Man, sometimes my self-imposed schedule comes back to bite me- I wanted to get started on Chapter 2 so bad!
Anyways, seems you guys have enjoyed this so far, for which I'm glad, and I look forward to sharing more.
Oh, and since it comes up all the time, no, 'The Thing' was not an inspiration for Minato. You're searching in the right direction anyways, his primary motivations include one bit of horror fiction and one fairly widespread concept in folklore throughout the world.
Keep the guesses coming though- it's a lot of fun to see what you guys come up with and discuss.
The night after Minato had winged Kazehana and they'd moved into Izumo House together, Miya and the other tenants threw a small party. Both to welcome the new and returning tenant (Kazehana had lived there in the past), but mainly to celebrate Kazehana finding her Ashikabi.
Doing the latter openly was made possible by the fact that the current tenants were all Sekirei, aside from himself, and Miya (who was, as far as he could tell 'like' a Sekirei in the same manner a tiger was 'like' a house cat).
This had allowed Minato the chance to get acquainted with two of the three other tenants of Izumo House- they'd spent most of the day moving himself and Kazehana in, so while they'd been assisted by Uzume, they hadn't met the other two at all.
Kazehana had given him a strange look when he'd asked about the third, but assured him that she was just shy.
This didn't seem overly strange to Minato, as he didn't expect every Sekirei would be as outgoing as Kazehana and Uzume.
Take Homura, who was sometimes Kagari, it seemed, for example.
The only male Sekirei Minato had met so far was a handsome young man, probably a few years older than him, tall and slender with stylish, smoky grey hair and dark red eyes.
Though his smile seemed to come easily (Minato wondered if he could take lessons), Homura seemed a calmer soul compared to Kazehana and Uzume. This in no way kept him from displaying the social aptitude (or was it fortitude?) to easily keep up with the two women, whether in drink or conversation.
Minato decided he liked the male Sekirei, and was hopeful that he might be able to make his first male friend, at least since he had been cleared to live unsupervised.
That Homura was easy to get along with was something he held in common with Uzume.
It may have been because Uzume reminded him of Kazehana, but Minato had taken to the brown-haired Sekirei almost immediately.
She really was like a younger Kazehana in some ways- a little shorter and a little less curvy, but gorgeous nonetheless, and with hints that her proportions might catch up in a few years. She even wore her long hair partially in a ponytail like Kazehana did, though her ponytail was on the side rather than at the back.
The big difference in personality was that Uzume filled that gap in experience and maturity by acting kind of like a boy.
That that worked as well as it did was truly mysterious.
Miya was the only one not drinking, and for that, Minato was truly grateful- who knew what catastrophe such a colossal beast could cause if she started getting wobbly. Instead, she'd spent the whole evening quietly watching over himself and the Sekirei, which did much to put Minato at ease around her.
And evading Uzume's drunken kiss- she'd imitated Kazehana- seemed to reflect favorably upon her opinion of him.
"Oh my, it seems you can hold your drink better than I thought," Miya marvelled, as he brought the empty bottles into the kitchen so no one would step on them.
"Hm? Oh, I decided not to be drunk anymore," Minato admitted. "It's easier to take care of Kazehana that way."
"Who knew it was so simple?" Miya smiled.
"There's a trick to it," Minato explained quite seriously after several moments, as it occurred to him that he could explain to the present company. "You just have to keep the fuzzy feeling that makes you smile, and get rid of the fuzzy feelings that lead to poor motor skills and bad decisions."
"I see, I see, it must be because most have trouble differentiating between 'fuzzy feelings' that the technique sees such little use." Miya responded just as seriously, her eyes twinkling.
"That must be so." Minato agreed. It was nice to be able to ease up a little on acting like a human, an unexpected benefit of moving into Izumo House.
"But thank you for being careful with Uzume like that, Minato," Miya told him softly, her grave demeanor no longer playfully feigned. "It seems you took my earlier words to heart, and for that I am grateful."
Earlier and in private, she had told him that Kazehana accidentally winging herself on someone like him was nothing short of miraculous, and urged him to be as careful as he could in the future.
Minato didn't really think he'd done anything special to prove he was good for Kazehana, yet, but it seemed Sekirei didn't see things the same way- it seemed Kazehana herself was all the proof they needed.
Anyways, he should probably carry Kazehana to bed- after 'sneaking up on him' (giggling all the way) she had draped herself across his back quite heavily, and seemed rather put out by his lack of surprise.
Despite the fact that he could, and did watch her every move, even as he carried her up to their room- somehow, on the way there and without him noticing, Kazehana managed to shed every stitch of clothing, save her panties.
… Which barely rated the term to begin with.
Truly mysterious.
He had never been treated like a hug pillow before, either, but having a nearly naked and blissfully smiling Kazehana wrapped around him was rather appealing.
It seemed the night had been good to her, and in more ways than one.
Minato had almost drifted off to sleep when the thought occurred to him that, originally, their shared bedroom had been stocked with two futons, rather than one.
As if on cue, the sleeping beauty entwined around him tickled his chest with a strangely suggestive little giggle.
The second morning after he'd winged her, Kazehana took it upon herself to demonstrate that the best thing to wake up to in all the world was her smile.
The way she'd flushed and squirmed while smiling in response (as he'd said that out loud) was truly fascinating.
A brief overview of his outer body reconfirmed another mysterious new thing- it would seem that, regardless of which sense he used to observe her, Minato found Kazehana to be extremely attractive, which was a first for him.
Kazehana noticed it too, it seemed, and happily at that.
"My my, is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"
"... I don't know why you expect my pockets to contain food, but I'm always happy to see you."
Kazehana's smile went crooked as she blinked at him in confusion, and then there was all sorts of interesting bouncing and swaying as the topless Sekirei burst suddenly into rich, throaty laughter.
"You're cute when you're dense, Hun," she chuckled, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I must be cute often then."
Laughing still, Kazehana shot him a wink as she rose from the bed.
Minato decided that he could get used to mornings like this.
"Please take a seat, Master, and we'll be with you shortly."
