Hey guys! Here's a semi-early chapter because I'm going to be in Boston for a week and may or may not have Wifi. If I don't, though, I'll be working on this while I'm there and post when I get back, so just please keep reviewing! =)
Oh. My. God. I almost wanted to post this chapter even earlier because I just read "My Immortal", aka the Worst Fanfic Ever out of curiosity and just…oh my god. Think of any clichéd trope of bad fanfiction and multiply it by ten. I mean, the OCs NAME is Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way. No lie.
Basically, this 'goffik' girl butchers and slashes her way through the English language as well as the magnificently written Harry Potter series and rips the both of them to bloody tatters. Not to MENTION the ongoing drama between herself and her friend over posters and sweaters and the heated arguments between herself and the 'preps', 'faggots' and 'posers' who flamed her story. Let's just say if JK Rowling ever read it, it'd give her a heart attack. This girl slashes herself with every male character in Hogwarts (yes, including staff), and every other scene involves 'Enoby' or the author slashing her wrists and, on one memorable occasion, trying to stab herself with a steak. I WISH that was a typo. I WISH I could tell you it wasn't true, but this atrocious abomination to modern literature is very, very real, and can be found easily on a google search for "Worst Fanfic". To understand how magnificently rotten this fic is, you'd just have to read it yourself.
Basic summary? Ebony 'Enoby' Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way makes Isabella Swan look like Miss Congeniality.
Scary, amirite?
ANYWAY. If you're real bored sometime and feeling down on your writing and are prepared to lose a few brain cells (and if you're in need of a good laugh), look it up on google- I found a site that still hosted it pretty easily. There is also a comic parody of the first 3 chapters written by someone she pissed off in real life. There are also various parodies and dramatic readings.
Just felt the need to share the love.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Characters belong to Stopani and Marimite respectively.
How Can You See With Your Eyes Shut?
Chapter Three: If I Fall
Yaya could have skipped- in fact she did, grabbing a squawking Tsubomi by the hand and skipping all the way to choir practice with the raging tsundere in toll.
Sei hadn't been within her line of sight since she left Yaya's dorm five hours ago, and she was fairly certain that Tsubomi hadn't seen her either, given the fact that Tsubomi had all third year classes. It was a small victory, because it was only about one o'clock, but Yaya was so tired of watching Tsubomi fawn all over some blonde Casanova that she could have been assigned three extra weeks' French homework and accept it happily.
Okay, maybe reluctantly. But she'd actually do it.
"Let me go, Yaya-sempai!" Tsubomi cried for the fifteenth time, and this time her wish was granted as the two reached the choir room. "What's your problem?"
"What do you mean?" Yaya asked, throwing an arm over Tsubomi's shoulders.
"You're acting weirder than usual," Tsubomi muttered, a blush darkening her pale features. But she didn't shove Yaya's arm away, even when it slipped to rest around her waist. When they entered the chapel, Yaya's arm slipped away and she immediately missed the warmth, but soon realized that everyone was seated on the pews.
"Great," Yaya mumbled beside her. "It's lesson day." She glanced around behind her before taking a casual step backwards. "I guess I'll see you at dinner then…"
"Nice try, Yaya-sempai," Tsubomi stated, grabbing onto Yaya's uniform and pulling her back towards the front of the chapel. "You're not skipping and leaving me here."
Instantly Yaya perked up, liking the sound of that last bit, and allowed herself to be half-guided, half-dragged to a pew with a few open spaces. Slipping in beside Tsubomi, Yaya quickly zoned out when the teacher began talking. I wonder if Tsubomi really likes Sei-sempai? I mean, I know she makes her nervous but…what if she likes her for more than that? What if my Tsubomi-chan falls for that stupid playgirl?
The possessive pronoun didn't bother Yaya in the least- she tended to be quite possessive of certain friends, like Hikari and Tsubomi. And she knew what it meant, too- she wasn't entirely comfortable with her feelings for Tsubomi just yet, but she might not have more time before Sei decided to completely steal her away. Glancing around and noticing that several girls were holding hands, even resting their heads on each others' laps, Yaya threw an arm over Tsubomi's shoulder with the utmost nonchalance, pulling the pinkette to her so that her head was resting on Yaya's chest. There wasn't much she had that Sei didn't, but when she spotted an advantage, you could be damn sure she was going to take it.
Tsubomi blushed furiously when she felt Yaya's arm around her, and contemplated doing the right thing- calling the older girl out and forcing her to let go. But she hadn't been getting much sleep lately, even with the arrival of Sei. Her feelings for Yaya were only growing stronger as she realized how it felt to be truly wanted by someone, and how it might feel to be wanted by someone she wanted back, and she often couldn't sleep because of it. So she relaxed slightly in the embrace, eventually allowing her hand to rest on Yaya's free hand, loving the feeling of the warm skin beneath hers. It was a dangerous position- it was a position of two lovers, and Tsubomi was well aware that it was something she and Yaya were not. But maybe, just maybe, if she showed Yaya what loving her could be like…maybe things could change.
