Wow, it's been a month, and I feel so bad! D: I was so busy working on my Black Butler fanfiction (which if you're a fan of the manga/anime, go check it out!), I noticed how long it was for me to focus on this story! Originally, I put this on hiatus since I really wanted to finish my other story, but this has been in my mind all the time, so bam! Here's a chapter! XD
So my birth month was one hell of a ride! I had a decent birthday, since my awesome grandmother cooked me an amazing dinner, my favorite manga Black Butler is getting a season three (hopefully more faithful to the manga), Daft Punk, my all time favorite electronic group won all Grammys they were nominated for, and that's pretty much it. Well, I got sick for a while, but I'm alright now. XD I love January so much, but there's more to come~
I also want to clarify that I will refer females who have blond hair as "blondes" and males with "blonds". I did that so I wouldn't confuse anyone. ^_^ I already did that with Claire, but since Kerith and Jaryn are here, might as well give you a heads up! Oh, and Happy Birthday Angel~!
DCFan4ever: Wow, I'm touched by your words! ^_^ You've made the longest review I've ever seen, well, for my stories. XD Thank you~
MikuHatsuneLove: Hehe~ they are together for sure~ And I think Lima should be a mother figure to the dancers since she looks like she has a softer side, despite being a computer genius and just as serious as Rasa is. Enjoy this chapter~
Alyssa (Chapter Seventeen replies): Yep; Lima's an assistant of DCI, so it would be awkward for her to respond to the questions. XD And I don't really know that if Lima would be the same height as Luce, but who knows?
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~Chapter Twenty-Three: Penthaüs~
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"Right now, you're on the property of the Glitterati," the blonde female explained to the Lightning crew. The male chuckled darkly, taking in the image of Luce. He smiled as he and his twin finally made it to the same floor as Luce and Oblio. The blond eyed the Asian bluenette.
"Good evening, Oblio," he said simply. "So, who is this gem you brought along?" Luce looked at the blond with unconventional eyes. Gem? He sure has the words to describe someone like Luce.
"Her name is Luce," Oblio calmly replied. He gently placed a hand on her forearm to make her feel calm. "Luce, the one to your left is Jaryn, and the one who just spoke is Kerith."
She smiled shyly. "I-It's nice to meet you both." The blonde went to the brunette as if she was a model, and studied Luce's image. Her face looks displeased, but since Oblio's in the same room, there's nothing she can do but be nice to her.
"Hmph, well... you're cute, I'll give you that. I'm impressed that you managed to get Oblio into the crew you're in today." Kerith placed an arm around his sister. Luce cringed from the tone used in her voice. What does Jaryn have against Luce? The brunette noticed that she looked at Oblio like she has feelings for him, while at Luce, it was like she wanted to threaten her.
"Don't let her scare you, Luce," the blond said to the fearful Lightning crew member. Luce can feel Oblio's arm wrapped around her shoulders, and it relieved her. "As much as it pains for me to say this when she's here-"
"Kerith, don't," Jaryn interrupted, her glare paralyzing as a snake's. Kerith's calm gray eyes looked at his twin sister's, which looked much colder, yet sad. She noticed what he motioned her to do, so she calmly went to her room.
"Now that she's out of the way, I can explain why she's like this." A slight chuckle escaped his lips and looked at the bluenette. "Let's just say... that your boyfriend broke her heart." Luce turned to Oblio, who remained calm as ever. "It wasn't his fault, which is good for him, but it has to do with our families. Tan Industries and our family are rivals, so it's like Romeo and Juliet in a way. Despite this, we were home-schooled together. Our mother tutored us, and when she noticed that Jaryn grew a liking towards Oblio, she snapped at her and threatened to cancel her dancing privileges. She'll always be my half; her pain is my pain, and whoever hurts her will pay. Yes... even our parents," he finished with a sigh.
Luce looked at the Glitterati half with shock and utter surprise. She never knew that Jaryn would be threatened to stop doing what she loves, just because she used to like Oblio. Sure she was frightened when the blonde was acting cold and rather rude, but the excuse seemed fair. The brunette removed Oblio's arm from around her. She started heading to where Jaryn walked off.
"Let me talk to her," she said calmly, and nervously at the same time. Oblio tried to stop her, but Kerith placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Dearest sister won't hurt her, Oblio," he said reassuringly. The Asian looked at Luce walking, and he softened.
Luce walked into the hallway, and she found a door that seemed to label Jaryn's room. She swiftly knocked on it until she heard the blonde speaking, "Come in." The brunette walked into Jaryn's room and noticed how unique it was. It was ten times bigger than her room, which included multiple posters of Lady Gaga, David Bowie, Madonna, and Ke$ha. The Glitterati symbol was there too, and it lighted the room due to the low light.
The brunette spotted Jaryn putting on red lipstick and smacking her lips to add effect. When the blonde noticed who went into her room, her face eased. "So now you know?" Luce nodded. She didn't want to rub it in her face, since she knows that Jaryn is broken, despite her tough exterior.
