(Note: Riho will be replaced with my own character, Hiromi Takabe, because
I don't really like Riho's totally innocent maiden attitude. Hiro is a
little bit more real. Also I often switch character prospective from Hiromi
to Shido: three stars indicate this)
Disclaimer: Okay, here's the real reason Hiromi's in jail. She didn't put a disclaimer on when she wrote her fanfics. So as not to join her in the pokey, here's mine. Don't own Nightwalker, don't make money off this, so don't sue me.
"You attacked a cop?" Shido said, nonplussed.
Hiromi sat in front of him on a small bench, her hands cuffed behind her and her head down, "Yes..."
"This is ridiculous, sir," Yayoi was saying to a uniform cop a distance away. "Look at her. Does she look dangerous?"
Hiromi knew she looked a sight, what with her hair tangled and matted, her jacket torn, and tears of sheer humiliation streaking her cheeks, but damn, did Yayoi have to rub it in?
"Of course she doesn't look dangerous, Matsumaga. But the fact remains that she sliced officer Shimazaki's arm open with that knife of hers. I'm surprised he didn't need stitches. I can't un-cuff her until Shimazaki decides whether or not to press charges."
Yayoi rolled her eyes and said slowly, "Listen officer...Hitomi? Come here for a sec..." and with that, she lead the man further down the hall.
The vampire in front of Hiromi sighed and crouched in front of her, Guni peaking her face out from his hair.
"Hiromi? Hiromi, look at me."
Slowly the girl raised her face and stared at the sea-green eyes two feet in front of her own
"Tell me what happened."
"Well, I went to the docks to...to clear my head. I was looking at the sunset when I felt officer Shimazaki grab my shoulder. I...I kinda just reacted then, and grabbed my knife..."
"Where were you keeping it?" Guni interrupted, staring at the girl's black jeans, boots, and sleeveless yellow top.
"In the small of my back. It's easy to grab it from there."
"Ah..."
"Go on," Shido said, giving Guni a sidelong glance.
"...I swung the knife around without looking. When I saw it was a strange man, something inside me just snapped..."
"You started more organized attacks."
"Mm-hm. He maced me then, and took my knife. When I started thinking like a human again, I was handcuffed and in the backseat of his squad car."
"Ouch..." Guni muttered.
"...So you see, that's why she attacked him. Will you please at least un- cuff her until officer Shimazaki decides to come?"
Guni's eyes widened for a split second, before she scrambled back into Shido's hair as Yayoi walked back with officer Hitomi.
"I don't care if she *was* raped; she still attacked an officer. And I got to keep her cuffed until Shimazaki gets here. You know that."
Hiromi cringed slightly at Hitomi's shout. Did he have to scream it so the whole world knew how filthy she was? The girl looked up, about to ask the cop if he would mind keeping his voice down, when she noticed a slightly balding, middle aged man walking up behind Shido, his left arm swathed in bandages.
***
Shido saw Hiromi's eyes widen, the same time he felt Guni shift on his neck and whisper, "Six o'clock, Shido."
He stood and turned, partially concealing Hiromi from view with his body.
"Togei," Yayoi said, walking up to the man, "took you long enough."
"I'm sorry Yayoi. Typing takes longer without your dominant hand. You can go now, Hitomi," he added before turning to Shido. "You're detective Tatsuhiko Shido, no? Its an honor to finally meet you," he said with a bow.
"You know me?" Shido asked, bowing back.
"Only by reputation. Yayoi has spoken quite a bit about you."
Human ears couldn't detect it, but this Togei's voice held a trace of bitterness and menace. Must've been some bad blood between Yayoi and Togei, no pun intended.
"Officer Shimazaki?" came Hiromi's voice. Shido stepped aside to let the girl speak.
"I'm sorry I attacked you, but I wasn't really in the right state of mind when you touched my shoulder."
"What was a pretty little thing like you doing with a knife, anyway?"
Shido felt Hiromi stiffen slightly before answering, "I um...I was assaulted a year ago. I've been carrying a knife since then."
