Ah. Eh. Chapter two, rolling. ^_~ I am eternally grateful to my older sister, who constantly enjoys informing me of all the little grammar mishaps that I am famous for. She also discussed with me other various plot ideas, since I had a hard time deciding what should go for the story, and what shouldn't. I used several of her ideas; isn't she a nice person? XD I must say, one of the only ones of hers I didn't use was the suggestion that Rina run off with Chiaki. ^_~ I could see that happening...
Note: "tenshi" is angel... "Juntenshi" is angel in training (or sub-level angel). "Kuro" is black - Access Time is a black angel, but in this case, black is a mark of a certain level, not a sign of evil. It goes from 'kuro-tenshi' to 'juntenshi' to 'daitenshi' to 'seitenshi' (actually, the last two might be switched...) to... well, God. Datenshi is a banished angel.
January 24, 2002 – Minor editing done to this. Re-wrote a few scenes, formatted another, and changed lots of random words here and there.
Sorry, not a whole lot of action in this one. A lot in the next chapter though. ^_^ Well, this one is interesting - for some odd reason, I change writing styles half way through. God only knows why.
~
Disclaimer: I don't own Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne; I don't own Kaitou Saint Tail. If I did, I would've bought those Vision of Escaflowne DVD's! *_*
~
Chapter Two - Seika City! Ah, More Exposition!
~
"Ahhh... what to do, what to do?" Fin moaned to herself, flying speedily along outside the auditorium. "That girl was really weird! Perhaps she's like Sindbad - sent here to annoy me. Or maybe, she's possessed – no, she doesn't seem possessed, so it can't be that, either... And why is there so much holy power around here? Seika really is twisted!"
As she flew, she came to an abrupt stop. Ahead of her was a pretty little church, and a lush, healthy forest, with butterflies flying around. Next to it was a rather picturesque lake, and sitting next to that was a nun, who looked to be very young - perhaps around Maron's age? And was gazing out over the water. Out of sheer curiosity, Fin flew closer.
Hovering in the air above the nun's shoulder, she looked at her curiously. Like the gymnastics girl from earlier, she was giving off a lot of strange power - Fin could feel it. 'These type of people are the kind that became angels when they died - why were there so many around in Seika, anyway?' Floating closer, she gazed intently at the nun.
Who turned to look at her. The nun's eyes widened slightly, but then she smiled. "Good afternoon!" she said, beaming up at Fin.
"KYAAAA!" Fin shrieked, backing away in a hurry from the nun. "Who are you?"
Seira beamed. "Mimori Seira. You're an angel, right? What's your name?"
"F...Fin Fish... Juntenshi Fin Fish..." Fin said dazedly.
"Ah, Juntenshi? Are you friends with that kuro-tenshi I saw flying around earlier?" Seira asked. Fin sweat-dropped. "What? You saw Access, too?"
Seira blinked. "Is that his name? When I said hello to him, he flew off screaming, 'SINDBAD! BAD NEWS, BAD NEWS!' - just like that."
Fin leaned forward, studying Seira's face. "How can you see me? Are you... on some sort of mission here on Earth?" she asked carefully. "No!" Seira said blithely, giggling. "I just want to devote the rest of my life to God! All I do is listen to the worries of people down here. Are you here on a mission, then?"
She paused. "You could say that," Fin answered, looking away. "Ano... it was really nice talking to you, but I have to go! BYE!" and with that, Fin popped into a glowing ball of light, and zipped off. Seira stared after her for a moment, then sighed. "I thought my life was exciting enough already..." With that, she got up and walked toward the church.
As she stepped up to the double doors, Seira was about to push them open when she noticed that they were already ajar. She raised her eyebrows. "Someone must be in there..." she thought. Peeking through the crack, she saw an older, teenage girl with brown hair, looking around the church with a look of awe on her face. Smiling, Seira pushed the doors, which yielded with a loud squeak from the hinges. The girl spun around in surprise, and upon seeing Seira, blushed.
