Dlbn: Here we are with another chapter! Looks like we don't have as many left as we thought, so there won't be as many updates this week as I had intended and warned you of.

Nbld: Thank god, because we'd drive ourselves crazy trying to keep up. Let's get the ball rolling with the Review Corner! Thank you to Promocat and Maki-Sensitivity for reviewing! Ice cream for you both!

Promocat: You got that right. Seimei's just making things worse at this point. The canon Seimei is tame compared to this one.

Maki-Sensitivity: He's actually rather intimidated by Seimei, he just doesn't show it. To a point he doesn't want Ritsuka to worry, but he's also afraid of telling Ritsuka the truth because it could hurt them both. But he definitely should be thinking more of Ritsuka then of Seimei at this point. Poor boy is convinced he's going insane for god's sake.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless or anyone in it. It all belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing this story.

Disclaimer 2: I do NOT own the song *** by ***, which this fic is based off of. I make NO money out of referencing it.

000

When he returned home later that night, Ritsuka was in better spirits than before. Soubi had clocked out early and taken him for a nice dinner back at Soubi's home instead of his own or some local restaurant, or the café. It was nice spending time alone with him until Kio came home, but it wasn't bad having Kio around. Minus the few jokes of a sexual nature that Kio had told them. Soubi had walked him home, and Ritsuka had watched him walk down the hill before he went inside to deal with the doll…he meant to deal with being alone in the dark at night. Kio had apologized for his story scaring Ritsuka and causing the bizarre hallucinations. In the end, though he didn't believe it, Ritsuka told Kio it was alright to put his mind at ease and that maybe he'd forget about it now that he had apologized.

"Seimei, we need to talk!" He called into the house a few minutes later. "I don't know where you crawled off to this time, but come on out! We really need to talk!"

He heard the sound of porcelain clicking on the tile floor and turned towards the kitchen. Seimei strolled past him with stiff legs and sat on the bottom step of the staircase.

"What is it, Ritsuka?" He wondered. "Is something…bothering you…? Don't you have a blonde's shoulder to go cry into?"

"You…you saw me with Soubi earlier…didn't you…"

"Bingo!" Seimei chuckled. "I did, indeed. I told you that I've been following you. Just what were you hoping to accomplish in that library, Ritsuka?"

"My mother. You knew her."

"Did I? Aoyagi doesn't ring a bell, other than you…"

"Shio. Her last name at the time was Shio. Shio Misaki."

He cocked his head to the side.

"You told her to kill her parents because they tried to convince her that you weren't real."

"Oh, her! So fun, that one." Seimei cackled. "Her mind was already so fragile when she moved here. Made the chase so short, but oh so satisfying!" He leaned back, laughing as he held his stomach. "Oh, such great memories!"

"More like nightmares."

"For her maybe." He snorted, laughter ceasing. "For me, it was rather amusing. Until they decided to just up and leave. She didn't even know they were leaving until she came home from school to find the house packed and they drove off into the sunset. But not me. They left me here…the next people that bought this place weren't fun at all. Could barely drive them insane before I had to just end it in their sleep."

"Stop it! I don't want to hear that!" Ritsuka covered his ears. "I'm a pacifist! I don't care if they were serial killers! I don't need to know how you killed them! Disgusting!" He retched.

"You're a rather pathetic little thing, aren't you? Makes me wonder what in the world Soubi sees in you." He looked him over. "Well, you're easy on the eyes, I guess…"

"Gross." Ritsuka complained. "I know the Akame family used to run the real estate office. But now Soubi does. What the hell happened there?"

"Ah, that Mimuro character turned everything all topsy-turvy." Seimei nodded once, neck creaking. "He and Akame were…an item, I suppose. They weren't when they moved here together, but when they became that way…things changed…"

"Changed?"

Seimei shook his head. "I won't say more on that subject, Ritsuka. If you must know, ask Akame himself."

"He insisted to the antique shop workers that they were never a couple."

Seimei blinked his good eye. "People lie, you know." He stated. "Like how Soubi lied and said I wasn't real. Just a hallucination, that's what he thinks I am, right?" He scoffed. "Pathetic how someone you think loves you could lie to you so easily."

"He didn't lie. He just doesn't believe you exist, is all."

