A/N: Yay~! Lots of research was done for this chapter, but it was worth it~! XDDD This was super fun to write and I hope you have fun reading it~! Since its chapter forty-five (woo!), I thought I'd do something special and have now overloaded you with Koizumis. More to come next chapter, too~! Enjoy~? o^^o
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. (or shape!)
Chapter Forty Five; Lucid Nightmare arc
I groaned as consciousness invaded my senses, making me all too aware of the irritating strip of sunlight pouring over my face from, what I assumed was, my window. Despite being annoyed that my sleep had been interrupted, I felt very refreshed from my deep sleep. No dreams, as I could remember – just absolute peace. It was very nice and I felt completely refreshed. My eyes blinked open drowsily before snapping open as I spotted the time on the clock – 2:30 PM. I was freakin' late to school!
I bolted out of my bed quickly before tumbling to the floor painfully as my leg got caught in my sheets, a black blur dashing away just in time before I accidently squished him. I sighed to myself, pushing off the ground slowly to relieve my face of being pushed into the carpet. There was a loud rush of footsteps bolting up the stairs and, before I knew it, Kaito had busted my door open – which banged loudly against the wall – before spotting me on the ground. He rushed over, expression concerned. And considering that I'd passed out in front of him yesterday, it was a given. I internally smacked my face at the stupidity of actually passing out from lack of sleep. It was kind of a blow to my pride.
"Alice-chan, are you alright?" Kaito asked, picking me from my crawl-position on the floor and hauling me back onto the bed gently. His brows furrowed when I nodded soundlessly, rubbing sleep from my eyes. He brought his hand up to cup my forehead after pushing away my bangs. He sighed in relief, quirking a smile. "It seems your fever went down. That's good."
I blinked curiously. I had had a fever yesterday? Well, that explains why I passed out – another stab at my pride. "Kaito-niichan, aren't we supposed to be at school?" I asked quickly as I remembered the subject of school. He raised a brow with a grin, "I can't send you to school when you passed out due to a fever. And I couldn't leave you alone, so I skipped." He chuckled, sounding more than a little appreciative to have the excuse to avoid school. It was my turn to raise a brow, but he was already turning to walk out the door of my room.
"By the way, Akako told me that she'll watch over you tomorrow. I can only manage today, since I've skipped school a lot in the past and if I skip anymore, I'll be held back." He laughed, turning to give me a sheepish look. "Wait, you're not gonna let me go to school tomorrow? But tomorrow's Friday!" I protested. I had a kanji test on Friday and I didn't exactly want to miss it and I probably already had quite a few pieces of missed work that would need to be finished over the weekend. Guh…
There goes my free weekend.
Internally waving my weekend goodbye mournfully, I watched Kaito as he shifted into a stance I recognized from when my mother would scold me about skipping school. "Alice-chan, you collapsed. You need to rest, not worry about your kanji test." He scolded lightly and I flushed at the accusation. He knew me too well by now…
"Okay…," I conceded hesitantly, biting my lip as I refrained from whining some more. He had missed school to take care of me, after all, and was still letting me stay at his place. He was practically my savior in this place, as by no means would I ever live with Conan. Ever. Can you imagine how many cases I would probably get dragged in? I mean, so far, I've been through a few by being his friend, but living with him? That would be like living with my own personal shinigami. No thanks.
He brightened immediately, going back to a casual pose. "There we go!" He cheered at the compliance, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go make you some soup." He announced, already on his way out before I could protest the offer. I rolled my eyes fondly, falling back onto the bed, Kin coming back up from the bed where he'd jumped away at my earlier stumble. He sent me a sour look for almost squishing him earlier before settling on my neck comfortably, now his usual spot of choice when we went to sleep. At first it had felt like I'd suffocate during the night, but now it was just a normal thing, even if his fur tickled my chin.
"Sorry about earlier, Kin-chan…," I trailed with a chuckle, easily gaining his forgiveness when he licked my collarbone as I began smoothing out the fur on his ears. I shifted, eyes darting to the window sharply before I relaxed. That was when something else came to mind.
Hattori Heiji had actually sniffed me out yesterday.
