[Other OPEN] Sekirei: Wings of Fate (IC, rated M)

Sephear · Apr 17, 2016

A Neon Rollercoaster

It was so nice to just sit and talk to Hiromi for once, without all the worries and friction between the two. Seiji's smile never once left his face between how much fun he was having and the delicious food. That is, not until he heard several gasps and some rapid footsteps, and a certain fox from earlier that day arrived and leaned over the table to look him right in the eye. "Inconvenience?! This is a bit more than an inconvenience, what are you doing here? I'm a bit busy, in case you hadn't noticed." Hiromi's expression stayed neutral while she looked at the fox girl, aside from a momentary widening of her eyes. But when she turned to look at Seiji he felt pure venom and flinched right away.

Lotus, oblivious to the tensions occurring between Hiromi and Seiji, said ever so cheerily, "Oh come on, don't be a spoilsport. I'm not gonna bite. I just want to be with you, y'know?" The fox girl added a wink as she had not realized how this might be performed, especially in such a mood that Lotus was in. As the feeling became ever so enticing, Lotus leaned ever closer to the poor guy, now having to explain his way out of a fox girl who's apparently falling for him.

Hiromi looked at Seiji again and he reeled back like he was worried she'd reach across the table and slap him. "Don't look at me like that! This is just someone I ran into on my way to Sakura's before. And I'm not even sure how she found me here."

"Oh, is that so? I guess this must be why you called back and asked to go somewhere else. Didn't want her to follow you there instead and let me see her." Hiromi raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair.

"No, that's not it at all!" Seiji exclaimed. "I told you about that nightmare I had about Sakura's, I was just scared of it coming true. I don't even know her name."

"Or it was just a cleverly sad cover story," Hiromi huffed. "It's pretty clear what she's here for. Look at her face, and how red she is. She looks like she's ready to jump right on you. No offense." She added the last part to the fox girl. "I'm sure he told you he was single."

"What?!?" Seiji hung his head, feeling completely screwed over.

Lotus, realizing she never did give her name, piped up from the tension and "Oh yeah, I forgot to even to say my name. I'm so silly sometimes. Name's Lotus, guys. But anyways, Seiji here has attracted my interest~" The last line was delivered with a purr. She gasped and covered her mouth, not intending to purr like that and turn slightly redder.

Seiji thumped the back of his own head to make sure he wasn't just having another crazy dream and spoke without even looking up from the table. "Oh, that's good to know...nice to meet you Lotus."

"Actually." Hiromi interrupted, standing up and stepping forward to shake Lotus' hand. "It really is nice to meet you Lotus, it's a huge weight off my mind knowing that Seiji won't be completely alone from now on." And without another word she walked right out of May Queen Nyan Nyan, leaving Seiji to just stare after her, mouth agape. "No...it was going so well. What did I do to deserve this?"

After shaking Hiromi's hand, she tilted her head, confused on why she seemed so mad. "Man, what's her problem? I was just trying to be friendly here. But anyways-" She turned her focus away from the direction of where Hiromi stormed off and back towards Seiji. Now that there was an empty seat, she sat down across from Seiji, tails fanning up behind her. She continued, "Now I get to talk to you, one on one!" She grinned widely, ever so excited to get to know Seiji.

Seiji reluctantly lifted his forehead from the table and looked at Lotus. Right at that moment he couldn't even recognize her inhuman beauty, impossible animal features, or bubbly positivity. All he could see was what she had done to his most important friendship in the world. But he knew exactly what he was likely to get if he followed Hiromi just then, she was not the type of person who could be talked down when she was angry. But she was also smart and humble enough to be aware of that flaw, which was why she simply excused herself when she was angry enough. Since he couldn't make things any worse, or better at that moment he decided to just give in to his curiosity. "Yeah, I suppose you do. I have many important questions for you but the first is just a product of irresistible curiosity. "How do you have real fox ears and fox tails?"

Lotus giggled at the question, thinking that having tails and ears is the most normal thing in the world, "I was born with them, silly. I mean, you can't just grow them! I wish I could though, having nine tails would be AWESOME!" She stood up and flitted her tails excitedly at the thought. She then proceeded to bounce up and down on her feet as she thought about a daydream where she had nine tails rather than three tails.

"Born with?" Seiji exclaimed. "But how? I could understand if you got surgery, the things MBi can do are amazing but...born? How can that be." His curiosity was so strong that he reached out without a moment's consideration for what he was doing and very lightly grabbed Lotus' left ear with his right hand, and steadied one of her tails with his left. He was completely awed. "They're the most plush things I've ever felt...and they're definitely alive... Are you even human?"

As Lotus felt him touch one of her tails and her left ear, she exclaimed, "Well...I guess you wouldn't know this-ah that feels nice, keep going." She got sidetracked with the way in which she was being touched by Seiji. It was quite the pleasant sensation for Lotus. After shivering with confusing, but enticing feelings, she continued, "Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, about what I am. Simply put, I'm a Sekirei. A super cool being with laser powers and of course, fox tails! It's pretty awesome!"

"A-what?" Seiji exclaimed. "If you were any creature it'd be a kitsune, how could you have those ears and tail and be a bir-" The word died on his lips when his mind finished a bit ahead of them. A bird...I've been hearing things about birds all day today...and Hiromi said something about seeing a lot of almost unnaturally beautiful women around today too. And now there's one here, following me around, with ACTUAL fox ears and an ACTUAL fox tail...And she's telling me to pet the tails? What the hell is going on? Nice as that sounds, "none of this makes any sense." He finished out loud. "Lotus!" He raised his voice a bit to make sure she was focused on him and stared straight into her eyes. "What is a Sekirei? And why are you so insistent on being around me? I don't get any of this, it's like the whole city is in a daze!"

Lotus, looking back into his eyes, merely said nothing, looking ever so intensely into them. She held that gaze, only to drop it when she exclaimed, "Man, is it just too hard to grasp that we're like a really cool alien race? We have to find what are called... Ashikabi." She gasped as she realized, "Wait, could it be...that you're an Ashikabi? I wonder..." She trailed off as she thought about the strange way she was feeling. "If that's why I feel like this..."

"An Ashikabi?" Seiji parroted. He was well aware of wagtails. they were a cute, but fairly common bird. But an Ashikabi was something he'd never heard of before. "What the hell is an Ashikabi?" He demanded, beginning to get frustrated.

"Hmm...I'm probably not the best person to ask, but an Ashikabi, or so I've been told, is a human, like you, that is supposed to make a Sekierei stronger. Not really sure how though." Straying away from her more neutral explanation of what she knew, she added, "And when a Seikrei, such as the super awesome Lotus, gets an Askihabi, they get super cool powers. Well, cooler than the powers I already have. Wanna see?" She never had quite so many opportunities to show off that wasn't through a screen screaming "Gotcha!"

"There's powers now?" Seiji's face had become completely deadpan aside from a slightly elevated left eyebrow. Curiosity and skepticism were fighting so furiously within him that he felt there was no point in feeling strongly one way or the other about all this. But considering he already had evidence that Lotus' ears and tails - which should be impossible, even for MBI - were likely real, he was ready to believe just about anything. And he had to try and understand what was going on, why so much weirdness was running rampant that day, and why fate decided to rip him away from Hiromi. "Sure, why not? Go for it."

"Sweeeeet!" Getting up from her seat hastily, rushed out of the cafe, taking Seiji by the hand and made a finger gun motion aimed at the sky and used her powers, control of lasers and fired a green laser beam in the sky, to the shock of Seiji and others. The laser beam was sustained to show off the intensity and power of the beam.

All activity in the cafe, and most for a good distance on the street did as well. Everyone just stared in awe at Lotus, especially Seiji. His eyes widened till they were like saucers and he reflexively squeezed the hand Lotus was holding onto his with. "Did you just - how could - but what is - was that a laser?!?" He blurted out in utter shock. "Like, the kind that you see in sci-fi? How did you do that?! What are you?" He asked, not registering that his last question was a repeat.

Lotus grinned ever wider at impressing everyone with her powers. But there was one bit of business that seemed not to be resolved, the absolute need to be with one person in particular: Seiji. Turning back to Seiji, Lotus, without warning, approached him until they were mere inches apart, nearly to the point where their faces touched. Turning red again, she whispered, "Come here, Seiji. You...you are what I need." Even in this sensual moment, she referred to cheesy pick up lines.

"So you really have been coming onto me this whole time." For a moment Seiji almost ripped his arm away from Lotus, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The mixture of her beautiful face, flushed with whatever strange attraction she had to him and inches away from his own, and some inexplicable feeling wouldn't allow him to move. "Y-y-y-what're you-"

Letting her instincts take over from where her natural behavior would have otherwise gotten her nowhere fast, even given her natural beauty, she finally leaned forward and gave Seiji a deep, intimate kiss.

The instant their lips touched Lotus and Seiji both felt a burst of energy and heat so intense, it completely took their breath away. Yet neither of them could even move, let alone try to break the intimate contact. Lotus felt what little confusion gripped her over her purpose within the Sekirei plan melt away to be replaced by a deep, knowing contentment and filled with the same childlike excitement she threw into every other aspect of her life. Seiji felt boundless energy, and inexorable enthusiasm to use it for everything imaginable. Bursts of light in every color that pervaded the spectrum began to pop in the air, all centered around the pair, dazzling and entrancing everyone who gaze upon the phenomena. But Seiji and Lotus were completely blind to it, enslaved to the avalanche of feelings both physical and emotional the flooded through them all in that single moment, leaving no room for doubt. All at once Lotus felt an amazing power that she was sure could erase any barrier between her and this man and it all seemed to gather at once in her back. Just when it seemed they were ready to break the kiss all the energy broke free from Lotus at once, in the form of a pair of prismatic wings, each row of feathers a different color of the rainbow blended into the most entrancing neon lights ever shone. The solid curve the feathers draped from shone with the intensity of a mini neon-pink sun, and yet promised to wrap around them both and protect them forevermore. Underneath the glorious wings Lotus was tickled by the emergence of six new tails with silky, crimson fur, waving happily behind her.

All at once it was over. Lotus' wings popped in a burst of neon sparkles, three of her tails disappeared leaving her with only three new ones, and she and Seiji finally broke apart, though they wanted nothing less at that moment and wished they could make those feelings last forever. But now something else lingered in their place. Seiji could feel, despite all the frustration of the day, that this wasn't just some strange girl obsessed with him. And Lotus gazed upon her Ashikabi, finally feeling the first part of her greatest purpose fulfilled, and the sense of accomplishment tinged with the most unconditional affection she could imagine wouldn't allow her to think of anything or anyone else in that instant.

Seiji's entire face was still flushed a bright crimson and he could barely breathe even if he still felt great underneath it. Lotus on the other hand had never felt so energetic, so alive... so powerful. Like she could blast anything she wanted away with her lasers, even if she wouldn't without a good reason. "What..." He gasped out between deep breaths. "What just happened?"

Lotus, quite exhilarated by what just happened, simply exclaimed, panting all the while, "Wow, that was deep. Like oh my god, that was...AWESOME. Even better than before! Best. Day. EVER. Especially with you, Seiji." She genuinely and wholeheartedly meant that sentiment. It was so much better than even the romance in the most fulfilling episode of any show she had ever seen. In certain ways, it opened her eyes ever so wider, at the implications that a winging might have on her outlook, especially if it's with Seiji. "So, Seiji, what now? Wasn't that just the absolute awesomest?!"

"I don't know I... Nothing makes sense, but that really was amazing. Nothing like any other kiss I've had... Not that there were that many. But still I can't believe it. What does this m-gah!" He was interrupted by his phone turning on and vibrating much more strongly than it normally did for a second as a voice he'd never heard directly before - but would be quite familiar to Lotus - shouted.

"Heeeellllllo there Mister Taketo!" Seiji was so startled he nearly dropped his phone three times in his haste to get it out, fumbling like a buffoon. When he finally held his phone in front of him he - and Lotus when she leaned on his shoulder to get a good look - saw none other than Hiroto Minaka, president and CEO of MBI on the screen. "You, my boy, have just become an integral part of the greatest love story ever created! You're very lucky to be an Ashikabi within my Sekirei plan let me tell you. Now you'll have some of the most beautiful women you've ever seen dedicating every fiber of their beings to you! And they'll be fighting for you too!" Seiji just stared at his phone, completely dumbfounded. His phone didn't even do video-calls! But after his showy introduction was out of the way Minaka began to properly outline the basic goals and rules of the Sekirei plan to him, explaining what he was now stuck being a part of. "- just make sure you don't stop here! There are so many more Sekirei out there, and you've got to either wing, or defeat them all so you can stay with your true love for all eternity!" He then broke off into a fit of maniacal laughter and the screen shut off.

Seiji stared at the phone a bit longer, then noticed Lotus leaning on him and stumbled back a step. Now when she was that close to him he felt more than just the basic nervousness or excitement of being near a beautiful women, or the feel of soft skin...He couldn't explain it, but it made him uncomfortable and completely content at the same time. "So then...what do you want to do now Lotus? I guess we could head back to my place and just talk for a bit, see if I can make any sense of all this mess."

After having leaned on him, she felt quite content on being with Seiji, liking the feel that he brings her. She responded, "That'd be great! Yeah, I guess it would be nice to sort this entire mess out. But..." She paused for faux dramatic tension, "...We ought to have fun first! It always helps to have some fun! And you know the best way to do that? Play some Splatoon!" She was quite giddy at this point, not only at the prospect of playing Splatoon, but doing so with someone she now deeply cared for.

He couldn't resist smiling at her attitude or her excitement. "Sure, why not? I've still got Hiromi's Wii U over at my place, let's go!"

Geras · Apr 17, 2016

Yue

High atop one of Tokyo's many skyscrapers stood a figure, her deep black cloak billowing in the wind as she peered down at the city below. The cloak's wearer was all but consumed by the attire, enshrouded in darkness save for a mouth curved into a grin. In her hands was a grand weapon that was even blacker than her cloak, yet the beautiful polished metal held a radiance that rivaled even the sun's. It was through this magnificent firearm that the figure was able to peer down at every detail of the bustling city even from on high, watching as the pedestrians hustled to their destinations, or as the alley cats cats dug through their dumpsters.

Before long, the figure couldn't help but exude a giddy laughter, dispelling whatever dramatic air she'd managed to create. But the fact of the matter was that Yue was finally able to leave Kamikura Island and her handlers and all the tests and adjustments and all that other stuff to do whatever she wanted! She hadn't really done anything so far, but that was only because she'd gotten a little distracted with people-watching. Though if anyone asked, she'd be sure to let them know the importance of her gathering intel.

Yue took a deep breath to calm herself down so she could continue watching people down below. It was a little difficult to keep her scope steady when she was trembling with excitement, after all. Her gaze back onto the streets, she found herself drawn to a girl in armor with blonde hair. It was probably a cosplayer. She'd seen several others, and she always thought it was cool to see the different costumes, though some costumes were much cooler than others. This one wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. The gold trim kept the armor from being just plain boring, but it needed more. It needed spikes, and fancy symbols etched all over, and a cape! Especially the cape, long and flowing. Yue couldn't believe this girl had forgotten something so essential.

Without much thought, Yue's index finger moved until it hovered over the trigger, the rifle's crosshairs still over the blonde girl. The gears in her head began to turn, mustering up a scene. This girl was no mere cosplayer, rather she was a Sekirei, one of her enemies in this grand battle royale. And not just any Sekirei either, this was the feared Number 1, widely considered unkillable by even the strongest of single numbers. Pale blue energy began to appear around Yue, flowing into her sniper rifle and collecting as the weapon began to shine brighter and brighter.

"Bang." she muttered, envisioning her shot rocketing across the huge distance and taking out her mighty foe in a single hit. But in reality, the energy merely dissipated, and Yue's finger left the trigger. There was no way she would actually fire anything remotely powerful at a regular human, as not only would it hurt the human but the resulting burst would hurt anyone standing around her target too. But it was a fun little fantasy for the moment.

She looked back to the armored girl for just a moment, but to her surprise she saw the girl looking in her direction. Without a second thought, Yue dove underneath the low wall at the edge of her building, hugging her weapon tightly as she hid. She began to worry that maybe it wasn't a just a fun little fantasy after all, and that the girl she almost shot really was a powerful Sekirei! If that was true and she noticed her, it would be really, really bad.

Yue remained on the ground as still as she could be aside from her shaking for a few seconds before she finally mustered up the courage to check on the woman. Fortunately, it seemed that the woman left while she had been hiding. Yue sighed in relief. She would be sure to remember the day when she scared off one of the most powerful Sekirei with her mere presence.

Done with that for the moment, she turned her sights elsewhere to what looked like a hotel. She peered into one of the open windows near the top floor to see if she could spot anything interesting. Inside she saw a man in a bathrobe looking out at the city below, not unlike Yue herself. She appreciated someone who could appreciate the things she appreciated. Soon after, a hand delicately placed itself on one of the man's shoulders, nails long and painted bright red. The hand, and the woman it was attached to, pulled the man back and pushed him onto the large bed nearby where she then-

Yue zoomed in a bit further, just to be sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. And once she was, she immediately pulled away, her face turning bright red. She took a moment to mentally apologize for invading the couple's privacy, regretting seeing the little bit she saw of their intimacy.