"So he says. And you believe him?" Seimei scoffed again. "You're so naïve, Ritsuka! When the truth comes out, you won't like it. I just wonder who it will be to tell you…Soubi…or myself…"

Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "If you won't give me answers, I'll go out and get them tomorrow."

"Fine, suit yourself."

Seimei stood, brushed himself off, and turned to the stairs. He climbed up a few stairs before his head spun to look at Ritsuka.

"But when the truth isn't what you wanted, don't say I didn't warn you."

He grinned a creepy grin before turning his head again to the stairs and walking up. Ritsuka watched the doll go up a few steps before heading towards the kitchen to make toast to settle his stomach. Talking to the doll always made him want to vomit.

000

Sitting at his desk the next morning, Ritsuka ran a hand through his hair as his tired eyes scanned the digitalized images of his photographs from the elderly couple's interview. He really hated the part of the job where he had to pick the best pictures for the article, since each one was a precious memory in his mind, but it had to be done. At least it got his mind off of that damn doll Seimei. The creepy little bastard hadn't bothered him that night past when he got back, so he had a feeling that he was overdue for a long session of irksome conversation with the little psycho. He barely registered when the phone rang on his desk. His left hand quickly moved from combing his hair to grabbing the receiver as his right continued to click through the photographs.

"Aoyagi Ritsuka, photographer." He greeted, sounding tired. "How may I help you?"

"Are you alone right now?" A male voice wondered.

Ritsuka looked up. There were only three other people in the office, and none of them appeared to be on the phone. Two were arguing over something by the water cooler, and the third was heading out for a smoke break. The Editor-in-Chief was out that day for some family related event.

"No, there are other people here."

"Can they hear you?"

"Not that I know of."

"Is there somewhere you can go where it won't rouse suspicion?"

"There's nowhere that I can take the phone with me. It's not cordless."

"Well shit." The voice sighed. "I thought this would be hard to do at work, but I know you don't have a house phone and…"

"Who are you and how did you know where I work and that I don't have a house phone?"

"Everyone knows you bought that house up on the hill. There hasn't been a working phone in there in…well, forever. With all the craziness, I'm not surprised by that, really."

"You're not answering my questions. Who are you?" Ritsuka repeated.

"Are you in an office or out on the floor?"

"Office…"

"Shut the door then, would you? I don't want anyone to overhear. They wouldn't believe me if they could, anyway."

"Sure…"

Ritsuka sat down the phone and crossed the room to close the door. He returned to his desk and sighed before picking it up.

"Okay, the door is closed." He stated.

"Good."

"So now will you answer my question?"

"Yeah, yeah." The voice replied. "Have you met him yet?"

"Him?"

"The doll."

Ritsuka felt his blood run cold. "How did you know about Seimei? Did Soubi or Kio put you up to this?"

"Agatsuma and Kaido? Ugh, ew, no. Sorry but they're not exactly my favorite people in the world." The voice denied. I wouldn't help them if they paid me."

"Then how did you know about him?"

"It's a long story." He replied. "My name is Shinonome Mimuro. I'm…"

"Mimuro? Are you the guy everyone says Akame used to be with?"

He could practically hear Mimuro flush on the other end as the other male swallowed his pride with a deep swallowing sound.

"Nisei and I were never a thing." He denied. "Doesn't mean I didn't want to be, but you know, that's not really your business…"

"Considering the fact that people say Soubi and Akame used to be together, and Akame told me to make sure I don't hurt Soubi, I'd say it is my business a little…"

"They were never together." The other male laughed. "Whoever told you is an idiot. They're always at one another's throats."

"What? Why?"

"Agatsuma was Nisei's replacement."

"What?"

"I fell in love with Nisei not long after I moved to this town. My cousin Hitomi works in the café. I'm sure you've been there, since you seem to be on a first name basis with Agatsuma and it's where he used to hang out all the time."

Hitomi…Ritsuka wracked his brain trying to remember who that was. Oh, the mousy brunette girl at the café that day when he met Soubi. Right.

"Oh, her. Soubi and I are on more than just a first name basis, but go on."

"Don't tell me you're in love with him…"

"Well, I wouldn't say in love, but that really isn't your business, either."