"Officer Shimazaki? " Shido cut in, "It's been a stressful day for Hiromi. I'll fill out any paperwork required, but in the meantime, could you un- cuff her so Yayoi can take her home?"
"I'm sorry. I can only release her to her parents."
"I don't have any parents. They were killed last year," Hiromi said.
Shimazaki rubbed at his head, "What did you say your full name was?"
"Takabe Hiromi."
"Ah yes. The Takabes. I remember that case quite well. I've rarely seen such savagery."
Again, Shido felt Hiromi stiffen, this time a wave of *something* pushing out of the girl with her anger. Shido decided he really didn't like Shimazaki Togei. He felt Guni shift and mutter, "Slimeball..." under her breath.
"Who's your guardian then? Shimazaki asked, kneeling in front of Hiromi, and reaching for her knee.
She scooted back and said quietly, "Don't touch me," anger clear in her voice.
Shimazaki's expression darkened and he repeated, "Your guardian?"
"Is me. And I would ask you to stay a few feet away," Shido said, watching Shimazaki turn to him, his scowl deepening. "If you would?"
"Of course," the officer fairly spat, standing, "Can you offer me proof of guardianship?"
"He *is* my guardian," Hiromi said, catching on.
"And how long has he been taking care of you and your needs?"
"Half a year," the girl lied easily. " I think, anyway," she turned her eyes to Shido, giving her best innocent look. "Isn't that right?"
Shido nodded, watching Shimazaki's face. He wasn't buying it.
Finally the officer nodded and started walking down the hall, "Very well, Mr. Tatsuhiko," he said, deliberately dropping Shido's professional title. "You just need to sign a few documents for the record, then I can release her. There will have to be an appearance in court, of course."
"Of course," Shido said, falling into step behind Shimazaki. "I'll be right back, Hiromi."
"I'll stay with her, Shido," Yayoi said, settling on the uncomfortable bench next to the girl.
As Shido turned the corner, he saw Yayoi put her arms around Hiromi and the girl, her hands still cuffed behind her back, leaned into the woman's embrace.
Disclaimer: Okay, here's the real reason Hiromi's in jail. She didn't put a disclaimer on when she wrote her fanfics. So as not to join her in the pokey, here's mine. Don't own Nightwalker, don't make money off this, so don't sue me.
"You attacked a cop?" Shido said, nonplussed.
Hiromi sat in front of him on a small bench, her hands cuffed behind her and her head down, "Yes..."
"This is ridiculous, sir," Yayoi was saying to a uniform cop a distance away. "Look at her. Does she look dangerous?"
Hiromi knew she looked a sight, what with her hair tangled and matted, her jacket torn, and tears of sheer humiliation streaking her cheeks, but damn, did Yayoi have to rub it in?
"Of course she doesn't look dangerous, Matsumaga. But the fact remains that she sliced officer Shimazaki's arm open with that knife of hers. I'm surprised he didn't need stitches. I can't un-cuff her until Shimazaki decides whether or not to press charges."
Yayoi rolled her eyes and said slowly, "Listen officer...Hitomi? Come here for a sec..." and with that, she lead the man further down the hall.
The vampire in front of Hiromi sighed and crouched in front of her, Guni peaking her face out from his hair.
"Hiromi? Hiromi, look at me."
Slowly the girl raised her face and stared at the sea-green eyes two feet in front of her own
"Tell me what happened."
"Well, I went to the docks to...to clear my head. I was looking at the sunset when I felt officer Shimazaki grab my shoulder. I...I kinda just reacted then, and grabbed my knife..."
"Where were you keeping it?" Guni interrupted, staring at the girl's black jeans, boots, and sleeveless yellow top.
"In the small of my back. It's easy to grab it from there."
"Ah..."
"Go on," Shido said, giving Guni a sidelong glance.
"...I swung the knife around without looking. When I saw it was a strange man, something inside me just snapped..."
"You started more organized attacks."