After a few more deep breaths to calm her pure and gentle heart, she looked back through her scope. After pulling away from that previous scene, it was now pointed directly at the street below her. Once she'd readjusted her scope's zoom, Yue began scanning the street to see if there was anything interesting and soon enough she spotted a hooded man (whose hood was vastly inferior to her own) bumping into a young woman before taking off running. The sudden move startled Yue, but she realized what was happening quickly enough when she saw the man clutching a purse in his arms that the woman was holding only a moment ago.

Yue could barely contain her excitement as she centered her crosshair on the thief's head. "Heh heh..." She chuckled, charging her weapon for a brief moment before pulling the trigger. The bullet hit right on target and the impact threw the man into the pavement underfoot face-first. Yue pumped her fist, a triumphant ear-to-ear grin on her face at the thought of accomplishing a heroic deed.

The victim jumped back at her assailant's sudden faceplant, but when the man didn't get up she crept over and took back her purse, promptly fleeing the scene. The lack of any apparent wounds from the relatively weak bullet seemed to leave Yue's attack unnoticed or quickly dismissed as something else by the woman. Yue was a little irked that she wouldn't be admired for her heroism, but she didn't mind that much.

Just when Yue was getting ready to celebrate, she realized that the man still hadn't gotten up. A wave of panic shot through the girl. Had she accidentally killed him? She gulped, a lump forming in her throat from worry. It occurred to her that she'd never actually shot anyone with her weapon, and while she'd done plenty of target practice back on the island she didn't have the slightest clue how tough a human was by comparison.

A few more seconds passed. She was sure she'd killed him, she was just too powerful. She began to panic, flailing wildly about the building's roof as she struggled to figure out how to deal with this. She didn't want to have something like this hanging over her conscience! She then realized that it was possible he was just unconscious. Eager to confirm she hadn't killed a man, she leapt off the roof, diving down to where the man lay.

Unfortunately for Yue, she'd insisted on the best vantage point she could find, and the building she'd oh-so-intelligently decided to leap from was one of the tallest buildings in North Tokyo, surpassed only by titanic monuments like Teito Tower. This was not the sort of building a Sekirei could fall from without sustaining serious injuries, especially a non-physical Sekirei like herself.

As soon as Yue realized this several stories down, she panicked harder than ever, waving her arms as if she were swimming in a futile attempt to ascend. She screamed at the top of her lungs, yelling about how she was going to die and begging for someone to save her. Soon enough, though, she had an idea and pulled out her weapon, immediately beginning to charge a shot. She aimed her weapon at the ground directly beneath her, ground that was fast approaching, and prepared to fire in the hopes that the resultant explosion would have enough force to slow her down so she didn't splat painfully.

The pedestrians who'd been passing along the street cleared away from the ground beneath her once they saw the screaming, falling girl, leaving it clear for her to take her shot. However, on that ground lay the man she had jumped off the roof to check on in the first place. If the bullet from before hadn't killed him, what she had currently charged certainly would, so at the last minute she turned her barrel and fired at an angle. The round hit an empty patch and exploded in a bright flash, the force from it redirecting her off to the side and mitigating some of the downward speed, as well as sending the other guy flying.

Yue hit the ground and proceeded to skid along the sidewalk on her back a good several meters. When she finally stopped, she took a full minute to stay there and catch her breath. She tried to get up, repeating "Ow, ow, ow," as she tried to get past the stinging pain along her back. She stumbled over to the man, who'd been thrown a fair distance himself. Staring at him for a few seconds she saw that despite the blood on his forehead, his chest was still slowly moving up and down. Yue smiled softly, then kicked him in the side for putting her through so much trouble.

Done with this whole ordeal, Yue stumbled away from the scene. The explosion had caused a panic and made even those who'd stayed nearby to watch her fall flee for their lives, but Yue didn't concern herself with any of that. All she wanted at the moment was something to eat and a place to sit. She thought that sounded nice.

Songbird · Apr 18, 2016

The sound of a very loud engine disturbed the normal peace of everyone enjoying their meals—and the adorable waitresses—at May Queen Nyan Nyan, announcing the arrival of Kotaro Han, the Northern Districts most outspoken, and least threatening biker. He rolled up on his bike, mohawk and all and parked on a curb near the café. He showed up fairly often to annoy waitresses, terrorize patrons and try to get out of properly paying for meals until he was inevitably kicked out. What was different about today was that Kotaro had a girl with him, much to everyone's surprise and disgust. And she was beautiful no less! She was a slightly chubby woman with generous curves, a bandana on her head, and a too-tight shirt that covered little more than her bust and had a rather inappropriate graphic on it, as well as a pair of torn skinny jeans. They got off the bike and Kotaro immediately wrapped his arm around the girl's neck and pulled her close to him, slipping in a grope she had no complaints about as well, it seemed he was quite happy to finally have someone he didn't disgust around.

"Alright, babe, you see that hottie in there?" She opened her mouth to answer, but he continued on without giving her a chance to point out that most of the girls in the café were very pretty. "The one that outshines all the others, with that perfect hair in the big blue bow, and the cutest face you've ever seen?" The girl's face crinkled with jealousy at his compliments towards the waitress, but she confirmed she knew who he was looking at. "We gotta get ahold of her when she gets off tonight; she's gotta be one of you." A supernatural beauty, she couldn't disagree, but just who the girl was she couldn't say.

Kotaro went in as normal, with the only difference being his girlfriend. He was as rowdy and disruptive as ever, but strangely this time he stopped before anyone felt the need to throw him out. He left with little fanfare and everyone could hear his motorcycle chug off. But in reality he was just going around one of the larger buildings. He parked his bike out of sight after he felt he'd gone far enough and crept into an alley he could see May Queen Nyan Nyan from, waiting for his opportunity.

Hibiki left work early that day. Normally, she didn't need to even leave the building. However, she needed to go shopping tonight, else she wouldn't have anything to eat tomorrow. It was a little surprising, earlier in the café. She'd known about the other Sekirei being released, but honestly didn't expect them to be winged so quickly. It almost made her a little envious that she hadn't even felt anything for a potential Ashikabi in her entire year out.

As soon as she passed by one of the alleys near the café she heard a step followed by some creepy labored breathing. "Hey there, hot stuff, how's it goin'?" She instantly recognized everyone's least favorite customer, the one some of the more crass waitresses called 'that creepo biker ****' staring at her with a cocky smirk. Hibiki only looked at him in confusion. She knew he was a massive creep, but something about the girl next to him threw her off. The girl stepped forward, looking like a cross between a biker chick and a professional mechanic. A huge wrench was rested on her shoulder and she blew a bubble from some gum she was chewing while she glowered at Hibiki, and just like her said nothing. "Listen here, sexy," Kotaro continued. "I've heard all about Sekirei from that president guy; I know what's what. And you're totally one of 'em, and tonight you become my Sekirei." He took a few steps closer in a pose that may have been intimidating if his attempt at being scary didn't prove he really didn't understand much about Sekirei, but Hibiki remained still as he was closing in on her at the edge of the alleyway, even tilting her head to keep eye contact.

When Kotaro leaned down, however, he was not met with the lips of a beautiful girl. Instead, his back was met with the side of his bike. Before he even realized what had happened, Kotaro was blown away, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut by a giant. The only indicator that his prospective lady did anything was that she shook out her hand when Kotaro opened his eyes. She then looked toward his first and only Sekirei, once more saying nothing. She didn't think she would get out of this without a fight. Hell, relieving a Sekirei of someone this pathetic would have been a gift, if anything. No one deserved a horrible Ashikabi like this.

Kotaro rubbed his sore stomach while he tried to catch his breath, then grit his teeth. "You *****. Oh, I know exactly what I'm gonna do with you after I claim you. Babe! Show her the rough stuff!" As soon as he finished speaking the bikerchanic Sekirei lifted Kotaro's bike single-handedly and leaped at Hibiki, swinging the motorcycle as if it was a club.

Just like Kotaro's filthy body, Hibiki repelled both the bikerchanic and the bike itself without breaking a sweat. They weren't even able to lay a tire on her. Didn't want to get her uniform dirty, after all. Her opponent recovered, but the bike was in a wreck against one of the alley walls, and Hibiki was actually walking towards them instead of leaving.

"Just sit still!" the other Sekirei grunted, righting herself and hefting her wrench. "I'll deactivate you, so you don't have to worry about being stuck with us!" She flung the wrench at Hibiki with all her might as if it were a pilum, grinning as if she'd already won. The wrench grew to the width of the alleyway, impossible to simply avoid. Hibiki held out her hand, stopping the bikerchanic's weapon in its tracks without even physically touching it. A swing of her arm, and disappeared into the evening sky, never to be seen again; and as Kotaro and his partner watched on to see it finally leave their range of vision, Hibiki moved behind the latter, a hand on the back of her neck.

Kotaro could feel his Sekirei dying without any resistance, and with it he heard someone speak in the back of his mind, even though Hibiki herself didn't open her mouth.

You are... unfit.

With the sound of helicopters passing over the city only minutes later, deactivated Sekirei in tow, Hibiki finally returned with a smile to her original quest of getting dinner for the next few days.

Legend · Apr 18, 2016

Eri and Shizuka- Awkward Reunion

Considering the day's events, Eri was certainly a bit off her so called game. The deep conservation with Shiro was intriguing and enlightening enough to gather a better feel for the world she found herself in. And the moment in the park with Izumi gave her a feel for her "competition." The game had only begun and she was hardly overwhelmed, as much some would possibly expect her to be. Despite being little more than a child in terms of her knowledge of the world, Eri's more detached mindset made such events of little consequence. What would happen would happen. "The machinations of fate" was an old adage that Eri found best described how she looked at things. Though, to be fair, she was hardly looking at things at the moment, being more or less, lost in these thoughts.

"Eri!"

The sound of someone shouting her name threw her out of her reverie. It was promptly followed by the sound of footsteps, getting louder until they stopped right in front of her. Something didn't click in her mind. She glanced at the features of the woman: dark hair, blue eyes and a glowing smile. The woman was only a shred shorter too. Eri glared into her eyes, examining the everything until her eyes glued themselves to the girl's respectable twin endowments. Raising an eyebrow, and whispering, "Deja vu," Eri grabbed a firm hand hold on the girl's chest and rotated her wrist before stopping suddenly. "Shizuka," she said. "Good to see you."

She'd managed to elicit a quiet squeak from Shizuka's lips, but the latter was undeterred. Rather, she wrapped her arms around Eri's upper body and embraced her. "I've been looking for you all day, you know."

After releasing her grip, she took Eri's hands in her own and gazed quietly into her eyes. For a moment, nothing was said. The next, Shizuka softly claimed, "I need your body. I need you, Eri."

"What for?" Eri asked with a flat tone. It was as neutral response as she could give. "Last I checked, you can't wing me and I can't wing you."

"What?" She looked confused about Eri's answer. Did she think it was about Ashikabi? "I have the perfect outfit and you're the only one who can wear it. Please?" she pleaded, a bounce in her chest.

"Oh," Eri said before pausing. "What do you mean I am the only who can wear it?" Eri crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. She then looked down at Shizuka's breasts and smirked. "Let me guess, your boobs are too big for it."

Shizuka grinned in return, replying, "Well, if I needed to resize it that's easy. I just think it would suit someone with a more modest presentation better." She stuck her tongue out teasingly at the end.

Eri's face went blank and she was close to grimacing. Shizuka knew that Eri was always a tad jealous and self conscious, even if Eri didn't care all that much. "Fine then," she sighed. "Only because you asked so nicely," Eri continued with a scoff, only to be led to a apartment near the park filled with stuffed animals, various fabrics and sewing supplies.

"Strip, please."

"Yeah, yeah. What am I even putting on? Not that it really matters."

"You'll see, you'll see. Can you lift your arms for me?"

"Like this?"

"Perfect. Thank you.~"

"Was the squeeze really that necessary...?"

"Of course. I have to make sure they're supported properly, after all."

"Right. You just wanted to make sure you were that much—heheheh—bigger. Oh, come on!"

"Okay, that one was just me teasing you. Spread your legs, please."

"Uh-huh. We'll go with that. Okay...oooooh, calm down...erh, down there."

"Stop squirming, I can't get a good feel for it if you keep moving so much."

"Consider where your fingers are for a second!"

"Was I a little too rough? I'm sorry. I'll try to be more gentle this time, so just stay still."

"H-hey—watch it!"

"It's harder to finish if you close your legs, Eri!"

"I can't... help it! I'm...!"

When all was said and done, and Shizuka had taken some very thorough measurements, Eri showered the sweat off her body while Shizuka compiled a complete outfit. After drying out her hair, it was the only thing Shizuka let her put on, and it really was nothing like what she expected.

A silky black brassiere supporting her modest bosom in stark contrast to her peachy white skin, with a frilly trim all around the edges, and the straps over her shoulders tied into a cute bow. More importantly, however, in the center of the bra was a keyhole in the shape of a cat's head that exposed a few inches of cleavage, complete with little sewn-in whiskers on either side. The bottom matched with black silk panties, tied at the sides in a bow by thin straps, and adorned with small pink cat paws on the ends. Last, right over Eri's creamy white butt was the imprint of a cat's paw as though stamped on the fabric, and around the front two little triangles stuck out at the top like cat ears, highlighting the faint form of her hips.

"What the hell am I wearing...?"

"I saw it on the Internet this week. I knew it would fit you just right! No Ashikabi could possibly resist you!"

Considering the jeer, Eri narrowed her eyes to a slight squint but let it go. "Well, I bet with all these clothes you must have all the ashikabi drooling over you," Eri said, looking down her body as she investigated her new outfit. "What's with the keyhole...?"

"Because it's cute, of course! Hey, hey, can you say it for me? Say, 'Nyaa.'" Shizuka raised her hands into a paw pose and smiled innocently to punctuate what she was talking about.

Sighing, Eri knew that Shizuka wouldn't let her live it down if Eri dared to mimic her. Also, she knew that Shizuka would continue to beg and plead until she did it. Then again, using a metaphor from a history book she read, Eri had "crossed the Rubicon" about 15 minutes ago when she was dragged into this entire situation. Going back and escaping was out of the question. Also, Shizuka had Eri's clothes as a hostage. Going out in this outfit would probably kill her.

Raising her hand in the same motion, but with far less joy, Eri dared to say: "Nya." Her eyes were dead. Her mouth draped down. Her cheeks devoid of color. She said little more than the necessary syllable and stiff motion required. There was no desire in Eri's body.

It clearly didn't stop Shizuka's cuteness meter going off the charts, as she tackled Eri onto the chair with an impressively tight hug, rubbing her cheek into Eri's and telling her just how cute she was.

Eri wasn't allowed to change for the next half hour.

Sonata · Apr 20, 2016

"You... think you met someone?"

Jazmine placed a spoon in her cup of coffee and began to stir it slowly. "Yes. I saw them just a bit ago. Ever since I'd started coming this way I'd never seen them. They've struck me. I can't stop thinking on them, but I can't even recall what they looked like. Odd, wouldn't you say?"

"Ah, I believe love at first sight's what you're looking for. I wouldn't say it's so much odd, but perhaps more a passing phase? Pardon my asking but, when was the last time you... you know...?"

"I'm sorry?"

The man fidgeted and rubbed his head. He let out a light chuckled and then licked his lips as he stared at the woman from the corner of his eye. "When uh... when was the last time you did it?"

"The last time I... hmm. It has been a while. I'm not actually sure. The last time I painted something was most likely the day before yesterday, though of course I'm not quite sure. When I'm out here in -"

"No, no, no. That's not what I meant. See, the way I've found it to be when you fall for someone on first sight it's not because of any real feeling but instead because of a lack of something. Usually a sort of intimate stimulation. At least for me that is. When I see a random passerby and find them to be so utterly stunning it's usually because I've been alone for a month or two. If I see the same person a day or two or three later the feeling is usually gone and they're once again just another person... which is why I ask, when was the last time you... did it?"

Jazmine looked completely confused. "Sir, I'm sorry but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about right now. What is it if you'd be so kind?"

The owner's eyes widened at the woman's innocence. She was at least in her twenties and yet she acted as if she'd never taken part in or even heard of sex. "You must be messing with me. Are you trying to embarrass or make a fool from me? I'm talking sex woman! When was the last time you had sex?"

Jazmine cocked her head at the man. "Why would I have sex? I've no interest in or need to go into a reproduction phase."

"Are you kidding me? What about... so then you've never had sex before?"

Jazmine shrugged and then took a drink of her coffee.

"That's incredible." The owner chuckled lightly as he rubbed his chin. "So then, it's not a sexual thing. Or perhaps that's exactly what it is. Yet you say you can't even remember what they look like? Hmmm. How do you even know you were attracted to them?"

