Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei, any of its characters or any of the games/comics/other mangas/movies/shows/other fics I reference. Also those of you uncomfortable with lemons and such, you're in luck. Oh, and contains drug references. It won't pop up much but it's there.
Hanatarou's eyes snapped open to see the ceiling of his living room. With a long, drawn out groan he made to sit up and scratch his head. Taking a few seconds to realize his body, save for his left arm wasn't obeying him, he looked down and found himself wrapped like a mummy from the neck down and tied to the sofa. Taking even longer to absorb this, he finally became aware he was cocooned to his temporary bed and shouted out, "What the fuck?!" Partially hoping the shout would alert the girls he was awake, he turned towards the staircase to find his view partially blocked by a dining table chair and a white sheet of paper stuck to the back of it.
Squinting his eyes so as to see the kanji, it read, "Hana-tan. Uzume-tan and Matsu are off shopping and then to Izumo to get Uzume-tan's belongings. So in the meanwhile, stick around because Matsu and Uzume-tan are punishing you for yesterday~ Plus, it would be nice if we could 'experiment' together later~" Below the letter, he saw a sketch of what appears to be himself tied up and looking at Matsu who was wearing something ar-
His pupils turned to pinpricks, "Oh Kami no," he muttered under his breath. Hanatarou's struggle to free himself was renewed with astonishing vigour. After about ten seconds of fruitless squirming, he stopped and began to breathe deep, reminding himself that panic in a crisis is the worst enemy. After calming himself down, he began to meditate as best as he could in his odd position. It was best to empty his mind of emotion for now, as the now-stoic accountant attempted to re-gain his usually stellar self-control. After about ten minutes of pseudo-meditation, he started to consider ways out of here. "C'mon, think…I just have to wiggle out? No, my previous struggles would've at least weakened the linen if that was possible." He shook his head then continued talking to himself, "If only I could cu-" Then it hit him. He recalled carelessly dropping a knife a week ago into the depths of this very sofa after making use of it. Realizing he could most likely dig into the leather cushions and find it, his left arm dove as deep as it could and began probing about. It wasn't until he was about to give up hope until his ring finger brushed the back of the blade. Grasping it between his ring and middle finger, he began to shimmy the knife closer until his palm closed around the grip of the blade. The thrill of success and saving himself from the worst fate imaginable shot up his spine as he put the knife to work, cutting the linen trapping him to the sofa. Rolling himself off and loosening his cocoon just enough, he slid out of his overly-snug blanket and at last got to scratch his junk which was bothering him the whole time.
"Good lord, what a fucking relief~" He breathed out in a content tone. The restless Ashikabi stretched fully and took another deep breath. Remembering he wasn't entirely out of the woods yet, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, figuring he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it. Since it's his day off and he's not the most sociable person, he decided it was time to kick back, relax and unwind. He power-walked towards the laundry room and removed the circular rug in the middle of the room to reveal a metal trapdoor. After opening it, he slid down the ladder and reached above himself for the lightbulb's drawstring. Once the room was illuminated, he peered around his man-cave, admiring the view. A desktop with three separate monitors was in the far corner, off and awaiting his return. In the back of the room sat an actual desk, with a bookcase spanning the entire wall filled with various tomes and reference material. To his right stood a weighty trunk kept closed with a cast-iron combination lock (custom ordered and it cost him a pretty penny too). He moved to the trunk and input his combination to unlock it. After removing the lock, he lifted the lid to reveal his contraband. On the left were numerous airtight jars holding specimens coloured green and orange, green and purple or all three of the previously mentioned colours, with all of the nuggets covered in countless white strands of what seemed to be hair but under magnification would turn out to be crystals. In the center was a sizeable glass water-pipe, an actual corn-cob pipe and a black box with a power cord and a plastic and glass-tipped hose coiled on top of it. To the farthest right was a sandwich baggie holding a moderately-sized white rock. Ignoring the rock, he moved towards a jar in the back and to the left labelled "Northern Lights" and grabbed the water pipe.
After heading upstairs to fill the water pipe with hydrogen di-oxide, he carefully made his way back down and shut the trapdoor. If one had managed to break into Hanatarou's house and put their ear to the trapdoor just to eavesdrop, they would hear the occasional snap of a twig, a lighter flicking, a water pipe being put to use and after several seconds of silence, an exhale and a breathy, "Sweet mother of Mary, that is some good stuff!"
After half an hour, the elevated Ashikabi emerged slowly from the trapdoor, taking a moment once he was standing to stretch again. He flicked the trapdoor shut with his foot and a loud bang and sauntered to and up the stairs towards the piano room. The elevated musician made his way towards a small bookcase housing several manila folders holding various piano sheet music. After retrieving the new piece he was working on, Hanatarou barely got to sit on the piano bench before he heard a loud knock on the door. Sighing to himself, he dragged himself up and slid his feet to the door and opened it to reveal…
-~Scene Transfer to Matsu & Uzume, approx. 30 minutes before Hanatarou awakens~-
#02 and #10 were standing in Uzume's now former room, going through her closest to bring out her extensive wardrobe and began to sort through it for what should be kept or thrown. Matsu held up a rather racy and lacy pair of panties and turned towards the Veiled Sekirei, fully intent on teasing her to oblivion, "Mou~, Uzume-tan! These pantsu are so da~ring! Were you going to try to seduce Matsu's Ashikabi with the~se?"