"I'm so sorry! I know I shouldn't have come in because there was no one in here, but I really wanted to see the church..."
Seira smiled brightly at her, waving her hand in a careless manner. "It's perfectly fine. Was there anything I can help you with here? I'm just a sister-in-training, but if something is bothering you..."
The girl, Maron, beamed at Seira, then sat down in one of the pews, looking around happily at the church. Her hands rested neatly on the skirt of her school uniform, which Seira didn't recognize. "No, I just wanted to see the church and think about the gymnastics competition."
Seira blinked, and then realization dawned. Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed, "Oh, you're from Momokuri City! What school are you from? There are several here in Seika already."
"Momokuri High. We're hosted by Saint Paulia Junior High..." Seira's eyes widened at the mention of 'Saint Paulia', but Maron continued, "The school is right down the road... I was walking around here, looking for someone... but I guess she's not here." Maron said, shrugging.
Seira blinked back, remembering the assembly. "OH! I attend that school. I recognize you now; you were the ones that shook hands with Meimi on stage, earlier today! Excuse me for not recognizing you earlier - your name is Kusukabe Maron, right?"
Maron nodded, flipping her hair back with an embarrassed air. "Yes, I should've introduced myself..." she said sheepishly. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Matte – 'Meimi'? You know the girl I shook hands with?" She grasped Seira closely by the collar, looking straight into her eyes. "What do you know about her?"
Seira sweat-dropped. "What is there to know?" she said nervously. She eyed the girl again. Normal height, thin body, very fair. Looked perfectly Normal. As Seira watched her, she noticed Maron's eyes fix on a point behind Seira, then flicker back. Smiling, Maron exclaimed, "Ah, I'm sorry, but I have to go, er..."
Inwardly, Seira heaved a sigh of disappointment, but smiled. "Mimori Seira. It was nice meeting you. I hope I see you again!" Maron smiled. "Me too. Good bye, Mimori-san!" and with that, she waved and left the church. Seira turned around to see her vanish through the doors - talking to someone? That was fast, Seira thought. She met someone? Seira couldn't help it - out of sheer curiosity, she tiptoed forward and looked around the doors. There was Kusukabe-san, all right, jogging along as she talked to nothing but air. Seira peered closer, squinting - was there a glowing ball there, or just her imagination? Just as she was about to step out of the church, Maron turned the corner and went down the street. Seira sighed, again. It was just as well - Seira wasn't very good at the whole 'spying' thing.
~
"Oh, they're so nice!" With that, Yukari abandoned Souta with rather ego-crushing swiftness - and for all things, paint. Sighing, he followed her to the far corner of the art store, where Yukari was smushed up against the glass case, looking at the set of oil paints and accompanying brushes. Although he didn't know anything about painting, he had to admit that the set looked nice - the brushes had very fine, delicate tips, were clean, pretty, and looked useful, and the paints came in rather expensive looking, small (extremely small) tubes. He checked the price, and choked. Yes, very expensive.
Yukari looked at the price herself. Her smile fell, and her green eyes shimmered with tears. "Oh, no… I spent all my money on that doll for Mayumi-chan… I can never buy these paints! They're far too much… " A shining tear trekked its way dutifully down Yukari's cheek, and Souta flinched.
"Yuka, don't cry! Yuka…"
She sniffed sadly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Souta-kun. I-" Sniff. Sniff. "-didn't mean to-" sniff, sniff. "-CRY!" and with that, tears streamed down both cheeks, full force. Souta felt like crying too, because he knew the only solution to get her to stop.
Five minutes later, Souta had bought the expensive oil paint set, along with an equally expensive canvas. Yukari was clutching onto his arm, literally glowing. As he carried the bag, she was thanking him a hundred times, as well as scolding him for spoiling her so. He sweat-dropped, and said it was ok, bended down and gave her a quick kiss, and walked her the rest of the way to her apartment. There, she gave him a huge, deep, madly passionate kiss that left him blushing like he was still the boy at age fourteen, when she had met him for the first time. She waved merrily at him as he left (she seemed to be enjoying the fact that she could make him blush bright scarlet), then slammed the door and proceeded to start to paint.