"They were different. Even having just barely caught a glimpse of them, I knew that we were destined to be together. The flicker of a flame erupted in my chest for the first time and was quickly put out and iced over. This coffee reminds me slightly of that feeling however. I feel as if I'd have loved to paint that person time and time again without growing weary. I can't explain it... but if I saw them again, or if I were to even be in the same area as them again I believe I'd know it. The flicker of a flame in my chest would burst forth into a raging blaze the strength of the sun. And it hurts so much, being away from that person. Whoever they may be. I feel as if, well, there is actually nothing in my chest anymore. No warmth, no cool, no cracking or breaking - only an eternal emptiness. Slowly but surely I'm forgetting what it felt like to feel anything at all... I... I have to go! I can't let that person get away before I've even met them!"

Jazmine shot up from her seat and rushed down the street, knocking over the cafe's sign along the way as well as several other shops' signs as she darted in and out of groups of students, elderly women and businessmen alike. Faces she'd seen day in and day out, just more cogs in this city's metaphorical machine. She'd wasted enough time already. She couldn't let this person get away before she'd felt that feeling again. She felt she should paint them at least once else she would forever regret it.

Lucifer-san · Apr 21, 2016

Layfe, Sekirei #07
Crafting an elaborate illusion

Tatsumi was an...interesting prospect, Layfe thought to himself as he began his relatively short trip back to the small restaurant he worked at. Tatsumi was someone who could easily sway either way in the grey-scale of life, a rather dangerous thing if he was led down an...unfortunate route. Layfe could only hope his role as a a knowledgeable friend served its purpose well, he'd dislike it if a carefully crafted persona was shattered due to something such as chance. No, that wouldn't do at all, he made a mental note to himself to take a more...vested interest into Tatsumi. While his plan didn't hinge on one young man, he'd rather not lose a piece in this game.

"Hmm..." Humming a small tune he'd heard some time ago, Layfe walked the streets with seemingly no care as he made his way back to the restaurant, roughly a little less than 5 minutes away. Prospect number 03 aside, it seemed the Sekirei plan was starting to kick off in full swing now if his words were to be believed. He had plans for this, what they were...well he'd keep those to himself until it became quite clear on what he was going to. It after all better to have some sort of surprise, than to already know what was going to happen.

"Excuse me sir," Turning his eyes off to the side, he saw a young man with brown hair and thick reading glasses waving at him, whilst coming closer. "Do you, uh, know how to get to um Fujiwara Antiquities? I got a bit lost coming from the train station." His voice was timid, and there was a bit of a stutter present as he spoke. He was short, notably so when compared to Layfe who was a bit on the tall side, and seemed a bit mousey. Of course, Layfe being the nice and knowledgeable person that he was, decided that it'd be worth his time pointing the young man where he needed to be.

"Sure, you're not too far from it actually, though I heard something about the person in-charge being away for awhile. Anyways, take a left from this intersection and head down towards where the Sensō-ji is, or if you don't know what that is just look for the big temple. Fujiwara Antiquities is a bit past the temple and falls right in Eastern Tokyo." Layfe supplied helpfully as he tried to give directions to the young man.

"Okay, so um take a left from where we are now and then head towards the temple which is," Taking a moment to mime the action of walking with his fingers the young man continued. "East from where I would be then, right?"

"Yeah, precisely."

"Okay, t-thank you sir!" Giving a small bow to Layfe, the young man scurried off in quite a hurry. He could only think of why the boy needed to go to such a place, but Layfe had more important things to deal with for now. Like getting to his job before his lunch break was completely over. Nodding his head a bit as he looked to either side of the street, he looked towards where his work place was and picked up his pace just a tad.

While it'd be a simple manner to just conjure an illusion of himself to go back and deal with the various tasks in place of myself, they wouldn't really be getting done. An illusion was after all just that in the end, an illusion, though that didn't have to be true in his case. Seeing the sign of his place of work a block down, he picked up his pace just a tad bit. Though he sometimes had to deal with annoying customers, he did tend to enjoy his job. Especially making the Rainy Day Meat Bowl, it was just something satisfying about seeing people fail at such a challenging dish. The cleanup sucked, though.

Entering Genki's Ramen, just as the clock on the wall signified his break was over and that he was back to work he smiled a bit, Layfe walked straight into the kitchen tying a red headband around his skull, "It's time to get to work." He said confidently to himself, despite the looks he got from some of the other staff. What could he say? Layfe actually liked his rather mundane job, it felt good bringing smiles to people's faces with a warm bowl of ramen. Getting money for his many...plans, was just a side-motive behind his work after all.

And work sure was good./The illusion had been cast.

Khawill · Apr 21, 2016

Tatsumi Tatsuya and Fia "Astria"

Creating Simple Harmony
19 // Violinist // Male

The three of them sat quietly through their tea time, occasionally bringing up topics like the weather. Yumi seemed anxious to ask questions, but refrained from asking them. When they finished Tatsumi got up, "Thank you for the tea." He said with a polite smile.

Yumi looked at him, like she was going to reach out and stop him from leaving, but she didn't stop him, instead, she smiled, "You're always welcome here Tatsumi." She said, "And Mrs. Astria, the door will be unlocked for you whenever you come back."

"Thank you," Fia said before turning to Tatsumi. "We should be going."

Tatsumi smiled, "Sounds good to me." As they walked out, Tatsumi opened the door to let Fia out first, before turning to his aunt, "Love you Yumi!" He said, leaving. He didn't wait to hear her response before closing the door behind him. He turned to Fia, taking a deep breath, "Which of your songs should we do?"

"I was thinking I would do something new for my return. It's one I started on before I left, but I never quite finished it," Fia put a finger to her chin in thought. "Maybe you can help me complete it on the way there."

Tatsumi lit up, "Help you write a song? I couldn't ask for a better honor!" He said excitedly, "I should be able to improvise on my violin easily enough, so lyrics are the main issue. Do you think you can match the key and rhythm of my playing? It will be pretty much on the fly."

Fia raised an eyebrow at him. "Can I keep up with you? I should be asking if you will be able to keep up with me." She waved a hand dismissively. "There is no need for concern, I am no stranger to improvisation."

"Well if that is the case, then I won't need to restrain myself." Tatsumi laughed, "Do you play any other instruments?"

"I know how to play with fire," Fia said with a small laugh. "Though I don't think that's the sort of instrument you are referring to."

Tatsumi laughed, "No, I don't think fire is an instrument." The two of them discussed the song on the way to the park, more people than earlier due to the after work crowd. Tatsumi pulled out his violin and tested the strings while doing vocal exercises.

"That would depend on the perspective," Fia responded with a shrug. While Tatsumi fiddled about and prepared, Fia simply stood by and observed him, waiting for him to finish.

Tatsumi closed his eyes and took a breath, focusing on his violin as well as making sure he kept in mind Fia's voice. He put his bow to the strings and began, playing a three beat sound that swung back and forth like two dancers on the floor. The song going from smooth to abrupt, as if it were being played and paused.

T: Flames, a cracking energy, a dancer, such a beauty.
T: Breathe, it's time for the show, so flames burn, with-a-me.

F: Wind, a fan for the forge, make flames burn, with intensity.
F: I will burn the brightest, when the wind is with me.

T/F: I Can't live, I can't be without this stage
T/F: A million eyes and ears, waiting for me
F: I want to sing, [T: I want to play, [T/F: on this Stage
F: And you could never, take that from me.

Their music attracted a larger than usual crowd, some people fans of Fia, others just intrigued by the beautifully eerie music that graced the park. Tatsumi didn't let any of that distract him though, his thoughts consisted of his violin, his voice, and Fia, the world became their song.

To Fia, none of the faces watching her mattered in the least - her focus was solely on Tatsumi and his violin, and she sang to them as if they were all that existed.

Tatsumi played the last notes of the song, taking a breath as if he had been holding it the entire time. He began to process his surroundings, the sounds of people coming first, and then the blinding light as he opened his eyes. He lowered his bow, and relaxed, smiling at the crowd and bowing to them, "Thank you all for coming out." He said politely, a number of people recording the impromptu performance on their phones.

"You have more skill than I would have thought possible from a human," Fia said, reaching out to touch his hand that held the violin, seemingly inspecting it before looking up at his face with a smile. "Maybe I should consider performing with you more often, in music and other activities. I'm sure there's much that we can share."

Tatsumi was filled with delight, "That means a lot to me." Tatsumi gently placed his violin in his case, kneeling down to do so, "What other activities?" He asked.

"That remains to be seen." Fia removed her hand from Tatsumi's as he put his violin away. Something about that small touch made her fingers tingle and filled her mind with a million different songs at once. This feeling irritated her, yet at the same time she couldn't wait for more.

Tatsumi stood up, his heart still beating, despite the song being over. He felt that feeling of danger again, but slightly different, more pleasant. "Well I could go for something sweet to eat, so why not make that our next activity?"

"Let's," Fia agreed with a nod. "I suppose you have a suggestion?"

"Depends on what you like." Tatsumi replied, thinking, "I've been to pretty much all the good ones in this part of the city."

Fia thought for a moment. "Cheesecake. With plenty of fresh strawberries and chocolate drizzle."

"Yeah I know a good cheesecake place." Tatsumi replied, smiling but knowing his wallet was going to take another hit. He already knew that he'd have to work extra hours this week. Tatsumi led the way, looking at Fia, "Can you tell me more about these birds? Were they actually birds?"

"Most of them flew away as quickly as they possibly could like birds, so what do you think?" Fia let out a light laugh. "There were so many and each was so vastly different. I could never describe them all." She turned her head slightly to look up at him. "Actually… you've already seen at least one. I know because I was there with you. You probably just didn't notice it because you didn't even know you were looking for it. It seemed to be very attentive towards you and your music, though."

Tatsumi thought for a moment, "I see, and did the bird sing along? Or was it just watching with the crowd?"

"It's voice joined yours," Fia replied simply.

Tatsumi understood after she said that, and he simply nodded, "Then that woman was right, the birds certainly do surpass my music on every level of beauty. Especially the bird that graced my music with her voice."

Fia raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on her face. "So you've decided that the bird was a female? I thought you had yet to notice it. Enough of this talk, though. Didn't you say something about sweets?"

"This is my favorite place to get desserts." Tatsumi said, walking them to a small family owned restaurant, "Yumi used to take me a lot." They walked inside and the clean little shop was decorated with various cakes, pies, and pastries.

The teenage boy at the counter looked up from his phone, "Oh hey Tatsumi, nice performance today."

"You already saw that?" Tatsumi asked.

The boy showed his phone, "Yeah, Dad was passing by and took a video."

"Is your Hiroshi here?" Tatsumi asked.

"He went out to buy some things, he'll be out all day, did you want to talk to him?"

"No that's fine. Can I get a cheesecake with extra strawberries and a chocolate drizzle?"

"Two slices?" He asked, looking at Fia.

"Make it a whole cake, Yumi would want some."

"Sure thing." He said, taking Tatsumi's card. "I haven't seen her since I was a little kid." He laughed.

"I'm surprised she doesn't come here anymore." Tatsumi replied.

"Guess she just found a new place." The boy replied, "Give me a sec, I'll go tell Mom to get everything ready." The boy disappeared into the back.

Tatsumi turned to Fia, "I suppose I shouldn't assume the bird is female, but it's just a hunch of mine is all."

"Well, I don't think you were wrong. It definitely had a very feminine appearance."

Tatsumi shrugged and said with a fake disappointed tone, "Guess I'll never know."

"You'll have to let me know if you ever find out," Fia said as she stared at a clock on the wall with a small frown. It was starting to get rather late in the day; she hadn't realized that she had already spent the majority of her day with Tatsumi. "As much as I've enjoyed your company, I believe that it's about time I go and refamiliarize myself with the city before the sun sets."

Tatsumi nodded, "I'll bring the cake to Yumi, do you remember how to get to her house?"

"Of course," Fia said with a small nod. "I expect I'll see you there eventually."

"I'll drop by around ten tonight to say hey and such, I have to do a gig at a bar." Tatsumi said, rushing out with a wave.

Dusty · Apr 22, 2016

-- Sekirei --

Name: Talia Vernes - Brady Newman
Alias: The Ivory Shadow
Location: Tokyo - Northern District
Time: Noon-ish

What's in a Book?

Talia's stomach grumbled as she walked down the streets of Tokyo. Staring at the small pouch, the wallet she had stolen from the two men who had attacked each other, she saw a small collection of bills. She knew sort of how money worked, they hadn't been completely ignorant in how the world worked when confined in the MBI facility, but she wasn't exactly sure how much the paper bills were really worth. She could probably find a way to get food without money, but the handlers at MBI told them to try and not hurt humans too much, and to try to respect them. Not that she would, filthy humans being so much lower than her, but she would pay for her meals if it meant that the MBI wouldn't interfere in her business.

Glancing up and down the street she looked for restaurants, looking for anything that might be interesting to eat. Despite living extremely close to Japan for her entire life, she hadn't really had a chance to try real Japanese food, other than the noodles, rice, and other cheap foods that MBI provided for them. Steak would be nice in her opinion, but she wasn't sure she could afford steak, or where to even get it. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking that left her feet sore and her mood sourer than before, she came to the front of a somewhat promising establishment. The smell of fish, rice, and other scents she couldn't identify wafted out of a small restaurant that seemed popular called "Sushi-Ro".

A few moments later she found herself seated at a long bar where some sort of conveyor belt transported plates upon plates of food past her dining place. She wasn't exactly what to do until she looked at some other patrons a few seats down, each were just taking plates off of the belt and starting to eat. Talia tentatively grabbed one plate off of the belt, then another. Soon she had a collection of a half dozen plates of food that looked at least somewhat appetizing, although she wasn't quite sure why she had picked some sort of octopus thing for one of them.

Picked one piece of sushi up, a roll with what looked like salmon, then took a small bite, struggling slightly with the chopsticks. The explosion of tastes and sensations in her mouth surprised her, and she greedily ate the rest as well as scooping up another roll quickly and stuffing it in her mouth. Realizing her lack of manners, she slowed down and tried to eat more lady like. After her immediate hunger was quelled, she slowed down and pulled a book out of the small black bag she kept by the side of her chair. She pulled the bookmark out of Jane Eyre and tried to find her place again, finally finding some peace and a way to relax, despite the busy and somewhat noisy atmosphere.

Another guest pulled up next to Talia, a tall, scruffy looking fellow, probably American judging by his complexion. He took a seat and immediately started picking up various plates. Following traditional Japanese respect, he bowed and gave his thanks for the meal. After a few minutes of him idly consuming the sushi, he glanced over to Talia, noticing her book. "Wow, Jane Eyre, haven't seen that one in a while. Never expected to see someone reading that old thing over here. So, what? You like English literature?"

Talia froze with a piece of sushi halfway to her mouth and glanced over at the newcomer. Compared to her, he was a literal giant. She was tall enough at five foot eight, at least tall enough to be as tall or taller than most of the humans in this country, but the man next to her must have been at least a half foot taller than her, probably more. Everything about him screamed American based on what she had read and seen about them. Large, and not only in the height but also in terms of weight, although he seemed to be a bit on the lighter side from what she understood as the average American, but he must have weighed at least a couple hundred pounds. Bearded as well, that much was to be expected. Not to mention loud, rude, and often invading other's privacy.

She sighed, resolute in not causing a scene, trying to appear peaceable and at the very least patient with the man, although she hated even wasting the time talking to him. "Yes, I find the classics to be far superior to modern literature, the writing style seems to have degraded quite a bit in the last hundred or so years." Placing the sushi back on her plate, she said, "Not to mention, it can be said that those in the past knew how to conduct themselves in social situations, being amicable and such, careful with their advances to others."

Brady recognized the girl's tone, but her harshness towards more modern literature was just too jarring to the man. "Really?" He knew he could bait her into some sort of conversation if he could convey his own interests in books, but what kind of conversation, he had no idea. "You've must never have read anything by Dick, King, or Lovecraft. Those men know how to push the envelope. Like, there's nothing nearly as abstract and psychological as their work. I mean, you might be able to argue for Huxley, but he freakin' predicted genetic modification. And just look at Dick's work. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is one of the single most thoughtful books ever. It really captures the feeling of alienation and questions what it really means to be human and alive. How could you not love that?"

"You are you, yes? Does it matter whether you are human or not, alive or not? Nothing matters other than what you know. Perhaps Mr. Dicks work holds some literary merit, but his work was also marred by his own issues, the author himself was questioning his own existence. Such things are interesting to ponder, but one could argue are not worth much. I am because I believe I am, and that's all that there is to it." Talia took another bite of sushi, hoping the annoying man would leave her alone.

He had her hooked now, even if she didn't know it yet. "But see, that's the beauty of it all. Your perception of who you are isn't because of what you believe you are. It's because of the events and people around you. That's the social critique Dick was getting at with his book. It's how the humans perceived androids that stripped them from any and all humanity. It's only by such close interaction with something so similar that we don't understand can we come to understand what it means to be human. And, if it even matters to be human or something else entirely. It's whimsical, sure, but rather romantic in a way, if I do say so myself. You know, the thought that you're only as real as the person next to you makes you." Sure, Brady was inviting some rough comments, but worst case scenario, he knew he could take them.

