers from earlier in the morning. "You mentioned, earlier, something about getting me some sort of protection when I go into that gallery?" August asks.
Yuuko looks at August and nods. "Correct." She answers. Yuuko points to the charm worn around his neck. "That charm may not be enough for you to have as protection. It can protect you from most of the lower spirits but the more powerful ones would most certainly laugh it off and go after you anyway."
August was thinking back to the serpent spirit that came too close for comfort to him yesterday. He gulped at the thought. "So what you're saying is I need something else that would ensure that I am safe going into that place?" He inquires shakily.
Yuuko nods again. "More specifically, someone." Yuuko says as she smiles. "He will meet you over there outside the gallery."
"Friend of yours?" He asks.
"I have known him for quite a while now and had gotten back in touch with him since moving here in Portland for about five years." Yuuko replies again. "He is quite interesting to say the least."
"That's good to know." August says. He then thought for a moment. "What time do you want me to meet this friend of yours at the gallery?"
"Twelve forty-five in the morning. I intend for you and him to make a plan of action on getting into the building and see how they are getting in. Once everything is figured out and you two are in the building, we'll plan things as we go." Yuuko explains.
"Seems the most straight forward plan so far." August spoke in agreement. Then he thought for a moment. "Wait, what do you mean we'll plan things as we go along? Are you coming with us?"
"Not really but I have ways of keeping in contact with you while you two are in there." Yuuko said. Her smile faintly grew mischievous with a thought.
August couldn't help but raise a brow. "What are you thinking about?" He asks hesitantly.
"Oh, you'll see." Yuuko said now snickering to herself.
He snickers also more out of fear than actually going along with Yuuko's snickering. "Why am I laughing?"
Later on at the dark of the night, it was twelve forty in the morning. A figure was walking on a sidewalk, heading to the Oregon Art Gallery at night. When he comes underneath a street light, he was wearing a long sleeved brown button shirt over a grey shirt. He wore glasses and was middle aged with thinning hair but still kept his appearance in top shape with a well shaven face save for his mustache that is trimmed and his eyes behind his glasses were a dark brown, even then, appearances were deceptive. He was from Japan and made his life in Portland for a long time. He stops and was near the Oregon Art Gallery, now waiting for somebody to come to him. He pulls his sleeve up to view his watch to check the time: it now read twelve forty-two in the morning.
"Yuuko's new friend should be here any second now." The man says to himself in his deep voice with age evident in his voice.
Sure enough, another person was walking up to where the man stood. He was wearing his brown leather vest with his black shirt beneath. He was also wearing what appear to be yellow ears with black points at the top and a deer hunter hat between the set of long ears. The ears and hat in question were being worn by August that was scowling the whole time. He stopped in front of the man that he was told to meet up with at the time. His face was red with embarrassment of wearing the ears.
The man sees August and was looking at him with a blank but serious expression. "What's with the ears?" The man asks.
"Bear with me; I stopped asking that question ten minutes after she put them on my head." August says, with irritation in his voice. "This was not how I wanted to meet new people."
"Well… they give you character and make you look adorable." The man says.
August was scowling again, irritated with the ears already.
"See? He likes the ears too." A feminine voice came from within the ears that are a headpiece and microphone. It was Yuuko's voice. "Plus they really do make you look cute."
"I agreed to these particular ears because they remind me of that movie Detective Pikachu." August grumbled.
"I suppose introductions are in order." The stranger spoke. He holds his hand out to offer a hand shake to August. "Call me, Takuma."
August shook Takuma's hand. "August." He introduces himself to Takuma.
"Alright, now that introductions are in order, you two find the entry way to the gallery. Do not go inside the building until after all of the perpetrators are inside somehow." Yuuko said.
"Reasonable enough, Yuuko." August replied into the headpiece. Then he looks at Takuma. "We'll have to find the entry point of this gallery. When we're there, we wait until the people that are breaking in get in the building."
Takuma nods.
