Lia: I think it's only right to give you guys a fair warning so you are all prepared for the outcome: Issa is GROUNDED again, and is SNEAKING BEHIND HER MOM'S BACK again, so... I think that statement speaks for itself.
Clary: Liaaaaaaaaa~~~ You didn't have to SAY it, Nate's NOT HERE, so he can't go all tattletale-ing to Mom. Besides, this whole grounded business is NOT MY FAULT.
Lia: Oh, so are you saying that Nate's taking your Mythology class for you? (Issa is failing Mythology, so she's grounded. She's probably the only person in the world who can fail an elective class.)
Clary: No, but it's still NOT MY FAULT. (grumble) It's not like I wanted in this class in the first place.
Lia: If I remember correctly, you were the one who practically FORCED me to take Mythology with you. I wanted that CHINESE class for my elective but you were all like: But Liaaaaaaaa~~~~ I want Mythology~~~~~~~
Clary: I'm sorry for assuming that Mythology means GREEK MYTHOLOGY, because I'm familiar with GREEK MYTHOLOGY, like a normal person. I never, never, in a million years thought that we'd be studying HINDU GODS.
Lia: If it was solely about Greek Mythology, then it would have been named GREEK MYTHOLOGY. But its name is MYTHOLOGY, and therefore includes all others apart from Greek. Studying HINDU GODS in MYTHOLOGY is perfectly legitimate. And because you refused to read the Mahabharata and Ramayana with me, you're failing. THUS, you're grounded status.
Clary: I'M SORRY if I don't want to read books about people whose names I can barely pronounce. I mean, what person in their right side of mind names their child BHARATA? Seriously, folks.
Lia: I am currently trying to teach her about Hindu gods and myths. And so far, we haven't gotten anywhere.
Clary: Lia is a lousy teacher.
Lia: Don't dump all this on ME, Issa. We'd have gotten SOMEWHERE if you stop DAYDREAMING, but you don't, so we're not getting ANYWHERE at all. (We made good progress in the beginning, when I was telling Issa about Brahma and Vishnu and Shiva, but when I started explaining about the Samudra Manthan and the 14 Ratnas... well, this happened)
Clary: CHANDRA COULD TOTALLY BE FUJI~~~~~~~~~~~~!
Lia: So now we couldn't go anywhere because Issa is connecting POT characters to Hindu gods.
Clary: But FUJI MAKES THE PERFECT CHANDRA~~~~ I always pictured Fuji to be a moon kind of person~~~ Yey~ And TEZUKA COULD TOTALLY BE VISHNU... Wait... Isn't Chandra given to Shiva or something?... Yeah, so Tezuka will be Shiva, then... No, wait... Tezuka isn't a Shiva kind of person... Hmph... (thinkthinkthink)
Lia: (sigh) This has been going on for about an hour now... You guys can imagine my exasperation. (Issa, just let Tezuka be Shiva and get on with it, okay? Fuji as Chandra gets given to Tezuka as Shiva and they live happily ever after. The end. Can we STUDY now?)
Clary: NO WE CAN'T! Tezuka is not a Shiva kind of person! He's a Vishnu kind of person! But Chandra has to be given to Shiva and Fuji is the perfect Chandra and... Aaaaaaaaahhhhh~~~~~ I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
Lia: Let Fuji be Lakshmi, then.
Clary: Who's Lakshmi?
Lia: Vishnu's wife. And Lakshmi's a Ratna, too, so it's not that big of a change. There. Happily ever after.
Clary: But what about Chandra~~~~~~~~~?
Lia: Issa... I'm gonna kill you in a moment. (turns to readers) Here's the next installation. Please enjoy while I yell at Issa here. Don't worry, by the time you finish reading, I'll be just about finished and Issa will GET HER HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND STUDY ALREADY (you hear that, Issa?). There's another flashback scene here, which I allowed only because Issa wouldn't stop whining. The flashback happened a little before the first sidestory.
Please enjoy. (Please be warned, though, I personally think Tezuka's a little OOC here. Oh, and there's a little mature content in some scenes, too. I mellowed them out a bit, so I guess it's fairly safe.)
