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Kyoko fidgeted in the back of Ruto's car. She was already late to meet the president's guest for her "Dangerous" mission. All this because three quarters of her pack, the ones afflicted in pink, had expressed their distaste for Vain Day. She bet that Ren would've said something similar if he'd been there, judging by the sheer amount of chocolate he'd tried to offload on her and the rest of the pack. She checked her phone again.
Moko: wait he changed the time n place?
Kyoko: Yes and I'm so scared, he said that he's super short-tempered.
Kyoko: if he beats me up will you visit me in the hospital and pet my head
Moko: why is that what ur focused on? If he looks scary you need to gtfo, idc what the president says
Kyoko: moko you love meeee (happy sticker) (love sticker)
Moko: just keep me updated
Kyoko: (flurry of emojis)
She bit her lip and tucked her phone away as the car came to a stop. She bowed to Ruto and scrambled out. There was no one at the Hachiko statue matching the terrifying description the president had given her, but then she heard the crowd whispering about a terrifying figure. It has to be him. She steeled her nerves and strode in his direction, only to stop short when the wind shifted.
Underneath the stench of the cigarette he was smoking was the familiar scent of cornflowers.
At first, she thought it must've been a coincidence. Scents weren't truly unique, after all - but even the undernotes were the same. But then she looked at him more closely. There was no denying it. She approached him slowly.
"Ren-san?"
Cold fury emanated from the man before her, but something about it smelled… off. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly with that horrid tobacco, but it wasn't true fury. There was some other emotion hiding there. But it was enough to make her freeze, to cause her legs to collapse under her when he stepped over her.
She stayed on the ground, frozen, for a good quarter of an hour before she was able to stand again. I was wrong, wasn't I? That can't be Ren. That man - there was nothing inside him. He wouldn't cuddle me with some plush sheep. He… he was dangerous. She shivered, rubbing life back into her arms as she started walking. There's no way.
When she passed an alleyway, an arm reached out, dragging her out of the public eye. She tried to fight, biting and scratching and kicking, but he was too strong. He held her tightly until she wore herself out, saying words that she didn't even try to understand. Finally, panting, she went limp in an embrace that felt way too familiar.
Cornflowers wrapped around her as the man's words finally cut through her panic. "Kyoko-san, it's me. It's Ren. You were right, please relax." He let her go when he was sure she'd understood. "I'm sorry I scared you."
She, of course, went into wailing apologies for hitting him.
LINE BREAK
Honey wrapped around her as Jelly worked her magic. This woman carried a hint of the president's black tea scent, but had an aura all her own. The transformation, on any other day, would have been a sight for Kyoko to behold. But today, she wasn't going to be Kyoko anymore. She was supposed to be Cain's little sister, Setsu. She shot off a quick text confirming her safety to her other packmates, then tucked away her phone.
She had a disaster onii-san to take care of, since there was no way that this man would eat on his own.
Before she knew it, she and Ren were standing in a hotel room, both decked out in their "dangerous" outfits. The room had one (admittedly very large) bed. Her immediate thought was I can't do this. Sharing a nest for a few hours is one thing, but a bed?
But before she opened her mouth to voice this, a thought struck her. But Moko shared nests and beds with her siblings constantly until she moved out. So this… this is normal for siblings, right? It won't be a big deal. Just… they're in their own little family pack. So they wouldn't mind sharing a bed, especially with how they are.
"Cain," she said, testing out Setsu's inflection. "Do you think they'd give us enough stuff to make a nest?"
Ren, who was busy speedrunning the five stages of grief and inventing new ones, startled when she spoke. She can't be serious. She's fine with this? There's no way - she should be talking about being a pure maiden. Aloud, he gave a noncommittal "Mmm."
I have to get into her mind. I have to be a good enough actress to pass this test. "I'll call down to the front - oh." She went to answer a knock at the door.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, doing his best to keep an eye on her without staring at her ass. The fact that he knew how she felt pressed against him did nothing to help this situation, not when he could see every soft curve of her body wrapped in tight leather. This was bad. Very bad.
And it got worse when he heard her say, "No, we're fine with this room. Thanks, though."
He dropped his head into his hands. Cain couldn't protest this; he would like nothing better than to share a bed with Setsu. The question was if Ren could survive it.
"They're gonna bring us nest stuff, nii-san," Setsu said, having finished her conversation with the hotel staff member. She flopped backwards onto the bed next to him. Since she wasn't used to these types of clothes, she didn't think twice about what type of eyeful Ren might get when he glanced down at her in her corset top.
"Have them bring it later." He stood up and grabbed her hand, tugging her off the bed while determinedly looking anywhere but her. "Let's go."
