A/N: And the finale of Mask of Glass. Short and sweet.
Enjoy.
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Mask of Glass
Part 6 / Epilogue
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"Okay. Let me be the first to say… that is really creepy."
Yoshino's declaration, while not entirely tactful, was also an apt description of Yumi's interpretation of a doll.
From the moment Rosa Chinensis entered the room, it wasn't even the fact that she was adorned in a honey-blonde wig, blue-tinted contacts for her eyes and a flattering layer of makeup the accented her cheeks and lips that made the younger members of the Rose Mansion gasped breathily. But it was also the ruffled, rose-pink dress she wore, one that was laced and with ribbons, wrapping about her shoulders up to her neck, with lavender lining that ran down her bust to her waist, and flared out into a number of white skirts covering her legs. The shiny black loafers were only the icing on the cake, as it were.
It was, perhaps, the most uncomfortable dress Yumi had ever worn in her life. Ever. Not even the dress she wore for Cinderella her first year at Lillian could even touch how uncomfortable she felt in this… thing. How Touko had procured it, Yumi couldn't even fathom.
Though, after having given it some thought, it was entirely possible that the dress was indeed Touko's. Judging from the slight tightness in the chest, Yumi could probably assume that was the case. But, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't imagine anyone actually choosing to wear the thing.
Sorry Touko…
But, Yumi had to admit, the reaction she got from everyone upon entering the room had been worth the discomfort. Nana and Noriko both gasped, their hands flying to their mouths to cover their reaction in tandem. Shimako's eyes widened slightly, either in awed surprise, or in relief that she didn't have to wear the dress, Yumi couldn't quite discern. Yoshino blinked a few times, her mouth popping open inelegantly. After a few moment, she muttered, "Wow, Yumi-san. You clean up good."
And Touko… Yumi thought her bouton's reaction was, perhaps, the best of all.
She blinked once, slowly, and turned away, her cheeks darkening. She swallowed and brought her fist to her mouth to cough lightly into it. Then, the she peered at Yumi out of the corned of her eyes and, though the older girl could tell she tried not to, grinned in pride.
And it was wholly deserved, too; Yumi looked spot-on like a life-sized doll. Now all she had to do was show off the fruits of her labor to the rest of the Yamayurikai and then, if all went well, the student body.
After getting over the initial surprise and awe at Yumi's costume, Yoshino had bade her fellow rose to put her money where her mouth was.
Not that I really said anything one way or another…
"Go on then, Rosa Chinensis." Yoshino smirked, putting her hand on her hips and leaning forward. "Take a seat and show us what you got."
With a chagrined look sent Touko's way, and a shrug recieved in return, Yumi shuffled over to an empty chair, pulled it away from the table out into the empty area of the room, and sat herself down, silent except for the rustling of her skirts.
She took a few steadying breaths to center herself, stretched her arms and legs out, and then released her breath, relaxing her features into her well-practiced doll persona.
She could imagine what the others were seeing. After all, she had been practicing with Touko for the better part of a month, and after their little… well… decision to practice more often… the younger girl had even taken to switching roles with Yumi, so that Yumi could gain an outside perspective on what a doll-persona would look like.
And, of course, attempt to 'distract' Touko and she had done for her.
Yumi forced the blush that threatened to spring up at the memories and focused on her face; her eyes focused on a random point in the room, her lips, cherry red from her lipstick, smiling gently. Her arms she held stiffly out to the side, her fingers somewhere between relaxed and taught. Her stocking-clad legs, not quote straight and not quite bent, splayed out away from her. She knew, from experience and from practice, that she looked exactly like a doll should.
After a few quiet moments in the Rose Mansion, Yoshino was first to speak.
"Okay. Let me be the first to say… that is really creepy."
"It is not!" Shimako chastised her fellow rose, though the mirth in her voice told Yumi she had clearly been amused by the girl's outburst.
Well, let them be amused. I can do this for a full hour now. Bring it on.
"Alright, so who's up first?" Yoshino began.
"To do what, Rosa Foetida?" Touko asked.
"We're going to see if we can distract her, of course." Yoshino remarked, as if such a thing was natural. "I am sure you girls did a great job and everything... but you know we have to take Yumi-san for a test drive."
Yumi fought the slight urge to roll her eyes at that. Only Yoshino would come up with that sort of phrase. Apparently, from Touko's put-upon sigh, her petite soeur thought so as well.
"Very well. Go ahead."
With that permission, Shimako took a step towards Yumi, filling her field of vision.
"I will give it a try first, then." She said, peering into the Red Rose's face. "Yumi-san? Can you hear me?" She asked softly.
Yumi scoffed to herself. As if such a small distraction, after what Touko had put her through, would be enough to cause her to break character. Child's play.