I groaned, frowning to myself as I slung an arm over my eyes in 'woe'. Having Heiji know about my shrunken-ness wasn't exactly a problem, but that certain thing will lead to other questions if he continues to dig into my life. And if there was anything else that he would figure out, it would be that Watanabe Midori didn't exist or, worse, that I wasn't from this dimension. That would inevitably cause more problems and then there was the slight chance that Heiji would meet up with 'Kaitou Jester' and then would unravel my identity from there, too…
Detectives were pests, I decided with a heavy sigh, but they were also helpful. Maybe I could consult Heiji if he figured out about the dimension thing and he'll help me get back home? Or maybe…
Shaking my head, I ignored the thoughts, sitting back up and maneuvering Kin to my lap gently as Kaito came back in with a bowl of warm chicken soup on a tray. "Here you go! Eat up~!" He chimed happily. "Thank you, Kaito-niichan." I murmured, clapping my hands together once with a small whisper of 'thank you for this meal'. He chuckled, ruffling my hair in good nature before heading back out the door with a 'you're welcome~!'. I stared down at the soup blankly for a moment before picking up the spoon and dipping it in the broth.
It was warm.
ooOOoo
"You collapsed." Akako giggled creepily as she walked in Friday morning, just as Kaito had left the house, "Sometimes I think you're a strong person, and other times, you make it your job to prove me wrong. So, which is it, Alice?" She questioned in a mysterious tone as she took a delicate seat on the couch beside me. I looked up at her with an offended scowl before blinking in interest. Akako's usually loose hair was now placed in an elegant bun, some strands that had been missed framing her face as a chrysanthemum decoration highlighted her deep red hair prettily.
"Is there a special occasion or something?" I questioned as I realized that, for the first time since knowing her, Akako was wearing a light amount of makeup – gloss shined on her lips and eyeliner brightened her fiery eyes. It was strange, especially since Akako didn't need makeup, let alone think she need it, either. She smirked at me derisively, like she knew something I didn't. Which, she probably knew plenty more, but let's not dwell on that.
"Today is October 31st." She stated, as if that explained everything. My eyes widened in question, beckoning her on as I swung my legs absently. She sighed lightly as she rolled her eyes in annoyance at my lack of knowledge. "For most witches, especially my family, our New Year is on All Hallows' Evening instead of at the beginning of the actual year." She explained with a hint of exasperation in her tone. I stuck my tongue out in retaliation for a brief moment before smiling.
"So, you're dressed up for Halloween?" I chuckled, feeling more than a little amused at the query. She raised a delicate brow at my immature question before nodding all the same. "Yes, the Koizumi Clan has a gathering every year in celebration. Though, sometimes, it's a hassle to make the effort to go and see those imbeciles." She gave a small laugh that sent shivers down my spine uncomfortably. It seems like she really doesn't like some of her family members…
"I-I see…," I trailed, not really knowing how to respond before something occurred to me, "Oh, were you supposed to go there early? I'm sorry. You didn't have to watch over me. I could've taken care of myself, without Kaito-niichan knowing, you know." I apologized, feeling a bit bad for holding her back from seeing her family. Even if she didn't like those 'imbeciles', it's always nice to see your family if you haven't seen them in a while. Her smirk grew amused at my apology and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, feeling like she was plotting something.
"Actually, we're supposed to meet later, at about ten." Akako said before standing up from the couch already. "In fact, the reason I came here to watch you was to see if you would like to join me. If I have to endure another of my family's reunions, I might as well drag you down with me. Besides," She cooed as she watched my face pale, "My father has been meaning to meet you, as well as some others."
Akako's family? "U-Uh, I think I'll pass – I mean, this is a family event and I wouldn't want to intrude, you know?" I rushed out nervously. If Akako was still creepy after knowing her for so long – and she'd probably always be a little creepy – then going to see her family was a little… Well, it was a scary thought, to put it bluntly. Who knows what kind of people would be there, right? I shivered at the scary thought.
"You forget, Alice. You're a Koizumi now. And you, technically, are dimensionally related to us, even if you hadn't taken our last name." Akako quickly picked up the pieces, determined to get me to go with her. "Besides, my father won't mind and I'm sure no one else will, either. Minoru-kun has been curious about you, either way, so you'll have someone to talk to. He's fifteen, only two years older than you." She added, as if it was some type of bribery. And then came the thing that really caught my attention, "And onii-sama will be pleased to see me bring a guest for a change."