Thankfully Uzume has thick skin so she took the jab about their Ashikabi in stride, "Ple~ase Matsu, don't tell me you think just 'cause you were first, you get first dibs? In love, it's first to the finish and you know it sister." She said with a sway of her hips and a confident smirk.
#02 opened her mouth to retort but Miya just glided into the room. Being #00/01 and essentially a demi-god of gargantuan power, neither Wagtail could ignore the presence of the mild-mannered Inn manager. She reached out to a pair of see-through lace panties and raised it to eye level, lifting her eyebrows at the sight. Both Matsu and Uzume began to cower, fully expecting a visit from that eldritch horror Miya seems to create from nothing but were surprised to hear her giggle, "It's all right you two. I'm not so presumptuous to try to tell you both what you can or can't do outside of my home. By all means, try to shamelessly seduce your Ashikabi like a pair of animals in heat," she said with a smile. Both of the winged Sekirei laugh nervously, having no choice but to accept Miya's barbed tongue. #00/01 continued, "By the way, are you two sure both of you should be here? After all, you did rob MBI of a Jinki. It wouldn't surprise me if that fool of a Director would sic the Disciplinary Squad after you or your Ashikabi to get it back." The Hannya of the North said seriously.
"Matsu doesn't believe so Miya-tan. Minaka already gave Matsu a pardon yesterday, plus Matsu and Uzume-tan are the first winged Sekirei, and as winged Sekirei we are participants in the S Plan. While the Director is nuts, he wouldn't want any pieces removed from his 'Game of the Gods,'" #02 finished with finger quotes. "Matsu appreciates Miya-tan looking out for us and our Ashikabi though," she added on with a smile. Miya stayed for about twenty minutes, making small talk with her now former tenant and former team member, even going so far as to show Uzume her aura-based abomination after a particularly raunchy line about Hanatarou in the morning. Matsu added comments, laughed and cowered slightly at appropriate times but couldn't help the feeling as if she was missing out on something back home. Once #00/01 had her fun, Matsu and Uzume wrapped things up with the use of #10's veils. With both of them carrying a package (#02 holding the smaller one), the both bounded back towards home.
The way to their house was uneventful, right until they were a block away. Matsu saw it first while Uzume caught on half a second later; a black and red blur with pink on her crown dashed out of their home and took off as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Both of them had paused on the rooftop, looking at the sight with unveiled confusion then they looked at each other. With sudden vigour, they dashed towards the front door, flicked it aside and #02 was the first to voice her concerns, "Hana-tan! Hana-tan, where are you?!" She shouted out with contained panic. Since both her and Uzume were still moving, he was still alive. Due to the potential injury to her Ashikabi, Matsu hadn't considered simply trying through their telepathic link to find out if he was ok. While the Sekirei of Wisdom was one hell of a force to reckon with from the backlines, once put in the unfamiliar scenario of actual combat situations or the rear being breached and she was at a loss.
To both ladies immense relief, down the stairs came Hanatarou, holding a folder with various papers and wearing headphones to listen to the piano piece he was currently studying played properly. Glancing up then doing a double-take at his newest housemates, he removed the headphones and raised a hand nonchalantly, "Yo. How was th-" He was interrupted by a sudden double glomping. With the wind knocked out of him, the smothered accountant could do nothing but toss the folder in the air and succumb to the pair of worried women lying atop him.
Matsu and Uzume locked eyes and silently agreed on the first question, "What happened?!" Both cried out, the worry prominent in their voices.
Having dragged himself out from underneath them both, Hanatarou gestured for them to take a seat while he gathered the sheet music that scattered a bit. After making sure the pages were all in order, he set the folder down for now and stood before his flock, "Well, it's like this…"
-~Approx. an hour ago, MBI tower (for clarification, this is what drove Benitsubasa here, a prelude to the explanation if you will)~-
Minaka's current secretary, a young woman with hardly a grey hair on her head (and boy was that going to change in the two weeks she'd spend putting up with Minaka until finally quitting. But that is a story for another time.) nodded her head and gestured for #104 and 105, Haihane and Benitsubasa to enter Minaka's office. The Crimson and Azure Sekirei both advanced, the pink-haired spitfire pushing the thick-set double doors open with as much effort a human would exert opening a paper-back book. In front of them sat none other than Minaka Hiroto, clad in his standard all-white suit sans cape (it was hanging on his seat behind him). Looking up to see the provisional Disciplinary Squad members before him as announced, he rose from his chair and took a moment to don his cape before speaking to them, "Ah, #104 and 105. What can I help you with?" He asked cordially and a tad uncharacteristically, due to his usual flair for the dramatic.
Benitsubasa raised a manila folder and tossed it upon his desk, its contents spilling forth; pictures taken from an MBI satellite, depicting a profile of #02 and 10 each, plus another showing the house they were currently sharing with their Ashikabi. Minaka had enough time to glance at each photo before Haihane raised her voice, "We've tracked the pair of thieves to his house over on the western side of Shinto Teito. Would ya like us to go beat 'em up, or somethin'?" She asked as if she didn't care about the outcome despite the two in the room with her being well aware of her thirst for battle. Both #104 and 105 aren't official members of the Disciplinary Squad since Yume survived the incidents at Kamikura Island and remained as leader of the team formerly known as the Sekirei Guardians despite remaining unwinged; she felt no pull towards the official Ashikabi of the Squad, Natsuo so with the Director's permission, she remains a member. The Crimson and Azure Sekirei were both on a trial run so basic enforcement missions where the offense was minor enough to spare the lives of the guilty party were to be their standard fare. This was a wise idea, seeing as Yume would be unwilling to punish anyone unless they've harmed a fellow Wagtail and Karasuba had three settings: Kill, 'docile' and random. Naturally, #04 was too unreliable, or too reliable if one looked at it differently.
