In this chapter, Minato doesn't do anything strange.
… By his standards.
Concluding that it was likely close to breakfast time, Minato woke himself up, allowing him to better appreciate how comfortable he was.
As was usually the case, Kazehana stirred thirty seconds after he awoke, not immediately opening her eyes, just yawning softly and nestling in more closely against him.
Akitsu, on his left side, was still out like a light- but Minato was pleased to note that the cloud of sorrow clinging to her was much, much lighter- like mist, as opposed to the storm clouds of the night before.
She had snuck into the room just after midnight- recognizing that Kazehana was awake and taking care of things, Minato had kept himself asleep, as he had gotten the sense that Akitsu was trying her best not to disturb anyone.
That had also satisfied a minor curiosity of his- Kazehana preferred to be on his left whenever they walked, sat or slept next to one another. She also liked to lay her head against his chest whenever possible- perhaps she found it soothing, but regardless it was a good reminder to ensure his heart was consistently beating.
So then, that she'd relinquished the left side suggested she'd already been expecting Akitsu's presence.
It was truly mysterious how not only Kazehana herself, but everything she did was beautiful.
Kazehana's head lifted from his chest just then, eyes belatedly opening so that her easy smile could meet his earnest but not quite successful attempt at one.
"Good morning, Hun," her husky voice softly greeted. "Sleep well?"
"The bed became cozier again, it would seem," he nodded. "How do you feel?"
Her smile widening was answer enough- the expression turned coy as her eyes guided his vision to the sleeping beauty on his left.
Curled up in a ball at his side, Akitsu was nestled as closely against him as she could manage, her forehead lightly pressed against his ribs.
"Good work," he murmured, turning his gaze back to Kazehana.
Kazehana gave a quizzical tilt of her head, seeming to not quite understand what he was referencing.
"I thought she'd feel better if we invited her into bed with us, but I wasn't sure if that would be too forward of me."
Sekirei were emotionally similar to humans in many ways, but he had little grasp on to what extent.
The example that was relevant to the situation was this- humans had a strange tendency to be unaware of their own emotions, making attempts at showing consideration needlessly complex at times.
Put bluntly, Akitsu's feelings were worryingly easy to take advantage of, and so he was treading lightly.
Fortunately, Kazehana had a much, much better handle on emotional subtlety than he did.
Which was also why she was able to offer an effective reply to his explanation with little more than a smile and a wink.
With Akitsu still asleep, Kazehana took the opportunity to snuggle back in, using his arm as a pillow.
At the same time, there was a quiet murmur as Akitsu snuggled in, and a few seconds passed before her long lashes fluttered slowly open.
A few more seconds, and a curious sort of warmth began to build by Minato's side… right around where Akitsu's face was. The body resting against his left arm had gone curiously tense, at the same time.
Minato watched as Akitsu slowly, carefully lifted her head, peering towards his sleeping face with a cautious sort of curiosity.
The first thing her gaze met was Minato's faint half-smile, and Akitsu's body went rigid as her cheeks slowly began to pink.
Kazehana giggled, and Akitsu's blush deepened as the noise naturally drew her gaze to the Wind Sekirei's gentle, friendly expression.
Akitsu's soft, thin lips opened and closed without sound, and so Minato and Kazehana remained silent, patiently waiting on the quietly flustered ice maiden.
"... So it wasn't a dream after all." It was spoken in little more than a breathy whisper, her voice as faint and ephemeral as a single, solitary snowflake.
Kazehana's eyes widened in a silent display of wonder- though it had only been a few days, already it brought with it a sense of nostalgia as a hand slowly rose to a pale cheek, and brushed away a single, solitary tear.
Shivering, Akitsu gently cradled Minato's hand in her own, nuzzling against it with her cheek. Without saying a word, Kazehana rose from the futon and slipped around to the other side, gently embracing the quivering ice maiden from behind.
Her tears may have been cold, but all Akitsu was feeling was warmth.
A trio of presences moved their way slowly down the stairs, and so Miya began to serve up their share of breakfast. Her eyes crinkled nearly shut as she gently smiled, secretly pleased to have her hopes answered.
Why, if one simply observed the way that Kazehana and Akitsu followed along behind Minato, it was impossible to tell who was winged by him and who wasn't.
Miya had awoken with the feeling that the day was destined to be a good one.
To be proven correct when the morning had scarcely begun left her feeling truly blessed.
The three of them had taken care of the breakfast dishes- Akitsu rinsed, Minato washed, and Kazehana dried and put away. They hadn't bumped into any of the other tenants of Izumo House yet that morning- Uzume had eaten earlier, and Kagari and the shy woman tended to work late and sleep late.
After the chore was finished, they slowly migrated to the porch, sipping tea and sitting in mostly comfortable silence.
The 'mostly' part was due to Akitsu working up the courage to speak- Minato and Kazehana were content to let her start the conversation at her own pace.
This was also the reason that Kazehana had limited herself to just unobtrusively holding Minato's hand.
"Minato," Akitsu began quietly and somewhat abruptly, turning on her cushion to face him directly. "I am unable to be winged, unable to truly be your Sekirei. But please… I wish to serve you still."
Slowly, she placed her hands on the floor and lowered her head until her forehead was almost touching the ground.
"Please, allow me to serve at your side, for as long as you would have me."
"Okay, sure." Instant acceptance.