"'Onii-sama'?" I asked incredulously, "You have an older brother?"
She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes and by the look, I realized I was caught. Her mouth quirked up as she brought a hand up to her cheek, nodding. "Yes. Would you like to meet him?" She questioned slyly and the look on her face was sinister. I hesitated a moment, but curiosity got the better of me. Against my better judgment, I nodded slightly.
And as Akako grinned, I immediately regretted my decision, suddenly feeling very scared for my future. She nodded decidedly, hitching her bag up her shoulder a bit before heading to the front door and slipping on her shoes easily. I followed behind a lot slower than I usually would have, frowning. "Where are we going?" Although I had questioned it, I still slipped on my sneakers, Kin following alongside me leisurely. She sent me an absent glance as we headed out into the chilly weather of fall. "Well, do you have a kimono?" She inquired.
I raised a brow, "No, I'm from the US, remember? Why?"
"Despite it being a 'family reunion' of sorts, it's a formal celebration. All woman are required to come in kimono while men are required to come in suits." She explained, not looking bothered by the weather at all in her slight clothing of a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. "That's…weird. Usually family reunions are casual." I intoned before I could stop my mouth and I found myself blushing in embarrassment at having somewhat insulted her family's tradition. "Er, sorry."
She gave a bell-like laugh. "It's no problem, dear. The only real reason its formal is because the head of the clan is there and another elder." Well, that made sense, I guess. Being respectful and all was a given in the face of the head of the clan and elders. A thought occurred to me as we turned the corner off of Kaito's street, heading in the direction of Ekoda's shopping district. "Wait, you're going to get me a kimono?" My brows furrowed in disbelief.
"Yes, though I'd prefer it if you came as Midori instead of Alice. I don't particularly feel like explaining to my family that you were shrunken by some mysterious organization. They tend to jump to conclusions…," She sighed, once again sounding exasperated. I raised an amused brow, "I see."
The shopping district came into sight and Akako guided me over to a public bathroom where I could change into Midori, clothes that the witch had dug from her bag shoved into my arms before she left me to change. I quirked a half-smile. What had I gotten myself into?
I was going to spend Halloween with an actual coven of witches/warlocks.
ooOOoo
"A-Akako-neesan…," I trailed uncomfortably, staring at myself in the full-length mirror. After battling to put on the kimono properly – I eventually just asked for assistance (my pride was almost nonexistence by the point I tied the sash with the bow in the front and Akako had kindly informed me that traditionally, a bow in the front signals that you're a prostitute) – I had finally managed to get it on. And I looked weird. The kimono was beautiful, a light pink with cherry blossom designs delicately trailing down the left shoulder and under the waistline secured with a decorative sash, but…I still looked weird.
Awkward, more like it. The pink clashed strangely with my hair and skin color and it looked a bit too feminine on me, for some reason. I frowned deeply as I stared at Akako's face through the reflection. She looked like she wanted to laugh, damn her.
"I…," She began before looking away politely as she swallowed her laughter. "I think you'd look…better in a different color." She finally managed, smirking behind her hand. I rolled my eyes, nodding in grudging agreement before heading back into the changing stall of the small shop.
I came out again in a different kimono, this one a light blue that had scenic views of the sunset trailing down the shoulder and down at the hem of the fabric. I glanced into the mirror again, turning slightly to see if the angle made it look any better. This time, Akako couldn't stop the shrill laugh that escaped from her lips, thoroughly amused with how I looked in the clothing. My face turned red in embarrassment, "I-It's not my fault! I'm American! I'm not supposed to where this type of clothing! We can't pull it off like you guys." I grumped, already heading back into the stall to change back into the western clothes Akako had given me and ditch the witch.
She could go see her family alone, for all I care. I could always figure out about her brother later.
"Wait a second!" Akako called out once she subsided her laughter and she rushed over before I could shut the door on her. "Here, I think this would look better." She smiled, genuinely, and shoved a pile of dark grey fabric into my arms. I blinked but she shut the door on me before I could ask. I sighed and began to change once again. Now I remember why I hated shopping for clothing so much – it was always like this…
Once I had managed to get the kimono, I went out once more before blinking at the mirror in surprise. Due to the kimono's dark color, I didn't look awkward in it as I had in the pink or light blue, since I almost always wore somewhat dark colors and the simple design of white carnations blooming on the shoulder and at the hem of the fabric was oddly fitting. It actually looked…nice on me, dare I say it. Akako smirked in the mirror. "See? I told you."
