Disclaimer: I'm poor. I live with it.
Chapter 12: Random Acts
Tsukasa pushed the door open with his free arm while his other was used to support Sakurako. Her arm was thrown over his shoulder as he dragged her through the doorway. He turned to close the door, but stumbled, almost losing grip on the limp girl. After their little confrontation on the street, she seemed to just become as a limp as a rag doll. All the fight in her was gone. He moved her onto the couch and looked around, noticing Tsukushi's purse lying on the coffee table.
"Tsukushi! Are you home? Quick! I need you to come out here!"
A few muffled sounds came from the direction of her bedroom. It died down after she opened the door, revealing herself in only a bathrobe. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep. I know I promised we would go out at seven. . ." Her voice trailed off as she took sight of the young woman with her head tilted back on the couch. "Oh god! What happened?!" she screeched, running forward and shaking Sakurako to rouse her from her dazed state. She lightly slapped her on the cheek. "Wake up, Sakurako!"
"Huh?" she incoherently mumbled as her head lolled to one side. "Where am I? Why is the room spinning?"
Tsukushi pulled her head forward, ignoring the small moan of protest by the patient. She ran her fingers over her scalp, feeling for any bump. She finally found the bruised spot when Sakurako yelped in pain. "Other than a really bad black eye, she's probably got a minor concussion." She slapped Sakurako in the face, forcing her to open her eyes. "Who did this to you?" she hissed.
"Don't remember," she slurred.
She slapped her again. "Now is not the fucking time not to remember. Tell me who did this to you! I need you to remember."
"Ouch, bitch! It was Ekichi? No, wait, it was Morimoto Enichi! I feel so sleepy."
"Don't go to sleep!" Tsukushi screamed into her ear, shaking her body. "Where did you meet this guy?"
"He lives in the Hinata complex. That's where I met him, a few days ago after I snuck out from one of my dates who lived in the building. I met him in the elevator, and he offered me a ride home in his Porsche."
"How can you accept a date with some strange guy?"
"He seemed nice. He was an accountant. What the hell could an accountant do to me? I guess I learned my lesson," she chuckled. She grabbed her head and slumped over. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"What color was his car?" Tsukushi hurriedly asked.
"Red." Sakurako cupped her hand over her mouth and suddenly seemed to fully awaken. She dashed for the bathroom where retching noises soon followed.
"Fuck!" Tsukushi cursed under her breath. She reached for the cordless phone and punched in the speed dial.
"Hello. Urara- sensei? I know it's short notice, but it's an emergency. I need you to come over to my place right away. I think it's only a minor concussion, but you should come and check it over anyway. Uh huh. Thanks. Bye."
She hung up the phone and put it back into the cradle. Turning towards Tsukasa who was making a strange face at the sounds of gagging coming from the bathroom, she picked herself off the couch. "Tsukasa."
"Huh?" he absentmindedly responded, trying to calm his own stomach, which was making flip flops. He was never one to enjoy the sounds of someone puking.
"I called a doctor friend of mine. Can you stay here and watch over her until she comes?"
"Yeah, sure" he nodded. "Where are you going?"
"Out. Tell Urara-sensei thank you for the favor. She'll know how to handle the rest. I'll be back later. It seems like we'll have to take a rain check on that dinner." She walked out of the living room and into his bedroom, intending to get certain items she had found earlier. She then proceeded into her own room to change into a pair of jeans, tank top, and black hoodie. A pair of sneakers were in one hand while a duffel bag was in the other.
Tsukasa arched an eyebrow in fascination upon noticing the aluminum baseball bat sticking out of the bag. "What are you gonna do with that?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just thought I would catch up on some batting practice," she sweetly smiled. Without elaborating any more on the subject, she walked out the door.
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"Are you sure about this Tsukushi?" Yuuki worriedly asked. She wrapped her arms around herself. She stood behind Tsukushi, wrapping her trench coat tighter around her body.
"Yeah, I mean we haven't done something like this in ages," Thomas agreed. "And why was I dragged into this again? You do realize that I can't pull that 'Oh, officer please don't take me in. I'm only 17' look. Fuck, I'm too old for this. I'm 28. I can go to jail for this."
"Feh," Tsukushi waved her hand, completely indifferent to his pleas. "You're only an accomplice. If they catch you, they'll go lighter on you," she laughed.
"Uh huh. Now why didn't you call those idiots, Akira or Soujiro, to help you with this?" he sulked.
"Because I couldn't catch Akira on his cell. Secondly, we both know what Jiro would have done. He has that thing about men hitting women. Just do what I told you to do and everything will go fine. Synchronize watches!"
"Shit, she's gone all Alias on us," Yuuki muttered to herself. "Since this is for Sakurako, I'll do it."
"Thomas?"
"Count me in," he shrugged. "I would do anything for her. This bastard needs some sense knocked into him." He reached out his hand in the circle and pushed down before raising his arm in the air. "Break!"
"Twenty minutes is all we need." She turned towards Thomas. "You got your gear?"
"Right here," he answered, holding up a small book bag. "Man, this disguise itches." He scratched at the fake moustache on his face, as well as the black wig on his head. A pair of thin wire framed glasses hid his baby blue eyes.
"Good boy. Yuuki?"
"I've got it. No need to rehash the act I'm about to commit. Let's get this over with already." She repositioned the wig on her head. It was a long dirty blonde wig that flowed down her back, tickling her bare skin.
"Good girl! I'll meet you around the corner in exactly 20 minutes. Stragglers will be left behind." Tsukushi dropped her duffel bag on the ground and removed a pair of goggles. She placed them over her eyes, adjusting them to make sure safety would be guaranteed. Next, she grabbed the baseball bat and glided her hand against the cool metal. "It's time for 'Operation Random Acts of Violence!'"
"Right!"
"Oh yeah, Thomas, can you do something for me?"
"What?"
"When you beat the shit out of him, smack him once for me."
"You got it, ringleader."
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"Whoever did this must have known what he was doing," Urara- sensei observed, lifting Sakurako's chin higher. She carefully pulled away the ice at her eye and lightly tapped at the skin. "Looks pretty bad."
Sakurako sucked in her breath at the feathery touch to her skin. "I should know. Someone had to be on the receiving end of his fist." She squeezed her eyes shut, choking back the tears, hiding her pain. "Is everything okay?"
"Well, except for the minor concussion, a few scratches, and a pretty bad shiner, you'll live. I assume you'll have a pretty bad headache in the morning, but some aspirin will do the trick. Stay in bed for a few days and you'll be back to normal." She pushed back her long hair that had fallen over her shoulder, getting in her way. Picking up her medical bag, she stood up and picked up her coat. "I'll see myself out."
Tsukasa waited patiently by, outside in the hallway. He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, half awake and half asleep. It had been a few hours since Tsukushi had made her quick departure and Urara-sensei had only arrived to take a look at Sakurako an hour ago. The time in between was spent helping Sakurako hold back her hair while she retched into the toilet or lay lifeless on the tiled bathroom floor. He was worried for a while that she might die while left in his care.
"Is everything alright?"
"She's fine," the older woman sighed, pulling her coat on. She pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose and released a tired sigh. "She'll be fine in the morning. Maybe a little bruised and whatnot. For now, I need you to keep vigil on her. Don't let her fall asleep just yet for about an hour or two. She suffered a minor concussion, but you should keep a close eye on her if she starts vomiting again or feels any disorientation. Tell Tsukushi I will call her in the morning. I've got to get back to the hospital now. Goodbye."
"Thank you," he replied, opening the door for her to leave. "Thank you for everything."
She nodded her head and tilted his face up to her, taking note of the weariness in his face. "You should get some rest, too."
He waited a few minutes to gather himself before making himself known to Sakurako. He never really liked dealing with emotional women. Hey, he could barely tolerate trying to take care of the drunken women at the club throwing themselves all over him. This time it was a bit more awkward. Someone he knew had been hurt. He intently watched her lying on the couch, trying to find the best way to break the ice, but was beaten to the point.
"Are you going to stand there all night?" Sakurako laughed. She propped herself up against the back of the couch and patted the empty spot beside her.
Hesitantly, he sat down. His hands were folded in his lap while his eyes avoided looking directly at her.
"I think we've already established the fact that I don't bite. Can you hand me my purse over there?"
Obediently he handed her the item and watched her take out her pack of cigarettes, shoving one between her lips. "Maybe it isn't such a good idea to smoke right now."
"I just need something to calm my nerves," she shakily protested, raising the lighter up. Every time her hand flicked the flame alive, the trembles of her hand would cause the flame to extinguish. Out of frustration after the fourth try, she spit the cigarette out of her mouth. The lighter and pack were sent flying across the room, hitting the wall with a dull thud. "Shit,' she muttered to herself.
He remembered back to the times his sister used to comfort him after it seemed like the world was collapsing all around him. Pleasant memories of the warmth and understanding she provided filled him. Taking her example, he reached out, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulled her up against his chest. His palm moved to pet her head, smoothing out her hair. Lightly placing his lips against her head, he whispered, "Everything's going to be okay."
Somewhere in his heart he hoped those words were true.
I've heard people tell me that all my life. Why is it that every time something bad happens they say the same meaningless words: "Everything is going to be okay". You know what, not everything is going to be fucking okay. I learned that a long time ago. But for some reason. . . Hearing it from him makes me feel that maybe things will be alright after all.
His fingers stroked through her matted hair, gently tugging out the tangles, and taming the mangled mess. Reaching for a tissue, he brought her face up to his. He weakly smiled, carefully bringing the soft cloth up to her face to wipe away the dried tears, as well as the fresh ones that continued to flow. Comforting others was still a foreign act to him, but it was a role he forced himself to adjust to.
"I must look like a mess," she laughed, taking the tissue from his hand and dabbing her own eyes.
She spared a glance down at the tissue, seeing the residue of mascara smeared across the virginal white Kleenex. What shocked her even more was her own reflection in the television screen that brought upon the reality of it all. At the mere age of 20, not yet completely legal to be considered a full adult with all the responsibilities and obligations, she appeared to be years older. Finally, her past had begun to take its toll on her physical appearance. Dark circles were forming under her eyes, fine wrinkles were slowly becoming more and more defined from years of practically chain smoking, and the youthful, rosy innocence in her face long forgotten. Her body had taken a few beatings that would have aged her considerably.
I look like shit.
"You could never be anything less than perfect."
The words slid off his tongue like water in perfect ease. In a way, he looked towards the idealistic dreams of his childhood. Even now in the deepest depths of his heart, he still yearned for such sugarcoated words of endearment. They were the words he longed for as a child, and as a man.
"Thank you," she whispered. Her body edged closer to his and the stiffness in her body eased into a blissful limpness. Eyes closed, she listened in silence to the rhythmic beating of his heart, lulling her into a dreamlike state.
Tsukasa peered down to see Sakurako's eyes beginning to glaze over. Realization suddenly hit him as he recalled the doctor's previous orders. He nudged her awake, and inwardly groaned at having to disrupt her peaceful state. "The doctor said not to let you sleep just yet."
"I want to sleep," she mumbled into his chest. "So tired. . ."
"Nope. I can't let you do that," he playfully laughed, slapping her lightly on the thigh. "How about you get out of those clothes and into something more comfortable? A nice shower might be nice, too." His eyes wandered down to her dirt-stained white top and tight jeans that did not seem fit to be sleeping attire. "You can just borrow something from Tsukushi. Can you walk?"
"I think so," she yawned, stretching out lazily. She planted her palms against his chest, pushing away from him as a support to stand up. Wobbly she stood up and attempted to make her first step, stumbling in her movements. "Maybe not."
"I'll help you," he offered. Opting to avoid any further physical exertion on her part, he looped one arm underneath her knees while the other wrapped underneath her back, pulling her off the ground in a bridal position.
The sudden lift off the ground startled her. Her mouth opened to protest, but her body argued against it. She needed help.
Together they made their way into Tsukushi's bedroom. Depositing her on the bed, he peered into her closet, but found himself lost in a sea of shoes, skirts, tops, bottoms, and every article of clothing known to man geared towards the female gender. He found everything except something suitable to sleep in.