"Cain!" she yelped, scrambling to keep up with him. He led her all the way out of the hotel and down the street. Why does he smell so upset? I thought I was doing okay! But then she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the store's windows. She was awkward, not the low-key outlaw Setsu was supposed to be in the slightest. She grit her teeth and came to a stop, meeting his eyes when he looked back at her. "My feet hurt," she said. "You're going too fast."
He stared at her for a long moment. She thinks it's an acting test. At least she can't smell why I'm going insane. "Sorry… the store's just going to close soon."
"Then here." She walked closer to him and took his arm instead of his hand. "This way, I'm not so far away."
I'm going to die, he thought, and led her into Jeanne d'Arc. "Pick out some clothes. I know you don't have that many." Please pick pants.
He saw the wheels in her head turning for a moment before pleased pine seeped out and a grin that would haunt his dreams crossed her face. "You sure? If you're gonna buy me clothes, I'm gonna get loooooots. Okay?"
He smiled at her, then. As testing as this situation was, he couldn't deny how fun it was to act with Kyoko. "Sure. Get whatever you want."
Her heart fluttered. This was so fun. Scary, but fun. She thought about the role, coming to a better understanding as she flipped through the clothes on the rack. And then she called Cain in to show him the Baphomet costume, fully expecting a "no."
He didn't give her the no. He was fully intending to purchase it for her. Grabbing his arm to stop him came far too naturally. "Cain!"
"You said you wanted it."
"I don't want something creepy like that." You were supposed to coax me out of it!
"Then why'd you say you wanted it?"
"I wanted to annoy you," she huffed, frustrated pine swirling around them.
He grabbed her cheek. "Is this the mouth that's giving such sass?"
"That's my cheek -"
He stared her down, power he had no right to exert over his pack leader crackling between them. "Is this the mouth that's giving such sass?" he repeated.
Right. I'm not in charge here. He's the older brother. "Yes, nii-san. I'm sorry."
"Okay, no more fooling around. Try this on." He tossed her some pants and a tank top to go under her corset.
And when she said she liked them, he proceeded to buy her ten more. "Cain! It's too much. You're wasting your money on me!"
"I can do what I want with my money." And putting you in pants will keep me from touching you too much. It'll keep you from running from me.
"But you're wasting it on me! You should spend it on yourself!"
At which point he pulled out a trick he'd not used since he was a pup, and dialed the puppy-dog eyes up to eleven. "Are you going to take away the one pleasure besides acting that I have?"
Not fair! No using the omega pleading eyes on me now! "That - I… I didn't say you had to stop…." She fidgeted, wanting to reach out and soothe him. Do anything to make her omega happy. To make him stop making that face. "I just didn't want you to go so overboard. I'm always.. Always happy when you buy me something," like the new packs of hair ties that kept appearing in the LoveMe room, "but ten is too many. Two would've been fine."
"Three…" he whimpered, really laying it on thick.
She lost. He went back inside to return (most) of the pants, leaving her to deal with how damn cute he'd looked. She wanted to see all the sides of him as Cain - to see how silly and weird he would be, just for her Setsuka.
So when she felt a pat on her shoulder, she was ready. Setsuka had truly been born. "Did you apologize to the cashier?"
But it wasn't Cain touching her. Musky seaweed wrapped around her. "Noooope. 'Course not, didn't do anything wrong." It was some low-life and his friends, nattering on about how the restaurant staff deserved to be beaten up for serving undercooked rice. And then he offered to take her somewhere fun.
She wanted to run, but Setsu wouldn't. Besides, she could see Cain coming out of the store now. "I… don't mind," she drawled, tilting her head to glance up at him. When he celebrated, she repeated, "I don't mind. But if you want to play with me, you have to get permission from him."
She could smell him from here. Underneath the cigarette smoke was cold, cornflower fury. It smelled like the flowers had been set ablaze.
"These guys want to play with me. Nii-san, may I?"
He tried to control himself, he really did. He tried to just get her out of there. He didn't throw the first punch. He didn't throw any punches, not until the one Kyoko tried to stop threw her to the ground. And then he saw red.
"Don't kill him!"
He came to with his fists flat against the wall. The punks who could scattered; the others lay where they'd passed out. Gentle pine wrapped around him. He heard himself ask if he was still himself, if he'd been taken over by a demon. But she smiled at him, and reassured him he was her beloved, klutzy big brother. So he'd snagged her bags off the fountain and taken her back to their temporary home.
The hotel had left a pile of the best nest material on the bed in their absence. Setsu perused it, approving certain blankets and putting the others to the side, and then rolled her eyes upon discovering that Cain had replaced the pants with other clothes. He departed to take a shower, leaving her to make their nest.