DEATH PLAY
Written by: Clary~
Acknowledgements to: Lia (Clary's Mythology tutor), Alatarielf (we love the characters too~~~~ that's why we chose them~~~ we're glad you like them~~~), Shuzuka (we love's Atobe's idea, too, we were actually tempted to try it~~ smileys), neumegami (maa~~ we'll see who wins in the Academy vs. Immortals fight, won't we? Winkwink~), phoenixfirekitsune (haha~ we love Chitose's attitude, too~ he'll have a scene to himself in a future chapter so we hope you'll enjoy it~), lemon-and-chai (we're glad we make you happy~), sotfreakazoid (we'll see~~ smileys), Seishirou Hitsugaya (thanks for wishing us luck~ we'll be sure to need it~~), BleuFleur (they'll be meeting soon, don't worry~ our lips are sealed on who gets to win, though~ it's a himitsu for now~)
VIII. THE IMMORTAL GEISHA
Central Town was abuzz today. It had something to do with the new sweetshop that had just opened, though frankly, Tezuka could care less.
He was eight and too old for those kinds of things, anyway.
Syusuke, however, was seven, and therefore, was still too young to be too old (he says) and though he had failed to convince Tezuka to go to the overly-crowded, newly-opened horrible excuse for a shop, he was able to talk Tezuka into the ice cream parlor he had favored ever since the day they first came here.
Tezuka, it seemed, still hadn't grown out of not being able to say no to his brother's wheedling.
It was the reason why he was sitting at a corner table of the shop, watching Syusuke devour a huge glass of vanilla ice cream. He'd wanted a wasabi-flavored one, but Tezuka had been smart enough to bribe the vendor to not give in to his brother's atrocious tastes, so the vendor had said that they were sold out of the wasabi flavor (even though it had been thus far untouched) and had given Syusuke his second-choice vanilla. Syusuke had been mildly disappointed, though when they got to their table, he had forgotten all about it and dug in as enthusiastically as he would've have, were he eating wasabi-flavored ice cream.
Tezuka felt like he was being ignored in favor of ice cream, but that was okay. He liked watching his brother eat, with his twinkling, happy eyes. It was all he could wish for, anyway.
"Ku-nii," Syusuke called, and Tezuka resisted the urge to flinch. "Do you want some?"
"No, thank you."
The times when Syusuke referred to him as 'onii-sama' seemed like such a very long time ago. Ever since they were brought to the Academy, or rather, more appropriately, ever since they met Yukimura Seiichi, who claimed to be their cousin, Syusuke's 'onii-sama' had suddenly become, for a reason unknown to Tezuka, 'Ku-nii'. It was a name Tezuka hated and Atobe Keigo teased him constantly for it, but he couldn't get Syusuke to stop because he said that it was less of a mouthful than 'onii-sama', making Tezuka wish that they were back at home with Grandfather, Father, Mother and their traditional behavior.
Staying at the Academy (and being in Yukimura and Atobe's company) was putting all sorts of atrocities into Syusuke's head.
"Ku-nii," Syusuke's bright blue eyes were assessing. "You look... thoughtful."
"Syusuke, why do you call me that?" Tezuka asked.
"What? Ku-nii?" Syusuke asked before he grinned. "Because that way you can be Kunimitsu and onii-sama at the same time. Ku-nii. Kuni. See?"
No, Tezuka did not see. He frowned.
Syusuke's face fell. "You don't... like it?"
Tezuka wanted to say he did, if only to put the smile back on his brother's face, but he didn't like it, he did not at all, and it would be supremely unfair to Syusuke if he lied. "... Not really."
"Oh." Syusuke was looking down at his hands now, and he'd stopped eating his ice cream. "What should I call you then?"
Obviously, Syusuke won't go back to calling him 'onii-sama' because Yukimura had him wholly convinced that 'it was a mouthful' and Tezuka didn't want 'Ku-nii', either, nor did he want to say 'whatever you like' because Tezuka was fairly sure Yukimura would come up with an even more embarrassing name to pay him back for the damage he had done on Syusuke's enthusiasm for 'Ku-nii'. So...
"Try nii-san."
"Nii-san," Syusuke parroted, face lighting up again. "Nii-san is okay with nii-san?"
"Yes," Tezuka answered, grateful that Syusuke was okay with nii-san, it was fairly normal, and it wasn't much of a mouthful, so both parties were satisfied (well, not Yukimura or Atobe, but they didn't count).
Syusuke brought his face closer, peering at him closely. "Nii-san likes the name nii-san?"