Akitsu's head shot up off the floor so quickly her neck cracked, dark blue eyes open wide.
"O-okay?"
"Yes?"
"I… I-I cannot be winged."
"So I've been told.
"I cannot properly be your Sekirei."
"For now anyways, Mother is working on it."
"... Even if I am broken? Even still… you will… allow me to remain by your side?" Akitsu's voice trembled with every syllable.
"I will." Minato nodded, turning his head to shoot a brief wink at Kazehana, who was regarding him with a proud, fond smile. "As long as you want- we can even make it 'forever and ever', if you'd like."
She hated herself for doubting. She hated herself for asking that one, final question.
"... Why?"
"Because I hate loneliness and I like you?" What other reasons did he need?
Both Sekirei made choking noises and flushed a deep crimson- the only difference was that the end result was Kazehana beaming at him, while Akitsu may as well have been an ice sculpture.
That their reactions could begin identical and end in a manner that was wildly different was truly mysterious.
Her expression softening, Kazehana watched in silent delight as Minato sat there with a calm almost-smile upon his lips, waiting patiently for Akitsu to gather her wits.
When she did, Akitsu closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath.
When she opened her eyes once more, those watching felt their hearts skip a beat as a lovely smile bloomed across the ice maiden's elegant features.
"Forever and ever then, Master." Akitsu softly declared.
Still smiling, she gazed deeply into Minato's eyes, taking simple joy in getting lost in those dark orbs. Her Master's eyes were pure black, and seemed to drink in the light, and yet, something about the color was strangely fluid- once more she was reminded of a deep, lightless ocean.
Her scrutiny was interrupted ever so slightly by Minato's soft, somewhat toneless voice.
"Oh, right, the man is supposed to take the lead." He said. "Pardon me then."
Akitsu went rigid as she felt the warmth of his hands suffuse her skin- the hands he'd just used to gently cup her cheeks.
Before she could fully savor the sensation, a new one had overridden it entirely as Minato leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Part of her had hoped beyond hope that somehow, when she kissed her Ashikabi, she would be granted wings just like any other Sekirei.
… It seemed reality had little interest in her fantasies, but was willing to spare her some small kindness, nonetheless.
Though when their lips met Akitsu's wings remained just as broken as ever, it did not change in the least the fact that kissing Minato felt so very right.
Kazehana chuckled quietly as Akitsu blinked out of the blissful daze she'd lost herself in when their darling Ashikabi had kissed her- though, she didn't intend to tease her too much about it.
Akitsu wasn't the only one who melted when Minato kissed them, after all.
Minato, meanwhile, had his attention stolen by his phone vibrating in his pocket- meaning he missed Akitsu's dreamy smile as she slowly touched her fingers to her lips.
"Ah, it's Mother," Minato commented. "It's probably important if she's calling now, so if you'll excuse me for a moment?"
"Sure, sure, we need some girl talk anyways," Kazehana smiled.
Akitsu tilted her head but said nothing- it came as little surprise that both Sekirei watched Minato leave.
Her eyes slowly drifted towards Kazehana, who met her eyes quite seriously.
"Maybe this is rude of me to say, but I don't think you and I are any different." … She had not expected Kazehana to say something like that at all. "While you might not be able to be winged, and I dearly hope that there's a 'yet' somewhere in there, the fact of the matter is that we've both been accepted by Minato."
Akitsu watched her closely, a faint curiosity in her gaze.
"To me, that's the most important thing- and so I hope you'll join me in making sure our Ashikabi is every bit as happy as he deserves to be."
Akitsu didn't reply immediately, but Kazehana couldn't say she minded- not everyone could make up their minds as quickly as Honey could.
The ice maiden contemplated the other Sekirei's words in silence, before giving a slow, deliberate nod.
She would keep it to herself for lack of an effective means of communicating the feeling, but she appreciated that Kazehana wasn't pitying her, or looking down on her.
And 'our Ashikabi' sounded truly wonderful.
Kazehana's serious expression gave way to a smile.
"Now, if I know Honey then there's probably going to be more of us before long, but since it's just the two of us for now, how about we alternate?"
"... Alternate?" Despite the lighter tone, something told Akitsu that the current topic was every bit as important as the last.
"Mhm," Kazehana nodded. "Who gets to sleep on his left and who gets to sleep on his right! Falling asleep to Honey's heartbeat is amazing, but cuddling is cuddling, so I'm happy any time his big strong arms are around me~"
There was a pause, and though Akitsu's nod that time was no less deliberate, the expression that accompanied it was a good deal more adorable than the last.
Mother hadn't seemed particularly surprised that Akitsu would be staying with himself and Kazehana, and had just told her to take good care of her.
"- First off, if possible I'd like to bring Akitsu in for a medical examination." Mother was saying over the phone. "There's no way to tell what effects on her an artificial winging might have."
"Understood. I will ask her." Minato replied. "Oh, and by the way, winging her only half failed."
"..."
"... Mother?"
"... Sweetie, do you really think that was an 'oh and by the way' sort of comment?" The mild tone of voice made his heart forget to beat, for a moment. "... No, never mind that, just explain."
Minato hastened to do just that before Mother could change her mind and decide to scold him.
"The way Akitsu puts it, she wanted me to be her Ashikabi even if she couldn't be my Sekirei, but it's actually the other way around." Minato began.