Smiling politely as he was left to his own devices, Homura settled into his seat and picked up the menu.
The menu he was very interested in, which was why he didn't immediately notice that he wasn't left to his own devices for very long.
Really.
"Good afternoon, Master~, my sister and I will be serving you today~". The cup of black coffee clacked down on the coaster in front of him with an artful bit of menace.
Personally, Homura thought it showed talent that she could make the word 'Master' sound like a threat.
'She' being one of the two people he had come here to check up on- Hikari, and her twin sister Hibiki, the one sighing at the belligerent nature of her twin.
The reason they, and their coworker had called him 'Master' to begin with was because the twins worked at a maid cafe.
Hikari in purple and Hibiki in red, the twins were doing an incredible job of filling out the maid outfit that was their standard uniform, low at the neckline and sitting high on the leg. Tied into two low ponytails each, their long dark hair served to make the colors pop even further.
Rocking high-heels that matched the primary color of their outfits, the twins wore thin colored straps on their right and left thigh respectively, naturally drawing the eye to their long legs.
Hikari was a curvy, belligerent spitfire, while the more slender and elegant Hibiki took the edge off of her sister's temper with her calm, graceful demeanor.
It was no surprise that the customers couldn't get enough of them.
Though, speaking of 'couldn't get enough of', Homura was working hard not to notice how his presence once again distracted all the maids, even if he wasn't an unfamiliar face.
He ignored the murmurs of 'die handsome' from the other tables with ease of long practice.
"Hello girls," Homura greeted softly, noting that Hikari was in a bad mood and deciding not to tease her.
… Too much.
"Are you ready to order, Master, or would you like a few more minutes to look at the menu?" Hibiki tried, much more politely.
"I'll take the usual, thanks." There were certain orders one could make that involved the maids sitting with the customer- with a huff, Hikari flounced down in the seat across from him as Hibiki took his order and left with a bow.
Homura drank his coffee in silence, ignoring Hikari's glare with the ease of long practice until the other sister had joined them.
"So? What is it this time?" Hikari questioned without any preamble.
"Had some spare time today, so I'm doing the rounds," Homura explained, after placing his coffee down. "It's usually not this peaceful, so it's kind of a novel experience."
"So you're being a busybody again." Hikari summarized, looking unimpressed.
"Sister!" Hibiki hissed chidingly.
"I have to make a nuisance of myself to balance out my natural charm and wit," Homura confessed, turning up his nose with all the feigned snootiness he could muster. "Otherwise it's just not fair to the other guys."
That earned him a grumble from Hikari and a muffled giggle from Hibiki.
"... It's okay, Kagari," Hibiki leaned in a moment later, her smile tight but not unsympathetic. "You can tell us, you know."
"Ah? Tell us what, Sis?" Hikari glanced towards her sister while keeping one eye on him. "... Oh."
He didn't let it show on his face, but Homura felt his heart sink as the twin's expressions fell in unison, and he pretended not to notice as the motion of their shoulders suggested the siblings had reached for one another beneath the table.
"Who?" Was all Hikari said.
Homura sighed, wishing slightly that the more observant of the two twins had been less so.
"03, Kazehana." He told his fellow unwinged Sekirei.
"... Even the drunk, huh?" Hikari murmured bitterly.
Hikari and Hibiki were Sekirei Numbers 11 and 12… aside from a few of the Single Numbers like himself, they had remained unwinged longer than any other Sekirei in the Plan.
In part, it was due to their nature as twins- either sibling had reacted to Ashikabi a handful of times in the past, but never had they reacted to the same one.
And they refused to be parted.
Though he'd never tell them that, he was at least glad they had each other.
Sekirei weren't meant to be lonely.
That was also why the twins had imitated him to a degree with their choice of employment- a maid cafe as opposed to the host club he worked at- seeking constant exposure to the opposite sex.
"I'm sorry, Homura," a quiet voice, and a hand reaching across the table to gently clasp his snapped Homura out of his reverie.
Hibiki, who had taken his hand, smiled softly.
"... Egh, yeah, my bad." Hikari said after a moment.
At a pointed look from Hibiki, Hikari slid her free hand across the table, palm up and glaring at him as if she was daring him to ignore it.
Chuckling helplessly, Homura put his other hand in hers.
"... Hey, don't look at me like that, you two. You know I don't mind."
"Nah, it was pretty insensitive to get all mopey in front of you when you've been searching longer than we have." Hikari refuted, to his surprise. "Even if you keep getting in the way."
Not of them being winged, of course, but they had fought about half a dozen times by now.
"Well, I'm not the Guardian of the Unwinged for nothing, you know." Homura smirked back as the twins withdrew their hands.
"Yet you keep protecting us from being forcibly winged, despite us going after the other unwinged." Hibiki pointed out, looking at him curiously.
"I'm pretty sure I still have a few burnt ends from the last time we tangled." Hikari said, pulling on one of her bangs and staring at it intently. "You protect us sometimes and fight us others, what gives?"
"I just decided not to compromise, I guess," Homura shrugged after a moment of contemplation.
"I'll protect the unwinged from anyone who wishes them ill- sometimes that means I'll prevent you from taking out the opposition early," they caught his smirk too late, "other times it will mean stopping Tsukiumi if she tries to drown you two in the harbor again."
The sisters blanched with the perfect synchronicity that only twins could pull off- they'd avoided any body of water bigger than a bath for months after that debacle.
And they were still a little jumpy around long-haired blondes.
Much as they had their differences, Homura could honestly say he liked the Lightning Twins, as they were often called.
Which was why their attempt to comfort him had made him feel both happy and more than a little guilty.
He'd already found his Ashikabi after all.
It was just that being winged by Chiho was too much of a risk for someone whose powers left him always one spark away from self-immolation.
It was true that an Ashikabi might be exactly what he needed for his power to stabilize- but there was also the risk that Chiho would acquire some of his instability instead.
She had been in the hospital for over a decade- any chance that he could make things worse for her was too great a risk.
It really was pathetic though, wasn't it?