Talia stuffed her book back in her bag. Obviously the tenacious man wasn't going to leave her alone any time soon. "Fine," she spat out, irritated. "Dick's work has some merit, although the fact still remains that the premise for the book holds little value in practical terms. There is some merit in the value of knowing one's self, and accepting who they are. However, I think it fair to surmise that modern literature has a much stronger focus on personal issues, whereas classical has much more value in personal relations to others, especially when it comes to class systems or the like. Despite what the world may seem like, that class system still exists, and lessons of the past hold merit in that sense."

"I suppose," Brady started, all while deftly snacking on a piece of tuna nigiri. He made sure to finish the piece before continuing. "But you also have to consider the reasons why you have that shift of focus in literature. Religion and relationships were the norm because they were the focus of the culture. After the turn of the 20th century, there was an influx of knowledge about communication and technology. That's why really introspective pieces about technology and information became so common. But yeah, I'd say you'd be right in saying that class systems are still very much a thing. I mean, that's one of the big political debates back in the U.S. Still, I can understand why something classical could be favored. Just don't let Emerson hear that."

Talia paused for a moment, allowing herself to help herself to some more food as well as to think over what the man said. He wasn't incorrect in his reasoning. While in captivity, she had become obsessed with the classical culture, and had only kept up with newer technologies and philosophies only in passing. Had she allowed herself to become blinded by past ideas and views? No she decided, they still held value, and despite everything the man sitting next to her was still only human, whereas she was not. Deciding whether one was human or not was an interesting concept for those who are human, but Talia herself was not, that much she knew.

"Hmm," she said softly after dabbing her mouth with a napkin, "I suppose things have changed dramatically..."

"Exactly." Brady said, not really paying attention to her dismissive tone. This was one of the first times in a long time that he had anyone to discuss English literature with, so he wanted to be sure to savor the conversation and make it last him a while. "Every period of literature has something to appreciate. It's just a matter of being open to the ideas you'll find. Oh, I have an idea. There's actually a really nice bookstore not too far from here that has a surprising amount of American and British literature. And they have an impressive variety of music, too. You know, if you're into that sort of thing. I could show it to you if you'd like." And with that, Brady just gave the girl sitting next to him a friendly smile, hoping that she'd be interested in his offer.

She considered his offer for the moment, almost dismissivly declining. Something caught her though. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been alone for so long, maybe this strange man seemed like decent, and at the very least not brain dead, company. More likely it was the fact that she had read Jane Eyre at least a dozen times, and her library consisted of nothing else at the moment. If he knew of a place... "Very well. I could do with a few more books I suppose." She finished the rest of the sushi on her plates, what little there was left, then said, "I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Talia Vernes, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Brady Newman, likewise, it's a pleasure." They both finished up, payed for their meals and took off, with Brady leading the way.

The bookstore was indeed impressive. In fact, it looked more like a small library than anything else. Near the entrance was the area for music that Brady mentioned, a plethora of CDs, vinyls, and listening stations were everywhere in the location. Then there was the rest of the store. Aisles among aisles of books ranging from Japanese pop culture to the classics littered the store, but off in its own contained section was a decently sized section of English literature, mostly stuff that had won awards and was currently popular. Brady quickly lead Talia over to the English lit section, triumphantly displaying his find. "And here it is. They have most of the more well-known authors, though they also have stuff that's currently popular."

Talia let her gaze wander through the vast selection of books, her eyes soaking in the vast number of titles, more books than she could probably read in her lifetime. Just looking at all the books, she had no idea what to chose. In the past she had always gotten books recommended by the MBI scientists looking after her. But now with an entire library of books available to her, how could she choose? She needed a recommendation... Looking over to Brady she decided to trust his judgement. He may be more into modern literature, but at the very least he seemed well educated enough to give at least a decent suggestion. "Well Brady, you brought me here, what would you recommend. I seem to be at a loss with so much choice."

"Ooh, putting the pressure on me, huh? Let's see…" His voice trailed off as he began to look through the collection of books. There were the classics, but Talia seemed to be well-versed in those types of books, so he figured he'd try something a little newer. There were the cheesy pop culture books, like Twilight, but Brady's all-seeing eye caught onto something very unusual. It was an author he wasn't too familiar with, but knew all about from one of his good friends. The author was Chuck Palahniuk, mostly known for his novel, Fight Club, but the book on display was one of Palahniuk's more acclaimed novels, Choke. Brady remembered his friend talking about the book, often citing how it handled interpersonal relationships as a work of art. Considering how Talia seemed to enjoy those kinds of stories, Brady went ahead and picked up the book, presenting it to her. "Here, this should be a treat. It's a book about this man who goes to all sorts of restaurants and fakes choking to death to trick the owner into giving him free meals. It sounds really weird, but a lot of the plot is about the protagonist's relationships with people, especially his mother. It's something very different, even by modern standards."

"Hmm," she replied, "It certainly sounds...interesting." She took the book from him and looked at the cover, then turned it over to the back to read the short description. It didn't seem like her kind of book, but perhaps it was time to stretch her wings per se. Maybe in more ways than one. She gave a small smile and tucked the book under her arm, taking a few more moments to pick a couple more books off the shelves, more just picking based off the cover than anything else. Time to be a bit more impulsive she supposed. She looked over to Brady, the tall man towering over her looking at another book a few feet away. Could he be her Ashikabi? She allowed herself to wonder for a moment, her body feeling warm until she pushed the feeling away. She didn't need to rely on a human. She hadn't needed them for eighteen years so far, and she certainly didn't need one now.

Deciding to pick one more book, this one completely based on chance, she gathered her stack in front of her and walked the few paces over to Brady. "Right, I think this should keep me busy for a while." She briefly considered making him pay, but pushed the though back down. It wasn't the sixteen hundreds, plus relying on a human to support her was a thought that appalled her. "Have you found what you were looking for?"

"I just like coming here to browse. It's about the closest thing to being back home as I can get." Since Brady wanted to commemorate his meeting with the lit-loving Talia, he decided he wanted to do something for her. "Hey, you should let me pay for Choke. Let's just say it's a gift. If anything, it'll save you from paying for something you may not like, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the book."

Talia's smile grew just a bit more, although still one could hardly call it a smile. Perhaps chivalry wasn't completely dead, not yet at least. "I suppose," she said, "but expect me to repay you somehow in the future." The two walked over to the register and payed for their books, then out into the bright sunlight and back onto the streets of Tokyo. Slipping her new books into her bag, she said to the tall American beside her, "Well Brady, it's been a pleasure meeting you, and thank you for the help with books. And thank you for paying for Choke as well, hopefully it is a good recommendation."

It was at this moment that it really dawned on Brady just how beautiful Talia was, her pristine visage glowing from her faint smile and spectral complexion. He couldn't help but return a smile to her, "I'm glad I could help. Well, uh, I guess I should probably get going. Hopefully we'll run into each other soon. I'll be looking forward to what you have in store for me." And with that, Brady set off into the distance, leaving Talia with a memento of their encounter. Before he was completely out of sight, he waved back in a friendly manner, bidding her a very American farewell.

Colony · Apr 22, 2016

Aura, Tatsumi, and Brady: I Need a Drink After That

Night fell, and most places had begun to close. Aura walked out of the hole in the wall she made with her alchemy, a wad of cash in hand from the bank's reserves. Several thousands to last her a few months easily. She closed up the hole, making sure that it looked exactly as it did before she made it. She pocketed the cash and took her makeshift mask off, turning it back into a carbon fiber armband. The crisp autumn air nipping slightly at her bare skin. She began to walk on the fairly secluded back road sidewalks.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi had finished his short gig at a local bar. He had performed on their piano, and had elected to leave his violin at home. He shivered against the cool air, forgetting to have worn warmer clothes. Tatsumi took his usual shortcuts through the city to get back home.

While not too far away, Brady had been walking around after he concluded a trip to one of the local bookstores that he often frequented. It was an interesting place, since it also carried CDs and some vinyl records, something he hadn't expected when he first went inside. He didn't buy anything for himself this time, but he did buy something for the girl, Talia, who he had just met. He felt kinda bad about leaving her so abruptly, but once she flashed that lovely near-smile, he knew he wouldn't have been able to keep calm. But now he wanted something else to do, and since it was getting a bit late, Brady figured he'd at least go get a drink. Or something like that.

Aura noticed three people on the street with her, one a careless looking pretty-boy, one american, and a woman with a number of metal accessories, who Aura was certain was trailing her. Aura casually walked into the construction site, testing her theory. As expected, the woman followed, and Aura immediately began to assess whether the follower was a human who saw her rob the bank, or another Sekirei looking for a fight. She got her answer fast, as immediately a steel beam seemingly began to fall. Aura was able to duck out of the way, her ears ringing from the loud crash.

Tatsumi heard the noise and went to investigate, staying out of sight. He watched as the dust settled and the blond woman stood up, the other calmly walking forward. Tatsumi was genuinely interested in what would transpire.

The loud crashing sound of metal certainly surprised Brady, drawing his attention towards a close-by construction site. Something seemed really off about what he just heard, since there weren't any lights on by the construction site. Another bystander seemed to be just as curious, since Brady saw him trail off into the site. Concerned with what may have happened, and a bit curious as well, Brady decided to follow the feminine-looking guy into the construction site. After all, there might be someone in need of help. But what he saw was nothing like what he expected.

Aura quickly used her alchemy to transform her carbon fiber cloves into the more resistant graphene, the material covering both of her arms in a deceptively protective fabric. Another steel beam crashing into the ground. Aura put her hands to the concrete, ripping the Silicon Dioxide from the cement mixture, forming it into an obsidian blade. She charged at the assailant, but was batted away by a steel digging bar seemingly floating in the air. The assailant grinned, clearly confident in her abilities. "I saw you stealing from that bank." She said, the pole lifting up, aiming to shoot forward at Aura.

"What do you care, 26?" Aura spat, quickly putting her hands on the ground to create a concrete wall to block the bar. It penetrated the wall, almost getting her, but sticking in the wall.

"That isn't my number." The woman said angrily. Aura touched the bar, positive that most of the things around her were made of steel.

"It's my number for you." Aura replied, charging at the building. The woman forced another beam in Aura's direction from the side, but Aura reacted quickly and got out of the way.

Tatsumi watched as the fight unfolded, watching as there was a slight wobble each time an object began to mysteriously move. He watched the wobble come from the beam directed towards Aura, and he noticed that there was another man in the beam's path. Tatsumi reacted quickly, sprinting to the man and tackling him, the beam shooting over them into a digging truck, glass spraying around them, slightly nicking Tatsumi.

Brady, still awestruck by the transpiring events, wasn't even aware of the takedown that he had just received. Even after hitting the ground, the only thing he could focus on was the movie-like scene in front of him. The two women were ripped straight from a gritty fantasy or scifi story, and they were actually fighting each other with crazy magical powers. At least, that's the way he perceived the encounter. But now that reality was slowly setting in, Brady felt a nagging pain all over his back where he had landed. And then there was the pretty boy wrapped around Brady's lengthy frame. "Hey, man, I know you're just trying to help a guy out, but I don't know you like that. At least ask me out to dinner or something first before you try to pin me down."

A bit of blood ran down Tatsumi's arm from the glass, he winced, but managed a smile, "Sorry, but I already met someone today who's sapped my account, maybe another time." Tatsumi winked, sitting up to look at the fight, "Are you okay though? It wouldn't be good if I hurt you."

"Can't really complain. You know, just kinda flat on my back is all. You don't look too hot right now, though. Like, your arm looks shredded." Brady was still a little dazed, but he was at least concerned about the guy who helped him. "Hey, do you know those two? They don't seem very normal, you know?"

Tatsumi looked at his arm, taking off his jacket and tying it around the wound. "I don't know them." Tatsumi answered, the two women moving into the building, out of sight, "I'm not missing this." Tatsumi said, "Hey, stay safe!" He said, running into the building.

Brady just looked onward as the pretty boy ran off into the building. For a moment, he wondered why the other guy was so eager to follow them. After all, the two women had just managed to bring a steel girder down upon Brady and his tackler. Is this guy for real? Like, I've heard of wanting a death wish, but I never thought anybody would be so willing to run after it. But as much disbelief Brady was in about the whole situation, he knew that he couldn't leave the other guy alone. If for some reason he needed help, Brady owed it to him to come to his aid. So, Brady took a deep breath in, got to his feet, and followed the group into the building. But by the time he got in there, they had already moved much deeper into the building.

Tatsumi crept through the building cautiously, excitement building as he looked for the two fighters. Things had gone eerily quiet, and Tatsumi figured there was a game of cat and mouse going on. Tatsumi walked into a room, and was yanked aside, hand over his mouth, and a blade to his neck.

"Are you her Ashikabi?" The woman said, Tatsumi couldn't see her face, but he saw blond hair.

Tatsumi didn't struggle, and waited for her to remove her hand before answering, "Her what?" He whispered.

"Don't play games with me." The woman said, "Is she winged or not?"

"Winged?" Tatsumi said confused, "Like a bird?" The woman sighed, frustrated. "What are you people? Some kind of government experiments?"

Aura let go of the boy, surprised by his complete lack of fear, or sense of danger. She ignored him and continued drawing the transmutation circle "Get out and go home kid." She said, "Or you'll die."

Tatsumi shook his head, "I've been part of the construction crew for this building, and you two are definitely ruining things." Tatsumi didn't actually care about the building, but he did want an excuse to stay.

"I'll fix it if I survive." Aura said dismissively. "Are you the only one?"

"There was another person you almost killed, I think he stayed outside though." Tatsumi replied.

"You humans are idiots." Aura grumbled, "Find him and get out of here, as far as you can. I'm blowing this place up."

"Absolutely not! We've been working on this building for months!" The woman glared at Tatsumi, and he immediately began to care less about the building, "I'll go get us out of here then."

Somewhere else in the building, the ferrokinetic Sekirei was looking for Aura, seemingly unable to locate the thieving Sekirei. Every room and corner she investigated gave little to no indication of travel. She was certain that Aura must've been hiding and planning something. But while she planned out her next move, she heard footsteps nearing her. They were quiet, careful of drawing attention. If she hadn't been a Sekirei, then there might've been a chance she wouldn't notice it. She full well knew that she couldn't take any chance on losing the initiative against her apparent stalker. Yet, when she encountered the would be assailant, what she saw was just a rather tall, goofy looking human.

In what seemed like a moment, Brady was once again tackled. The day was proving to be rather rough on the young man. This time it was one of the women that were fighting. She had both of his arms pinned down, her body hovering over his. "Are you that thief's Ashikabi? Answer me," she demanded.

Brady merely looked on in confusion. "I'm flattered, but I have no idea of what you're talking about. I just heard a noise and walked over, then some guy ran in after you two pyschos and I just wanted to make sure he was okay. As soon as I find, I'm leaving."

The girl just looked at Brady with disdain, like he had no place even being near her. "Whatever. That person is probably that *****'s Ashikabi, so you should just leave." She proceeded to get off of Brady and effortlessly lifted him back up on his feet, despite his significantly larger size.

Brady was entirely confused. "All you've been talking about is Ashikabi this and Ashikabi that. And how in the world can you lift me up like that? I'm like twice your size."

By now, she was through with Brady. "It doesn't concern you. Just know that it isn't safe here, so do yourself a favor and please leave. I'm serious. Nothing good will come of staying here."
Afterwards, she started walking off, returning to her search for Aura. But Brady wasn't satisfied with the girl's response. He knew that the other guy had nothing to do with them, and if she was right and it wasn't safe, then that was an even bigger reason to go find him and get him out of here. And with that, Brady decided to follow a different direction than the woman who'd he just been assaulted by. Who knows? Maybe I can make it through the night without being tackled again?

Tatsumi ran through the building, unsure of how long he had. Eventually he ran right into Brady, knocking them both over. "Oh, good." Tatsumi said panting, "We should most definitely get out of here!" He said, helping the man up, "This building isn't going to be standing for much longer."

As Brady hit the ground for the third time in only a matter of minute, he was starting to get just a little annoyed with all the football feelings. He didn't even like football. Mostly because of the tackling. "Hey, you know we really need to stop meeting like this. My back is getting tired. And what do you mean 'the building isn't going to be standing for much longer?"

"I'm really not sure how long we have until she decides to blow this place up." Tatsumi said urgently, "And I would really like to see it from the outside."
"Wait. Someone's gonna blow the building up?! Why didn't you say so! Let's go!"

Tatsumi led the way, taking the quickest path out of the building. He led them to the street and then turned to face the building with anticipation.

Aura put the finishing touches on the last transmutation circle. There were two circles in five rooms, one to turn the carbon in the steel into graphene, and the other to bind carbon in the air with nitrogen. The result being an extremely hot, explosive fire. Aura waited for the other Sekirei to find her.