The two men went along on the path, looking for the entrance to the gallery. It didn't take long for them to find the main entry way to the gallery. Takuma and August went and found a spot to hide while waiting for the group of people to show up and somehow enter the gallery. While the both of them were waiting, August couldn't help but keep looking up at the building's rooftop. He sees a large black mass he never noticed before that seems to be hidden in the shadows of the night only for the lights that moved about to show that it was there. It was definitely shifting and moving about but was also in place as if it were waiting for something.
"Takuma, do you see anything?" August asks, pointing to the rooftop. "At least on the roof of the gallery."
Takuma looks up and sees the same thing. "I see it. Let us hope it doesn't see us." Takuma said with concern.
"Do you see something August?" Yuuko asks.
"I do. It's large and it's black as night. I can't make out what shape it is but if I had to wager a guess, likely oval shaped but it keeps shifting. It seems like it's waiting for something or someone." August described.
The headpiece was silent for a brief moment in a pause, and then Yuuko spoke. "You two watch yourselves. This one is a bigshot."
"Dully noted." August said. He was keeping his eyes on the shadowy mass above the building all the while paying attention to the doorway that the intruders would be entering inside.
The two of them waited for something to happen and waited until they see the people responsible enter the building. Things were quiet but tense for the both of them.
Yuuko on the other hand was back at the shop, playing chess with both the Mokonas. She was dressed in an elegant yet plain dark red and olive tasseled kimono. How she is communicating with August was with a headset of her own that was something similar to white cat persocom ears.
It was now at the stroke of one in the morning. August and Takuma were still waiting for the people to come into the building. They have yet to see a single person come in.
"I don't see anyone coming yet, Yuuko." August said, still looking at the doorway and looking up at the dark mass Yuuko calls a bigshot.
"They'll come." Yuuko replied to August. "Patience is a virtue you know."
"Absolutely." August agreed. He was still looking. "I haven't made much of a move yet."
"Just let me know when you see someone come in." She requested.
"Roger that Yuuko." August said. His eyes were peeled, keeping himself alert. He felt his shoulder be tapped by Takuma and looks at him. Takuma points to the figures that were heading to the entry way of the gallery. "Well then, speak of the devil."
There were a total of nine figures, dressed in black seemingly to conceal their identity. They were walking up to the entrance to the gallery in a line. Once all nine of them were there, to August's shock, one of them opened without so much as a struggle in opening it. One by one, all of them went inside the building. He looks ahead and notices that there appears to be one more person that's actually being dragged by the hooded figures whom in all likelihood was unconscious.
"I see nine of them. They got inside no problem." August said shakily.
"Hmm, someone must definitely be letting them in." Yuuko said.
"How long has this been going on?" August asks. "According to the curator?"
"He said that this was going on for about three to five days now. It's a wonder how the police never found anything." Yuuko answered.
"Hmmm, they got in without so much as a struggle." Takuma said. "Someone from the inside has to be letting them in."
"That's the most likely scenario that's happening right now." August said in agreement. "Someone inside is more than likely in on this fiasco."
"Speaking of, you two may have to find another way inside seeing as that the front entrance has some sort of security." Yuuko adds. "I've been in the gallery before and I can guarantee that it's being monitored by someone at the front."
"That's convenient." August scoffs. He looks at Takuma. "Takuma, are there any other entry points that go inside the gallery besides the front entrance?"
Takuma thought for a moment then he thought of a door on the side he saw as they were looking for the front entrance of the building. "There is one close entry point that we can get to. It's an emergency exit, but with the security shut down the alarms would not go off." Takuma stated. "We'd have to pry it open though, and lucky for you, I've thought ahead in case that it would lead up to this."
Takuma holds up a crowbar as the tool to get them inside the building.
"Clever." August uttered.
"Seems like the most logical plan seeing as that you two can get in." Yuuko commented. "However, keep in mind of the bigshot please."
"Ok, make sure big scary shadow thing doesn't notice us; check!" August comically stated.
Takuma and August sneak around the building to look for the emergency exit that was shut down. It didn't take long for them to find it, on the side of the building like Takuma said it's at. Takuma puts the crowbar at the crack of the door and pries it open and he holds onto the door opening it wider. August was frozen for a moment but then realizes that no alarms were going off.