"When I kissed her, she became my Sekirei, but I'm not her Ashikabi yet- it's like the 'connection' is only one way," Minato frowned softly. "It's as if I'm the only one benefiting from our bond, and I can't say I like it very much at all. It feels… it feels like I'm… exploiting her, somehow."
"If I'm understanding correctly, the Sekirei bond didn't form properly, but you were still able to resonate with her, just like you did with Kazehana?" Mother guessed, to which he replied in the affirmative. "Also, don't be stupid. You wouldn't exploit 'someone important' even if you knew how."
That was true. He would rather die than take advantage of Mother or Kazehana or Akitsu, except that he wouldn't die because that would make them sad.
It was truly mysterious how Mother could so easily eliminate his concerns.
When he said as much, Mother gave a heavy sigh for a reason he couldn't quite discern.
Emotions were difficult.
They'd drifted off into a companionable silence, neither feeling the need to fill the space with small talk as they waited for their Ashikabi to finish his phone call.
She felt like they were missing something important, though…
Oh.
Ohhh.
… It definitely wasn't her fault for forgetting, Minato was a little strange, but in a cute way, not really an inhuman way!
"Akitsu," Kazehana began. Akitsu belatedly turned her head to look at her, placing her tea cup in her lap.
"He probably forgot to say it, but it's worth mentioning that our Ashikabi isn't human."
Akitsu slowly blinked her eyes.
"... Sekirei?"
Kazehana shook her head.
"He says he's not a Sekirei either, and Miya and Takami both agree." Kazehana told her. "He doesn't know what he is, though, since there's only one of him."
"I see." Akitsu nodded.
… Several moments passed, and Akitsu had returned to her tea, before Kazehana realized that her fellow Sekirei had no intention of saying anything more.
"... No questions at all?" She asked with a wry smile.
Akitsu slowly shook her head without looking at her.
"I did not pledge myself to him because he was human."
Kazehana turned her gaze outwards as well as her smile grew of its own accord.
"It really is that simple, isn't it?" She murmured softly. "You and I are going to get along just great, I can tell."
Akitsu's only response was a tiny smile. A shy thing, but an undeniably happy one as well.
Minato ended up being delayed momentarily, after his phone call- Mother had told him that clothing for Akitsu would be delivered soon, and 'soon' ended up being mere seconds after the phone call had ended.
Admittedly, he was a bit curious why the almost heavy box smelled like iron, or why it clinked as he was carrying it.
He supposed he'd learn from Akitsu soon enough, which he was looking forward to.
He liked learning new things.
Kazehana had been helping Akitsu put her belongings away- the delivery from MBI had included some daily necessities, though several of the essentials were things that Miya kept on hand in case of unexpected guests.
Incidentally, the one who came down the stairs and entered the dining room were not either of his Sekirei- Uzume came strolling into the room, wearing a tight pink shirt decorated with a big golden star, and clinging capri jeans.
"Heya bro," the Sekirei offered with a cheerful grin, plopping herself down at the table across from him and leaning back on her hands.
"Good morning Uzume," Minato nodded back. "All finished with the order?"
"Yep, it's local so it's getting shipped off after lunch- there's a girl about to make her sweetheart all kinds of excited later tonight, if you catch my drift~"
He didn't catch her drift at all, but Uzume's smirk had turned a little suggestive, so Minato assumed it was a 'not when Miya can hear' topic and let it rest.
Uzume worked out of her room, doing custom clothing orders- everything from cute aprons to professional cosplay. Minato assumed that that was why she always carried the scent of clean cloth, though he hadn't quite figured out why fabric might give off a 'sharp' impression.
Fabric was supposed to be soft… unlike the chains that Akitsu was wearing.
He had been unaware that chains could be worn in that fashion, but Akitsu, who had just entered the room, seemed to be waiting for his opinion, and Kazehana, who was behind the ice maiden, seemed to be just as eager.
Uzume beat him to it, though with a "Damn, bro, so that's what you're into, huh?"
Minato nodded slowly without turning her way, his eyes still on Akitsu.
"Yes, that is what I'm into." He agreed. Why wouldn't he be into Akitsu?
Curiously, Uzume's cheeks colored and her heartbeat quickened- not nearly as much as those of either of his Sekirei did, though.
Her tiny smile underscored the joy she was radiating as, in response to his gaze, Akitsu shifted in subtle ways to allow him a better view of her 'combat outfit' or so it was called.
Minato felt the chains were very practical in their placement- without them, if Akitsu made any sudden movements, her breasts were likely to finish popping out of her kimono, as they were hardly in her kimono to begin with. The white garment with black trim hung nearly off her shoulders, and with it being open at the front all the way until it disappeared beneath the black obi around her waist, Akitsu was showing off nearly as much cleavage as Kazehana.
A smaller chain fastened to the edges of her kimono and stretched across her exposed bust, keeping the kimono shut, while another looped around her slim white neck, the ends nestling into her cleavage before disappearing from sight.
The bottom of the outfit further enforced the recent discovery that a woman's legs were a fascinating thing- the hem of the kimono stayed shut only to about mid thigh, leaving most of Akitsu's long and perfectly sculpted legs on display. She was barefoot at the moment, but Minato suspected that the elegant wooden sandals that Kazehana was carrying belonged to Akitsu as well.
Upon realizing that he'd been staring, Minato had intended to apologize (staring was supposed to be rude), except that… for some reason, he got the impression that Akitsu would appreciate it if he stared at her more, rather than less.