Minaka had been silent, giving the provisional members of the Disciplinary Squads' request seemingly serious consideration. He raised his left hand slowly to his glasses, as if to re-adjust them. He formed a half-fist with the hand instead while he began to speak, "#104 and 105, I approve of your zeal towards your work." The Director paused for dramatic effect while both Sekirei basked in the compliment, believing they gained bonus points towards their application to join. He now fully closed his leather glove covered fist. In the now completely silent room, one could hear the sound of the leather being drawn taut over his hand and he continued, "However, I cannot allow the first winged Wagtails to come to harm yet so soon after they found their destined one, especially after going through such great lengths to find him. Can't you see?!" The Gamemaster threw out his right arm while also billowing out his signature cape, his fist still drawn as tight as a bowstring while it partially covered his grinning face. "This was-," Minaka crouches to one knee as if he was part of a hand-egg (American football) teams' huddle, "-destined-" The Director sprang up, his hand actually re-adjusting his spectacles now since they came loose due to his drastic movements, "-by the Gods!" He finished with the right hand shooting skyward, his cape flowing dramatically to a non-existent breeze.
The Director's audience had mixed reactions: Haihane had stopped listening entirely but watched Minaka do what Minaka does best and let out a low, awed, "O~oh…" and began to clap while still donning her claws, making the clap more of a moderately loud metallic chorus of large steel fingernails slapping together sporadically.
Benitsubasa, being the cute little spitfire that she was, predictably lost her temper, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! We're going to let these two rats go just because they got lucky!?" For a 159cm tall young woman, she sure packed a pair of powerful lungs. Amongst the more callous of scientists and occasional guard in the "R&D" Department of MBI tower liked to joke that #105's lungs are so unnaturally strong due to them robbing her breasts of proper nutrients. One of the slower of the guards even went so far as to make that joke in Benitsubasa's face. One moment he was stupidly guffawing at her non-reaction, the next he was dangling from a head-shaped hole in the ceiling and being rushed to the Emergency Room. The Crimson Sekirei glared at the Director, her face a strangely adorable mix of a scowl and a pout; it was as if she was torn between tearing Minaka's head off or throwing a (destructive) tantrum until she gets what she wants.
The Gamemaster had nearly dropped his happy-go-lucky idiot façade to cover his ears at #105's bombastic outburst, merely laughing heartily at her interrogative, "Now, now. I do understand your reasoning #105, and had the Sekirei Plan already commenced I would've asked you to, as the Americans say, lay down the law. However, who are to punish the Ashikabi for a minor transgression committed by his Sekirei before they even met? Such a thing would be just cruel. Besides, I'm afraid I've already given #02 an official pardon for her and #10's actions. The matter is no longer up for discussion. You're both dismissed," Minaka finished with a more serious tone.
Benitsubasa's mix of a scowl and a pout lost the pout factor as she stormed out of the Director's office. Haihane followed after a half-moment's hesitation, a little put-out there was seemingly no more excitement to be had that day. Once #104 and 105 made it to the executive elevator (accessible only by Minaka, Takami, the former Takehito and the Disciplinary Squad), the Crimson Sekirei turned to her Azure counterpart. Haihane, sensing her sister-in-arms wished to speak, moved to face her and wasn't disappointed, "Minaka's full of shit. The DS is supposed to be the authority in this stupid game of his and we're just going to let a pair of crooks rob MBI from right under their noses and let it slide like nothing?! Fuck that!" Benitsubasa's characteristic bluntness and fiery passion (read: anger) flowing out of her in droves. Haihane found it hard to keep a straight face after the full of shit line but thankfully her sister-in-arms didn't notice; had Benitsubasa saw the small smirk, it most likely would've delved down a path they've walked before: #105 angrily asking what she was laughing about, #104 trying to brush it off nonchalantly and Beni-hime not letting it go until it eventually devolves into one of their 'little spar sessions.' The last time they went at each other, floors 70-77 of MBI tower had to go through 'heavy renovations.' It had gotten to the point Minaka had seriously considered sicing Karasuba on the wily pair until #04 broke the fight up, non-violently of all ways (but, like the secretary from before, that is a story for another time). "I saw we go strike those two sneaks with the fear of the 'Gods!'" Benitsubasa snarled while slamming her fists together.
Fully expecting the sadistic Haihane to go along for the ride, if only to make some Sekirei sweat at their presence, #105 was surprised to hear, "M~mh, I dunno…I don't think it's a good idea," the Azure Sekirei mumbled with disinterest. Seeing Beni-hime looking at her in open shock, she decided to clarify, "The both of us going, not the fear striking part. I, heh, wanted to actually lay a smack-down. No violence right now is…not gonna happen. Matter of fact, I'll probably head to the training room and stretch my claws a bit." #104 put a steel nail to her lip in thought, splitting it slightly and nodded her head while also jabbing her nose, evoking an "Ow…" and continued, "Why don't you go on your own? Oh, and could you scratch my nose for me? I don't want to wrap my face in bandages again," she chuckled darkly, remembering the previous time she attempted to relieve that itch with bitter-sweet results.