"Looks like we are able to get inside now, Yuuko." August said.
"Good. Just watch yourselves inside." Yuuko warns August. "Things could get messy if you two aren't careful."
"Well, let's go on inside and see what's going on." Takuma said to August who is speaking to Yuuko via the headset. He was still holding open the door.
August nods and sets his foot inside the gallery. He looks carefully from side to side of the interior of the building. No one is there.
"Coast is clear. We should have a clear path until we find out where these guys are at." August stated. He took another step inside the building and was observing the area to double check.
Takuma follows August inside the building and silently shuts the emergency exit door. He keeps the crowbar in hand then hands it to August.
August was confused as to why Takuma was handing him the crowbar.
"For your protection August." Takuma says calmly. "There's no telling how dangerous these people are in this building. For the best you hold on to it for the time being."
"W-wait, what about you?" August stuttered.
"I have a lot of tricks up my sleeves." Takuma assured. "They'll have a lot more to put up with me than with you."
August was mildly confused and slightly irritated. He leads on into the dark hallways of the gallery. "They'll have a lot more to put up with me than with you." August silently mocked, this had made Yuuko laugh. "Seriously, where did you find this guy?"
"Oh, we first met at a bar." Yuuko says with a big smile on her face from the other end of the headpiece conversation.
"Of course it's at a bar Yuuko." August flatly stated. "Where else would you have met interesting people?"
Yuuko was laughing more; she has in fact met countless people. Little to August's knowledge, Yuuko has met people that are not from the world he knows about currently. In fact, she has met people from countless other worlds.
August couldn't help but smile, despite the situation they could be in. Hearing Yuuko's laugh was oddly comforting to him.
Before they could go any further or talk anymore, Takuma hushed August. "Do you hear that?" Takuma spoke quietly
August paused for a moment. At first, he couldn't hear much but as things were quiet around him, he could faintly hear chanting or a prayer being recited. He nods.
"I definitely hear something going on." August quietly stated. "We must be getting close."
"Be careful." Yuuko said, with a hint of worry in her voice.
The two men follow the sounds in the hallways of the art gallery that now seem to echo in every direction. It didn't take long for August and Takuma to reach the location of where the group of people are. They at first hide behind a wall the moment they saw something on the other side of it. August took a small peak at what is going on. To his horror, there were a group of hooded people gathered in a circle lit in candle light. In the middle was a purple haired girl on the ground and unconscious.
"Well holy crap." August silently muttered to himself seeing what is in front of him right now. His worst fears were coming true.
"What do you see August?" Asked Yuuko via the headset.
August looks some more, he can definitely hear chanting coming from that circle of people. He hides behind the wall again to avoid being noticed by the circle of people.
"Some Aleister Crowley type of stuff is going on." August quietly answers Yuuko. "They are in a circle and chanting in some language; I think it is Latin they are chanting in. All of them are in black hoods. There's a girl in the middle of that circle also, she looks like she's in major trouble."
"So the curator was right to worry that someone is going to get hurt tonight." Yuuko added. "It sounds like there's going to be ritual… like a sacrifice."
"Oh no, they are not." August quietly growled. His grip on the crowbar tightened, he was getting ready to intervene and disrupt the ritual and save the girl.
"August, there's nine of them and only the two of you." Yuuko said with worry. "Rushing head on would not be the wisest thing for you to be doing."
"Then what are you suggesting?" August hissed. "We can't simply do nothing, there's a girl that's about to get Kali-Ma'd."
"Let Takuma interrupt the ritual first. Once they are all scattered, you get the girl." Yuuko explained. "The rest of it should be pretty easy to follow once all of that is out of the way."
August turns to Takuma but realizes that he isn't there anymore. "Takuma?!" August said as he now looks for him while trying not to be seen by the occultists in the circle. Then August hears a loud scream and footsteps coming from the circle that now appear to scatter. He looks at the now scattered circle of people, now fleeing what appears to be an animal of sorts like a wolf chasing the perpetrators down. August was wide eyed but realizes what he has to do and rushes over to the girl on the ground.
