A Toll on Her Psyche
Dear readers,
Thank you for stopping by and reading my story. It is always SOO nice to both see and hear that you enjoy my writing. Thank you all for your comments, reviews, kudos, follows and favorites. I appreciate them immensely!
Chapter eleven is finally here and with that I would like to point out that A Toll on Her Psyche, as well the few following chapters, is basically the core of this fanfic. This particular chapter was also the very first segment I have ever written and, until now, it is the longest chapter we have had so far.
And, the Tokyo Mew Mew 2022 remake is out! Wow, I have tears in my eyes haha
James Birdsong - Thank you for your comment! I am happy that you still find my story enjoyable. Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters as well!
DrDark7 – Thank you for your comment! You are absolutely right. This chapter is officially the first one that marks and triggers the real drama of this story. In a way, it could be understood as the 'new arc.'
Kishlover985 – Thank you for your comment! I am delighted to hear that you enjoy reading my story so much. Hopefully, you will like this and the upcoming chapters as well! They are my personal favorites.
MarikoXoD – Thank you for your comment! It makes me very happy to know that you enjoy my story and that you find it entertaining. And, there is no need to thank me haha. I quite enjoy writing it. More things are yet to come, so get ready!
AnimeRoxx – Thank you for your comment! I am glad to hear that you enjoy reading my fanfiction so much. I hope that you will like this chapter as well. Things are gonna get a little more dramatic from now on!
skaairipa_96 – Thank you for your comment! I am elated at the fact that you still love reading my fanfiction so much. It makes me really happy to hear that. And, I also hope that you will find the upcoming chapter(s) equally interesting!
NeKoGirl – Thank you for your comment! And, yes I totally agree! Ryou is so funny sometimes in his very specific blunt 'Ryou' way hahaha. I am glad to hear that you like him so much in this story! I personally like him too. But I like Kisshu more!
Chuchu - Thank you for your comment! I am happy to hear that you enjoy reading my story. As for your question, so far we have T rating but it might go higher than that because I personally see some scenes that are yet to come as M. Stay tuned and let me know your thoughts!
As always, please enjoy and review!
I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew
Ichigo was standing at the bar by herself, still completely perturbed by the magical way of beverage services on Cyclonia. With all her friends scattered haphazardly around the ball room, she could only wonder what everyone had been up to. She remembered catching a sight of a blue dress and purple hair a couple minutes ago, which suggested that Lettuce was with Pai, and she had also seen Pudding and Taruto on the dance floor, a scene that had literally made her laugh. Ichigo had no issues picturing Mint and Zakuro in between the social schmoozing and Ryou was probably out of his mind with all the potential research material walking around him that Ichigo did not even want to know what he had been doing.
The party was splendid, so to say. With Pai and Taruto shortly joining them after the initial opening ceremony, the girls and the blonde had managed to get a hold on some drinks and subsequently revel in the atmosphere of careless pleasure and relaxation. And, just when Ichigo had thought that Kisshu was a no show, he had made a quick appearance as well, keeping the auburn haired girl on her toes, the former sense of rest gone.
He had not said much though, at least to Ichigo. Nevertheless, he had ordered another Strawberry juice for her, for which she had been utterly thankful since all the dancing and talking had gotten her mouth super dry.
"Would you care for another?" he asked in what sounded almost as genuine concern with no ulterior motive, but his orbs bore into her with the same scorching intensity that never failed to remind Ichigo of the complexity of their relationship. Her mind reeled with images juxtaposed against the ideas of what it would feel like to be with Kisshu. What was it about him that had made her so excited whenever he was close? Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe as if someone had knocked the air out of her lungs? Ichigo could sense the rising tension between them when they found each other's eyes and she blushed profusely. Seeing that dark, openly lustful expression on his face made her body generate various carnal sensations, all of which her last shreds of rationality had tried to unsuccessfully block. All it took was one look, really, and she felt like she could melt into a puddle all over again. Why could it not be easy? But, with Kisshu, was it ever easy? First, they had started off as enemies destined to kill each other and now there was that so called girlfriend of his posing yet another obstacle between them, even if they no longer had to fight. Was life simply testing her?
