(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: Ack! Gomen nasai! Man, I am so, so sorry I haven't updated in um. a couple months. *hides* Don't hurt me! Please! I didn't mean anything. God I hope this chapter makes up for it. Sorry again. It's just with school, getting fired, (Moonlight Shadow knows all about it) and the general crap that life throws at us, I kinda let my writing slip. On the lighter side, my laptop is finally working thanks to my friend's older computer geek brother. This is my fist ever chappy I've written on it, so I worked extra hard to make the characters seem real, and their attitudes to be true as I see them. So, all that's left is the basics: I only own Hiromi, and nothing else. Except for my hold on Shido's body and soul, I have absolutely no other ownership, nor proof of ownership. Also here's a warning: I make some references to my other Shido fics, so if you don't get something, it's probably explained if you read them as well. So here we go with the newest update to my fic. *ducks flying veggies* ahem.yeah.enjoy.
"Whoever invented crossword puzzles," Shido muttered, squeezing the bridge of his nose, "was either drunk, or had a serious mental defect..."
"Pharaoh," Guni said form where she had been hovering over Shido's head.
"What?"
"A seven letter word for a king three centuries hold: pharaoh. Come on Shido that was an easy one."
Shido counted the boxes and scowled a little when he saw that the word fit.
"Some detective you are..." Guni muttered.
Shido frowned at the fairy, watching her fly the circumference of the room.
"Why are you doing crosswords anyway," she asked.
"Shido tossed his pen down and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, "Hiromi lied to me back at the station..."
"Uh.........duh." Guni quit circling the room and leveled with Shido, hovering a foot in front of his face. "She's so bad at it; I didn't even have to hear her heart speed up."
Shido nodded and stood, beginning to pace an already worn track in the rug. A month and a half Shido had known Hiromi, and he had learned only a few things about her. Even so, he had always known her to be a truthful girl; she held her integrity in very high regard...so why had she lied about such a simple thing as *why* she had gone to the docks?
"Great: Yayoi's back, Shido," said Guni, moving away from the office's blinds.
"That's nice, Guni..."
The fairy blinked and raised an eyebrow, "Shido I made a mistake. Yayoi has really been possessed by a Breed, and its coming up to rip you apart and eat me like an after-dinner mint."
"Okay, tell it not to make a mess..."
"Man," Guni muttered as she moved towards the doorknob. "Hiromi's problems are starting to get to Shido's head." She wrapped her arms around the knob and twisted her body, using the wall to help lever the door open.
"Hey Yayoi!" the fairy called to the NOS officer climbing the stairs. "Go talk to Mr. Oblivious..." Guni's voice trailed off when Yayoi raised her head, and the fairy saw the same vacant/upset look that had been on Shido's face.
"Great..." Guni moaned, ducking out of the way when Yayoi brushed past her, not even slowing down. Guni had to kick it into high gear to make it through the doorway before it closed behind Yayoi.
Guni found the room (and Shido) just as she had left it, with the exception of Yayoi sitting in an overstuffed chair, holding a cup of Starbucks up to her nose, and staring through the steam at the wall like some carnival seer.
Yayoi's cell phone rang from her belt, and she never even twitched.
"Hello? Vacant people? The phone's ringing."
The caller waited ten rings and then gave up, all the while both the vampire and the woman kept pacing and staring, never moving otherwise.
"What is up with you two?" Guni asked sitting on the desk. She jerked as the office phone rang, then flew to Shido, deciding enough was enough. Guni sat on Shido's shoulder and leaned into his hair. Spying her prey, Guni took Shido's earlobe in both hands and bit down hard.
"Ow! Guni! What are you doing?"
Evading Shido's reflexive slap, Guni turned in mid air and pointed to banshee disguised as a powder blue telephone, "That stupid thing's on ring number fourteen, smart one!"
Shido blinked and stared at the machine for a moment, as if he didn't know what to do with it, before picking it up, muttering, "Fourteenth?"
Guni sighed and folded her arms, "This is some sort of divine punishment for an unknown sin I've committed..."
Yayoi just stared at the wall.
***
"Come on, Yayoi! Pick up!" Hiromi said into the mouthpiece. She glanced behind her and hung up. Shido then...
Hiromi pressed her back to the phone and dug in her wallet for more change, her eyes roving the streets. Finally finding two more quarters, she shoved them into the payphone's slot and pressed the office's number from memory. Hiromi's eyes jerked around the street while her mind counted off the rings: ten...eleven...dammit, why wasn't he answering? Hiromi had just about decided she would hop a bus to the office when someone finally picked up.