Truly mysterious.
"Ufufu~ maybe I should start wearing chains as well~" Kazehana suggested with a joyful grin. "Would you like that, my bold Ashikabi?"
"It would suit my preferences I suppose," Minato agreed after a moment, not really having given much thought.
He didn't see anything strange about his reply, either, but it seemed to both fluster and please Kazehana.
Uzume, grinning widely and flashing a mischievous sidelong glance at the curiously silent Kazehana, leaned across the table.
"So what is your preference, Bro?"
Minato gave a response without considering in the least that Uzume might not actually have been expecting him to give one.
"Kazehana and Akitsu."
… He was beginning to wonder if Sekirei had a tendency to choke on thin air. It concerned him more than a little, so perhaps he should ask Mother about it later.
She had intended to scold them if things progressed any further- the topic was straying beyond the appropriate dining room conversation, Miya felt.
Miya changed her mind at the sight of Kazehana blushing like the maiden she'd likely forgotten she was.
Well, another time then, it wasn't as if it were a bad thing that her home had grown much livelier.
Unseen, even by the one with eyes to spare, the Sekirei Pillar drifted back down the halls, her footsteps silent and her smile firmly in place.
Akitsu had agreed to make the trip to MBI headquarters in order for Mother to examine her. She had agreed because it was his mother, it seemed, but Minato didn't have any particular thoughts on that, other than that any reason that satisfied Akitsu was acceptable.
Akitsu had had a condition of her own, though.
"Would you please… stay with me?" Akitsu's words were slow to the point of seeming almost ponderous as she made her wishes known. "During the examination? Even if it is your mother I… MBI is… forgive me, but..."
"That's fine," Minato nodded. "It's not like I trust MBI either."
Kazehana gave him a look of surprise.
"Really? I mean, you practically grew up there, and you work there… no, I suppose I'm one to talk." She had a longer history with MBI than Minato did, and she didn't trust them in the least either.
Minato just hadn't given any indication of mistrustful feelings… or, well, much in the way of negative emotions in general, barring the incident in the park.
"I'm loyal to Mother," Minato clarified. "But Mother and MBI are not the same thing- there's just a bit of overlap here or there."
He had taken the warning of… that man to heart after all.
It had been a 'new thing' that was something he never would have considered otherwise. Minato had instinctively grasped the idea of loyalty, but betrayal baffled him.
"Listen, kid… if you're gonna stick with MBI, make sure that you and yours never turn into 'loose ends' like me."
Minato was still not quite certain that he understood what qualified someone as a 'loose end'. But, what became of those loose ends?
That, he understood all too well.
"... Minato?" Kazehana asked quietly. "Just what is it you do at MBI?"
"I'm Mother's part-time assistant, research, and sometimes bodyguard." Not that Mother needed one very often. He was also occasionally put on waste removal duty, but he wasn't supposed to talk about that one.
"I see… no wait, what was that second one?"
"I hear a car pulling up."
"Minato? … Honey?"
The car Doctor Takami had sent to pick them up had in fact arrived, and a distracted Kazehana had nearly died in the process.
Died from cuteness overload, that was.
Akitsu had been fine until the car door opened. She couldn't make out specifically what had set her flock-sister off, but something had made Akitsu hesitate- she had shivered, and her back foot had shifted just an inch or so in retreat.
Then Minato had taken Akitsu's hand in his without saying a word, and Kazehana had fought the urge to squeal like a schoolgirl as she'd watched Akitsu flinch. Then, her gaze had slowly lowered to their joined hands, and Kazehana had been treated to the wonderful sight of watching the tension visibly drain from Akitsu's body.
… Or should she say melt?
She was having way too much fun using that word.
"Well, the good news is that your vitals more or less check out," Takami explained, coming back into the check-up room as Akitsu sat up from the medical bed. "The mildly bad news is that your limiter isn't working properly."
"Limiter?" Minato tilted his head, disposing of the IV. Minato had only assisted with the cleanup- he'd been a bit preoccupied holding Akitsu's hand up until that point.
Akitsu had spent several moments staring curiously at her empty hand, wondering to herself why the warmth of Minato's hand had lingered for so long.
"All Sekirei have a limiter put into them during the adjustment process," Takami explained. "The winging process is what stabilizes a Sekirei's power, and so the limiter functions as a safety of sorts- once winged, the Sekirei seems to sort of gradually outgrow it. To a degree, anyways- the estimate is that the limiter's function will be suppressed by about half at most."
"Hmm? So our powers are always restricted, then?" Kazehana's smile didn't reach her eyes- the last thing the Sekirei of the Wind wanted was restrictions placed by others.
"While I think the loon went too far," Takami responded with an unimpressed look, "in certain cases the limiter is protecting the Ashikabi, more than anyone else."
"... Oh. Ohhh…" Kazehana was the only one who seemed to understand the implications.
"You might have noticed that fine control is a little difficult at times? Both in the day to day and when you use your powers?" Takami addressed Akitsu, turning her attention back to her.
Akitsu nodded slowly.
"It is... part of the reason I always take my time," she confirmed. The rest of the reason was that it was just her personality. "And I think it is why my attacks are… bigger than I mean them to be."
"Output control," Takami nodded. "Do you feel any pain or discomfort when you use your powers?"
Minato relaxed ever so slightly as Akitsu shook her head.