"I don't know where she keeps her nightgowns," he sheepishly confessed. "I think I might have something for you though." He ran out of the room and emerged a few moments later with a silk nightshirt in hand. "This should do for now. Just yell when you're done."
He walked out the room and closed the door behind him, hearing the shuffling of feet and the sound of the shower being turned on. Once he was assured that she was fine, he left to take care of himself. He looked down to take notice of his own appearance. The stench of cigarettes and beer lingered in his clothing from his visit to the bar earlier. Shrugging his shoulder, he made way to his own bedroom to change and grab a quick shower before retiring for the night. He looked down at his watch taking note of the late hour.
Where did Tsukushi go?
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Yuuki took one last deep breath gathering her wits about her. She tried her best to calm her nerves, but it was difficult to do so after the description of Sakurako's predicament. For the mild-tempered young woman, her anger was rarely displayed. When it did come out, it was calculated, conniving, and perfectly executed. That strange flutter in her stomach causing her discomfort and last minute trepidation for her own safety and her companions flew out the window.
"Thomas."
"Yeah."
"I'm ready," With that said, she dropped her trench coat, revealing a lacy black corset and panty set. To complete the look, she donned matching garters clipped to her stockings, as well as a pair of stiletto pumps that probably could have impaled a person if used as a weapon.
Momentarily, his jaw dropped at seeing his co-worker displaying such an outfit in front of him. His mouth temporarily went dry and it took a bit of willpower to contain his libido. There was work to be done. Thomas nodded his head and took the coat, throwing it in a safe spot behind a flowerpot in the hallway. He grabbed the can of beer, shaking it violently up and down before popping the tab open and spraying the contents onto her, drenching her hair and body with it. He handed her the can and offered a towel.
Yuuki downed the rest of the contents of the can down her throat, making sure her breath would smell of alcohol, making her ruse believable. She giggled to herself, taking note of Thomas' reaction to her attire and making sure to perhaps use the outfit on Soujiro. "I am so not looking forward to spending the night in jail for this if we get caught," she sighed.
"Don't worry. I won't leave you behind."
She took one last deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand. Taking in a large bit of air, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "You bastard!"
He tried his best to keep a straight face in an effort not to break out of character. "It's not my fault!"
"You don't love me anymore! Why else wouldn't you be able to get it up?!"
He blanched at what she was insinuating, making sure to get her back for that comment later. "Come on, baby. It happens to us all."
"I can't take this anymore. You've probably been fucking that slut secretary of yours."
"I told you already. We keep our relationship professional."
"I don't want to listen to you anymore."
"Come back to the apartment already. You're drunk."
She shrugged off his hand on her shoulder and stormed down the hallway, away from Thomas who ran after her.
Yuuki took that as her cue to move onto phase two of the plan. She looked up to see apartment number 12B and began banging loudly on the door.
After a few moments a young man opened the door, scratching his head sleepily. Instantly his eyes flew open at the sight of the half-naked drunk girl on his doorstep who seemed to lack any inhibition at the moment. The small smile on his lips probably was in thanks to the gods for delivering the temptress to his door.
"If you can't get the job done, then I'll get a real man! Look! He can probably satisfy me better than you ever could!"
She leapt into his arms and pressed her lips forcefully against his. She almost gagged at the sudden contact of the vile person she was participating in the act with, but she held back her own emotions and focused on happier thoughts. Teasingly she licked his lips, encouraging him to open his mouth, allowing him to taste her. She could hear Thomas' feigned protests from behind her.
"Fine! See if I care bitch! You know what, I was fucking my secretary and she was damn good. Don't come to me when you come out of your drunk ass self!" He stomped off down the hallway and ran behind the corner waiting for her next move.
It was a frantic battle between the two for dominance, but Yuuki managed to overpower him. Her tongue darted in and out of his mouth in hard and quick thrusts, suggesting an act that she gave off as forthcoming. Pulling away, her breaths came out as heavy pants with her breasts brushing up against his clothed chest. Her nimble fingers quickly made themselves to his shirt buttons, but excitement took over. The shirt was torn open by her hands and buttons flew in all directions. Her lips trailed down from his mouth to his chest with a hunger that needed to be quenched. Down she went, bending almost onto her knees and the next thing off was his pants being pulled down to his ankles. He gladly obliged to the treatment he was getting by kicking the annoying piece of clothing away. She stopped suddenly and raised her head back to his at eye level. The smoky look of desire was heavy in his eyes, and the strain she felt as she rubbed her thigh against him was proof enough that his judgment would be clouded enough to make her next move. It came out in one deep husky breath.
"I want you to fuck me."
With the demand given, she pushed him into the apartment, leaving the door open. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him and sucking on his earlobe.
"I don't understand," he choked out.
"How about I show you what I mean?" she coyly asked, bringing her hand down to grasp him. She squeezed his hardness and ground her hips against him, making sure her intent was clear. "I want you to fuck me." She thrust up against him and bit down on his shoulder kissing the spot where the indentation of teeth marks were made. She proceeded to lick the sensitive spot and whispered once more, "And I like it rough."
Apparently no more words were needed as he turned them around and pushed her up against the walls. Surprised by his sudden actions, her back hit the wall with a loud thud, causing her to wince in pain at the sudden impact. She watched as he fumbled with his boxers trying to rid himself of the confining garment. Panic ran through her at his impatience. She loosened her grip around him and pushed him away from her. She slid down against the wall onto her feet.
"What? I thought you wanted me now?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice.
"Not so fast," she purred, running a manicured nail down his chest and stopping at the waistband of his boxers. "Show me to the bedroom."
He dumbly nodded his head and led her towards the bedroom. The lights flickered on and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I heard your little fight outside. I think I could help you with your little problem."
"I bet you could," she teased, giving his buttocks a squeeze. She spun around and looked him dead in the eyes. "Just a few things. I love it when a man plays dirty with me." Her hands connected with his chest, pushing him back onto the bed into a sprawling position. "Secondly, I'm always on top." She glided over to the bed and towered over him, sliding over him with one leg on each side of his body. She settled herself over his stomach and trailed kisses down his chest. "Do you like to play dirty?' she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes," he stuttered back, too excited and too aroused to care what she wanted.
"Good. Be a nice puppy and do as your master says." She leaned down and sucked, kissing him full on the lips. Her lips were against his as she spoke, "Baby, I can be everything and anything you've ever wanted. Play nicely and you'll get a very nice treat." She wriggled a bit on top of him, earning a moan in agreement. "Just close your eyes and let me take care of you."
"Holy fuck! I can't believe this!"
She grinned to herself, seeing him obediently close his eyes. She reached down and took off the two pairs of handcuffs she had discreetly hidden, cuffed to her ankles. She took one of his wrists, raised it above his head and cuffed him, placing the other cuff around one of the bars of the headboard. The other hand quickly followed.
His eyes instantly snapped open at the cold touch of metal against his skin and the sound of something clicking. "What the hell?" He suspiciously eyed the handcuffed arm and moved his attention towards her. "What are you doing? Get these things off of me," he demanded. He jiggled his wrists in the handcuff, showing his disdain for the bondage.
She formed a slight pout on her ruby red lips. A finger was placed on her lips showing a pensive look on her face. "You don't want to play my game?" she innocently asked with disappointment laced in her voice. She began to get up and swung one leg over to the other side. She sat beside him now, and looked expectantly up at him. "I was just about to make things even more fun," she drawled. One of her fingers moved in a slow trail up one leg towards his thigh. The other hand joined on the opposite leg until her palms in a massaging motion reached his upper thigh. They moved towards his last piece of clothing, and in one swift motion she removed them, revealing his currently rock hard and aroused state. She lowered her head with her eyes peering up at his face, watching the building suspense in his eyes. Her hot breath tickled his tip. "Well, if puppy doesn't want to play then I guess I can't give puppy his treat," she evilly grinned. She motioned to remove the handcuffs.
"Wait!" he half breathed out and screamed. "Puppy wants his treat."
"Then puppy has to play nicely," her childlike voice echoed in the room. "I do so hate it when a puppy decides to be disobedient."
"Leave them on," he begged, thrashing about on the bed, begging for attention to his lower regions to be given some much needed relief before he exploded all over himself.
Yuuki glanced down at her watch seeing that 10 minutes had passed already. Tsukushi had probably already done most of her work and the next phase was soon to take place.
Phase 2.
She absently tapped a finger against her lip. "Okay, but this puppy has been extra naughty. I think he needs to be taught a little lesson."
"Oh yes! I need to be taught a lesson,"
"I think he does too," a masculine voice responded in the background.
Enichi turned his head in the direction to the added voice. His eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?"
Yuuki brushed herself off as she hopped off the bed. She walked up to Thomas and hugged his arm, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Yes, our puppy needs to be taught a lesson on how to treat women. We're not all bitches for you to play with," she spat out at their prisoner.
"What the fuck is going on here?" he growled, trying to wrench his arms free, but finding the resistance futile.
"Smile for the camera, you poor fucking bastard," he waved while tauntingly laughing at the same time. A flash of the camera went off. "I'm going to enjoy beating you senseless."
"I'm going to kill you for this," Enichi screamed at the top of his lungs. His face became red as a slew of expletives followed.
"You're too loud, puppy," Yuuki scolded as she pulled out a long strip of duct tape and place it over his mouth. She leaned in closer to his face and whispered, "No one can hear you scream now. The next time you decide to try to rape a girl in your care, you'll think twice. I hate it when people mess with one of our own. If Sakurako has as much as a scar to remind her of your sorry ass I'll make sure you regret you ever had a dick." She patted him on the cheek with a sadistic smile on her face, which soon disappeared when she pulled back a fist and punched him in the face. She turned her back to him and grabbed the camera from Thomas' hand. "Tell me when to come back in when you're done with him. I really can't stomach the sight of blood."
"You got it," Thomas agreed as he cracked his knuckles and approached the man tied up on the bed. "I hope you don't bleed easy. I would hate to get your blood on my new shirt."
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Tsukushi readjusted the goggles on her head to make sure that her eyes would be properly guarded from the flying debris. Tapping the plastic one last time to make sure it was on tight, she lifted the bat above her head.
It's a good thing Thomas remembered how to disable a car alarm. It was even better that his technological prowess came in handy when disabling the security cameras. This only makes my job easier. If you want to hurt a man, you hit him where it hurts -- his car.
She took one last glance around the street and raised her bat in the air. Seconds later, in a large swooping motion it fell against the glass windshield. Bits of glass blasted in the air, falling in an explosion onto the ground. In the dead of the night, the deafening silence enveloped her, broken only by her heavy grunts with each swing and the shatter of metal hitting glass. No one would come looking for the source of the disturbance. That was the thing with rich people. They put the blame for no one doing a goddamn thing on everyone else who noticed and didn't make a move to call the proper authorities. As long as it wasn't their own car, it was the unlucky bastard or bitch's fault. It's funny how we let things slide and blame it all on a simple random act of violence.
Her breaths quickened, showing signs of exhaustion. The muscles in her arms were beginning to ache from the reverberations of the metal rod in her hands hitting another hard surface. The windshield had long ago shattered, exposing the leather interior to the harsh humid moisture of the external environment. She smirked to herself, taking note of the flawless paint job and the fiery red color. A man who wanted the world to know he was made of money chose red, the power color. She picked herself off the ground, hopping onto the hood and stomping her feet, making indentations. Wearily she pulled out a switchblade from her pocket and flicked it open. The silver handle emblazoned with the initials of her dead brother glimmered in the moonlight. The blade swept over the convertible top, tearing the material to shreds.
By this point, all her actions were almost mechanical. All the emotions she had held back over the years came pouring out, fueled by anger, hatred, betrayal, and most of all the bitterness at the loss of innocence. She hopped off the roof and snatched up her duffel bag, stuffing the bat back inside. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. She reached for the door handle opening to get inside. The spray paint cans she armed herself with were shaken before spouts of white and red were intertwined in streaks across the matted leather. She didn't stop until every last bit was emptied out on the interiors of his car.
The cans were disposed with the bat in the bag, and she stood back admiring her work. Her arms folded across her chest, and a frown marred the contentment that should have been on her face.
It still needs something else.
