Even the toughest lion will purr like a cat.
Chapter 16
"Ah… I'm working with you two New-Types today." Lindow said as he approached us at the Starting Point of the City of Mercy. "I'll try to not to get in your way so don't mind me."
I had to giggle at his antics but Alisa had to ruin it. "If you ask me, Old Type should stick with what Old Types are capable of doing."
I would have growled at her but I had to be on good behavior until I passed my lessons, but she was making it hard for me. How dare she talk that way to not only her fellow pact member, but her pact leader at that? But Lindow just laughed it off.
"Well, I'll try to live up to your expectations." He then tried to tap her on the shoulder, but she screamed and jumped away from him. This caught me and Lindow off guard, such a powerful reaction over the tiniest thing.
"Woe, I can see you really can't stand me." Lindow said with a hint of disappointment.
"N-no, I-I'm sorry, it's nothing I'm fine." Her saying that while holding her head was not very convincing.
But Lindow tried to laugh it off, "Mmm… let's see… listen up Alisa. When things get chaotic look up at the sky, see if you can find a cloud that looks like an animal. Until then stay here, that's an order. Afterwards, when you're done join us over there, got it?"
"B-but why should I do such a thing?"
"Just look for a cloud." Lindow must be getting tired cause he was missing the pounce in his voice. "Alright, we're going on ahead."
Walking with Lindow we began to discuss what we just witnessed. "There's something about that kid. She's carrying a lot of baggage. Still, in this day in age, who doesn't have some tragedy in there lived?"
"True."
"Since you're a New-Type like her… try to look out for her alright."
As he touched my shoulder I smiled at him. I didn't want him to feel vulnerable to touching people after what happened with Alisa. So I nodded to his request. "Yes, I'll look out for my pact."
"Cool, come on then."
As soon as Alisa joined us a Chi-You flew down on us. I still attacked with what people called my reckless style. Although Alisa refused to shoot me a recovery bullet so as not to encourage my 'reckless actions' but still occasionally misfired at me. I still shot her recovery bullets when she was hurt and team-bullets just the same as I did for Lindow. She could say all she wanted but my style got the job done quicker.
. . .
It's been days since the incident with Okami and Alisa, but Okami still has to attend Dr. Sakaki's 'Friendship lessons.' What on Earth was that old man teaching her anyway?
Like speaking of the devil she appeared, she walked toward our table with determination in her eyes. She stopped in front of Alisa and took a deep breath.
"Alisa. I wish to improve our friendship by bonding in the way of the females."
"… What?" Kota took the words right out of my mouth. What the hell has Sakaki been teaching her?
"Saki says that bonding helps create and restores friendships. So could you please come with me?"
"Why should I trust you? This could be a plan to take care of me while there's no one around."
You could see the sincerity in her eyes. "I won't hurt you. I just want to patch things up between us. I'm trying, really I am. All I want is to be your friend, so please."
Alisa sighed but stood up anyway. "I can't believe I'm doing this… Very well, lead the way."
"Thank you!" Her smile could put puppies to shame. "Let's go!" She slipped off while Alisa followed behind her somewhat embarrassed.
. . .
An hour passed and they still have yet to return. Maybe she did off the new rookie.
"It's been so long, were could they be?" Sakuya worried.
"Ah, they probably went back to Okami's room to talk about girl stuff," commented Lindow.
"Or to do each others' nails," added in Kota.
"I've already tried that. But Okami hates it and ends up biting off the nail polish anyway," retorted Sakuya. "I'm going to check on them to make sure they're okay."
. . .
Another hour passed after Sakuya left.
"Do you think Okami off Sakuya too?" Kota joked.
"Don't say such stupid things!" I replied, trying to hide the fact I thought the same thing.
"Come on, you can't say you're not curious about what they're doing," retorted Kota. "We should go check it out. It'll be fun, like when boys usually sneak into girl's slumber parties."
"You mean a pantie raid?" Lindow replied sarcastically.
"Huh? No! I mean like spying on them to hear their secrets or who they like." Kota replied with a blush. "What kind of slumber parties did you crash?!"
"Boot Camp, but you're right let's go." I would have stayed where I was if Lindow didn't drag me along too.
Heading to Okami's room in the Rookie Section, we noticed some music blasting through her door. As we got closer to her door we heard a faint sound, almost a hum.
Kota opted to put an ear on the door, while I simply pushed it open knowing that she most likely didn't lock it. Kota began to panic and made hand signals for me to stop, but I ignored him and slowly opened the door. What we were greeted by when the door fully opened almost had us all laughing on the floor.
