Ready, set, let's go
Let rhythm take control
Surrender to the music
Come on, come on, come on, come on
It's a lockdown
The song faded into silence, its end bringing the superstar out of her haze, a performance-induced euphoric state she often found herself in during her shows. Being on the stage was unlike anything else; the music, the lights, the sea of glowsticks and screaming fans. It was an indescribable feeling. But when the music ended, she came down and reality set in. And it was there, in the aftermath, that it all came crashing —
"Bara!"
"Huh?"
"Bara bara!"
"Oh... hehe... Yeah, you too." Turning to her dance partner, Nari felt a rare smile rising to her face. It was on days like this, that had become the exception. Despite her personal feelings surrounding her career, the actual practice had slowly become a pleasurable pastime. The acute lack of pressure from an overbearing albatross certainly had something to do with it. But it was primarily due to the presence of her unexpected companion.
His initial arrival had consisted of him sitting in hiding, watching her sing and dance from the shadows. But after her discovery of this practice the first time, he had respected her demands to cease such behavior. Now, as opposed to hiding, he would sit in the open and watch her, his amethyst eyes following her every movement with immense interest. After a few performances, he couldn't help but notice his feet tapping to the music, his head swaying to the beat. Over time, he grew a little bolder and, no longer capable of containing it, decided he wanted to try it himself. Eventually, much to her amusement, the Egyptian god got up and danced right alongside of her.
He shared in her extracurricular activities, participating in practices, and even taught Nari some moves of his own. The graceful twirls and exotic hip sways entranced her, urging her to learn all that she could. She enjoyed them so much, she soon incorporated some of them into her choreography. The result was birth of a new round of routines consisting of Asian-Egyptian fusion, with a sprinkle of modern pop. They gave her performances new life, and she had no doubt that others would enjoy them as much as she did. It was a shame she would never again return to the stage. She would have liked to show their creations to the world.
With practice at an end, Anubis bid her farewell, a look of joy lighting up his once bashful features. Nari returned the gesture with a wave, staying behind to clean up her supplies as the Egyptian god disappeared into the hallway. With a goofy grin, he skittered into the corridor and disappeared, all the while oblivious to the silver eyes following his movement. They been having such a good time, he hadn't noticed that the two of them had had an extra audience member that day.
An audience member that was now on a collision course with the performance's main star.
With everything back in order, Nari exited the studio, bag in hand. She brushed her navy hair over her shoulder, shifting the bag into a more comfortable position as she walked away. It really was getting rather long, a thought that she pondered on as she wandered down the hall.
Now that she was finished with the cleanup, she was ready for a small snack in the cafeteria. In recent days, she had started joining her sister and some of the other gods during her mealtimes. The ones that sat at their table varied depending on the day; she couldn't help but wonder who — if anyone — would join her this time. Perhaps she would run into Dionysus. A lunch with the Greek god of wine was almost always guaranteed to be, at the very least, entertaining. It was strange. She never thought she'd see the day she actually looked forward to seeing him. Perhaps his charming smile was finally taking its toll.
Lost in her thoughts, Nari continued forward humming a quiet tune, still unaware of the other student following behind her.
Rounding a corner into a more populated area, she maneuvered in between and around the doll students. She kept her eyes forward, keeping her distance and quirking an eyebrow occasionally at their unusual antics. It was true that they weren't people, but she still found herself often avoiding them as though they were. She couldn't help it. Despite her time in the magical school, it still never ceased to amaze her just how human-like the placeholder students could be. They discussed classes and take-home assignments. They complained about exams they didn't want to take and gossiped about the latest human news. She had even caught a few of them reading a magazine or two on occasion, many of which bore her face — much to Nari's chagrin.
It was her new focus on the phantom students that masked another pair of footsteps quickly approaching her from behind. A Greek student was pointing at an image in the corner of the page, shortly after exchanging a look with his classmate. What were they reading she wondered? Which story from the rumor factory was circulating this time? Was it a story of her ever-changing image, or her inappropriate relationships? Perhaps it was a tabloid about her latest self-destructive spiral, or maybe even something new. She was so focused on the student pair; she was left utterly defenseless as a head of flaming red hair appeared suddenly in her line of vision.
Too late to escape him now.
The groan had barely left her lips when Loki interrupted it, calling out to her with his taunting lilt.
"Puuppyyyy…"
Nari sighed. "What do you want, Loki?"
"That's no way to talk to the god of fire. You should really learn some respect, you know?"
"Sure. As soon as you learn some manners."
"Aw... and after I was so nice to you."
Nari rolled her eyes and pushed passed him, continuing her way down the hall. If he had nothing of importance to say, she didn't feel like wasting her time. The two students prior had slightly soured her mood and had little interest in playing one of his games. She had barely made four paces when her progress was halted yet again by a gentle grip on her wrist. Then, the world became a blur; her body jerked backward, twirling around a full 180 degrees. Suddenly, she was facing him again, a new pointedly irritated look on her face. "Yes?"