That protecting those desperately searching for their wings helped distract him from how he'd given up on his own.
Takami donned her shirt once more, accepting the clipboard from the nurse.
She was one of the most qualified doctors in the country, so it wasn't like she needed someone to read out the results of her monthly check-up.
A quick lookover suggested no noticeable changes- still nudging past the lines of 'peak human fitness', despite two decades of chain smoking and an average of three hours sleep per night.
Still sitting comfortably at a genetic profile that was 75% identifiable as human, and 25% 'blank space'.
And, of course the reason why she'd never admit to, as to why she never let anyone read the entirety of her results. Especially out loud.
Takami's weight was still measuring in at a 'neat' 50% heavier than what it should have been for a woman of her height and build.
To borrow her beloved Ashikabi's catchphrase, it was 'truly mysterious' how the entirety of the day seemed to have wandered off somewhere.
She was tempted to find a high place to watch the approaching sunset with her Minato, but… considering how they'd met, 'high places' and 'Minato' were a combination she wasn't quite ready for.
Even if he'd assured her repeatedly that the fall from the container crane (well over a hundred feet) wouldn't have hurt him in the least, thinking about him falling from something like that still made Kazehana's heartbeat quicken in a bad way.
Despite how good she normally was at keeping feelings hidden, apparently, Minato had noticed, and taken exception to that.
…. By deciding that he was going to make her heartbeat quicken in a good way.
Minato's grip on her hand became firmer as he smoothly steered her onto an empty side street, and then around another corner.
"Honey, where are we- oh!" Kazehana's words were cut short when Minato smoothly spun her, gently pushing her back up against the wall.
Pressed against the cool concrete of the wall, Kazehana felt a little rush of heat and anticipation as her Ashikabi smiled his little half-smile, the placid expression totally at odds with the way his dark eyes held her prisoner.
"I thought you'd like it if we did something like this." Was the only explanation he gave.
Kazehana wasn't given a chance to reply- the moment her lips parted, Minato shoved his tongue between them as he kissed her deeply.
Her eyes shot open wide in shock, and then fluttered half-shut as Minato's tongue sought hers. Moaning blissfully into the kiss as her wings bloomed and curled intimately around them, Kazehana's arms followed suit, wrapping themselves around Minato, one tangling slender fingers into his hair.
Minato pressed in more tightly against the sensually writhing Sekirei as they kissed fervently- for some odd reason, despite how he liked that Kazehana had hooked a leg around his waist to pull him in even closer, it was her breasts that briefly caught his attention.
Not just because of how the massive things ballooned out in every direction as they squashed against his chest, but because he was keenly aware of her nipples stiffening with arousal and poking at him.
Kazehana's breath was getting a little ragged though, and he was pretty sure Sekirei needed to breathe, so-
The line of saliva that briefly connected them as he broke the kiss was intensely interesting.
"Mmm, not that I'm complaining, love," Kazehana gasped as she shivered pleasantly in his arms, "but what brought that on?"
"Surprise?" Minato returned, tilting his head innocently.
"You decided to try kissing me senseless as a surprise?"
Minato nodded in that quietly earnest way of his, prompting a giggle from his partner.
"Did it work?"
A flowery breeze twirled through the empty street, and quite suddenly it was Minato pinned to the wall by a warm body.
"Well, what do you think, Mi~na~to?" Kazehana purred, low and sultry.
Minato considered the position they were in, and nodded once.
"This is good too."
Rich laughter rolled its way through the still street, before being replaced by sounds a good deal more suggestive.
That meant he'd given the right answer, Minato would later decide.
While Minato had chosen a deserted street for very good reason, they still ended up having to escape to the rooftops as the flickering of pink light drew curious passersby- he may have underestimated how brightly Kazehana's wings shone.
That Kazehana laughed delightedly the whole way probably didn't help, but complaining was the last thing on his mind.
The 'interest' he'd gained from resonating with Kazehana had lots of potential, it seemed, and, perhaps most importantly of all, acting upon it made her smile.
This was why he liked learning new things.
Miya allowed a smile to spread across her lips as the wind shifted ever so slightly, wafting the scent of flowers and joy across the porch. Graciously accepting the likely unintended assistance, Miya finished her sweeping and consigned the dust to the wind, just in time to greet her returning tenants.
Her smile widened on its own in response to the blissful expression on Kazehana's face; the whimsical feather wrapped around one of her Ashikabi's arms, sticking to him so closely it was a wonder the young man could walk at all.
Minato wasn't nearly as expressive, but he didn't need to be to make it obvious that Kazehana was the center of his attention.
"Welcome back you two, did you have a nice day?" She inquired politely, even though she knew the answer full well. "Plates are in the fridge, but do try to remember to let me know if you'll be missing a meal."
The couple blinked at the gentle reminder, and Minato lifted his head to scan their surroundings.
"Sorry, Miya, it would seem the day has disappeared on us." He said after a moment, tilting his head. "Truly mysterious."
Miya allowed herself to blink in confusion as she realized that yes, he was being literal.
This didn't seem to stop Kazehana from breaking her silence by bursting into laughter, and a glance to Minato confirmed that while he didn't get the joke either, he too thought it was fine as long as Kazehana was enjoying herself.
"Will the two of you be settling in for the night?" Miya asked.
"No~pe!" Kazehana playfully returned. "We kind of ran a little late, but we were just planning to pop in for a little bit, grab a bite to eat, and take a little break- unless you have something you'd like us to help out with?"
When Miya shook her head, Kazehana winked at her, pressing in a little more closely to Minato.
"Then it's a romantic late night walk, and after that, I suppose we'll just see what the moon brings."
Miya wasn't all that surprised when, the moment they were alone, Kazehana cheerfully confessed that her and her Ashikabi might not make it back home that night- that she managed to stop just short of the territory where the Hannya would come calling was probably a miracle.
In another room and pretending that he couldn't hear, Minato nevertheless wondered if them staying out late meant they'd be doing Something Important.
He was correct, and it was perhaps ironic that his misunderstanding ended up closer to reality than Kazehana's intentions.
