Disclaimer- I do not own Mai-HiME/Otome or any of its related characters.
Mai-HiME/Otome belongs to the people of Sunrise.
Rating - T
A/N - I am really sorry that I didn't update this fic after so long .! Just finished my exams but here you go a fic that is a collaboration between Me and Ryn Hallard. Enjoy :D
Chapter 5
Narrator's POV
Living Room of Otome Dorm
"Huh? Can you please repeat again?" The confused Otomes asked, frowning with a raised one eyebrow.
"Oh god~!" Yukino smacked her forehead, frustrated that after explaining for the million times, all the other dorm mates are still fairly confused.
"Sorry about that Yukino, you do know our brains suck at processing information after teatime..." Nao apologized as she sighed, still trying to register what Yukino, Lena and Nina had been trying to tell them.
Right after Yukino's sudden realisation on why six of her dorm are acting all weird and not themselves, she had explained everything to the rest of the dorm members and the remaining three members excluding herself that are still...well, normal. Both of them had understood almost immediately, though they are both curious on how such thing could happen. It was too illogical to explain.
Yes. Too illogical.
I mean, it isn't everyday that you can find some cursed book that really curses your close friends and family...right?
Because of the limited ideas and ways that they could think of, Natsuki had suggested that they ask for help from their family and friends, who were working as well and were as free as they could ever be.
"Okay, Yukino... so, you're saying that Mai and the others...are influenced by...um...the something sin?" Tate tried to make Yukino's job easier.
"Yes. They are highly under the influence of the Deadly Sins. Though, I wonder how it happened... it's too... unrealistic, unscientific!" Yukino sighed as she glanced at the big bulky book in her arms.
"So, they are influenced by the Deadly sins... how?" Miyu asked, raising one eyebrow as she stole glances at Shiho, who was talking and sighing to herself with Mashiro near the balcony door. Hmm...?
"I believe it's because of this...book." Yukino held up the bulky book and opens to the second page, where the list of sins and names are readable to every pair of eyes in the dorm.
"Um...can you explain to us again what the descriptions are for each of the sins? Cause...we can't read English, you know..." Nao spoke up when she tried to read the contents of the book, but failed to do so.
"... Fine, fine." Yukino points at the first sin on the top side of the book.
"The meaning of Pride." She said.
"Is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of oneself."
Everyone in the room nodded, indicating that they understood.
"But... why is there... Mashiro's name...?" Aoi asked as she points at the scribbled handwriting beside the sin, Pride, causing Yukino to blush as she stuttered her few words.
"U...U...Um...W...Well...It's...Um..." Guilt washed over Yukino as she realized what she and Haruka had accidently done. Oh My God. It is all our fault!
"Haruka-chan and I...thought it was a fun game...and puzzle...so, we..." Yukino couldn't bring herself to reveal the playful joke that she and Haruka had made just this afternoon. It was too painful.
"It's okay, Yukino. No one would have known... I mean, come on...it's a book, for goodness sake!" Elliot patted her a few times, sighing as she still find it hard to believe that all this problems came from a stupid, old... fat... fake and ugly... book.
The others kept quiet, thinking as hard as they could.
"Gluttony..." Yukino continues, her heart racing like never before.
"Is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste. In the Christian religions, it is considered a sin because of the excessive desire for food, or its withholding from the needy..."
"In basic Japanese, please?" Alyssa spoke for the first time, frowning hard as she tried to catch up with what Yukino had been explaining. She knew her Japanese wasn't that good, so she needed extra time to let all the stuff that Yukino had said to register into her brain.
"That means that, you can't stop yourself from eating...and...well, you love food so much that you actually forget about what you really have to do...other than eating." Nina piped up, helping the tired and remorseful Yukino.
"Okay... I can so totally understand why Mikoto's name is there...but, how can you be sure that this is all from this book? I mean, Mikoto eats a lot right? So...that doesn't mean she is infected by this book...and..." Arika laughed slightly, recalling the times she tries to share her food with Mikoto in the palace. How she eats a lot, and almost never sharing her food with her.
"We can't be sure as well, but... Arika... You know what she and Erstin did this afternoon. I'm sure although Mikoto loves food, she would never ever hurt Erstin like that. Same goes to Erstin as well!" Nina said, somber.
"Wait? What? What happen to Erstin? Is she alright?" Akane grew anxious, wondering what had happened to her best friend.
"No, No! You see, Erstin is...I guess, infected by the sin of Greed. So...when Mikoto ate Erstin's chocolate cookies, she got mad...and...and...she...slapped..." Tears started to form on Nina's eyes as she thought of what had happen a few hours before. Almost immediately, two handkerchiefs appeared in front of Nina.
"Oh!"
"Ah... Arika..."
