A Night With the Wolves (Part 2)
Teiki woke to the sounds of Mikai's inn opening for business. Children played as their parents checked in or out. Men groaned as their hangovers claimed their bodies in the rooms surrounding her own. The sound of the old woman herself sweeping the area surrounding the front door.
As if it were routine, she reached for her necklace. Her fingers frantically scratched her skin in her attempt to find her precious keepsake. Failing to find it on her body, she began searching for it amongst the folds of her bed.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remember where she could have put it. Memories of the evening surged through her mind. 'Okay...she gave me the remedy and...GAH!!' she thought to herself in frustration.
As she attempted to calm herself, she blankly stared at her
surroundings when a wave of realization hit her. "How did I get in my
room...with only one bruise?" she winced as she adjusted to lean more on her uninjured hip.
Inspecting for the familiar scratch marks she always seemed to
accumulate after Mikai's attempts to drag her up the stairs, she stared at the unflawed skin on her arm in confusion.
"How did she get me up the..." her eyes widened, "Did she get one of those guys to do it?"
Out of habit, her fingers gravitated toward the former location of her necklace only to merely scratch the skin. As that single spot grew more raw, her eyes narrowed.
* * *
Jintao squinted as his head throbbed from the light of dawn to find his body had been plastered to the wall.
"Where is it!?" a feminine voice threatened.
"Huh?" he groaned.
"Where's my necklace? Which one of you bastards took my
necklace?!" she shook him to get him to talk.
The dark haired youth looked about to find his colleagues sprawled about the floor as if they'd been thrown in those positions. "Ask Kouji..." he managed to get out before he was dropped.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
"Hello ...Who's there...It's me...Well, I haven't seen you in awhile...No kidding...Would you like to come in?...Yes I would. thank you..." he was greeted by one utterly confused facial expression.
Teiki shook her head to remove the present air of incomprehension. Scratching the raw, reddened area just above her breast, her eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, a soft, muscular body launched itself at the young man. Seeing the devastation around him, Kouji easily dodged the assault. Swinging his arm around, he held the girl's wrist behind her back and pressed her to the wall.
"Where's my father's necklace??" she growled.
"I gave it to the boss," he chuckled tightening his hold on her limb and pressing against her till he felt her wince.
"It's mine. Give it back," she tried to struggle.
"You've gotta earn it," Kouji smiled as he whispered in her ear.
Swallowing, she guessed what he meant by "earning it". She tried not to tremble as se made her decision, 'that necklace is all I have left of my family. It's worth more to me then anything else in the world. If I have to sacrifice my body to get it...No...That would break Mikai's heart. I have to fight this...! They can't do anything to me. If they did, Mikai-san wouldn't serve them anymore. Still...if it comes down to it, I'll have to give it up.'
Head lowered, she mumbled, "I'll do whatever it takes to get that necklace back."
Keeping her arm behind her back, he pushed her out the door. "Good decision," he whispered as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and kissed her neck letting his tongue run along her shoulder blade before continuing down the stairs.
Pulling her to the side, he once again leaned close to her ear, "I need to sneak you past MIkai. You make a sound and you don't get your precious necklace."
Nodding, she tried to breath as he nonchalantly brushed his lips against her skin.
"The boss doesn't really like girls, but I think he'll like you," he spoke letting his breath raise the little hairs on the back of her neck.
After surveying the area, the two made their way along the hallway toward the door. Teiki couldn't help but snicker to herself as they neared the exit, 'I was right. They can't really hurt me. He merely threatened to keep the necklace when he could have threatened my life. He doesn't want to lose access to his favorite drinking house.'
The familiar sound of her name being yelled pulled Teiki out of her thoughts. Mikai-san would be concerned if her little helper didn't answer soon.
"Let me go," she whispered to her captor, her tone authoritative rather then pleading, "if I don't answer her, she'll wonder."
"How do I know that?" he pulled her toward the wall.
"You still wanna be able to drink here...don't you?" she challenged.
Glaring, he let go of her arm and kicked as a pile of imaginary dirt, 'Damnit! If this wasn't the only drinkin' house in town...!'
She smiled and left to respond to her friend.
"What took you so long child!?" the old woman shrieked.
