Disclaimer: See previous chapters and then do what they tell you to.
(Please.)
Thanks to. . .
Songwind: Mmm. . .cookies. Yume has many, many other things on her mind other than what to say to them. Trust me. She's got bigger problems. But I understand what you mean. Oh, please don't kill me when you're done with this chapter.
neppy: Yup, you named most of the changes. I wrote that one pretty much from the top of my head. No thought or nothing. But that's what seems to work for me, eh?
Cortney: I read your fic. Thanks for telling me it was updated. Good, good story. Anyway, back to your review. . .I'm glad you love Yume. She's got to be one of my favorite characters that I ever created. (It's a tie between her and Nephiro.) Thanks again for the review.
Otaku Pitcher: I make them cliffhangers because if I don't, instead of several nice long chapters, I'll have one mutated large chapter that seems to never end. Scary thought for me so I do it my way. Ah. . .lil Yume. There's a lot more to her than one would think. ::nods:: Some of my sentences are just like that. I don't know. I miss things. They all make sense to me but I have an odd mind as it is so thanks for pointing it out. No guarantee that I'll fix it because I probably won't be able to find them. Glad you liked it.
Author's Note: I love this chapter. ::big smile:: I just have a couple technical things to say about it and then I'll let you read it. One: from this moment on (actually, from chapter nineteen on; I'm just lazy and forgot to tell you), this fic will no longer follow the show. It will be following a strange plot that occasionally coincides with the real one but is generally made up by me. Also, certain CHARACTER'S that weren't given personalities in the show will be given personalities by me (along with physical appearances). That means they are sort of original characters, at least the way I make them, so they are sort of owned by me. The names aren't but the rest of them are. You'll understand once you read.
'. . .' are dialogue heard only by Yume
Chapter 24: Those Pesky Voices. . .
A colorful shield surrounded me as I lay on the ground, staring dumbly as the throbbing pain I was feeling continued to increase with each and every ragged breath I took. The three girls ignored me and proceeded with whatever it was that they were doing before I woke up. "I can't believe it! I was counting on her failing!" a girl with silver hair exclaimed.
"Cough up the dough. You said she'd fail and she didn't! You owe me money, Seppuka!" a black-haired girl responded.
"She hasn't passed yet, Fae. They haven't said so," the silver haired girl, Seppuka, replied in a desperate tone.
"Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" I demanded. "Who are you people?"
The girls looked at me. "You'll find out soon enough. If you're worthy that is," Seppuka stated, smirking evilly.
The pain subsided temporarily and I used that brief moment to sit up. "Look, Seppy, she's obviously going to be found worthy. The symbols are already beginning to appear," the girl with long black hair said. "Just give up. You're fighting a losing battle."
"You really need to shut up Fae!" Seppuka yelled. "You haven't won yet!"
I didn't have time to laugh at the fight that was beginning to form because the massive pain in my head returned. "So this is the mind I might end up sharing. There's definitely a lot of space. Not that I mean that as an insult. You just have an immense mind. So many unexplored regions. You have an extremely interesting psyche as well. Double sided personalities are so unusual nowadays," I heard a male voice say.
I looked around. There were no new people in the group. "Who said that?" I asked, frantically searching for any sign that I wasn't truly insane. I knew I wouldn't find one. It's finally happened. I have officially lost it.
Seppuka just looked at me and laughed. "I may have lost but it will be more than worth it to watch this. She's going to go insane!" she exclaimed happily.
"Now, to see if you're truly worthy. How have you treated those that you consider to be your friends?" the voice continued.
It felt like someone was going through my memories. I was remembering things that I wasn't trying to, and in no particular order, either. But, I recognized that voice. "Wait. . .you sound just like the voice that had helped me when I fell into the water with Nuriko."
"Good job. That was I; along with some of the other times you heard voices besides your own in your head. You just earned yourself some points," he responded.
"Can you three hear the voice, too?" I asked the snickering girls whose names I still had yet to learn. Seppuka and Fae just burst out laughing.
The one with the shoulder length light brown hair spoke up for the first time. "Only you can hear them, Yume. If you would like, I can put you back into your mind so you will be able to communicate more directly with the ones who inhabit you mind," she offered. "Perhaps it will be easier for you to figure out the truth there." She shot Seppuka and Fae a look and they quieted down a bit.