Yukari was so happy, he wasn't half as embarrassed when his friends found out and ribbed him endlessly about being 'whipped'.
A week before their wedding, the unthinkable happened. Although the police had never found out how, for some odd reason, carbon monoxide had flooded her apartment. It could have been her ancient conditioner; it could've been the gas fireplace, still burning away hours after she died. The fire was the only thing greeting Souta when he found her cool, cheerless body, the night he had come to pick her for dinner. He had been only glad that she had died peacefully, a dreamy look on her face.
Souta had always been an idealistic, romantic sort of boy. While his sister vanished for months at a time to fight demons, he was content to dream of them while doing his math homework, and the fantastical endings that always contained his triumphant heroes and heroines, smiling valiantly. Indeed, his sister's life had ended in such a way, with no regrets and a happy smile on her face, her lover by her side. While saddened, Souta had been heartened by the fact that Kagome's life had ended the way she wanted it to end, with the only one she ever loved.
When Yukari died, it began to burn, silently, like a freezing, unmoving flame inside him. That Yukari had been denied such a comfort, that he would be denied that simple pleasure, while millions, billions of others flaunted it in his eyes, his face, his mind. There would be no one else for him, ever. But the thought was hidden away – there were other people who cared about him. His mother, for one, and Yukari's only family, her little sister, Mayumi, who had always adored him (except when he had made Yukari cry).
Mayumi had given him several photo albums and journals of Yukari's, but the most memorable was Yukari's wedding present to him - a gorgeous oil painting, which had been done with the canvas and paints he had bought her that day. It was, in his opinion, the best painting he had ever seen - and not because it had her in it (or him). In the painting, they were angels in heaven. He was wearing his white robes, and she was wearing silver, sleeping peacefully on his lap, while he watched peacefully over her. It was a beautiful, mushy sort of painting, and Souta had loved that type of painting.
Naturally, now he couldn't stand the sight of it.
For five years after that, the painting had been stashed away, where Souta couldn't ever see it, but after mourning for such a long time, he had made a decision - he'd make sure that everyone could see what a wonderful artist Yukari had been. It was accepted at a prestigious museum, which was thrilled to have the gorgeous painting, and equally disappointed to know that it was one of very few works by her.
The painting was loved and adored by those who saw it; called a brilliant, romantic piece of art taking notes from long-gone Renaissance artists, with its own flair and style. The positive energy of all the adoring souls simply grew and grew. It was a perfect painting.
Perfect for possession, that is. And who better to possess than the man who would not let go of his love's memory? The man was simply devoted to her memory, and could barely live his own life - people like that made it all the easier to control. That was the demon thought, at least.
~
At the police station, Asuka scowled. "Oi. How long is it going to be before this stupid girl gets here? I don't want to spend my entire afternoon waiting for her to show up!"
Detective Asuka looked over his newspaper at Asuka, then turned back to his paper. "Son, she might be late. Seika is new to her, remember? Besides, you don't exactly have anywhere to go, right? Or a girlfriend waiting for you? You don't have homework, and you don't have a life. So where are you in a rush to go to?" Suddenly, the paper was wrenched away from him, and Detective Asuka watched, surprised, as it was shredded into countless pieces, which were then promptly scattered over the entire office. Horrified, he smacked Asuka Jr. on the head and exclaimed, "Hey! That cost money that I had to work for. You going to be buy me another paper, or what?"
As the door clicked quietly open, Asuka exploded.