"Done playing mouse?" The other Sekirei asked, "As soon as you were released, you decided to commit crimes?"

Aura waited, giving the humans a little time to escape, "What difference does it make to you?" She asked, "I need the money to survive, and I intend to survive."

"Lot of good that has done you." She said, preparing to kill, "It'll feel good to get rid of a bad egg."

"A good egg burnt is pretty disgusting." Aura said, snapping her fingers. Each room but the one they were in erupted into flames. "You can try to kill me, but I guarantee that you'll burn alive."

The other Sekirei cried out in pain as Aura threw her obsidian knife into her shoulder, jumping out the second story window of the now burning building, sealing the wall as white and blue flames lighting the night up.

Tatsumi didn't hesitate to run toward the building after the explosions ended. Just out front, on the other side of the building, he saw the metal Sekirei, limping out from the flames, burned and covering a wound. Tatsumi caught her as she collapsed and quickly took her away to the nearest lit building. He knocked on the door until he heard footsteps and then left, deciding not to be involved when the police, fire department, and ambulance came.

As Brady hit the ground for the third time in only a matter of minute, he was starting to get just a little annoyed with all the football feelings. He didn't even like football. Mostly because of the tackling. "Hey, you know we really need to stop meeting like this. My back is getting tired. And what do you mean 'the building isn't going to be standing for much longer?"

And just like that, the other guy was gone. Without so much as a name, he'd entered into Brady's life and left just as quick. Then there were those weird women. He had no idea who those girls were or why they were fighting, but whatever it was, it was bad enough that one of them actually set a building on fire. Brady knew that he needed to get out of there, since the fire would undoubtedly draw people's attention, and another run in with the police was out of the question at this point. So, Brady decided to go around the back of the building, but much to his surprise, he saw one of the women. She looked rough, both from her apparent injuries and just from her general appearance. She had a wild look about her, a fit young woman, with tattooed arms and wearing masculine clothes. Brady was wary about the woman, but something just struck out to him. He just felt compelled to at least offer some aid. "Hey, uhm, is there anything I can do to help? You look like you've seen better days."

"I've survived worse." Aura said, sitting up, "Who are you, that idiot's babysitter?"

"Honestly, I don't even know the guy. Crazy bastard runs in after you two, immediately after we almost got killed." Brady took a few moments to fully gather the situation. He knew that the girl had a decent chance of being the arsonists, but if that was the case, he also knew he couldn't really confront her about it. Hell, she just blew up a building, what would she do to him? Brady figured that as long as he was careful, he might be able to walk out of this whole incident with little more than the inevitable bruises on his back. "I don't know. I guess he wanted to get a closer look at the two beauties duking it out? Still, I didn't feel good about letting a man walk into what seemed like a death trap. Guess it wasn't really a good decision to follow him, though. But, you know, I couldn't just leave him, right? Just like how I can't leave you here. It just doesn't sit right with me."

"You do know that people that follow idiots are also idiots right?" She pulled out her cigarettes and lit one for a smoke, she offered one to Brady, "You smoke?"

"Yeah, just not usually cigs. But hell, I need it. Thanks." Brady pulled out his own lighter, taking the offered cig and lighting it. As he was bringing the cig up to his lips, he started back up, "So, what was all that about back there? That other chick seemed pissed. She was talking some strange s**t about Ashikabi, whatever that is."

The fire raged at their backs as they smoked, Aura feeling an obligation to not care, "She was angry cause I stole money from a bank or something. And as for the Ashikabi thing, it has to do with us aliens and who we get feelings for. We are Sekirei, and the humans who bond with us are Ashikabi." Aura smoked too fast, frustrated that the events even happened, "Where's the nearest bar? This day has turned out to really suck."

"Aliens? Yeah, okay." Brady laughed at the thought. "You know what, a drink does sound good right about now. There's a place a few blocks away that's cheap, but you get unlimited beer for a couple of hours. It's normally where a lot of the suits go, but by now, something tells me everyone's gonna be a bit too concerned with the fireworks behind us." He started walking towards the path, turning back towards the woman. "You coming… uh, I don't think I ever caught your name?"

She caught up, tossing her cigarette butt into the flames. She touched the ground and deactivated all of the transmutation circles, causing the flames to subside. "My name is Aura." She said, standing up to walk with him, "Are you able to put a drink down? I don't want to end up drinking with a flower."

"Yeah, I can hold my liquor." As he led the way to the bar, Brady's thoughts couldn't help but continuously return to the events that transpired. Even if Aura looked kinda rough and rugged, she didn't seem like the overly hostile kind of person that would intentionally blow up a building. Sure, she seemed a bit crass, but Brady knew that just because someone had a bad attitude, didn't necessarily mean that their intentions were particularly bad. Still, he didn't want to spend too much time focusing on her actions, since he didn't know her all that well. But she clearly didn't seem like she wanted to kill Brady, so that was enough for him. "Aura, huh? How ambient. Can't say that my name is all that trendy, but I don't know, I like it. Oh, I suppose it'd help to explain that my name's Brady. Brady Newman if you're interested in the full." Brady was getting ready to start up a bit of a casual conversation when he noticed that they had already arrived. "Well, here's the place." Unafraid of encroaching on Japanese culture, since Aura didn't look Japanese in the slightest, he decided to hold the door open for her. "Ladies first."

"Aw how kind of you." Aura said half sarcastically. "The name has nothing to do with trends, I chose it based on my number and it's number being gold on the table of elements." She went to the counter and ordered herself the strongest drink they had, the bartender offering the slightest bit of resistance serving it to her, but giving in after a stark insistence by Aura. "Oh, and one for the kind American here."

She chose her name based on her number? That idea seemed rather off to Brady, but he'd heard of people changing their names before, just never for such a weird reason. Was she really being serious about the alien thing from earlier? Brady was certain that couldn't be true, but things just weren't adding up. He hoped that maybe the drink would at least distract him from questioning things further, but something told him that it probably wouldn't. Still, he hoped it would. The bartender had brought Brady his drink, and by now he was already sipping on the distinctly familiar drink. Brady recognized the drink as an Apple Pie, which seemed odd to him. Where he was from, that wasn't exactly the strongest thing you could get your hands on, but it was rather delicious. He looked over to Aura, "So, you liking the drink?"

"I do enjoy my booze." Aura replied, easily drinking the fireball and apple cider beverage, "It's a way to calm the nerves, especially around some of the more infuriating humans." Aura thought back to the scientists assigned to watch her on expeditions, and how often they used to complain. She quickly finished the drink and ordered another, "Where are you from? Europe? America? From what I looked up, Brady isn't a common Japanese name, nor do you look Japanese."

Brady downed the rest of his drink, ordering another in the process. "Yeah, I'm an international student from the States. Well, I was. Due to some things beyond my control, my academic stay here was terminated. Honestly, the only reason I'm still here is because nobody can fly out of the city right now. But hey, I get to stay here for a bit longer, and Tokyo's awesome." The bartender walked on by and brought their second round of drinks, placing them right in front of them.

"What'd you do, fail a class?" Aura asked, chugging her drink. "Or maybe you followed some idiot into the wrong place."

"Eh, following an idiot is pretty close. Friend of mine had some bad acquaintances and things just went south from there." Brady stared into his drink for a few moments before downing it. "Even though I didn't do anything wrong, the school said the publicity was unacceptable, so they ended things early. It's whatever though. If I got stuck on that kind of stuff, then I wouldn't be here right now. And, honestly, as crazy as it sounds, I can't really complain."

"Sounds rough." Aura replied, "Well, you'll be in Tokyo for a while. I think the crazy bastard's going to keep the ports shut until all of us Sekirei are dead or something. So, as long as a bunch of us are alive, you'll get to take your vacation here." Aura ordered another round.

And there it was again. This Sekirei nonsense. But now, Aura was saying she actually was involved, albeit in a distant way, to why he couldn't go home. "You're serious about all this alien stuff, aren't you? Damn, I didn't think things would be weirder than they were, but wow." Brady followed suit and ordered another drink. "So, what? You all have to fight to the death? Sounds like some sort of twisted black comedy. Next thing you're gonna tell me is that it's all just some ploy to find true love. Like that could be real." Brady laughed at the thought.

Aura just laughed, "Yeah that would be totally stupid, only a crazy madman would think of something like that." She downed her drink, "Oh, but the whole killing each other thing, definitely no joke, that's for real. So pretty much, in order for me to survive, I'll need to kill all of the others." Her nonchalant and calm explanation of the situation was followed by another order, the two of them talking for a while.

Sephear · Apr 24, 2016

That one French phrase for three people in a relationship....omelette du fromage? No that's not it...

Izumi sighed as she continued to walk down the sidewalks of the busy Tokyo streets. After parting ways with Eri, the black-haired Sekirei had made it a point to finally start looking for a Ashikabi, like her new friend had mentioned. The problem was that the girl simply was not finding anyone that actually made that click, one that stood out from all the others she happened to pass by and at times, take a few minutes to stalk and observe. To make matters even worse, the longer she walked around, the more things just began to confuse her. During her search, Izumi saw many things... but none that she actually expected to. There were no giant robots. There were no ninjas or traveling samurai. She had yet to see a cat that would actually take the time to carry a conversation with her. There were a couple of high school girls that Izumi encountered about an hour ago, but when she asked them to change into their superhero forms, they were quick to run away from her.

"The whole thing just doesn't make any sense," Izumi sighed, coming to take herself a small break under the shade of a large tree. At that point, her stomach chimed in with a faint growl. Realizing that she had yet to actually eat anything since finally getting to set foot outside, the black-haired beauty decided it was time to rectify that issue. Glancing up, Izumi quickly noticed that the tree she was sitting under was sporting some rather tasty-looking apples. She smiled softly, glancing down at the ground and staring at a patch of grass for a few moments, before a large, rather tangling looking vine started to sprout out of it. The vine quickly crawled its way around the tree, stopping at one of the branches and flicking one of the apples off and down towards the girl. With minimal effort, Izumi extended her hand and caught the apple before it would have hit the ground. "Maybe I stepped into some weird, parallel dimension when I left... I read about that sort of thing before..." Izumi mused aloud to herself, before taking a crisp bite of the apple.

Meanwhile a short distance away a strange couple was walking down one of the city's many sidewalks on their way home... well it was one of their's home, the other one just - well it was complicated okay? One was adorned with fox tails and ears, happy as can be, holding the hand of a man who looked strangely normal by comparison, besides his curly hair, which was quite a rarity around that area. They seemed to be talking - even if it was the foxgirl making most of the noise.

Seiji wasn't sure how to feel. Besides how nonsensical everything else about the day had been so far, Lotus alternated between holding his hand, resting her head on his shoulder, pointing at things and making noises, and bouncing around pulling him towards things so much he didn't know whether he found it endearing or annoying. He supposed he had plenty of time to decide about it, if what the president of MBI had said was true, he'd be stuck with her for a while. Besides... Maybe being stuck with a beautiful buxom girl with fox ears and tails didn't have to be bad? Sure she was strange... But Seiji tended to be easily bored, and... if they were in a relationship, or whatever being an Ashikabi means, it gives him full access to petting those ears, right?

Already viewing the world through an extremely cheerful lens of awe and wonder, Lotus was even more awestruck and happy than ever before, especially with Seiji. Of course, even she found it a bit strange, but she learned not to question it too hard when it gave an opportunity to see a world outside of the lab. She turned to Seiji, sighed, and asked, still holding his hand, "Hey Seiji, what else is beyond Tokyo? Is the entire world like this? That'd be soooooo cool, just being able to play games, buy adorable plushes, here the great words of that one wizard." The "great wizard" was in reference to an elderly man with a thin, wispy white beard that they had passed. They had detoured to ask him some questions about Tokyo, and with unbelievable patience, answered to the best of his ability on Lotus' preconceptions of the world. Unperturbed by the seemingly mundane surroundings that Seiji had seen a million times, Seiji faced Lotus with a seeming unending patience.

"Well, there's a lot of things to see all over the world Lotus." Seij said. "I'm really not all that knowledgeable on the rest of it myself. But you certainly won't see more girls like yourself. I know there are more Sekirei but I think you may be the only foxgirl in the entire world. It's pretty amazing actually, you're mostly human, but then you've got that perfect red hair... and those ears and tails that are so soft..." He stopped himself halfway through reaching for Lotus' ears behind her back, and snatched his hand away at the last second. "You're very special. I should tell you I've always had a weakness for cute, fuzzy animals. I met Hiromi - that girl I was with at the café - through seeing her take care of a stray cat, and it's why I started to like her." That's it, I can't keep having this inner struggle. When we get home I'm going to ask if I can pet those ears... I have to.

Lotus giggled at his love for fuzzy animals. "No wonder you love my tails and ears. That's not the only reason I'm special, I'm especially special because...I'm me! It's pretty great being me." Lotus, rather than sounding like a vain egotist, certainly came off more like a child showing off, not realizing that by virtue of her existence she was awesome enough as is. As they walked together, they began to approach a large apple tree. The flowers had long since bloomed into apples. A woman with long black hair sat down, munching on apples.

Looking up from her snack, Izumi's eyes widened as she watched the couple go by. She found that her gaze was completely fixated on the girl of the duo. Sure, she was plenty cute to look at... However, the main reason for Izumi's stare happened to be on account of the fox tail and ears poking out through her hair. What was left from the Sekirei's snack rolled out of her hand as she sat there, questioning if she was seeing what she was actually seeing. When Izumi finally managed to snap back to reality, she was quick to climb to her feet. A broad smile quickly graced her lips as she immediately took off after the duo with glee.

"Finally!" the black-haired Sekirei cried out in joy. "Finally, something that makes sense!"

The black-haired woman who had been sitting on the tree had approached the duo and exclaimed her praises on something that fit her narrative of an anime-inspired world. Ever so jolly, Lotus called out to her, "Hello! How are ya doing? Did I surprise you? Man, am I the talk of the town." She grinned at all the attention she was getting, not only from Seiji, but also this stranger.

"She's even talking to me!" Izumi thought with delight. She was honestly starting to think her alternate reality theory was coming true. She was glad to see this was not the case, however. Without missing a beat or asking for permission, the black-haired woman quickly reached out to take hold of the fox-girl's ears and rub them gently between her fingers, as if feeling them would be all the more evidence she needed to prove that she was in fact, not dreaming. "So fluffy and soft... Yes, yes! Just like I read about!"

Unperturbed by the woman's forwardness in approaching her and petting her ears, she said, "Yup...soft and fluffy." Picking up on the comment about having read about it, she asked, "You've read about it? So that means, there might be more fox girls! In your face, Seiji she's read about more fox girls! I am not the only one!"

"Those books are fictional... which I would have thought you were before today." Seiji chimed in. I guess she DOESN'T mind her ears being touched. It would be obvious to anyone who could read thoughts what HE deemed the most relevant part of this interruption. Without another thought he reached out and nudged one of the black-haired girl's hands out of the way to start rubbing the unoccupied ear. "Oh my gosh... it's as soft as the tails..." He then finally focused on the other girl, though his hand kept absently rubbing the ear it had claimed. "So, I take it you thought people like Lotus are supposed to be real? Well I'm sorry to say they aren't...or weren't... or... maybe they are, since Lotus is real? But she's the only one I've ever seen, or heard of for that matter outside of anime and manga."

Izumi shook her head quickly in response. "Manga is real, silly! I know that for sure!" She gestured over towards the fox-tailed girl. "This is proof right here! I know it!" Lotus chimed in, now excited at the possibility, "Yeah, maybe manga is kinda like real life. Like how the Earth faces threats from space every now and again. Are there space stations in Tokyo, Seiji?"

"No...there aren't." Seiji said plainly. "And have you seen any fox girls yet?" He demanded of the other girl. "Just because there's one doesn't mean it's all real." He was beginning to get suspicious of this girl. If she believed manga were all based in reality there were only two possibilities. Either she's crazy, or...

Izumi huffed, rolling her eyes. "Have you seen air? Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there!"

"Air is all around me, foxgirls, magical schoolgirls, and monsters aren't." Seiji declared with a huff of his own.

Izumi frowned as she put a hand on her hip, before glancing over at the fox-girl.. "Then how do you explain her?"

"I said already, she's just one!" Seiji exclaimed. "There aren't any other fox-girls around, and none of those other things I mentioned either. Why are you so sure they exist?"

"Because I read all about them! They wouldn't let me read things about them constantly back at the lab!" Izumi insisted. "Besides, if there's one of something, that means there must be more!"

"That tears it!" Seiji stepped away from Lotus to lean closer to the black-haired woman, only now noticing how pretty she was. And - no his eyes darted back up immediately, he was better than that. But what he did see only served to confirm his suspicions in his own head. "You're a Sekirei, aren't you?"

Izumi nodded. "Well yeah, but..." The black-haired girl glanced back and forth between the two, suddenly realizing what was going on. "Oh, I get it! You two are together!"