"Mm-hm. He maced me then, and took my knife. When I started thinking like a human again, I was handcuffed and in the backseat of his squad car."
"Ouch..." Guni muttered.
"...So you see, that's why she attacked him. Will you please at least un- cuff her until officer Shimazaki decides to come?"
Guni's eyes widened for a split second, before she scrambled back into Shido's hair as Yayoi walked back with officer Hitomi.
"I don't care if she *was* raped; she still attacked an officer. And I got to keep her cuffed until Shimazaki gets here. You know that."
Hiromi cringed slightly at Hitomi's shout. Did he have to scream it so the whole world knew how filthy she was? The girl looked up, about to ask the cop if he would mind keeping his voice down, when she noticed a slightly balding, middle aged man walking up behind Shido, his left arm swathed in bandages.
***
Shido saw Hiromi's eyes widen, the same time he felt Guni shift on his neck and whisper, "Six o'clock, Shido."
He stood and turned, partially concealing Hiromi from view with his body.
"Togei," Yayoi said, walking up to the man, "took you long enough."
"I'm sorry Yayoi. Typing takes longer without your dominant hand. You can go now, Hitomi," he added before turning to Shido. "You're detective Tatsuhiko Shido, no? Its an honor to finally meet you," he said with a bow.
"You know me?" Shido asked, bowing back.
"Only by reputation. Yayoi has spoken quite a bit about you."
Human ears couldn't detect it, but this Togei's voice held a trace of bitterness and menace. Must've been some bad blood between Yayoi and Togei, no pun intended.
"Officer Shimazaki?" came Hiromi's voice. Shido stepped aside to let the girl speak.
"I'm sorry I attacked you, but I wasn't really in the right state of mind when you touched my shoulder."
"What was a pretty little thing like you doing with a knife, anyway?"
Shido felt Hiromi stiffen slightly before answering, "I um...I was assaulted a year ago. I've been carrying a knife since then."
"Officer Shimazaki? " Shido cut in, "It's been a stressful day for Hiromi. I'll fill out any paperwork required, but in the meantime, could you un- cuff her so Yayoi can take her home?"
"I'm sorry. I can only release her to her parents."
"I don't have any parents. They were killed last year," Hiromi said.
Shimazaki rubbed at his head, "What did you say your full name was?"
"Takabe Hiromi."
"Ah yes. The Takabes. I remember that case quite well. I've rarely seen such savagery."
Again, Shido felt Hiromi stiffen, this time a wave of *something* pushing out of the girl with her anger. Shido decided he really didn't like Shimazaki Togei. He felt Guni shift and mutter, "Slimeball..." under her breath.
"Who's your guardian then? Shimazaki asked, kneeling in front of Hiromi, and reaching for her knee.
She scooted back and said quietly, "Don't touch me," anger clear in her voice.
Shimazaki's expression darkened and he repeated, "Your guardian?"
"Is me. And I would ask you to stay a few feet away," Shido said, watching Shimazaki turn to him, his scowl deepening. "If you would?"
"Of course," the officer fairly spat, standing, "Can you offer me proof of guardianship?"
"He *is* my guardian," Hiromi said, catching on.
"And how long has he been taking care of you and your needs?"
"Half a year," the girl lied easily. " I think, anyway," she turned her eyes to Shido, giving her best innocent look. "Isn't that right?"
Shido nodded, watching Shimazaki's face. He wasn't buying it.
Finally the officer nodded and started walking down the hall, "Very well, Mr. Tatsuhiko," he said, deliberately dropping Shido's professional title. "You just need to sign a few documents for the record, then I can release her. There will have to be an appearance in court, of course."
"Of course," Shido said, falling into step behind Shimazaki. "I'll be right back, Hiromi."
"I'll stay with her, Shido," Yayoi said, settling on the uncomfortable bench next to the girl.
As Shido turned the corner, he saw Yayoi put her arms around Hiromi and the girl, her hands still cuffed behind her back, leaned into the woman's embrace.