Minato had a strange relationship with dark places.
When he was younger, he feared them, much in the way a human child would.
Not because he feared what may lurk in the dark (since that was him), but because to Minato, darkness reminded him of the thing he hated the most.
At first, that had persisted as he worked hard to be 'Minato'- the son his mother so desperately desired.
That had come to an end when Mother first called him a monster- first told him that the many reasons he would never be like the human children didn't matter at all.
No matter what kind of 'Minato' he was, he would always be her Minato- and that was what he heard every time Mother used the word 'monster'.
And the darkness had always belonged to the monsters, as they belonged to it.
Strangely, his revelation had been somewhat of a concern to Mother, at least at first- she was worried that he was 'forcing himself'... he had yet to figure that out, if he was being honest, but since the worry had faded at some point, he didn't concern himself with it too much.
Now though, it was an opportunity he did not wish to miss- the city park they'd found themselves in was of the less official kind- a woodland grove that had been swallowed by urban sprawl yet never wholly consumed.
It was the kind of park where one did not stray from the path when alone at night- the one that gave you the vague feeling of being watched from the shadows.
The sort of place that brushed up against things better left unknown and forgotten.
Things that knew better than to get in the way- they were, as Kazehana had declared, 'on a date'.
The shadows would stay empty if they knew what was good for them.
Kazehana had never tried one of those 'tests of courage'- they seemed very romantic, and any excuse to drape herself over her Ashikabi seemed like a good one, but...
She didn't think Minato would be very good at them.
Not for lack of courage, but for the words Takami had told her- maybe it was because Minato was a 'monster' (and she wasn't sure how she felt about that), but the darkness seemed… odd, with him around.
Like it had deepened a little, but… cautiously?
Like the night itself wanted to be closer to Minato, but… not too close.
Perhaps it meant that he belonged there, in some way- her instincts as a Sekirei told her that something about the night was 'significant' to her Ashikabi.
Her instincts as a woman were mostly just telling her that the sense of predatory confidence radiating through their link was incredibly sexy, and that she loved how possessive the arm wrapped around her waist was.
It was like her Ashikabi was silently asserting his claim over her, and damn if it didn't make her feel so incredibly wanted.
Not for the first time in the last few days, Kazehana confirmed that jumping off a crane while drunk was the best decision she'd ever made.
What a strange, wonderful place the world could be.
But all good things come to an end, and the current 'good thing' ended abruptly when Minato whirled on her and threw himself into her embrace- her seemingly fearless Ashikabi clinging to her like a frightened child.
So lonely.
"-nato!?"
It's so cold.
"-at's wrong!? Minato!"
I'm so lonely.
"-please! Talk to- me what's-"
Broken. Lonely. Cold. Broken. Lonely. Cold. Broken. Lonely. Broken….brokenlonelybrokenlonelycoldbrokencoldlonelycoldbrokenbroken-
… So warm.
"Wind of my pledge, blow away the dark clouds that befall my Ashikabi!"
It was like the night they'd met, all over again.
Like their first kiss, all over again.
Minato was spell-bound… in that moment, it was like the world began and ended with Kazehana. Like nothing existed beyond the boundary of swirling petals, beyond her embrace.
"... I think I'm in love with you."
"... Pfft," It was truly mysterious how she could make a snort sound lady-like. "Ufufu... Well, if you can say a line like that with a straight face, then you must be feeling a little better."
He wondered why Kazehana was flushed in the cheeks, or why her chuckle had sounded… discordant? It was usually a very rhythmic sound.
"... But I'll ask you anyways, my dear Minato- are you feeling alright, now?"
"... Never been better." He managed- barely able to remember which voice he was supposed to be using.
"You gave me quite the scare, you know."
"I'm sorry." Hugging her back seemed to help… both of them.
"Now, are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Kazehana questioned in little more than a whisper- the whirling winds, rather than drowning her out served only to carry her words. "That's the most emotion I've seen from you, and it wasn't nearly as fun as I'd hoped."
The catch in her voice made him wince- but he had been just as caught off guard as she had.
… It was true he'd felt stronger emotions, but those, at least, had been his own.
"... Someone is out there, in the park." Minato told her after a moment, rising off the ground and gazing off into the direction of 'that feeling'.
Minato had never seen the world like those around him- anything else was an imitation. What his 'true senses' were witnessing was like a frozen monument to total isolation.
Like a tower of ice that was always on the horizon no matter how far you travelled- a prison that would never let its sole occupant free.
"Someone like me," Minato whispered quietly.
Kazehana stiffened slightly- something told her he wasn't talking about 'an unknown species', but-
"Someone like me, but in a world without Mother, or Kazehana."
She was there on the bench- precisely the sort of person who wandered into dark places and never wandered out.
He doubted being a Sekirei would leave her exempt- they were still people, after all.
Huddled in her seat, with head bowed, the woman had light brown hair that framed her face- her features sharp and well-formed. She was beautiful, but that served only to heighten the tragedy that clung to her- her dark blue eyes were glassy and lifeless, like those of a broken and discarded doll.
The high amount of exposure in her outfit was less deliberate than the usual Sekirei preference- the half-buttoned shirt was clearly designed for a figure less curvaceous than her. The only other piece of outerwear was a lab coat, hanging from her shoulders in a way that made its presence seem more coincidence than design.
Kazehana took wary note of the blood splattered liberally across the garment- Minato dismissed it the moment the scent registered as human.
Though it was partially concealed by her bangs, it was nearly impossible to miss her Sekirei Crest- emblazoned almost angrily in the center of her forehead.
Kazehana sadly murmured something about a 'Scrap Number', which Minato filed aside for later reference.
"Miss?" Minato spoke, his tone slow and measured as he crouched several arms lengths away, bringing their eye levels closer together. "Miss, are you alright?"
Her head lifted ever so slightly, not quite meeting his gaze- like she was reacting to sound, but hadn't quite registered that the sound had a source.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Minato questioned softly. "A deserted park is no place for a lady."
That was how 'ladies' became 'statistics'.
