Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the concepts of the Xenosaga games. I'm just playing with them, and then I'll put them back in their boxes, Mommy, I promise. I'm making no profit out of this story, and if you sue me, you'll only get a few lint balls. I wouldn't bother with it, really.
I do own this story, and plagurizing it would make you a sad, sad, creepy little person. It'd also make me angry, and I bite. So save yourself some rabies shots and don't even try to nick it, okay?
Currently unbeta-ed. If you'd like to volunteer for the position I'd love you forever.
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Chapter Three
The Peony River was indeed as beautiful as it's name implied, Shion was forced to admit. Wood floors were kept in pristine condition, and the walls were made of a thin plastic that mimicked the texture of rice paper nearly to perfection. It would have been a little too eerily like her house if it hadn't been for the low lighting and the red lanterns in the entryway that tinted the silhouettes of the dancers in the club a bit further on. The entire effect was indeed spectacular. Shion felt as if she had been submerged into water the same color as MOMO's hair. Miyuki squealed excitedly. "See, Shion? Now wasn't this worth the wait?" Shion gave her co-worker a droll look. Waiting outside in the autumn weather, feeling exposed and rather like a cut of meat on display in the outfit Miyuki had coaxed her into changing into... it was not exactly what Shion had had in mind. However, it had been rather gratifying that the bouncer had whistled as he gave her a once over and had let them both in immediately rather than sending them back to the end of the line as he had several other would-be patrons earlier.
"The club might be, but these shoes are some sort of primordial torture device aren't they?" Shion brushed her hair back carelessly, earning a smack across her hand from Miyuki who had spent quite a while "perfecting" both her own and Shion's hair. "Now now," Miyuki murmured, applying what must've been her thousandth coat of lipstick, "They make your legs look like a mile long."
Shion shook her head. "Yeah, yeah... well they're gonna make my feet into bloody stubs by the end of the night." Miyuki smacked her gently across the arm. "C'mon, Chief, you've complained less about having to debug KOS-MOS's neural processors. And that took several all-nighters, so..." A girl in a stylishly modified kimono and cat ears approached them, handkerchief hem displaying legs made delicate-looking by the odd heeled sandals she was wearing, attatched by ribbons that wrapped around her calves. "Welcome to the Peony River," the young woman said, voice raised slightly to be heard above the low thump and murmur of the music that was beginning to be audible as Shion and Miyuki got closer to the dancing section of the club. "I am Koneko," a cat's tail flicked behind her easily. Shion watched it, interested. Was that a cybernetic implant? Those were definitely not cheap, and meant that Koneko was a Realian. The implants hadn't been approved for human use, as far as Shion had heard. Miyuki squealed, "Oh! How cute!"
Koneko smiled demurely, obviously used to the reaction. "Thank you. I am one of the newer models, specifically equipped with serving protocols to suit the Peony River's needs. My sisters within are the two other subtypes available, Usagi and Kitsune." Koneko bowed slightly, "Please allow me to inquire as to whether you will be drinking tonight?"
Miyuki was bent over, poking Koneko's tail curiously and cooing, obviously not listening to a word that the catgirl Realian was saying. "Definitely," Shion sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. No wonder Miyuki had been so eager to come here. It was obviously an upscale otaku club.
An hour later, and Shion had completely forgotten that she even had feet. Light and sound swirled around her as she weaved around the dance floor, giggling as she was picked up off her unsteady feet and whirled around in the frenzy of the Peony's dance floor. Part of her acknowledged that there was something very wrong, as she was not at all into the club scene, and she had already been felt up in the excess of five times. However, the majority of Shion's brain was simply to happy and giddy at all the affection and sparkly things around her. Hands moved down her back, and Shion let them, nearly purring. She let herself start to be led toward the back of the club, humming a little broken tune.
יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ, כִּי-טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן 1
Unnoticed, the words fell from her lips, inaudible against the music. And yet, there was one who heard them. Eyes widened, lips parting in the breathless exhalation of a name. "Shion..."
עַל-מִשְׁכָּבִי, בַּלֵּילוֹת, בִּקַּשְׁתִּי, אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה 2
It was almost surreal, the part of Shion that was still lucid mused. To go so long protected by near insurmountable walls, and have all those years worth of effort and insecurity shattered by what must've been a small pill or powder slipped into one of those neon drinks she and Miyuki had been downing en masse. And what was it that her mouth was spouting anyway?
Yeshua. The word seemed to almost be whispered against her ear, accompanied by a ringing noise -- a noise she'd heard before...
"Shion?" A gloved hand touched her wrist hesitantly before taking hold. Shion stumbled as the man leading her tried to pull her away. Looking up at a frustrated frown and questioning aquamarine eyes, she tried to say something, anything --
"Yeshua," she giggled. chaos's grip tightened painfully and his eyes widened. Shion blinked at him, glazed gaze blank. "Yeshua?"
"Hush, Shion," he murmured, staring at the other man until the man slunk away, ashamed.
"I'll take you home," chaos murmured, wrapping an arm around the brunette to keep her steady.
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A/N: 1 and 2 are verses of Song of Songs in the original Hebraic text. The verses are basically about kissing and I chose them because of the double meanings. Yeshua is also from the Hebraic, which, as many people know, is another name for Christ. However, I have made a discovery! Shion is very closely tied to chaos, and KOS-MOS... No worries... It'll come out in the next chapter. Suffice it to say, it's all in the name.
COMING NEXT CHAPTER: Drunken revelations! Affectionate Shion! Temptation! Seduction! Gloves come off, and nothing will ever be the same again. Are you ready?