Benitsubasa obliged Haihane in her way; instead of scratching her nose, she gave it a light flick in irritation. The Azure Sekirei had the sudden urge to make her sister-at-arms more true to her moniker "The Crimson Sekirei" but repressed the moment of battle-thirst, recalling the chilling sight of Karasuba approaching with her blade drawn. Plus the last time they went at it, the results had remained the same from before; both were in such a stalemate, the moment one of them lost focus for half a second would result in death. While Haihane remembered fondly how her warrior-blood sang during their fight, she figured it would be towards her benefit if Benitsubasa ran off and risked getting on Minaka's bad side while she remained here obediently.
And sure enough, her assumption that #105 would run off on her mission, regardless if she joined her turned out to be true. As Beni-hime began to bound from rooftop to rooftop in the general direction of West, Haihane's face turned rather Light as she muttered to herself, "Keikaku doori."
-~Following Beni-hime now and Hanatarou's explanation~-
If she'd bother to stop and think for a moment, Benitsubasa would realize this wasn't the wisest idea; ignoring a direct order from the Director himself while trying to gain his approval to join the Disciplinary Squad was actually a terrible plan. Unfortunately #105 wasn't one to consider her actions much in a good mood, let alone when she was angry. It was safe to say these thoughts didn't cross her mind at all as she bounded West over the rooftops with the grace and speed only a physically inclined Sekirei could bring forth. Whipping out her MBI-issued phone, she checked the map and saw she had actually passed the house four blocks ago. Stopping on a dime on the roof of some convenience store, the Crimson Sekirei crouched low and sprang up like a taut spring, causing the blonde worker inside to peer at the ceiling in confusion. Doing a couple barrel rolls for the fun of it, #105 raised a hand and tried to twirl on a lightpost, nearly uprooting it entirely due to her forward momentum. After dragging it nearly all the way down, she turned around to notice her handiwork. It took a few seconds to sink in.
"Whoo~ps!" Benitsubasa put her fist to the side of her head without the side ponytail and stuck her tongue out in a rare display of utter cuteness. Thankfully there were no witnesses or else she would've been embarrassed and inclined to silence them. The Crimson Sekirei gingerly pushed the pole upright and shoved it downward until it was partially back in its original position. Stepping back to get a better look at her handiwork, Benitsubasa muttered, "Close enough?" Not more than 2 seconds after she finished murmuring to herself did the thin lid covering the bulb of the pole fall and shatter on the sidewalk. "A~nd that's my cue to leave," she declared.
Re-tracing her path on the ground now, she found herself in front of a two-story modern home. Remembering the front gate and door from the satellite photos of #02 and 10, she hopped over the metal bars and cocked a fist back before recalling she wasn't here to kill anyone. Benitsubasa instead knocked with urgency. After about ten seconds, the door opened to reveal a man about half a head taller with light brown skin tone with black, fairly short hair and dark brown eyes. Dressed in a slightly disheveled white button shirt and black slacks, the man looked down but was brushed aside as the pink-haired, red-eyed girl walked into his home. "Yes? Can I help you miss?" Hanatarou asked calmly, a stoic expression on his face.
With her arms crossed, Benitsubasa turned to the Ashikabi, "Where are they?" She asked shortly.
The calm Ashikabi was in a corner. Having gotten a closer look at her hair as the girl walked past him, he noticed he couldn't see any discolouration at the roots; her pink hair was either natural or a pain-stakingly long and professional dye job. His suspicion was confirmed when she spoke the previous three words. She's a Sekirei, Hana-tan thought. No doubt about it. But what does she want with Matsu and Uzume? A fight? Realizing he was severely outgunned, he decided to comply for now, "I take it you mean #02 and #10? They went out shopping this morning." He stated as he made his way to the kitchen and withdrew a box of strawberries from within his fridge. After washing them he silently sat down at the table and began to savour the small fruits.
Benitsubasa was eyeing him severely, "Well, when are they coming back?" He asked tersely.
With his mouth full, Hanatarou did the polite thing and just shrugged. While #105 withdrew into her thoughts to figure out what to do now, she suddenly found the strawberries in her face. The Crimson Sekirei started and turned to look at the man offering them. Giving him a suspicious look before accepting one, she gingerly pinched a berry then took a hesitant bite. She was a natural carnivore, so she tends to favour meat for her meals; every single course served for her was at least 70% meat of some kind. So it was safe to say Benitsubasa didn't know much about other kinds of food and the various flavours they had. With a muffled, high-pitched squeal, Beni-hime ate the remainder of the first berry and relieved Hanatarou of the rest of them, downing them in quick succession. He chuckled at her reaction, "Well, I wasn't that hungry anyway," he joked in an off-hand manner and strolled towards the kitchen to grab a drink.
Looking sheepish, #105 came forward and held out the box holding the remaining 3 strawberries. With his mouth once again full, Hanatarou attempted to gesture he didn't want them, causing Benitsubasa to tilt her head slightly. Matsu and Uzume are both full-bodied and beautiful women. And sure they've cute faces but this girl is cuter, if only because of her expressions and mannerisms. he thought, Damn, I'm admiring a Sekirei that isn't even mine! How much of a pig can I be? the self-deprecating Ashikabi added in disgust. He drained the oolong tea and decided to explain himself, "Go ahead and finish them. I was joking but I was serious when I said I wasn't that hungry."
Benitsubasa nodded in false understanding, "Yeah that makes a whole lot of sense," she drawled, words dripping sarcasm, "Look, you're #02 and 10's Ashikabi. So you'll have to do." She stepped well into Hana-tan's personal space and continued, "MBI and the Disciplinary Squad have their eyes on you. Any more rule-breaking and I guarantee you, I will personally hunt the three of you down and paint the walls with your blood!" She threatened with a mild snarl at the end, fully expecting Hanatarou to begin begging for mercy.