"Yes."
"Okay," Syusuke smiled happily, moving to finish his ice cream. "Seiichi wouldn't be happy, but I think I can explain it nicely. Nii-san will be nii-san from now on, okay?"
Tezuka didn't answer, watching Syusuke eat again, wondering just how Syusuke managed to be on first name terms with Yukimura Seiichi already, they weren't even on the same year, Syusuke was a year younger than both he and Tezuka. He didn't get very far, though, becoming distracted on the way Syusuke was licking the spoon thoroughly. He shook his head and looked away, feeling heat strangely making its way to his face.
"Stop licking your spoon like that," he ordered sternly, still looking away. "You know Mother doesn't like it."
The spoon clattered down to the table noisily.
"Syusuke?" He turned to look at his brother, who was now shaking slightly. His hair covered his eyes, but he picked up the spoon slowly and gave a shaky, "Sorry."
"Syusuke, what's wrong?" Tezuka asked, getting out of his chair and moving towards his brother's own.
"Nii-san, Mother hasn't been writing back," his brother informed him solemnly. "There was mail this morning, but Mother hasn't been writing back."
"She might not have received our letter, Syusuke," Tezuka reminded him, slowly stroking his brother's back. "You know that happens sometimes."
"I know." Syusuke's voice was a whisper now. "I know. But... I have a bad feeling, and," he looked up to Tezuka, eyes wet with suppressed tears. "I'm scared."
Syusuke's small hand clutched his own tightly, and Tezuka squeezed back. "It's okay," he assured, willing Syusuke to be comforted. "I'm sure they're all okay." Tezuka pulled Syusuke to him and let him cry softly on his chest. "We'll be okay here, too. I'll make sure of it."
He bent down to kiss his brother's forehead. "You'll be okay, you don't have to be scared. I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you."
Syusuke merely tightened his hold, his sobs were subsiding, and that was good. Tezuka rubbed slow circles on Syusuke's back. "It's okay. Mother's letter will be in the mail tomorrow, you'll see."
But no letter ever did come. Not the next day, or the next or the next. Syusuke cried more and more often and Tezuka, himself had started to question just why their parents weren't answering any more of their letters.
A month later, Tezuka found out why.
Some teachers of the Academy Tezuka didn't know had pulled them aside and told them that everyone, Grandfather, Father, Mother, everyone, was dead.
./.
Tezuka woke up hard.
He gave out a small gasp, before he opened his eyes, looked down...
And found his brother's body lying flush underneath his. Syusuke, his brother Syusuke was lying underneath him, his legs spread, his top half-on, half-off, his lips sweetly parted, his cheeks adorned with a nice, rosy tinge.
Tezuka jumped up and flung himself to the bathroom faster than he had ever thought possible.
What... how... How did he get there? The last thing Tezuka remembered was listening to his brother's voice in voice mail from his cellphone, and then, Tezuka wakes up, and finds himself rock hard (no surprise there), Syusuke underneath him (big surprise), looking ravaged (he must be seeing wrong, this is a dream, this is a dream, this is a- it's real).
Is it possible to molest your brother in your sleep?
He spent far too long a time than necessary in the shower, feeling the freezing cold water, overthinking everything, trying to find a legitimate reason as to why he woke up today on top of his brother, who had looked, for all the world, as if Tezuka had just had sex with him. Tezuka couldn't have, they were clothed, he was sure of it, he looked, and Syusuke was clothed, he wasn't naked and neither was Tezuka.
They didn't have sex, they didn't, Tezuka was sure, and yet, he couldn't get his brain fully convinced that he didn't molest Syusuke during the night without even being aware of it.
They just... slept together, that's all, and there wasn't anything terribly wrong with... sleeping together, there wasn't, they had slept together many, many times in the past, and Tezuka had never inappropriately touched his brother in any of those times, he had wanted to, but he didn't, and that was what counted.
He'd woken up hard countless times before, as well, and that didn't mean he'd touched Syusuke inappropriately, either.
... It still didn't explain why he was sleeping on top of Syusuke, or why Syusuke's legs were parted, or why Syusuke was on his way to becoming half-naked, or (the worst part) why Syusuke's lips looked swollen from kissing.
They kissed?