"Tatshuiko Detective Agency."
"Shido, its Hiromi. Listen, I need you or Yayoi to come get me right now--"
"Whoa, whoa, Hiromi. Slow down. Now, why do we need to pick you up?"
Hiromi took a deep breath and let it out, "someone's been in my apartment, and I think they're still there. The door was unlocked and it...it just didn't *feel* right."
There was silence on the line's other end; Hiromi couldn't even hear breathing.
"Shido? Shido, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here. Where are you? Not still in the apartment?"
"No, I'm in the park, a few blocks from the complex. The street is uh..." Hiromi leaned back and squinted at the corner sign, "Yellow River and North."
"Are you carrying any weapons?"
"Besides my million pound backpack? No."
"Alright Hiromi, stay in the park, and look for Yayoi's car; we'll be there in a few minutes."
"Hurry okay?" Hiromi said, her voice a little squeaky.
"We are. Don't leave the park."
"Okay," Hiromi said and hung up, unslinging her backpack and holding it by one strap. Hiromi had no doubt she was in danger, and the backpack wouldn't be much protection, but at least it was something.
Hiromi felt exposed under the phone's streetlamp, so she moved deeper into the park, keeping her back to the fence. As she left the light, Hiromi cocked her head, listening...nothing. There was absolutely no noise at all.
The girl shivered slightly. Late fall, and Hiromi couldn't even hear crickets. A creeping, slithery feeling pinched along her spine.
"Why can't I hear anything?" she whispered, shifting her bag and pressing against the fence. Even her voice seemed choked, like a dying thing.
"Hiro..."
The girl jerked and scanned the darkness, "Shido?"
It couldn't have been Shido...it was at least a fifteen minute drive, even without traffic...
"Hiro..."
Hiromi shook her head and stared into the darkness. Her ears must've been busted. That sounded like... "Daddy?"
Her voice shook as Hiromi spoke up. This couldn't be true...she had seen her father's corpse herself...
"Hiro, my sweetheart...don't be afraid of monsters...you see? There's noting here that can hurt you..."
Hiromi blinked and shook her head again. Unbidden, an old memory surfaced. She was nine again, hugging her pillow, and watching her father check under the bed and closet.
"When's Mama coming back?" her nine year old self asked.
Tamachi Takabe smiled a bit and ran a hand calloused by years of military work through his daughter's short hair, "in two more days. Mama's working hard to help those people in China."
Hiromi's child self tightened her hold on the pillow, "I hate it when Mama goes away. The monster always comes back..."
"I'll tell you what, little Hiro. I'll stay in here and keep you safe tonight."
"All night?"
"All night."
Hiromi's flashback ended and suddenly she was sixteen again, alone in the park, and *filthy*.
Hot tears fell from her eyes and she dropped her bag, suddenly numb, not caring anymore about physical safety.
Lost...it was lost and it would never come back...and the light glinting off two bands of gold...dead flesh...
Hiromi folded her arms over her chest and curled into a ball, fighting off the cold hollow in her heart, "Oh daddy...I'm so sorry..."
"Little Hiro...you didn't come home. Your mother and I were so worried..."
"I didn't know it would happen...I didn't mean to stay out so late. I'm sorry..."
"Hiro...Hiro...Hiromi?"
Hiromi jerked and looked up to see Guni hovering in front of her, "you hurt?"
Hiromi opened her mouth, but she couldn't speak. She could only gasp for air. She couldn't breath!
Hiromi put a hand on her throat and leaned forward, trying to cough, and Guni's eyes grew wide, "Shido, get your ass over here!"
In an instant the vampire was kneeling next to the suffocating girl, Yayoi closing in at a fast clip. Shido placed a hand on Hiromi's back and pushed the girl forward over his free arm, hearing her pulse thunder in his ears.
"Alright Hiromi," he said as Yayoi kneeled on the girl's other side, "you've got to relax; let the air pass. Hiromi? Listen to me, just relax your throat."
Hiromi tried to follow Shido's instructions, but she couldn't even take a sip of air, and spots were dancing in front of her eyes.
Shido knew the girl was suffocating; her pulse was slowing every second. She needed to relax her throat or...
Shido shook his head and looked at Yayoi. At the woman's nod, he placed his hand behind Hiromi's ears, finding the nerve.
"You're safe, Hiromi..." he murmured as he pressed hard on the nerve.
Hiromi's vision blackened and she was sucked into oblivion.