"I was looking for my necklace. Did you see it?" she pleaded, her face stricken with fear.
"Oh honey...you lost your father's necklace??" she bit her lip, "Are you sure you looked everywhere?"
"Yes..." she scratched at her chest.
"Don't do that," Mikai swiped at the girl's hand, "you're breaking the skin."
"I can't help it," she fiddled with her shirt.
"Don't worry dear," Mikai stroked the girl's cheek, "we'll find it."
"Thank you...What did you call me for?"
"You wouldn't believe who just quit!" the older woman suddenly
became enraged.
"Kilao?" the strawberry-blond gave a wear, sarcastic smile.
"Yes! Honey, I hate to put this on you now, but I need you to work tonight," was the request.
"You want me to waitress!" Teiki screamed.
"Now...it's just for tonight," Mikai waved her hands in front of her, "I think you'll fit into her dress."
"A DRESS?? Mikai, I don't wear dresses!"
"When you work here, you do," the woman's voice commanded as she picked up a simple garment.
Teiki gulped, taking the tan dress in her hands.
"Try it on. If it doesn't fit, you can wear pants. Deal?"
"Deal..." they shook hands, "Is Seki the bouncer tonight?"
"Teiki...he's the bouncer every night," Mikai looked confused.
"You know how much I hate that guy. He gives me the creeps. How
many times did Kilao have to sleep with him to get him to be half-way civil to her?" she began to strip down and slip into the dress.
"Well...I'm sorry you don't like him, but-"
"I'd do a better job at keeping the peace then he ever could," she struggled to tie the bodice together.
"Well...men tend to be intimidated by men. Our customers would walk all over you...literally...and you know it," Mikai took over the act of tightening the chord on Teiki's dress.
"It doesn't fit," she gave up on trying to breath, "face it
Mikai-san...I'm fat."
"No...you're not. You just have more muscle then Kilao does and your figure isn't all stickly like hers...Turn around," she backed up to look at her surrogate daughter critically.
"I can barely move..."
"It looks fine...You're over-exaggerating to get out of wearing a dress."
Teiki growled and gave up on trying to convince Mikai to let her wear her usual attire.
Teiki woke to the sounds of Mikai's inn opening for business. Children played as their parents checked in or out. Men groaned as their hangovers claimed their bodies in the rooms surrounding her own. The sound of the old woman herself sweeping the area surrounding the front door.
As if it were routine, she reached for her necklace. Her fingers frantically scratched her skin in her attempt to find her precious keepsake. Failing to find it on her body, she began searching for it amongst the folds of her bed.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remember where she could have put it. Memories of the evening surged through her mind. 'Okay...she gave me the remedy and...GAH!!' she thought to herself in frustration.
As she attempted to calm herself, she blankly stared at her
surroundings when a wave of realization hit her. "How did I get in my
room...with only one bruise?" she winced as she adjusted to lean more on her uninjured hip.
Inspecting for the familiar scratch marks she always seemed to
accumulate after Mikai's attempts to drag her up the stairs, she stared at the unflawed skin on her arm in confusion.
"How did she get me up the..." her eyes widened, "Did she get one of those guys to do it?"
Out of habit, her fingers gravitated toward the former location of her necklace only to merely scratch the skin. As that single spot grew more raw, her eyes narrowed.
* * *
Jintao squinted as his head throbbed from the light of dawn to find his body had been plastered to the wall.
"Where is it!?" a feminine voice threatened.
"Huh?" he groaned.
"Where's my necklace? Which one of you bastards took my
necklace?!" she shook him to get him to talk.
The dark haired youth looked about to find his colleagues sprawled about the floor as if they'd been thrown in those positions. "Ask Kouji..." he managed to get out before he was dropped.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
"Hello ...Who's there...It's me...Well, I haven't seen you in awhile...No kidding...Would you like to come in?...Yes I would. thank you..." he was greeted by one utterly confused facial expression.
Teiki shook her head to remove the present air of incomprehension. Scratching the raw, reddened area just above her breast, her eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, a soft, muscular body launched itself at the young man. Seeing the devastation around him, Kouji easily dodged the assault. Swinging his arm around, he held the girl's wrist behind her back and pressed her to the wall.
"Where's my father's necklace??" she growled.