A faint image appeared in Tezuka's head, an image of him kissing Syusuke, underneath him on the bed, Syusuke kissing back, calling "Kunimitsu," not nii-san but Kunimitsu, with just as much love and want as he.
They kissed. They kissed. He kissed Syusuke and Syusuke kissed back.
What... did that mean?
He turned his face to the direction of the shower head and let the cold spray hit his face. He exhaled slowly.
It didn't mean anything.
Nothing at all. Not to him, not to Syusuke, and most definitely not to their relationship. He was still just Syusuke's older brother, albeit a big failure as one, and Syusuke was still his younger brother. Whatever happened last night... wouldn't change anything, they were brothers, and that was all that could ever happen with them, Tezuka was not going to force it, they were just brothers, and that would be all.
Tezuka was not going to confuse his own twisted, warped, abnormal feelings as Syusuke's own.
He'd already failed as a brother once, he was not going to fail again, especially since this time, he could control it, he had contol and he was not going to lose it.
Which reminded him.
Persona.
He clenched his fists. He didn't know how to say it, what to do, he'd promised Syusuke he'd protect him, and he failed, was failing, and now he had to walk Syusuke up to his death.
He thought about it while he was dressing, but nothing.
Maybe he should just start by begging for Syusuke's forgiveness. That seemed appropriate enough.
When he opened the door from the shower, Syusuke was sitting on the bed facing the bathroom, clothes fixed, wearing a sheepish smile. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
Tezuka's brows furrowed. "Are you?"
The corner of Syusuke's mouth dropped but quickly quirked up to his usual smile once again that Tezuka couldn't be sure. Syusuke shifted his glance past Tezuka to the bathroom. "You carried me from the bathroom? I remember... sleeping there."
Tezuka wanted to yell. What the hell was Syusuke doing sleeping in the bathroom? That was bad for his body, it was colder in the bathroom, and Syusuke never did well with cold, did he want to get sick or catch a cold or something? But instead, he said a much shorter, "I suppose."
He hated lying, especially to Syusuke, but if Syusuke didn't remember what happened, then, Tezuka wouldn't be in any hurry to remind him. In fact, it would be a whole lot better, and a whole lot simpler if Syusuke didn't remember ever.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Syusuke cut off and appraised him with a sharp blue stare. "Nii-san is distracted. Is everything okay?"
Tezuka suddenly couldn't meet his brother's gaze. How can Syusuke trust him so much, when he was wrong in very, very many ways? "I... don't know," he answered truthfully.
Syusuke tilted his head to the side questioningly, his face confused. "You don't... know?"
"No.. I just..." Tezuka sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" Syusuke was getting up now, approaching him, still with a very confused air. "Nii-san, you didn't do anything wrong. What are you sorry for? What's the matter?"
Tezuka reached out and caressed his brother's face, wondering if he still had the right to do this. He smiled bitterly. "I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry, Syusuke, but... Persona... wants to see you."
He looked at Syusuke again. And watched with disbelief as Syusuke's eyes softened. His brother brought up a hand and placed it over Tezuka's own, closing his eyes and leaning in to Tezuka's touch. "Okay."
"Okay?"
Syusuke opened his eyes and smiled gently. "Nii-san is being an idiot," he said before he moved closer to Tezuka and rested his head on his chest. Tezuka sucked in a huge breath of air, trying to calm his heart. "Nii-san, all I ever wanted was to help you. You go to a lot of missions, you get so stressed and tired and sometimes, you come back injured and hurt or... well, I see you retching in the mornings. You don't get enough sleep and you hardly take care of yourself. I'm allowed to worry, too, you know."
"Syusuke-" Tezuka started, but stopped when he felt his brother shaking his head.
"Nii-san, I'm not stupid." Syusuke looked up, blue eyes so wide, so loving. "I know you were doing all of it for me. I know you wanted to protect me and I loved you for it, so I tried to not be so much more of a burden than I already am. Did you know... Did you know how bad I felt everytime I see you tired or sleepy or on edge? I knew all that was because of me and I tried... I tried not to show just how much it hurts if only so you wouldn't have one more thing to worry about."