He was stopped in front of by one of the people and he has a knife in his hand. The man lunges at him with a swing and August dodges it. The knife leaves a narrow wound on his arm causing him to yell in pain. He returns with a swing of the crowbar and lands a blow on the hooded man's head, knocking him out.
August comes to the girl who looks no more than eighteen years old and was small in stature. He picks her up, cradling her in his arms. She is still alive but was freakishly light.
The wolf creature chased away the rest of the people out of the area. He comes to August who was at first scared of the animal only for the creature to shift in a dazzling light show back into Takuma. August was glaring at him upon seeing this.
"Show off!" August shouted. "You had me worried for a good second. I thought you went and left me!"
"I suppose I neglected to mention that I can change forms." Takuma explained.
August sighs, he knows now that at the very least they rescued the girl. "We'll I suppose mission accomplished." Said August in relief.
Then a loud otherworldly scream echoes in the gallery. This had startled the both of them.
Takuma looks on his watch, then he looks grimly at August. "It is three in the morning."
August gulped. The scream was uttered again.
"Huh?!" August uttered in confusion. "It can't be?!"
August looks at the clocks, the hour hand was dead on three. It was two in the morning for perhaps no more than fifteen minutes but time seemed to of skipped ahead and went straight to three.
"Something's going on here that isn't right. Time's getting weird here." August spoke into the headpiece. "Plus we got a spirit problem."
"Don't let it touch you!" Yuuko warned. "If it does, you'll end up with the same fate as the night guards!"
August and Takuma sees a mass of what looks like yellows and greens. It has the general appearance of a spider but in the place of spider feet it has human hands. Its face looked like it belongs to an octopus, tentacles and all.
"Now she tells me." August quietly spoke upon seeing the eldritch horror before him.
"Running would be a good idea!" Said Takuma.
The both of them ran. August still has the girl in his arms; he is making sure she gets out of there ok.
The spirit scuttles with an alien speed after the three of them, crawling up the walls and ceiling and back on the floor again. It screams in frustration.
August and Takuma see the main entry way, that's their exit out of the gallery.
"That's our exit!" Takuma shouted as him and August got closer.
There was a guard at the office near the entry way and he sees the two of them including the girl in August's arms. "Hey! You two stay exactly where you are now!" The guard barked. He was in cahoots with the hooded individuals.
"Would love to chat but gotta fly!" August shouted as both He and Takuma ran past the guard in such a speed the breeze followed them.
"Don't look back!" Takuma shouted.
The guard stood there and glared at the both of them and was about to shout but the hand of the spirit touched the guard causing him to scream and collapse to the ground dead.
August was looking back and saw the event taking place and screamed himself, now fearing for his life. "I looked back! I looked back! Holy fuck!" August screamed in utter fear.
Takuma was holding the door open for August to get through with the girl. August ran through the door and kicked open the other door to get through out of the gallery.
"August, remember the black mass over the building?!" Yuuko spoke with urgency.
August didn't hear Yuuko through all the commotion of getting out of the building. "What was that?!" He shouted in confusion.
"The bigshot! Be careful with the bigshot!" Yuuko almost shouted into the headpiece.
August trips and nearly collapses onto the girl and did the best he can to land softly but the girl did it better even in her unconscious state. His Detective Pikachu headpiece came off his head due to the fall.
Takuma was running out of the building close behind August and the spider octopus spirit was hot on his heels trying to kill him also. Takuma caught up to August and reaches for his hand to get up. "Don't just sit there, get up!" Takuma shouted. August reached for his hand and got up as fast as he can.
August sees the eldritch horror scuttling fast towards them. He points and screams "We're gonna die!"
The large yellow and green spider octopus was uttering a scream as it fast approached them only to be crushed by an even more massive paw that was all black. The spider octopus tried digging itself out from beneath the paw but was trapped by the sheer mass of the paw. It screamed again as if in utter panic before the head of the massive black beast bit down on the head of the eldritch horror which then was tossed into the air only to be caught in the mouth of the creature that now crunches down on the lesser spirit before swallowing it. The bigshot Yuuko warned August about was a massive all black Grizzly Bear that towers over even the building. It let out a thunderous roar even though it initially did not notice the two humans looking at it both in awe and in fear.