"Well, you've got power to spare, so as long as you don't go wild you should be fine. You're a Single Number, so most other Sekirei are going to have to work hard to push you to the point where you're a danger to yourself." Takami said.
"But otherwise, as it stands, you just have to be a little more careful around humans than the other Sekirei." Takami instructed. "The biggest concern would usually be your Ashikabi, so you really lucked out there."
Despite the assurance, Akitsu's gaze darted in Minato's direction. Minato shook his head slowly in response, lips quirking up ever so slightly at the edges.
"You don't have to worry, Akitsu," Minato reassured(?) in his soft monotone. "I'm 'pointlessly sturdy'."
There was a faint note of pride in his voice as he made that claim- Takami's grumblings had backfired spectacularly when she first called him that.
And, just to sprinkle a little bit of salt on the proverbial wound, Minato's claim did in fact serve to reassure the placid ice maiden.
Takami's eyes narrowed as Kazehana shot her a brief, sly smile, but the Sekirei merely answered her glare with a wink.
She hadn't told them that she may have already had a solution to Akitsu's problem.
Partially because there was no way to know for certain if it would work, and no way for certain to guess what the consequences might be.
Regardless of failure or success.
She herself wasn't as conclusive a sample as she'd like- she was still mostly human, and there were plenty of unknown variables about Sekirei that could complicate things.
In Takami's case, her body was three quarters human, and one quarter Myriad (they'd taken to using Minato's designation as a placeholder for the unknown name of his species). In practical terms, for her there had been nothing but benefits.
No, more so than benefits, Takami would have died on more than one occasion had she'd remained wholly human.
The problem was, even if they could easily reproduce the process, there was no way to tell if a Sekirei would receive the same benefits. Mixing something somewhat understood with something barely understood could be a recipe for disaster.
"... Oh, who am I kidding," Takami gave a disgruntled sigh. "I just don't want to instigate anything that Minato might blame himself for, if the worst happened."
She really had gone soft, hadn't she?
Definitely her son's fault, which made it harder to be mad about.
At the time, there was no way Takami could have known what the solution would involve.
It would have come as no surprise to her, though; what looked like salvation for one person could sometimes mean damnation for another.
It was a concept she was intimately familiar with.
It was barely lunch time when they left the MBI building- and so their next task was correcting the travesty that was Akitsu never having tried fast food.
Kazehana was more preoccupied with Akitsu's first shopping trip, his and her methods differed but the priority was the same; introduce Akitsu to the world beyond the laboratory.
From her 'investigations', Kazehana had learned that normally, men didn't particularly enjoy clothing shopping with their significant others… though she hadn't really understood the why.
Why wouldn't a man enjoy seeing hot girls showing off cute clothing for him?
Luckily, Minato wasn't aware of the usual trend either, because he seemed to be enjoying himself just fine. Perhaps the Sekirei bond was helping to a degree, but Kazehana had decided that she rather liked how little expression showed on her Honey's face.
It wasn't that he lacked emotions, it was just that he displayed them in other ways, and Kazehana found that learning about them was an endlessly enjoyable task.
Akitsu was the best of both worlds in a way- subtle in the way she expressed her emotions, and equally interested in learning all there was to know about their Ashikabi.
Like how the way he gave opinions on clothing was immensely flattering and almost completely useless.
He liked the pieces they liked because they liked them, if he was iffy on a piece of clothing, it was because they were iffy on a piece of clothing.
Well, if she thought that way- Akitsu didn't really have her own opinions, and so she would go off of whatever Kazehana thought suited her, which would then carry over to Minato.
"Honey, it would be really helpful if you could be a bit more specific when you give your opinion."
Minato blinked a few times, and slowly nodded.
"In that case Kazehana, I like both pairs of shorts because they show off how long and well-shaped your legs are, but I think the first color compliments your skin tone better."
Minato wondered why the two women seemed so surprised by his answer. They just wanted to know specific things he liked about the two of them, didn't they?
He could answer that question all day.
Dinner was a lively affair- everyone but the shut-in was sitting around her dining room table, quietly enjoying the meal she had made for them.
Perhaps that was why it was so loud- the sound of Minato's chopsticks snapping in half beneath the force of his clenched fist.
Her mysterious tenant didn't seem to notice in the least- he barely seemed to take note of Kazehana and Akitsu's alarm. His clenched fist motionless in the air, the other hand dipped beneath the table and reemerged with his phone in hand.
He pressed the speed dial without even looking, and brought it to his ear.
"You're hurt." Were the first words out of his mouth.
So smoothly and so naturally did the situation progress, that Miya forgot to remind herself not to listen in.
"Nothing I can't sleep off," Takami's voice was terse in a way that suggested she was gritting her teeth… but what a curious turn of phrase. "Promise- I'll be good as new after a little nap."
"Mother, where are you?"
"You're absolutely not allowed to come find me," Miya found herself further mystified by that response. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that the Doctor sounded almost… nervous.
If Miya had not been watching his expression closely, then even she might have missed his reaction.
For less than the span of a single heartbeat, Minato's features were completely obscured by something dark flitting across them.
"... Love you too." She was proud of herself for keeping her voice level.
As she hung up, Takami let her hand fall, the phone tumbling out of her hand and into the grass as she slumped back against the wheel.
"Ugh… that little bitch," she groaned. "Going after a... woman's face, could have sworn we… ghh... taught them better manners than that."