Lotus gasped, "You're a Sekirei?! Wow, that's so cool. I guess in that sense, I'm not alone. Oh my god, so what are your powers have you found an Ashikabi yet what do you think of Tokyo so far it's the best don't you think?" Lotus' tails flitted in excitement, enticing the attention back to her tails, especially to the wide eyed Seikirei.

Izumi blinked slowly, as if trying to process everything that was being asked. She had never seen anyone fire off so many questions so quickly. Still, Izumi somehow managed to piece everything together that fox-eared Seikirei was asking. "Well, Tokyo is kinda... odd. It's nothing like I read about so far. I haven't seen a single giant robot and not one cat will talk to me! It's pretty rude, if you ask me..." Izumi took a moment to mull it over in her head and continued to answer the questions. "I haven't found one just yet, but... As for powers..."

Izumi glanced over at the apple tree she had been sitting under just a while ago and returned her attention to the grass around it. A few vines began to slowly sprout from the grass, both twisting around before growing in size and width. Like snakes, they began to twist and wrap around tree as they traveled up the branches, both knocking off two apples from the tree and towards the gathered trio. Izumi picked both of the apples off the ground and smiled as she handed them to the duo.

"I can manipulate plants," Izumi answered, as if the demonstration was not enough to explain it. "Pretty neat, right?"

"That is really cool." Seiji said, nodding. "You could make the most amazing garden in the world, and then it could defend itself, and forget about ever running out of fruit or vegetables." He smiled, trying to think of a more mundane use for the abilities than fighting. "Hmmm maybe if girls like you two exist, I guess anime and manga aren't as far-fetched as I thought. I mean basic logic says you shouldn't exist, but here you are, and you're very interesting!"

"I told you..." Izumi replied, seeming almost proud that the boy was starting to see the light. It was during this time that Izumi took an actual good look at him. She took in the sight of his black, curly hair. She found herself memorized by golden, amber eyes. The black-haired Seikiri felt her cheeks heat up as she looked his body up and down. She really was not familiar with the fox-girl, but Izumi could already tell that she had good taste. She could feel the beat of her heart quicken as Izumi suddenly placed her hands behind her back, slowly starting to circle around the boy as if inspecting him from all angles. "You know... You're actually kinda cute... Did anyone ever tell you that...?"

Seiji raised an eyebrow when the girl began to circle him not sure how to feel about the way it seemed he was being appraised. When she complimented him he wasn't sure quite what to say. "Actually, on---only once or twice...I've always thought I was sort of average, even if my hair and eyes are a bit weird." He felt himself redden for the second time that day. "That's very nice of you to say miss---Oh! I'm so sorry I haven't asked your name yet! I'm Seiji, Seiji Taketo." He said, giving a small bow and realizing he hadn't told Lotus his last name yet. "And this is Lotus, another Sekirei like yourself...which I suppose makes me an Ashikabi."

Lotus, oblivious to the appraisal that was going on with Seiji, merely waved and chirped, "Nice to meet ya, for real this time. I guess since we've already talked, we're friends?" Lotus was certainly happy to find someone as eccentric as her, someone with lots of imagination. Not realizing the awkward position Seiji yet again found himself in, Lotus leaned oh his shoulder, still liking the comfort that he gave.

"My name is Izumi... but you can call me whatever you like, Seiji-kun~" Izumi responded, leaning in even closer to the boy. The black-haired girl seemed to have no problem using such a familiar tone with the boy she just met not even fifteen minutes ago. She gave a brief nod to Lotus before continuing. "Oh, we're friends alright... but maybe we could be a bit more than that... Wouldn't you like that, Lotus...?" She paused, leaning onto Seiji's other shoulder. Slowly, her finger came to trace a small circle on Seiji's cheek. "I bet you'd like that... wouldn't you...?"

"More than friends? What do you mean? You mean like best friends? I'd be glad to!" Outside of feelings for Seiji, she was still quite oblivious to the tone and overall intent by the flirty Sekirei.

Seiji was lucky not to get a serious krick in his neck the way his head kept darting back and forth between looking at Lotus, and at Izumi. "Yes, well it's uh, very nice to meet you Izumi." When she touched his cheek his back straightened like a bolt and it was all he could do not to lean into her soft finger. "w-w-what are you trying to say?" He was burning up much more by this point, he may as well have had a fever.

"Oh, yes... I wanna be best friends... Best friends with both of you..." Izumi responded to both the Ashikabi and his Sekirei. She was not oblivious to the way Seiji was more or less being twisted around her finger. The flushed cheeks and the way he stammered, it was all so enticing, yet adorable to her. She giggled softly, giving Seiji a small wink as she did so. Slowly, Izumi's free hand made its way down her shirt, taking it by the hem on the bottom and sliding it up to reveal more of her lean torso. "Are you getting hot, Seiji-kun...? It is a bit steamy out here... isn't it...? What do you think, Lotus...?"

"I suppose it is a little warm. I mean, whew, I was burning up before I got winged. Still a little warm though." It was at this point that Lotus also decided to pull up her shirt, thinking it too light cool her down like Izumi.

"Whoah whoah, guys what are you doing?!? We're in public! Keep your clothes on!" Seiji stammered out, taking a step away from the women.

Unfortunately for Seiji, he did not get too far from the duo. As if she were anticipating the boy running further, a familiar looking vine quickly wrapped itself around his ankle, essentially serving as a snare of sorts to keep him from running further. The vine even seemed to go as far as to pull him to the ground. The plant-wielding Sekirei began to slowly make her way towards Seiji, her curvaceous hips swaying back and forth in the process. She giggled in an almost teasing manner all the while.

"Sorry about that, Seiji-kun~" Izumi said, the girl kneeling down to give him a particularly smashing view of her cleavage in the process. "I wanted to make sure you were... rooted in place~"

Seiji's attempts to scramble away from Izumi were all for nothing, even if his legs were fairly strong they were nothing compared to the sekirei-controlled plant. His eyes widened when she kept coming closer and reluctantly darted downward when she knelt down. "O-oh there's nothing to worry about. But I'm uh, not into bondage so maybe you should l-let me go?" He managed to speak almost evenly, but his voice almost cracked after over six years of vocal stability. He had wished for something like this to happen plenty of times throughout his life, and he was no prude. But after the day he had, and knowing this gorgeous girl in front of him was some sort of super-powered love-alien that would no doubt entangle him in even more craziness. it instilled a fear that overpowered his now wide-awake libido.

"Now why would I want to let you go...?" Izumi asked. She began to stare deeply into Seiji's eyes as she spoke, the girl coming even closer to his face. "I want to keep you... nice... and... close..."

"Please, let's talk about this." Seiji said quietly, having a hard time forming proper sentences by this point. "I just got out of a relationship and met someone in the same day, I really shouldn't be rushing into another one."

"But don't you know...? I could help you make all that pain go away, Seiji-kun~" Izumi replied, gently tapping the tip of the boy's nose as she spoke. She paused just long enough for another one of her vines to assist her in this situation, this time bringing forth the apple she had picked for Seiji just a few moments ago. Taking it into her hand, the girl took a slowly, rather sensual looking bite into the apple, going as far as to lick her lips as she did so. "Mmmm... So juicy... You like juicy things, right Seiji-kun...?"

A man's lips had never been so dry in history. Seiji was honestly shocked they hadn't cracked and bled yet. He licked his lips nervously, though it was impossible to tell if it was from genuine thirst or... Just being thirsty and his eyes bounced around in his head, trying to look anywhere other than at Izumi. "No I'm fine, I've always been a fan of raisins instead! Yeah! And turnips, and uh....potato chips, and other dry things."

Izumi pressed her forehead against Seiji's. "Then how about you try something new... like my lips...?" And without waiting a moment further for him to accept or decline, Izumi quickly placed her lips against the boy's own.

Upon contact between Izumi and Seiji's lips several huge petals shot out of the ground and swallowed them up like the snapping jaws of a venus fly trap, leaving them hidden from the world in a giant bulb. The sweetest scent in the world pervaded both inside the bulb and in the air for a good distance, it made one feel as if they were floating through a cloud of the world's most romantic and beautiful dreams, but got the blood pumping as well. The pink mist wreathed around the nearby apple tree and instantly the noble plant dropped it's entire bounty to the ground at once, rapidly blooming all over again and growing a whole new generation of apples double the size, redness, and most assuredly flavor of any other. Within the plant prison the body of Sekirei and Ashikabi were pressed closer together, assuring a more intimate setting than either one expected even as they were completely overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through their brains and bodies. They both felt as if they were one with the entire world around them through the roots and stems of every plant within a mile, a total unification with life itself, bringing on a sensation of oneness and understanding. Mixing with the wisdom of nature was a fierce excitement for life and all the things it offered, with the belief there was always more to see no matter how outlandish, something brand new to Seiji but completely familiar to Izumi. After only a short span of time the bud began to unfurl in bloom, and when the petals finally spread to adulthood they revealed the pair, now standing upright and still hopelessly entangled in each other until what could only be described as an intense burst of sunlight seemed to be drawn directly into the Sekirei. She glowed intensely, nearly instantly converting the light into energy and gradually sprouting from her back a pair of wings that brought to mind the roots of the thickest, oldest, and most beautiful sequoia trees bonded in perfect harmony with Izumi, and hanging from themselves a curtain of lichen feathers. A moment more of the divine embrace and the lichen began to sprout cherry blossoms, which quickly fell from Izumi's wings and scattered one the wind, carrying the sweet aroma of her emergence all over Tokyo in their splendor.

After lasting longer than anyone thought, but being over far too quick to feel fair of something so beautiful, just as nature itself, Izumi's wings shattered into yet more cherry blossoms and the vines disentangled her and her Ashikabi even as the petals sank into the ground. Seiji managed to keep his feet, but may as well have been unconscious for all the thoughts he could muster, he was completely overwhelmed by going through something as intense as winging a Sekirei twice in one day.

Izumi slowly pulled away from the kiss, her cheeks as red as a beat from the exchange that had just taken place between the Sekirei and Ashikabi. The black-haired girl could still feel the boy's taste lingering on her lips as she licked them. It made her feel very good. Becoming winged had been more than Izumi ever expected it to be. She knew that it was going to be a truly magical moment, one that would send waves of pleasure rushing through her body... And yet, she found herself wanting more. Not more Ashikabi, but rather she found herself wanting more attention from Seiji in general. Without waiting for the boy to truly have a chance of recovering from blissful, toe-curling kiss that just took place, Izumi practically pounced at the boy, quickly slamming her lips against his once more. She even went as far as to purr into the kiss when her lips made contact with his!

Seiji wasn't even left any time to gasp, contemplate what happened, or fight off the fatigue he felt before he was overtaken by Izumi initiating another kiss. Seiji already felt like he could barely breathe but now Izumi was even more into it, almost hungrily pinning his lips with her own. Without her Norito being uttered it didn't send the same rush of power through the Sekirei, but she got what she wanted out of it, until she finally let Seiji go. He stumbled a few steps away from her and completely collapsed, almost ready to pass out. "Okay..." He muttered. "I'm going to die now, this was all just some fever dream so I could die happily, my life is over, I feel it fading."

After all of the craziness that occurred, the flower that swallowed up Izumi and Seiji and the entire, the luscious perfume emitted from some flowers that had appeared, she stood eyes shining with curiosity at what was happening in the privacy of that flower, Lotus rushed over to Seiji, who seemed just about ready to collapse. Noticing that he had collapsed, Lotus exclaimed, with a note of concern, "Oh my god, are you ok, Seiji? Man, I didn't even know you could be winged to another Sekirei. But, more importantly," she then added a whine to her voice, "what happened in that flower, I wanted to see! But first..." Lotus began to take Seiji's hand, helping him to his feet after collapsing. "...Let me help you up." It appears that Lotus, for once, had Seiji leaning on her shoulder, trying not to let him fall.

"No no that's okay, it was destiny for me to die today." Seiji babbled in a daze.

Izumi's eyes widened as she stared at Seiji in worry. "D-Die? No, what? Did I do something wrong, are you okay?!" The black-haired Sekirei began to circle the boy, inspecting every angle with him in case something was horribly wrong. "Do we need to find a doctor? I've seen several today, maybe one's nearby.."

After another bit of wobbling on his feet even with Lotus' support Seiji shook his head and fought off his exhaustion. "No that's alright Izumi." He noticed her concerned expression, put a hand on her shoulder, and gave his best attempt at a comforting smile. "Don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong. In fact... That was actually pretty nice... " He coughed and turned in the direction of his apartment. "Ok, we'd better be off! If all that stuff that psychotic CEO said is true then there's no better place for you guys to stay than at my place." What the hell am I saying? But it's not like I can escape from all this now anyways, I can't doubt anything about all this at this point. I'll just have to deal with all the suffering that may come with having two beautiful super strong girls in my life! The last thought almost made him chuckle.Talk about a situation with serious duality.

With Lotus giving Seiji support, she helped Seiji guide them to his apartment. As the three walked together, Izumi holding his hand and Seiji leaned against his shoulder, the three walked in the direction of the apartment, to the east about two km. As they walked over to the apartment, Lotus felt compelled to ask to Izumi, "Sooooo, do ya like to play video games? I think they're the best! As soon as Seiji's feeling better we were gonna play Splatoon. Doesn't that sound fun?" Lotus grinned at the prospect of trying to "out-ink" the other team, especially with such cool looking squid-humans.

Izumi glanced over as Lotus rambled on about her plans to veg out with Seiji and play video games. "I dunno, really... I mean... Video games are so unrealistic, you know? Way too heavy on the fantasy if you ask me..."

Not deterred from Izumi's remark on video games being too fictional, she replied, "Oh come on, I know that it may seem strange, but it's sooooooooo cool. Like oh my god you can just get into it like 'Pew, pew, pew' and just OWN it. Don't you agree, Seiji?" She was looking at Seiji, probably only half paying attention trying to make sense of Lotus' ramblings. They continued walking, absorbed within their own little world.

Seiji managed to make idle conversation as they walked, but he didn't have too much to contribute. He was still reeling both from exhaustion and at the reality of having two beautiful women seeming to practically fawn over him. And especially when he thought back to winging Izumi, as well as immediately after he marveled at causing such strong feelings in someone after having known them for less than even a few hours. It made no sense, and yet he couldn't deny how amazing those three kisses had been, or how much good there was in the situation to balance out the frustration and confusion. After another ten minutes or so of walking they finally arrived at Seiji's humble abode. The apartment building was still just an apartment, and no suite either, but it was fairly nice. It was its own building at least. "Welcome ladies!" He shouted, finally mustering up a bit of energy to stand on his own and smile earnestly at the girls. "It's not much, but there's room enough for us at least." Without giving either of them time to do anything else he pulled out his key and quickly opened the door, ushering them inside. The apartment was only a single bedroom, but the kitchen and living room were both decently sized. The benefits of a good, if monotonous job. "So, I guess we're all roomies now!" Seiji declared.

Easily impressed, Lotus exclaimed, "Sweeeet~. Now I get to hang out with Seiji! You're the best Seiji!" Lotus gave him a quick peck on the cheek and rushed inside, exploring Seiji's apartment with awe and insatiable curiosity.

Izumi smiled, leaning close to Seiji, taking a moment to nuzzle against his cheek. "Ooooh, we're roommates...? I wonder if that's gonna be the only thing we share, Seiji-kuuunnn~" Izumi planted a kiss on the boy's other cheek before making her way inside the apartment.

For once there was no reluctance in the man. He just touched each of his cheeks and smiled, then followed the Sekirei - no, his Sekirei - inside. As soon as he did he plopped on the couch and turned on Hiromi's Wii U that he still had in front of the TV. "Enjoy Lotus, I'm going to sit for a minute. See if you guys want any food, there's plenty in the fridge." His face reddened at his last thought but he shared it anyways. "And Izumi, I guess...Erm, only time will tell what we'll share. There's nothing ahead of us but all new experiences. Who knows what might happen?"

Lotus, returning Seiji's kindness of letting her use "his" Wii U, Lotus went up to Seiji, and, without having to stumble or think like she used to, smooched Seiji again, this time on the lips, the pair only inches apart. She did, however, turn red and retreated back to he couch to play Wii U. As she booted up the system, a thought occurred to Lotus when Seiji mentioned living arrangements and she voiced it out loud: "Hey, so what's sleeping gonna be like? I can sleep on the couch, I'm quite used to it. Plus, I can wake up early to play games." Noticing that the couch was only big enough for one person to sleep on, she added, "Ah man, too bad all of us couldn't sleep on this thing. It's pretty comfy." She sprawled out on the couch, tails fanned out against the back of the couch, getting comfortable to play Splatoon.

Izumi smiled at Lotus, before giving Seiji a wink of her own. She took a seat beside the boy, bringing her legs up to the couch before leaning against his shoulder. "I think that would work out just fine... Then I could make sure Seiji-kun is all nice and comfortable in his bed... Isn't that right...?" She leaned in close as she questioned her Ashikabi, her breath warm against his right ear. "Don't you think that'd be nice, Seiji-kuuuuunnn...?"