"Fair enough, but you asked me about my love life, so don't be surprised that I returned the favor." Mimuro sounded cocky on the other end of the line.

"So what does any of this have to do with Soubi replacing Akame?"

"Well, I'm sure by now you've figured out that Nisei's grandfather used to run the real estate agency way back when, right?"

"I'm well aware. But now Soubi runs it…"

"Well that's bound to piss Nisei off…" Mimuro muttered. "Not the point. Anyway, I used to live in that house on the hill that you own now."

"I didn't see your name in the records…"

"A few people that lived there were stricken from the records some time ago."

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just listen to me if you want answers to the questions you already asked."

"Your answers are making more questions."

"If you want to know about that, then go talk to Nisei later after you get out of work." Mimuro sighed in annoyance. "As I was saying, Nisei was in charge at the time and sold me the place. I fell in love with him practically at first sight."

"I can't see why…"

"Again, not the point." Mimuro replied, almost snarling. "He didn't like that. You know, Seimei? The doll?"

"That you were focused on someone other than him?"

"Right." Mimuro agreed. "But it's a bit more complicated than that. Seimei thought that my feelings for Nisei were going to ruin his plans. Nisei liked me, too, but only as a friend, so we spent a lot of time together. Seimei wasn't able to get into my head like he got into other people's. And, as I'm sure you've learned by now, he's a controlling little bastard; emphasis on little and bastard. Anyway, he gave Nisei a choice. Ditch me or lose the family business. Nisei chose me."

"Seimei runs the business?"

"Oh, he has for years. But that's a story for Nisei to tell. If he will. You'll have to talk to him, and tell him I spoke with you. He won't tell you a thing unless you mention me."

"Alright…?"

"That's where Agatsuma comes in. He's one of the people who used to own that house." Mimuro went on. "Seimei couldn't get into his head either, simply because Agatsuma was too headstrong and logical of a thinker to believe in a talking doll. Seimei almost got him, and by got, I mean kill."

"So…when Seimei told me he killed the last owners…he wasn't joking…was he…?"

"Most likely not. For a doll, he's pretty powerful. And dangerous." Mimuro confirmed, making Ritsuka's blood run colder than it already had. "They ended up making a deal."

"You…you mean…?"

"Agatsuma took over the business on Seimei's orders. Seimei wouldn't kill him if Agatsuma went along with his plans and helped him. He's got a sick hold over him, just like he had a sick hold over Nisei until I came around." Mimuro stated. "I was Nisei's partner for a long time. We ran the Inn together until I got sick of having to hide the truth about Seimei to every new family that came and stayed in the Inn while they waited to check out the house."

"So that's why you left…you wanted out…"

"But Nisei wasn't willing to go with me. His entire family had succumbed to Seimei, and he was the last of the Akame line at the time. Since then his parents have had another child, a girl, but she's too young to come around here on her own. Or at all. 'Daddy's little girl' is what Nisei calls her. Unlike him who had to get out at eighteen when he moved here, she'll probably be allowed to stay until she's ready."

"I was told that Nisei took over the business because his grandfather was sick?"

"He did. But his grandfather was the one how took him in when his father kicked him out. Nisei came here to seek refuge. And instead, he got dragged into the family insanity."

"Why hadn't his father?"

"His father hadn't believed the ghost story Kio tells around here at the parade. He thought everyone was insane for believing it, and left town as soon as he could. If he hadn't, Nisei wouldn't have been born, and the business probably would have died with his grandfather. I can't see his family uprooting their lives to take over the real estate office of the man his father had abandoned." Mimuro went on. "I'm telling you all this because you're in grave danger."

"I sort of figured I was without your help, but thanks." Ritsuka said sarcastically.

"I know." Mimuro stated. "And I also know that Agatsuma is probably telling you that the doll is all in your head, no? That's the same bullshit line Nisei tried to feed me until he gave up. That's what Seimei does. He tricks people into his world of terror and forces them to do the same to other innocent people. Do not listen to Agatsuma. The doll is very real and very dangerous. Either join him, let him destroy your mind, or let him kill you."

"I know. My mother was a victim…her family lived here when she was a girl." Ritsuka stated. "She thought Seimei was her friend, even when he told her to kill her parents. She used to tell my father that Seimei would rescue her from him, according to my grandparents. In the end, she killed him."