… That nap was sounding great right about now, because somebody had dropped her phone in the grass, and someone was too damn stubborn to fumble blindly for it.
Well… at least she could still feel the sun warming her face, and she was pretty sure they weren't damaged, just sealed shut by all the blood. She wasn't Minato- she doubted they'd grow back.
There had been a very good reason Takami had refused to tell her son where she was, even if she felt more than a little bad for denying him when he was worried like that. A bit of worry on his part was infinitely better than the things he would do when his worry warped into something far, far worse.
Memory was a curious thing.
When Miya looked back on that night, no matter how many years passed, she always inevitably found herself pondering the same little mystery.
Just where had those broken chopsticks gotten off to?
Deep in an enchanted forest where the ephemeral glow of the trees kept the darkness at bay, a little girl hid high among the boughs, nestled away from the wicked souls who sought her out.
… This was scary!
She was all alone after she got separated- that mean girl had hurt Big Sis Takami because that mean man had told her too, and when Kusano made them go away she ended up getting lost!
Even when she was sleeping she still wasn't safe- she could still feel the other mean men out there searching.
She didn't understand it at all, it was like they wanted to take Kuu away, but they didn't care that Kuu was Kuu at all!
She was worried about Big Sis Takami, and… she was still the most scared of the first mean man.
The one who wanted her to go with him and become his Sekirei…
That wasn't how it was supposed to be, Big Sis Takami said that she wasn't supposed to go anywhere with any boys who weren't Shii or her Big Brother!
And she didn't have a Big Brother yet!
… Huh?
… Where'd all the meanies go?
The trees were whispering that something was chasing them out of the forest, but the trees didn't know what that something was!
… S-scary!
She was scared, she was scared, where was Shii, where was Big Sis-
"Are you alright, little one?" Something called out to her.
Kusano 'eeped' in surprise, and would have fallen out of the tree if the branch hadn't held onto her nice and tight.
Trembling, Kusano peeked between her fingers, peering out into the forest.
Through the trees, 'something dark' was moving.
It crawled and skittered, flowed and slithered.
It wasn't a person, or an animal, but it was the something that had chased away all the mean men, and as Kusano looked closer, she could see little pinpricks of light within the squiggly dark, like itsy bitsy little stars.
… It was like it was a piece of the bedtime sky, fallen from all the way up above… like one of those… 'consolations' that Big Sis Takami had told her about.
She hoped it didn't have an owie, the sky was super high up.
But waaaait, why did it chase away the mean men? It looked like the bedtime sky, and grownups liked bedtime!
A tiny little gasp was swallowed by the deep silence of the forest.
It didn't look like a person or an animal, it came out of the dark and it chased meanies, so then it must be!
"... Are you… are you a monster?" Kusano whispered loudly, staring at in fascination.
The monster nodded… Kusano thought it was very clever to know how to nod when it had no head.
"Why yes, I am, how did you know?"
"You chased away all the meanies!" Kusano confidently replied, cuz that was the thing that gave it away the mostest. "Big Sis Takami says that monsters only chase people when they're naughty!"
"That is exactly right," the monster agreed. "Big Sis Takami is very clever."
"Mhm!" Kusano nodded back, grinning down at the monster. "... Waaaait, do you know Big Sis too?"
"I do, actually." The monster told her. "Moth- that is, Big Sis Takami knows a lot, so she tells me where mean men are for me to chase."
So that's how monsters always knew where the meanies were!
… But then, she remembered that Big Sis Takami was hurt, and then she felt sad.
"Mister Monster… Big Sis Takami got hurt, and, and..." she sniffled. "Kuu is scared and Kuu is lonely and the meanies are trying to find her even though the meanies aren't her Big Brother…"
"You don't have to worry, Kusano." The monster gently assured her. "I won't let the bad men catch you- I'll catch them first. And Big Sis Takami is fine."
The monster stretched up high to reach her, and wiped away her tears with the hand it didn't have as it looked at her with eyes it didn't have.
"Will you come find me, Mister Monster?"
"Would you like that, little one?"
Kusano gave a shy little nod. None of the meanies had cared what Kuu wanted. She knew he was a nice Mister Monster.
"Then of course I will."
The dream ended for Kusano as she learned something new- you could make pinky promises even when you didn't have pinkies!
… But for the monster, where one dream ended, another began.
This time, to the rhythm of the waves, and the scent of brine upon the wind.
"Again?" The monster murmured. "... Is this maybe the start of my popular phase?"
When Minato looked down at himself, he was relieved to find that he looked just like had when he went to bed.
… It seemed this new one wouldn't be able to peek behind the curtain, he'd had to work fast to make sure his appearance didn't scare poor Kusano out of her wits.
This new one was also facing the wrong way, and seemed to be preparing herself for something.
Feeling it would be rude to interrupt, Minato busied himself with playing in the waves.
On the waves?
He had never tried standing on top of the ocean before.
It was a lot of fun, he'd have to try it when he was awake.
Akitsu he wasn't entirely certain of, but he was sure that Kazehana would enjoy a day at the beach.
He didn't know why though.
Her voice was powerful, yet dignified- it reminded Minato of church bells.
"Invade mine dreams will thee? Thine arrogance is boundless, 'twould seem."