"HOW CAN I BUY YOU ANOTHER NEWSPAPER WHEN I'M STUCK HERE, WAITING FOR THAT STUPID IDIOTIC HIGH SCHOOL GIRL-" (a slow tapping noise cut in here - tap… tap… tap…) "-WHO YOU TOLD TO BE HERE HALF AN HOUR AGO AND HASN'T SHOWN UP, BECAUSE I'M SUPPOSED TO SHOW HER THE POLICE DIVISION THAT'S WORKING ON THE SAINT TAIL CASE WHEN-" (his voice rose considerably here) "-I'M THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO CATCH HER?" (Tap. Tap. Tap.) "WE DON'T NEED SOME USELESS WANNA-BE DETECTIVE GIRL-" (tap-tap-tap-tap) "-WHO CAN'T CATCH THE THIEVES IN HER TOWN SO SHE HAS TO TRY OURS, WHEN SAINT TAIL IS PROBABLY INFINITY TIMES BETTER THAN THAT-" (BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM) "-OH, damn, what are their names? AND STOP TAPPING YOUR FEET, OYAJI!"
"Your father isn't the one tapping his feet. And their names are Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne and Kaitou Sindbad. Are you having problems, Asuka-kun?" said a cold, scarcely controlled voice, echoing into his bones from behind him. He flinched. He also noted that his ever-so-much caring father was suppressing a hysterical laugh. Turning around, he saw the girl he had seen earlier. "Toudaiji Miyako desu," she said curtly, "the idiotic high school that can't catch a thief to save her own hide."
Asuka blanched. Miyako was followed by a frightened teenage boy her own age, with brown hair and green eyes. He quickly mouthed at Asuka, "Run! Run! Live!" It was a message of little comfort to Asuka. Neither was the boy's next movement - he covered his ears, shoved on a bomb hood and hid in the corner of the office. Asuka braced himself – he could take this, after all, he could – sort of – take Haneoka's rages…
"I'M *SO* SORRY FOR BEING LATE IN A CITY WHERE I'VE ONLY BEEN IN FOR A FEW HOURS, BUT YOU SEE I WAS TOLD THAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO ESCORT ME HERE-" (Asuka's dad sweat-dropped. "Did I say that?" he said in a stage whisper to Asuka, who glared frantically at him) "-BUT AFTER TWENTY MINUTES I FIGURED YOU WEREN'T THERE, AND SO I WANDERED AROUND, LOOKING FOR THIS VERY OBSCURE POLICE STATION, ONLY TO FIND YOU ARROGANTLY RANTING ABOUT HOW I WASN'T HERE WHEN YOU SHOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THE FACT THAT I'M NEW TO THIS TOWN AND A GUEST! AND WHAT ABOUT ME BEING UNABLE TO CATCH JEANNE AND SINDBAD? YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CATCH A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL! WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? NOT MINE! AND I'VE NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF POSSIBLY WORKING WITH THE THIEF IN QUESTION, HAVE I? I HAVE A PERFECT REPUTATION! ALL YOU'VE DONE IS STUMBLE ON OTHER CRIMINALS THAT YOUR KAITOU SAINT TAIL UNCOVERED FOR YOU! AT LEAST WHEN I CATCH A LAW BREAKER, I DO SO ON MY OWN! (Minazuki coughed from his corner.) AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT JUST WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO SAY THAT I'M A BAD DETECTIVE? YOU'RE LUCKY THAT SAINT TAIL IS A NON-VIOLENT THIEF, BECAUSE IF YOU WENT UP AGAINST JEANNE AND SINDBAD, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME HOW PLUTO IS THIS TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE THEY WOULD'VE KICKED YOUR BUTT THERE!"
With Asuka lying quite still, limp and smoking on the floor, she turned to the wide-eyed Detective Asuka. Beaming, she held out her hand. "My name is Toudaiji Miyako, Detective Toudaiji's youngest child. It's very nice to meet you!" Getting past the shock (she was certainly nothing like her father), he smiled, and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, too. I would like to show you around the station, but I'm afraid that I have a case to attend to. Please have dinner at my home sometime - I'm sure your father would appreciate it. How is he, and your mother?"