"Umm. . .ok, I guess." She walked towards me and placed her palm on my forehead. I was a little skeptical as to what this was going to do but went with it anyway. I closed my eyes for a second on impulse and when I reopened them, I was back in the dark chambers of my mind.
"So you made it," the voice said. I turned and found a man with bright red hair that seemed to defy gravity and float over his head. He had a strange red character on his forehead, too. I found myself thinking that he was hot. . .very hot. "Thanks, Yume. You're not too bad yourself. Your new hair color works for you." He winked at me and I blushed a red almost as bright as the man's hair.
"How'd you know what I was thinking?" I asked.
"Well, we are in your mind. Your thoughts are public property here," he answered.
"Yea, about that. . .why are you here? Who are you?" I questioned. I didn't exactly want to be rude but I needed to know why I was having my mind filled with strange people.
"Hey people! Hope I'm not interrupting anything but I wanted to check this place out, too," another voice that I recognized sounded. A man with spiked up white hair appeared next to the guy with red hair. He also had a character on his forehead, but his was white, not red.
"Ok. . .what's going on? Why does it seem like my mind is being invaded by a bunch of guys?" I exclaimed. "And how come I recognize all of your voices?"
"You recognize us because we were in your head before. And we're not guys, we're gods, remember that," a new voice answered. This one was attached to another guy with long, blue hair. He had a blue character on is forehead and was waving his pointer finger in a scolding manner but then stopped. "I agree with Suzaku. You aren't that bad, either."
The white haired one walked up to me. "I almost wish you were my priestess instead of that other girl. It has been such a long time since I have last been summoned. I'm bored. Oh well, I kind of like you. I think you're worthy."
"At least you got to be summoned," Suzaku complained.
"Yea, at least you got to be. Me and Suzaku over here haven't even had the pleasure of a summoning," Seiryuu added.
"You're all forgetting one thing! She wasn't there for her friends when they needed her most! She's been dishonest the entire time she's been in this world. She broke that one guys heart and almost killed another! She's untrustworthy, deceiving and weak," a new voice sounded. 'He sounds just like the voice in my dream, the one who harassed me when I dreamed about Nuriko dying.' "That's because I am and I meant what I said before: I don't need someone like you in my world."
"Hey, Genbu. Relax man. She's-" that white haired one started.
"No, it's ok. I can defend myself. I did do all that but I couldn't be that weak if I managed to almost kill Seiryuu's most powerful warrior, now could I? Besides, I have my reasons for what I do. Judge for yourselves whether or not I'm worthy. Just remember that this is my mind so if anyone is going to leave, it will be you, not me."
"She's got spunk," the white haired god said, smirking at me.
"Why don't you describe some of those reasons you speak of? It would better for us to hear them from you rather than your subconscious," Suzaku suggested.
"Yea, why don't you justify your actions, if you can," Genbu added. 'He can't even show himself yet I'm the weakling. Yea, that makes sense,' I thought bitterly.
I took a deep breath and thought about what to say. How can I explain something that I'm not even entirely sure of? "Well, I think the Nakago thing is pretty much self-explanatory," I said, starting with the easier of my problems. "He attacked me."
"You went there on your own," Genbu commented.
"Yea, to protect Suzaku's priestess. She wouldn't have had a chance against him," I retorted.
"And you think you could?" Genbu asked.
"I had a better chance than her. And I think I handled it pretty good, if I do say so myself," I answered.
The white haired god nudged Seiryuu. "This is getting good," he commented.
"Byakko! Why don't try and act mature for once?" Genbu ordered.
"Why don't you try and not be such an ass for once?" Byakko countered.
"Ok, both of you shut up! This is about Yume not you!" Seiryuu declared. "Yume, please continue your explanation. How about you explain your reasoning behind the way you dealt with the mortal called Tasuki?"
Great. The hard one first. Just what I need. "This is going to sound stupid considering what happened but I didn't want to hurt him."
Genbu did his respective snort and I ignored it. "Nice reasoning," he mumbled.
"Says the man who taunts girls in their dreams," I hissed, just low enough so that I knew he'd be able to hear me. Apparently Byakko heard me too and he laughed a little.
"I think I'm going to like her," he whispered to Seiryuu. "She's funny."