A slow smile crept up on her lips. The switchblade was pulled out once again and she set to work carving out the one word that could sum it all up. HE would learn the ultimate humiliation of the word.
Whore.
Now all we need is a little picture.
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Yuuki rinsed out the inside of her mouth with some water from the tap, gargling the water to get the disgusting taste of him out of her mouth. She jumped a little against the sink as she heard something snap, probably bone. The muffled cries seemed to soar to new crescendos in an agonizing song of pain.
"Yuuki!"
She spit the water out and turned off the lights in the kitchen, making her way back towards the bedroom. The camera strap toted around her wrist and she raised it up to her face, seeing the piece of work her accomplice had created. It was a subtle mixture in shades of blue, black, and red on his olive complexion. His lip was split and blood dripped down his chest. To top it off, Thomas had taken a lacy pink bra, managing to strap it around his bare chest. A purple feathery boa rested around his neck, while a male blow-up doll was tucked beside him. His ankles were wrapped by a sheet tied to the legs of the bed. His entire body was rendered immobile. He was the poster child for S&M with a mix of homosexual innuendo. "He still needs a little something more," she laughed, handing the camera to Thomas.
She twisted the cap of her lipstick open and straddled him. The hot pink lip color was applied to his chest bearing the name "Man Whore." She smiled to herself, admiring the job well done and slid off his body onto the ground. "Take the pictures."
Their prisoner struggled and moaned underneath his confines. All the anger to fight back was resurfacing, but he knew nothing he did could set him free.
"Come on. At least try to smile for the camera. Let's see that sexy pose," Thomas taunted as he snapped away on his digital camera. He flipped the camera around letting his subject take a sneak peek at the soon to be printed images. "Well, it looks like we're done here. We better get going." He slapped him on the leg and laughed. "Don't even think about trying to call the cops on us. If you so much as breathe a word or come near Sakurako again, we'll make sure this picture is put on a billboard, a blimp, mailed to every address within a 20 mile radius, and specially delivered to your company president. Wouldn't it be so nice if they found out one of their employees was up to less than normal behavior on his off time? Oh, and one last warning. We have more friends who wouldn't go this easy on you if they knew what you've done. Be glad all you got was this."
"Let's go," Yuuki warned him, pulling him away. She pulled him away from the room and pointed him towards the exit.
"Mhmm!"
She stopped and turned around after slinging her coat back on and tying the coat closed. "Oh, you want us to untie you? Don't worry, puppy. I left a note with your building manager to come up here and check on the electrical problem in the bedroom. He'll be by first thing in the morning. Goodbye, puppy!" she waved.
Thomas yanked her arm out the door and they ran down the emergency exit stairs as if their lives depended on it. Screaming and laughing in hysterics, they bowled over each other, heaving as they reached the bottom of the steps leading to a side exit out onto the street.
"Did you see that look on his face?!"
"I still can't believe you brought that male blow-up dummy," she laughed, gasping for air. "I think I'm going to pee in my pants if I don't stop laughing!"
He wiped the tears forming in his eyes and heard the impatient honk of the horn. "Come on," he tugged on her shoulder. "We should get going before Tsukushi decides to leave without us."
In return, she nodded her head and ran after him towards the car.
Operation Random Acts of Violence: Complete.
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Sakurako finished buttoning the last button on her shirt when she heard the small knock at the door. "Come in." She glided across the room and reached for the hairbrush on the table, trying to pull out the gnarls in her matted hair while painfully trying to avoid the burgeoning lump on her head. As her hand tugged on the comb, trying to pull out one especially annoying knot, the brush fell from her hands. "Mother fu. . ."
"Here, let me help you," Tsukasa offered, walking across the room towards her injured self. He picked the brush off the floor and slowly picked up the tangled mess her hands were working on moments before. "I've never done this before, so I apologize in advance if I do this wrong." He knelt down on his knees beside her on the chair with his head hovering over her shoulder. His eyebrows knitted in deep concentration as if he were handling fine strands of threaded silk.
Her own body stiffened at the intimate contact. It was rare that anyone handled her so delicately. Years, perhaps, since someone had knelt beside her, brushing her hair. Memories of a time long ago forgotten emerged within her. It was an act that resembled the sheer thought of home, the home she had foolishly rejected, and a home she was too scared to ever return to. It was better that way. The elderly couple never deserved to have the burden to take care of such a hellion. Her fingers deftly moved towards his wayward bang that fell over his eyes as he worked. "Your hair is straight," she randomly commented.
He smiled and continued working. "It does that when I wash it."
"You look much better with it straight."
"I'll remember that."
Their random conversation ended like that. Instead of trying to find more conversation to fill the awkward silence, they chose rather to enjoy it for what it was worth. There was too much that needed to be said, yet so much that didn't.
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"I'll see you tomorrow, Yuuki," Tsukushi waved from inside of her car.
"Okay, bye! I don't think I've had this much fun in a long time," she laughed, slamming the car door shut. Her fingers remained tightly gripped at her collar, trying to close up the trench coat wrapped around her petite frame.
"I'll be right back." Thomas patted the hood of the car and turned around to catch up to Yuuki, whom he had offered to escort back to her door. He ignored that glint in Tsukushi's face that only foretold more plotting going on inside her devious mind.
She waited for him at the curb to walk with her. The cool night air felt good against her hot skin underneath the coat. Even though a soft downward wind could be felt beneath her cover, the humidity was still causing her body to be hot and sticky in certain places. "God, I'm suffocating underneath this," she complained, picking up her pace. I can't wait to get inside the house and into some AC."
"Well, at least we got to take off the wigs. That moustache was really itchy. I have to remember that for further reference if I ever get it into my head to grow one."
"That's good. I don't like them much. Facial hair is a big turn-off for me. Kissing the guy is like rubbing a prickly piece of bark against my face. It's dangerous to kiss a guy with it. A girl could end up with some serious rug burn on her face."
"Well, girls should take the same courtesy to wax their lips, too. Geez, I've met quite few girls and I swear they could probably grow a beard faster than I could."
"Are you sure they weren't really men? Some of those transvestites can be pretty shady.
"Maybe."
She stopped outside her door, and peered over his shoulder, noticing Tsukushi toying with the dials of her car radio. She seemed oddly preoccupied with the fumbling of knobs. "So, here we are. Thanks for the escort," she smiled. The keys to the door turned, unlocking it and letting the cool breeze of the air-conditioned house blow at them.
"You're welcome." He fidgeted with his hands, keeping his eyes intently locked on hers. "Yuuki. . ."
"Hmm. . ."
Deciding to throw caution out the window, blaming it all on the adrenaline rush still in him from their prank, he pulled her towards him. His arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her from falling, and his lips bent down, tasting her. His lips melded against hers without any rushed urgency or insane passion. It was more of a gently teasing kiss that lingered, making his mind go hazy, reminiscent of one's first kiss, the one that you compare every kiss you'll ever have afterwards. He pulled himself away, keeping his emotions in check and smirked. "Since I got to break up with you tonight, I thought it would only be fair that we have a little make up at the end of the night."
"Uh huh," she mumbled, touching her fingertips to her assaulted lips. "Good night," she shakily whispered, turning around and closing the door.
Thomas released the breath he was holding, thanking the gods that she didn't press him about his rash actions. He knew it was stupid to pull something like that, but he rationalized it all out. Nervously he ran his hands through his blonde locks, trying to make some sense out of what compelled him to do that. His path of steps swayed from one side to the other in a drunken fashion.
I was caught up in the moment. That was all.
Tsukushi blinked, trying to process what she had just witnessed. She never thought that he would actually go along with the scheme she had hatched to help her two friends. Maybe Yuuki would be easier to persuade to go along with the deal. However, a frown settled over her. The kiss seemed a little too real for her. There might be something behind the act itself.
Yuuki and Thomas? Nah. Then again, stranger things have happened.
"Hey, lover boy!" she yelled as Thomas opened the car door. "That was definitely an interesting little show you put on there.
He settled himself into the passenger seat and fastened the safety belt. "Shut up," he snapped.
"Aw, come one. Don't feel like you've betrayed Sakurako or anything."
"Will you give up with that insane plan of yours? I'm not going through with it. As much as I want Sakurako to take me seriously I will not stoop to that level of messing with people's heads. It's scams like that, that get people into trouble. You've been watching too much TV to think that something like that would really work."
"It could," she smiled as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along with the rhythm of the music playing through the radio. "You two seem to need all the help you can get."
"What if we don't want any help? What if I'm happy the way things are going?"
"You do realize that Sakurako is out there right now looking for something serious. I would love nothing more than to finally get you two together. She has to come out of that denial at some point that you wouldn't go well together. You can't deny what is obvious."
"So what if it is? She's never going to come around. I've known her for what? 5 years? Not once has she ever taken my offers."
"First of all, you and I both know where she came from. She doesn't trust older men that easily, based on her prior experience. Secondly, I know you've always had a little bit of a thing for her even though there's the age thing. Eight years is kind of a huge gap, but Sakurako really does need someone who can take care of her. She can barely take care of herself. She needs someone like you who gives a damn about her."
He shook his head. "Still not going to do it. Stop pushing this. Anyway even if I did agree to do this, Yuuki would definitely not go for it."
"You don't know the lengths a woman would go to, to get what she wants."
"End of discussion." He lifted a hand to silence her. "Eh! No more."
"Let me just say one last thing. Susumu said he always saw you two ending up together. He could see the potential. You just have to make it real."
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Sakurako almost purred at the soft scraping motions of the brush against her scalp. She almost resembled a cat with its eyes half closed at having its head scratched by its master. "That feels so good." Her head rolled to the side as her body began to slump over the vanity.
"I think you've had enough. I think you've been up late enough." He scratched the back of his head trying to think of where to put her. "You can take Kaya's room, I guess. I still don't understand where Tsukushi went."
"Where did she go anyway? I don't really remember much before she left."
"I don't know, but she told me to look after you, so I'll do just that." He wasted no time and picked her up out of the chair, carrying her out of the room.
"You know, you're spoiling me. I may never want to walk again."
"I don't think my arms can handle much more of your fat ass. Now I know where you put all that food," he laughed, struggling with the wriggling girl in his arms trying to strangle him. "Stop that! I'm going to drop you if you don't stop that!"
"Punk," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
They stopped in front of Kaya's room and she was gently dropped to the ground. Her feet touched down onto the carpeting. When the lights flickered on, she stood paralyzed in the room. Colors surrounded her, wrapping her into a fantasyland of children's dreams. Dolls, toys, and books were scattered throughout the floor and in bins.
"Whoa! It looks like a tornado blew through here and her name is Kaya," Tsukasa whistled, kicking over a Hello Kitty doll under his foot. "I think you can find the bed in there somewhere." He turned to leave, but a tug at his arm stopped him.
Her face paled. "I can't stay here," she barely whispered.
It was a sensory overload for her. Her eyes roamed throughout the room, taking in all the childish knick-knacks and baubles on the walls, on the floor, and probably the bed. The finger paintings with the chicken scratch labeling the artist and the subject tore at her heart. It was too much for her.
Would his room have looked like this?
"Sakurako, what's wrong?"
She clung to his arm, refusing to let him go. "Let me sleep in your room," she demanded in an almost pleading voice bordering on begging. Quickly she covered up her odd behavior. "I don't want to be alone. Can I stay with you?"
Tsukasa focused on her face, noticing the look of utter terror there. He'd seen a lot of emotions play over her face, but changed his mind upon thinking of asking her why. It had been a long night, and he was more than willing to comply with her needs if it would allow him to get at least three hours of sleep before the sun rose. "Fine. I'll sleep on the floor."
They walked back into his room. Grabbing a pillow and a sheet, he tossed them onto the ground making a makeshift bed. His actions were robotic, seeing as how his brain had shut off about a half hour ago.
"Thank you," she weakly whispered as she reached over to turn off the lamp. Sakurako sunk low into the bed, covering herself from the neck down with the sheet. "Good night."
It was easier said than done for him to find sleep that night as he tossed and turned. His back ached against the hard floor. For someone who had become accustomed to sleeping on a soft mattress, it was a challenge to get to sleep. Finally giving up, he sat up and peered over the side of the bed to see Sakurako's back turned to him. He sighed to himself, knowing that it was the only honorable thing to do. Her soft breaths echoed in the still night, and he picked up the sheet and pillow, dragging them behind him.