"N-no, this should do," Ichigo declined politely, when she finally broke eye contact and let her gaze rake over his form. Similarly to Taruto and Pai, Kisshu had been wearing a black suit, but his tie was emerald green, matching the color of his hair perfectly. He knew that he looked good, and Ichigo knew that he knew that she knew that too, so she tried her hardest to keep a neutral face. Of course, that had proved exceptionally difficult; all the more so when she noticed how hungrily his golden irises had been scanning her figure.
Ichigo was aware that he had been staring at her, or better yet, at her chest, as Mint had not failed to inform her about later. Did that mean that he was still attracted to her? It must have, right? Because if he truly did want to be just her friend as he had so vehemently claimed, he would refrain from leering at her like a total pervert; and, this weird friction between them would be over, but it wasn't. Completely unable to communicate with each other on any meaningful level, Kisshu and Ichigo had thus reverted back to the staring contest which had commenced during their first night on Cyclonia at the fancy dinner. Its primary objective remained unchanged: to test the boundaries and see which one of them would last longer.
But other than the staring, nothing much had happened, to the Mew Mew leader's dismay. When he had finally left the group, Ichigo could only sigh and hope that after a few more shots, the alcohol in her blood would help her regain her confidence and make her find him and tell him how she felt. She had no intention of approaching Kisshu in front of everybody and hence figured it would be easier to drink a little more before she took the things in her own hands. One kiss was all she needed to know for sure. That was, however, easier said than done. Especially, when it was vital to have a Cyniclon near her to provide the necessary alcohol to her system.
Realizing the major error in her judgement, she exhaled sharply.
"These celebrations do get a little stressful, don't they?" a female voice came suddenly from her left and Ichigo turned to meet a pair of blue magnetic eyes.
"Princess Yuri," Ichigo stammered, readjusting the hold on her drink which threatened to spill at any moment. The silver haired girl was standing in front of her, with her intense gaze transfixed on Ichigo's reddening face. Up close, she looked even more beautiful, if that was even possible. To her side, the green haired bespectacled alien from the welcoming ceremony was lingering around, his lips in straight line and his eyes cold and calculating. Ichigo felt far more intimidated by him than the actual ruler of Cyclonia.
"Please, call me Yuri, Mew Ichigo," the Cyniclon princess smiled warmly as she neared closer to the flustered Mew, "I came here to personally thank you for saving our planet so please drop the formalities. I'm not your superordinate but your equal. Call me Yuri from now on, ok?"
Ichigo's mouth was hanging open. Truthfully, she was dumbstruck by such a down to earth approach, since, to her, Yuri seemed as a completely different person now, as opposed to the time during her speech. She still held the air of strictness and power, but her professional voice dropped a notch and she allowed for a more relaxed visage.
"Ok," catching on to this, Ichigo smiled back, "then I would like to ask you to drop the Mew part too and call me just Ichigo."
"Deal," the alien beauty nodded before wrinkling her nose a little at the sight of Ichigo's drink in her hand.
"What are you drinking?" she asked, curious.
"Some sort of cocktail that is idiosyncratic of this tradition, or at least that is what Pai told us," Ichigo pulled a face. Despite being at the party, Pai had not lowered his guard and remained his detached, boring self. Ichigo made a mental note if she should have made that bet with Mint, whether or not alcohol could affect his social skills at all.
"Ah, the punch," Yuri's brow loosened up, when the idea hit her.
"Yup, probably," Ichigo agreed, wincing as she took another sip, "it's not that good, you know."
"Gato," Yuri addressed her until then motionless companion, whose eyes immediately glowed with red light, "See to it. Now."
"Yes, your highness," he bowed and teleported himself away.
Yuri sent Ichigo an apologetic glance, when she spoke again.
"You're not the first person to note that. This year, the punch seems to taste obnoxious for some reason, don't ask. I have no idea why. Would you like me to order something else for you?" she inquired, her eyes trained on Ichigo's surprised stare.
"Thank you but you don't have to. It's fine. You surely have better things to do."
"Oh, please. What is better than taking care of our guests? Besides," Yuri flashed her with a toothy grin, "I totally agree with your statement."
The girls exchanged a look of understanding before they both burst into sincere laughter.
"What will it be then?" Yuri shifted her attention back on the task at hand, as she calmed her breathing.
"One strawberry juice," Ichigo requested and, upon remembering her goal, she quickly added, "with vodka please."
"Understood," Yuri replied and soon afterwards a glass appeared in her hand.