"I'm sorry…" Mimuro seemed sympathetic enough. "Seimei leaves a trail of blood and broken lives behind him wherever he goes. Now, I've said my piece. Just run. Get out of that house and move out of that town. You'll be safer that way. Do not say anything to Nisei about leaving, do not say anything to Agatsuma, either. And definitely don't tell Seimei. He'll snap and try to kill you. If they know, Seimei will know, too. He lost your mother when her family moved. He'll take you instead in revenge. Don't let him win."

"There is no revenge. She didn't just kill my father…she killed herself. He got his revenge. She went insane with thoughts of him long after she left here, and it ended up killing not only her, but the man she had once loved."

"But he didn't get the body, didn't get the spirit; didn't get the thrill of the kill. That's what he craves. It's what he lives off of."

The sound of a door unlocking on Mimuro's end of the line made the other male speak quicker.

"Heed my warning and get out of there in secret." He spoke. "I'm begging you. Save your life. If you care about Agatsuma like you seem to, don't make him live with the guilt that he got you killed. I have to go. My girlfriend is home."

"Wait!" Ritsuka spoke quickly, cradling the phone close to her mouth. "I have one more question."

"What is it? Quickly!"

He heard footsteps. Why was Mimuro so afraid of his girlfriend finding out? Probably because the whole thing was insane and she'd most likely have him locked up if she heard.

"Is there any truth to that story? The Founder's Day one!" Ritsuka asked. "Is Seimei the possessed spirit of the boy the Shaman ordered them to bury?"

"Only Seimei can answer that, but it's likely. Now go!"

The line went dead as Ritsuka heard a door open and a woman's voice calling out to Mimuro. Ritsuka slowly hung up the phone and ran his hands through his hair, yanking harshly on the end of the silky ebony strands. He groaned, thankful the door was closed and privacy blinds were down. How much crazier could this thing get? Soubi was almost a victim but he was too headstrong to fall for Seimei's insanity? Mimuro was almost a victim but was saved by his love for Nisei and Nisei's desire to stay friends? Nisei was forced to help Seimei get victims by selling the house, and now Soubi was forced to do the same? Damn it, he should have asked Mimuro about the box. He doubted he'd get another chance to talk to the man, since he seemed petrified that his girlfriend would figure out what was going on. But who told him that Ritsuka lived there and where he worked? Maybe someone who was supposed to be on Seimei's side was hoping to cross him, as well.

000

The less than happy look on Nisei's face when Ritsuka burst into the inn was satisfying. He was reading a magazine while sitting behind the counter, so it wasn't like Ritsuka was interrupting anything important or bothering customers.

"Ah, Ritsuka-kun." Nisei greeted, closing the magazine and setting it down behind the counter. "What brings you to my Inn? Miss me? Or here to thank me for the box, perhaps?"

"What the hell are you up to?" Ritsuka slammed his hands on the counter.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"That box is ancient. The key inside it is ancient. The carving of my name into the key is ancient!" Ritsuka explained. "How did you get that box and key, and why is my name engraved?"

"The engraving only looks old because the key is old." Nisei argued. "My word, you're suspicious."

"It's the one part of the puzzle I can't understand. I talk to experts on old stuff and they said it was made with a welding tool from the 1800's."

Nisei's grin faded away. "God damn it, I knew I shouldn't have given it to you in that store. But he insisted on giving it to you that day, and I didn't have time to wait to find you later." Nisei growled, slamming his fist into the counter.

"He? You mean Seimei, right?"

Nisei's head shot up at the name. "The boy from the story? Are you on something?" Nisei asked. "Or have you been sniffing chemicals in the dark room when you're developing your work photos?"

"Don't play stupid. I've seen him. And I know why your family doesn't own the real estate company anymore."

Nisei's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Who told you about that?" He hissed.

"I got a phone call from Mimuro today. Name ring a bell?"

Nisei was silent.

"You're the one who told him to call me, aren't you?"

Nisei didn't answer.