"I have nowhere to go. I'm just a failure." Her breathy voice was faintly musical and overwhelming hollow- like the sad echoes of some long-forgotten song.
"Is that so?" Minato blinked slowly. "Well, we'll put the latter bit aside- if you have nowhere to go, then-"
"Minato." Kazehana's voice, uncharacteristically sharp, cut him off mid sentence, but no explanation was needed- he felt them before he saw them.
It took Minato a moment to make sense of it- a snake that had stretched itself out into a human shape? When he blinked, it returned to what most people would see- a somewhat tall, middle-aged Japanese man wearing a business suit, and flanked by a quartet of Sekirei.
"You there," Minato blinked again, pointing to himself as the man smirked. "That rare piece belongs to my employer- your business here is concluded, so scurry along."
"... A rare piece?"
"To not even understand the value of the tool before you," the man shook his head with an almost theatrical show of dismay. "Regrettable, but I suppose this is why the world will always have winners and losers. Now, I'll say it again, boy… make yourself scarce before it becomes necessary to teach you your proper place.
Minato blinked, yet again, and shot a confused look towards Kazehana- she wasn't looking his way, but she was looking thoroughly unimpressed and thoroughly sexy as she stood with her weight on one leg, resting her hand on the pronounced curve of her hip.
While it was reassuring that she wouldn't be caught off guard, it didn't really help him with his dilemma.
… Why did the food keep trying to make words? It didn't think the Sekirei would keep it safe when they'd need those numbers to keep Kazehana in check, did it?
No, more importantly, the lone Sekirei had shown a reaction to the noises the man had made.
… A worrying reaction.
"... Value? M... me?" Minato winced a little at the hope there, as the lonely Sekirei latched onto anything that might mean she meant something.
"Indeed," and the man's voice was as gentle as the swaying of a viper, ready to strike. "My employer recognizes your worth, and that was precisely why he sent his humble secretary, myself, to escort you to him."
… It was worrisome that she was that easy to persuade, so it looked like he'd have to be a little forceful.
Also, he didn't like the smug look on the food's face.
Ignoring its blather, Minato speared the woman in place with the weight of his gaze.
"There you have it. If you wish to be a tool then by all means, go with that… man." Minato blandly suggested.
Kazehana's head whipped his way, shock written across her features.
"But," she needn't have worried. "But, if you haven't given up on being a person, then I will protect you as one, no matter what."
"Protect me? ...Why?" Each word seemed to shake her frame on the way out. "I am… defective. I cannot be your Sekirei... I cannot be anyone's Sekirei. My wings… my wings are broken."
"And you're lonely."
"... Yes." The woman had an easier time admitting that than she should have.
"I hate loneliness." Minato admitted candidly. He'd never seen the need to make his reasons complicated.
After a moment, she gave a tiny little nod in agreement.
"But I won't steal the choice from you; it has no meaning unless it's your own." Minato shrugged. "Though, you should go see Mother- if anyone could help you, it's her."
"... Mother? You wish me to meet your… mother?" Okay, so Minato didn't understand at all why Kazehana was smiling and murmuring something about how bold he was- even if all the squirming in place she was doing was rather interesting.
"Yes." Minato agreed flatly, not realizing at all that the misunderstanding was deepening. "Oh, I'm Minato, by the way- what's your name, Miss?"
"Minato? I am… Akitsu." She whispered back, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. "And I… I…"
Minato gazed earnestly back, patiently waiting on her words.
"... I am... no one's tool." Minato couldn't help but smile at that.
"Unfortunately, that is not your decision to make," the man, who had been watching them with an irritatingly indulgent sort of patience, interjected with a sigh. "My employer is used to getting what he wants, and for good reason."
He snapped his fingers, and the Sekirei behind him spread out and advanced.
"And who might your employer be?" Given his intentions, it was probably poor etiquette, but…
"I am Kakizaki, and I serve Izumi Higa- the Ashikabi of the East." The man proudly declared.
Minato idly wondered if that was meant to be an intimidation tactic.
The only person who could intimidate him without being physically present was Mother.
Mother, and Mother's clipboard.
More importantly, why had the man felt the need to introduce himself as well?
"Akitsu has made her decision," Minato returned. "And I don't think you're ready for the consequences if you try to deny her that."
"And what exactly do you intend to do with a single Sekirei?"
It was not Minato, but Kazehana who answered, after giving her Ashikabi a wink, a mocking, sensual smirk upon her glossy lips.
"Why, wait until you call for backup, of course, so we can make this a fair fight."
Minato was entertained by the thought that their opponents didn't realize that Kazehana was being serious.
"Sit this one out, Hun," was not something he expected her to continue on with, though. "This will be a good chance to see what your cute Sekirei can do."
"... Alright," he didn't really like the idea, but he trusted Kazehana.
Akitsu seemed a little taken aback when he promptly seated himself on the bench beside her, but she relaxed after a moment.
"Well?" Kazehana said. "Don't keep a girl waiting."
The opposing Sekirei didn't need to be told twice. Or maybe they just wanted to shut her up- but the result was the same.
Mother had said that Single Digit Sekirei were stronger than the rest.
Kazehana set about proving that within the first minute of the fight.
She hoped it wasn't indicative of what was to come- that her first fight as a member of the Sekirei Plan was one that didn't follow the rules.
Battles were supposed to be one on one, with each combatant declaring their name and number.
Kazehana had her suspicions that the only way she'd learn anything of that information was if she asked Matsu later.
As for the fight, it was going more or less as expected: people always seemed to underestimate what it was like to fight with the air against you- what kind of openings presented themselves when you could never move quite how you wanted.
The orangette in the jumpsuit hadn't been wrong to try and get behind her- no matter how strong Kazehana was, touch her Crest and recite a Norito and it was game over.
It was an unfortunate proof of naivety to think Kazehana would let someone pull that off uncontested.
For the first Sekirei to leave the fight, her last memory would be the sensation of her body folding against Kazehana's shoulder.
Twisting away from the fist aimed at the back of her head, Kazehana dropped low and slammed her shoulder into the younger girl's midriff.
