It's kinda short for my taste but oh well. I kind of got tired of it at the end but couldn't think of anything to add anyway.
Now PLEASE don't be nitpicky about when this happens because it just… does. It's probably before they've ever met or the whole "foreordained" thing happened since Karen doesn't know Nataku yet. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: X is owned by CLAMP! Duh!
-chan = suffix used to make someone seem cuter or more familiar to you
oooooooooooooooooooo = scene change
No Angel
Karen Kasumi stretched and yawned as a clock somewhere distant in the whole of "Flower" ding-donged for 4:00AM. The moon was still bright outside of her lacily curtained window, however blurred and distorted by the heavy rain, although the sky had already begun to pale to an ashen shade.
Her shift was over.
Pulling a satin robe over her "work clothes", Karen turned off the dimly lit lamps in the lavish room that she had come to call hers and left with a soft click of the dark oak door. As she walked down the plush carpeted hallway, some of her co-workers also emerged from their respected rooms, all clad in robes similar to Karen's and joined her walk down the hallway as well. But still, others had not completed their shift yet for they were still busy with more "jobs".
A slim young woman with straight, long blonde hair fell into stride next to Karen and smiled demurely at her in greeting, exposing beautiful teeth. She could have been a model; only she wasn't.
"Good evening, Hiroe-san," Karen greeted back, with a small nod and a smile, "or should I say good morning?"
Hiroe laughed lightly, "Mou, Ka-chan! Even I can't tell with all the jobs that have been coming in recently!"
Karen ran a hand through her soft curly hair and couldn't help but chuckle along with her. This girl's laugh was completely contagious although the matter at which they laughed at was not very funny.
"You know what, Ka-chan?" Hiroe's tone suddenly became very excited and giddy, "Tomorrow, I'm going to try out for another modeling contest! This may be my lucky break!"
"I'm so glad, Hiroe-san!" And she was. From the moment Hiroe had stepped into the "Flower", Karen knew that she definitely did not belong. Such clean and wonderful 16-year-old beauty deserved to be elsewhere.
Hiroe giggled, "Ka-chan should try out too! You are so beautiful… the Madam often says that you're her most requested lady!"
Karen closed her lushly lashed eyes and shook her head, the soft pink curls brushing her cheeks, "No… I have nowhere I can go except here."
Hiroe's face fell, "But, I always thought we could leave together, when the time came."
The two women then had already reached the front of the building and Karen promptly donned a heavy coat as Hiroe did the same. The both took out umbrellas and proceeded towards the door.
Karen turned back and gently brushed silky bangs out of Hiroe's sweet, green eyes, saying tenderly, "Hiroe-san, when your eyes are not clouded with darkness as mine are, you can still go free as you wish and become a wonderful person. My world is chained to a black past and it is impossible for me to go anywhere except here. And besides," Karen's eyes brightened a bit, "Seiichirou-san is here for me."
Hiroe smiled once again in understanding and took Karen's hands in her own, "Thank you, Ka-chan. I will never forget you." And with one final glance, Hiroe disappeared with her umbrella into the misty rain.
Karen didn't know she was crying until she tasted the salt tears on her rouged lips that were not raindrops.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
So lost in thought and weary to boot, Karen walked aimlessly through the late night, not quite wanting to go back to her empty home. What to do? What to do? Her knuckles were white, gripping the ebony handle of her umbrella. Shrugging, Karen continued to walk and soon found herself in the park. What time was it, she wondered. But the sky looked the same as it had when she had seen it through the window framed with lace.
But suddenly she saw him.
Slender and very beautiful, he stood there, a porcelain-stained face upturned towards the heavens. He looked so pure… so angelic as the dirt-gray of a park washed with rain and early-morning chill blurring behind him.
But somehow, he was no angel.
Karen felt drawn to him, simply since he was standing all by himself and no one at all was around him. Well, no one should have been out at that time of the night anyway.
But, here they were… standing in the rain as if it would never rain again.
"Excuse me…" Karen started as she came within a few feet from him, but didn't get much farther. From afar, she hadn't noticed at all that he had no shelter from the rain. The soft white clothes he wore stuck to his skin and every part of him seemed soaked with more water than ever imaginable.
With a start, Karen began to offer her umbrella to him, murmuring about catching a cold but a freezing, wet, but soft hand appeared on her own, clutching the umbrella. She looked up to a pair of rich, golden eyes. Gold, like the sunshine and toffee but as cold as King Midas' touch.
Just like hers had once been, many nightmares ago.
He said nothing yet slowly, but purposefully pushed Karen's hand down. Karen just stood there, looking a bit shocked as he then resumed looking up at the rain pouring down.
Karen finally found her words again and asked, "What is your name?"
"Nataku."
And Karen could do nothing but watch him as he watched the rain.
"Do you like the rain?" Karen tried again, after a thick, silent moment had passed, "Since you're standing here like this…"
"No."
Karen looked bewildered for a moment and remembered his eyes, looking cold and lost like the world had failed on him. Just like when it had let her down.
Like a child he was. A boy, pushed into a world without love.
"But it feels nice."
Karen was no longer surprised by the comments that slipped from his mouth and stung the air. She smiled, "Mm. It does feel nice." And then Karen let her umbrella drop down to her side and it hung there, useless while she surrendered herself to the tears of heaven.
For she too, was no angel.
I don't care what you care about,
you know we're all a nightmare.
All of our sins
our innocent,
under demons eyes in mind.
No God No Heaven
No Demon No Hell
No Angel No Prayers
No now you know
You Can't Give
You Can't Help
You Can't Hide
What will you do now?
-from Existence (Guilty Gear X)
Don't ask about the song… EXTREMELY random. ;; I have never even HEARD of Guilty Gear X or the song but I thought it kinda fit, don't you?
Thanks for reading!
DreamerDust