Accepting the drink with gratitude, Ichigo could not help but marvel, "I just can't get over the way how things work here," she admitted, awe-struck, "I mean, how the drinks here just magically materialize in your hand. That is true magic, if you ask me. I wonder who is paying for that."
"The government, of course," Yuri cackled, waving her off before she stopped short, gaping at Ichigo incredulously.
"Your drinks are not served that way on Earth?" she questioned, her pupils widening.
"Hell no. We usually have a person tending to the guests. We call them a bartender or a barista on Earth. It's a girl or a guy who would make the drink right in front of you while you watch them, handing it to you directly afterwards once you pay and that's it."
"A very hands-on approach, I like it," Yuri's blue orbs momentarily flickered away from Ichigo when Gato reappeared next to her from the shadows.
"Your highness," he began in a level-headed tone, devoid of any emotion, "the matters have been taken care of. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, Gato, that is more than enough. Dismissed," Yuri responded solemnly.
"Very well," he turned on his heel and, bowing deeply, he disappeared in the ripple of the air.
Ichigo regarded the place where he had stood only a second ago timidly. There was something creepy about him, the fact that he had not even formally introduced himself to her made her think of him far less as of human, or alien, and far more as of Yuri's extended shadow. It was as though they were two halves of one person; with Gato being the darkness that complimented Yuri's light.
"Does he ever scare you, vanishing and reemerging here and there like that?" Ichigo ventured curiously.
"Not at all. I'm used to Gato, he is one of my most trusted advisors I was allocated and I hold his opinion in high esteem," Yuri answered simply, "he is just a little reserved with strangers, so please excuse his rude behavior. He means no harm, it is just the way he is, always rather watching from the background."
"Ah, I see," Ichigo lifted the corners of her mouth weakly but the idea of spending any alone time with Gato still crept the living hell out of her. To Ichigo, he was even creepier than Pai, because she had not the faintest idea what really went on his mind.
"Gato is very trustworthy," Yuri continued, "He is my second pair of eyes and ears, which is convenient when you have to order a bunch of Cyniclon males around all the time."
"I bet," Ichigo agreed but internally shuddered at the memory of Ryou's cautious words. When she looked up again, her eyes were met with Yuri's expectant face.
"So how are human guys different in comparison to Cyniclons? Do they have more difficulty following your orders due to the smaller size of their ears?"
Ichigo gave a nervous laugh, "I'm not quite sure if the size of the ears has anything to do with it. I think it's more connected with their personality than anything else."
"You're right. All our guys here have big ears and they surely ain't using them properly. The punch is one of many examples of that."
Ichigo decided that she liked Yuri. Yuri was congenial, with a good sense of humor and very welcoming; a nice change from all the stern and uptight Pais and womanizing Kisshus.
Kisshu.
A twinge of pain coursed through Ichigo's body at the mere mention of his name.
As though she could read her mind, Yuri voiced another quizzical question.
"Are human guys womanizers?"
"W-well some of them are," Ichigo said hastily, "not everybody though. What about here?"
Yuri's smirk stretched further down her face, "I would say that it is a rarity if someone isn't. Don't take the flirting so seriously, it is natural for them to butter you up so that they can get you on their side."
"Thank you for the warning, Yuri," Ichigo giggled, but inwardly sweat dropped. Had Kisshu just been polite to her all these years? No, that could not be true. He had told her many times that he had loved her. He had died for her. There was nothing flirtatious about that. But she came to the realization that she should stop giving that much thought to Kisshu's jabs and flirty attempts, as, apparently, he was merely following his cultural standards.
"You're welcome," Yuri beamed.
"Do you have a boyfriend, Yuri?" Ichigo asked suddenly.
"I am actually getting married next week. On the last day of the celebrations," Yuri announced, a cheeky grin passing over her expression.
"Congratulations, that is awesome!" Ichigo rejoiced at the news with real happiness in her voice.
"Yes, it's not bad. Although I hardly think I would ever marry if the government did not push me to do so," Yuri's features slightly twisted at that notion and Ichigo could tell that she was truly not a fan of the patriarchal values that had ruled over Cyclonia for so long.
"Well, either way, congratulations. That guy is lucky to have you," Ichigo concluded.
"Why, thanks. You are talking from experience after all, so you must know best what I am dealing with," Yuri chuckled.
"Even though I have not yet seen him, I am sure he should be very grateful to have you by his side," Ichigo winked upon which Yuri temporarily paused, a bit confused.