For her part, Yaya felt the hand on hers and flipped her hand so that she could intertwine their fingers. She wasn't entirely certain what to do or how deep her feelings ran, but she knew that she had feelings for Tsubomi, and she wasn't about to lose her just because she didn't know how strong they were. She was definitely planning to make Tsubomi her own; how she would do it was the real question. But for now, she figured that acting more coupley would not only avert Sei's affection, but possibly warm Tsubomi up to the idea of dating her instead. She let out a long, content sigh through her nose and leaned back, causing the pinkette to fall back onto her chest with an almost inaudible squeak. Yaya ran the hand that was holding onto Tsubomi through the pink locks in a reassuring gesture, and soon felt the pinkette relax once again, gripping her hand just that little bit tighter.
PGBR
Miyuki was still in a different and altogether more depressing world when she left the council room, so much so that she literally ran into the person waiting for her. She stumbled slightly, but a pair of strong arms caught her and righted her easily, pushing her back slightly so that she was inside the council room once again. Looking up, her eyes widened in subdued surprise to see the Spican president staring at her with a slight scowl, her eyes and posture full of not-so-hidden concern.
"Did you need something from me, Toumori-san?" she asked coolly, inwardly wincing at how empty her voice sounded.
Shion stood before her, arms folded over her chest and back leaning against the door, but there was something in her posture that Miyuki did not recognize. She wasn't tense or rigid like she always was in the past, and she was gazing up at Miyuki with what an onlooker may have described as apathy. But Miyuki recognized the emotion as concern, and the stance as…submissive? She realized where this stance might be something she would expect of Shion, but not in the current situation. She could feel her face heating up and her hands start to twitch at her sides, causing her to fold them tightly to her chest. Shion's posture could be apologetic, but Miyuki couldn't think of anything she needed to apologize for…and then it hit her.
It was a lover's stance.
After realizing that Miyuki wasn't going to say anything, Shion bit her lip and stood up slightly straighter. "Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice an octave lower than usual, so that the blunt question came out as more of a comfort than anything else. "I've never seen you…leave like that."
"I'm fine," Miyuki said sharply, causing Shion to wince visibly. Guilt poured into the Miator president almost immediately- the proud, lion-like Spican was being vulnerable for her sake, and she had just bit her head off for something she couldn't control. She sighed. "Just thinking."
Shion nodded slowly. "About what?" she asked after a moment, hesitating as if she wasn't sure it was within her rights to ask. Then her face turned sour not a second later, causing Miyuki to blink, wondering if she'd missed something. "Not that delinquent?"
For a moment, Miyuki thought she was talking about Shizuma before she realized that Shion was referring to Sei. She almost wanted to laugh at the amount of scorn the Spican showed for Sei, but the rapid pounding of her heart prevented it. "No, not Satou-san," she said firmly, a smile teasing at the corner of her lips when Shion visibly relaxed and smiled sheepishly up at her, as if she'd been caught. For a moment, Miyuki was stunned speechless- she'd never seen Shion smile for real, and she was absolutely mesmerized by the sight. Those violet eyes twinkled and her lips curled just barely, a couple of pearly white teeth peeking out from beneath her upper lip, and the sight filled Miyuki with an emotion that she hadn't felt since she'd first come to Miator and had been taken in by Shizuma. Safety. At the sight of Shion's imploring eyes, she suddenly realized that the Spican wanted more. "Just…I'm sure you know of my situation," she continued, her joy fading back to bitter acceptance. "I'm to be married off to a man twice my age the minute I leave Astraea Hill. I was just thinking about…" She paused, realizing she'd never opened up to anyone like this before- what was she doing trusting the one girl who'd played her foil since grade school.
The right thing, she hoped.
"I was just thinking about how different it's going to be," she finally said. "Going from the top of the school to the bottom of the social world- it's a little bit disconcerting."
Shion nodded slowly, and Miyuki saw that her jaw was clenched, as if she were trying very hard not to say anything. As usual, though, it didn't work. "But you're better than that," she said, sounding as if she were confused by the very prospect. "You know that. You better." Miyuki smiled slightly when some of the trademark frown appeared on Shion's face. "Not only are you brilliant, but you're kind and loyal- to a fault, sometimes, with that baka-hentai of an Etoile. You're more clever than you ever let on- I know you're more upset about what's going to happen then you'll ever say. And…you're beautiful." The last word slipped from her lips like a question. "You're the most beautiful girl and you could do so much better than this. What are you so afraid of? What could possibly be worth spending life with someone you don't love, knowing that you could be waking up every day beside someone who'd treat you like the princess you are?"
And there it was- Miyuki felt herself falling and she needed to regain control, and fast. Shion's words were sweet and encouraging, but in the end, she couldn't change the situation. Shion didn't know her father. All Shion was was an outsider looking in. "Like who?" she finally managed, her voice coming out more choked than she meant it to. And then, out of some twisted, masochistic part of her, her next words erupted. "Satou-san? She seems to be the only person interested in me at the moment."