The strength of a Single Number and the force of the gale guiding her strike hit the orange-haired Sekirei like a zero-distance car crash.
A flying body smashed against a tree and bounced to the ground, never to move again.
The other young one was a shy, dark haired girl wearing white robes, with double-edged arm blades emerging from voluminous sleeves.
She clearly wanted nothing to do with the fight, and was more or less acting as a bodyguard for the Ashikabi.
This gave her leeway to focus on the real problems.
Both of them.
Naturally, it was the two older Sekirei who proved to be the more dangerous and experienced- one was tall and leggy, with lightly tanned skin and close cropped, dark hair. Her outfit was some sort of skimpy leotard with ample cut-outs, the color scheme alternating yellow and purple.
The boots the woman kept using to try and cave her head in were heavier than they should be- obviously reinforced with some metal plating.
Her partner in crime (literally, if Kazehana's suspicions were correct), had long, flowing green hair, wearing a tight white and blue crop top with matching leggings. Her weapon was a staff of red metal, the sort a human couldn't twirl with such easy grace.
The two were almost skilled enough to match her when they worked in tandem, but that wasn't the important thing- the reason why Kazehana was so opposed to letting Minato fight, even if she was willing to believe Takami's account of his capability.
The reason she didn't want them anywhere near her Ashikabi was that they reminded her of Karasuba- without the self-imposed discipline that kept Miss Crow from being a simple murderer.
They weren't trying to win the fight so much as they were trying to enjoy the fight, and she doubted they'd be gracious or gentle winners.
… Not that they were going to be winners.
Kazehana sidestepped a sliding tackle that would have snapped her shin in half, sending the attacker skidding a dozen extra feet as the whipping wind increased her momentum. The staff wielder thrust at her throat, but Kazehana whirled around it and retaliated in the same motion.
The green-haired Sekirei ducked a lashing leg, and then leapt back as Kazehana lifted that same leg straight up above her head without letting it hit the ground.
Her heel drop cratered the ground and the wind flared, sending a violent puff of dust and dirt the staff-wielders way, obscuring her vision momentarily as Kazehana lost a few strands of hair to a reinforced boot. The short-haired Sekirei hounding her attacked with a storm of kicks numbering at least triple Kazehana's earlier combo.
Without warning, Kazehana flung herself into a long, arching backflip as the staff-user shot through where she'd been standing with brutal force, staff leveled like a spear.
It was a blow that would have likely put the blunt weapon through Kazehana had it landed.
The combination must have been rehearsed, from the way short-haired Sekirei leisurely slipped aside to let her partner blitz by.
Though her descent was flawlessly controlled, Kazehana nonetheless was a moment slow- it couldn't be helped that she was unaccustomed to defending others in a fight.
With Kazehana out of the way, the staff-users trajectory put her flying towards Minato like an arrow from a bow. The Sekirei twirled as she got within reach, skidding through the dirt and bringing her weapon sweeping in at neck-height.
Kazehana shouted a warning, but it was too late.
There was a hideous cracking sound, followed by muffled vibrations as the staff crashed into an opaque wall of ice, and flung itself from the Sekirei's hands.
The Sekirei fell to her knees with clenched teeth, huddled over her throbbing hands.
Had her partner not tackled her aside, she would have been deactivated right there, as the space between them and the icy barrier erupted into a howling pillar of flame.
A dark figure plummeted into the center of the conflagration, scattering tongues of flame and angry sparks in every direction.
Clad all in black and with narrowed eyes ablaze, Homura rose to his feet with liquid fire dripping from his fingertips.
"First a former member of the Disciplinary Squad, and now the Guardian of the Unwinged? Aren't we lucky?" The short-haired Sekirei mused out loud.
Kazehana clicked her tongue in irritation as they brought up 'that', but pushed it aside in order to focus on a fight that was liable to continue.
That staff-user was looking all too eager for someone who had just been deprived of her weapon- and temporary use of her hands, and her partner was no different.
The blade-user, though, looked ready to cry, and for a split second Kazehana felt like the villain.
"You!" Kakzaki pointed at Homura, with a frustrated snarl. "What are you doing here!? You have no business guarding a Scrap that can't be winged!"
Even as her eyes narrowed dangerously, Kazehana felt a little surge of joy as Minato put his hand on Akitsu's slumped shoulder.
And what was that color on the snow fairy's cheeks, she wondered~?
"I don't care what you think," Homura sharply retorted. "Their personal circumstances don't matter- a Sekirei without an Ashikabi is an unwinged Sekirei as far as I'm concerned, and if you try to take advantage of her I'll put you down."
In the next moment, it occured to Kazehana that she'd been laughing a lot more often, lately.
She demonstrated that when her darling Minato, who had been nodding along with Homura's every word, spoke up the moment her drinking buddy was finished speaking.
"See, this is why I want to be your friend."
Kakizaki had retreated the moment he understood how thoroughly in over his head he was- with two disgruntled and one relieved Sekirei in tow.
When the ice melted, the first thing Homura did was bow to Akitsu.
"Forgive me for taking so long to come to your aid," he said, Akitsu's eyes widening in a quiet display of surprise. "I've been trying to track you down ever since my informant at MBI let me know you were free."
"Is that why you disappeared after the party?" Minato suspected that only Miya was aware that Homura had been gone ever since.
"Huh? Yeah, actually, how'd you guess?" Homura questioned as he straight up.
"You look tired." Minato shrugged.
"I feel tired," Homura agreed with a haggard chuckle. "But my grumbling aside, thank you for sticking up for Akitsu."
"Same to you." Minato replied calmly.
Homura's keen gaze moved between the three of them, before he smiled and took a step back.
"Well, I don't think I need to butt in any further." He told them. "If you three would like to get back to whatever you were doing before the interruption, I'll keep an eye on our fallen sister." He jerked his thumb back to the prone orange-haired Sekirei.
As Homura walked off to lean against the tree that the fallen Sekirei had bounced off of, Minato shared a quick look with Kazehana, before he turned to the one who had been standing quietly beside him, just behind and to the left.