Arika and Sergay looked at each other uncomfortably, their hands still outstretched at Nina.
Finally, Sergay withdraws his hands, blushing red as he ignored what had just happened. Nina accepted Arika's handkerchief and said no more.
"But still...this can't explain much..." Shiro sighed as he scratched his head a few times, still slightly confused.
"We don't want to believe this. But...can't you see this?" Yukino pointed impatiently at the word Sloth, and then to Mai's name, which was neatly written by her.
"The definition of Sloth, is laziness and being physically and emotionally inactive. Sloth can also indicate a wasting due to lack of use, concerning a person, place, thing, skill, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement, or support to continue to exist."
Silence...
"Do you know where Mai is now?" Yukino asked, her voice uneven.
When no one answered her, Yukino answered the question herself.
"She is in her room. Sleeping. And what time is it now?"
Again, no one answered.
"It's only four in the AFTERNOON, for goodness sake. FOUR! Mai NEVER sleeps in the afternoon. Not to mention, she actually ignored the fight that had occurred not long ago. She said she didn't care! She ignored us, she ignored everyone. She ignored-" Yukino couldn't take it anymore, tears burst out from her eyes and Lena quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, soothing the poor, miserable mushroom.
"But still-" Midori opens her mouth to protest, but was cut off by Yukino again.
"MASHIRO!" Yukino cried and Mashiro turned to look at her, in a high and mighty, snobbish way. "Yes?"
"I love your hair." Yukino lied, her voice cracking.
Mashiro laughed in a girly way as her hand flew to pat her long, soft hair.
"Of course you do. You're talking about Mashiro Blan de Windbloom here. The celebrity, the actress, the pretty, the gorgeous, the awesome and cool queen..." Mashiro bragged shamelessly, pausing here and there to laugh and to flip her hair in an arrogant way.
"Ooookay.." Midori, Fumi and Nao said, shocked to see Mashiro acting this way.
"What about Shiho? Do you know what she is blabbering now? Do you have any slightest idea what the heck she is doing now?" Yukino couldn't keep her calmness anymore. She points at Shiho impatiently.
"Oi! Shiho!"
Shiho looked from Mashiro to Yukino, and sighed in a dramatic way.
"Ah... Yukino... did anybody ever tell you how smart you are? I'm sooo jealous. Why am I not like you?" Shiho asked, pouting.
Yukino turned around and look at the others.
"Do you see what I meant? Shiho's sin is Envy. Do you know what Envy is?" she asked.
"It may be defined as an emotion that occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it"
"In other word, Envy is Jealousy." Midori said, hoping that they would believe them as quickly as possible.
"What about... Haruka? What's Wrath?" Chie asked, curious.
"Wrath...is the physical effects of anger include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Some view anger as part of the fight or flight brain response to the perceived threat of harm. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively, and physiologically when a person makes the conscious choice to take action to immediately stop the threatening behavior of another outside force..."
"Yukino!" Lena nudged Yukino when she realized that none of the people understood what she just said.
"...And is...also...known as Anger, Rage." Yukino summarized.
"Oh!" Midori clapped her hands together, nodding as she understood what Yukino said.
"Hey...I just realized that.. Why is Shizuru's name under Lust? What's that sin?" Alyssa asked and Yukino blushed.
Oh My God. She blinked a few times...recalling what Haruka had threatened her...
"OH MY GOD!" She cried out, clasping her hands together as she turned bright red.
Everyone's eyes turned wide.
"Oh my god...oh my god...oh my god...Lust...Lust...OH MY GOD!" Yukino muttered, unaware of the eyes staring at her with a mix of horror and curiosity.
"Yukino! You better shut up or I'll put your name under lust."
Yukino gulped a few times, the line that Haruka had threatened her was repeating over and over again in her now corrupted mind.
"If you annoy me again, I won't hesitate to put your name under lust. Understand?"
"Oh God...I'm so thankful...Oh Goodness Me..." She muttered herself as she clasped her hands together and prayed.
"Thank You, God...Oh Thank You so very much...!" She muttered over and over again until Chie tapped her shoulder a few times.
"Yukino, Are you ok? You're freaking me out." She said, nervously.
"Huh? Oh! Um... Sorry... I was just... never mind."
Still, Yukino couldn't help but imagine...what would have happened if Haruka had put her name under Lust?
She gulped silently to herself, blushing as her mind drifts off, imagining things that she didn't wanted to imagine...
Yukino had to slap herself before regaining back into her normal mode.
"Lust." She reads.
"Is an intense desire. It is usually thought of as excessive sexual wants; however, the word was originally a general term for desire. Therefore lust could involve the intense desire of money, fame, or power as well."
While the rest were listening, Natsuki snuck back to the room that she shares with Shizuru to check on her.