Tezuka was shaking. It wasn't supposed to be.. this way. Syusuke was supposed to be happy in that world Tezuka had made for him. All Tezuka wanted was... He brought his arms around his brother, returning the hug, the affection, the love. "Syusuke, I'm so sorry-"
"And now," Syusuke cut off loudly, his voice husky with the tears he was trying so much to stop. "And now, you're saying sorry, asking for my forgiveness, as if I had any right... As if I had any right to be mad or angry or unsatisfied. Nii-san don't you get it? You sacrifice so much for me, and I can't... I don't have anything that I can offer you in return. Don't you see how useless, how much of a weakling I am?"
"You're not," Tezuka took Syusuke's chin in his hand and tilted it up so that he was looking directly at Syusuke's eyes. He thought of Syusuke's smiles, Syusuke's encouragements, Syusuke's tears, Syusuke's gentle actions and kind words that had given him so much strength, that had kept him going depite the tiredness, the stress, the guilt. He thought of Syusuke's purity that he was drawn to, that he needed, because of the monster that he was, that he had become. Syusuke was wrong, it was Syusuke who had given so much to Tezuka, his love, his trust, his care and his kindness, even though the monster that was Tezuka deserved none of it. And Tezuka could only hope that someday, he'll be able to repay Syusuke for everything he was given but wasn't worthy for.
How can he think so lowly of himself, when it was Tezuka who was weak, and Tezuka who needed so much from him?
"I've never, never considered you that, and I never will. Syusuke, don't-"
Syusuke pulled away before he could finish, shaking his head against Tezuka's chest again, and Tezuka tightened his hold. "Go ahead," he told his brother. "Cry." Let me look after you, and care for you the way you deserve to be looked after and cared for.
"No," the voice was hard and determined this time. "I shouldn't. I... I can't be a burden to you, nii-san." Syusuke looked up once more, and his eyes were dry. "Nii-san, sometimes... sometimes I wished I was just a little bit stronger. I know it's selfish but I wanted Persona to notice me, so that I could be with you. So you'd have someone looking after you."
Syusuke offered him a strained, shaky smile and Tezuka tried to smile back. Syusuke's smile widened at his effort. His brother looked down, took his hand and threaded their fingers together. "I want to stand by your side, nii-san, if you'll let me."
Tezuka looked down at their joined hands, marveling at how good it felt to have Syusuke holding him like this, and how good it felt to let him. It took less of an effort to smile this time, and he squeezed his brother's hand, conveying his 'yes' in the simple gesture.
Syusuke beamed. And he couldn't have looked more beautiful to Tezuka.
"I love you, you know," he said softly, quietly, trying to convince himself that it was okay, it wasn't a stupid idea, older brothers love their younger brothers and they say it all the time, trying to convince himself that he wasn't saying it because it was as close to a confession as he could get.
"Hmm?" Syusuke's eyes were closed again, and he was wearing a pleasant smile. He lifted his face up to Tezuka, and Tezuka was suddenly aware again of their closeness. "I know."
Syusuke squeezed his hand, and opened his eyes, all blue and bright and glittering. "I love you, too."
This time, Tezuka had to work extra hard to convince himself that Syusuke meant it in the innocent sense, they were brothers, after all, there was nothing else it could be, and that it didn't hurt, it didn't hurt at all.
It didn't.
And yet, after all that, Tezuka's heart, the stupid thing, still wouldn't stop from pounding itself madly on his ribs, and his blood wouldn't stop tingling, and his mind wouldn't stop repeating his brother's words over and over and over.
Syusuke, you don't know how much I wish you did.
But he didn't. And he never will.
He suddenly felt the strong, strange urge to cry.
./.
No one was noticing her.
It was a little disorienting, considering how she wasn't terribly inconspicuous, she was dressed eccentrically, she looked like she stepped out of a painting from the Heian period of Ancient Japan.
For heaven's sake, she was dressed in a pink kimono, and her hair was put up in a ridiculous imitation of a ribbon and she wore, if he remembered his history correctly, okobo that rose a few inches from the ground and tapered down into a wedge. Her katana in its sheath was clutched closely to her chest by both her arms and she was just standing there, and no one was noticing.
The shadows were rippling uncontrollably, and Yukimura narrowed his eyes at the immortal woman. He had full view of her, standing there in broad daylight, completely unnoticed and unperturbed.
"Chitose," he breathed softly, turning towards the kid, who was currently devouring an atrocious-looking pile of ice cream.
"What?"
Yukimura merely tilted his head to the side, indicating the woman standing in the sidewalk, standing, just standing, her head tilted to the side in an obvious show of patience.