"I gave it to the boss," he chuckled tightening his hold on her limb and pressing against her till he felt her wince.
"It's mine. Give it back," she tried to struggle.
"You've gotta earn it," Kouji smiled as he whispered in her ear.
Swallowing, she guessed what he meant by "earning it". She tried not to tremble as se made her decision, 'that necklace is all I have left of my family. It's worth more to me then anything else in the world. If I have to sacrifice my body to get it...No...That would break Mikai's heart. I have to fight this...! They can't do anything to me. If they did, Mikai-san wouldn't serve them anymore. Still...if it comes down to it, I'll have to give it up.'
Head lowered, she mumbled, "I'll do whatever it takes to get that necklace back."
Keeping her arm behind her back, he pushed her out the door. "Good decision," he whispered as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and kissed her neck letting his tongue run along her shoulder blade before continuing down the stairs.
Pulling her to the side, he once again leaned close to her ear, "I need to sneak you past MIkai. You make a sound and you don't get your precious necklace."
Nodding, she tried to breath as he nonchalantly brushed his lips against her skin.
"The boss doesn't really like girls, but I think he'll like you," he spoke letting his breath raise the little hairs on the back of her neck.
After surveying the area, the two made their way along the hallway toward the door. Teiki couldn't help but snicker to herself as they neared the exit, 'I was right. They can't really hurt me. He merely threatened to keep the necklace when he could have threatened my life. He doesn't want to lose access to his favorite drinking house.'
The familiar sound of her name being yelled pulled Teiki out of her thoughts. Mikai-san would be concerned if her little helper didn't answer soon.
"Let me go," she whispered to her captor, her tone authoritative rather then pleading, "if I don't answer her, she'll wonder."
"How do I know that?" he pulled her toward the wall.
"You still wanna be able to drink here...don't you?" she challenged.
Glaring, he let go of her arm and kicked as a pile of imaginary dirt, 'Damnit! If this wasn't the only drinkin' house in town...!'
She smiled and left to respond to her friend.
"What took you so long child!?" the old woman shrieked.
"I was looking for my necklace. Did you see it?" she pleaded, her face stricken with fear.
"Oh honey...you lost your father's necklace??" she bit her lip, "Are you sure you looked everywhere?"
"Yes..." she scratched at her chest.
"Don't do that," Mikai swiped at the girl's hand, "you're breaking the skin."
"I can't help it," she fiddled with her shirt.
"Don't worry dear," Mikai stroked the girl's cheek, "we'll find it."
"Thank you...What did you call me for?"
"You wouldn't believe who just quit!" the older woman suddenly
became enraged.
"Kilao?" the strawberry-blond gave a wear, sarcastic smile.
"Yes! Honey, I hate to put this on you now, but I need you to work tonight," was the request.
"You want me to waitress!" Teiki screamed.
"Now...it's just for tonight," Mikai waved her hands in front of her, "I think you'll fit into her dress."
"A DRESS?? Mikai, I don't wear dresses!"
"When you work here, you do," the woman's voice commanded as she picked up a simple garment.
Teiki gulped, taking the tan dress in her hands.
"Try it on. If it doesn't fit, you can wear pants. Deal?"
"Deal..." they shook hands, "Is Seki the bouncer tonight?"
"Teiki...he's the bouncer every night," Mikai looked confused.
"You know how much I hate that guy. He gives me the creeps. How
many times did Kilao have to sleep with him to get him to be half-way civil to her?" she began to strip down and slip into the dress.
"Well...I'm sorry you don't like him, but-"
"I'd do a better job at keeping the peace then he ever could," she struggled to tie the bodice together.
"Well...men tend to be intimidated by men. Our customers would walk all over you...literally...and you know it," Mikai took over the act of tightening the chord on Teiki's dress.
"It doesn't fit," she gave up on trying to breath, "face it
Mikai-san...I'm fat."
"No...you're not. You just have more muscle then Kilao does and your figure isn't all stickly like hers...Turn around," she backed up to look at her surrogate daughter critically.
"I can barely move..."
"It looks fine...You're over-exaggerating to get out of wearing a dress."
Teiki growled and gave up on trying to convince Mikai to let her wear her usual attire.