"At that point, I was still working for Nakago anyway so it would have hurt him a heck of a lot more if he found out the whole time I was there, I was helping his enemy plot his and his friend's demise. That is not something I think would go over well," I continued. "That and I had a lot of things to sort out. I had just watched a friend of mine die and not be able to do anything about it because I was too weak to get there in time. Plus, I wasn't really sure about my own feelings. I didn't want to lead him on only to figure out that I didn't care about him. That would have hurt him a lot more."
The gods just sat there, no one having anything to say. "Wow. . .that sounded like a bad soap opera," Byakko stated, breaking the silence.
I laughed. "Guess you're right but that's my life," I replied. "Wait. . .do they have soap operas in ancient China?"
"No, he just got that from one of your memories," Suzaku answered. "And you live in a very interesting world. I'd like to go there one day."
"Maybe someday, if I ever get back, I'll take you with me," I told him.
His eyes got big, like a little child when you tell them they can go to the zoo. "Really?"
"Sure. . ."
"You're missing the point again!" Genbu complained. "That little story doesn't prove that she's worthy."
"But she said she'd take me to her world!" Suzaku exclaimed in a high- pitched voice, obviously just trying to piss Genbu off.
"You three are so annoying!"
"She did risk her life on several occasions to save her friends. That has to count for something," Byakko reminded them.
"And she underwent the first part of the transformation on her own. She unlocked some of her powers, too," Seiryuu added.
"Powers which caused her to almost murder one of your warriors," Genbu said.
"We went over this all ready! He was trying to rape her!" Suzaku exclaimed.
"Of course you have no problem with this, Suzaku. She'd be benefiting your side more than any other," Genbu responded. I was shocked. He was trying to turn the gods against each other. He must really hate me a lot. Hehe.
"Well, if Nakago wasn't such a butt hole and didn't use people like he does maybe she'd be more willing to help both sides!" Suzaku retorted. 'I have no clue what they're talking about. Lalalala.' "She has to do what we tell her anyway."
"Seiryuu, are you going to let him talk about your warriors like that?"
"Well. . .Nakago is behaving rather disappointingly. I could use a way to talk to my priestess and make her realize the error in her ways. I'm with them," he answered.
"Three out of four. We win, Genbu. Show yourself," Suzaku ordered. A short man with green hair and a little green goatee appeared. He was scowling and wearing green and gold robes.
I pointed at him. "Oh my God! You look like a leprechaun!" I declared on impulse.
"And this is the girl you wish to rest our fate on?" he said, gesturing towards me.
"Yup."
"Ok then. . . Just remember you three, she is a tool of communication not a pet," Genbu said. "Don't get too attached."
"But I always wanted a pet girl! Someone to talk to until late at night, help me do my hair and share fashion advice with!" Byakko cried sarcastically, walking over to me and holding me close. "You can't take her away from me!" I blushed and looked down at my thumbs that were twiddling themselves.
Genbu slapped himself on the forehead. "Idiots. I work with a bunch of idiots."
"We know, we know. We're so stupid. We're so immature. Deal with it, Genbu," Suzaku finished it. "Yume, it's time to return back to the real world. Seppuka, Katana, Renee, and Fae will explain everything to you," Suzaku told me.
I opened my eyes suddenly and rubbed my forehead. I felt a slight raise in the skin in a shape. I looked at the back of my hands and sure enough, where I had been experiencing pain, there were scars as though I had been burned etched into my skin in the shape of two of the gods' symbols. It looked like they had been there forever. "Looks like we got ourselves a new Oracle, girls," Fae said, smiling.
'Oracle? What are they talking about?'
Author's Note: Muahahahaha! Yet another little cliffhanger. But this has to be one of my favorite chapters. I love Byakko. ( He's my buddy. Anyway, you should see now why I said some characters were going to be messed with. Nobody gave the gods personalities in the show or manga so I made it up. The next two chapters are going to be mainly explanation chapters, which should make you all happy, and will probably answer a lot of the questions you have (including some from a few chapters back). They will have actual action in them, it's not like going to be some long paragraph about what I hope to accomplish in this story or anything. The explanation is built into the chapter. Yea. . .I guess that's it. Here's your quote:
"Stop laughing!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me with even weirder looks. "Did I just say that out loud?" They nodded. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. I need sleep." 'Nice going, Yume,' Byakko teased. 'Shut up.'
I gave you guys a long quote because I couldn't find a short one that would do. Besides, I like that part. (when it's in context, of course)
~Smack
Thanks to. . .