August scrambled for the Pikachu head set and puts them back on; he could hear Yuuko asking where he is at. "I'm here, I'm alive. I see your bigshot you're talking about." August quietly spoke into the head set.
"So you know now." Yuuko stated calmly.
"It's a very big bear." August said. "We're gonna quietly get ourselves away from it."
"Get the girl; take her to my shop to recover." Yuuko spoke.
August was coming to get the girl from off the ground. Unfortunately, he stepped and heard a snap of a stick beneath his foot. That got the giant bear's attention as it turned and glared with its yellow eyes at August and Takuma. It lets out another booming roar like thunder that rattled their bones. It stood on its hind legs now making itself bigger than the hulking beast already is.
"Damn it, the bear sees us." August hissed. "Got any ideas Yuuko?"
"Take the headphones off." Said Yuuko.
"W-what?" August stuttered, confused by what she means.
"Take the headphones off and place them in front of the bear." Yuuko said, commanding August.
August, not knowing what she'll do, takes the Pikachu headphones off and places them in front of the massive bear and he curls up in the fetal position on the ground hoping for the giant bear to leave him, Takuma, and the girl alone.
The bear roars again and took one step forward that caused the very ground around them to shake despite being a spirit and invisible to the masses. It was about to swipe at August that lies on the ground cowering before the massive bear before it stopped when it heard a voice coming from the headphones.
"Great Spirit, calm your anger!" Yuuko said as loud as she could into the headphones for the massive bear to hear her. The bear looks down at the headphones that spoke to it and goes back on all fours, making a crash shaking the ground beneath it. The bear looked as if it was listening intently to the headphones that spoke to the mighty bear. "I offer myself as a sacrifice, oh mighty spirit."
The bear got closer to the headphones. It at first sniffs the headphones then gently picks up the headphones as if it were a treat then gulped it down its throat. It uttered a satisfied growl as it lumbered away from the group to the redwood forests it likely came from.
It took a moment for August to open his eyes to look around. He felt himself, making sure that he wasn't dreaming. He giggled then laughed. "I'm alive!" August shouted with joy.
Meanwhile, at the shop's entrance, August has the girl in his arms when he walks into the shop. Maru and Moro along with Yuuko were there to greet August when he entered. Yuuko noticed August's wound on his arm. She wore a serious expression on her face as they walked to place the girl on the bed.
August looked at Yuuko, confused by her serious expression at first then he looks at his arm and realizes that it had been bleeding a lot since the commotion in the gallery.
Yuuko gestures August to take a seat. Then she looks at the twins. "Maru, bring me a damp warm towel." Said Yuuko silently. "Moro, bring bandages to mend his wound."
Maru and Moro both nodded "Yes mistress." They both chirped before going to bring the objects to Yuuko for her to use on the wound.
August gives Yuuko a weak smile. "Thanks."
Yuuko smirks, her red eyes looked at his brown. "You've done well." She commented.
"Earlier… while we were in the gallery when we were on the rescue for the girl." August spoke, hesitant to bring it up and at a loss of trying to make sense of earlier. "Did you by any chance experience a time skip, like at all?"
Maru comes into the room with a warm and damp towel to clean up August's wound. She hands the towel to Yuuko. "Thank you Maru." Yuuko said before kissing her forehead and she looks at August's arm, gestures for it while he pulls his sleeve up for Yuuko to get to the wound better and lets her clean it up. Her attention was focused on August's wound and cleaning up the blood on his arm. "It was more subtle for me but yes I had experienced a brief time skip."
"So I wasn't the only one that saw the clock turn to three out of nowhere." Said August, just before wincing to the stinging pain on his wound from Yuuko cleaning his wound on his arm.
"Be strong." Yuuko said. "Continue."