"Y-Yeah…,"
Akako brushed back her hair before heading to the check-out section, picking up a pair of zōri on her way there. "Get changed and we can go back to my place. We still have a lot of things to do before we go." She announced and I stared blankly before hurrying back into the changing stall.
ooOOoo
The 'lot of things' Akako had mentioned was baking. Lots and lots of baking. And, for once, we were doing everything – her butler was only watching in case something caught on fire, or something of similar nature – which was strange, since usually the demon did everything in the house; cooking, cleaning, laundry, ect., ect. The first thing we made was a cake – which Akako had me haphazardly decorate – and then we moved on to several different kinds of wagashi. By the time we were done, it was already six in the afternoon and I was sick of cooking (even though I usually had no problem doing it).
"So...now what?" I questioned, chuckling as Kin chewed on my finger in a bored manner, licking off some flour from our recent cooking spree. Akako took off her apron, placing it on the table easily, before her hands placed upon her hips demurely. "Now, we get ready. While you were decorating the cake, I took the liberty of calling Kuroba-kun and telling him that you'd be spending the night with our family. He agreed after I told him your parents were here for the night." She seemed amused at that fact.
"Get ready? Aren't we only going to get dressed? And, sure, it takes a while, but–" I began before I was cut off by the redhead.
"We're not going to just get dressed. I still have to figure out how to tame that bird's nest you call hair and touchup my makeup while I decide what to do with you." She hummed, "Besides, after baking so much, we have flour all over ourselves. We both need to take a shower again." She sighed lightly, "I'll go first, since you take forever." She didn't heed any of my protests as she walked out of the room, heading to the bathroom.
With a sigh, I headed to the living room to wait.
ooOOoo
The leaves of the Ekoda Forest floated down to the ground, shades of dark red and orange as the sun had gone down, the moon now high in the sky and shining down from its crescent shape above. Akako's demon butler trailed behind us, pushing a cart carrying all the confections we had made earlier in the day along the dirt path that had magically appeared when we began our journey – it certainly hadn't been there earlier. By now, I was used to things randomly popping up – especially if it was only something as un-creepy as a trail – and was walking along it slowly beside Akako.
"Hey, Akako-neesan…," I started, feeling the beginnings of anxiousness bubble in my chest. I was going to meet Akako's family. My footing stumbled for a moment in the unfamiliar shoeing as I avoided a large branch before I regained my balance shakily. Walking in full zōri (with tabi) and kimono was comfortable, but getting used to it was a bit difficult. Kin seemed to get a kick out of the clothing, though, comfortably resting with his head hanging out the small dip of the kimono at my neckline, just above my juban. "It really will be okay if I go, right? I'm not even sure what we do there…," I frowned. Now that I thought about it, all of this completely slipped my mind earlier. Fail.
Akako smiled calmly, easily leading the way. She was adorning a beautiful scarlet red kimono that had beautiful, intricate, designs scaling down the left shoulder and sleeve and below the waistline, wear the obi was secured around her small waist. The whole outfit was shimmering slightly in the light, making me believe it was probably made out of silk or something similar. "Like I said before, don't worry about it. Truthfully, they told me to bring you, but it wasn't until today did I decide it would be a good idea." She explained, "You seemed a bit jumpy during the week, but you seem fine today. Besides, you could use the loosening up." She huffed, as if her words weren't as caring as they sounded even if she kinda-sorta dodged the question. Typical Akako…
However, I didn't comment on it and only said, "Thanks. For this."
We fell into a comfortable silence as we travelled deeper and deeper into the forest, the only sounds rustling of leaves as the wind blew and the creaks of the wheels on the cart behind us. Just as I was about to ask how much further it was, we arrived at a clearing that seemed to have come from literally nowhere while I had blinked. A nervous feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the large – and I mean large – magical seal drew on the dirt ground in scarlet chalking. Torches of fire were spread around the outside of the circle, burning brightly and casting an orange haze of light over the party gathering.