Maybe I can get some sleep in the kid's room.
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The hands of her watch pointed at 4:30 in the morning. In a few hours, the sun would rise out of the horizon welcoming a new day. She was still in yesterday according to her internal clock. Her arms were sore from wielding the bat, and her eyes bleary. She didn't even remember how she managed to park her car and get into the apartment. Locking the door behind her, she dropped her duffel bag to the ground and peeled off the black hoodie she had worn to cover her head.
"Is anyone awake?" she hissed to the darkened apartment.
When no response came, she shrugged her shoulders and walked towards her room. She already came to the conclusion that Sakurako wouldn't sleep in Kaya's room due to her child issues. It was more than a surprise to her when she found her own bed empty. The only remaining place was Tsukasa's room, so she gently pushed his door open finding Sakurako curled up into a fetal position. Her eyes scanned the room finding no sign of Tsukasa in the vicinity.
Maybe he's in Kaya's room.
Her hand pushed open the door, opening it up a creak. She held her hand up to her mouth, stifling the giggle that wanted to come out. Here was the big bad Tsukasa curled under a Power Puffs comforter with his arm draped over a Hello Kitty doll. His face was fixed into a peaceful angelic pose. "Tsukasa," she whispered, nudging his arm. He only hugged the doll tighter and returned to his dreamland, ignoring her intrusion. Looking down at him, she almost laughed.
He really does look kind of cute when he sleeps. It looks like I didn't only pick up a new worker and roommate when I took him in. I adopted another kid to take care of.
Her motherly instincts kicked in, and she thought it might work if she used the same method she used to wake up Kaya when she was dead to the world. Brushing her hand across his cheek, her fingers lingered across his face, studying his features. She wrapped her finger around a curl on his head. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered sweetly, "Wake up, Tsukasa."
He could hear a voice calling him in his dreams. His body slowly began to rouse, as he turned over. For a moment, he thought of telling the sweet- voiced maid to just leave, but the back of his mind protested to not send her away. Slowly, his eyes opened and his vision slowly focused on the face in front of him.
A wisp of her hair fell onto his face, and she moved to push it behind her ear. "Morning," she smiled.
"Tsukushi?" When did you get back? Where did you go?" Thousands of questions came to mind, trying to figure out why she would leave Sakurako when she needed her the most, leaving him vulnerably alone with her.
She placed a finger over his lips. "Shh. It's late, and I need some sleep. I'll tell you all about it in the morning. I just wanted to make sure Sakurako was okay."
"Yeah, she's fine. She had a minor concussion. The only visible signs of what happened are the black eye and a few minor cuts and scrapes. She'll be fine."
"Good." She stood up from the bed, and maneuvered her way out of the dark room. It was rather funny the way she seemed to have memorized the path. "Get some sleep."
He drowsily nodded his head. A few seconds later all was forgotten of their late night exchange and he drifted off to sleep.
Tsukushi peeled off her clothes, carelessly leaving them on the ground. She would have to pick them up tomorrow. For now, sleep was what mattered. Only clad in a bra and panties, she crawled beneath her sheets and fell asleep.
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Somewhere across town, another girl was doing the same exact thing. Yuuki curled up under her covers. When Thomas had left her at the door about twenty minutes ago, the weariness in her body took over. Although she still couldn't shake the after-effects of that kiss, her body refused to let her mind linger on the idea any longer. Slowly, her eyes closed, welcoming the darkness.
Knock-knock.
Who the hell is that?
Her eyes opened and the light was turned on. Glancing on the clock on her nightstand, she took note of the fact that it was already a little after 4 in the morning. For a moment, she panicked, thinking it could be something about Sakurako. She rolled herself out of bed, nearly tripping over her shoes that had been dropped onto the floor. Without thinking, she thrust the door open.
"Yuuki?"
"Jiro?" she yawned, perplexed at his late night visit. "What's the matter?"
He stood out on the doorstep without a shirt on. His boxers hung low on his hips, and a pair of sandals adorned his feet. Judging from his disheveled appearance, he looked like he had been sleeping moments ago, which was exactly what she wanted to be doing at the moment.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw someone leaving your place earlier."
"Come inside. It's kinda weird having you standing half naked outside my door."
He nodded his head and entered. Taking a seat on the couch, he questioningly eyed her attire. "Why are you wearing that trench coat indoors?"
The greater question he wanted to ask was for the identity of the man who dropped her off earlier at the door. It irked him a bit to see her return home in the middle of the night with a strange man he had never seen before. Usually Yuuki would tell him about any dates she intended to go out on. He had come to be accustomed to hearing her cheerily chatter on and on about her date's attributes. It was questionable when she seemed to slink into the house at an odd hour with a man who left a more than friendly first date kiss. What was even shadier was the bulky trench coat she wore in ninety five degree weather.
She looked down, realizing that she had in fact lay down in bed still clad in her battle attire. "Oh, thanks." Her mind was not even thinking coherently as she stripped herself of her outer garments. "You know what, I'm really tired right now. I'm going to bed. Lock up for me, will you?" With that said, she got up and walked into her bedroom, flopping down on the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
Soujiro dumbly nodded his head, not quite processing what had happened. Whatever it was, he would find out the next morning. It was a fact, he would find out what happened. Deciding to forego the trek across the street back to his own abode, he settled himself on the couch and went to sleep.
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His mouth was filled with the disgusting taste of too much fine alcohol. That was the problem with going out with richer, older, married women. They all wanted to be finely wined and dined, something their husbands weren't willing to offer. Everything had been going fine. He got the girl, had the clothes, took her to the right places and was ready to seal the deal. Then it happened. The husband had to walk through the door during foreplay.
Nothing kills the mood better than the sound of a man screaming for his gun.
He barely even had a chance to slap on his boxers before he ran out the door. Well, at least he escaped this time with his pants in tow. It would have really sucked having to replace another pair of designer slacks.
Inside he burned with a sense of being unfulfilled. Physically he was so close to getting what he wanted, but emotionally he remained withdrawn in the situation. The words kept replaying in his mind.
"We could be something great."
That jackass.
He hated to admit it, but it stung to see Tsukushi have that look of second- guessing herself on the decision to let that guy leave. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead of him. It was too early to go home and too late to have the energy to crawl home. Switching his left blinker on, he headed towards the direction of where his unrequited answers could be found.
His mind was walking on that fine line between sobriety and drunkenness. There was just enough in his system to allow him to walk a straight line, but also just enough to blame any of his actions on the alcohol. As he reached into his pocket finding the set of keys on the key ring to Tsukushi's apartment, he unlocked the door and stumbled inside. From the window of the balcony, he could make out the faint traces of red, orange, and yellow breaking through the dark night. The sky started to lighten up from its pitch-black color to a hazy purple. Ignoring the miraculous sight of nature in front of him, he trudged towards her bedroom door. He would barely remember stripping all of his clothes off on the way there.
She was beautiful. Her soft pink lips were formed in a small pout while she slept. One hand lay underneath her head, pillowing it. She shivered a bit under the intense blast of air conditioning circulating in the room. Her pool of hair fanned out around her sleeping form with some veiling part of her face. He gently reached down and brushed the offending strands away from her face. Seeing her so peacefully dead to the world, he wanted nothing more than to wake up next to an angel like her every morning. He had searched so long, and she was the one he wanted the entire time. He stumbled over to the opposite side of the bed, and lifted the sheets up to slide in beside her. His arms snaked around her waist and he buried his face in the back of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her body. His heated skin melded against hers underneath the warmed covers. He grimaced, realizing that in his own nudity, she had chosen some modesty in keeping her bra and panties on.
Tsukushi felt something heavy move onto the bed beside her. She tried her best to control her mind, thinking it was nothing but the dream she was encountering, but her body began to sensitize to the external elements, causing her to awaken. Panic filled her as she felt arms around her. The next thing that really awakened her was the sensation of another warm body against hers. She quickly ruled out the person being Tsukasa who was dead asleep in Kaya's room or Sakurako who just didn't swing that way. She carefully rolled over and came face to face with someone she least expected to find in her bed.
"Akira?" she gasped. She moved to wriggle out of his grasp, but found his arms to only wrap tighter around her, trapping her in his grasp.
"I won't let you go," he murmured in his sleep.
"What are you doing here?"
"I don't know."
She carefully lifted the sheet only to drop them back to focus on something other than what she had just seen. "Akira! You're naked!" she hissed into his ear.
"Too loud!" he groaned, burying his face into her hair. "Go back to sleep."
"I would if you weren't naked next to me." Once again, she shifted her body, trying to move away from him, but found his arm slung over her too heavy to move and his grip too tight.
"Doesn't matter. Sleep now."
"Fine," she huffed. Turning around once again, she closed her eyes and forced herself back to sleep. "I am so going to kick your naked ass in the morning."
"Tsukushi. . ."
God, he's either too drunk or sleepy to do anything now. I shouldn't even take him seriously. Half of the things he'll say or do are probably out of his own dazed stupor. For some reason I can't really believe he is out of it. I think he knows exactly what he is doing.
"I know you're perfectly awake, Akira. Stop faking."
"You know me too well," his completely coherent and clear voice replied.
"What are you doing in my bed?"
"I didn't want to go home."
"Fair enough. You've done this before. It's good that you're here, though. Sakurako is in Tsukasa's room."
"With him?"
"No!"
"You seem rather defensive about that. Do you have a thing for him?" he sarcastically retorted.
"Of course not. You just wouldn't understand how inappropriate that statement is after what happened to her today. I don't feel like talking about it right now. Why are you so possessive all of a sudden?"
"You're thinking about him aren't you? You're actually considering what he said."
"I don't know. Maybe."
His grip tightened, squeezing her to a point where it bordered on becoming painful for Tsukushi. "Why him?" A hint of desperation filled his voice. "After all this time you would still look for someone else. I. . . I would have. . ."
She rolled over to come face to face with him. She knew what he wanted to say, and to hear those words out of his mouth would have probably shattered her soul and her heart. Tsukushi did the only thing she could do to stop him. Her lips descended on his into a feathery kiss. Tears rolled down her cheeks, falling against his lips. His tongue darted out catching a few of the salty tears. He couldn't get enough of the taste of her. Not wanting her to end it all just yet, he devoured her mouth, fully tasting her. He could sense her giving into him and becoming more responsive to his ministrations. For now, he had her body on his side. Her heart would be another thing.
"Akira," she cried against his lips.
"I just need to know why?"
She pulled back panting. This time she kissed him one last time on the lips, trailing her lips upwards on his nose to his forehead. She began close herself off to him once more. This was too much to deal with now. It was something she knew should have remained in the past. They vowed to never speak of it.
"Go to sleep, Akira." She rolled over and hugged the pillow underneath her blanket, hoping he wouldn't press her any further.
Akira laid back on his head, and stared up at the ceiling. The taste of her still lingered in his mouth. He didn't even know what came over him, and a pang of guilt came over him at the impending after-effects of what had just occurred. "Oh god, I'm sorry, Tsukushi," he whispered into the night. He waited for her reply to his apology, but none ever came. "I love you. I still love you."
She gently entwined her fingers with his at her stomach. "I know you're sorry," she offered. "Forget what happened tonight. It was all a random act."
He wryly grinned at her words. Some part of him hated the fact that she would dismiss their exchange, but at the same time, he was a little relieved of the assurance that no more thought would be put on what happened for either side.
It was a rule long ago made within the circle of Last Resort. It was a given that emotions could run high, actions would be taken, and consequences that neither wanted to deal with would come back. Random Act was a code for them. It was like a call for no harm, no foul on either party. No party would be held accountable. You can't blame someone for what was said or done when their motivation was all based on the outcome of a random act.
That was all that his confession tonight would ever be. His words would be forgotten. Her kisses would be meaningless. Tonight would be like a dream. After all, it was a random act.
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A/N: This chapter is written for all of you wanting some more Akira action. I love being the puppet master stringing these characters along. I'm so sadistic in that sense. For those of you who haven't noticed yet, I've posted a prequel to Last Resort, Introspection. Please read it because further storylines to Last Resort will have references to Introspection.