Miyako smiled. "My parents are both well, thanks. Now, how do I make Asuka-kun show me the Saint Tail files?"
Detective Asuka looked at his still-smoking son. "You don't. Let me pull them up for you instead."
Miyako positively beamed. "Why, thank you."
As the files were placed securely in Miyako's hand, Asuka jumped up from the ground. "Whoa, whoa - wait a second here. You can't go through those files without me!" he exclaimed.
Miyako raised an eyebrow. "Now, why is that? I think I can do a good job without you." He snatched the files from her. She snatched them back, and they began a fast, angry tug of war, the folder seesawing back and forth between them.
Furious, Asuka yelled, "BECAUSE! I don't want to explain this to you for your sake, but if I have to tell you about this case, then you're going to have to get the FULL STORY, got it? If you read this, you're not going to understand anything about her, but since you have to know, I'll tell you how she really steals! GOT IT?"
"I GOT IT!"
"WELL, I COULDN'T TELL SINCE YOU STILL HAD THAT STUPID LOOK ON YOUR FACE!"
"YOU WERE BORN WITH YOURS!"
Detective Asuka tiptoed out the door, closing it very quietly. Minazuki took one look at Miyako and Asuka, then at the door.
At that crucial moment, the file ripped in half, Miyako with one half and Asuka with the other. They stared at the ruined papers. They stared at each other.
The door slammed behind Minazuki.
~
At the Seika City D Museum, Saint Paulia Junior High was having a field trip. On the other side of the museum, Pakkyamlamao-sensei was lecturing away to a very few students, which included Rina and Miyako. Despite the fact that they were here for a tournament, Pakkyamlamao-sensei was adamant on teaching them their lessons anyway (much to all of their horror, since Pakkyamlamao-sensei had been invited to lecture Saint Paulia's students as well). Meimi was most certainly not there - she had heard about a beautiful painting, and was determined beyond all words to get her glimpse of it.
"SEIRA! IF YOU WALK ANY SLOWER, THE MUSEUM IS GOING TO CLOSE AND I'M NEVER GOING TO SEE THAT PAINTING! I WANT TO SEE IT! HURRY UP!" screeched Meimi, who was oblivious to amused looks as she dragged along a red, blushing Seira. However, at that rate, Meimi was not dragging Seira long, and soon came to an abrupt stop behind a group of several people. Meimi tapped her foot slightly as she waited for the group (which was two couples) to leave, since they were taller than her and she couldn't see around or above them. When they left (smiling sappily and holding hands), Meimi marched right up to the front of the bar that prevented her from going farther, and her bad mood vanished instantly.
The first thing she saw was not the people, but the colors - the most beautiful shade of silver, shining with an ethereal, almost holy light. Beyond the silver was shining ivory, and the lightest of delicate grays and blues, edging the painting. But the silver changed, like hot metal underneath the stare of her eyes, melding into a young woman, who had the color draped all over her. Whatever it was, it shone dully compared to the girl herself, and could do nothing but complement her dark, black hair, glimmering slightly with green highlights.
So much like Asuka's, Meimi mused briefly. The woman's eyes were closed in slumber, but underneath those long lashes, Meimi had a feeling that they were deep green - not that she could see them. White wings spread from her back, but they were folded, one wing half hidden by the white she was leaning against, and the other crushed gently underneath eons of whiteness. Like the silver, Meimi stared at it for a moment, and she realized soon that there was no deception or trick to it – wrapped in the clean, pure white was a young man, and in his lap was the girl. He was not sleeping; he was holding the girl, as she slept with her head tucked neatly underneath his head, resting on his chest. His black hair made a delightful contrast with the white, while his brown eyes watched the girl with a deep, protective tenderness. His own white wings were fully spread, even bright against the light sky behind them. There was no frame to obstruct it, no barriers hiding it.