"Well, it's getting late." Minato began. "I won't ask you to make any more big decisions now, but you're welcome to stay with us until you make a decision, Akitsu. I'll keep my promise."
A pair of slender arms draped across his shoulders and something soft pressed against his back.
"We'll keep that promise," Kazehana corrected.
"So, what do you say?" Minato extended his hand with a small smile as Kazehana released him.
Akitsu spent several long seconds staring intently at his outstretched hand.
The motion of her reaching out to take it was slow but certain- and when Minato's fingers curled firmly around her dainty white hand, Akitsu ducked her head and began to blush.
The one with the most enthusiastic reaction was, unsurprisingly, Kazehana.
They weren't all that far away from home, but a taxi seemed like a poor idea and Akitsu didn't have any shoes.
So she was being carried on Minato's back- for the first block or two she'd been curiously still, and then after that she had slumped, promptly falling asleep.
Kazehana was a few places behind them- ostensibly on lookout in case there was any more trouble, but mostly so she could enjoy watching how manly her Ashikabi was being.
Miya was there waiting on the porch, awaiting them patiently- before they'd left, Homura had told them that he'd already made arrangements to have Akitsu sheltered there.
"My, someone's had an eventful night," she said in lieu of a greeting, smiling gently. "I've drawn a bath, laid out a change of clothes, and prepared the guest room."
"I'll help her get cleaned up," Kazehana offered, just as the ice-user was stirring, lifting her head from where it had been slumped against Minato.
"We're home, Akitsu," he gently roused the slumbering Scrap, lowering her to her feet a moment later, supporting her carefully as she swayed lightly, obviously not fully awake. "Here, Kazehana will help you get cleaned up, alright?"
Akitsu nodded obediently, not really seeming to register anything beyond his words.
Kazehana took her by the arm and led her inside.
"Good work tonight," Miya said when they were gone, still gazing after the two. "Perhaps it may be hard to express the full magnitude of it, but that poor woman is going to need all the care and consideration you can give her, and then some. There are few fates worse for a Sekirei than becoming a Scrapped Number."
"I'll ask you more later," Minato said with a shake of his head. "While I do want to know, I have a few things to do while they're in the bath."
"Oh?"
"Getting rid of the bloodstained lab coat for one, which I imagine you don't want around the house." Minato began. "I also need to contact Mother and see if she has any way to help Akitsu."
Kazehana had left Akitsu's bloodstained clothes outside the bathroom door, on the floor and carefully folded to keep the bloodstains on the inside.
Minato scooped up the garments, unfolding them carefully until the dried blood was visible.
Even with no one nearby, Minato decided to act as unobtrusively as possible, placing his hand directly on the largest of the stains.
Once he'd learned everything he could from them, Minato dumped the garments into the bag, tied it shut, and took it to the outside garbage.
Once he'd done that, he pulled out his phone to give Mother a ring.
"Minato? Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"
"Does the name 'Akitsu' ring any bells?"
Minato heard the sharp intake of breath.
"... Is she with you now? Is she alright?"
"Bathing with Kazehana," he explained. "And I think she's as well as she can be, given the circumstances."
"I see. Good, that's good- I guess she's staying at Izumo Inn, then?"
"For now anyways, she wasn't really up to any big decisions."
"'For now', huh?" Mother sounded skeptical about that for some reason that Minato couldn't discern. "Well that's good anyways, she'll be safe there."
"Mother, Akitsu is something called a Scrapped Number- I don't know what it means, but it can't be anything good if she was so sad I could feel it from half a park away." Minato began. "Can you help her?"
There was another sound of a breath being cut short, and the line went silent for quite a while.
"... Yeah, I'll do what I can." Mother said eventually. "That is if Akitsu is willing to trust another member of MBI- one of our tuner's was responsible for her condition, after all."
"Thank you Mother," Minato said with a smile, already feeling much better. "I'll do what I can to persuade her, but you've already fired Kamoshida, yes?"
"How do you- he was injured when Akitsu escaped. Don't tell me you-"
"Well, I'll tell you if he knows anything useful. But, if he hasn't been fired, you should do so quickly- there will be less paperwork that way." Minato cheerfully suggested. "Anyways, I love you Mother, but I need to go now. Try not to stay up too late, alright?"
"... I love you too, Son."
Minato hung up the phone, and turned his attention towards the inn.
He should have enough time, if he hurried- there was a 'likely location' nearby.
Takami stared at the blank screen of her cellphone in silence for a while, before placing it down on the desk, sighing as she returned her attention to the computer screen.
Normally she'd at least make some effort, but it wouldn't do any good when he was that angry, not unless she was willing to scold or plead, and given the subject of her son's ire, she didn't have the heart to do either.
"Oh? Pulling a late night are we, Doctor Takami?"
"Not now, Minaka. The former 07 has been tracked down." Takami said with a scowl, still typing away.
"Ah, poor Akitsu," the Director winced. "Truly a tragedy, I'll take pleasure in ruining the man who inflicted such misfortune upon her."
"Don't bother, he won't last the night," Takami said flatly. "Minato was the one that found Akitsu."
"... Well that's that then," Minaka dismissed- karma was swift and hungry tonight, it would seem. "And so I take it the reason you're working so hard is because your son has asked you to mend Akitsu's tattered wings?"
"Knowing how to undo botched tuning will come in handy." She tersely pointed out, not quite able to keep the defensiveness out of her tone. "And we're just as much to blame for that prick's screw-up."
"True, and despite our earlier failures, I suppose the situation has changed, has it not?" Minaka smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to it then, try not to pull an all nighter."
As he left, Takami, still glaring at the unoffending screen, growled out "you're damn right it's changed."
It wasn't like she hadn't tried to help Akitsu already, but this time her son had asked for her help, after all.
Even worse, he'd asked in that special way of his- the way he always made it sound like he didn't doubt if she could, and was only unobtrusively voicing the hope that she would.
Having a son who unquestioningly believed in your ability to make things right was one hell of a motivator.