Chapter 12: Random Acts
Tsukasa pushed the door open with his free arm while his other was used to support Sakurako. Her arm was thrown over his shoulder as he dragged her through the doorway. He turned to close the door, but stumbled, almost losing grip on the limp girl. After their little confrontation on the street, she seemed to just become as a limp as a rag doll. All the fight in her was gone. He moved her onto the couch and looked around, noticing Tsukushi's purse lying on the coffee table.
"Tsukushi! Are you home? Quick! I need you to come out here!"
A few muffled sounds came from the direction of her bedroom. It died down after she opened the door, revealing herself in only a bathrobe. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep. I know I promised we would go out at seven. . ." Her voice trailed off as she took sight of the young woman with her head tilted back on the couch. "Oh god! What happened?!" she screeched, running forward and shaking Sakurako to rouse her from her dazed state. She lightly slapped her on the cheek. "Wake up, Sakurako!"
"Huh?" she incoherently mumbled as her head lolled to one side. "Where am I? Why is the room spinning?"
Tsukushi pulled her head forward, ignoring the small moan of protest by the patient. She ran her fingers over her scalp, feeling for any bump. She finally found the bruised spot when Sakurako yelped in pain. "Other than a really bad black eye, she's probably got a minor concussion." She slapped Sakurako in the face, forcing her to open her eyes. "Who did this to you?" she hissed.
"Don't remember," she slurred.
She slapped her again. "Now is not the fucking time not to remember. Tell me who did this to you! I need you to remember."
"Ouch, bitch! It was Ekichi? No, wait, it was Morimoto Enichi! I feel so sleepy."
"Don't go to sleep!" Tsukushi screamed into her ear, shaking her body. "Where did you meet this guy?"
"He lives in the Hinata complex. That's where I met him, a few days ago after I snuck out from one of my dates who lived in the building. I met him in the elevator, and he offered me a ride home in his Porsche."
"How can you accept a date with some strange guy?"
"He seemed nice. He was an accountant. What the hell could an accountant do to me? I guess I learned my lesson," she chuckled. She grabbed her head and slumped over. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"What color was his car?" Tsukushi hurriedly asked.
"Red." Sakurako cupped her hand over her mouth and suddenly seemed to fully awaken. She dashed for the bathroom where retching noises soon followed.
"Fuck!" Tsukushi cursed under her breath. She reached for the cordless phone and punched in the speed dial.
"Hello. Urara- sensei? I know it's short notice, but it's an emergency. I need you to come over to my place right away. I think it's only a minor concussion, but you should come and check it over anyway. Uh huh. Thanks. Bye."
She hung up the phone and put it back into the cradle. Turning towards Tsukasa who was making a strange face at the sounds of gagging coming from the bathroom, she picked herself off the couch. "Tsukasa."
"Huh?" he absentmindedly responded, trying to calm his own stomach, which was making flip flops. He was never one to enjoy the sounds of someone puking.
"I called a doctor friend of mine. Can you stay here and watch over her until she comes?"
"Yeah, sure" he nodded. "Where are you going?"
"Out. Tell Urara-sensei thank you for the favor. She'll know how to handle the rest. I'll be back later. It seems like we'll have to take a rain check on that dinner." She walked out of the living room and into his bedroom, intending to get certain items she had found earlier. She then proceeded into her own room to change into a pair of jeans, tank top, and black hoodie. A pair of sneakers were in one hand while a duffel bag was in the other.
Tsukasa arched an eyebrow in fascination upon noticing the aluminum baseball bat sticking out of the bag. "What are you gonna do with that?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just thought I would catch up on some batting practice," she sweetly smiled. Without elaborating any more on the subject, she walked out the door.
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"Are you sure about this Tsukushi?" Yuuki worriedly asked. She wrapped her arms around herself. She stood behind Tsukushi, wrapping her trench coat tighter around her body.
"Yeah, I mean we haven't done something like this in ages," Thomas agreed. "And why was I dragged into this again? You do realize that I can't pull that 'Oh, officer please don't take me in. I'm only 17' look. Fuck, I'm too old for this. I'm 28. I can go to jail for this."
"Feh," Tsukushi waved her hand, completely indifferent to his pleas. "You're only an accomplice. If they catch you, they'll go lighter on you," she laughed.
"Uh huh. Now why didn't you call those idiots, Akira or Soujiro, to help you with this?" he sulked.
"Because I couldn't catch Akira on his cell. Secondly, we both know what Jiro would have done. He has that thing about men hitting women. Just do what I told you to do and everything will go fine. Synchronize watches!"
"Shit, she's gone all Alias on us," Yuuki muttered to herself. "Since this is for Sakurako, I'll do it."
"Thomas?"
"Count me in," he shrugged. "I would do anything for her. This bastard needs some sense knocked into him." He reached out his hand in the circle and pushed down before raising his arm in the air. "Break!"
"Twenty minutes is all we need." She turned towards Thomas. "You got your gear?"
"Right here," he answered, holding up a small book bag. "Man, this disguise itches." He scratched at the fake moustache on his face, as well as the black wig on his head. A pair of thin wire framed glasses hid his baby blue eyes.
"Good boy. Yuuki?"
"I've got it. No need to rehash the act I'm about to commit. Let's get this over with already." She repositioned the wig on her head. It was a long dirty blonde wig that flowed down her back, tickling her bare skin.
"Good girl! I'll meet you around the corner in exactly 20 minutes. Stragglers will be left behind." Tsukushi dropped her duffel bag on the ground and removed a pair of goggles. She placed them over her eyes, adjusting them to make sure safety would be guaranteed. Next, she grabbed the baseball bat and glided her hand against the cool metal. "It's time for 'Operation Random Acts of Violence!'"
"Right!"
"Oh yeah, Thomas, can you do something for me?"
"What?"
"When you beat the shit out of him, smack him once for me."
"You got it, ringleader."
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"Whoever did this must have known what he was doing," Urara- sensei observed, lifting Sakurako's chin higher. She carefully pulled away the ice at her eye and lightly tapped at the skin. "Looks pretty bad."
Sakurako sucked in her breath at the feathery touch to her skin. "I should know. Someone had to be on the receiving end of his fist." She squeezed her eyes shut, choking back the tears, hiding her pain. "Is everything okay?"
"Well, except for the minor concussion, a few scratches, and a pretty bad shiner, you'll live. I assume you'll have a pretty bad headache in the morning, but some aspirin will do the trick. Stay in bed for a few days and you'll be back to normal." She pushed back her long hair that had fallen over her shoulder, getting in her way. Picking up her medical bag, she stood up and picked up her coat. "I'll see myself out."
Tsukasa waited patiently by, outside in the hallway. He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, half awake and half asleep. It had been a few hours since Tsukushi had made her quick departure and Urara-sensei had only arrived to take a look at Sakurako an hour ago. The time in between was spent helping Sakurako hold back her hair while she retched into the toilet or lay lifeless on the tiled bathroom floor. He was worried for a while that she might die while left in his care.
"Is everything alright?"
"She's fine," the older woman sighed, pulling her coat on. She pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose and released a tired sigh. "She'll be fine in the morning. Maybe a little bruised and whatnot. For now, I need you to keep vigil on her. Don't let her fall asleep just yet for about an hour or two. She suffered a minor concussion, but you should keep a close eye on her if she starts vomiting again or feels any disorientation. Tell Tsukushi I will call her in the morning. I've got to get back to the hospital now. Goodbye."
"Thank you," he replied, opening the door for her to leave. "Thank you for everything."
She nodded her head and tilted his face up to her, taking note of the weariness in his face. "You should get some rest, too."
He waited a few minutes to gather himself before making himself known to Sakurako. He never really liked dealing with emotional women. Hey, he could barely tolerate trying to take care of the drunken women at the club throwing themselves all over him. This time it was a bit more awkward. Someone he knew had been hurt. He intently watched her lying on the couch, trying to find the best way to break the ice, but was beaten to the point.
"Are you going to stand there all night?" Sakurako laughed. She propped herself up against the back of the couch and patted the empty spot beside her.
Hesitantly, he sat down. His hands were folded in his lap while his eyes avoided looking directly at her.
"I think we've already established the fact that I don't bite. Can you hand me my purse over there?"
Obediently he handed her the item and watched her take out her pack of cigarettes, shoving one between her lips. "Maybe it isn't such a good idea to smoke right now."
"I just need something to calm my nerves," she shakily protested, raising the lighter up. Every time her hand flicked the flame alive, the trembles of her hand would cause the flame to extinguish. Out of frustration after the fourth try, she spit the cigarette out of her mouth. The lighter and pack were sent flying across the room, hitting the wall with a dull thud. "Shit,' she muttered to herself.
He remembered back to the times his sister used to comfort him after it seemed like the world was collapsing all around him. Pleasant memories of the warmth and understanding she provided filled him. Taking her example, he reached out, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulled her up against his chest. His palm moved to pet her head, smoothing out her hair. Lightly placing his lips against her head, he whispered, "Everything's going to be okay."
Somewhere in his heart he hoped those words were true.
I've heard people tell me that all my life. Why is it that every time something bad happens they say the same meaningless words: "Everything is going to be okay". You know what, not everything is going to be fucking okay. I learned that a long time ago. But for some reason. . . Hearing it from him makes me feel that maybe things will be alright after all.
His fingers stroked through her matted hair, gently tugging out the tangles, and taming the mangled mess. Reaching for a tissue, he brought her face up to his. He weakly smiled, carefully bringing the soft cloth up to her face to wipe away the dried tears, as well as the fresh ones that continued to flow. Comforting others was still a foreign act to him, but it was a role he forced himself to adjust to.
"I must look like a mess," she laughed, taking the tissue from his hand and dabbing her own eyes.
She spared a glance down at the tissue, seeing the residue of mascara smeared across the virginal white Kleenex. What shocked her even more was her own reflection in the television screen that brought upon the reality of it all. At the mere age of 20, not yet completely legal to be considered a full adult with all the responsibilities and obligations, she appeared to be years older. Finally, her past had begun to take its toll on her physical appearance. Dark circles were forming under her eyes, fine wrinkles were slowly becoming more and more defined from years of practically chain smoking, and the youthful, rosy innocence in her face long forgotten. Her body had taken a few beatings that would have aged her considerably.
I look like shit.
"You could never be anything less than perfect."
The words slid off his tongue like water in perfect ease. In a way, he looked towards the idealistic dreams of his childhood. Even now in the deepest depths of his heart, he still yearned for such sugarcoated words of endearment. They were the words he longed for as a child, and as a man.
"Thank you," she whispered. Her body edged closer to his and the stiffness in her body eased into a blissful limpness. Eyes closed, she listened in silence to the rhythmic beating of his heart, lulling her into a dreamlike state.
Tsukasa peered down to see Sakurako's eyes beginning to glaze over. Realization suddenly hit him as he recalled the doctor's previous orders. He nudged her awake, and inwardly groaned at having to disrupt her peaceful state. "The doctor said not to let you sleep just yet."
"I want to sleep," she mumbled into his chest. "So tired. . ."
"Nope. I can't let you do that," he playfully laughed, slapping her lightly on the thigh. "How about you get out of those clothes and into something more comfortable? A nice shower might be nice, too." His eyes wandered down to her dirt-stained white top and tight jeans that did not seem fit to be sleeping attire. "You can just borrow something from Tsukushi. Can you walk?"
"I think so," she yawned, stretching out lazily. She planted her palms against his chest, pushing away from him as a support to stand up. Wobbly she stood up and attempted to make her first step, stumbling in her movements. "Maybe not."
"I'll help you," he offered. Opting to avoid any further physical exertion on her part, he looped one arm underneath her knees while the other wrapped underneath her back, pulling her off the ground in a bridal position.
The sudden lift off the ground startled her. Her mouth opened to protest, but her body argued against it. She needed help.
Together they made their way into Tsukushi's bedroom. Depositing her on the bed, he peered into her closet, but found himself lost in a sea of shoes, skirts, tops, bottoms, and every article of clothing known to man geared towards the female gender. He found everything except something suitable to sleep in.