Unknown to Benitsubasa, the Ashikabi in front of him wasn't one to buckle under pressure easily. Plus he was sharp, "Rule-breaking? You mean the Sekirei Plan's rules?" #105 nodded confirmation and he continued, "Well, that doesn't make much sense," the figurative fisherman threw a baited hook.
And the pink-haired fish bit, "What doesn't make sense?" She said, her scowl tightening a bit.
"The Sekirei Plan hasn't started yet right? How could anybody break the rules if it hasn't even started yet?" Hana-tan questioned logically, his stoic mask never slipping.
Benitsubasa's scowl faltered as she realized that made sense. Then the anger kicked in, "It doesn't matter! The point is no rule-breaking!" She shouted, nearly temporarily deafening Hanatarou.
"Oh? I take it you and the rest of this Disciplinary Squad are going to go door-to-door of Ashikabis and warn them about yourselves?" Seeing another opening to exploit, the composed Ashikabi wasted no time pouncing on it.
#105 was at a loss, "Wha-, no I-"
"O~h? So Matsu, Uzume and I are special? Don't you know any kind of prejudice is very unbecoming of any kind of law keepers? If you've gone out of your way to see us, you have to go to the rest of the Sekirei and Ashikabi now or we'll seem like MBI's favourite or something," Hanatarou was finding it hard to not burst out laughing, "Once that happens, everyone else is going to be more inclined to rebel. Next thing you know, and you and your squad are facing- wait, how big is the Squad?" He paused in his lecture.
Benitsubasa was finding it hard not to tear out her ponytail in anger and/or run out of the house in embarrassment; everything he said was right, she made a terrible mistake in coming here, "N-nevermind the size of the Squad! I could be refused my spot now!" She wailed in aggravation. I can't believe I let Haihane talk me into this! I bet she knew this was a bad idea and she just wanted to make her odds better by having me run off like an idiot! She thought furiously.
"Ah, you have a provisional spot, eh? Yeah, this isn't going to look good if you have to report this to someone." He said with a sigh, feeling a bit guilty at the amount of sadistic pleasure he felt worming his way into the mind of the red-eyed Sekirei in front of him, It's like I bullied a kid or something, he thought in mild shame. "Look, if you just go, I'll forget you were here. Of course that'll only matter if someone from MBI comes to ask me about this, plus the longer you're here, the more time someone has to notice you're missing." He pointed out.
Benitsubasa nodded, once again acknowledging his logic and practically flew out of the house and jumped off without even thanking Hanatarou for his advice. He shook his head, "You're welcome," he called out to no one as he made his way back to the piano room.
-~Back to the Present~-
"After I pointed out it would be best for her to return, she took off like Death was at her heels and then here we are." Hanatarou concluded his explanation, leaning back and propping himself up on his arms from his seat on the floor.
Matsu didn't say anything, opting to simply nod and remain where she was, no doubt biding her time for the upcoming interrogation. Uzume had appeared worried at first but once she realized Hana-tan was A-OK, she merely listened quietly after taking her usual pose of lying belly-down on the sofa, head held up by her palms. Although, she had a question now, "Why didn't you get upset at Pinkie for just waltzing into your house like that bro? I dunno 'bout you but I think that's awful rude." She asked curiously.
"Well, back when I was a kid, I was kind of a hothead. I took no shit from anyone lying down, not even anyone in my family. The obvious exceptions were my mother and father, and of course my grandparents. Heh, I'd never dream of back-talking them even now. I'd get my ass whooped but good!" He said with a chuckle, "Anyway, my mother eventually sat me down on her lap after disinfecting another busted lip from some scrap I got myself into and she told me some words that to this day I try to live by: 'Son, you can't let yourself get riled up every time some idiot does something to offend you, even if they didn't do it on purpose. You're going to get into a fight you can't win one of these days and it may be during a time of your life where you're not responsible for just your life anymore. You have to understand the needs of the few do not outweigh the needs of many, even if it costs you personally.' Ever since then, whenever I was tempted to go at it, I'd remember those words, the look on her face and I'd calm down." He finished and then sighed.
"Hana~-tan~" Matsu was doing her best impression of an angry Miya. While no abhorrent mask appeared behind her, it still got Hanatarou sweating a bit, "Matsu would like to know as to why~ you did not try to call us. Danger was staring you in the face and you just, talked to it?!" Her imitation of the mild-mannered Inn manager changed to a parent giving her unruly son a stern talking to.
The figurative child was no slouch when it came to word-play though, "Well, think about how it would look if I tried to slip away for several minutes unseen? The guilty run Matsu. Then the situation would have gone from barely under control to shit has hit the fan and Izumo Inn is quite a ways from my place; even if I had called you immediately and took off running, how long do you think I would've lasted being chased by a Fist-type?" He pointed out.
#02's mind was uncharacteristically clouded by emotion. While Hanatarou was right, he didn't seem to comprehend how his walking into and out of the jaws of a lion affected her. She couldn't have him taking risks like that; while Sekirei are nearly incapable of having a heart attack, what she was feeling was possibly the closest any Wagtail would get to one, "No, Hana-tan you don't underst-"
"Matsu," he cut her off, "Breathe." Unable to ignore her Ashikabi's request, especially in such a firm tone, the Sekirei of Wisdom closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. As she was exhaling, she left a warm arm wrap around her shoulders while her face was pressed to a warm and firm surface. She cracked her eyes open to see Hanatarou embracing her and Uzume to his chest, "I do understand. The both of you are freakin' out." While he wasn't normally a physical person, the new Ashikabi knew he had to calm them both down somehow. In somewhat uncharted territory, his hands ventured towards the girls' crowns, stroking their hair.