Well used to the Director's eccentric ways, the morning receptionist didn't even bat an eye at being presented with the request for an express order to be placed ASAP.
Which meant that she didn't hesitate in the least to order a 'comically large' supply of Doctor Takami's favorite dark roast coffee.
"You're a real mean bitch sometimes you know, Toyotama," Ichika snarked, flopping onto her back on the mats, wincing as it aggravated her bruises.
"Aww, don't be like that, Ich- don't you feel less pent-up after a good brawl?" An equally battered Toyotama laughed as she flung herself down so that their heads were side-by-side.
"Sure, sure, but when the hell are we gonna get a chance to fight two different legends and a Scrap at the same time? Total buzzkill that Kakizaki bailed early." Ichika grumbled up at the ceiling.
"Hmm, true, true, but now that we've taken the edge off at least, lemme tell you something good~" Toyotama turned her head to face Ichika, who followed suit and quirked an eyebrow.
"If I'd reached that Ashikabi- if the Scrap hadn't interfered, the fight would have just gotten even more interesting~"
Ichika blinked several times as her partner's words sunk in.
When the implications sank in a moment later, Ichika flashed a beast-like grin to match Toyotama.
She didn't understand. She had told him that she was broken- that she could not be his Sekirei.
Surely an Ashikabi that powerful had no need of a defective product- he was sure to trigger more reactions than he knew what to do with.
He was already a top competitor with Kazehana alone at his side, and so he should have no need for someone broken like her.
But when she first looked into those dark eyes, Akitsu had seen something ferocious seething behind the surface, like a shark beneath still waters.
He had not been angry at her. He had been angry for her.
She was not sure if that was meant to be comforting, but in truth, the thought was so gratifying Akitsu could hardly make sense of it.
… After all, she was angry too, somewhere deep down. That man had... ruined her. That man had plucked away her future as if it were fruit hanging from a tree branch.
But more than angry, Akitsu had simply felt lost.
She had sat upon that park bench, earnestly wishing that the lonely night would just swallow her, replace pain with oblivion.
And perhaps it would have, had he not appeared.
Minato.
Minato, Minato- even just thinking that word made her feel a strange flutter in her chest.
Perhaps he had been meant to be her… no, there was no use thinking that.
But he had accepted her, broken as she was.
She was something meant to be discarded, and instead, he had offered her a choice. He had promised to protect her.
He had promised that they would talk again in the morning- that he would wait upon her decision.
How strange.
How lovely.
She had already made her choice- she would ask to be his. Perhaps she could never be his Sekirei, but surely there must be something she could do for him- if her wings were broken, she could just use her body as his shield.
She wanted to be his.
She did not want to belong to just anyone- she wanted to belong to Minato.
How strange- all it took was admitting that to herself, and she felt so light.
And the room next door felt so far away- truly mysterious.
She was up and moving before she knew what was happening, bare feet making scarcely a sound.
It would be terribly ungrateful of her to intrude, but… surely just a glimpse would do no harm?
Imagine her surprise when her delicate efforts to crack open the door were immediately noticed- a strange, whimsical little breeze curled around her legs, and in the darkness of the room, a slim white hand was lifted.
Akitsu blinked in puzzlement, not able to comprehend the meaning of the subtle little gesture.
It was repeated, more forcefully this time- beckoning her forward.
That had disappeared beneath the covers, and the covers lifted- exposing…
Once again, she doubted, and this time, the covers lightly shook.
Feeling chastised for reasons she couldn't quite explain, Akitsu slipped into the room, shutting the door carefully behind her.
Akitsu carefully made her way around to the side of the futon, and the position upon it that had been exposed and offered to her- Minato's left side.
Kneeling carefully, she met her fellow Sekirei's eyes for the first time, and found a gentle, permissive smile adorning Kazehana's lovely features.
Her cheeks burning strangely all the way, Akitsu slipped into the futon, and Kazehana's arm lowered, tucking the three of them in once more.
Kazehana gave her a pat on the shoulder and a wink before withdrawing her hand.
Imitating the older Sekirei, Akitsu wriggled in closer to Minato- though the boldness necessary to lay her head on Minato's chest like Kazehana was doing was beyond her.
But this was more than enough.
It was so warm.
Since the moment she was broken, this was the very first time that Akitsu honestly had the thought that maybe, she could still find some measure of happiness.
After all, he… no, they were so very warm.
One of the most enjoyable little challenges is never revealing too much about what Minato 'is'. On one hand, he's the primary narrator, so it's not like he's keeping secrets from himself, but at the same time, it's not like he needs to explain things to himself either.
It's a ton of fun to write.
Kazehana too- a starry-eyed romantic whose a lot more worldly than she tends to show, with the added appeal of being constantly sexy and firmly aware of that.
The fight scene with her is a hint of sorts to future Sekirei fights- at least for the main cast, I want to play around with the usage of their power a bit. So expect Kazehana to use a lot of subtle air current shenanigans to fuck up everyones aim, among other things.
Though he didn't get to show off too much here, my intention for Homura's fighting style is 'a swashbuckler using firebending instead of a rapier', expect mad style.
Some of you were probably hoping that Minato would throw down in this fight, but Kazehana had her reasons- and a pair of mini-Karasuba's is a very good reason.
But it will show up soon- the curtains on our monstrous Ashikabi are going to keep raising higher and higher with each chapter.
Akitsu and Homura was another thing I wanted to play around with- in canon they were something like rivals, and in my favorite Sekirei fic he wasn't all too comfortable with the whole 'Scrapped Number' thing, even if he was misunderstanding.
Here, Homura is less interested in compromising- Akitsu doesn't have an Ashikabi, and so he's going to protect her, discussion over. Same principle why he's willing to protect or fight the Lightning Twins depending on the circumstances.
Also, RIP Takami's BMI, and Kamoshida (in general, I just used his name because I needed a smug asshole that I could cheerfully kill off with little consequence).
PS: a 'comically large' quantity of coffee is a 200% increase from what a casual coffee drinker would sarcastically call 'a little much'