"So.. Shizuru will be-..."
"KYAAAA~~!" a scream coming from Shizuru and Natsuki's shared room.
"Well... That answers our question."
-
"So, are you saying that you want our help?" Midori asked, after finally understanding how out of proportion and serious the situation is.
"Yes, please Midori!" Nina half begged.
"Hmm? What do you say?" Midori asked the others and they all nodded in agreement.
"Well our friends need us now! We can't leave them when they need us most!" Nao joked (with slight sarcasm) and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, everyone!" Yukino bowed and thanked gratefully.
-
People assigned to the ones affected...
Gluttony: Minagi Mikoto - Arika and Nina
Laziness: Mai Tokiha - Tate
Pride: Mashiro Blan de Windbloom - Fumi
Wrath: Haruka Armitage - Chie and Aoi
Lust: Shizuru Fujino - Natsuki
Greed: Estin Ho - Akane
Envy: Shiho Huit - Alyssa and Miyu
Lena/Elliot/Midori/Yohko/Yukino/Shiro/Nao/Sergay will be brainstorming/Researching to find out how and what is the cause of this stupid, unexplainable problem.
-
"Not that I'm complaining...but why does Mikoto, Shiho and Haruka get two of us, while Natsuki, Fumi, Akane and I are...solo?" Tate couldn't help but ask.
"Tate...Use your brains a little. Haruka is wrath. Wrath is Haruka. That means, if she ever succumbs to her raging hormones mode, then at least Aoi won't be suffering alone, since Chie is there to... well, help!" Yukino explained, grinning to herself. Oh, how clever she was to think of this idea!
"Oh...what about...me?" Nina asked, slightly shocked that Yukino had paired her up with the Cat Girl.
"Actually...I have no idea as well." Yukino admitted.
"But Nina, you know Mikoto is all about food right? At least you can tempt her with your cooking... I mean, at least she won't be eating unhealthy food all the time right? Since you ARE the top coral otome while you are in Garderobe, which means that you should be a rather good chef.
"Oh.. ok then. I'm all ready to help Mikoto." Nina smiled slightly.
-
"Well, at least Haruka is still unconscious...we can still rest..." Chie flashed a grin at Aoi and plops herself onto the couch. The rest of people had gone into a full energetic mode, each already disappeared to their specific people that had been infected with the sins, sadly to say.
The truth was, Chie couldn't bring herself to believe this. But, maybe...Yukino was right. She had never seen Mashiro or Shiho in this kind of mode, or how Yukino and Nina's emotional breakdown. But she was sure that they did not prank them, and this was true. Still...
"Hmm..." Aoi said nothing, but to observe Alyssa talking with Shiho, and Fumi with Mashiro near the balcony door. She then glance at the kitchen, where Mikoto was munching on some biscuits, Arika and Nina were trying very hard to distract her...but failed, terribly.
Akane had disappeared to Erstin's bedroom and Tate had disappeared to Mai's room while Natsuki was still inside the shared bedroom she had with Shizuru.
As for the rest, they were sitting at the dining table, discussing on facts and ways to solve this problem.
"Chie...is...this...true? I mean...I find it hard to believe..." Aoi sighed at her lover, who suddenly grins in a silly way.
"Hey Aoi! I have an idea! He-He-He..." Chie laughs sinisterly as she got up. She ushers Aoi to follow her, and she did.
They stop right outside of Haruka and Yukino's room. Without knocking, Chie let herself in.
"Ah...this should prove if they are lying or not." Chie whispers her plan to Aoi, whose eyes turned wider and wider each second.
"Chie! But..."
"Come on, don't tell me you're scared?"
"But...if what they say are true...then...what if...Haruka..."
"Pffft.. We won't know until we're certain right? Come on, don't be a wimp!"
"Chie...!"
Before Chie could get Aoi's approval, she was already determined to do whatever she wanted to do.
"Chie! But Haruka is Wrath! Wrath!"
Chie ignored Aoi, instead, she disappears to the bathroom, and came back in such a quick time that Aoi couldn't even think. In her hands was a bucket of...cold water?
Aoi backs off while Chie makes her way towards Haruka. She raised the bucket as if it was a trophy...
"CHIE!" Aoi hissed, desperate to stop her...
But it was too late.
-
R/N (Ryn's notes): Hallo there! (misspelling intended)
Omake Time by Ryn Hallard~
*In the midst of filling up some paperwork
Shizuru: Ara? I feel… So hot. Is the air-conditioner broken?
*Tugs off the loose scarf around her neck, fingers wandering southwards
Shizuru: I… must not. There are still others in the dorm…!
Shizuru: Must restrain myself… BONDAGE!
*Slaps herself
Shizuru: SADO-MASO! …
*Evacuates to the bathroom to 'cool down'