And there it was- she didn't know why she'd said it- didn't know why she'd suddenly wanted to hear the words that she knew wouldn't come…
"NO!"
Miyuki actually jumped this time, her books dropping quickly from her arms. But the positively enraged expression Shion was wearing made her forget about them completely. "No, I don't mean Satou-san! But would you like that?" she asked, her voice breaking, and Miyuki was suddenly at a loss for words, never having seen Shion break down like this. "Would you like it to be her? I'm sure she'd appreciate you and shower you in affection. She doesn't have some kind of condition that makes it impossible to be halfway civil to the person she cares about, after all." The Spican laughed bitterly, though it came out as more of a cough. "No, Miyuki, I meant..." she trailed off, her fingers pressing against her temples.
"Whoever you meant, it's impossible," Miyuki said once it became apparent that Shion wasn't going to continue. She felt horrible, her suspicions now all but confirmed about Shion's feelings for her- worse even, the fact that all she wanted to do was fall into her arms. "What you said…about being with someone I love…no matter who it is, it's impossible, even if they love me back. I'm trapped- I have been since the day we met in grade school."
"You're never trapped, Miyuki," Shion said softly, once again dropping the suffix, stepping far too close, and staying far too far away all at once. "There's always a way out."
"Not without losing everything," Miyuki stated bitterly. "I'll be scratched from the will and cut off financially. My father will see to it that I don't find work. There's nothing I can do."
She met Shion's eyes with a stare of her own this time, waiting for the Spican's response. "Then maybe," Shion finally said, taking another step so that she was close enough to feel the brush of Miyuki's soft skin against her own, "you should stop trying to do everything yourself."
Their lips were only millimeters apart, and Miyuki, oddly enough, realized that despite being rather vertically challenged, Shion stood about an inch taller than her. Funny, that.
And then the Spican had closed the distance between them, one hand instantly pressed protectively against the small of Miyuki's back, the other poised around the back of her neck, her thumb stroking Miyuki's jaw with a gentle pressure.
Miyuki felt every last breath being forcibly sucked from her system and pooling in her stomach as Shion's lips pressed against her own. A warm, electric shiver ran down her spine, and without quite meaning to do it, she found herself winding her arms around the Spican's neck tightly, pulling her closer. Shion pulled away for a half second, allowing their noses to brush together as she took a shuddering breath. Before she had a chance to recuperate, Miyuki had pulled her back into another long, desperate kiss spiked with lust, their tongues clashing together, fighting for dominance.
Finally, Shion took it upon herself to pull away, remembering suddenly that they were in the council room of all places. After a moment, she opened her mouth to say something to Miyuki, and realized that the Miator girl looked absolutely horrified.
Ohshit.
Knowing exactly what was coming next (the inevitable heel-face turn), she stood and stepped closer to Miyuki. Who took a step back. And then there was the head-shaking and the tears pooling at the corners of the dark eyes, and Shion felt her heart breaking in her chest as Miyuki turned and ran out of the room.
After watching her leave, Shion knelt in a disembodied way and picked up Miyuki's belongings.
"She'll never let anyone love her until she realizes that there really is a way out."
Shion jumped at the voice, her instinct causing her to turn and glare in the direction of the husky voice. Chuckling softly, Shizuma stepped forward and reached out to pluck Miyuki's books from her hands, but Shion jerked away, clutching the items to her chest. "I can deliver them," she all but spat at the girl she knew still held Miyuki's broken heart.
Shizuma stepped back, hands up in submission. "I'm just trying to help," she said truthfully. "Miyuki is my best friend, and I do love her, even if it's not the way she wished I did." She sighed when the Spican's glare only deepened. "You have to show her that she doesn't have to live a loveless lie. You have to show her that things can change; that you can change them for her."
Shion frowned slightly, realizing that she'd have to trust Shizuma for once, as unreliable as she way. "How?" she asked.
Shizuma smirked. "You're loaded, right? Father's a top-notch lawyer and Mother owns the biggest fashion enterprise in all of Japan, correct?"
"…yes…," Shion replied slowly, wondering if Shizuma wanted a bribe.
As if reading her mind, Shizuma laughed. "I don't need money," she said with a shrug. "I'm actually doing this just for Miyuki's sake, believe it or not. Anyway, you need to know that the only reason this marriage is happening is because Miyuki's father gambled away the majority of their funds. At this point, it hardly matters who Miyuki goes to as long as they've got the money to back it up. And I guaran-fucking-te you're richer than any other sad son-of-a-bitch those bastard parents of hers can come up with." Shion's eyes widened with hope as she realized what Shizuma was saying, then she frowned slightly. The last thing she wanted was to force Miyuki to love her. "And," Shizuma said, reading her mind again, "as soon as the deal's done and they get the dowry, Miyuki belongs to you. Whatever you want to do with her. Including letting her go." She shrugged slightly. "But do what you like- after all, who would listen to a baka-hentai like myself?"
She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Shion standing in the dark room by herself, her lip caught between her teeth.