In their cover, Cain was the alpha, and Setsu the omega. So they'd need to scent each other before leaving tomorrow, she realized. It would probably help if they used the same soap, too. Nest made, she started on dinner. Then she saw the clock. He'd been in there far too long… even Sho hadn't taken showers this long. Maybe it was something to do with his scent blockers? Or maybe Cain had decided to sleep in the shower. That did seem like something he'd do - oh, gods, she couldn't allow that! He'd get sick!
"Cain!" she burst into the bathroom with ladle in hand, ripping back the curtain. A wall of cornflower hit her, unfettered by any scent blockers. Her mouth went dry.
"What is it?" Internally, he screamed, WHAT THE FUCK? "You wanna join me?"
She was frozen for a moment, then gave a version of the same response she'd been giving creepy old men at the ryokan since she'd turned twelve. "If I weren't cooking, I'd love to! Sorry, nii-san, I thought you might've fallen asleep and got worried. Take your time."
And then she left, allowing both of them to have private mental breakdowns.
LINE BREAK
Before her bath, Setsuka had grabbed one of Cain's less-ratty t-shirts to wear as pajamas. She emerged in it, glad that it didn't have any weird holes, to find that Cain had eaten his soup and passed out in the nest. After tidying up the room, she crawled in next to him, being more of a jetpack than a big spoon, and fell asleep.
They met the president the next morning, reeking of one another. He gave Ren a very knowing look but didn't say anything until Kyoko departed for her day.
And then Ren begged him to send her away, and was told he would have to do it himself.
Fuck.
LINE BREAK
Moko: kyoko are you alive
Kyoko: Yes! Sorry, was too busy to send out my good morning texts
Chiori: i still can't believe you bought those panties
Moko: what
Chiori: she bought these maneater panties for some friend of hers?
Moko: who
Kyoko: a friend from a loveme assignment
Moko: again, who? You've never mentioned them
Kyoko: they're. A new friend
Moko: why are you buying a new friend underwear
Kyoko: i was going to see her later and she texted me about a period emergency
Moko: ahh gotcha
Chiori: (thinking emoji)
Chiori: dangerous mission?
Kyoko: maybe
Kyoko: btw what do i wear to a cast wrap party?
Chiori: idk. Something nice?
Kyoko: would my uniform be okay? It's my nicest outfit
Moko: school uniform, not loveme, right?
Chiori: lol
Kyoko: of course i meant my school uniform!
Moko: ya that should be fine.
Chiori: send pics from the party!
Kyoko: (heart emoji) (fairy sticker) omg there's a fairy sticker!
She then proceeded to send the fairy sticker forty-seven times.
LINE BREAK
Ren-san: Kyoko-san, do you want a ride to the wrap party? I'm in the neighborhood.
Kyoko: yes please!
LINE BREAK
Kyoko was not quite sure what happened, but she wasn't complaining. After all, she was getting her makeup done! And was getting to wear a pretty dress! She just wasn't sure how she'd gotten here. She knew that she'd been riding in Ren-san's car, fidgeting with her uniform skirt and chatting aimlessly, and then he'd mentioned Jelly-san. She'd gone on a happy rant about how awesome makeup was, and then he'd said they had time for a quick pit-stop.
Next thing she knew, she was stepping back into Ren's car, dolled up in a long, flowy dress with her makeup done and a long wig on.
Ren, for his part, was very pleased that he was allowed to spoil her like this. He desperately tried not to read into it and failed. Maybe she really meant it when Setsu said she likes when I buy her things? He hoped so.
They'd walked in, bumping into Kijima on the way. "Whoa, hello, who have we here?"
"Hello, Kijima-san," Kyoko said, giving her typical bow.
His eyes just about bugged out of his head. "Kyoko-chan?"
"Yes?" She tilted her head slightly. Confused pine wafted off of her.
"Whoa." He nodded, impressed. Then he addressed Ren. "My man. Congrats." He held up a hand for a high-five. When Ren didn't oblige, he grabbed the man's arm and forced him to complete the high-five. "I'll back off."
When he walked off, she blinked up at Ren. "What was that about?"
"Just him being a weirdo. C'mon, we'll be late."
LINE BREAK
Chiori: girl what happened to wearing ur uniform lol
Chiori: you looked gorg tho
Kyoko: thank you! (flurry of heart emojis)
Kyoko: I'm not super sure how it happened. Ren-san offered me a ride and next thing I knew he'd made a pit stop and I was getting all dressed up?
Moko: what
Kyoko: yeah idk! It was nice of him though!
Chiori: do u wanna tell her or should i
Moko: be careful kyoko
Moko: i know he's pack but like
Moko: a lot of guys only buy girls clothes to see her take them off
Kyoko: ? Ren-san's not like that though. I'm sure he was just being nice bc we're pack
Moko: just be careful, okay?
Kyoko: Moko you love me! (further flurry of heart emojis)
LINE BREAK
Kotonami Kanae: if you hurt her i will kill you
Tsuruga: noted.