Ryou typed away at the main computer, expectantly watching pulsating lights on a map. "They should appear at any time now…"

Keiichiro placed a hand on top of his black chair, following the signal as well. He didn't bother being surprised any more when Ryou knew he was coming. "Was it wise to put her in the middle of this already? You're only following a hunch. I trust your judgment, but if you're wrong…"
"Don't worry, Ichigo can handle any bystanders. Lettuce is too worried about what others think of her as well to allow any 'outsiders' know, either." Ryou didn't look worried in the least. "Any confirmation on the latest victims?"

"No, not yet… they wouldn't let me stay close to them long enough, and they're a bit suspicious about me still. They took my application, but I think they're confused why someone like me would be volunteering at that type of facility."
"Keep trying, if you can."

"I planned to." Keiichiro fell silent for a moment, watching the young teen type away fluidly on the worn keys. "Ryou… you've been much more focused on this theory than any I've seen you before. What's making you rush so much to understand this--"
"Because I hope I'm wrong," he said grimly. He paused, turning around the chair to gaze steadily at his guardian. "The ramifications of what I'm guessing… they've never attacked this many before at one time. They're hiding something. No matter what the answer, I need to figure it out as fast as possible. I don't care what gets in the way." His eyes narrowed. "Human or not, something isn't right about this. I'm not going to rest until I find out."

Keiichiro looked down, mulling this over. He smiled. "This is quite like you. When you focus yourself on something, you refuse to give up until you find out what you want. You know that no matter what, I'll still stand beside you." He paused. "Have you scanned her yet?"
"'It'," he corrected coldly. "I'm not about to have anyone grow attachments to a thing like that. I haven't been able to track it down yet. Something's been chewing through the chords during the night…If there's a rat, we'll have to get rid of it ourselves." He smiled, grimly. "It isn't like we can just call an exterminator for here."

Keiichiro nodded, politely. "Well, I wish the best of luck to you. Are you going to keep watching until then?"
Ryou waved him away, grinning normally again. "Yeah. It couldn't hurt to watch an entire battle myself, for once. Take a rest or something." Keiichiro chuckled.
"Maybe I should go stock up on ingredients again? I might find a promising stray kitten to take home on the way."
Ryou fumed, looking as if he were a second away from throwing something. "Oh… Just, just get out already!" Keiichiro laughed, ducking out quickly as he tossed an apology behind him. That man!

x--

"Fabulous, fabulous" Francois sang, twirling the girl about in circles. Unfortunately, nobody else agreed. They were thirteen outfits in, and Lettuce had finished her own 'shopping' by now. Ichigo was, amazingly, beginning to run out of steam herself. For the life of her, she couldn't comprehend why the man had thought canary yellow would look good on such a colorless girl, but it had taken two sundresses and a violently violet cami to make him realize she wasn't a very modern mannequin. Licoris had dressed and primped at command, though having trouble learning that she had to make sure ALL of her hair was out of her shirt- and pants, as long as it was. After a few more comments on her hair, Zakuro recommended they tie it back for now, at least. She ended with a long plait., which almost, but not quite, suited her. Zakuro had decided to just read a graphic novel in the meantime. Appropriately, Fruits Basket. Lettuce dutifully brought clothes that Francois ordered for directly to them, though she was having trouble understanding the clothing terms with his outraaageous accent. "No, no, a PLEAHHTED skirrt, PLEAHHTED. Gauche and baby-blue!"

"Plates, babies and what?" despaired the girl, who wasn't understanding a single term. Heck, she didn't even understand the word Tube Top, so it was to be expected.

"Ach! You have no idea of what fashion ees, do zoo?" The man claws his balding hair, beret askew even more. Zakuro flipped a page, boredly.
"Who... is she?"
"Hm?" The teenaged model looked up to find a black-haired child in a butchered kimono top and a skirt with demonic pandas parading over it lean over her novel. She pointed a stubby-nailed finger at one of the characters chatting with ditzy Tohru and Kyo, the neko Juunishi, about onigiri for a fundraiser. "Her? That's Hanajima Saki. Hana-chan." The gothic denpa-weilding high schooler certainly stood out in the print; her solid black clothes made her figure little more than a shadow on print, the detail of slightly Medieval-styled clothing with added artistic flair blossoming in the page's background. "She's the usual silent gothic archetype, at a brief glimpse." Licoris' eyes hung on the picture a moment longer. She couldn't read the words, but she could understand the pictures. Archetype… The apathetic inked eyes boredly locked on the cat-eared Sohma stirred something. She wasn't sure what. Zakuro looked at the frozen girl, curious. Lettuce, Ichigo and Francois raged in a battle of words in the background. "Is there something else you want?"
Her eyes snapped up. "Do you always smile on cue?" The woman pulled her head back a little, surprised at the statement.
"What are you talking about?" she replied coolly, as always.