"Someone had to call him and tell him not only that I lived in that house, but how to get a hold of me since my house has no phone." Ritsuka snapped. "Since you and Soubi the each other, I doubt Soubi would call your former lover and tell him what's going on, nor that Mimuro would listen to him. That leaves you. No one else around here knows about Seimei. The curse on your family, right? The Mayor from the story, the one that didn't listen to the Shaman…it's your ancestor, no?"

He had put that together on his way over. It was the only reason that Nisei's family would be enslaved by the doll. Seimei was the child form the story, the curse the Shaman had mentioned was of his own creation, and the Mayor's family had been the ones to suffer for not listening to the Shaman. Whoever the Shaman was, his family was directly responsible for the curse on the Akame family, Seimei, and that house. It was rather sad, really. Their pride led to them being enslaved by a killer doll who liked to take people's souls. If they had only listened to the Shaman, this all could have been avoided. The other owners of the house wouldn't have gone insane. Mimuro probably would still own that house, Nisei's family would own the real estate company, Soubi wouldn't live here, Ritsuka's mother wouldn't have killed herself and her father because Seimei drove her to insanity before her family left the house, and he never would have gone into the foster care system and probably would have never ended up here, himself, with Soubi. He might even still have his ears. But no. They didn't listen, and now families had to be destroyed and lives had to be torn apart just because one family thought they knew better than a Shaman. Pathetic and enraging. But Ritsuka kept his cool. It wouldn't do any good to lash out at Akame now. It would only stop him from getting the answers he needed.

"Besides, you hate Seimei, don't you? For being a curse on your family, for driving Mimuro away and into the arms of a woman…"

"Woman?"

"He has a girlfriend he lives with. Didn't you know?"

"She's a girlfriend now?" Nisei growled. "God damn it…"

"As if you didn't know."

"He claimed they were friends last we spoke. Which was before you got here. So how could I have told him all this information if you hadn't even lived here at the time, hm?"

"Simple. You're lying." Ritsuka huffed. "But I do have to wonder…how could the family of town's mayor be reduced to selling real estate to unsuspecting idiots?"

"You're one of those unsuspecting idiots, I hope you're aware." Nisei stated. "What happened way back then to shift power is not your business. We got kicked out of office when people started going insane in the house. The town was convinced that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather brought a curse upon the house and the town itself by not listening to that stupid Shaman."

"So the story is real."

"Of course it is, you unsuspecting idiot who bought a cursed house!" Nisei replied, laughing at his own joke. "All legends and myths come from somewhere! Though I'm pretty certain that dead kid came back to life at the Shaman's hand and he's the psycho that caused all this bullshit in the first place, but that's conjecture for another day." He waved his hand. "Why are you asking me all this? What exactly did Mimuro tell you…?"

"He said if I wanted answers to questions he couldn't answer, I would get the answers from you if I mentioned his name and said I spoke to him."

"That idiot." Nisei smiled fondly.

"Also…you didn't correct me about saying that he was a former lover…"

"You'll think what you want regardless, just like that couple in the antique shop do. My ears were gone long before I came here, meaning they were gone before Mimuro was a part of my life. Try again."

"Why were Mimuro and Soubi's names taken off record as having lived in that house? I found my own mother, but not my boyfriend or your accomplice."

"Your mother?" Nisei looked surprised. "Must have been when my grandfather still ran the joint…"

"Even after they left, Seimei's memory haunted her and drove her further into insanity then he had done while she was here. She ended up murdering my father and killing herself by setting our house on fire after she realized Seimei wasn't coming to save her."

"How tragic." Nisei folded his arms over his chest and flopped back into his seat behind the counter.

Ritsuka swallowed the lump in his throat. "Answer my question."

"Under Seimei's orders, I destroyed the records at the Office of them ever living there. Would have looked suspicious if two people had lived there and not been affected by the 'child'." Nisei stated.

"Is Seimei a child or a doll?"

"He's both." Nisei stated. "Or maybe he's neither. I'm not quite sure what he is. He's a curse, the very personification of insanity." He shrugged. "All I know is that little bastard has reigned over this town without the people inside of it ever knowing."

"If you and Soubi hate each other, why did you tell me not to hurt him?"

"I was trying to scare you off of him." Nisei stated. "If he fell for you, he'd be thrown into the Inn job with you as his assistant, and where would that leave me? Surely Seimei wouldn't give me my real estate office back. He'd probably toss it to you instead." He was digging his nails into his arms.