The girls were there. All they were doing was singing Karaoke to the old music before the Aragami spread, dancing with their own calligraphy to it like they were the next generation of 'Dream Girls.' It was some old love song that they were really getting in to. We silently watched to the best of our abilities tile the end of the song when Okami did an ending turn and spotted us.
"Enemy of Women!" She shouted while pointing at us, getting Sakuya's and Alisa's attention. Their smiles turned into aggravation as soon as they spotted us at the door.
"Boys!" "Boys!"
Okami ran to her closet grabbing some pillows. She handed one to Sakuya and Alisa then tossed one to each of us. Our mistake was we caught them.
"They accepted the challenge! War may commence!" Okami exclaimed excitedly. "Sakuya gets Lindow, Alisa handles Kota, I got Soma."
With that they charged at us with their pillows.
"Wait, let's talk this out," replied Lindow trying to retreat.
"Can't we all just get along?" Kota tried to reason.
"We can get along with my pillow in your face." Replied Alisa as they were closing in on us.
"You should have prepared yourself for this the moment you decided to spy on us." I didn't like the evil grin Sakuya had on her face, Lindow wouldn't stand a chance.
"Enough talk, let the battle commence!" For a pillow fight they charge at us with a lot of ferocity.
"What's going on out here?!" Kanon said opening her door, followed shortly by Gina's door opening.
"Just taking care of some spies, we fight the enemies of women." Oh come on Okami, it wasn't that bad.
"Oh no, we can't have that! Gina we've got to help our fellow sisters-in-arms!"
"(Chuckle) Of course, it sounds like fun." They must have been resting because they already had their pillows in their hands when they jumped in the fray.
Things couldn't have gotten worse, but I spoke to soon as Tatsumi, Shun's, Brendan's and Karel's room doors opened. They must have heard everything because they already had a pillow in their arm and started to play along.
"Oh no, our brothers-in-arms are out numbered! Quick we must take up arms for the cause!" Tatsumi cheered while rising up his arm with the pillow.
"Right, we're going to go on a rampage!" Shun shouted out like a battle cry as they all entered the fray.
"Hey no fair, we're out numbered!" Kanon pouted.
"Quick, we gotta get reinforcements, double your pillows and head for Hibari and Licca." Ordered Okami as she grabbed the extra pillow Gina tossed at her. And so began the Great Pillow War. That got the participation of almost the entire Den as the genders fought to the death with… pillows. Sad, I know. But I got to admit, it was kind of fun.
. . .
"What's going on here?" Tsubaki said in shocked at what she was seeing as she and Gin entered the Entrance Floor. Features and Pillow stuffing was all over the place as God Eaters charged at each other playfully with pillows.
"You guys may have us out number but we still have a trump card. Licca!" Okami exclaimed as she pointed her hand out toward the 'enemy.' Licca jumped up on the railing as she fired out at the boys with what appeared to be pillow cannon.
"Eat stuffing boys! Nighty night!"
Many took cover, but Kota got a good hit in the stomach and legs. Falling to the floor he playful crawled to Tsubaki and Gin, reaching out to Gin.
"Gin… they got me Gin. Save… yourself. Remember, bury me with my… Bugurally episodes." Then he fell to the ground face down playing dead. As they looked around they noticed Hibari being held in Tatsumi's arms while kneeling on the floor.
"Hibari, why? Why did this war have to tear our love apart?" Tatsumi sarcastically cried out.
"B-because… girls rule!" She said as she smacked her pillow into his face.
"Look at them; they're acting like a bunch of kids." Tsubaki said, not really approving but also wondering how they got nearly the whole Den let alone Licca and Hibari to play along in their pillow war.
"Oh, let them have their fun. Sometimes it's good to let out your inner kid." Gin said watching as the Pillow wars went on. "In our line of work, they'll need it more than ever."
*** Sunken Grid***
After completing our last mission of the day we were ready to head back when Okami had to make a ridiculous request.
"Sakuya… Since we're done for the day, can we go into the forest for a while?"
I had to ask her after that idiotic question. "Have you gone mad?"
"Not mad… just home sick." She replied looking at me with that sad look that made my chest tighten. "I miss my family, I must see my brothers."
"I don't know Okami… Mm, it's pretty dangerous out there," said Sakuya as she thought the request over.
"I only need an hour… I promise we can leave after that," she pleaded to Sakuya since she was the mission leader. "Besides, Soma's here so you know we'll be safe."
"Please, like you need me to keep you safe… now Kota's a different story."
"Hey!"