With one hand on her hip and the other poised to thrust a single finger in the direction of the interloper, the woman turned to find-
"P-precisely what manner of foolishness is this?" She demanded of the strange young man, who was lying motionless on the surface of the water, gazing blankly up at the sky as the waves rocked him up and down.
"... I'm playing on the ocean?" The young man replied. "You should try it, it's very enjoyable."
"Now listen here, thou... thou..." No appropriate phrase immediately came to mind, and so she defaulted to one of the usual. "Thou wretched ape!"
Sitting up as the waves rocked him up and down, Minato tilted his head to one side, pondering.
He wasn't a human, but he supposed he could be some kind of ape. Were the apes on other planets?
There could be, for all he knew there was a whole planet of apes somewhere out there.
As he pondered the woman's words, he got to his feet- that was, after he'd finished ducking the jet of water she'd shot at his head with a point of her finger.
'Water celebrations' were more dangerous than they sounded, it would seem.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you," Minato apologized. "Though I'm not sure if I'm an ape, and I hope I'm not a wretched anything." He admitted truthfully, bowing his head politely.
"Hmmph, well, while I suppose tis a bit much to expect good manners, 'twould seem thine aren't wholly beyond salvage." The woman claimed, giving a toss of her long blonde hair.
"Nice to meet you too," Minato earnestly replied.
Seemingly mollified by the apology, the woman began to examine him with a critical eye, hands resting on her wide hips.
Minato noted that his apology seemed to have put her in a much better mood, though her expression would make it hard to tell, as she was still frowning.
Maybe she was like Mother, Mother frowned when she was happy all the time.
… It had made learning what expressions meant very confusing.
That aside, the second major thing he noticed about the woman (the first being that she had good taste in meeting places) was that she was very pretty.
Her hair was the color of sunlight, tumbling down her back and past her curved rear in rippling waves, like the surface of some fantastical golden ocean.
Her proud eyes evoked the ocean in a more traditional sense- a clear, sparkling blue.
Fair-skinned and curvaceous, it was a wonder that she wasn't spilling out of her tiny, low-cut white dress, worn beneath a long, open black coat with voluminous sleeves. Her long legs were sheathed in black stockings, which disappeared into thigh-height high-heel boots made of leather.
"Huh, you're really beautiful." Minato commented without a trace of inflection in his tone.
"Silence! I shall not be swayed by thine…! By thine… honeyed words...`` Speaking of words, the woman seemed to momentarily run out of them, which Minato found very relatable.
Tsukiumi did not understand it. Here was the brute who would dare claim ownership over her. That was what the purpose of the dream was meant to be!
And yet… she had not felt any of the usual revulsion. The simple compliment should have made her skin crawl, and yet...
It was as if there was no motive.
No nefarious purpose, no deception, not even an attempt to please her.
Had he... simply spoken his mind, with no further aim then to voice his thoughts aloud?
No, preposterous!
It did not matter how pleasing to the eye his features were, nor how gentle and soothing his voice may be!
If he wished to be her Ashikabi, then she would fulfill her oath and kill him before he laid hands upon her!
Minato's eyes widened minutely as the proud woman before him lifted one dainty hand high above her head.
Like hissing serpents, swirling streamers of dark water rose from the surface of the ocean, looming threateningly above her head.
"If you wanted me to leave you could have just asked?"
Well, if she wanted him to leave, he would.
And so he did.
"First impressions are difficult," Minato admitted as his eyes opened.
"First impressions?" Kazehana returned with a quizzical look, both her and Akitsu leaning over him in bed to look down at him. "... Putting that aside for a moment, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, sorry if I woke you two up."
Kazehana and Akitsu stared at him in silence for several moments, examining him carefully.
Once they seemed satisfied with the truth of his words, the two women shared one brief, puzzled glance before relaxing in full.
"Well if you're sure then," Kazehana relented with a sigh.
Minato thought that being trusted was a good feeling.
"Were you dreaming, Master?" Akitsu softly questioned. Minato thought it was an odd choice for a pet name, but calling him that seemed to put her at ease so he had decided to leave it unquestioned for the time being.
"Uh huh, I met a couple Sekirei with good taste in decorations. Is that normal?"
Kazehana blinked once and chuckled quietly.
"Well, I like to think that I have good taste in decorations, but I'm guessing you're wondering more about them showing up in your dreams?"
It had been the other way around, actually, he had appeared in their dreams.
He had to, since all of his dreams belonged to someone else.
He didn't want to derail the conversation, though, and so he just nodded instead.
"It's said to happen from time to time- that means they're reacting to you, and strongly at that." Kazehana explained. "I didn't know it could happen more than once in one night though."
"Well, I promised to find Kuu so I guess that works out."
"Kuu?"
Minato nodded. "The first one was a little girl named Kusano, and the second one was… was…" Minato drifted off into silence with a tiny frown.
"... Did you forget to ask her name?"
"Sorry, I'll be right back."
"... Eh?"
The two Sekirei were left staring in confusion as Minato promptly closed his eyes, and fell asleep the moment he did.
Covers tossed carelessly aside, Tsukiumi lay gazing up at the penthouse ceiling, the only sound in the room the shallow rhythm of her breathing.
… Such foolishness.
That… interloper had invaded the sanctity of her dreams, disrupted her rest, and yet… she could not bring herself to begrudge the strange young man for doing so.
He had been so… innocent.
While she had no intention of submitting herself, perhaps if they were to encounter one another once more beyond the wall of sleep, then perhaps she could deign to hear him out, if only briefly.