"Mimuro never worked at the Office, did he?"

"No, of course not." Nisei shook his head. "He's the reason Seimei's prefect little hold over my family fell to pieces. Seimei would have rather killed him then let him take over that important job."

"So he gave it to Soubi…that's why you hate him? You should be happy! You're no longer Seimei's slave!"

"You think I'm not?" Nisei chuckled. "Don't make me laugh, Aoyagi. I'm still Seimei's unwilling servant. I just have different duties then I used to."

"So who had this job when you were running the real estate office?"

"Well, Kaido did. Now he just tells the story."

"He was a part of this, too?"

"God, no. He just had this place for sale around the time that Seimei tossed me aside for your boyfriend. He had just bought the Laundromat because he thought there was more money in it, since we didn't get travelers very often." Nisei shrugged. "So very convenient. He grew up here, though, so he had never had to run into Seimei by living in that hell hole."

"Doesn't mean Seimei hadn't influenced his decision to sell this place."

"Well…no, he didn't. Shujimeki Akira owns the Laundromat. He was looking for a new partner because he couldn't afford it himself anymore. Kaido just so happens to be his boyfriend, so it was a perfect fit. Kio wanted a better job that got him more money, and Akira needed someone to help him with his business."

"How convenient for Seimei…"

"A lot of changes happened in this town that year. That Yayoi kid inherited the antique shop from his uncle who passed away. Of course, his parents had run it until he was old enough to do so himself."

"What happened to his parents?"

"They moved away to retire somewhere nice. Ropongi Hills, I think." Nisei shrugged. "Nothing to do with Seimei, I assure you. The only people in this town with shit to do with him are you and me, and Soubi. If Mimuro had stayed, he would have been in on it, too."

"Soubi tried to convince me Seimei wasn't real…"

"If he failed, I don't know what Seimei would do to him. The real estate job has its perks, so I doubt he'd want to lose it anyway." Nisei shrugged. "Ask him why he lied. It's pretty obvious he likes you."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "It is?"

Nisei nodded. "When he first started working for Seimei, he had five families live in that place over the years. With each family, he grew more and more distant from everyone else. I guess he felt guilty or something. But you're here and he's different. First of all, plenty of people in town want to sleep with him, but he chose you. Second of all, he actually smiles and talks to people. He's a completely different person now, Ritsuka. And it has something to do with you. Normally Seimei would have moved a little slower in driving you insane. But he's rushing it. Before Agatsuma makes a decision to turn on him."

"You think he would?"

"For you, yes."

"Were you and Soubi…ever…you know…?"

"If you're asking about that rumor that we used to be together before I moved here, the answer is hell no. I didn't even know him until he came here." Nisei crinkled his nose in disgust. "So no, I don't know where his ears went, but you'll be happy to know the only person in town he's screwed is you."

Ritsuka flushed. "That's not important…" He replied. "What's important is how I stop Seimei before I end up like my mother…"

"I may hate Seimei for what he's done to my family and my life, but I can't help you kill him."

"Who says I have to kill him?"

"Everyone knows that to break a curse, you have to kill the cursed thing."

"Or take the curse away."

"Unless you're a Shaman, Aoyagi, you can't do that."

Ritsuka huffed. "I'll stop him without killing him. You'll see." He huffed before turning to leave.

He hear the rustling of paper as Nisei went back to his magazine.

"Hey, Akame?"

"Hm?"

"One more question." Ritsuka turned to the Innkeeper, who was looking at him quizzically over the top of his magazine. "If your family is descended from the Mayor and Seimei is the child…then whose family is descended from the Shaman?"

Nisei smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"That's why I asked, yes."

"Well I'm not telling."

Ritsuka huffed before turning to leave.

"Hey, Aoyagi?"

"Hai?"

Ritsuka's hand was inches from the door knob. His heart thumped in his chest.

"Your question?"

"Hai…?"

Ritsuka's heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

"Agatsuma."

Ritsuka paled before quickly throwing open the door and fleeing the Inn. That was why Soubi was too headstrong to fall for Seimei. He was probably immune to the curse since his family had cast it. God damn.