With a cheesy melody in her heart, Meimi knew that it hadn't been a lie when people said it was one of the most romantic paintings done in this century. Seira nudged her. "Meimi! I can't read the placard from here! Will you read it out-loud?" Meimi nodded blankly.
"Untitled. Completed by Junou Yukari on April 4th, 1998. This painting, a self-portrait of herself and her lover, was a wedding present from Junou to her fiancé, Higurashi Souta. After her sudden and unexpected death on May 3rd, 1998, Higurashi kept the painting away until his decision to loan it to our museum for one year. This painting, which Junou had considered titling, "Hikari," has been unofficially titled 'What We Want But Cannot Have.' Higurashi Souta is currently in a publicly declared state of mourning."
Meimi nearly cried, right then and there. "Seira! How sad! He called it that because he no longer has it! Aww, but how romantic..."
"Really, Haneoka, I didn't think that you'd obsess over such stupid things. You should have better sense, like me!" Instantly, Meimi scowled, a dark look coming on her face. She promptly pivoted to face Asuka Jr., ready to verbally thrash him (and quite possibly physically as well) - but instead started laughing hysterically.
"Asuka Jr.! Who gave you your black eye?" she said, gasping for air.
There Asuka Jr. stood in all his glory, with a great black eye and bruises on the left side of his face. Behind him was Sawatari, who looked as if he had been laughing too much very recently. Asuka scowled deeply. "That stupid detective girl from Momokuri City. She completely knocked me out."
Meimi completely fell over, her lungs dying from lack of air. "What did you do to the girl, Asuka Jr.?"
Asuka frowned. "Hey, why do you automatically assume it's my fault?"
Meimi looked up at him with a bored expression. "Because it usually is?"
"HEY! Doesn't school loyalty count for anything? You should side with me!"
"School loyalty dies immediately against gender loyalty. She's a girl, you're Asuka Jr., and male. 99.9% chance is that she's right."
"I am."
Meimi turned around to see a tall, purple-haired girl, who was smiling brightly at her. Holding out her hand, she said, "Toudaiji Miyako! It's nice to meet you, Haneoka Meimi. You're the gymnastics captain of Saint Paulia's team!"
Meimi blinked. "Ah! I recognize you! You were standing next to Kusukabe-san on stage! It's a pleasure!" she exclaimed, and shook Miyako's hand. The two smiled at each other, while Asuka frowned.
"What did Asuka Junior do to anger you? Oh, and please," Meimi leaned forward and whispered, "Asuka Junior doesn't represent all of Saint Paulia, so we're not all like him." Miyako laughed. "He was insulting me because I was late. I'm the daughter of another detective, a friend of his father's. Asuka-kun's father said that Asuka Jr. would show me around the police station - specifically the Saint Tail case -" Meimi's eyes widened "-because my father asked me to help catch her while I'm down here for the tournament. However, Asuka never showed up to take me around the station, and I got lost here in Seika. We got in a fight, because he blamed me and said I was a bad detective, and I punched him out." Miyako laughed. "But, he really is weak - it only took one punch and he was down! He'd lose against Jeanne and Sindbad, instantly, I know it."
Meimi's eyes were wide. "S-saint Tail case? No wonder Asuka Jr. was so reluctant to pick you up. All of Seika knows how picky he is when it comes to her." Miyako missed the dark emphasis, and smiled at Meimi. "Of course. He's actually slightly intelligent – I think. What do you think?"
"Haneoka doesn't think anything like that! Yeah, right. I only didn't hit you because you're a girl, but sometimes, I regret myself." Asuka said, talking to the ceiling (since he was trying to avoid the eye contact of every angry girl around him). Miyako glared at the back of his head. Meimi sweat dropped. "Asuka Jr., if you keep glaring so much, your face is going to get stuck like that!"
He scowled at her. "That would be bad, Haneoka, because I'd probably look like you!"