"Once we get inside the protective circle, we can't go out until the reunions over, okay?" Akako said and she easily stepped over the line of salt that was circled around the seal before stepping onto said seal, where she promptly vanished.
I stared blankly for a minute before following her hesitantly. She seemed to know what she was doing – and she was Akako, when did she ever not know what she was doing? – so it had to be safe. Probably. I fidgeted a moment after carefully stepping over the salt before straightening up and marching onto the circle, which had interesting results. There was an invisible force that pushed through me, tingling, and the world twisted for a moment before straightening out, revealing a full moon hanging heavy up in the dark indigo sky. What…?
I yelped, flinching back when a face immediately greeted my arrival into the seal. Bright emerald eyes stared back at me as a grin that looked big enough to crack his face in half spread. The unfamiliar man caught my wrist as I always stumbled out of the seal, easily steadily me as if I weighed little to none, which I knew wasn't true. The red-orange haired guy gave raucous laugh, "Be careful there, newcomer! If you slip out of the seal now, you won't be able to celebrate with the rest of us~!"
"Uh..., right, thanks…," My awkwardness at the situation didn't deter the bubbly man (teen?). "Oh, right! Here are you charms for the night! Don't take them off; they're standard, even though we don't need them. Which is also why there's salt around this protective seal." He snorted in bemusement before taking out several small medallions made from silver and carefully putting them on me at a swift pace. The weighed heavily as they all rested against my collarbone, chilling my skin.
"Tonight's charms: The 3rd Pentacle of Jupiter, The 6th Pentacle of Jupiter, The 5th Pentacle of Mars, The 6th Pentacle of Mars, The 4th Pentacle of the Moon, and of course, The 1st Pentacle of Venus, since we can never seem to get along like a normal family without 'em~!" He announced in a mock talk show host voice, spreading his arms dramatically to the side. Everything he had just said passed over my head, though – what the heck was the pentacle of...the planets?
My eyes took in the party now behind the jubilant man (teen?) which had appeared after I'd entered the seal. There were people – lots of people – around, all woman dolled up in kimonos and the men were formally in suits like Akako had told me they'd be. One prominent feature was that all the girl's wore a chrysanthemum hair ornament – kanzashi, Akako had called it. I was wearing one myself, my hair arranged back and out of my face by Akako, who had gotten frustrated by the lack of hair to work with and ended up simply folding it up and clipping it together in the back near the base of my head with a diamond-crested (holy crap!) barrette. The kanzashi ornament was stuck between the tucked hairs behind my head neatly. She had sighed about my hair still looking kind of messy – the folded up ends fell back over in an arch and several too-short strands had fell back to frame my face – but said it worked well enough.
Truthfully, I think it looked fine, I don't know what she was complaining about. But, oh well. My eyes snapped back to the man still in front of me when he began speaking again. "It's great, isn't it? I love Halloween!" He cheered happily, almost childlike, before he remembered something, bowing slightly, "Oh! By the way, I'm Koizumi Ryo! Nice to meet you!" He introduced.
Blinking, I shot him back a grin, bowing a bit back as I tried to decide which name to give; my real one or my alias? I shook the thoughts, just going with my first choice. "Uh.., Koizumi Midori. Nice to meet you, too."
"Onii-sama, you're unnerving her." A new voice interjected quietly. A slightly shorter boy walked out from behind Ryo, a sense of calm knowingness following his every step, the same medallions clinking together as they swayed from where they were clipped to his belt. Ryo turned to look at the boy with a pleased grin, "Ah, Min-chan~! Come to visit the newcomer, too?" He cooed, pinching the teen's cheek only for his hand to be slapped away in annoyance. This somehow seemed like a normal occurrence, judging by their faces.
"Sorry about him. He's an imbecile." The boy said, turning back to me as, what I'm assuming was, his older brother sulked in the background. I took a moment to study his features. His hair fell softly over his eyes and around his face, framing his delicate face, a dark crimson color that clashed with his paler skin as clear, almost translucent, shamrock green stared out back at me. He looked fragile and, dare I say it, perhaps a bit feminine with his features.
"My name is Koizumi Minoru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Midori-san." A second later, he tacked on, as if reading my mind, "Here, we all use each other's given name, as a result of us all having the same surname. It'd be incredibly confusing as to who was talking to whom, if everyone called each other 'Koizumi'."