Songwind: Mmm. . .cookies. Yume has many, many other things on her mind other than what to say to them. Trust me. She's got bigger problems. But I understand what you mean. Oh, please don't kill me when you're done with this chapter.
neppy: Yup, you named most of the changes. I wrote that one pretty much from the top of my head. No thought or nothing. But that's what seems to work for me, eh?
Cortney: I read your fic. Thanks for telling me it was updated. Good, good story. Anyway, back to your review. . .I'm glad you love Yume. She's got to be one of my favorite characters that I ever created. (It's a tie between her and Nephiro.) Thanks again for the review.
Otaku Pitcher: I make them cliffhangers because if I don't, instead of several nice long chapters, I'll have one mutated large chapter that seems to never end. Scary thought for me so I do it my way. Ah. . .lil Yume. There's a lot more to her than one would think. ::nods:: Some of my sentences are just like that. I don't know. I miss things. They all make sense to me but I have an odd mind as it is so thanks for pointing it out. No guarantee that I'll fix it because I probably won't be able to find them. Glad you liked it.
Author's Note: I love this chapter. ::big smile:: I just have a couple technical things to say about it and then I'll let you read it. One: from this moment on (actually, from chapter nineteen on; I'm just lazy and forgot to tell you), this fic will no longer follow the show. It will be following a strange plot that occasionally coincides with the real one but is generally made up by me. Also, certain CHARACTER'S that weren't given personalities in the show will be given personalities by me (along with physical appearances). That means they are sort of original characters, at least the way I make them, so they are sort of owned by me. The names aren't but the rest of them are. You'll understand once you read.
'. . .' are dialogue heard only by Yume
Chapter 24: Those Pesky Voices. . .
A colorful shield surrounded me as I lay on the ground, staring dumbly as the throbbing pain I was feeling continued to increase with each and every ragged breath I took. The three girls ignored me and proceeded with whatever it was that they were doing before I woke up. "I can't believe it! I was counting on her failing!" a girl with silver hair exclaimed.
"Cough up the dough. You said she'd fail and she didn't! You owe me money, Seppuka!" a black-haired girl responded.
"She hasn't passed yet, Fae. They haven't said so," the silver haired girl, Seppuka, replied in a desperate tone.
"Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" I demanded. "Who are you people?"
The girls looked at me. "You'll find out soon enough. If you're worthy that is," Seppuka stated, smirking evilly.
The pain subsided temporarily and I used that brief moment to sit up. "Look, Seppy, she's obviously going to be found worthy. The symbols are already beginning to appear," the girl with long black hair said. "Just give up. You're fighting a losing battle."
"You really need to shut up Fae!" Seppuka yelled. "You haven't won yet!"
I didn't have time to laugh at the fight that was beginning to form because the massive pain in my head returned. "So this is the mind I might end up sharing. There's definitely a lot of space. Not that I mean that as an insult. You just have an immense mind. So many unexplored regions. You have an extremely interesting psyche as well. Double sided personalities are so unusual nowadays," I heard a male voice say.
I looked around. There were no new people in the group. "Who said that?" I asked, frantically searching for any sign that I wasn't truly insane. I knew I wouldn't find one. It's finally happened. I have officially lost it.
Seppuka just looked at me and laughed. "I may have lost but it will be more than worth it to watch this. She's going to go insane!" she exclaimed happily.
"Now, to see if you're truly worthy. How have you treated those that you consider to be your friends?" the voice continued.
It felt like someone was going through my memories. I was remembering things that I wasn't trying to, and in no particular order, either. But, I recognized that voice. "Wait. . .you sound just like the voice that had helped me when I fell into the water with Nuriko."
"Good job. That was I; along with some of the other times you heard voices besides your own in your head. You just earned yourself some points," he responded.
"Can you three hear the voice, too?" I asked the snickering girls whose names I still had yet to learn. Seppuka and Fae just burst out laughing.
The one with the shoulder length light brown hair spoke up for the first time. "Only you can hear them, Yume. If you would like, I can put you back into your mind so you will be able to communicate more directly with the ones who inhabit you mind," she offered. "Perhaps it will be easier for you to figure out the truth there." She shot Seppuka and Fae a look and they quieted down a bit.