Next moment, Meimi was stalking away, after having smacked him hard on the back of the head. Asuka was face down into the ground, and Miyako was laughing. Meimi spun around again. "Oh, it really was nice meeting you, Toudaiji-san!"
Miyako smiled. "You can call me Miyako, Haneoka-san."
Meimi smiled back. "Then you can call me Meimi! See you at practice tomorrow morning - our gymnastics clubs are practicing together. Seira, let's go." and with that, ran off, dragging a confused Seira (who was patiently watching this conversation). Miyako, spotting Chiaki and Maron in the distance, dashed off, full of news and new friends.
Asuka stayed buried, facedown into the ground. Sawatari didn't even notice him (or the sign that said "No Photography") as he snapped pictures of the painting.
Asuka decided not to intervene when Security dragged him away. It was the little revenges in life, Asuka decided, that made life worth it.
~
A short chapter, I know. I'm putting this up virtually unedited - I haven't put up a new chapter in over a month, and I was just possessed by something to write. Well, this is ended at an odd point - I was hoping to end this elsewhere (like at a cliffhanger), but it looks like it isn't going to happen. ::shrugs:: Well, I hope you enjoyed the fic. ^_^ REVIEW!
Oh, and I apologize for all the CAPS in Miyako and Asuka's intelligent conversation. I hate CAPS myself, but since I'm not too good with HTML, I felt that was the only way to really capture the essence of their screaming.
Hikari -- Light
Note: Souta and Yukari were created, yes, by me. The name Yukari is from Escaflowne, but not the person. Higurashi Souta is Kagome's little brother in Inu Yasha. Er, I took the plot and situation and character from Inu Yasha, but that's not actually him, because Souta is way wimpier. And no, I'm not implying that Kagome really is going to die at a young age, along with Inu Yasha and her entire family to witness it. (I take care of that in another fanfic.)
The shopping scene is based on an episode in Sailor Moon Super S 140 (Japanese original). ^_^ If you want to look at it, go here. http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~soiiee/aa/opinions/joan/couples/um/index.htm
Mayumi (a real person), who was briefly mentioned as Yukari's imouto, will be thrilled to know that Yukari bought her a doll, I'm sure. _ Yes, this is an awkward place to end things (not even a cliff!), but that's perfectly all right.
Teaser! [Disclaimer: Subject to change. XD]
"Can I possibly help you with anything?" Seira asked. Fin sat on Seira's shoulder, curious. The woman nodded, her green eyes glimmering softly. Seira blinked. "If you excuse me asking, have I met you before? You look very familiar..."
The woman shook her head, but answered, "Have you ever seen the untitled painting by Junou Yukari?" Seira nodded, then clapped her hands together. "Oh! You look so much like the lady in that picture, Junou Yukari!" The woman nodded. "My name is Junou Mayumi. I am her younger sister. I have a problem, and I wanted to pray about it, here in church." Seira nodded. "What is your problem?"
"My dead sister's ex-fiancé is insane." she said flatly. Fin crashed to the ground. Seira put a hand to her mouth in shock. "That might be a problem..."
~
"Wait a minute, you're not going! I'm going to catch Saint Tail! How many times do I need to say it? You have your own thieves!" Asuka yelled, blocking the entranceway into the museum from Miyako. She shoved two pieces of paper in his face, and he held them up.
"'I will have the beauty of the nameless painting tonight. Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne.' 'I will steal Untitled tonight. Kaitou Sindbad.'"
Absolute silence.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE? DON'T YOUR THIEVES *STAY* IN MOMOKURI?"
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK *I* KNOW?!"
"AREN'T YOU THE 'LEADING EXPERT' ON KAITOU JEANNE AND KAITOU SINDBAD?"
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S AN ESTABLISHED PATTERN!"
"... You're just a pain."
BOOM -- Asuka facedown in the marble floor.
December 8, 2001. 1:45 A.M. I have to go work for Key Club tomorrow. Ahhhh... . AT TEN O'CLOCK!