"I do. Kerith told me that your mother threatened your dancing career if you were to get closer to Oblio. I perfectly understand if you hate me because of my relationship with him." Jaryn smiled darkly. She turned around to look into Luce's brown eyes.
"I don't hate you, exactly," she said, her voice gently speaking. "And I don't care for Oblio, anymore. All I need is my brother and our status as the head of Glitterati. "When I saw him, I thought that it would be just like those years ago, but when you were beside him, it relieved me." The brunette looked confused.
"Wait, so why does your family rival Oblio's?" Luce asked carefully. The blonde crossed her arms and hummed.
"That's because we're equal in power and money, and we want to have more, but Oblio's stubborn father always jumps the gun without trying when it comes to planning for his business. If you think about it, it's like a competition for those disgusting fast food chains." Luce took note and understood what Jaryn explained. "It would be bad if I get close to anyone associated with Tan, along with Kerith. But since Oblio doesn't want anything to do with his father's business, he's pretty much on our side... if I'm correct so far."
The brunette nodded. She looked at her phone and noticed that Dare sent her a text message.
From: Dare
Diamond~ Hey, so we should be heading off to the Glitterati's after all that bloody traffic. It'll take us maybe... five to ten minutes? Bye~!
That message was received around nine minutes ago. Not to mention, the Glitterati should be expecting guests in less than a half hour. "I guess I'll leave you alone then," Luce said before heading out of the blonde's room. She followed Luce.
"Actually... Kerith and I have to practice some dancing, but I do enjoy your company." Jaryn smiled, which resulted from her polar opposite emotion: happiness. "Maybe you and Oblio will last a lifetime." Luce felt her face heat up but smiled back at the half of Glitterati. The ladies went back into the living room and noticed that Dare and MacCoy are there.
The blond looked at his twin with relief, and head up to her.
"We'll be practicing if you need us," Kerith said to the others. "Hopefully not the bright and colorful ones," he whispered to Jaryn. She immediately nodded as if she believed him and followed him to head outside.
Luce sat down beside Oblio and tilted her head to look at him. His blue eyes noticed her gaze and locked theirs into one. "Everything worked out alright?" Luce gave him a warm smile.
"Fortunately, yes. She told me about the family rivalry. When I first saw her, she looked bold, fearless, and unmoved, but then I found out that she can be broken if you know her really well." Luce's eyes turned away to see the twins rehearse their dance moves, which looked slow and dramatic, yet powerful and full of significance. Watching them, Luce felt weight coming down on her when Dare wrapped her arms around her neck, showing off her positive attitude.
"Did you miss us, Diamond?" Dare asked her with a beaming smile. Luce laughed and laid her head back to look up at one of her friends.
"You know it's only been a few hours, right?" she asked. MacCoy went to stand beside his girlfriend.
"You may be correct, but it took five minutes for my ride to fill up the tank, then an hour and a half for us to get out of traffic." Oblio sighed and crossed his arms.
"Sundays usually have less traffic, but why this one?" His girlfriend shrugged and noticed that the elevator dinged. It was the same woman who appeared earlier but with another. Apparently, the Glitterati is a twin fest.
"Hey, Oblio," one of the backup dancers said. "So you and Jar-" the other backup dancer whispered in her ear, which seemed to be the one Luce and Oblio met already. When she finished, the other looked at the brunette a few feet away from her and shrugged. They later spotted Kerith and Jaryn and went to them outside.
It didn't take long for the party to officially start. Once the backup dancers caught up with their dancing, that was when guests appeared from the penthouse to outside where the Glitterati's dancing is happening. If the Lu$h crew were here, they would be jealous of the appeal and how many people are watching or wanting to do a dance battle with them.
One of their songs playing was "Meddle" by Little Boots. The four DCI agents didn't care that the sound was muffled, but at least they can view the elite crew dancing. Coming back to what happened, the song sparked about what happened to Jaryn, and how Kerith wanted to protect her from any kind of harm. It adds depth to why Kerith is dancing to the song against a not-so-confident dancer. Without a doubt, he annihilated him.
The next song was "Toxic." Jaryn's cold smile returned, and as she faced a female dancer, her moves were fast, cunning, and passionate. The look on the competitor's face went from cocky to defeated since Jaryn scored three times higher than her.
The crowd was so loud, it could make the giant glass windows crack, but luckily, the sound was far away. The twins waved to the crowd before heading back inside the penthouse. Jaryn went to D-Coy and asked them if they could fill in for the desperate crowds. They agreed and headed out there, dancing to Lady Gaga, which is a good thing considering that the audience prefers her music since the Glitterati has it on their playlist.
"Finally a break," Kerith breathed out. He along with Jaryn sat down on the couch across from Luce and Oblio. "Is there anything you want to ask about, Luce?" She raised an eyebrow at the male twin but later decided that it should be fun to ask them questions.
"Since you two are the current successors of the Glitterati, how long will it take for you two to settle down?" The blonde breathed in and out as if the question bothered her.
"Unfortunately for me," Jaryn stated, crossing her legs in a sophisticated manner, "I... am unable to have children." The tone in her voice didn't change, as it perhaps had unaffected her. "It's not my intention, but I guess my body's not cut out for it."