She was agitated. Good. That meant her defenses were low. Taking advantage, he carefully stoked the flames. "Come now, I thought we were passed this."
"Loki, if you don't need anything, then I really —"
"Oh, but I do." Her blank stare gave him all the ammunition he needed. His face twisted into a state of exaggerated shock, reeling back with a gasp as though he had been stabbed. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."
"Forgotten what?"
The god of fire tsked and shook his head. "You did forget! I'm very disappointed in you, puppy."
"Yeah? Well, I'm about to be a lot more than that if you don't tell me what you want," Nari growled."
"Oh, so scary!" She was beginning to lose her patience, he could tell. He was now on thin ice; pressing any further was walking a tightrope between frustration and rage. It was time to go in for the kill. To put his most spectacular plan yet into motion. "Fine, I'll get to the point... I believe you owe me something, Ms. Kusanagi."
"Knock it off, I don't owe you anything," Nari replied, wrenching her arm free from his grasp. Her tolerance had reached its limit, but the god of fire had other plans. Her feet had managed three steps before her vision blurred once more. Again, she found herself in motion, spinning around as her forearm was grabbed. This time however, she found herself pressed against the wall, Loki's smug expression engulfing her vision.
"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast."
There went the last of her restraint. "Damn it — what do you want, Loki?!" she snapped.
"Tell me, puppy… what day is it?"
She fell silent; his unusual inquiry gave her pause. Now that he mentioned it, it was actually a very good question. Days tended to run together when residing on an island floating in the sky. Bonus points if it was located in an alternate dimension.
"It's um… Thursday, I think. Why?"
"Very good," he praised. "Do you remember what you said to me all those days ago?"
"I have said a lot of things to you, Loki," she retorted. And she had, especially over the last couple of weeks. Some of them arguably unpleasant.
"This is true. But this one was important. You see, you promised me something on this day."
"I did, did I? And what pray tell would that be?"
"Come on, puppy, think. As I recall, we had an agreement."
"Agreement...?"
"Why, yes! I would go on your little field trip, and you would give me candy... any of that ringing a bell?"
"I —" With every word he spoke, Nari's eyes grew wider with horrified realization.
"And when I demanded my reward, fair and square, you said, and I quote, 'Yeah, sure. Thursday's fine. Take whatever you want.'"
'...Damn.'
Nari couldn't argue it. He was absolutely right.
In truth, she had forgotten about what she had said to him on that day. After all, her mind hadn't exactly been properly functioning during that time. She had seven divinely sculpted bodies to thank for that. In fairness, she had planned to give him his items upon their return. But his shenanigans and following prank wars had, understandably, left her distracted.
What was more bothersome still was his decision to seek her out and follow her, going so far as to corner her in the hallway surrounded by other students. Doll students, sure, but it still wouldn't have killed him to be a little more discreet. Then again, what did she expect? This was Loki Laevatein. But was he really that upset? Over candy?
"Damn it, Loki…" she sighed, finally shaking her head in defeat. Like it or not, he had a point. She had made a promise to him — albeit a semi-conscious one — and she intended to honor it. "Alright, alright, fine… come on. We'll go to the school store and get you your candy. Then, we can drop this." Stepping forward, Nari made to move around him and lead him to the store… only to find herself being stopped once more. Again, she found herself pressed against the wall, this time, being held carefully in place. Her eyes blew wide with confusion as he gently grasped her chin with his fingers, tilting her face upward to gaze into his eyes, silver meeting brown.
"Yeah, see, that's the thing… I don't want candy anymore." His voice fell to a low hum, his hand drifting slowly down her jacket sleeve. She could feel his fingers kneading against her skin, making her hair stand on end. But she couldn't bring herself to focus on it, her attention transfixed on his intense gaze. His mischievous smile, growing wider with each passing second. Her temperature was rising, threatening to set her aflame. She could no longer tell the source. If it was internal or external. If the warmth was rising to her face from within or radiating from the god before her.
"I-I..." She swallowed. "Okay... then, what the hell do you —"
Nari never finished her sentence. Her words were silenced, lips halted by another pair pressing gently against her own. Her body went rigid, bag slipping from her shoulder and falling to the floor with a thump. Time froze, the students moving around them nothing more than white noise. Her mind went utterly blank as she stood there, pinned against the wall by the most aggravating creature ever to come into existence. That alone should have been more than enough; her first reaction should have been to shove him away and punch him for doing something so crass. Yet for some reason, didn't. She couldn't. She didn't want to… and that thought scared the ever-loving hell out of her.
Despite everything wrong with the situation, with him, with this, somehow… it felt right. Something deep within her soul was calling to her, beckoning her forward. To return his affection. To wrap her arms around him and never let him go. It was simultaneously the happiest and most painful thing she had ever experienced in her lifetime. Uncontrollable, like a magnetic pull. It was as comforting as it was unsettling. More importantly, it was dangerous. It frightened her how much he excited her.
