014 - How to start the show and chase shadows
Most Sekirei are straightforward individuals, it's something of an inevitability, when they're born and raised as warriors. Sure, some of them can be tricky or act in roundabout ways, but their main priority is always the conflict and to, as the Professor is so fond to say: 'fight and fight and fight until only one remains'.
… Even the supposedly intellectual Brain-Types have something of a blind spot when it comes to the Sekirei Plan.
Yahan is nothing like that. She's always had a knack for thinking a step sideways and seeing things from a different perspective. That's why she didn't follow her batchmates into the city proper once they were released. Instead, she sank into the shadows and… doubled back into the building to do the thing she does best in the world:
Stalk an interesting individual to figure out their secrets.
Shimada Momoko was her target of choice. A frighteningly competent woman of mysterious origins and even more mysterious motivations. An endearing Ashikabi who put the growth of her Sekirei first and was more than willing to show her affection for them in her own particular way. A privileged individual in a position of power over the Sekirei plan, who already had one of the strongest contenders amongst her flock.
For a while, she entertained the idea of winging herself to this woman. The more she learnt about the Ashikabi of the Disciplinary Squad, the more she felt like she was a worthy candidate. Especially after taking her time to investigate the competition and finding most of them… disappointing.
Stalking this woman had ruined her for other Ashikabi.
Unfortunately, a reaction never happened. As much as she admired the human, their personalities just… didn't click. She considered going for it anyway, to give up the dream of a Fated, Ideal Ashikabi that would be a perfect match for her and embrace the reality of a Capable, True Ashikabi that would give her the best chance to win the Sekirei Plan.
But the heart wants what the heart wants in the end. Today's visit to the Disciplinary Squad offices was her last attempt, a bit of a pointless and hopeless chance she gave herself, of some miracle happening and a last-minute reaction solving her dilemma but... Well, it doesn't seem to be working any better than the past twenty tries.
Shimada Momoko is alone with Karasuba at the moment, sitting at her desk with a cup of coffee in one hand and a stack of papers in the other while the Sekirei leafs over some indistinct leatherbound book. This situation is Yahan's least favorite one, because she can't help the feeling that the Black Sekirei knows perfectly well she's here and is only indulging her by ignoring her presence.
Which is nonsense, because how would anyone notice her presence when she's one with the shadows? She's not even technically there at all! No, it surely must simply be Karasuba's well-deserved reputation putting her on edge and imagining things.
"Number 88 got winged earlier today. It appears to have been a compatibility winging." The Ashikabi is saying. "I thought you'd like to know as soon as possible."
"Little Musubi reacted to her Ashikabi, huh? Good for her." Karasuba's features seem to soften for a moment, only to immediately make way for a bloodthirsty grin. "Our little wager wouldn't have meant anything otherwise."
The Ashikabi hums noncommitedly, taking a sip from her cup before looking up from her papers with an arched eyebrow. "Does that wager mean anything at all anymore, I wonder?"
"Don't get cute with me now, Momo-chan." Karasuba tries to pass it off as her usual vaguely threatening nonchalance but there's something ever so slightly off about it. If Yahan didn't know any better she might even think the older Sekirei is pouting. "Who's the lucky monkey?"
"One Sahashi Minato. Eldest child of our dear and ever-frowning overseer."
"Oh? I'll have no choice but to expect things from this Mina-chan if he's Takami's brat." Karasuba perks up, looking vaguely interested in the news. "She's actually pretty great for a monkey, a shame she doesn't have any Ashikabi potential or I might've reacted to her ages ago. She reminds me a lot of you."
"I hear the son has some trouble asserting himself, especially around women with strong personalities."
"In other words, a spineless coward, huh? There go my expectations." Karasuba deflates right back into her relaxed posture, letting out a long breath tinged with disappointment. "Musubi-chan is going to run all over him. Good traits can't always breed true, I guess."
"It's probably not as bad as it sounds. We are working with rumors and hearsay here and those always exaggerate. He's certainly never had a solid, auctionable psych-eval done by a competent professional." And there's no doubt in Yahan's mind that the Ashikabi has actually searched for those. That's just the sort of woman she is. "On the other hand, rumor says the daughter, one Sahashi Yukari, is a lot more like the mother. And there's a good chance she has Ashikabi potential too."