"Aw, thanks Soma." She smiled at me then turned to Sakuya. "So can we go, please?"
"Oh… alright, but just one hour," Sakuya gives up to her pleas too easily.
"Hurray, thank you! Let's go!" Then she turned to Kota. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my brothers."
"Are you sure they won't try to eat me?"
"Of course not, you're too skinny. Just kidding!" She said laughing ahead of us in her glee while putting on her mask.
She lead us to the area were we first found her. Of course she wouldn't lead us to her Den, with the trackers on our armlets she wouldn't want HQ to know where her Aragami brothers stayed. She pulled her mask off her face and let out a loud roar that even made Kota jump.
A few seconds later a Vajratail jumped out of the bushes, landing on top of her.
"Woe, Okami!" Shouted out Kota, getting ready to fire at the Aragami that just glomped her.
"Relax." I said as I put my hand on his gun barrel to lower it as I noticed the fang ornament in the Vajratail's fur and the way it waged its tail down at her.
"Shiro!" She called out, hugging the Aragami around the neck and petting him as she went into a giggle fit. They seemed to be having a mental conversation, until Okami got up on her knees. Closing her eyes she placed her forehead on his as if to get a better connection.
"O…Okami" Now this made me jump back.
"Did he just talk?" I had to ask.
"Woe, what was that?!"
"I Resonated with him." She replied not taking her eyes off her brother. "All my memories even my lessons were shared with him. Aragami have the ability to learn if given the chance."
"There's one, but didn't you say you have two brothers?" Kota asked as he nervously looked around. For once Kota brought up a good point.
Her eyes widen in realization. "You're right." She then looked back at the Vajratail she called Shiro. "Shiro! Where's Kage?!"
He didn't answer, but she must have got her answer because she looked toward the direction another Vajratail came from before it even appeared.
"Kage," she called out to it with affection. "You're okay."
It sneered at me but continued toward her, she embraced it in a tight hug then proceeded to Resonate with him like she did 'Shiro.'
"So… they have been treating you well." Kage started to speak, testing the words on his tongue. "I'm glad to see you. I thought I'd never see you again."
"I missed you two so much." She said to the both of them. She sat down and Shiro immediately sat down and laid his head on her lap.
"We missed you too sis, Kage here nearly died of worry. Didn't you Kage?" He said while wagging his tail. But Kage came up to her laying his head on her right shoulder.
"Well, I was worried but it'd take more than that to kill me off."
She giggled at this and smiled, "right." It felt good seeing her happy like this. But damn it all, I couldn't stop myself from wishing that it was my head on her lap. "Oh, right. Shiro, Kage these are my friends Sakuya, Kota, and Soma. Guys these are my brothers Kage and Shiro."
Kage looked toward me. "You treat my sister well enough, so I'll forgive your transgressions against me." That would have ended nicely is he didn't finish off with, "but I'm nothing like you!"
I had to blush at that, of course she'd share her dream with him. But she didn't know I was there for that, God knows how the others or her brothers would react to that.
"Yeah you are," she replied.
"No I'm not."
"You guys are like peas in a pod."
"No we're not!" Crap, did that come from me?
"I agree with the human," said Kage saving me from the attention. "There's nothing similar about us. You must have really missed me to try and find me in people."
"Mm, say what you want but time will tell for me. Hey Soma do you think the Director would let me take my brothers back me to the Den?"
"No way," unless she wanted to bring them back as lab rats.
"(Sigh) I was afraid of that," then she looked at Kage. "I guess we'll have to go with the other plan." Other plan?
"Or you could stay. That would be the easiest solution." Something about Kage's words made me panic, they made her happy what if she did decide to stay.
"You know why I can't do that. There are so many more things I can learn, but only if I stay with them." There was a twinkle in her eyes I bet she didn't even know was there.
"True, the knowledge you've gain was quite exquisite. It's amazing how much the humans discovered, not just about us alone. But it's a pity they didn't tell you how their offspring are created. I was curious about that myself."
"I know, me too!" This conversation was getting awkward again.
"What are you talking about" Oh no, Kota wouldn't… would he? "Babies come from-"
"You're not ready to know yet!" I said covering Kota's mouth, apparently he would.
"Ah, come on!" She complained.
"Shame really," the look he gave Okami, there was more to what he was saying next. "We'll think about your plan for now."
"That's all I can ask for… well, my time is up."
"Let us take you back." Said Shiro with some of his enthusiasm deflated. "Kage you carry the males while I carry the girls."
"Why do you get to carry the girls?"
"Cause I'm more cuddly and gentler than you."
"Hm, fair enough."