Chapter 11
Eris: TT isn't here. She's been struggling with an English essay due on Monday, and she accidentally knocked herself out with the book she's supposed to be using. But no fear, I've got everything she wants to say to you on this piece of paper! Ahem:
Bull's-eyes are a certain kind of lolly- they're similar to humbugs, except they're red-and-white instead of black-and-white, so they have a different taste. Sorry, that should've been explained better last chapter.
TT remembers that ghost's thoughts are unheard with living people's thoughts- that's why Eris thoughts are so faint and Hana hasn't worked out whose thoughts they are yet. Eris' thoughts are sort of heard in the 'echo' of Kyo's, because she's getting all her power from him.
Also, TT might've done some research on ghosts via internet for the story- and discovered seen ghosts are the most uncommon kind, usually you only get icy feelings, poltergeists, flickering lights and the occasional moving items. In the story, its based on; the more power a ghost has, the more they can do- only the most powerful of ghosts can be seen by everyone. (That's for whomever it was that emailed TT to ask about what the limit of Eris' power is… Sorry, best explanation TT've got)
TT's not very sure about how she did Kagura's personality; I think she might've overdone it a bit. Sorry- give her suggestions on how to improve it and she'll see about going back and work on her dialogue.
Eris: Well, that's it people. Now enjoy the story, and TT what you think. And how great and wonderful I am, of course! What? Oh come on people, help the dead girl boost her confidence a little by humoring her!
"Any eights?"
"Go fish." Ah, the wonders of boredom on a Saturday afternoon. Both Kyo and Eris were content, at that stage, to simply laze on the roof playing card games.
Except poker- Kyo had gotten mad and accused Eris of rigging the cards in that when she beat him 3 rounds in a row.
"Hey, whose that?"
Kyo turned to where Eris was pointing, and then froze. The colour drained from his face, and he ducked when the dark-haired girl looked up towards them.
"Kyo? Who is that?"
"Kagura." Kyo tensed again, as if expecting the girl to have heard his quiet muttering.
"Wasn't she the one who you said was really crazy about you? And not in a good way? I think you said she was the psycho, obsessive boar." Eris leaned over to get a better look at the girl that scared Kyo so much. "She doesn't look that bad."
The look that Kyo gave her bluntly and obviously questioned her sanity, "You think I've exaggerated, don't you?"
Eris grinned sheepishly, but nodded enthusiastically, "Yep!"
"Kyo!" Two heads flicked to the side to see Kagura standing below, "I know your up there- your always up there! Come down Kyo, please!"
"See? She said 'please'."
"And all the evil villains in the movies have English accents, what's your point?"
"What could it hurt to just go down?"
"My head, my back, my face, my ribs and the rest of my body, my pride, my sanity, my brain... Hold on, let me think, what else is there that's capable of being injured?"
"Oh come on, you have to be exaggerating- what kind of girl deliberately hurts someone they like?"
"That one."
"Kyo! Who are you talking too?" Kagura was briefly worried- was what Haru had said, and that Kyo had cracked and started talking to thin air?
"Just go down."
"I think I'll stay here."
"She'll find the ladder eventually, and then she'll be mad that you didn't come before."
A long pause, "I think I hate you." And with that and one final glare, Kyo nimbly leapt off the roof. For a moment he was freefalling, and the next he was on the ground, kneeling as gravity made itself known properly again.
The next moment, he found it hard to breathe, because Kagura's arms were wrapped tightly around his chest.
"Kyoo!" Said teen winched at the volume, struggling to breathe against the grip of his cousin. "Why don't you ever come to visit me, Kyo! I miss you when your not there!"
Eris wasn't sure what happened. She must've blinked, that was the only explanation to how she could have missed it. One minute Kyo was simply having his ribs broken, the next he's crashed into a tree (which then looked very sorry for itself) and was sagging against it on the ground. Had it been a cartoon, the ghost would've expected his eyes to have been swirling.
"Kyo! Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Ah! Kyo, your bleeding! Oh, my poor, poor Kyo!" Kagura pulled the semiconscious cat towards her, resting his head on her chest. The orange-haired boy made a noise that might have been an attempt to speak.
Shigure looked up at a sound of knocking on the door to his study. "Tohru? You can come in if you want!" No one else in the house would actually bother knocking. There was a pause, and then another knock.
The dog of the zodiac sighed and got out his chair and walking to the door. He waiting until the next knock started, and pulled the door open.
He glanced around the hallway, confused. The room was empty. There was another knocking sound, this one from just beyond his sight of the hallway. Frowning slightly, Shigure walked towards the sound.
In this fashion, the dog quickly found himself at the back door to his house, a quick knocking coming from the other side. Shigure flung the door open. A few meters away from the house was Kagura, kneeling near a slightly bashed-looking tree. She was holding someone, lying on the ground, against her. Someone that seemed half-dazed, and yet was still struggling out of her death grip. Someone with orange hair.
In his usual, easily distracted style, Shigure completely forgot about the knocker as dirty thoughts over the entire scene entered his head.
With much convincing, Kagura let go of the cat; who immediately tried to get reacquainted with the strange phenomenon known as 'breathing'. His mind finally cleared, and the cat's eyes focused, only to kind Kagura's face just above his, looking worried.
"Kyo! Are you alright?" Said boy quickly got to his feet when Kagura looked around ready to give him another rib-cracking hug. He took a step back to get some space between himself and the boar, and felt a sensation of utter cold going through him. Without even thinking about it, he took anther step back so he was not standing in Eris.
The ghost turned around and gave him a weak smile, "You were right about her, Kyo."
The cat gave a sound that obviously meant 'duh!'
Eris ignored the sound, watching with the cat and Tohru somehow managed to distract the boar and lead her elsewhere. Eris gave her friend a guilty look, "I'm sorry I didn't listen before- I should've known what you were talking about, you've known her for years! …Should we run away, now?"
"That's the only smart thing you've said all day." Kyo turned and walked towards the forest around the house, "Come on. And bring the cards- I was just about to beat you before this whole mess started."
"As if! We both know I was going to cream you!"
"You wish."
The next day, someone knocked on the door to Shigure's study. The dog looked up, and quietly walked towards the door. When whoever was on the other side knocked again, he flung the door open with a cry of 'aha!'
Tohru let out a startled cry, jumping into the air and spilling the tea that had been in her hands.
"Oh! Miss Tohru! I'm sorry, my lovely flower, I thought you were someone else…"
Kyo, who had been just down the hall at the time, looked at Eris, who laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head with a hand.
"I don't want to know…"