"I don't know where she keeps her nightgowns," he sheepishly confessed. "I think I might have something for you though." He ran out of the room and emerged a few moments later with a silk nightshirt in hand. "This should do for now. Just yell when you're done."
He walked out the room and closed the door behind him, hearing the shuffling of feet and the sound of the shower being turned on. Once he was assured that she was fine, he left to take care of himself. He looked down to take notice of his own appearance. The stench of cigarettes and beer lingered in his clothing from his visit to the bar earlier. Shrugging his shoulder, he made way to his own bedroom to change and grab a quick shower before retiring for the night. He looked down at his watch taking note of the late hour.
Where did Tsukushi go?
----------------------------------------
Yuuki took one last deep breath gathering her wits about her. She tried her best to calm her nerves, but it was difficult to do so after the description of Sakurako's predicament. For the mild-tempered young woman, her anger was rarely displayed. When it did come out, it was calculated, conniving, and perfectly executed. That strange flutter in her stomach causing her discomfort and last minute trepidation for her own safety and her companions flew out the window.
"Thomas."
"Yeah."
"I'm ready," With that said, she dropped her trench coat, revealing a lacy black corset and panty set. To complete the look, she donned matching garters clipped to her stockings, as well as a pair of stiletto pumps that probably could have impaled a person if used as a weapon.
Momentarily, his jaw dropped at seeing his co-worker displaying such an outfit in front of him. His mouth temporarily went dry and it took a bit of willpower to contain his libido. There was work to be done. Thomas nodded his head and took the coat, throwing it in a safe spot behind a flowerpot in the hallway. He grabbed the can of beer, shaking it violently up and down before popping the tab open and spraying the contents onto her, drenching her hair and body with it. He handed her the can and offered a towel.
Yuuki downed the rest of the contents of the can down her throat, making sure her breath would smell of alcohol, making her ruse believable. She giggled to herself, taking note of Thomas' reaction to her attire and making sure to perhaps use the outfit on Soujiro. "I am so not looking forward to spending the night in jail for this if we get caught," she sighed.
"Don't worry. I won't leave you behind."
She took one last deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand. Taking in a large bit of air, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "You bastard!"
He tried his best to keep a straight face in an effort not to break out of character. "It's not my fault!"
"You don't love me anymore! Why else wouldn't you be able to get it up?!"
He blanched at what she was insinuating, making sure to get her back for that comment later. "Come on, baby. It happens to us all."
"I can't take this anymore. You've probably been fucking that slut secretary of yours."
"I told you already. We keep our relationship professional."
"I don't want to listen to you anymore."
"Come back to the apartment already. You're drunk."
She shrugged off his hand on her shoulder and stormed down the hallway, away from Thomas who ran after her.
Yuuki took that as her cue to move onto phase two of the plan. She looked up to see apartment number 12B and began banging loudly on the door.
After a few moments a young man opened the door, scratching his head sleepily. Instantly his eyes flew open at the sight of the half-naked drunk girl on his doorstep who seemed to lack any inhibition at the moment. The small smile on his lips probably was in thanks to the gods for delivering the temptress to his door.
"If you can't get the job done, then I'll get a real man! Look! He can probably satisfy me better than you ever could!"
She leapt into his arms and pressed her lips forcefully against his. She almost gagged at the sudden contact of the vile person she was participating in the act with, but she held back her own emotions and focused on happier thoughts. Teasingly she licked his lips, encouraging him to open his mouth, allowing him to taste her. She could hear Thomas' feigned protests from behind her.
"Fine! See if I care bitch! You know what, I was fucking my secretary and she was damn good. Don't come to me when you come out of your drunk ass self!" He stomped off down the hallway and ran behind the corner waiting for her next move.
It was a frantic battle between the two for dominance, but Yuuki managed to overpower him. Her tongue darted in and out of his mouth in hard and quick thrusts, suggesting an act that she gave off as forthcoming. Pulling away, her breaths came out as heavy pants with her breasts brushing up against his clothed chest. Her nimble fingers quickly made themselves to his shirt buttons, but excitement took over. The shirt was torn open by her hands and buttons flew in all directions. Her lips trailed down from his mouth to his chest with a hunger that needed to be quenched. Down she went, bending almost onto her knees and the next thing off was his pants being pulled down to his ankles. He gladly obliged to the treatment he was getting by kicking the annoying piece of clothing away. She stopped suddenly and raised her head back to his at eye level. The smoky look of desire was heavy in his eyes, and the strain she felt as she rubbed her thigh against him was proof enough that his judgment would be clouded enough to make her next move. It came out in one deep husky breath.
"I want you to fuck me."
With the demand given, she pushed him into the apartment, leaving the door open. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him and sucking on his earlobe.
"I don't understand," he choked out.
"How about I show you what I mean?" she coyly asked, bringing her hand down to grasp him. She squeezed his hardness and ground her hips against him, making sure her intent was clear. "I want you to fuck me." She thrust up against him and bit down on his shoulder kissing the spot where the indentation of teeth marks were made. She proceeded to lick the sensitive spot and whispered once more, "And I like it rough."
Apparently no more words were needed as he turned them around and pushed her up against the walls. Surprised by his sudden actions, her back hit the wall with a loud thud, causing her to wince in pain at the sudden impact. She watched as he fumbled with his boxers trying to rid himself of the confining garment. Panic ran through her at his impatience. She loosened her grip around him and pushed him away from her. She slid down against the wall onto her feet.
"What? I thought you wanted me now?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice.
"Not so fast," she purred, running a manicured nail down his chest and stopping at the waistband of his boxers. "Show me to the bedroom."
He dumbly nodded his head and led her towards the bedroom. The lights flickered on and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I heard your little fight outside. I think I could help you with your little problem."
"I bet you could," she teased, giving his buttocks a squeeze. She spun around and looked him dead in the eyes. "Just a few things. I love it when a man plays dirty with me." Her hands connected with his chest, pushing him back onto the bed into a sprawling position. "Secondly, I'm always on top." She glided over to the bed and towered over him, sliding over him with one leg on each side of his body. She settled herself over his stomach and trailed kisses down his chest. "Do you like to play dirty?' she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes," he stuttered back, too excited and too aroused to care what she wanted.
"Good. Be a nice puppy and do as your master says." She leaned down and sucked, kissing him full on the lips. Her lips were against his as she spoke, "Baby, I can be everything and anything you've ever wanted. Play nicely and you'll get a very nice treat." She wriggled a bit on top of him, earning a moan in agreement. "Just close your eyes and let me take care of you."
"Holy fuck! I can't believe this!"
She grinned to herself, seeing him obediently close his eyes. She reached down and took off the two pairs of handcuffs she had discreetly hidden, cuffed to her ankles. She took one of his wrists, raised it above his head and cuffed him, placing the other cuff around one of the bars of the headboard. The other hand quickly followed.
His eyes instantly snapped open at the cold touch of metal against his skin and the sound of something clicking. "What the hell?" He suspiciously eyed the handcuffed arm and moved his attention towards her. "What are you doing? Get these things off of me," he demanded. He jiggled his wrists in the handcuff, showing his disdain for the bondage.
She formed a slight pout on her ruby red lips. A finger was placed on her lips showing a pensive look on her face. "You don't want to play my game?" she innocently asked with disappointment laced in her voice. She began to get up and swung one leg over to the other side. She sat beside him now, and looked expectantly up at him. "I was just about to make things even more fun," she drawled. One of her fingers moved in a slow trail up one leg towards his thigh. The other hand joined on the opposite leg until her palms in a massaging motion reached his upper thigh. They moved towards his last piece of clothing, and in one swift motion she removed them, revealing his currently rock hard and aroused state. She lowered her head with her eyes peering up at his face, watching the building suspense in his eyes. Her hot breath tickled his tip. "Well, if puppy doesn't want to play then I guess I can't give puppy his treat," she evilly grinned. She motioned to remove the handcuffs.
"Wait!" he half breathed out and screamed. "Puppy wants his treat."
"Then puppy has to play nicely," her childlike voice echoed in the room. "I do so hate it when a puppy decides to be disobedient."
"Leave them on," he begged, thrashing about on the bed, begging for attention to his lower regions to be given some much needed relief before he exploded all over himself.
Yuuki glanced down at her watch seeing that 10 minutes had passed already. Tsukushi had probably already done most of her work and the next phase was soon to take place.
Phase 2.
She absently tapped a finger against her lip. "Okay, but this puppy has been extra naughty. I think he needs to be taught a little lesson."
"Oh yes! I need to be taught a lesson,"
"I think he does too," a masculine voice responded in the background.
Enichi turned his head in the direction to the added voice. His eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?"
Yuuki brushed herself off as she hopped off the bed. She walked up to Thomas and hugged his arm, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Yes, our puppy needs to be taught a lesson on how to treat women. We're not all bitches for you to play with," she spat out at their prisoner.
"What the fuck is going on here?" he growled, trying to wrench his arms free, but finding the resistance futile.
"Smile for the camera, you poor fucking bastard," he waved while tauntingly laughing at the same time. A flash of the camera went off. "I'm going to enjoy beating you senseless."
"I'm going to kill you for this," Enichi screamed at the top of his lungs. His face became red as a slew of expletives followed.
"You're too loud, puppy," Yuuki scolded as she pulled out a long strip of duct tape and place it over his mouth. She leaned in closer to his face and whispered, "No one can hear you scream now. The next time you decide to try to rape a girl in your care, you'll think twice. I hate it when people mess with one of our own. If Sakurako has as much as a scar to remind her of your sorry ass I'll make sure you regret you ever had a dick." She patted him on the cheek with a sadistic smile on her face, which soon disappeared when she pulled back a fist and punched him in the face. She turned her back to him and grabbed the camera from Thomas' hand. "Tell me when to come back in when you're done with him. I really can't stomach the sight of blood."
"You got it," Thomas agreed as he cracked his knuckles and approached the man tied up on the bed. "I hope you don't bleed easy. I would hate to get your blood on my new shirt."
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Tsukushi readjusted the goggles on her head to make sure that her eyes would be properly guarded from the flying debris. Tapping the plastic one last time to make sure it was on tight, she lifted the bat above her head.
It's a good thing Thomas remembered how to disable a car alarm. It was even better that his technological prowess came in handy when disabling the security cameras. This only makes my job easier. If you want to hurt a man, you hit him where it hurts -- his car.
She took one last glance around the street and raised her bat in the air. Seconds later, in a large swooping motion it fell against the glass windshield. Bits of glass blasted in the air, falling in an explosion onto the ground. In the dead of the night, the deafening silence enveloped her, broken only by her heavy grunts with each swing and the shatter of metal hitting glass. No one would come looking for the source of the disturbance. That was the thing with rich people. They put the blame for no one doing a goddamn thing on everyone else who noticed and didn't make a move to call the proper authorities. As long as it wasn't their own car, it was the unlucky bastard or bitch's fault. It's funny how we let things slide and blame it all on a simple random act of violence.
Her breaths quickened, showing signs of exhaustion. The muscles in her arms were beginning to ache from the reverberations of the metal rod in her hands hitting another hard surface. The windshield had long ago shattered, exposing the leather interior to the harsh humid moisture of the external environment. She smirked to herself, taking note of the flawless paint job and the fiery red color. A man who wanted the world to know he was made of money chose red, the power color. She picked herself off the ground, hopping onto the hood and stomping her feet, making indentations. Wearily she pulled out a switchblade from her pocket and flicked it open. The silver handle emblazoned with the initials of her dead brother glimmered in the moonlight. The blade swept over the convertible top, tearing the material to shreds.
By this point, all her actions were almost mechanical. All the emotions she had held back over the years came pouring out, fueled by anger, hatred, betrayal, and most of all the bitterness at the loss of innocence. She hopped off the roof and snatched up her duffel bag, stuffing the bat back inside. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. She reached for the door handle opening to get inside. The spray paint cans she armed herself with were shaken before spouts of white and red were intertwined in streaks across the matted leather. She didn't stop until every last bit was emptied out on the interiors of his car.
The cans were disposed with the bat in the bag, and she stood back admiring her work. Her arms folded across her chest, and a frown marred the contentment that should have been on her face.
It still needs something else.
A slow smile crept up on her lips. The switchblade was pulled out once again and she set to work carving out the one word that could sum it all up. HE would learn the ultimate humiliation of the word.