"You smiled. Frowned. Boredom. Giddiness. Politeness. Manners. Uncouth behavior." She was vaguely aware that the words she used were pulled up from her morning's 'conversation', yet it was disregarded. "You swapped them at the funny man's command. Are emotions that easy to play with?"

Zakuro paused, shutting her book with a sigh as her eyes closed. "Look, kid. I'm not aware of what exactly happened to you, or where you're from… but there is a thing known as acting." She opened one eye to look at her with warning. "Acting is a dangerous game. I'm paid to pretend I enjoy what I do. If you even attempt to keep such a façade up all of the time, you will end up burning."
Licoris didn't blink.

"Remember that."
"You're using her expression."
"Hm?"
"Hana-chan. From your picture book. You're borrowing her eyes' expression."
"Unfortunately… I'm not. This is the ugly truth of the matter." She looked at the girl with all seriousness, quite aware of the uneasy feeling of unnaturalness about her. "I do not want to be here any longer than I have to. For my friends, I allowed you to indulge. Now, if you would please hurry up, we all have much better things to do with our time than await for that 'funny man' over there to find the proper clothing to make you look like a living floral arrangement." She twitched, vaguely. "And please, do something with your hair. You look…ominous."

There was a crash beyond the room's doors.

Ichigo looked up with her and Francois' tug-of-war over a particularly revealing two-piece, suddenly alert. There was a hiss as smoke curled through the entryway. There was a distant laugh that chilled her immediately. She knew that laugh.

A shadow flicked by the open doorway.

"A Chimera---!"
Fortunately, Francois wasn't getting the hint. He looked accusingly at Ichigo, as if this were her fault. "Fraise, I simply cannot allow any more of your friends popping up. Go zee zem outside. Zakuro dahlink ah luff you but zere ees only zo much ah kin take. Unt tell Herbert zat eef he letz VUN MORE OFF ZOO ZSROUGH HERE ZAT AH VEEL GET VERY ANGRY—"

There was a resounding roar.

The Frenchman let out a strangled squeak. "Er, yes," he strangled out, starting a coughing fit. "Like zat."
With all of her childish might, Ichigo hoped that the bodyguard outside had just broken the coffee machine. From the sound of it, it didn't seem likely.

o—

"How the heck…" Ichigo bit her lip, emotions conflicted. While it is very good and acceptable for even 3rd Graders to use curse words such as the variety as 'fuck', 'shit', 'hell', 'dammit'(mostly 'damn' or 'shit', but meh. Kusooo!), such colorful language is limited to older, badass punk-wannabes or guys with more hair on their back than head. Therefore, she is stuck with the tamed garden variety, which makes her look absolutely silly saying no matter what it was originally derived from. Just so you know why I'm bothering with them.

"Ichigo?" She knocked herself out of her inner thoughts and turned to see an innocently blithe girl in a panda skirt looking at her expectantly. The poor girl would have no way to know of what was going on…and Francois was just randomly guessing at possible answers. Some of the more outrageous comments just border on the groan-worthy, so I'll save time and space by not bothering with the petty things. A-hem.

Zakuro nodded, understanding the situation. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, we'll have a chat with our…friend."
"Well, this doesn't mean you can all go leave me alone at once!" he huffed, hands on his scrawny hips. Lettuce stammered.
"I-I could always stay here and…"
"No, Lettuce. It's not your job." Zakuro waved a tired hand, though she'd done little but sit in her chair for three hours straight. Lettuce nodded nervously, always twitchy before a battle.
"Y-Yes, you're probably more reliable…"
"That's also part of the reason."
"Ah. I see."
"Well?"
"W-well what?"
"sigh Get going!"
Francois and Licoris, the eternal onlooker(s), stood/sat there(respectively) as the two had a one-sided conversation. Ichigo and Lettuce quickly beat it out of the room. The hissing grew louder.