Then, in an instant, he was gone.
Leaving Nari in a daze, Loki pulled away with a sly grin of satisfaction on his face. His mission was a resounding success. She was finally speechless, staring back at him with a dumbfounded expression, breathlessly against the wall. No retaliation. No witty retort. Just pure, unadulterated confusion. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She just stood there, gaping at him like a fish out of water. Having done what he came to do, Loki moved away, releasing her from his grasp. "You said I could take whatever I wanted..." A single painted nail brushed across her cheek; he smiled when she gave little reaction. "See you later, puppy." With a wink, the god of fire disappeared into the sea of shuffling students, leaving Nari behind, and utterly stunned.
For a few moments, she remained there, staring blankly in his direction. The students walking around her faded away, her eyes staring right through them. Her mind was running through a million thoughts at once and her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. Loki had kissed her. Loki had kissed her.
What the actual fuck?
She wasn't sure how long she had been standing against the wall, only that her back was starting to ache from the awkward angle. Shaking to her senses, she blinked a few times to reorient herself. She would have to revisit this at a later time, preferably in solitude. With a sigh, she lifted herself from the wall to make her way back to the dorm.
Or, at least, she tried to.
It was only upon attempting to move that Nari realized the sinister intentions behind Loki's little distraction. Her arm remained immobile, remaining stubbornly affixed to the wall behind her. Whipping around, she turned to look down at her sleeve — conveniently the one that Loki had used to restraint her. It was frozen in place, glued against the wall with what she could only assume was an industrial adhesive. Fantastic.
. . .
As Loki rounded the corner and out of sight, he paused. Free from her piercing gaze, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He had succeeded in his mission. He had done what he came to do. All went according to plan, and that was all that should have mattered. After all, his little display had been only to affix her jacket sleeve to the wall behind her.
...So, why then, had he felt so drawn to her? Why was it so hard to pull himself away? Why, when their lips touched, did he feel the stars align, as though he were precisely where he needed to be? It didn't make any sense, and thus he remained there, lost in thought, contemplating the different possibilities. Maybe Japanese goddesses were more formidable than they had let on. How concerning.
It was only the sound of a frustrated shriek that brought him back to reality. It seemed she had finally become aware of her current predicament. Chances were, she would be standing there for a little while. Shaking his head, he chuckled and made his way back down the hall.
. . .
After removing herself from her polyester prison, Nari had given up on any attempts at eating with her companions. The adhesive had been so powerful that she had found no possible way to dislodge it without tearing the fabric. Instead, she had been forced to finagle herself out of her jacket and leave it dangling from the wall while she purchased a neutralizing agent to get it back down again. After all the events that transpired, including Loki's little stunt, Nari had lost her appetite. She decided her time was better spent getting some much-needed rest. Thus, she returned to her dorm for some relaxation and a warm bath before turning in early for the night. Unfortunately, her sleep turned out to be anything but restful.
"Mn… ngh…"
Nari tossed and turned beneath her comforter. Her head whipped back and forth against the pillow, fingers twitching beneath the sheets. Trembling limbs vibrated against the bed, brow furrowed and scrunched together in discomfort. Until…
Her scream rang out through the empty room. Nari shot up from her position, eyes looking wildly around in the darkness. Her chest heaved, trying desperately to get any form of oxygen she could manage. The air felt almost foreign in her lungs after the endless feeling of deprivation. She was so unnerved that she nearly leapt from her bed entirely when a shadow appeared in the doorway.
"Nari! Are you alright?"
"What?! I — Oh…" She felt her heartrate starting to slow. "Fuyu. It's you."
"Yes, it is I." The feline padded across the room, hopping onto the bed in a single bound. "I heard you from the other room…"
"I'm fine," Nari replied, wiping a strand of wet hair from her face.
"That shouting didn't sound fine… and you don't look fine, either."
"It's not a big deal… I just had a nightmare is all. I'm okay. Nothing to worry about."
Fuyu's emerald eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. Having spent the last few months by the young woman's side, she could very clearly see that she was not okay, not in any sense of the word. Though unpleasant dreams and sleepless nights had plagued her since her arrival, the familiar had never once seen Nari so shaken. Even now, as she shooed her away, she was still trembling. Whatever had awoken her was most certainly something to worry about. But she would receive no answers on that night. So, she allowed herself to be herded from the room with one last look over her shoulder before returning to her tower.
The moment her roommate was out of sight, Nari practically dove under her pillow, reaching for the familiar bottle. She held it close to her chest, trying to still her quaking less the rattling alert her companion. Tipping the bottle upside down, she allowed the familiar blue pills to fall soundlessly into her palm. They shook, tapping against each other in her shaking hand. A feeling of frustration and remorse washed over her for the briefest moment, realizing that she was once again going against her own resolution. But the tightening in her chest quickly overrode any reservations she had, tossing the medication down her throat.
It was only three pills… not the end of the world.