Whore.
Now all we need is a little picture.
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Yuuki rinsed out the inside of her mouth with some water from the tap, gargling the water to get the disgusting taste of him out of her mouth. She jumped a little against the sink as she heard something snap, probably bone. The muffled cries seemed to soar to new crescendos in an agonizing song of pain.
"Yuuki!"
She spit the water out and turned off the lights in the kitchen, making her way back towards the bedroom. The camera strap toted around her wrist and she raised it up to her face, seeing the piece of work her accomplice had created. It was a subtle mixture in shades of blue, black, and red on his olive complexion. His lip was split and blood dripped down his chest. To top it off, Thomas had taken a lacy pink bra, managing to strap it around his bare chest. A purple feathery boa rested around his neck, while a male blow-up doll was tucked beside him. His ankles were wrapped by a sheet tied to the legs of the bed. His entire body was rendered immobile. He was the poster child for S&M with a mix of homosexual innuendo. "He still needs a little something more," she laughed, handing the camera to Thomas.
She twisted the cap of her lipstick open and straddled him. The hot pink lip color was applied to his chest bearing the name "Man Whore." She smiled to herself, admiring the job well done and slid off his body onto the ground. "Take the pictures."
Their prisoner struggled and moaned underneath his confines. All the anger to fight back was resurfacing, but he knew nothing he did could set him free.
"Come on. At least try to smile for the camera. Let's see that sexy pose," Thomas taunted as he snapped away on his digital camera. He flipped the camera around letting his subject take a sneak peek at the soon to be printed images. "Well, it looks like we're done here. We better get going." He slapped him on the leg and laughed. "Don't even think about trying to call the cops on us. If you so much as breathe a word or come near Sakurako again, we'll make sure this picture is put on a billboard, a blimp, mailed to every address within a 20 mile radius, and specially delivered to your company president. Wouldn't it be so nice if they found out one of their employees was up to less than normal behavior on his off time? Oh, and one last warning. We have more friends who wouldn't go this easy on you if they knew what you've done. Be glad all you got was this."
"Let's go," Yuuki warned him, pulling him away. She pulled him away from the room and pointed him towards the exit.
"Mhmm!"
She stopped and turned around after slinging her coat back on and tying the coat closed. "Oh, you want us to untie you? Don't worry, puppy. I left a note with your building manager to come up here and check on the electrical problem in the bedroom. He'll be by first thing in the morning. Goodbye, puppy!" she waved.
Thomas yanked her arm out the door and they ran down the emergency exit stairs as if their lives depended on it. Screaming and laughing in hysterics, they bowled over each other, heaving as they reached the bottom of the steps leading to a side exit out onto the street.
"Did you see that look on his face?!"
"I still can't believe you brought that male blow-up dummy," she laughed, gasping for air. "I think I'm going to pee in my pants if I don't stop laughing!"
He wiped the tears forming in his eyes and heard the impatient honk of the horn. "Come on," he tugged on her shoulder. "We should get going before Tsukushi decides to leave without us."
In return, she nodded her head and ran after him towards the car.
Operation Random Acts of Violence: Complete.
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Sakurako finished buttoning the last button on her shirt when she heard the small knock at the door. "Come in." She glided across the room and reached for the hairbrush on the table, trying to pull out the gnarls in her matted hair while painfully trying to avoid the burgeoning lump on her head. As her hand tugged on the comb, trying to pull out one especially annoying knot, the brush fell from her hands. "Mother fu. . ."
"Here, let me help you," Tsukasa offered, walking across the room towards her injured self. He picked the brush off the floor and slowly picked up the tangled mess her hands were working on moments before. "I've never done this before, so I apologize in advance if I do this wrong." He knelt down on his knees beside her on the chair with his head hovering over her shoulder. His eyebrows knitted in deep concentration as if he were handling fine strands of threaded silk.
Her own body stiffened at the intimate contact. It was rare that anyone handled her so delicately. Years, perhaps, since someone had knelt beside her, brushing her hair. Memories of a time long ago forgotten emerged within her. It was an act that resembled the sheer thought of home, the home she had foolishly rejected, and a home she was too scared to ever return to. It was better that way. The elderly couple never deserved to have the burden to take care of such a hellion. Her fingers deftly moved towards his wayward bang that fell over his eyes as he worked. "Your hair is straight," she randomly commented.
He smiled and continued working. "It does that when I wash it."
"You look much better with it straight."
"I'll remember that."
Their random conversation ended like that. Instead of trying to find more conversation to fill the awkward silence, they chose rather to enjoy it for what it was worth. There was too much that needed to be said, yet so much that didn't.
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"I'll see you tomorrow, Yuuki," Tsukushi waved from inside of her car.
"Okay, bye! I don't think I've had this much fun in a long time," she laughed, slamming the car door shut. Her fingers remained tightly gripped at her collar, trying to close up the trench coat wrapped around her petite frame.
"I'll be right back." Thomas patted the hood of the car and turned around to catch up to Yuuki, whom he had offered to escort back to her door. He ignored that glint in Tsukushi's face that only foretold more plotting going on inside her devious mind.
She waited for him at the curb to walk with her. The cool night air felt good against her hot skin underneath the coat. Even though a soft downward wind could be felt beneath her cover, the humidity was still causing her body to be hot and sticky in certain places. "God, I'm suffocating underneath this," she complained, picking up her pace. I can't wait to get inside the house and into some AC."
"Well, at least we got to take off the wigs. That moustache was really itchy. I have to remember that for further reference if I ever get it into my head to grow one."
"That's good. I don't like them much. Facial hair is a big turn-off for me. Kissing the guy is like rubbing a prickly piece of bark against my face. It's dangerous to kiss a guy with it. A girl could end up with some serious rug burn on her face."
"Well, girls should take the same courtesy to wax their lips, too. Geez, I've met quite few girls and I swear they could probably grow a beard faster than I could."
"Are you sure they weren't really men? Some of those transvestites can be pretty shady.
"Maybe."
She stopped outside her door, and peered over his shoulder, noticing Tsukushi toying with the dials of her car radio. She seemed oddly preoccupied with the fumbling of knobs. "So, here we are. Thanks for the escort," she smiled. The keys to the door turned, unlocking it and letting the cool breeze of the air-conditioned house blow at them.
"You're welcome." He fidgeted with his hands, keeping his eyes intently locked on hers. "Yuuki. . ."
"Hmm. . ."
Deciding to throw caution out the window, blaming it all on the adrenaline rush still in him from their prank, he pulled her towards him. His arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her from falling, and his lips bent down, tasting her. His lips melded against hers without any rushed urgency or insane passion. It was more of a gently teasing kiss that lingered, making his mind go hazy, reminiscent of one's first kiss, the one that you compare every kiss you'll ever have afterwards. He pulled himself away, keeping his emotions in check and smirked. "Since I got to break up with you tonight, I thought it would only be fair that we have a little make up at the end of the night."
"Uh huh," she mumbled, touching her fingertips to her assaulted lips. "Good night," she shakily whispered, turning around and closing the door.
Thomas released the breath he was holding, thanking the gods that she didn't press him about his rash actions. He knew it was stupid to pull something like that, but he rationalized it all out. Nervously he ran his hands through his blonde locks, trying to make some sense out of what compelled him to do that. His path of steps swayed from one side to the other in a drunken fashion.
I was caught up in the moment. That was all.
Tsukushi blinked, trying to process what she had just witnessed. She never thought that he would actually go along with the scheme she had hatched to help her two friends. Maybe Yuuki would be easier to persuade to go along with the deal. However, a frown settled over her. The kiss seemed a little too real for her. There might be something behind the act itself.
Yuuki and Thomas? Nah. Then again, stranger things have happened.
"Hey, lover boy!" she yelled as Thomas opened the car door. "That was definitely an interesting little show you put on there.
He settled himself into the passenger seat and fastened the safety belt. "Shut up," he snapped.
"Aw, come one. Don't feel like you've betrayed Sakurako or anything."
"Will you give up with that insane plan of yours? I'm not going through with it. As much as I want Sakurako to take me seriously I will not stoop to that level of messing with people's heads. It's scams like that, that get people into trouble. You've been watching too much TV to think that something like that would really work."
"It could," she smiled as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along with the rhythm of the music playing through the radio. "You two seem to need all the help you can get."
"What if we don't want any help? What if I'm happy the way things are going?"
"You do realize that Sakurako is out there right now looking for something serious. I would love nothing more than to finally get you two together. She has to come out of that denial at some point that you wouldn't go well together. You can't deny what is obvious."
"So what if it is? She's never going to come around. I've known her for what? 5 years? Not once has she ever taken my offers."
"First of all, you and I both know where she came from. She doesn't trust older men that easily, based on her prior experience. Secondly, I know you've always had a little bit of a thing for her even though there's the age thing. Eight years is kind of a huge gap, but Sakurako really does need someone who can take care of her. She can barely take care of herself. She needs someone like you who gives a damn about her."
He shook his head. "Still not going to do it. Stop pushing this. Anyway even if I did agree to do this, Yuuki would definitely not go for it."
"You don't know the lengths a woman would go to, to get what she wants."
"End of discussion." He lifted a hand to silence her. "Eh! No more."
"Let me just say one last thing. Susumu said he always saw you two ending up together. He could see the potential. You just have to make it real."
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Sakurako almost purred at the soft scraping motions of the brush against her scalp. She almost resembled a cat with its eyes half closed at having its head scratched by its master. "That feels so good." Her head rolled to the side as her body began to slump over the vanity.
"I think you've had enough. I think you've been up late enough." He scratched the back of his head trying to think of where to put her. "You can take Kaya's room, I guess. I still don't understand where Tsukushi went."
"Where did she go anyway? I don't really remember much before she left."
"I don't know, but she told me to look after you, so I'll do just that." He wasted no time and picked her up out of the chair, carrying her out of the room.
"You know, you're spoiling me. I may never want to walk again."
"I don't think my arms can handle much more of your fat ass. Now I know where you put all that food," he laughed, struggling with the wriggling girl in his arms trying to strangle him. "Stop that! I'm going to drop you if you don't stop that!"
"Punk," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
They stopped in front of Kaya's room and she was gently dropped to the ground. Her feet touched down onto the carpeting. When the lights flickered on, she stood paralyzed in the room. Colors surrounded her, wrapping her into a fantasyland of children's dreams. Dolls, toys, and books were scattered throughout the floor and in bins.
"Whoa! It looks like a tornado blew through here and her name is Kaya," Tsukasa whistled, kicking over a Hello Kitty doll under his foot. "I think you can find the bed in there somewhere." He turned to leave, but a tug at his arm stopped him.
Her face paled. "I can't stay here," she barely whispered.
It was a sensory overload for her. Her eyes roamed throughout the room, taking in all the childish knick-knacks and baubles on the walls, on the floor, and probably the bed. The finger paintings with the chicken scratch labeling the artist and the subject tore at her heart. It was too much for her.
Would his room have looked like this?
"Sakurako, what's wrong?"
She clung to his arm, refusing to let him go. "Let me sleep in your room," she demanded in an almost pleading voice bordering on begging. Quickly she covered up her odd behavior. "I don't want to be alone. Can I stay with you?"
Tsukasa focused on her face, noticing the look of utter terror there. He'd seen a lot of emotions play over her face, but changed his mind upon thinking of asking her why. It had been a long night, and he was more than willing to comply with her needs if it would allow him to get at least three hours of sleep before the sun rose. "Fine. I'll sleep on the floor."
They walked back into his room. Grabbing a pillow and a sheet, he tossed them onto the ground making a makeshift bed. His actions were robotic, seeing as how his brain had shut off about a half hour ago.
"Thank you," she weakly whispered as she reached over to turn off the lamp. Sakurako sunk low into the bed, covering herself from the neck down with the sheet. "Good night."
It was easier said than done for him to find sleep that night as he tossed and turned. His back ached against the hard floor. For someone who had become accustomed to sleeping on a soft mattress, it was a challenge to get to sleep. Finally giving up, he sat up and peered over the side of the bed to see Sakurako's back turned to him. He sighed to himself, knowing that it was the only honorable thing to do. Her soft breaths echoed in the still night, and he picked up the sheet and pillow, dragging them behind him.