Ah, he's the one that Akako mentioned earlier! He's only fifteen? He seemed so much older than that, with how mature he acted; almost like a wise old man. He stared in waiting before I flushed, realizing I'd forgotten something. "Ah, um, it's nice to meet you, too!" I internally smacked my face for already giving off a weird impression. So much for making a good impression on Akako's family…
A tiny hand touched mine and I jumped, looking downwards to see a girl around seven rubbing one eye while grasping my larger hand in her smaller one. She was wearing a light pink kimono with a cherry blossom designs similar to the one I'd tried on earlier. Unlike me, however, she looked absolutely adorable in the kimono, the color blending with her hunter green eyes and pinkish-purple hair. With a smile, I crouched to see her face-to-face. "Hello, there. I'm Midori. You are?" I asked sweetly.
She smiled up at me goofily and I absently noted that her smile was somewhat similar to Ryo's. Mentioning him, he'd wandered off somewhere, no longer in our vicinity. "I'm Suzu!" She chirped, finally releasing my hand to grasp the plush arm of a teddy bear that was standing on its own…
"This is Snuggles!" She gestured to the live bear, who gave me a once over with surprisingly sharp, button, eyes before nodding. Since the small bear, who barely reached up to Suzu's knees, was void of a mouth, I'm assuming he can't talk. I admit, though, it was a bit creepy seeing it move on its own and stuff. Unnerving to say the least, but if no one else was concerned, I suppose it's okay…
"Er, nice to meet you, Snuggles-san." I greeted with a nod at the bear, which placed on plush not-hand on where his waist would've been. Suzu brightened, giving me a quick grin before darting off in the direction of a man (teen?) with similar hair color to hers who was wielding a thick book that had unrecognizable letters on the old cover, the bear keeping up with her easily. I blinked at her sudden departure. It seems people here don't really heed to the 'rules' of conversation, but it was amusing instead of rude.
I stood, surprised when I realized Minoru was still there, but was now holding out semi-large cards to me spread in a fan-like way, the backs of the cards designed intricately. "Pick a card, any card." He stated bluntly, with the quirk of a smile that didn't reach. I raised a brow but complied, reaching out to grab a card. I drew the card and he took it gently, shuffling the other cards in his hand with a skilled practice of any magician…or warlock. He turned the cards face up, taking a look at it in a way so that I couldn't see my result.
He smiled mysteriously, already beginning to head away, muttering, "Interesting card…,"
I stared after, unsure what to do now that all the strange people I'd just met had disappeared. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling horribly out of place. Flinching, I swiveled swiftly as a hand grasped my shoulder and I sighe in relief when I realized it was just Akako. "You scared me." I hissed without any real heat behind it, hand pressed to my heart as I willed it to slow from its panic-induced pace. She smirked, "Sorry." There was a no repentance. "I just thought you would like to meet my father and brother now. I just finished laying out the food." She offered as a half-hearted excuse for her disappearance.
Quirking a smile, I shook my head in slight amusement, following her as she began to lead me further onto the seal, passing several people and tables full of food I recognized from this afternoon. We passed a large circular table in the middle of the table and to a side table, where a woman with long, light red, hair tied back in a winding ponytail sat drinking a dark red substance from a fancy cup – wine, probably. From what I could see, she had cut her kimono to just a bit below her butt in an interpretation I'd seen on TV somewhere. She was also wearing gloves and boots, which clashed strangely, yet fittingly, with her outfit.
There was a man sitting beside her with dark crimson hair and dark violet eyes, dressed stunningly in a casual black suit, also drinking wine. Sitting across the man was another man with burgundy hair swept precisely into place to frame his chiseled face, fierce – yet soft – dark pink eyes watching with some exasperation as the two continued to drink their alcohol. I had to admit, he was handsome, the same draw I had with Akako when I first met her applying to this man as well. Damn magically inclined people and their charms.
We arrived at the table and everyone looked over to us, causing me to start petting Kin out of nervousness. Akako began introductions almost immediately, obviously at ease with these people – it made sense, though, and they were her family. "Midori, this is my father, Koizumi Ryuu." She pointed to the man with violet eyes, who was staring unnervingly so at me in interest, and who completely didn't look old enough to have a daughter of Akako's age. "He's the head of the Koizumi clan." She added with some pride.