A water pipe was hissing. In the convulsions most newly-created anima experience, the fresh one had taken a violent turn for the worse. It was definitely not a happy bunny, whatever it was.

"I'm sure we're alone enough now. Time to transform!"
Cue sparkly shojo scenes. I could describe it, y'know, but it's just gonna pop up again later. I'll save you the action sequence.

A brief flash of dissipating hexagonal lights and two sound-tracks later; a low, carefree laugh filled the air.
"Why, how immodest of you two! Changing in the middle of a hallway like that, where innocent bystanders could just walk on by!" A shadow floated in the mist, arms crossed. The voice, paired with his continuing rabble, made the figure no mystery. Ichigo growled. "How dirty you girls are."

"Kisshu!" Ichigo snarled, looking peeved. "Why do you always have to appear at the worst moments!"

"A bad time, a bad time…" A playful pout was audible in his adorable tone. "When is there ever going to be a time for us, Ichi-chan?"
"Never, hopefully!" 'Mew' Ichigo dashed forwards and swung out an arm at the shadow, which deftly leaned to the left and avoided the attack easily.
"Ah, stubborn as ever." He grinned in the darkness, lips moist from the spreading mist about them. He teleported several feet up, poised midair for spring. "That's okay. See, I'm thinking it's time that you and me saw some other people. Y'know, make new friends." He giggled at this statement, oddly enough. He was having fun teasing her- as always, ne? "I think we both need some space. Show you how much you'll really miss me. Sooo, try to live without me for awhile, 'kay?"
There was a crash behind the two girls, much like a heavy object ramming into a wall. Tiny cackles laced the alien's undertones still. "Ah, but don't worry. I'll keep sending you little 'gifts' often to remember me by. I just know they'll drive you wild.♥"

"You can KEEP your stupid gifts!" Ichigo aimed at him for an attack, quite riled already. Kisshu promptly disappeared from sight, and didn't disappear again. Lettuce tried to say something, but was lost in the din of their argument. The pink kitten looked all around, disoriented in the rolling mists. "Kisshu! Where are you!"
There was a chuckle beside her human ear. Quietly, he whispered breathily to her, sending tingles down her Iriomote-infused spine. "I told you, I have to go! But I'll be back- eventually. I always will be." She swung out a hand wildly at him, giving a tiny scream, but he was already back in the air again. "I do so hate to leave on a bad note," he said, tone dripping with sadness in his characteristic acting. "But then…if we separate after a little Lover's Spat, then I suppose that would give us an excuse to kiss and make up. Ne?♥" Slit golden eyes glowed maliciously in the dark. Ichigo shuddered, still attempting to control the shivers coursing through her. "Bai bai, kitten!" And with that, he was gone.
Ichigo finally controlled herself to stutter out something amidst her obliviousness of the growling behind her. "K-k-k-KISH!" She wailed loudly, trying not to buckle on the floor in anger and frustration. It was too late.

"LETTUCE RUSH!"
A tidal wave of water, intensified by the steam about them piled just behind Ichigo, who stumbled forwards at the force. A twelve-foot bear-like Chimera Animal with a tie flipped coquettishly on his bulging brown shoulder was now slumped onto the ground (which meant he entirely blocked the huge hallway, caging in the two Mew Mews. Still, this was better than having Lettuce chase after Ichigo's nearly decapitated skull.). Ichigo whimpered.

Whoa. THAT was close. "Thanks…"

Lettuce nodded, smiling dimly. "Sorry, I tried to warn you…"
Muscles rippled, sending a thumping heartbeat reverberating through the mist. Tendons convulsed, and slowly, laboriously, the behemoth rose again. Its distorted maw was curled up into a hideous snarl, foaming saliva dripping from its blood-red jowls. Black eyes gleamed('is eyes! Like gimlets!). Nobody was going to get past THIS guy if they weren't on the list, that's for sure.

Ichigo and Lettuce wisely took a step back. The Cat-Girl swallowed, trying her best to think up something humorous for the moment that sounded like it could actually be said in the show without the author having handcuffs slapped on her.