Their reaction was immediate: In perfect synchronization, Matsu took Hanatarou's sternum for herself while Uzume pressed her form upon his back, slinked her arms around his stomach and buried her face in the crook of his neck. #10 was actually fairly calm now that she heard her Ashikabi out but couldn't resist a little closeness when the chance presented itself. #02 managed to keep her emotions from boiling over by fake-punching Hanatarou repeatedly on the chest. Her blows were so soft he had to stifle his laughter. Unfortunately, considering how close they were, Matsu noticed, rose while puffing her cheeks angrily and stalked up the stairs, letting out a noise that sounded somewhat like, "Mrgrgr!"
Hanatarou openly laughed now, although his mirth was bittersweet. Uzume tilted his head back so he could see her before speaking, "You should probably go cool her jets bro. I'll be fine here, 'sides somebody's gotta get our stuff off the doorstep," she suggested with a wink.
The conflicted accountant nodded an affirmative and Uzume unglued herself from his back. She strolled off towards the front door while he rose to the second floor. Approaching his bedroom, he found the door closed. Recalling he leaves the door open due to his habits of living alone, he came to the conclusion Matsu had retreated to his room. He opened the door silently and slid his way in, rather practiced at stealthy movements due to his legacy of a misspent youth. Regardless of his attempt to sneak that shit, #02 heard him, "If you're not Uzume-tan, go away," she said, voice muffled since she was speaking into the mattress.
"Well, ain't that a real mature attitude?" Hanatarou said in a terrible impression of the accent Uzume occasionally has. Thankfully his comically bad imitation made Matsu snort, although she quickly recovered herself and remained face-down on his mattress. Seeing it was going to take more than a couple tasteless jokes to snap #02 out of her funk, he pressed on, "Alright, what's wrong? It couldn't have just been me laughing at your feather blows."
This earned him a real punch to the shoulder and a continuation to the silent treatment. While he rubbed his arm, he pondered on exactly how to snap Matsu out of it. Remembering her rapier wit, he decided to appeal to her logical nature, "Are you really going to be this way?" With a flick of the wrist, the fisherman tosses a baited hook.
"Hmph!" The orange-scaled fish nibbled on the hook, testing it out before biting down.
"You and I both know that's not a healthy attitude to take. We're housemates now, and more importantly, we're bound together," Hanatarou pointed out with a sour taste in his mouth; it was one thing to do this to a stranger, it was another thing entirely to do this to a housemate, even if he barely knew her for a grand total of two days.
Matsu was on to his trick but couldn't deny his logic. She rose from her prone position and looked at her Ashikabi severely, "That's a dirty game you're playing, Hana-tan," she said with a low tone.
Cringing slightly now that he's been called out on it, the ashamed Ashikabi pressed on, "Can't deny I'm right though, can you?"
Almost as if Hanatarou was forcing the words out of her, #02 eventually calmed down and sighed, "No, Matsu cannot."
"Alright. Now I owe a certain childish someone an apology," He earned another punch to the shoulder, "Ow, ok. I deserve that one. Moving on, I'm sorry I made fun of you. That was very immature of me, regardless of how funny it-ow!" The punches kept coming now, except all of them were real and Hanatarou couldn't stop himself from cracking up. The onslaught of blows rained upon him until he found himself lying on his back, trying valiantly to cover himself while his guard shifted constantly due to the strength of his mirth. Eventually Matsu grew tired of inflicting physical pain upon her Ashikabi (even if a side of her certainly enjoyed it) and she opted to just collapse on his chest, now lightly pinching him occasionally. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the Sekirei of Wisdom closed her eyes and just snuggled into his chest. There was still something on Hanatarou's mind though, "So, all is forgiven?" he asked hopefully.
Eyes remaining closed, Matsu answered succinctly, "No."
"Oh, fi~ne. What's it going to take eh? Another shopping spree? Mayb-" Hanatarou was interrupted by Matsu's palm pressing down on his solar plexus as she used it to steady herself as she mounted him. Before he could fully gather his wind and continue his line of questioning, he found his lips unable to speak due to #02 pressing hers on them. The radiant yellow light gave the breathless Ashikabi one hell of a light show as he played tonsil hockey with his Sekirei, Man that gives the aurora a run for its money. He thought absentmindedly.
Once Matsu had her fill, she pulled away, fixed her bangs and rearranged her glasses before pressing a finger to Hanatarou's lips, silencing him, "Hana-tan doesn't have to bribe Matsu for her affection. Hana-tan just has to show it to Matsu," She stated matter-of-factly, "Matsu knows you're human. Love doesn't blossom in your hearts due to your untrusting nature. And Matsu understands it'll take a while. But in reality, all a Sekirei wants is the heart of their Ashikabi," She un-mounted Hana-tan and made her way out the room and towards the left, either to the stairs or the music room, Hanatarou didn't know which.
The pensive Ashikabi took a few minutes to himself, just lying there and digesting her words, Sekirei may look human but they most certainly aren't. Sure they're female so Sekirei appreciate a shopping spree as much as the next gal but they seriously don't have any ulterior motive, he pondered. I've got to fix my way of thinking about them. If I keep treating them like any gold-digger I'm bound to make things actually sour between us. After he finished chastising himself, Hanatarou rose from the bed to make himself a snack and see how Uzume was doing.