It's kind of amusing how this woman keeps saying things like 'I hear' or 'rumor says' as if she hasn't investigated them in-depth already. Who is she trying to fool? Not Yahan, that's for sure. Not after this long keeping an eye on her.
"Musubi-chan reacted to the wrong monkey then, a mini-Takami would've made for a great Ashikabi..." The Black Sekirei groans before, her lips spread into a teasing smile. "Maybe even give you a run for your money, Momo-chan."
"I always welcome all challengers." The woman replies primly, fixing her glasses in a way that makes them shine in an ominous way. "But I think it's too soon to give up on the brother. He still may surprise us."
"Well, of course he might. He's Musubi-chan's Ashikabi, after all."
"Or maybe it will be the sister we should keep an eye on?" The woman ventures distractedly, attention already back on the papers. "Maybe she'll find a promising Sekirei and be the one who surprises us in the end."
"That's not going to happen." Karasuba states with finality. "Musubi-chan is special, it has to be her."
Yahan can't help but feel personally attacked by that comment, her hackles bristling at the dismissive reply. It's one thing to know that Single Digits are inherently superior to the rest of the Sekirei, but being so casually and utterly dismissed as a threat by the older Sekirei stings something fierce.
… Maybe she's not all that different for all those straightforward warriors she was making fun just a moment ago.
"Only time will tell, I suppose."
"Yeah, only time will prove me right."
The conversation winds down at that point, the whole room falling to silence except for the sound of paper rustling whenever either of them flicks a page on their respective reading material. Thinking the conversation is over, Yahan is about to leave when the Ashikabi breaks the silence again.
"Speaking of traits breeding true, there's a good chance of the father being a certain mad scientist."
"Of Takami's brats? Well, I can confirm Takami and the Professor had a… thing at some point." Yahan almost breaks cover with a yelp of surprise, because that is a juicy piece of gossip she had never heard about. Takami seems to despise the Professor nowadays. "But I never knew they had procreated. I'm afraid I never bothered keeping track of the dates, so I have no idea whether they fit or not."
The grimace on Karasuba's face as she speaks about the topic makes no mystery of her thoughts on the whole business. Or maybe she just dislikes the idea of humans having romantic relationships in general, she can be a bit of a hypocrite like that, sometimes.
"For all it's worth, he is a potential Ashikabi, so that much fits." Momoko Shimada nods along, lifting her eyes from the documents to glance at Karasuba. "Wasn't there a story about a Single Digit reacting to him?"
"Yeah, he broke Kazehana's heart with his rejection. Not that I particularly care about that drunkard."
"Funny that. I seem to remember something about a Gunpla collection and someone tripping all over the exhibit? "
"Oh, that." Karasuba smiles fondly, as if remembering a particularly cathartic or wholesome experience. "Terribly clumsy of me."
As the conversation veers away from interesting topics again, Yahan stops paying attention for real. Not even a hint of a reaction, looks like she'll have to accept reality and move on. At least, she has a new hint for a potential Ashikabi.
Sahashi Yukari, eh? Daughter of a badass woman even Karasuba respects and the Professor, who apparently was a strong enough Ashikabi to make one of the Disciplinary Squad react. She's also been acknowledged by Shimada Momoko as potential competition, and that's high praise if Yahan has ever heard any.
Looking into her might be worth her time.
As Yahan leaves the room, lost in her thoughts and already trying to work out the best way to track down someone in a city as big as Shinto Teito by name alone, Karasuba lets out a thoughtful hum and takes a glance towards the spot the Shadow Sekirei had been hiding in.
"She's gone." Momo-chan says the moment their stalker's presence vanishes.
"Yeah." Karasuba nods along. "You never told me how you can tell when she's around."
"The same way you do, shadows darken when she's doing that 'one with the shadows' trick of hers." Momo-chan answers nonchalantly, eyes still on her papers. "It doesn't take supernatural senses to notice, just paying attention."
"Always so hard-working, Momo-chan!" Karasuba praises with a smile, opting not to make a big deal of the whole thing in spite of the ridiculousness of the statement. One grows inured to that sort of thing as it keeps happening. "Should we get back to the real plans?"