"Sorry." August said. He realizes now that the pain was coming back due to the adrenaline finally wearing off. Talking seems the best he can do to mask the pain he is experiencing right now. "I don't know how to describe it to be honest. It's funny actually saying it now seeing as I had read and listened to stories about how people seem to be having these experiences when things in this world just sort of… glitched. Like, people just end up in a weird place by some freak accident and next thing you know they come back to here."
Once the wound was cleaned up, Yuuko placed the towel Moro came into the room with the bandage wrap for Yuuko to use and hands it to her. "Thank you Moro." Said Yuuko before kissing Moro on her forehead, then she gently begins to wrap up August's wounded arm covering the cut and stop the bleeding. She was also listening intently to what August is explaining while wrapping up his wounded arm.
"And that is just probably one example of many such incidents I hear about." August said. "It's scary just thinking about it now."
Yuuko made a steady effort to wrap August's wounded arm up gently and as tightly she can to stop the bleeding and to let it heal. "The glitches, as people call these events, have been happening a lot. What transpired tonight was far from the only incident that time warped." Yuuko said as she was wrapping his arm tenderly with the bandages. Her expression seems to warm up a little. "For now, you shouldn't worry yourself over this. After all, you did save the girl's life."
August looks over at the teenaged girl that is now, comfortably, lying in bed in safer hands. "Yeah, guess I did." August said now focusing on the incident that took place tonight. "Might have to get her home once she wakes up and recovers from what happened I know she'll be ok later on."
"Indeed, she will be." Said Yuuko.
August thought for a moment, now thinking about her friend. "Takumi's interesting, what's his story?" August asks Yuuko. "I've seen him change into some kind of wolf."
Yuuko nods. "Takumi wasn't actually human when he was born." Said Yuuko. "He used to be a wolf."
This confuses August now, Takumi wasn't even human at all to begin with but was a wolf. "So why's he human?" August asks.
"Takumi wished to be human. He saw his world was changing, bit by bit. He knew it from his heart that he had to adapt and change in order to live or die." Yuuko explained. "He was a lone wolf and had sought for me in his hopes that I can help him live. The only thing he had for compensation was the name his parents gave to him since he was born."
August was frowning, he both pitied Takumi and mildly disappointed. "He wanted it that way?" August said. "How is it that in order to change he had to take on the very form that practically took everything away from him? Right now, people have been nothing short of rotten to each other, especially ones that know only power and nothing else."
Yuuko was looking in August's eyes; she got done wrapping his wound up. "In time you'll learn." Yuuko softly assured August; she looks even deeper in August's eyes and sees the bags under them that seemed to of gotten bigger from his tiredness. She pats August's back. "You're wound is mended now. You should try to get some sleep. Please, stay for tonight, the couch is yours for the night."
August sees that his wound is covered on his arm. He then looks at the clock that is on the wall; it was four twenty-five in the morning. He nodded in understanding.
In the living room, August lies down on Yuuko's couch with a pillow beneath his head. He had to make do with what he has for a bed as it was; despite being big enough to lie across, it was actually not quite as comfortable as it looked although it looked inviting. August covered himself in a blanket. Yuuko was in front of him, smiling softly with her half-lidded eyes on August's tired brown eyes. His own eyes still stare at Yuuko, still wanting to admire her beauty, wishing to let the very sight of her be the last thing he sees before he drifts into slumber. His eyes close with the very last sight being of Yuuko's warm red eyes and her gentle expression.
August was now asleep. Yuuko walks out of the room and sees Maru and Moro, and the Mokonas outside the living room. She gives them a smile. "He's asleep now." Yuuko spoke softly. She then heads to her bedroom up the stairs. The Mokonas were following close behind her.
Maru and Moro both hushed each other as if to not make a sound to disturb August's gentle slumber. They both head off to follow Yuuko to her bed to join her in sleep.
Later on, the Sun rose up in the sky and it was noon. He was slowly waking up from an oddly pleasant dream that filled his head when he slept as it consisted of a lot of butterflies that gently fluttered around him that eventually formed Yuuko in a black and white dress that seems to sparkle and shine before his dreaming eyes. Before the dream could continue, he drifts awake. He could feel something fuzzy on his face; it was the Black Mokona seemingly snuggling on top of his face.