Hanatarou descended from the second floor to find Uzume lying down on his living room sofa, sorting through her costumes again. #10 looked up from her belongings and donned a small but radiant smile, eyes on her Ashikabi as he took a moment to stretch out his back at the foot of the stairs. Once he finished popping his lower vertebrae, the spry accountant noticed the Veiled Sekirei had her eyes glued to him. "Afternoon Uzume," Hana-tan said in a cordial fashion, "How do you like your new home so far?"
Uzume locks ankles and raises her legs while she tilted her head on the back of her hand in thought, "Hmm, can't really say since I haven't finished explorin'. I kinda miss the rustic feel Izumo had but appreciate the modern style here more. It suits me, ya know?" #10 finished her incomplete judgment of her new home with a nod and resumed both her small smile and stare towards her Ashikabi.
Hana-tan nodded as well, accepting her answer then moved towards the kitchen, reaching into a high drawer right next to the entrance and pulled out a near-golden, large pineapple. Snagging a knife from the dishrack next to the sink on the way, he made to the farthest part of the kitchen, temporarily out of sight of Uzume. She craned her neck and leaned towards her right, trying to catch Hanatarou back into her line of sight. He sprang up with a cutting board and went towards the counter he left the pineapple on and in front of the pseudo-window he had, in case he wished to watch TV while he worked on the stove or that particular corner of counter. "Would you like some pineapple?" He asked #10, looking up before he began to peel it. Uzume's smile grew and she nodded an enthusiastic affirmative and Hanatarou got right to it, slicing the leaves and ass of the pineapple with two deft strikes. As he stood the fruit up to get to work on its sides, he paused once more and asked, "Would you like it sliced in rings or in wedges?"
With the smile never leaving her gorgeous face, she responded, "Wedges, please~!" With another nod, Hanatarou finished his slicing work and grabbed the toothpick box from the window in front of him and began to impale two wedges to a toothpick. An idea struck him as he completed his pineapple-kabob and he moved towards his spice cabinet above the stove. From within, he withdrew two bottles, the larger one holding a red liquid and the smaller a red powder. He glazed a kebob with the liquid, moved to Uzume's prone position on the couch and extended his hand holding the toothpick in offering. The Veiled Sekirei grabbed the proffered snack with a diabetes-inducing "Thank you~" and bit into a wedge. The red liquid had the consistency of soy sauce but tasted of a combination of spicy-mild sweetness that blended with the pineapple's own natural sugar made her wiggle and moan her approval of the flavour. "What is that sauce called bro?" She asked after making the second wedge disappear.
Hana-tan came back with the bottles in one hand and the plate of kebobbed pineapple on the other, "It's called chamoy. And the chili powder here is tajin." He responded, gesturing towards the smaller bottle. He dressed another pair of wedges fully and once again offered it to Uzume who instead of taking it by hand simply ate both wedges right off the toothpick and had her tongue struck with a spicier but well-received flavour. "It's so good! Reminds me of wasabi but with more of, well more!"
Hanatarou chuckled, handed her the plate and left the bottles on the floor next to her, "Go ahead and enjoy, I'm going to serve myself and Ma-" A dressed pineapple kebob entered his field of view and interrupted him as he peered at it mildly cross-eyed.
"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Open wide already!" Uzume said after a few seconds of him silently wondering how she did that so quickly. Hana-tan moved his lips slightly, as if he wished to protest but then decided against it and ate the pineapple; it was his favourite fruit and the spices reminded him of his family as well so how could he refuse? Once he chewed into the golden jewels of juiciness, he inhaled sharply and paused to enjoy the moment. He nodded his thanks to Uzume, pantomimed chopping the rest of the pineapple and gestured he'll be right back. Once he carved the bottom chunk and distributed it evenly onto two plates, he took a fresh pair of chamoy and tajin in each elbow as he balanced a plate on a palm. As he came out of the kitchen, Uzume giggled at his stature and leaned towards the left as her Ashikabi took the stairs two at a time, shamelessly gazing at his rear as he went.
Once Hanatarou got to the second floor, he paused, wondering where Matsu had decided to set up her base of operations. His ears caught the sound of a screwdriver working to find purchase on a screw, followed by the soft cursing of #02 as she realized it was the wrong type of screwdriver. Hana-tan entered the second room on the left of him to find the Sekirei of Wisdom fiddling with one of six towers (two of which sat upright and three others lying about open and salvaged from) with three monitors up but powered down. He then realized she had set up in his piano room.
"Hey Matsu, would you fancy a break and a snack?" Hana-tan offered.
Matsu put down the screwdriver, rose and walked to take up her beloved Ashikabi on his suggestion. Hanatarou began to dress the fruit for #02 just like he did for Uzume and offered the complete snack to Matsu. Like #10 did the second time she opted to eat the pineapple out of his hand. The Sekirei of Wisdom reacted much like Uzume did and delighted in the blend of flavours the pineapple struck her taste buds with. "This is wonderful!" She exclaimed after the fruit vanished.
Hana-tan smiled and said, "Glad you enjoyed it. Come on down and join me in the living room." He made his way to the staircase, Matsu tailing him without missing a beat. #02 joined Uzume by the sofa while their Ashikabi moved to a cabinet by the television that turned out to be a turntable as he opens the lib, knelt to open the doors to pull out a record (look up Roar of '74 on the toob if you want to hear it) and set it on its resting place with the needle on it.