"Eh… think he'll calm down if we hand over a picnic basket?"

/corny dub dialogue

"I don't think he's hungry…" Lettuce said timidly, clutching her castanets closely to her chest. Ichigo paled. "Or, at least, I hope he's not… I didn't bring any extra sandwiches, anyways."

Behhh. Who said the bespectacled shy girls were always smart?

Ichigo quickly busied herself with (trying to) formulating as close to as even half-baked a plan as the poor ditz could. Lettuce wished she'd have had the spine to stay home today. Both thought it would be REALLY nice if Zakuro was here right now. Unfortunately for all, they lacked both brain, backbone, and an exceptionally sharp (for a model, hey!) supermodel (quite literally) crime-fighting (er sorta not but eh) badass… who was currently ignoring a prattling Canadian and reading about half-german crossdressing middleschoolers turn into adorable yellow rabbits from hugging an onigiri girl. Ohohohoho, Momiji-kun, is there no situation you cannot brighten?

In short: 'Were screwed'.

x--

Had Licoris even known such an action existed, she would have been kicking her legs rhythmically, waiting for the other girls to return. This would have been a perfect moment to shop some more and actually FIND some outfits that WORKED, but unfortunately, they weren't allowed out of the general vicinity of Zakuro. Francois was busy trying to look offended instead of afraid, but his mind kept wandering away to another matter. She noticed this. She also noticed the total lack of worry on Zakuro's face. She might have not been around for long, but she certainly knew explosive enterings weren't supposed to be /that/ large.
She strained out an ear, hearing people talk. Well, there is someone. Ichigo didn't sound happy.

Nervous mutterings of a mousy Lettuce, pealing whines and screeches of the bubblegum-brained Ichigo (she hadn't learned about Masaya yet, of course), and then... the low tones of someone else. It began as light, airy laughter. Her ears rang.

The noise drizzled in volume slowly, until for a moment all was silent. Something inside of her began to lie in sleep again. Then came the laughter. Not the laughter from before… no, this was different.

It was chillingly harmonic.

This would have meant little except for a stirring inside, until someone had forgotten about the others in the next room. She screamed. The noise reverberated through the mist, clanging through the air like wind-chimes on the bottom of a pan. A stuttered echo in reverse.

"KISH!"

The sound died as soon as it met her cold ears.

Something pulsed beneath the surface, a thousand and one screams of identical, spiked emotion rang from deep within, as if tugging to get outside- or inside- of her body.

Her skin rippled at whatever had abruptly woken, a similar yet completely uncopied version of what she had witnessed at her farewell to Ryou. She would later find out this was called a 'shiver'.

With inhuman quickness, she impulsively floated to her feet. Zakuro had, of course, heard the noise as well, but the reaction was for Licoris only. How did she hear such a faint noise? Francois was befuddled. All he had heard was a thinly-strung squeal. He was more surprised that a mouse would even FIND his way into THIS high-end establishment. He would certainly take it up with the managers posthaste…
"Zyoo afraid of ze mice zat much?"

With alarming quickness, Licoris snapped her head around to stare straight at him. More startling was that she had never moved so quickly in the entire life they'd known her. It looked as if her slender, brittle neck would have broken in two at the motion, and the accompanying actual 'snap' made from her bones did NOT help matters. Francois winced, visibly.

Zakuro hadn't put down her book and stood up before the girl had disappeared in a flash into a rack of clothes. The model was alarmed. Oh, HELL, if she was thinking about going even NEAR the battle… She was about to dash off, when Francois made a strangled squeak. There was a noise as loud as a waterfall just outside the hall.
Bloody… sigh.

"Stay here," she ordered with such vehemence he shrunk back at the very glare. The woman was off between the coat racks, tail flicking beneath her (thankfully) long trench coat. This week was definitely a manifested Murphy's Law, Francois thought miserably. Nothing could possibly have gone worse if he had TRIED. If only he would wake up soon, it would all be better…it all started after his, er, 'accident', anyways! Curse those artistic ones.

o--
(I hate to extend this to yet another section, but my rambliness got out of control. Only two more at most and this flippin' battle'll be over. Promise!)