"That is weird. I was more than positive that you two guys have already met each other. Considering how much you fought on every day basis, I would have thought you would want to catch up in no time. But, perhaps, I was wrong. Luckily, we do not have to care about the issues of the past in the new era anymore, now that the peace was successfully restored."
"Huh," Ichigo was lost, what was Yuri talking about? She could not dwell on it for too long though because the beautiful alien girl grabbed Ichigo's hand all of a sudden and the two of them started moving together.
"Don't worry, I'll reintroduce you to him. He is here somewhere. We just have to find him," Yuri's lips twitched upwards, as she pushed through the party attendees.
"O-ok."
"So how are you enjoying the party, your majesty?" a cheerful voice snickered from behind him, startling him in the process. Glancing over his shoulder, Kisshu was immediately presented with an eyeful of light blue hair and a twinkle of dangling jewelry which was both bright and blinding.
"Don't call me that, Elton. You know that I hate it," he groaned, displeased with his friend's antics.
"Haha, but how else should I call you Kish? It is quite impossible for me to call you just Kish and not get beheaded. Old habits die hard, so I'd better start preparing for the change of semantics, lest I make a slip in the future," the blue haired alien shook a chiding finger at him in mock disapproval.
Kisshu rolled his eyes but laughed. It was nice having a drink with someone who did not try to suck up to him and offered mockery instead of flattery. It felt good. Apart from Pai and Taruto, he enjoyed Elton's company too. These Military academies proved that the bonding experience created there was thicker than blood, or water.
Kisshu took another sip of his drink and grimaced. He should have gone with plain scotch on the rocks. He knew that much now. This shit was way too sweet for his taste buds.
"I don't know what they have put in the punch this year, but it tastes like crap," Elton stated, as if hearing his thoughts.
"Could not agree more," Kisshu conceded.
It was a calm party. All the invitees seemed to be having a good time and the intergalactic peace was finally reestablished. All thanks to the Mew Aqua and their mission on Earth; the fleeting image of red dress tightly wrapped around her bust assaulted Kisshu's mind and he had to lock his jaw and shake his head involuntarily before his thoughts could wander elsewhere.
"You okay?" Elton asked, slightly concerned.
"Yeah, all good. You should worry more about whoever prepared this punch instead cause I'm gonna fire his sorry ass tomorrow first thing in the morning," Kisshu seethed with murderous intent in his tone.
Elton let out a chuckle and the two relapsed into a friendly banter exchanged only between two companions whose friendship had lasted the test of time.
Ryou Shirogane was not used to partying.
He actually hated parties altogether. Too many people, and too many lights. For some strange reason, nevertheless, this party was acceptable, even for his standards.
It could have been due to the fact that the blonde scientist's body was in a dire need to wind down at last. Or, perhaps, that this trip had proved to be far more work than he had expected. Whichever it was, it did not matter; with the new data disclosed and all of the mysteries of Cyniclons and the Mew project within an arm's reach, Ryou felt like he could not stop now.
"Hey there, danger stranger," he heard the sweet voices cut through his train of thinking, as two full round lilac bosoms filled his vision.
Or maybe he could. For a brief moment.
Turning around, Ryou gave his company a quick once over.
They looked pretty attractive, for aliens. With their long toned legs and flat stomachs, both of the girls in front him left the blonde silently wondering how it would feel like to touch their skin, and whether or not it would prick.
"Ladies," he dipped his head in acknowledgement which instantaneously earned him a pair of satisfied grins and laid down the foundations of their conversation.
"So you are from Earth, eh? Me and my sister always wanted to meet a human. Wanna play with us a little?" the girl closer to him purred and the seductive tone dotting her voice was not lost on the male scientist.
The rational part of Ryou's brain thought that this was a bad idea; mere inconvenience that would only slow down his work progress. Notwithstanding, the same rationality also dictated that there was an infinite depth of research on the actual alien bodies that Ryou could conduct, which would ensure that there was no way he would leave the scene empty-handed. Plus it was not an everyday occurrence, so to speak, to be approached by two sexy alien females who were more than willing to become his test subjects without any personal reservations. Making his mind, he smirked and said.
"Sure, how about we have another drink?"
Yuri dragged Ichigo in between all kinds of aliens. As they varied in both size and shape and there was absolutely no telling what gender they were either, Ichigo restricted her apologies whenever she bumped into someone to a simple 'pardon me' or 'I am sorry.'