Once he settled on a comfortable background noise, he gathered his plate, tossed a cushion on the floor and settled on it to begin devouring his snack. Barely having time to pop the first wedge in his mouth, Uzume spoke up, "Hot damn, this band vibes real good~!" Matsu withheld her opinion, waiting to hear more before passing judgement; she wasn't much for music but she could tell the drummer was a real talent (this does represent the views of the author. I'd bow at his feet and cry out "I'm not worthy!").
Hanatarou's normally stoic face suddenly filled with life, his eyes with a fire as he began to speak of one of his idols, "Hell yeah, these guys vibe real good!" The normally polite and slightly reserved speech-style was dropped immediately to a blunt, unrestricted dialect, "This band here is named after the drummer Buddy Rich. And let me tell ya ladies, this guy doesn't fuck around. He plays like he's running 3 different metronomes set to their own time signature in his head simultaneously! He's a damn music legend!" Both Sekirei were caught by surprise but recovered themselves quickly. They delighted in the sudden animation of their Ashikabi and the discovery of another point of depth to him. He began to almost rant about him, detailing his various live performances and various albums. He went into detail about the famous performance had when he had a heart attack on stage and decided to play through it. This had both Wagtails enthralled by the story. Both of his Sekirei rarely interrupted with questions but for the most part listened. Once he finished speaking, he rose from the floor and went to the basement to manage his stocks for a few hours. Before he did so, he directed Uzume to a room so she could store her stuff (not her room, per se since she admitted with a wiggle of her eyebrows she would rather sleep with Hana-tan) while Matsu resumed work on her towers.
Once his work was completed, the young accountant climbed up to the second floor to find Matsu having finished setting up her workstation and already browsing through what appeared to be Sekirei dossiers. Deciding to simply leave her be, he sat on the piano once again and began to play a classical piece (Kreisler's Love's Sorrow, piano arrangement by Rachmaninoff). Much calmer and graceful compared to his performance yesterday, his hands danced on the keyboard. Unbeknownst to him, Matsu stopped her information gathering immediately to listen once again to hear talented Ashikabi perform. Uzume also rushed into the room silently and lied down on the hardwood floor, her head perched on both of her hands as she joined the audience. Quite the show they were given as well; it wasn't fierce like the last time, but that somehow didn't take away from the intensity. During the crescendos Hanatarou swayed his entire body to the beat, his hands lifting from the keys in a snappy manner after every chord. It was as if instead of just pushing the keys to produce the sound, he was also pulling it out of the piano with the sharp upward flicks of his wrists and fingers. On the decrescendos his movements lessened dramatically, as if he was a solitary leaf on a breeze even slower than 1MPH. The sharp pulls of his digits were still present but he had the presence of mind to not let that affect his volume level. As the last chords reverberated throughout the house, Hanatarou slowly raised his head to peer out of the glass doors leading to the balcony and gazed outside, clearly absorbed with his thoughts. He suddenly rose after a minute of stillness and turned to have his audience show their approval. Uzume got to him first so she took the initiative. Bright white wings erupted from in between her shoulder blades as she locked lips with her beloved Ashikabi. Once #10 pulled away Matsu wasted no time in having her turn, the sunflower-yellow of her wings as the mood lighting. Both Wagtails took a side each and rested their heads upon his shoulders, enjoying the closeness to their destined one. While Hana-tan was no stranger to women, it's another thing entirely when you've got a woman on either side of you whose physical beauty would give Aphrodite a run for her money. It goes without saying his heartrate jacked up by double-digits and his instinctual side begins to question his rejection of a three-some men around the world would commit genocide for.
Needing to retreat in order to gather himself before he gives in with a shout of "Fuck it and fuck the both of you," he began to speak without even thinking about it, "How about the both of you get dressed for bed?" A good line, except he forgot who he was talking to.
"Mou~ Hana-tan, Matsu believes you mean undress for bed." #02 breathes out. In a maneuver of synchronization the male (and occasional female) human would black out from blood loss, both Sekirei simultaneously began to strip.
With some cracks beginning to show in his calm façade, his logical mind was straining to keep its cool. "Well, I'll be waiting for you both in bed then." Once he finished speaking Hanatarou knew he was about to be punished (if you can call it that) for it.
Before he could make a hasty retreat, he found himself pulled back by Uzume's cloths wrapped around both his forearms and was turned around to catch an eyeful of both Wagtails in their near naked glory. Good God I'm going to have to go back to daily meditation or I am going to lose it in a month minimum. Hana-tan thought with a tinge of nervous energy. Uzume's arms snaked around his neck as she tip-toed up to be about 2 inches from his face. "Like what you see, hmm~? All you have to do to make it all better is just say 'I want you.'" She was referring to the beginning of a protrusion in his slacks.
Hanatarou was finding it hard to keep himself in control, "Can you please not though? I'm going to give in and spend the rest of my days indulging myself with you two and then we're going to be bankrupt and homeless."
Uzume took the soft scolding in stride and let him go, "Hey, ya can't blame a girl for tryin' to seduce her husband, ya know~" she said as she stuck her tongue out lightly, began to strut with an exaggerated sway of her luscious hips and made her way to the bedroom.
Matsu opted for silence as she stepped forward, locked arms with Hana-tan and walked him to bed.
A/N: Yeah. Not much was done except some minor character development and fluff 'n shit. Don't worry folks, shit's gonna go down, or at least lead into it in the next chapter. Like it? Hate it? Let me know or don't. I'll continue regardless.