"Hmm…" Shimako murmured to herself, reaching out to grasp a lock of Yumi's wig between her fingers. She tested the material, and nodded. "A high quality wig. Is it yours, Yumi-san?"
Still no response.
Then, suddenly smirking, Shimako reached out to prod Yumi's cheek with her finger. If Shimako had expected Yumi to react to that, she didn't show it in her face. Standing up, she sighed softly. "I am impressed, Yumi-san. If you can keep your arm and legs like that for at least the first act, then we can certainly put on a show. Good job."
With that, she stepped back to give the others a chance to test Yumi's act.
Nana and Noriko both had turns then, pacing around Yumi and touching her dress, her arms and face, and happily remarked that they had been successfully impressed by her.
Last up was Yoshino, who rolled up her sleeves, cackling like a villain in the cinema. She turned her head towards Touko, who regarded the Yellow rose with a flat expression. "Any rules that I shouldn't break?" She asked Yumi's soeur.
"Please don't hurt my Onee-sama, Rosa Foetida." Touko said simply. "I still need her."
Yoshino nodded and turned back to Yumi. "Got it. No ropes and chains then."
If Yumi were a weaker girl, she would have probably turned beet-red at that.
Clearing her throat, Yoshino began her torture. She tugged at Yumi's arms and hands, moving them this way and that, grunting in affirmation when Yumi held whatever position she was left at. The same treatment was given to her legs, and her feet. Yoshino poked and prodded her knees, her stomach her face. The girl even went as far as to reach out and poke Yumi's breast with her index finger, snickering as she did so.
"R-Rosa Foetida!" Touko exclaimed, scandalized.
Yoshino shrugged. "Eh. I totally thought it would get her." Was her reasoning.
If Touko hadn't pulled out all the stops before, Yumi thought to herself, then that probably would have worked. Luckily, it would take a lot more than that to do me in.
After a full 5 minutes of Yoshino having her way with Yumi's body, she stepped back and let out a great sigh. "Welp, I give. Good on you, Yumi-san. You are a veritable doll. Like Shimako-san said, if you can hold that for at least the first act, then we got this in the bag."
Touko stepped forward. "Then you all are finished with your practicing?"
"Yes. I believe we are." Shimako answered. "If you agree, we can do a rehearsal tomorrow to prepare for the festival next week."
"That sounds acceptable to me." Touko agreed.
"Yea… not to be a pest or anything…" Yoshino suddenly cut in. "Does she have an off-switch or something? I mean, it's cool that Yumi-san can hold it for a while, but… what does she need like a code phrase to stop?" She suddenly sounded excited. "A phrase like… Alpha Beta Gamma Epsilon? Ohh! I know—the password is Sachiko-sama, isn't it?"
She laughed to herself, clearly amused.
"No, nothing like that. You just have to distract her correctly." Touko said dryly. At her words, Yumi grinned inwardly. She knew exactly what Touko had planned… they had planned ahead after all; the best, most decisive way to let everybody know where she and Yumi stood, as far as their new relationship stood.
"Oh yea? Care to enlighten us, Rose Chinensis en Bouton?" Yoshino said, her voice positively dripping in mirth.
"Certainly, Yoshino-sama."
Yumi felt Touko's steps as she walked across the wooden floor of the Rose Mansion. She felt her presence as she loomed over her. She felt Touko's fingers grasp her chin, gently but firmly pulling her face over to meet with hers. And then, with a burst of warmth in her stomach, she felt Touko's lips capture hers in a firm, but soft, kiss.
She heard Nana and Noriko audibly gasp. It was almost enough to make her grin, but that would have ruined the effect, she knew. So instead, she responded to Touko's advance by meeting her kiss with equal fervor, sighing appreciatively when the younger girl wrapped her arms around her neck and winding her fingers through her hair.
When Touko finally pulled away, but not before leaving one quick peck the tip of Yumi's nose, she was red in the face, which Yumi was sure was matched equally on her own.
Touko took a few steadying breaths, and stood up straight; proud. "And that is how you distract Onee-sama properly."
Yumi laughed, breathily and red-faced, before turning her face to meet the others.
Nana had fainted, her face a study in blush tones, and Noriko had caught her, her own cheeks a bright pink and her eyes like saucers. Shimako's eyebrows had shot into her hairline, her mouth slightly ajar. Yoshino stood there, her eyes blinking rapidly as if the faster she blinked the faster she could make sense of what she just saw.
No one said a thing. The entire room was silent.
Until Yoshino finally found the most apt thing to say.
"Holy. Shit. That was really hot."
"R-Rosa Foetida!" "Yoshino-san!" "Yoshino-sama!"
"W-what?! It was!"
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The End.
Always end on a light note.
Thank you for reading.
Please favorite / comment if you enjoyed the ride.
See you on my next fic!