Luce frowned, feeling pity for the Glitterati dancer. Kerith's mischievous smile returned. It sounded like he didn't care, but he does in fact care for his sister's condition.
"So that leaves it all to me. We just turned twenty a month ago, but it's too early for me to think of the idea of starting a family and appointing a successor." His gray eyes looked directly at Luce. He stood and walked towards Luce, placing a hand on her chin, which caused the brunette to look up with a gasp. "Although, maybe I already found the one who will bear my children."
Luce froze with a blush. Surely he's joking, right? Just when the blond chuckled, Oblio's hand swiftly went to Kerith's wrist. Half of the Glitterati looked at the bluenette, who was glaring at him. Oblio gripped it as if he was about to crush Kerith's hand.
"I'm not letting your family matters interfere with her," he said coldly. "Luce will never bear your children." The way he spoke rattled Kerith, like a puppy who was being disobedient and receiving a spanking.
"Relax, Oblio. You're always so serious even when I joke," Kerith replied, immediately removing his fingers from Luce's chin. He hurriedly went back to the couch, sitting beside Jaryn.
"Anyone hungry?" Jaryn asked to avoid the awkward silence. Luce shook her head, Oblio ignored the question, and Kerith just went to the kitchen and snatched himself an apple. Oblio went outside, and Luce followed, worried that he was angry.
"I'm sorry," Luce said with a frown. Oblio chuckled and looked at the brunette.
"There's no need to be sorry." He felt his hand touching hers since he was responsible for doing so. He placed it close to him, pressing gentle kisses on her hand. Luce's face became as red as a tomato.
"O-Oblio, w-what are you?" Luce stuttered. She didn't remove her hand, yet she felt embarrassed. His lips were so soft and caring, it made Luce's heart flutter with joy. He stopped kissing her hand and carefully embraced her, his arms wrapped around her waist. The brunette hid her face on his shoulder and returned the hug. She sighed and said, "You're not this romantic, as far as I know." The bluenette chuckled at her humor.
"You're right, I'm not, but is that a problem?" Luce quickly backed away and shook her head.
"No, not at all! It's just... why now?" Oblio smiled and pushed some of Luce's hair so that her ear can be seen.
"I think you know the answer," he simply replied. Luce looked like she was about to complain, but then she grinned, adjusting her glasses. When she did that, her eyes noticed something coming from the sky. She recognized the symbol, which was the letter T with feathers on each side of the letter. Luce gasped silently while it gets closer, despite it being slow.
"How the hell did he...?" she muttered fearfully. Oblio looked at her stare, then noticed what she was staring at. He felt his skin turn numb, his forehead freeze and burn at the same time. "Dare! MacCoy!" Luce yelled, hoping that it would get their attention. The blond heard the brunette, and he hurriedly ran to the Lightning crew. Dare didn't seem to get it until he motioned her to head in their direction. The crowd was pissed when the dancing stopped, but D-Coy didn't care. They weren't the main event, but just to fill time for the Glitterati.
"What's up?" MacCoy asked. Luce pointed at the airship, and when Dare and MacCoy looked, their hearts skipped a beat in fear. The pink haired took a deep breath, then turned back to the other crew.
"You two go," Dare said, smiling as always. "Oblio's safety is our top priority after all." Luce went to her friend and gave her a hug. Dare returned it.
"Please be careful," Luce said worriedly. Dare nodded stepping back to her crew partner and boyfriend.
"Don't worry, Diamond. We've got this." MacCoy flashed a thumbs up to Luce and Oblio.
"You two are the ones he's looking for. So head back to DCI and we'll head back." Oblio nodded, taking Luce's hand. She held his hand and they ran inside the penthouse and to the elevator.
"Where are you two going?" Kerith asked when Lightning headed down the elevator. They were gone like the wind. Jaryn noticed that Dare and MacCoy were heading inside the airship, and she noticed the symbol.
"What the hell are they doing?" she asked, drinking some tea. She put her glass down and crossed her arms. Kerith noticed what was outside and sighed.
"What is Tan doing?" he asked instead.
"Who knows what those two were thinking, but they need to realize that they are facing danger, especially Tan himself."
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~Chapter Twenty-Four coming soon...~
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I always wanted Kerith to be the protective sibling of the bunch, and one of the songs from DC2, "Meddle," is actually a great default one for Kerith. In my interpretation, I think that Jaryn is secretly fragile, especially in love, and to me, Kerith doesn't want her to get hurt, hence why she used to like Oblio, and felt cold towards Oblio and Luce. I hope I kind of made sense for Oblio breaking Jaryn's heart, even though he wasn't responsible, but rather their families' fault.
For Jaryn's posters, I added those artists because we all know they have Lady Gaga in their playlists. XD Madonna's a no-brainer because of her style; David Bowie has Ziggy Stardust, who, like Ke$ha has a hint of paint/glitter to them.
So while you review, I'm going to play Lightning Returns. I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day! See you soon!