"Alright, cuddle times over, fur ball." August said as he pulled Mokona off his face. The tiny rabbit like creature giggled as it saw that he was awake. He sits up, trying to gain his bearings on where he's at but immediately remembered that he slept at the shop for the night. He stretches his arms before standing up from Yuuko's couch. He heard a conversation going on in another room. He decides to investigate and he sees that the purple haired girl was having a conversation with Yuuko.
"Next thing I know, I just blacked out after having my drink." Said the girl. Her hair was short and a bit messy and her eyes were grey blue. Her stature was quite small, mouse-like even. "I thought it was another string of hazing going on to me by my Sorority. I had no idea how much danger I was in until now."
"You're very lucky to be alive." Said Yuuko. She was dressed in a sunny yellow and orange dress and was comparatively regal compared the girl across from her. Yuuko heard the door slide open and sees August. "Ah, come on in. This one's been curious to know her rescuer."
August chuckled. "Well now, I can't take all the credit." Said August, being modest but was smiling. "Takumi should be the one that gets the real MVP as he was the one that stopped it all from happening."
"Well, you still did take me over here and away from whatever was going on. So you're still a hero in my book" She said. "My name's Dorothy."
"Name's August." He replies.
After a long conversation at the table, August and Yuuko were seeing off Dorothy to her friends outside the shop's fence. She went into a blue SUV and they drove off. The two of them went back into the shop.
"The police have caught the ring leader behind all of the happenings in the gallery." Said Yuuko. "So far they are looking for the other members behind the ritual as well. So far, four of them came forward and admitted to the crime."
"That's good to know." August replied. "So it looks like the Portland Art Gallery won't have to have any issues with any rituals go on at night anymore. Although, I can't help but wonder as to what they were trying to do in the first place? It couldn't have been to just summon some eldritch horror to this world for kicks, could it?"
Yuuko smiles. "Perceptive, aren't you?" Yuuko commented. "I don't believe that was their real goal though but it wasn't far off from what they were trying to do. I think it was something else they were hoping to do being their real goal. But, I can't claim to know everything, only thing that we do know is that the ritual was stopped and what they were trying to do have failed. However, there's no denying that it may be part of something bigger."
August was nervous. "Do you really think so?" August asked.
"I have theories." Yuuko said. "But, so far they are only theories. For now, you shouldn't worry yourself over it. One step at a time."
August nods in understanding. She was right and he knows it.
Yuuko's expression brightened and looks at August. "Think you can make me some Tare and Chashu Ramen?" Asked Yuuko.
"Sure thing. Always like Ramen myself." August answered, smiling at the prospect of having that dish.
"And while you're at it, some sake to go with the ramen." Yuuko said, now grinning.
August grimaced. "You're day drinking?!"
"What's wrong, I'm celebrating your heroics last night and I didn't get the chance to do so. So I figured we'd do it now." Yuuko said, now all smiles.
"Hero! Hero!" Maru and Moro cheered and chanted.
August sighs in defeat. "Alright, just don't make me regret it the next day." August said before heading to the kitchen.
Yuuko sat on the couch, still smiling. The two Mokonas hopped to her side, both of which have a worried look on their face. "Do you think it's him? Is he the one behind that ritual?" The White Mokona asked.
Yuuko looked and picks both the Mokonas up and put them on her lap and pets the both of them. Her expression was serious but warm. "I don't know. For now, we'll have to take this nice and easy, keep it a slow pace." Yuuko said reassuringly. "We'll have to do our best to keep everything in check."
Both the Mokonas nodded, their expressions brightening up. They trust Yuuko's word.
The aroma of the broth was flowing from the kitchen and the three of them. All three of them were smiling widely now. "Seems our food is ready." Said Yuuko as she stood up. She was grinning. "Last one to the kitchen's a rotten egg."
Yuuko began to run to the kitchen with the Mokona's hopping to the kitchen in their race as well to see how August's cooking is going. All of whom were hungry and want to brighten the mood.