"Umm. . .ok, I guess." She walked towards me and placed her palm on my forehead. I was a little skeptical as to what this was going to do but went with it anyway. I closed my eyes for a second on impulse and when I reopened them, I was back in the dark chambers of my mind.
"So you made it," the voice said. I turned and found a man with bright red hair that seemed to defy gravity and float over his head. He had a strange red character on his forehead, too. I found myself thinking that he was hot. . .very hot. "Thanks, Yume. You're not too bad yourself. Your new hair color works for you." He winked at me and I blushed a red almost as bright as the man's hair.
"How'd you know what I was thinking?" I asked.
"Well, we are in your mind. Your thoughts are public property here," he answered.
"Yea, about that. . .why are you here? Who are you?" I questioned. I didn't exactly want to be rude but I needed to know why I was having my mind filled with strange people.
"Hey people! Hope I'm not interrupting anything but I wanted to check this place out, too," another voice that I recognized sounded. A man with spiked up white hair appeared next to the guy with red hair. He also had a character on his forehead, but his was white, not red.
"Ok. . .what's going on? Why does it seem like my mind is being invaded by a bunch of guys?" I exclaimed. "And how come I recognize all of your voices?"
"You recognize us because we were in your head before. And we're not guys, we're gods, remember that," a new voice answered. This one was attached to another guy with long, blue hair. He had a blue character on is forehead and was waving his pointer finger in a scolding manner but then stopped. "I agree with Suzaku. You aren't that bad, either."
The white haired one walked up to me. "I almost wish you were my priestess instead of that other girl. It has been such a long time since I have last been summoned. I'm bored. Oh well, I kind of like you. I think you're worthy."
"At least you got to be summoned," Suzaku complained.
"Yea, at least you got to be. Me and Suzaku over here haven't even had the pleasure of a summoning," Seiryuu added.
"You're all forgetting one thing! She wasn't there for her friends when they needed her most! She's been dishonest the entire time she's been in this world. She broke that one guys heart and almost killed another! She's untrustworthy, deceiving and weak," a new voice sounded. 'He sounds just like the voice in my dream, the one who harassed me when I dreamed about Nuriko dying.' "That's because I am and I meant what I said before: I don't need someone like you in my world."
"Hey, Genbu. Relax man. She's-" that white haired one started.
"No, it's ok. I can defend myself. I did do all that but I couldn't be that weak if I managed to almost kill Seiryuu's most powerful warrior, now could I? Besides, I have my reasons for what I do. Judge for yourselves whether or not I'm worthy. Just remember that this is my mind so if anyone is going to leave, it will be you, not me."
"She's got spunk," the white haired god said, smirking at me.
"Why don't you describe some of those reasons you speak of? It would better for us to hear them from you rather than your subconscious," Suzaku suggested.
"Yea, why don't you justify your actions, if you can," Genbu added. 'He can't even show himself yet I'm the weakling. Yea, that makes sense,' I thought bitterly.
I took a deep breath and thought about what to say. How can I explain something that I'm not even entirely sure of? "Well, I think the Nakago thing is pretty much self-explanatory," I said, starting with the easier of my problems. "He attacked me."
"You went there on your own," Genbu commented.
"Yea, to protect Suzaku's priestess. She wouldn't have had a chance against him," I retorted.
"And you think you could?" Genbu asked.
"I had a better chance than her. And I think I handled it pretty good, if I do say so myself," I answered.
The white haired god nudged Seiryuu. "This is getting good," he commented.
"Byakko! Why don't try and act mature for once?" Genbu ordered.
"Why don't you try and not be such an ass for once?" Byakko countered.
"Ok, both of you shut up! This is about Yume not you!" Seiryuu declared. "Yume, please continue your explanation. How about you explain your reasoning behind the way you dealt with the mortal called Tasuki?"
Great. The hard one first. Just what I need. "This is going to sound stupid considering what happened but I didn't want to hurt him."
Genbu did his respective snort and I ignored it. "Nice reasoning," he mumbled.
"Says the man who taunts girls in their dreams," I hissed, just low enough so that I knew he'd be able to hear me. Apparently Byakko heard me too and he laughed a little.
"I think I'm going to like her," he whispered to Seiryuu. "She's funny."