"That's the woman?" Chitose asked, pushing away his glass, and watching her with an interested gleam on his eyes. "Hmmm..." he hummed, assessing her from head to toe, and back again. "Pretty."
The immortal, all the way across the street looked up and smiled, revealing perfect white teeth, making every indication that she had heard Chitose's comment. She pursed her lips, brought up a hand and blew them a kiss.
Chitose was grinning, blowing her a kiss back, which she pretended to catch with her hand, and Yukimura couldn't help but wonder if he was the only sane person left in this whole damn world.
They were flirting. They were on either side of the street and they were flirting, Yukimura didn't know how they managed, they couldn't even hear each other, and Chitose was a practically a kid, considering god knows how long this woman had been living, but they were flirting.
"Chitose." His voice was warning enough, he hoped, he couldn't afford for Chitose to be distracted, flirting with a woman who was ten, maybe twenty times older than him, they needed to carry out orders so that Yukimura can go back to the Academy and be rid himself with this younger version of Atobe Keigo for all of his life.
"I know," Chitose answered, but he still winked at the immortal, who raised a hand to cover her mouth and started giggling, giggling, what the hell was she thinking, giggling like that in broad daylight, in the middle of the sidewalk, in her ancient pink kimono and ribbon hairstyle?
She stopped as abrubtly as she began, raised her arm out to them and crooked her index finger towards her.
Come and get me.
She turned and made her way to the small park conveniently located beside the high-rise. She was rather confident, turning her back to the enemy like that, but Yukimura guessed that was what happens when you don't have to worry about dying.
"Chitose-kun, if you'd explain to me just what the hell that was, I might consider not killing you right now, so if would, explain," he said, and very amiably, too turning sharply to Chitose with a very, very agreeable smile that Chitose, who was busy with his ice cream once again, should recognize.
"That, Yukimura," Chitose said through a mouthful of the cold confection. "Was a girl. You've seen girls before, haven't you? Your little friend Kisaragi Meiko is one."
Outside, already at the entrance of the small park, the immortal threw back her head and laughed.
Yukimura merely widened his smile.
"Okay, okay!" Chitose dunked his spoon back to the glass. "Fine. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have flirted with a pretty girl all the way across the street."
Yukimura offered him another smile, this time with a mocking edge. "You talk too much," he commented, making his way towards the door.
"You're paying," he called back, before he let himself out into the morning sunshine.
It was hot at this time of day, and Yukimura wasn't quite sure how that immortal managed just standing in the sidewalk and waiting for them to take notice of her. But it wasn't his problem, and he needed to start focusing now, especially since his enemy was a goddamn immortal.
She was standing calmly at the center of the park, still with her little self-assured smile. He entered cautiously, and leaned against a lampost that stood near the entrance.
"Hello," he greeted, smiling, though it wasn't, in any way, shape or form, a very friendly smile.
"Yukimura Seiichi-sama." She said it in a way that was coy and flirty, and she said it with ease, as if she had been doing it all her (very) long life. She bowed to him, hands put together in front, delicately bending her torso.
A perfect geisha bow.
"And your name would be what, I wonder?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. This woman was old enough to have been part of the mysterious geisha community of Japan, even though she looked, on the outside, frozen on her late teens, probably eighteen or nineteen. How old was she really?
"Yurehime, Yukimura-sama," she said, disentangling an arm and holding out the bottom part of her kimono. "At your service."
"Not your real name, am I right?"
She laughed, and it, too was coy and flirty. She fixed him with a seductive stare, and gave a little smirk. "Geisha have but one name." Her stare became calculating then, though her smirk never left her face. "And Yurehime is mine. Does it displease you, Yukimura-sama?"
"No, not really," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He watched her with a calculative stare, too, wondering just how far she was willing to take this geisha charade of hers. "Aren't geisha meant to entertain?"
Her mouth widened into a knowing smile. "Oh, yes," she said, still holding her katana with both arms. "I am quite the entertainer, Yukimura-sama. Though I wonder if such a kid like you can afford my ohana." A hand moved towards her chest. "I am expensive, you know."