I spluttered in surprise as the man chuckled deeply in his throat. He smiled warmly, "I see. You're the girl from the other dimension. It's lovely to meet you, not-daughter." He joked lightly and I relaxed a bit, grinning brightly at him as we laughed. "It's nice to meet you, too." I responded politely, bowing deeply to this man far superior to me.
I straightened and the woman took the liberty of introducing herself, slinging over Ryuu's back in a familiar gesture. He grunted at her added weight, but made no move to remove her from his personal space, so I guess they were close. She gave a cat's smile, light violet eyes glimmering excitedly. "I'm Koizumi Fumiko~! This guy here is my little brother, but he stole the clan leader's position right from under me~!" She growled playfully, beginning to ruin Ryuu's perfectly combed hair with a good mussing. Ah, siblings… That explained it.
"And this," Akako began again, turning to the other man at the table, "is my older brother, Koizumi Yoshiaki. Don't let his looks fool you. Despite making it his hobby to charm girls, he's about as straight as a circle." She stated bluntly, smirking at her brother's reaction – flushing red, all the way up to his ears, and a scowling helplessly. Guess he couldn't really deny it, then, I chuckled internally. I contained a grin, not wanting to be rude and bowed politely in greeting, which he returned half-heartedly in his embarrassment, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.
There was a moment of content silence before it was broken by the familiar voice of Ryo, "Hey, the last ones finally here~! What took ya so long, Arata-bou?" He cheerily interjected and I looked over to see him patting man with bright red hair covering in bandages rather roughly. The man smiled a bit weakly and replied something I couldn't hear. Behind me, Akako's father stood up, clapping his hands together loudly and immediately drawing attention from everyone in the seal's 'arena', women and men and children and teens alike.
"Alright, shall we begin?"
Review Replies:
To: Iriss-sama – Yes, Heiji knows~! 8DDDD I'm glad you liked how he figured her out! ^^ Yes, I have converted you to a Heiji fangirl! (Evil Laughter) (I'm such a guilty Heiji fangirl, lol. He's too cool for his own good. XD) AHH! A statue of Kaitou KID?! Holy freakin' ljwoivnksnd fponofnwm! (Random Spasm) That's too cool! That's awesome, having a Kaitou KID statue in your room~! XDDD Ah, I can't help but feel bad for her, too. (since I'm gonna torture her a lot more in the future. XDDD – shot – ) And have fun on vacation~! I'll also be going on vacation sometime soon! 8D I think we're gonna go to Kansas again, lol. XD (Laughs Forever) Oh, you're description of the "stalker" is too perfect. XDD (And you have good reason to not like him, lol) Thank you, Ri-chan~! (Gathers All Lucky Items) (Returns Luck Hug Happily) Thank you once again, Ri-chan~!
To: DDmasters – Yup, I'm glad I got out a new chapter, too~! 8D Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! ^^ And yesh, Heiji knows~! Dun! Dun! …DUN! (Grins) I love doing that. XD
To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) It's okay~! XDDD (Plots Kaito's Demise for Helping Out, but Forgives You) (Innocent Grin) XDD And yes, he did! XDDD I find it completely hilarious when one is smug that they're "superior" over the other, so I had to add a lead up to that! XDDD Shinichi'll be like, "…" XD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you, E-chan~!
-This was fun. Like, really fun. You have no idea how much fun. XDDD So, a while ago when I decided to make Akako a prominent character in this story, I was like, "I want to expand on Akako's family, history, and the art of their witchcraft and stuff." Just because I thought it'd be interesting and fun to write. So, I ended up making a whole bunch of OCs who will be Akako's family and, yeah… It kind of spiraled out of control and you haven't even seen half of it yet. More like 5%. Mostly everyone has backstories and stuff that will most likely be expanded upon if it calls for it. XD Next chapter will expand a bit more and there will be a lot of magic! (Wiggles Fingers) ((I waste too much time researching this stuff, lol)
Anyways, to the notes:
First note is that in the last chapter, I idiotically wrote November when I should've written October. Hence why its suddenly October. (Epic Face Palm) Please forgive this incompetent authoress. XD
The chrysanthemum hair pin/ornament/decoration (kanzashi): Kanzashi (簪) are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some believe they may also have been used for defense in an emergency. Kanzashi were first used in Japan during the Jōmon period. During that time, a single thin rod or stick was considered to have mystical powers which could ward off evil spirits, so people would wear them in their hair. The seasons dictate what kind of kanzashi you wear and they're separated by months. Since it's October, the proper kanzashi is a chrysanthemum kanzashi.