"At that point, I was still working for Nakago anyway so it would have hurt him a heck of a lot more if he found out the whole time I was there, I was helping his enemy plot his and his friend's demise. That is not something I think would go over well," I continued. "That and I had a lot of things to sort out. I had just watched a friend of mine die and not be able to do anything about it because I was too weak to get there in time. Plus, I wasn't really sure about my own feelings. I didn't want to lead him on only to figure out that I didn't care about him. That would have hurt him a lot more."
The gods just sat there, no one having anything to say. "Wow. . .that sounded like a bad soap opera," Byakko stated, breaking the silence.
I laughed. "Guess you're right but that's my life," I replied. "Wait. . .do they have soap operas in ancient China?"
"No, he just got that from one of your memories," Suzaku answered. "And you live in a very interesting world. I'd like to go there one day."
"Maybe someday, if I ever get back, I'll take you with me," I told him.
His eyes got big, like a little child when you tell them they can go to the zoo. "Really?"
"Sure. . ."
"You're missing the point again!" Genbu complained. "That little story doesn't prove that she's worthy."
"But she said she'd take me to her world!" Suzaku exclaimed in a high- pitched voice, obviously just trying to piss Genbu off.
"You three are so annoying!"
"She did risk her life on several occasions to save her friends. That has to count for something," Byakko reminded them.
"And she underwent the first part of the transformation on her own. She unlocked some of her powers, too," Seiryuu added.
"Powers which caused her to almost murder one of your warriors," Genbu said.
"We went over this all ready! He was trying to rape her!" Suzaku exclaimed.
"Of course you have no problem with this, Suzaku. She'd be benefiting your side more than any other," Genbu responded. I was shocked. He was trying to turn the gods against each other. He must really hate me a lot. Hehe.
"Well, if Nakago wasn't such a butt hole and didn't use people like he does maybe she'd be more willing to help both sides!" Suzaku retorted. 'I have no clue what they're talking about. Lalalala.' "She has to do what we tell her anyway."
"Seiryuu, are you going to let him talk about your warriors like that?"
"Well. . .Nakago is behaving rather disappointingly. I could use a way to talk to my priestess and make her realize the error in her ways. I'm with them," he answered.
"Three out of four. We win, Genbu. Show yourself," Suzaku ordered. A short man with green hair and a little green goatee appeared. He was scowling and wearing green and gold robes.
I pointed at him. "Oh my God! You look like a leprechaun!" I declared on impulse.
"And this is the girl you wish to rest our fate on?" he said, gesturing towards me.
"Yup."
"Ok then. . . Just remember you three, she is a tool of communication not a pet," Genbu said. "Don't get too attached."
"But I always wanted a pet girl! Someone to talk to until late at night, help me do my hair and share fashion advice with!" Byakko cried sarcastically, walking over to me and holding me close. "You can't take her away from me!" I blushed and looked down at my thumbs that were twiddling themselves.
Genbu slapped himself on the forehead. "Idiots. I work with a bunch of idiots."
"We know, we know. We're so stupid. We're so immature. Deal with it, Genbu," Suzaku finished it. "Yume, it's time to return back to the real world. Seppuka, Katana, Renee, and Fae will explain everything to you," Suzaku told me.
I opened my eyes suddenly and rubbed my forehead. I felt a slight raise in the skin in a shape. I looked at the back of my hands and sure enough, where I had been experiencing pain, there were scars as though I had been burned etched into my skin in the shape of two of the gods' symbols. It looked like they had been there forever. "Looks like we got ourselves a new Oracle, girls," Fae said, smiling.
'Oracle? What are they talking about?'
Author's Note: Muahahahaha! Yet another little cliffhanger. But this has to be one of my favorite chapters. I love Byakko. ( He's my buddy. Anyway, you should see now why I said some characters were going to be messed with. Nobody gave the gods personalities in the show or manga so I made it up. The next two chapters are going to be mainly explanation chapters, which should make you all happy, and will probably answer a lot of the questions you have (including some from a few chapters back). They will have actual action in them, it's not like going to be some long paragraph about what I hope to accomplish in this story or anything. The explanation is built into the chapter. Yea. . .I guess that's it. Here's your quote:
"Stop laughing!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me with even weirder looks. "Did I just say that out loud?" They nodded. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. I need sleep." 'Nice going, Yume,' Byakko teased. 'Shut up.'
I gave you guys a long quote because I couldn't find a short one that would do. Besides, I like that part. (when it's in context, of course)
~Smack