Seiji turned completely red at Izumi's suggestion, and even though he was too paralyzed by his mind starting to drift towards what it would entail for a moment, he quickly started shaking his head. "No, no, it's okay! You girls can share the bed until I have a chance to get a second one and I'll just sleep on the couch!" Before either of them had a chance to reply he hurried into the kitchen and leaned against a counter to just breathe and get the ideas flowing through his head to cease. "I'd better take a look and decide what's for dinner. Feel free to relax, you guys have the run of the place. Do whatever you want, as long as it's not digging through the stuff in my bedroom."

Lotus, nonchalant about how they were sleeping, just shrugged and said, "That's fine. As long as I get to sleep with cozy surroundings and good company, especially Seiji..." She added a giggle to the last comment. Just before she was going to play, however, another feeling, this one very familiar, entered her mind: hunger. An undignified growl from her stomach emerged as she realized all she did in the last few hours probably made her a bit peckish.

Izumi smiled at Lotus, going as far as to pet the fox-eared Sekirei on her head. "You should've eaten those apples I picked for you guys. It might have helped settle your hunger a bit..." A small growl ended up coming from the black-haired girl's stomach as well, causing her face to turn a bit red in embarrassment. "A-Ah... Then again, I got so excited from seeing you both, I really didn't finish my apple either..."

Looking through the fridge revealed little other than various instant meals, rice, and some vegetables. "Mmmmh." Seiji muttered disappointedly. "I'll have to go shopping tomorrow, but for tonight I can give my best attempt at a nice stir fry!" He broke out the rice cooker and got it started, then immediately got to chopping vegetables, starting with some carrots. "Sorry guys, no meat tonight but that doesn't mean we can't have a good meal!"

"That would be a bit rude for us to expect meat on the first night anyways, Seiji-kun~" Izumi teased along with sending the boy another wink. Chances were he probably did not see it, but it did not stop her anyways. "Unless of course, you're feeling that generous..."