Akako and her family celebrating New Years on Halloween: This has a bit of a personal background. I have a friend, who is a Wiccan, and she and her coven celebrate New Year on Halloween night and hold a celebration together. Due to this, I thought it'd be interesting to do something similar for the Koizumi clan/coven in this story. Just for anyone who was curious as to where that came from. XD
Kimono (pretty sure you all know this, but… – shrugs –): The kimono (着物) is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. Kimono are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long, wide sleeves. Kimono are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial), and secured by a sash, called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimono are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zōri or geta) and split-toe socks (tabi).
You'll probably notice that all the kimono Midori describes have designs on the left shoulder (maybe the sleeve) and only below the waistline where the sash is tied. That's because there are certain kimono you wear for certain events – the kimono described here is a hōumongi kimono, which is characterized by patterns that flow over the shoulders, seams and sleeves. Hōumongi rank slightly higher than their close relative, the tsukesage (a kimono not as formal as the hōumongi with more modest patterns). Hōumongi may be worn by both married and unmarried women; often friends of the bride will wear hōumongi at weddings (except relatives) and receptions. They may also be worn to formal parties, which is why they were getting these types of kimono, as the reunion is a formal party of sorts.
Zōri: Zōri (草履) are flat and thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—increasingly—synthetic materials.
Juban: A juban is a cotton undergarment cut in the same design as a kimono that you wear underneath your kimono. You can usually see the edges at the seams of the actual kimono, but usually never see it hanging from the sleeves or the hem.
Wagashi: Wagashi (和菓子wa-gashi) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits. Wagashi is typically made from plant ingredients. Wagashi include: Mochi, Taiyaki, Dango, and many more.
"…Which is also why there's salt around this protective seal." He snorted in bemusement… : It's believed that a circle of salt will protect you from demons, spirits, and the like as long as you are inside of the circle and he's amused because they're already in a protective seal and yet they still took the extra salt precaution, even though they're powerful witches/warlocks.
"Tonight's charms: The 3rd Pentacle of Jupiter, The 6th Pentacle of Jupiter, The 5th Pentacle of Mars, The 6th Pentacle of Mars, The 4th Pentacle of the Moon, and of course, The 1st Pentacle of Venus, since we can never seem to get along like a normal family without 'em~!" : These are actual magical seals/talisman that I researched from a certain website. I figured if they were cautious enough to do the salt, they would also take preventive measures, should the protective salt and seal be breached. I'm not positive if you're allowed to use several talismans at once in real life, but whatever. In here, you can. XDDD
The 3rd Pentacle of Jupiter: Defends & protects against any enemy & against any evil spirits which may linger near one's person or home.
The 6th Pentacle of Jupiter: Protects form all earthly dangers.
The 5th Pentacle of Mars: Causes all demons to obey the wishes of the possessor of this powerful seal. (just in case a demon breaches it)
The 6th Pentacle of Mars: The owner of this cannot be harmed. If attacked, the foe's weapon shall turn against him.
The 4th Pentacle of the Moon: Defends from all evil, and from any injury to body or soul.
The 1st Pentacle of Venus: Brings friendships to the possessor. (I'm assuming this would make people more tolerable or likable or something. Not quite sure. – shrugs– )
For G, I just want to say that, no, the Koizumi's aren't paranoid, but they have reasons for being so cautious. XD (I can imagine someone saying 'wow, that was a bit much' lol)
"Arata-bou": 'bou' or 'bō' is another diminutive that expresses endearment. Like "chan", it is used for babies and young children, but is exclusively used for boys instead of girls. Ryo is just being a tease here, since he was late. XD
-Woo, done. XD That was a lot. Thank you for reading, see you next chapter~! Also, I'm thinking of giving every chapter a name once I edit it. What do you think of that? (Curious) I may not, though. It's just a thought.