Maybe I can get some sleep in the kid's room.
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The hands of her watch pointed at 4:30 in the morning. In a few hours, the sun would rise out of the horizon welcoming a new day. She was still in yesterday according to her internal clock. Her arms were sore from wielding the bat, and her eyes bleary. She didn't even remember how she managed to park her car and get into the apartment. Locking the door behind her, she dropped her duffel bag to the ground and peeled off the black hoodie she had worn to cover her head.
"Is anyone awake?" she hissed to the darkened apartment.
When no response came, she shrugged her shoulders and walked towards her room. She already came to the conclusion that Sakurako wouldn't sleep in Kaya's room due to her child issues. It was more than a surprise to her when she found her own bed empty. The only remaining place was Tsukasa's room, so she gently pushed his door open finding Sakurako curled up into a fetal position. Her eyes scanned the room finding no sign of Tsukasa in the vicinity.
Maybe he's in Kaya's room.
Her hand pushed open the door, opening it up a creak. She held her hand up to her mouth, stifling the giggle that wanted to come out. Here was the big bad Tsukasa curled under a Power Puffs comforter with his arm draped over a Hello Kitty doll. His face was fixed into a peaceful angelic pose. "Tsukasa," she whispered, nudging his arm. He only hugged the doll tighter and returned to his dreamland, ignoring her intrusion. Looking down at him, she almost laughed.
He really does look kind of cute when he sleeps. It looks like I didn't only pick up a new worker and roommate when I took him in. I adopted another kid to take care of.
Her motherly instincts kicked in, and she thought it might work if she used the same method she used to wake up Kaya when she was dead to the world. Brushing her hand across his cheek, her fingers lingered across his face, studying his features. She wrapped her finger around a curl on his head. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered sweetly, "Wake up, Tsukasa."
He could hear a voice calling him in his dreams. His body slowly began to rouse, as he turned over. For a moment, he thought of telling the sweet- voiced maid to just leave, but the back of his mind protested to not send her away. Slowly, his eyes opened and his vision slowly focused on the face in front of him.
A wisp of her hair fell onto his face, and she moved to push it behind her ear. "Morning," she smiled.
"Tsukushi?" When did you get back? Where did you go?" Thousands of questions came to mind, trying to figure out why she would leave Sakurako when she needed her the most, leaving him vulnerably alone with her.
She placed a finger over his lips. "Shh. It's late, and I need some sleep. I'll tell you all about it in the morning. I just wanted to make sure Sakurako was okay."
"Yeah, she's fine. She had a minor concussion. The only visible signs of what happened are the black eye and a few minor cuts and scrapes. She'll be fine."
"Good." She stood up from the bed, and maneuvered her way out of the dark room. It was rather funny the way she seemed to have memorized the path. "Get some sleep."
He drowsily nodded his head. A few seconds later all was forgotten of their late night exchange and he drifted off to sleep.
Tsukushi peeled off her clothes, carelessly leaving them on the ground. She would have to pick them up tomorrow. For now, sleep was what mattered. Only clad in a bra and panties, she crawled beneath her sheets and fell asleep.
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Somewhere across town, another girl was doing the same exact thing. Yuuki curled up under her covers. When Thomas had left her at the door about twenty minutes ago, the weariness in her body took over. Although she still couldn't shake the after-effects of that kiss, her body refused to let her mind linger on the idea any longer. Slowly, her eyes closed, welcoming the darkness.
Knock-knock.
Who the hell is that?
Her eyes opened and the light was turned on. Glancing on the clock on her nightstand, she took note of the fact that it was already a little after 4 in the morning. For a moment, she panicked, thinking it could be something about Sakurako. She rolled herself out of bed, nearly tripping over her shoes that had been dropped onto the floor. Without thinking, she thrust the door open.
"Yuuki?"
"Jiro?" she yawned, perplexed at his late night visit. "What's the matter?"
He stood out on the doorstep without a shirt on. His boxers hung low on his hips, and a pair of sandals adorned his feet. Judging from his disheveled appearance, he looked like he had been sleeping moments ago, which was exactly what she wanted to be doing at the moment.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw someone leaving your place earlier."
"Come inside. It's kinda weird having you standing half naked outside my door."
He nodded his head and entered. Taking a seat on the couch, he questioningly eyed her attire. "Why are you wearing that trench coat indoors?"
The greater question he wanted to ask was for the identity of the man who dropped her off earlier at the door. It irked him a bit to see her return home in the middle of the night with a strange man he had never seen before. Usually Yuuki would tell him about any dates she intended to go out on. He had come to be accustomed to hearing her cheerily chatter on and on about her date's attributes. It was questionable when she seemed to slink into the house at an odd hour with a man who left a more than friendly first date kiss. What was even shadier was the bulky trench coat she wore in ninety five degree weather.
She looked down, realizing that she had in fact lay down in bed still clad in her battle attire. "Oh, thanks." Her mind was not even thinking coherently as she stripped herself of her outer garments. "You know what, I'm really tired right now. I'm going to bed. Lock up for me, will you?" With that said, she got up and walked into her bedroom, flopping down on the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
Soujiro dumbly nodded his head, not quite processing what had happened. Whatever it was, he would find out the next morning. It was a fact, he would find out what happened. Deciding to forego the trek across the street back to his own abode, he settled himself on the couch and went to sleep.
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His mouth was filled with the disgusting taste of too much fine alcohol. That was the problem with going out with richer, older, married women. They all wanted to be finely wined and dined, something their husbands weren't willing to offer. Everything had been going fine. He got the girl, had the clothes, took her to the right places and was ready to seal the deal. Then it happened. The husband had to walk through the door during foreplay.
Nothing kills the mood better than the sound of a man screaming for his gun.
He barely even had a chance to slap on his boxers before he ran out the door. Well, at least he escaped this time with his pants in tow. It would have really sucked having to replace another pair of designer slacks.
Inside he burned with a sense of being unfulfilled. Physically he was so close to getting what he wanted, but emotionally he remained withdrawn in the situation. The words kept replaying in his mind.
"We could be something great."
That jackass.
He hated to admit it, but it stung to see Tsukushi have that look of second- guessing herself on the decision to let that guy leave. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead of him. It was too early to go home and too late to have the energy to crawl home. Switching his left blinker on, he headed towards the direction of where his unrequited answers could be found.
His mind was walking on that fine line between sobriety and drunkenness. There was just enough in his system to allow him to walk a straight line, but also just enough to blame any of his actions on the alcohol. As he reached into his pocket finding the set of keys on the key ring to Tsukushi's apartment, he unlocked the door and stumbled inside. From the window of the balcony, he could make out the faint traces of red, orange, and yellow breaking through the dark night. The sky started to lighten up from its pitch-black color to a hazy purple. Ignoring the miraculous sight of nature in front of him, he trudged towards her bedroom door. He would barely remember stripping all of his clothes off on the way there.
She was beautiful. Her soft pink lips were formed in a small pout while she slept. One hand lay underneath her head, pillowing it. She shivered a bit under the intense blast of air conditioning circulating in the room. Her pool of hair fanned out around her sleeping form with some veiling part of her face. He gently reached down and brushed the offending strands away from her face. Seeing her so peacefully dead to the world, he wanted nothing more than to wake up next to an angel like her every morning. He had searched so long, and she was the one he wanted the entire time. He stumbled over to the opposite side of the bed, and lifted the sheets up to slide in beside her. His arms snaked around her waist and he buried his face in the back of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her body. His heated skin melded against hers underneath the warmed covers. He grimaced, realizing that in his own nudity, she had chosen some modesty in keeping her bra and panties on.
Tsukushi felt something heavy move onto the bed beside her. She tried her best to control her mind, thinking it was nothing but the dream she was encountering, but her body began to sensitize to the external elements, causing her to awaken. Panic filled her as she felt arms around her. The next thing that really awakened her was the sensation of another warm body against hers. She quickly ruled out the person being Tsukasa who was dead asleep in Kaya's room or Sakurako who just didn't swing that way. She carefully rolled over and came face to face with someone she least expected to find in her bed.
"Akira?" she gasped. She moved to wriggle out of his grasp, but found his arms to only wrap tighter around her, trapping her in his grasp.
"I won't let you go," he murmured in his sleep.
"What are you doing here?"
"I don't know."
She carefully lifted the sheet only to drop them back to focus on something other than what she had just seen. "Akira! You're naked!" she hissed into his ear.
"Too loud!" he groaned, burying his face into her hair. "Go back to sleep."
"I would if you weren't naked next to me." Once again, she shifted her body, trying to move away from him, but found his arm slung over her too heavy to move and his grip too tight.
"Doesn't matter. Sleep now."
"Fine," she huffed. Turning around once again, she closed her eyes and forced herself back to sleep. "I am so going to kick your naked ass in the morning."
"Tsukushi. . ."
God, he's either too drunk or sleepy to do anything now. I shouldn't even take him seriously. Half of the things he'll say or do are probably out of his own dazed stupor. For some reason I can't really believe he is out of it. I think he knows exactly what he is doing.
"I know you're perfectly awake, Akira. Stop faking."
"You know me too well," his completely coherent and clear voice replied.
"What are you doing in my bed?"
"I didn't want to go home."
"Fair enough. You've done this before. It's good that you're here, though. Sakurako is in Tsukasa's room."
"With him?"
"No!"
"You seem rather defensive about that. Do you have a thing for him?" he sarcastically retorted.
"Of course not. You just wouldn't understand how inappropriate that statement is after what happened to her today. I don't feel like talking about it right now. Why are you so possessive all of a sudden?"
"You're thinking about him aren't you? You're actually considering what he said."
"I don't know. Maybe."
His grip tightened, squeezing her to a point where it bordered on becoming painful for Tsukushi. "Why him?" A hint of desperation filled his voice. "After all this time you would still look for someone else. I. . . I would have. . ."
She rolled over to come face to face with him. She knew what he wanted to say, and to hear those words out of his mouth would have probably shattered her soul and her heart. Tsukushi did the only thing she could do to stop him. Her lips descended on his into a feathery kiss. Tears rolled down her cheeks, falling against his lips. His tongue darted out catching a few of the salty tears. He couldn't get enough of the taste of her. Not wanting her to end it all just yet, he devoured her mouth, fully tasting her. He could sense her giving into him and becoming more responsive to his ministrations. For now, he had her body on his side. Her heart would be another thing.
"Akira," she cried against his lips.
"I just need to know why?"
She pulled back panting. This time she kissed him one last time on the lips, trailing her lips upwards on his nose to his forehead. She began close herself off to him once more. This was too much to deal with now. It was something she knew should have remained in the past. They vowed to never speak of it.
"Go to sleep, Akira." She rolled over and hugged the pillow underneath her blanket, hoping he wouldn't press her any further.
Akira laid back on his head, and stared up at the ceiling. The taste of her still lingered in his mouth. He didn't even know what came over him, and a pang of guilt came over him at the impending after-effects of what had just occurred. "Oh god, I'm sorry, Tsukushi," he whispered into the night. He waited for her reply to his apology, but none ever came. "I love you. I still love you."
She gently entwined her fingers with his at her stomach. "I know you're sorry," she offered. "Forget what happened tonight. It was all a random act."
He wryly grinned at her words. Some part of him hated the fact that she would dismiss their exchange, but at the same time, he was a little relieved of the assurance that no more thought would be put on what happened for either side.
It was a rule long ago made within the circle of Last Resort. It was a given that emotions could run high, actions would be taken, and consequences that neither wanted to deal with would come back. Random Act was a code for them. It was like a call for no harm, no foul on either party. No party would be held accountable. You can't blame someone for what was said or done when their motivation was all based on the outcome of a random act.
That was all that his confession tonight would ever be. His words would be forgotten. Her kisses would be meaningless. Tonight would be like a dream. After all, it was a random act.
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A/N: This chapter is written for all of you wanting some more Akira action. I love being the puppet master stringing these characters along. I'm so sadistic in that sense. For those of you who haven't noticed yet, I've posted a prequel to Last Resort, Introspection. Please read it because further storylines to Last Resort will have references to Introspection.