"Don't worry about me. There is little I cannot afford," Yukimura said, eyes darting around the park. Her kimono was looser than kimono should be, and he doubted she would have a problem moving around them, if this was her choice of clothing. She knew about them being here, after all, she was the one who practically approached them, and as far as Yukimura saw, she wore her kimono like second skin, masterfully, just like any geisha would.
Besides, she had years and years of practice.
He widened his smile. She was going to put up a fight and it was perfect, he was angry and it would just be too bad if she lost easily. He didn't endure the past twenty-four hours with an eccentric, annoying double of Atobe Keigo for nothing, he wasn't a very patient person, and there was only so much Atobe Keigo he could take before he snapped.
And he wanted to snap now. "Entertain me, Yurehime-san."
She hummed for a while, caressing the hilt of her katana lightly. "My, my, Yukimura-sama, you are quite the enthusiast. But first, allow this one a little question?" She tilted her head to the side. "Where is your companion, Chitose Senri-sama?"
"Eating," he answered briefly. "Don't you like it this way, Yurehime-san?" He spread his arms wide. "This way, we won't be interrupted. Entertain me, and don't think of anyone else while you are in my presence."
She gave a short chuckle. "Very well, then. I could always look for him later. I've dealt with the possessive, jealous types before. And quite nicely, too."
Their words were all laced with hidden meanings now, and though she seemed quite confident in her abilities, Yukimura was, too, and he refused to let her conceited smile daunt him.
"I entertain in many ways, Yukimura-sama. I prepare wonderful tea, but sadly, we haven't the time for tea ceremony. I make good conversation, but I hardly think it is appropriate right now. I am a master at shamisen, but one isn't on hand." She gazed directly at him, and her smile had a dangerous edge to it now. "I dance."
Without warning, she pulled her katana out of it sheath and slashed at him all in one swift fluid move. He dodged easily, but had to watch as the lampost split into two and crashed to the ground.
No one outside the deserted park noticed, he noted calmly, even though the lampost had been quite visible from the sidewalk.
He turned his gaze back to her as she laughed with wicked glee, coming out of her geisha act. Her katana was longer than it looked, but he should have expected it, somehow. It was probably about five or six feet; she wielded it with the ease of a master and the grace of a geisha, and Yukimura had just seen firsthand how sharp the blade was.
She fixed him with a smile that was nothing near coy or seductive and that would have sent a lesser man running for his life. As it was, Yukimura merely smiled back, with equal venom.
"Dance with me, Yukimura-sama."
Lia: Issa is decent now (and not thinking about Chandra-Fuji and Vishnu-Tezuka, so we can talk). First of all, I told Issa she was over-dramatizing that scene with Tezuka and Syusuke, but like always she did not listen.
Clary: IT WAS NOT OVER-DRAMATIZED! It was emotional and beautiful and can't you see just how much they love each other? (Lia, you have such a stone cold heart)
Lia: You're making them out to be some strange, twisted piece of work. 'Syusuke thinks he's so weak because he can't help Tezuka, and Tezuka thinks that HE'S weak because he needed so much from Syusuke'. My god, Issa, that scene looks like it came out from some sappy romance novel or something.
Clary: IT. DOES. NOT. Lia, I hate you. You have NO HEART. I CRIED when I was writing that scene, it was so emotional and sweet, and you could see just how much they loved each other, I totally CRIED. How can you think they're a piece of work? TELL HER, EVERYONE. Didn't you think it was such a sweet, lovely, beautiful scene?
Lia: IT'S SAPPY, that's all I can say. Lay off on the dramatizing tendencies and that scene might have turned out sweet and lovely and beautiful.
Clary: I'm not listening to a cold-hearted bitch like you. WHATEVER, Lia. Fuck you.
Lia: I'd really rather not. You should watch your language or you might end up grounded. Which you already are, actually. And you're about to be grounded even more for sneaking behind your mom's back, so watch the language, Issa.
Clary: Fuck you, I'll say whatever I fucking want to, and HAH, you can't delete this!
Lia: Why don't we ask everyone else what they think? I'm pretty sure they're all going to agree with me.
Clary: YOU'RE ON, BITCH. Fantasize all you like, it's an emotional, romantic scene and everyone knows it and they're going to SAY SO, and you're gonna LOSE!
Lia: We'll see.
Review, everyone and tell us who you agree with~
Clary: Even though it's so obvious they agree with ME.
Lia: You'll be eating your words soon, Issa. Mark my words.
Review~~