"Yo, Ichigo. Look where you're going," a distinctly male voice made her head spin around before she could utter another slew of gender neutral excuses.
"I'm so sorry…sir?" she paused to a halt when she met face to face with her blonde boss who was holding two identical ladies on either side of his body. They were both really beautiful and even reminiscent of the human kind, save it for their angel wings and lilac scaly skin.
"What are you doing, Ryou?!" Ichigo practically hissed at him.
"Research? What else?" he asked as if she was dumb.
Oh my god, she internally groaned and then remembered that Yuri was still holding her hand.
"Yuri, this is my boss and the author of the Mew project, Ryou Shirogane. And these are…..his friends," Ichigo tried to keep her voice as even-keeled as possible.
"Princess Yuri," both of the girls immediately bowed and Ryou, being in between them, did not have much of a choice but to follow.
"Nice to meet you," he finally muttered, as he managed to slip his hand out and outstretch it towards Yuri.
"It is very nice to meet you too, indeed," Yuri smiled.
Ryou lowered his head and, regarding that as a signal to end their interaction, he turned back to Ichigo.
"I will be busy tonight, so don't expect me to come early," with a cursory glance at his company, he further added, "maybe I won't be coming at all."
"I know, research can get tiring," Ichigo gritted in between her teeth and mentally slammed her head into the wall.
"Don't do anything stupid, Ichigo. See ya. Yuri," he nodded and left.
Ichigo could not believe him. He was totally womanizing right in front of everybody. Again, she chose Ryou as her confident exactly for his immorality; still, seeing him act so, so improper in broad daylight was a mental smack across her head. She needed a moment to compose herself.
All the events of today finally started to take a toll on her psyche.
A deep breath, Ichigo. That's all that you need. One deep breath.
"Do you like that boy, Ichigo?" Yuri inquired and Ichigo jolted from her trance, suddenly realizing that Yuri was until now standing directly next to her.
"Oh, no. I mean yes, but we are just friends. He is my boss. My boss and a trusted friend. He just behaves weird on vacation and it's embarrassing that's all."
"He seemed to me like he cares a great deal about you," the silver haired girl countered.
"Pffft, yeah. Believe me, right now I'm not even making his top 100 favorite people list. Considering how many different aliens are around, he must be geeking his pants out with all the potential experiments and testing that he hardly has time to think about his comrades."
Yuri hummed thoughtfully but said nothing and Ichigo was happy for that. The last thing she needed was to talk now. A drink; a drink was what she needed.
"Yuri, how about we-"
"Oh, there they are," Yuri exclaimed with joy at her find, when she identified her fiancé with no heed.
Ichigo followed her line of sight and spotted two dark figures at the further end of the room. How Yuri could tell her beloved from the rest was beyond Ichigo's comprehension but such was the power of real love, she thought.
As they started approaching the duo, Ichigo became acutely aware that most of the guests around them were now only Cyniclons, which made all the bumping and consequent apologizing, to her relief, a little less complicated. She also noted how handsome the Cyniclon males were and she caught herself frequently staring at their fine features unabashedly. With their bodies well-built, muscular yet lean, and all wearing suits, which made any man, or alien, in Ichigo's mind at least, ten thousand times more appealing, they looked irresistible. Were all the male Cyniclons so hot? God, she needed a drink. She was getting boy crazy! And the idea that she had just reprimanded Ryou for the very same thing not even a minute ago made her cheeks flush in shame.
"If you are interested in meeting Cyniclon guys, wait till you see my cousin. He's a real hunk. A bit of a jerk and hard to deal with most of the time, but a fine man, nonetheless," Yuri quipped when she noticed Ichigo's difficulty to fall in stride with her.
"Uh-oh."
Upon coming closer to the two figures, Ichigo paused and let go of Yuri's hand.
With their backs turned on her, neither of them could see her. But Ichigo saw them alright.
She heard Yuri's jovial voice and watched with fascination, as the alien girl slowly wrapped her arm around one of the guys' waists and kissed him lightly on his lips before turning back to her human companion and pulling her in between the group with her.
It took Ichigo only one look to realize that both of the guys that were now staring at her were insanely hot, just as she had predicted.
What she had, however, not predicted was the fact that Yuri's arm was firmly tied around Kisshu's body.