"Indeed. Kochou has been keeping an eye on our last hopeful, but there's been no progress so far."
"Are you sure you still want the Scrapped Number around?" Karasuba asks, a hand going to the handle of her blade pretty much on reflex. "It might not be her fault, but it doesn't change what she is now."
Her thoughts about the Scrapped Number are… complicated. She's never cared for the whole winging process, much less for all the mystique surrounding the concept, believing that a warrior should be capable of standing on her own, without depending on anyone (like Miya). But that was before Momo-chan happened.
After experiencing Reaction and Winging by herself and now that she has the perspective to compare both her old and current points of view in life… Her stance on the matter is nowhere near that clear. No Sekirei should be deprived of the choice, at the very least.
Much less by an incompetent monkey with delusions of relevance.
"She's strong and devoted." Momo-chan speaks up, snapping her from her reverie right in time to realize she's gripping the handle of her blade hard enough to make it crack between her fingers. She might need to replace it later. "And I'm fairly sure what's happened to her can be undone"
"That's why you're waiting on Professor Mushroom?" Not a reason to spare his life, of course, but maybe a good enough reason to keep him alive a bit longer. "You think he'll pull it off?"
"Not in a thousand years." Momo-chan denies without hesitation. "But I could be wrong, I'm not an expert on the field and I can't spare a couple months right now to become one."
"Fighting words there, Momo-chan. What's the plan, then?"
"Trying to force the issue will cause far more problems than it will solve, so we give him his chance. But the moment he gives up I want your sword so high up his ass he can lick his own shit out of the blade."
"I can work with that." Oh, yes, she can work with that. She's already licking her lips at the mental image when an idea occurs to her that makes her lips widen into a teasing smirk. "But didn't you just say you didn't want to cause problems?"
"Don't play coy with me, Karasuba." Momo-chan huffs. "We both know Dr. Matsutake will try to flee the country the moment he realizes he cannot undo his own stupidity."
"You want me to fall on him like a sack of bricks the moment he tries." Karasuba nods in understanding. "I'll go along the boring way, I guess. A bit surprised you don't want to do the deed yourself"
"Believe me, I do." Momo-chan growls out, her flawless mask finally slipping a tad under Karasuba's incessant prodding. "But I refuse to let a lowlife dictate my life and it would probably be a bad idea, anyway."
"A bad idea? Oh." Right, Momo-chan doesn't want the other monkeys to know how strong she really is. "Leave it to me, then."
Done with the topic, she leans back into her chair to keep reading the many, many stories the monkeys have made up to justify their fear of crows. It's intensely satisfying, somehow, to learn about the admittedly witty and sometimes utterly farfetched myths surrounding the most awesome of birds.
… But she can't quite get back into her reading, somehow. In spite of herself, she finds her eyes wandering up towards the form of her Ashikabi, who continues efficiently and dauntlessly making short work of the multiple papers on her desk.
"Um… Momo-chan…" She finally speaks up again after a while of this. "I know you're concerned about the whole debacle with the Scrapped Number, but…"
Karasuba feels utterly out of her comfort zone trying to… well, trying to comfort someone. But she doubts any of the younglings have noticed how poorly their Ashikabi is taking the whole business around the Ice Sekirei. There's a difference between knowing she's upset and actually understanding where she's coming from.
But Karasuba… Karasuba understands failure. And what's more, she understands the loneliness of a failure nobody else understands. Of being praised for falling short of one's actual goals, of struggling towards something nobody else can even see. (Of the eyes she wants to fill with pride staring right past her instead and)
…
…
… Wow, did she get horribly sappy out of nowhere or what? And that's why she doesn't like digging too deeply into all that empathy bullshit. Momo-chan is tough, she can handle it until the time inevitably comes for her to pull off something crazy and get her way in the end.
Yeah, best to leave the matter lying for now and distract her instead.
"But don't forget to pay attention to me too, or I might start feeling lonely, okay?"
"Are you asking for a date?" Momo-chan asks with a rare teasing smirk on her lips. "I wouldn't mind the two of us going out on a mission sometime soon, maybe kill some drug lords or government black op squads if we have the chance."
Oh, yes. Nailed it. Whoever said feelings are hard to deal with clearly had never met Karasuba.
And she didn't even need to swing her blade!
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