Disclaimer: Ack! Gomen nasai! Man, I am so, so sorry I haven't updated in um. a couple months. *hides* Don't hurt me! Please! I didn't mean anything. God I hope this chapter makes up for it. Sorry again. It's just with school, getting fired, (Moonlight Shadow knows all about it) and the general crap that life throws at us, I kinda let my writing slip. On the lighter side, my laptop is finally working thanks to my friend's older computer geek brother. This is my fist ever chappy I've written on it, so I worked extra hard to make the characters seem real, and their attitudes to be true as I see them. So, all that's left is the basics: I only own Hiromi, and nothing else. Except for my hold on Shido's body and soul, I have absolutely no other ownership, nor proof of ownership. Also here's a warning: I make some references to my other Shido fics, so if you don't get something, it's probably explained if you read them as well. So here we go with the newest update to my fic. *ducks flying veggies* ahem.yeah.enjoy.
"Whoever invented crossword puzzles," Shido muttered, squeezing the bridge of his nose, "was either drunk, or had a serious mental defect..."
"Pharaoh," Guni said form where she had been hovering over Shido's head.
"What?"
"A seven letter word for a king three centuries hold: pharaoh. Come on Shido that was an easy one."
Shido counted the boxes and scowled a little when he saw that the word fit.
"Some detective you are..." Guni muttered.
Shido frowned at the fairy, watching her fly the circumference of the room.
"Why are you doing crosswords anyway," she asked.
"Shido tossed his pen down and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, "Hiromi lied to me back at the station..."
"Uh.........duh." Guni quit circling the room and leveled with Shido, hovering a foot in front of his face. "She's so bad at it; I didn't even have to hear her heart speed up."
Shido nodded and stood, beginning to pace an already worn track in the rug. A month and a half Shido had known Hiromi, and he had learned only a few things about her. Even so, he had always known her to be a truthful girl; she held her integrity in very high regard...so why had she lied about such a simple thing as *why* she had gone to the docks?
"Great: Yayoi's back, Shido," said Guni, moving away from the office's blinds.
"That's nice, Guni..."
The fairy blinked and raised an eyebrow, "Shido I made a mistake. Yayoi has really been possessed by a Breed, and its coming up to rip you apart and eat me like an after-dinner mint."
"Okay, tell it not to make a mess..."
"Man," Guni muttered as she moved towards the doorknob. "Hiromi's problems are starting to get to Shido's head." She wrapped her arms around the knob and twisted her body, using the wall to help lever the door open.
"Hey Yayoi!" the fairy called to the NOS officer climbing the stairs. "Go talk to Mr. Oblivious..." Guni's voice trailed off when Yayoi raised her head, and the fairy saw the same vacant/upset look that had been on Shido's face.
"Great..." Guni moaned, ducking out of the way when Yayoi brushed past her, not even slowing down. Guni had to kick it into high gear to make it through the doorway before it closed behind Yayoi.
Guni found the room (and Shido) just as she had left it, with the exception of Yayoi sitting in an overstuffed chair, holding a cup of Starbucks up to her nose, and staring through the steam at the wall like some carnival seer.
Yayoi's cell phone rang from her belt, and she never even twitched.
"Hello? Vacant people? The phone's ringing."
The caller waited ten rings and then gave up, all the while both the vampire and the woman kept pacing and staring, never moving otherwise.
"What is up with you two?" Guni asked sitting on the desk. She jerked as the office phone rang, then flew to Shido, deciding enough was enough. Guni sat on Shido's shoulder and leaned into his hair. Spying her prey, Guni took Shido's earlobe in both hands and bit down hard.
"Ow! Guni! What are you doing?"
Evading Shido's reflexive slap, Guni turned in mid air and pointed to banshee disguised as a powder blue telephone, "That stupid thing's on ring number fourteen, smart one!"
Shido blinked and stared at the machine for a moment, as if he didn't know what to do with it, before picking it up, muttering, "Fourteenth?"
Guni sighed and folded her arms, "This is some sort of divine punishment for an unknown sin I've committed..."
Yayoi just stared at the wall.
***
"Come on, Yayoi! Pick up!" Hiromi said into the mouthpiece. She glanced behind her and hung up. Shido then...
Hiromi pressed her back to the phone and dug in her wallet for more change, her eyes roving the streets. Finally finding two more quarters, she shoved them into the payphone's slot and pressed the office's number from memory. Hiromi's eyes jerked around the street while her mind counted off the rings: ten...eleven...dammit, why wasn't he answering? Hiromi had just about decided she would hop a bus to the office when someone finally picked up.