She would still kill him if they met while awake, though. One must stick to their principles, after all.
Satisfied with her decision, Tsukiumi closed her eyes, slowing her breathing to allow herself to drift off once more. The night was still young, and it would not do to strike down her would-be Ashikabi with bags under her eyes.
Murder and manners were two very separate things, after all.
"… Oh, there you are, did you wake up after dreaming as well? I do that all the time."
"... Wa… wa-wa-wa…"
"... Miss?"
"Water Celebration!"
"That is much more dangerous than its name would suggest."
"Indeed, now cease thine evasions so that I might slay thee where thou standest!"
"Come to think of it, how are you standing on top of the ocean anyways? Dreams are weird."
"Arrgh!"
"And I've always wondered how girls manage to make yells like that sound feminine. Truly mysterious."
"Wretch! Brute! To invade mine dreams not once, but twice in one night! Hast thou no shame!?"
"Actually I came to apologize."
"Vile-! … P-pardon me?"
"Sorry, but last time I forgot to introduce myself, or ask your name in return, Miss. I may have underestimated the lure of the ocean. Or blondes. Anyways, I'm Sahashi Minato, nice to meet you, Miss…?"
"Hmmph…! Then listen well, wretch- for I am Sekirei Number 09 Tsukiumi!"
"Even your name is beautiful."
"... D-dost thou always say whatever comes to mind?"
"No, that would scare people."
"... Eh?"
"Well, I feel much better after proper introductions, but I should probably let you sleep for real, sleep is important."
"... you..."
"Tsukiumi?"
"As if thou may come and go as thou pleasest, as if some thief in the night!"
"Conversations are difficult."
"Water Cele-"
Tsukiumi awoke in mid-roar, and narrowly managed to avoid putting a hole in the ceiling above.
"Twice!? Twice in one night, and yet he departs with such haste!?"
She took it all back! She was going to hunt him down this very instant, Sekirei Plan be damned!
...Kazehana was staring down at him in amusement, while Akitsu's blank expression carried with it a hint of curiosity.
"It went much better this time, I think she likes me." Minato blandly reported. Blandly reported without a trace of sarcasm, as he really did believe his own words.
"... Did you remember to find out who 'she' is, Hun?"
"Oh! Her name is Tsukiumi." Minato cheerfully explained. "I feel a little bad though, because she's going to have to wait a little bit. She doesn't seem to be in danger like Kusano is."
"Danger?" Kazehana stiffened. "How do you know that?"
"Kusano asked for help, and I promised to help her," Minato told them. "The only thing is, that if they're reacting, then the important thing is how the two of you feel about them potentially being winged by me."
"... I don't mind…" Kazehana trailed off as they both looked to Akitsu.
"... Ah… no, I do not mind… w-well, perhaps I am just a little…"
Minato rose to a sitting position, and wrapped his arms gently around her.
"Nothing changes between us unless you want it to, alright?"
… It was natural for her to be afraid. She didn't have the same level of assurance of her place in the world that a properly winged Sekirei would have.
But with Minato's arms around her, she couldn't help but feel like perhaps she hadn't fallen as short as she thought.
Gently rubbing her flock-mate's back with one hand, Kazehana's small sigh of relief was lost to the night.
She didn't imagine they'd be getting a lot of sleep that night, but she was equally loath to bring an end to such a heartwarming scene.
… Someone made that choice for her, though- Minato's phone buzzed against the tatami, and as the only one with a free hand, she picked it up.
Minato twisted to face her and nodded, still loosely embracing Akitsu.
With a grimace, Kazehana read the message aloud.
"A cute new Sekirei is hiding away in the Botanical Garden Maze! First come first served, will you be the one to grant her wings?"
"Kazehana, Akitsu, get dressed, we're leaving." The voice was flat and sharp, like a dagger raised in the dark.
Neither of the Sekirei though anything of it, though.
They were certain their own eyes were just as cold.
The Director had hoped that Minato would join the Sekirei Plan… and Minato wasn't naive enough to not think that that meant the Director hadn't also made the suitable preparations.
The idea that the Director wasn't ready for the added variable that was Minato was laughable at best.
Minato knew that, but...
At the rate things were going, Minato was going to end up having his next meal on the top floor of the MBI Tower, and damn the consequences.
Minato might be right, it could indeed be the start of his popular phase.
Two, er… three Sekirei dreams in one night, all of which went rather well, except for that little mishap where he forgot to do introductions.
But hey, if you can find them in their dreams once, you can find them twice, right?
Those dream sequences were a ton of fun to write, looking forward to doing more.
I figured that Kusano, with how powerful she is of a psychic, might just be able to see 'a little more' of what Minato is, at least within the dream world.
On Tsukiumi's end of things, notice how Minato was somewhat more… acceptable to her, than perhaps he should have been.
Also note that Tsukiumi is a tsundere, and that it is absolutely within her character to be angry about not being angry.
Emotions are difficult.
Now, not just the current members of the main cast, but some of the soon to be one's are on the warpath, and next chapter we'll get to see what that means.
Oh yeah, so- Discord! Me and Belial are bros, so I'm an admin over there on his page and we're luring in cool people. My stories have their own pages, so hop on board if you're interested in discussing my stories and others discord . gg / FpGpvrjqbq (site removes bits of it, but you mostly just need the http)