"Tatshuiko Detective Agency."
"Shido, its Hiromi. Listen, I need you or Yayoi to come get me right now--"
"Whoa, whoa, Hiromi. Slow down. Now, why do we need to pick you up?"
Hiromi took a deep breath and let it out, "someone's been in my apartment, and I think they're still there. The door was unlocked and it...it just didn't *feel* right."
There was silence on the line's other end; Hiromi couldn't even hear breathing.
"Shido? Shido, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here. Where are you? Not still in the apartment?"
"No, I'm in the park, a few blocks from the complex. The street is uh..." Hiromi leaned back and squinted at the corner sign, "Yellow River and North."
"Are you carrying any weapons?"
"Besides my million pound backpack? No."
"Alright Hiromi, stay in the park, and look for Yayoi's car; we'll be there in a few minutes."
"Hurry okay?" Hiromi said, her voice a little squeaky.
"We are. Don't leave the park."
"Okay," Hiromi said and hung up, unslinging her backpack and holding it by one strap. Hiromi had no doubt she was in danger, and the backpack wouldn't be much protection, but at least it was something.
Hiromi felt exposed under the phone's streetlamp, so she moved deeper into the park, keeping her back to the fence. As she left the light, Hiromi cocked her head, listening...nothing. There was absolutely no noise at all.
The girl shivered slightly. Late fall, and Hiromi couldn't even hear crickets. A creeping, slithery feeling pinched along her spine.
"Why can't I hear anything?" she whispered, shifting her bag and pressing against the fence. Even her voice seemed choked, like a dying thing.
"Hiro..."
The girl jerked and scanned the darkness, "Shido?"
It couldn't have been Shido...it was at least a fifteen minute drive, even without traffic...
"Hiro..."
Hiromi shook her head and stared into the darkness. Her ears must've been busted. That sounded like... "Daddy?"
Her voice shook as Hiromi spoke up. This couldn't be true...she had seen her father's corpse herself...
"Hiro, my sweetheart...don't be afraid of monsters...you see? There's noting here that can hurt you..."
Hiromi blinked and shook her head again. Unbidden, an old memory surfaced. She was nine again, hugging her pillow, and watching her father check under the bed and closet.
"When's Mama coming back?" her nine year old self asked.
Tamachi Takabe smiled a bit and ran a hand calloused by years of military work through his daughter's short hair, "in two more days. Mama's working hard to help those people in China."
Hiromi's child self tightened her hold on the pillow, "I hate it when Mama goes away. The monster always comes back..."
"I'll tell you what, little Hiro. I'll stay in here and keep you safe tonight."
"All night?"
"All night."
Hiromi's flashback ended and suddenly she was sixteen again, alone in the park, and *filthy*.
Hot tears fell from her eyes and she dropped her bag, suddenly numb, not caring anymore about physical safety.
Lost...it was lost and it would never come back...and the light glinting off two bands of gold...dead flesh...
Hiromi folded her arms over her chest and curled into a ball, fighting off the cold hollow in her heart, "Oh daddy...I'm so sorry..."
"Little Hiro...you didn't come home. Your mother and I were so worried..."
"I didn't know it would happen...I didn't mean to stay out so late. I'm sorry..."
"Hiro...Hiro...Hiromi?"
Hiromi jerked and looked up to see Guni hovering in front of her, "you hurt?"
Hiromi opened her mouth, but she couldn't speak. She could only gasp for air. She couldn't breath!
Hiromi put a hand on her throat and leaned forward, trying to cough, and Guni's eyes grew wide, "Shido, get your ass over here!"
In an instant the vampire was kneeling next to the suffocating girl, Yayoi closing in at a fast clip. Shido placed a hand on Hiromi's back and pushed the girl forward over his free arm, hearing her pulse thunder in his ears.
"Alright Hiromi," he said as Yayoi kneeled on the girl's other side, "you've got to relax; let the air pass. Hiromi? Listen to me, just relax your throat."
Hiromi tried to follow Shido's instructions, but she couldn't even take a sip of air, and spots were dancing in front of her eyes.
Shido knew the girl was suffocating; her pulse was slowing every second. She needed to relax her throat or...
Shido shook his head and looked at Yayoi. At the woman's nod, he placed his hand behind Hiromi's ears, finding the nerve.
"You're safe, Hiromi..." he murmured as he pressed hard on the nerve.
Hiromi's vision blackened and she was sucked into oblivion.