Seiji turned away from the counter after he finished chopping the first few carrots. "Wha? But I said we don't have any-" He stopped midsentence and immediately turned bright red and turned back to the counter to start slicing up some onions. "N-n-no there won't be any of that tonight." As soon as the words left his mouth he realized he shouldn't have said 'tonight', it may sound like another day it would happen. "Ah, I love the smell of freshly chopped onions!" He called out, changing the subject abruptly with a nervous smile he was glad neither of the Sekirei could see.

~~~

Dinner went well, even if it was a bit awkward at times for Seiji. The stir fry was good, though by no means great and when it was finally finished and Seiji cleaned up, he dropped on the couch and patted his belly. "Ah, not bad at all, I don't cook often enough anymore. I think it'll be about time for bed soon, what do you think girls?"

"Yeah, it's been quite a day. I can use the rest...do that I can be up and ready to go tomorrow! I can't wait for tomorrow, it'll be sooooo fun!" Even though she had nothing really planned, Lotus was quite sure that having both a Fellow Sekirei and an Ashikabi were sure to have some adventures in store.

"What are we gonna do tomorrow, anyways?" Izumi asked, glancing over at Seiji. "Are you going to take us out for some fun on the town...? Or maybe... you have something more personal planned...?" As she asked her question, Izumi wiggled her eyebrows slightly, before slowly coming to sit rather close to the boy on the couch. The black-haired Sekirei leaned close to her Ashikabi as she got comfortable, giving him a rather nice view of her cleavage once more.

Lotus scooted a bit closer to Seiji as well, wanting his attention too. She flitted her tail in the direction of Seiji's face, assaulting it with a mass of soft fur. She giggled and waited for his response, no doubt still ill at ease with the other Seikirei's advances.

Assaulted from both sides by tantalizing views and floofy tails, Seiji was at a loss for what to do. He brushed Lotus' tail out of his face and looked back and forth between both Sekirei a few times before he shrugged. "You know that's a good question, I really don't know what we should do tomorrow. I guess we'll just see what we're in the mood for and go out to have some fun, I've still got tomorrow off before I have to head back to work after all. That and... who knows what will happen if we just stay in the house all day." He shook off the thought and stood up abruptly, stretching and yawning. "Alright, you two can have the bed until I have a chance to order or go out looking for a new one. I'll take the couch for tonight."

"Are you sure...? We could always make room for you, Seiji-kun~" Izumi offered. "All nice and cuddled close, you know?"

Lotus chimed in, "Yeah, that'd be fun! I think you all will find my tails to be quite comfy."

"No." Seiji said plainly. "I already can't believe I've kissed two girls I only just met on the same day and now they're living with me, without even getting into all the weird Sekirei stuff. I'm not going to sleep in the same bed as those girls the the very same night."

Izumi gave Seiji a small, pouty-looking face. Still, she knew that she had probably tortured the boy enough for one day. After leaning in to give Seiji a quick peck on the cheek, the black-haired woman rose to her feet and smiled down to her fellow Sekirei. "Alright then, Lotus... Shall we go to bed?"

Lotus followed suit with a more prolonged kiss on Seiji's cheek. Then, she replied to Izumi, "Alright...but I warn you, my tails might move a bit in my sleep. Hope it's not too much of a problem." She winked at the other girl with playful intent.

"Only if you don't mind a vine or two maybe popping out during the night..." Izumi replied, giving Lotus a small giggle in return.

Seiji raised his eyebrow at the exchange between the two. But after his lackluster cooking skills and all the affection they'd offered him, he thought he owed the Sekirei something. So he pulled them both in for a big hug, also giving Lotus a quick scratch of the ears. "Goodnight guys, we'll have fun tomorrow."
"Good night, Seiji. Thanks for the ear scratch!" Lotus walked over to the bedroom where the bed, a modest twin bed, awaited both Izumi and Lotus. She flopped on to the bed on her stomach, letting her tails fall on her back behind her.

Izumi, for the first time that entire evening, had the faintest signs of a blush gracing her own cheeks. She quickly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she took a step back from the boy, giving him another warm smile before making her way towards the bedroom. "Good night, Seiji-kun... And thanks~"

As soon as they were both out of sight Seiji laid down on the couch and, thanks to the day's exhaustion, was asleep in no time.

Ozymandias · Apr 24, 2016

From Burglary to Burgers!

Strolling down the bustling city streets, Kaiyo walked with an air of grace and elegance about her... or at least she was trying her hardest to. She had practiced this time and time again while in captivity, walking back and forth to each wall that made up the sides of her room in the facility. After all, what was the point in trying to act dignified if she couldn't move from one place to another without looking like a complete clutz?

The blue haired beauty stole a glance at the numerous passerbys and was disappointed with what she found. While she had caught the eye of a number of people walking by, the vast majority of pedestrians went about their business without giving her so much as a quick look.

The pale white coloring of her cheeks quickly turned to a flushed shade of pink. Was she doing something wrong? Was she not up to this society's standards of beauty? From everything she had read she should be stealing hearts left and right. Why were the other sekirei she'd seen been drawing so many stares? There was no way she'd be able to find an ashikabi at this rate. As the feeling of anxiety crept its way into her mind, Kaiyo felt something collide with her from behind.

The impact would have sent a normal human crashing into the ground, but it only made the rather small sekirei stumble forward a few feet.

Whipping her head around to see what had hit her, Kaiyo found a man, probably in his mid twenties, on the ground with a purse in his hands. Before she could even open her mouth to say anything, the assailant started fleeing down the street. As her astonishment quickly turned to anger, she heard a voice cry out from behind her.

"Heeey! Please stop! Give me my purse back!"

A young woman, obviously struggling to keep up, was calling out to the man who Kaiyo presumed to have taken her purse. The sekirei watched the girl for a moment, before turning to face the man's ever-distancing figure. No one seemed interested in doing much to help the apprehension of the thief. The most anyone did was lazily reach out towards the criminal, but only looked on as he escaped their grasps.

Kaiyo gave a lengthy sigh. If no one was going to take action perhaps she would have to do something. It wasn't as if she felt bad for the girl or anything, it would just be due justice for the man's utter lack of courtesy in disrupting her "dignified" image.

Without any shred of the grace and elegance she had been moving with before, she sprinted forward, faster than any human could, closing in on her target at a rapid speed. Catching up to the purse snatcher in an instant, she swiftly grabbed him by the arm, shifted all her momentum backwards, and swung him over her, straight into the ground. It was a picture perfect judo throw if there ever was one.

She snatched the purse up out of the thief's hands before giving him a nice hearty kick for good measure. The man was knocked out cold, but she felt the need to throw a little something extra at him.

"Thank you so much!" The girl from earlier jumped on top of Kaiyo, wrapping her up in quite the bear hug. The sekirei just cleared her throat and slowly nudged the young woman off of her, handing her the stolen purse in the process.

"I was just paying him back for almost knocking me down earlier... it wasn't anything special." Kaiyo's pale complexion was once again flooded with a pink color.

Ignoring what she had said, the girl went on. "That was absolutely amazing! You were all like ZOOM, and then like HIYAH and you just threw that guy like WAHPAM!" She was practically jumping up and down in a circle around Kaiyo.

Now that she got a closer look at the bundle of energy, Kaiyo noticed she was quite the beautiful

Code:

woman. About ten centimeters taller than she was, flowing pitch-black hair, wide eyes that one couldn't help but get lost in, and just the right amount of bust. Perhaps this was the type of beauty that would attract the attention of an ashikabi.

Just as she was about to sulk, the object of her envy wrapped her arm around Kaiyo's shoulder and pulled her in. "I wonder how I could repay you for this... Oh! How 'bout a meal? I work at this restaurant close by so I can probably convince my manager to treat you."

"No I'm fine, but th-" Her quick reply was cut short by the rumblings of her stomach. Once again, Kaiyo's cheeks changed shades, but now they were a deep crimson, signalling the absolute embarrassment she was feeling from her stomach's impeccable timing.

"See! Your tummy likes the idea just as much as I do, so let's go!" Without waiting for another word out of her savior, she grabbed her arm and started pulling her along.

Just sighing and giving in to the will of her stomach, Kaiyo allowed herself to be dragged forward. The brunette's enthusiasm was on a level of obnoxious that could only be dreamed of, but Kaiyo actually felt a relief that she had "successfully" interacted with a human, even if she did just leave another one passed out on the ground.

It only took a couple minutes to get to the "restaurant" that the girl worked at, and after one look at the place Kaiyo immediately regretted coming along.

The golden arches that rose up out of the building were instantly recognizable even to someone who had been raised in captivity their entire life, such as herself. She had read the giant M placed on the front of these doors was a symbol of all that was wrong with the culinary world. She was about to be forced into the heinous hellhole that was, MgRonalds.

As she started inching away, Kaiyo's hand was once again locked into the girl's iron grasp.

"Well, here we are! This is where I work. Wait out here for a sec while I go talk to my manager." The young woman started to walk through the doors before suddenly stopping. "Oh my goodness! I totally forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me!"

Whipping around, a wide grin spread across her face as she pointed at herself. "My name is Kaori! What's yours?!"

"It's Kaiyo..." The sekirei said, introducing herself in a much more subdued manner.

"Kaiyo! That's such a wonderful name!" The taller of the two exclaimed before turning back into the building. "I'll be back in a second! Don't you move an inch!"

Kaiyo stood in the restaurant's entrance, debating on what she should do. On one hand she would be lowering herself to eating filth, reserved for the lowest of the low, and on the other, she would be getting a free meal with some company.

Her stomach rumbled once more, inputting its thoughts into the matter. She had already missed breakfast, as she was too busy figuring her way around the rather bustling city and it was probably sometime in the afternoon, so she would have to find something to eat anyways.

She once again gave a drawn out sigh, her sense of dignity finally succumbing to the wishes of her appetite.

Moments later, Kaori reappeared through the building's doors, pearly white grin still on her face. However, she now was dressed in a completely different outfit. A bright red polo shirt, with a little "m" printed on one side and her nametag on the other, tucked into some casual black pants, matched with a pair of hideous black shoes, and visor cap to boot.

"Mr. Manager has given us the okay! He's even letting me have my lunch with you, so we can have some time to talk."

As Kaiyo made her way through the restaurant's doors she swallowed, anxious of what lay in store for her. Everything she had heard about this chain of fast-food factories made her want to run away. Disgusting artificial foods, filthy unclean work environments, the bane of a "prim and proper" lady such as herself.

The first thing that hit her was the smell. The fragrance, if one could even call it such, was absolutely... amazing.

The next ten minutes were an absolute daze for Kaiyo. She and Kaori had gone up to the counter to order. Not knowing what to get, she opted for the other girl's favorite item on the menu, the Big Mag. The state of the restaurant absolutely astounded the naive sekirei. The establishment seemed rather clean, the food looked and smelled outstanding, and it all came out in the matter of minutes. What was there not to love about it?

As the pair sat down to eat, Kaiyo regained her bearing, making sure to put on the most disgusted of expressions as she unwrapped her burger. She glanced across the table, seeing Kaori watching her with great anticipation. A pang of guilt hit the sekirei upside the head as she realized how impertinent she was being to her new acquaintance. Clearing her throat she transitioned the look on her face to one devoid of emotion instead.

The Big Mag, a monstrosity consisting of three separate buns, two burger patties, and layers of cheese, lettuce, pickles, and onions. All ingredients covered in the super secret Big Mag sauce, a condiment brought down from the heavens, as described by Kaori.

The smell alone was making the insides of Kaiyo's mouth salivate, but the beauty of such a burger could've brought tears to her eyes. Trying her best to keep a straight face, she sunk her teeth into the Big Mag.

For a split second she lost all function of her mind. A single tear fell down the side of her cheek and a whimsical smile spread across her face, as she began to chew.

The moment of peace and tranquility was lost as an eruption of laughter burst out from the girl sitting ahead of her.

"I told you that it's amazing! I had the exact same reaction the first time I tried one!"

Snapped out of her trance, Kaiyo quickly wiped the grin off her face, along with any semblances of emotion other than embarrassment. For about the hundredth time of the day, the whiteness of her cheeks was replaced by a deep shade of red.

"It's not great I know. It's pretty plebish food, but the common folk gotta eat something right?" Giving her a wink and reassuring smile, Kaori looked over her own Big Mag burger. "So, where are you from? You don't really look like you're from around here."

The human's ability to perceive how she was feeling and act in a manner that would comfort her, actually brought a tiny smile to Kaiyo's face. "You would be correct. I'm from out of the country, but I'm here to... erm... find someone."

An impressed look on her face, Kaori bit into her own burger and began a process of speaking and chewing at the same time. "I won't pry into your matters, but where are you staying at? We should totally hang out again sometime, and I could treat you to some more burgers."

"I... Uh... I'm..." Trying to find the right story to tell, Kaiyo came up with nothing. "I actually haven't found myself a place yet... I don't have any money on me right now, and I have no idea where to even start with finding the person I'm looking for." Tears began to well up in her eyes, and this time they weren't a result of some delicious fast food.

Reaching across the table, Kaori gave the crying girl's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You can always stay at my place. It's just me there and it does get quite a bit lonely sometimes. As for finding whoever you're looking for, i'll do my best to help you out there. I know the city like the back of my hand, so I'm sure that we can find them in no time."

Sniffing back her tears, Kaiyo nodded slowly. It was rather unlike her to break down in front of anyone like that, for as much turmoil that went on inside of her she usually managed to keep it all bottled up. Perhaps it was the stress of the day weighing upon her, the knowledge that she would soon have to battle the most powerful beings on the planet, or just a mixture of relief and anxiety that she was finally released from the place she had spent her entire life in.

Getting up from the table, Kaori patted the shorter girl on the head. "Alrighty, well I gotta get back to work, so just stay around here and we can go home together after I finish up."

As she walked away Kaiyo called out to her. "Th-thanks, for helping me out..." Her voice trailed off as she once again felt the discomforting feeling of embarrassment creep up on her.

"No worries. Honestly I still should be thanking you for getting my purse back." Flashing her another smile, Kaori disappeared into the back of the restaurant.

The next couple of hours for the sekirei were spent sitting beside the MgRondald's entrance, watching people go about their lives. After Kaori was done working the two headed to her apartment for the night.

moon · Apr 26, 2016

coplady

Spoiler:

It had been a long day. Reports from around the city about strange sightings and unruly behavior. Taeko had been spending pretty much the whole day out on the streets, as if she was some average street cop. Well, perhaps she was that on the payroll, but she could do so much more. She would show them, day for day.

With a long sigh, she pulled on a slightly too large sweater and sunk down on her sofa. The most precious piece of furniture in her small and way too expensive Tokyo apartment. There was a bed too, and a small table with two chairs. A TV and a sink and a tiny refridgerator and freezer with a microwave on top. There wasn't room for much more. The cop lady let her eyes wander over the interior she had grown used to over the past couple of years. She didn't need more.

Neko needed more.

He was scratching the door with a whining noise.

"You already pooped," Taeko mumbled into the cushion her head was resting on.

Very pitiful whining noises.

"I hear raindrops on the window, you don't like rain."

A cold, wet nose booped her hand and those huge brown eyes looked up at her, knowing that she would never be able to resist them. Ever.

Five minutes later, they were out on the street, the dog named 'cat' happily tasting the humid evening air with the full length of his pink tongue as they walked. Normally, not even Taeko would want to head out without proper clothes on, but right now she was a bit too tired to care. Tired and annoyed at life and nothing. The oversized, grey sweater had a pokémon print on the chest; a Pidgeot. She had liked its wings. They looked like the wings of an angel.

The cold air always did work wonders for washing away her immediate worries. Unfortunately, walking or running also often let the more deeply buried troubles surface and plague her mind. Deciding to just focus on her feet against the dirty pavement for now, Aozaki Taeko set off on a late walk with her pet after all.

Groc · Apr 27, 2016

Lyra

Being out in town was miserable. No one would let her have things if she didn't have money, no one wanted to play in the rain with her, and now she was soaked and cold. Lyra walked down the sidewalk, arms crossed over her chest as she rubbed her arms for warmth. "And to think, today started off so well! Now look at it! This place makes no sense!" She yelled at the sky, before a huge grin spread across her face. "And that's what I love about it! What fun is there in making sense?" She kept walking, refusing to let something as minor as chattering teeth ruin her mood.

"But if I'm gonna be out here, I'll need to find someplace to stay. Where do normal people sleep? Obviously not back at the Institute. Hmmm..." she pondered as she walked, idly following other people as they went about their business. She decided to stop someone and ask.

"Pardon me, little boy, but where do you live?" She crouched down to look at the child, who was immediately pulled back by his mother. "Who are you, and why are you talking to my son?!"

Lyra stood up, giving the mother a friendly wave. "I'm Lyra, and I need a place to sleep!" She smiled sweetly, not sure why the mother was so angry. "So where do you live? I need a place like it."

The mother, while still a little put off by Lyra, seemed to relax a little. "We live in an apartment. Try downtown, and if that doesn't work, try a hotel."

"Ho-tel?" Lyra tilted her head quizzically at the word. She knew what "apartments" were, but usually she'd heard them called "compartments" instead. The poor woman and her son must've lived in a storage space. "Thank you for your help. I'll go find a hotel." She moved in to give the woman a kiss, but the mother and son hurried off before she had a chance to. Lyra shrugged and went off to find this "downtown".

As she walked, she couldn't help but notice how many bars and restaurants were in the area. Her fiasco at the noodle stand had been at least an hour ago, and she was hungry again. "But without money, I can't eat. So I need to find money, too." She shivered as a breeze kicked up, moving out of the food district and into the residential area. The thought of one day being able to afford a good meal filled her with determination, and she soon spotted an apartment building and hurried inside.

Inside was at least warmer, and she approached the counter to speak to the lady by the keys. "Hello, ma'am! I'm new in town and would like a place to sleep!" The receptionist smiled and nodded, still filling out some sort of paperwork. "Of course, miss. Would you like to know what rent is?"

Lyra had a sinking feeling she wasn't going to like the answer. "Yes. What is 'rent'? Is it money?" The receptionist glanced up at Lyra, a little confused by the Sekirei's weary look. "Um, yes. Specifically, rent costs-"

Lyra held up a hand to silence the receptionist. "Say no more. I don't have money. I'll find lodgings elsewhere. Farewell!" She melodramatically turned away, her ribbons swishing around her, and went back outside. The chill night air seemed even more bitter now, but she forced herself to smile, desperately trying to see a silver lining. "Well, it's certainly a challenge, living out here. No one ever said it would be easy..."

Geras · Apr 28, 2016

Fia and Yue

After splitting up with Tatsumi for the evening, Fia just... walked. When she had previously been released along with the other single numbers, she had become very familiar with this area of Tokyo, but in the year since then there had been some subtle changes. So now she was reassociating herself with the various shops and restaurants that she recognized, and evaluating the new ones that had popped up. To her immense satisfaction, more and more people were beginning to recognize her as the singer who had vanished from the media for the past year - this was in part thanks to her performance in the park with Tatsumi. She would repay the man later, in her own way.

Though that would depend on if she ever even saw him again. Certainly he had said that he would return to his aunt's house that night, but could she be sure that he would keep his word? Human's were very fickle creatures, after all. She didn't dwell on this doubt for long, however; after all, with the way he had been fawning over her early when he had found out her alter ego, she doubted that she would lose her grasp on the man for a good while yet. She would hold onto him either until she was bored or she found an Ashikabi to replace him. She only hoped that her Ashikabi had not already collected any other Sekirei, otherwise she may have to exterminate them. Fia wasn't fond of sharing.

As she continued on her way she saw a scruffy little dog run past her. Before she could make anything of it, she was suddenly tackled from behind, the impact knocking her and her assailant both to the ground. "Uuugh," the assailant groaned in her youthful voice as she got off of Fia. As if coming upon a sudden realization, her manner changed, and she sprang to her feet to look around frantically. However, if she was looking for the dog it was nowhere to be found. "Aw, man…" she muttered, sounding defeated before turning back to Fia with an accusatory look.

Fia returned to her feet with a hand to her head, waiting until the slight ache dissipated before coolly dusting off her clothing. She paused and squinted at her pale gold dress with a small frown, noting that the fall had torn a hole in the fabric. This would not do - she would need to find a replacement.

Once she had collected herself, she turned to appraise her would-be assailant, half tempted to simply set the girl ablaze then and there. She however maintained her composure with practiced ease. "What are you giving me that look for?" she queried, raising an eyebrow. "You're the one who threw me to the ground. If anyone should be upset it's me." Her gaze took in the tattered appearance of the girl and the suspiciously gun-shaped item wrapped in cloth on her back. Either this girl was an extraordinarily beautiful tramp with a purpose, or she was a Sekirei.

After adjusting her hood to make sure it was casting a sufficient shadow over her face, the other girl answered, "When I choose a target I make sure to devote my full attention to it until the job is done. Any less would be negligence." She seemed to be deepening her voice in an attempt to sound tougher, though it's effectiveness was questionable. "Well, it couldn't be helped. I'll forgive you for getting in my way." The last line was delivered with an almost smug smile.

She put her hand to her chin in thought. "But now I have to find something else to be my familiar… Well, I guess that little guy was too cute anyway." She looked back to Fia and, as if forgetting about her whole tough act, excitedly asked, "Hey, what sort of animal do you think would be cool? A wolf or a dragon would be perfect, but I'm pretty sure I won't be finding any of those running around the city."

"I'm sure if you checked at the local zoo they would easily accept an animal such as yourself into one of their exhibits, then you could find all the familiars you want. And I'm sure many of the animals and onlookers alike will get very familiar with you," Fia responded flatly. "Though your time would likely be better wasted finding a human to tame your bumbling brain. At least they would be able to train you to avoid those in your path."

The girl scowled in response, gritting her teeth. However, her expression soon changed to one of confidence. "Heh, you have no idea who I am, do you?" She hurriedly climbed up a nearby street light until she was standing on top of the narrow metal pole. From up there, the wind blew her cloak about, creating a dramatic effect. Unfortunately, it also tugged at the small girl and nearly caused her to lose her balance. Once she'd found it again, she pulled the weapon from her back and unwrapped it.

From atop the streetlight, the girl attempted to strike a pose as she began to speak. "I am a powerful warrior from a far off world. I have defeated many enemies, and those who've yet to feel my wrath cower at the mere mention of my name. My ultimate weapon, the Mega Dark Meteor, is capable of taking down anything in one hit. I am Yue, the master sniper!" It seemed like she was going to do another pose, but a gust of wind pulled at her cloak and threw her off the streetlight.

Yue fell to the ground with an "Ow!" and a thud, landing on her back with her weapon held tightly in her arms as if she were protecting it. She quickly got back to her feet and snapped into another overblown pose as if nothing had happened. "Well, are you totally impressed yet?" she asked with a grin.

"Not in the least," Fia replied boredly, letting out a small yawn. "When you do find that familiar of yours, you might also want them to train you to be less of a fool. You won't survive long otherwise. Also, displaying your weapon to an enemy in such a manner will put you at quite the disadvantge."

"Hmph," Yue scoffed as she brushed the dirt off her cloak. "It seems you just don't understand good showmanship." She picked up the cloth her gun had been wrapped in, having tossed it aside when she revealed the weapon, and began wrapping it once more. "And thanks for the concern but you don't have to worry about me. Knowing what I can do won't help you against my awesome power. But there's nothing to fear since I don't…" Yue's voice trailed off as she seemed to realize something. "Human...Enemy…" She muttered under her breath.

She looked at Fia with a rather tense expression on her face. "Hey, uh… You wouldn't happen to be a, y'know, Sekirei, would you?"

"So you do have a brain! Yes, I am in fact a Sekirei," Fia said with a falsely pleased smile. "Though not at all like yourself."

"Right, right…" She said, taking a step back. She gave a shaky smile, and a bead of sweat rolled down her face while she hugged her weapon tightly. "Clearly I'm on a much higher, uh, level than... other Sekirei." She took another step back as she continued. "But uh, just out of curiosity, what number are you?"

"Unless you wish to do battle right now, that does not concern you," Fia answered.

"Eh?" Yue stopped, as she processed Fia's answer. She then sighed in relief. "Yeah...yeah! Of course!" She wiped the sweat from her brow and stood up tall, and after slinging her weapon over her shoulder she put her hands on her hips. "It is far too early for that!" She shouted, confidence returning to her voice. "But when the fighting does begin, you should hope that you'll have me as an ally! Wahahahaha~!"

Yue turned around, making sure to dramatically flip her cloak as she did so. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said as she began to walk away. She began walking slowly, but her footsteps clearly began to quicken until she passed the entrance to an alley, which she dashed into so quickly that one might be forgiven for believing that she was a speed Sekirei.

Fia watched the other Sekirei go with an amused look on her face. They obviously had no real confidence in their abilities, and that would make them fun to play with later. Brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, Fia continued on her way. She would wander for a few more minutes before returning to her new abode.

Fort PokePower · Apr 28, 2016

Tatsumi Tatsuya - Ashikabi
&
Fia "Astria" - Sekirei #9

Tatsumi walked back to his aunt's house, listening to the sirens in the background. Covering the various cuts that he had on him, he knocked on the door with his free hand. He already knew Yumi was going to be worried, but Tatsumi didn't keep medical supplies at his own house, so he knew he needed her help.

Instead of Yumi opening the door, it was Fia who stood before Tatsumi when the door swung open. "You're late," she said bluntly, though the only outward sign of her disappointment was a small frown. She appraised the cuts and bruises on his body, her calculating gaze lingering on his face before she moved to let him inside. "Clean up and meet me in the room. I expect a full explanation."

Tatsumi laughed, walking inside, "Yumi! Can you get some bandages?" He called. There was a clamour and she met them in the living room.

"What happened this time?" She asked, applying the disinfectant.

Tatsumi winced a bit, "I don't think you guys will believe me." He said, his aunt peeling the blood soaked jacket that covered his worst wound.

Fia's features remained cool and collected, though the slight frown still remained. "I have been a part of and witnessed many unbelievable tales in my life. Please go on." When she'd seen the wounded Tatsumi standing outside the door, a fire had been lit within her. However, this was not the warm, comforting fire of love she'd heard described before, but rather a fire that sought to burn and destroy to quell it's rage - though what or why, she didn't really know.

"So I was walking home from a job I had down by the bars and clubs. I wanted to get home quickly, so I took a few short cuts-"

"What did I tell you about going to that part of the city?" Yumi said, "Did someone attack you?"

"Well yes, and no. Let me finish." Tatsumi continued, "Well I passed the construction site I occasionally work at, and I saw a couple women walk in. I thought that was strange, because they didn't look like construction workers, we'll one did, but she was American or something. Anyways, these two girls started to fight, and I think they had magic? One of them was making the metal beams float, and she threw one right at this guy who was also there. He was kind of slow on the response though,and so I tackled him and it hit the truck instead, and that's why I have this big cut. Oh and she totally blew the building up, the American one, she had me at knife point and she was like, 'Get out, I'm going to blow this building up.' and so I found the slow guy and we left. She also stabbed the other woman, who was pretty burned when she left the building, but I took her away before she could die." Tatsumi took a deep breath, the story quickly falling from his mouth. He was still in the adrenaline from the situation.

Fia didn't react throughout the story, though she was quickly able to piece together what had happened in her mind. Tatsumi had stumbled upon two Sekirei and had managed to get himself involved in their fight. Then again, given their earlier conversation about exciting happenings, she wasn't all that surprised. At least the Sekirei had been courteous enough to not just outright murder him - especially since there weren't really any rules restricting them from doing so since he wasn't anyone's Ashikabi. Unless… "Did either one of them kids you?" Fia asked, tone completely serious. The question would no doubt sound incredibly out of place to Yumi and Tatsumi, but to Fia it was of the utmost importance that she find out.

"No I definitely wasn't kissed." Tatsumi replied, "Though the one that threatened me with a knife asked if I was the other's Abishabi or something. I'm going to be honest, I was sure I was going to die." Yumi put the last bandages on.

"Tatsumi, it's not like you to lie like that." She said, "What actually happened? Where you mugged?" She was worried, and tired.

"I'm not lying!" Tatsumi retorted, "Listen, you can hear the sirens."

Yumi got up, and gave Tatsumi a warm hug, "If you don't want to tell me that's fine, but please be safe." She went up to her room.

"Well you got your wish," Fia said. Her mouth had turned from a frown to a pleasant smile. "You've become entangled in something bigger than you could ever imagine, and the birds are singing for you to join them."

Tatsumi laughed, "They seem to be bearing their talons." He looked up at Fia, "Are you one of those birds?"

In reply, Fia simply held her hand out to him and said, "Come up to my room where we won't be disturbed and everything will be explained."

Tatsumi took her hand, following her up to her room. He was nervous about what would come next. As they entered the room, instead of turning the lights on Fia formed four orbs of bright blue fire that each floated to a corner of the room as Fia guided them with the hum of a light-hearted tune. She figured this would be a good way to set the mood for their conversation, considering the topic. With the ambience set, Fia led Tatsumi to the bed and motioned for him to sit next to her, giving him a moment to react and waiting for any questions he might have before she began.

Tatsumi watched in awe, at a loss for words. He sat down next to her, he took a deep breath, "So yes." He said, taking things in.

Fia nodded, an amused and somewhat smug smile on her face at his awed expression. "Myself, and those you saw fighting earlier, are what is known as Sekirei. We are parting a plot put into motion by the MBI, and until today most of us had never seen the light of day. Now we are each to find an Ashikabi, a mere human who will unlock the greater powers within us, and defeat the other Sekirei until we are the last one standing. And then our greatest wish, and that of our Ashikabi, is fulfilled." Seemingly as an afterthought, she added. "Also, Astria isn't really my last name. In fact I don't really have one, so I would prefer if you avoid using it when possible. I merely had to use it to satisfy the legalities of my contracts with various agencies."

Tatsumi sat there for a moment, and took a deep breath, "That is a lot to take in, Fia." Tatsumi said, "So, people are looking to kill you?"

"And I am looking to kill them, yes."

"And do you have an Ashikabi? Will you be able to win?"

"I don't have one yet, but I suspect that I will very soon. I met a few people today, and one had caught my attention. Though whether or not I will allow them to wing me has yet to be seen." She met Tatsumi's eyes with a cool, certain gaze as she went on, "I do intend to win though, Ashikabi or not."

"Good, I wouldn't want you or your music to go away." Tatsumi said with a sigh of relief, "I can't say I'm important, and I definitely can't fight any Sekirei, but I think I'll be able to help." Tatsumi looked at her, his eyes lit with ambition, he felt a mix of passion and restlessness.

Fia leaned forward to drape her arms over Tatsumi's shoulders, her forehead against his as she stared deeply into his eyes. "I'm sure you could be a great help," she purred in a low, sultry voice. She remained hovering there with her mouth just a hairbreadth away from his for another long, tense moment, before pulling away and resting her hands in her lap and flashing him a brilliant smile. "For now, though, if you could just continue to supply for my needs, that will do."

Tatsumi held his breath for a moment, and then let it all out at once, "That should be easy enough." Tatsumi decided in his mind that there was no question. He wanted to be a part of this more directly, he wanted to play this game.

moon · May 9, 2016

coplady

Spoiler:

Up ahead on the street, Taeko saw a tall girl walking in the rain alone. She had an odd air about her, wearing clothes that drew attention to them even in Tokyo, and hair in a seagreen sort of color. When she looked around, Taeko could see her smile, but it clearly wasn't a genuine expression. The cop lady's well trained instincts kicked in; she couldn't just leave a lonely person out here without at least checking to see that they were alright. Even if Taeko happened to be badly dressed for the weather herself at the moment, so that it might seem a bit weird of her to ask the other girl if she was alright. She tugged on Neko's leash, and the black pug rustled its wet fur and waddled along beside his owner.

"Hello?" Taeko said as she walked up to the bluegreen haired girl on the pavement. "Excuse me, miss, are you okay? Do you need any help?"

She put on a smile of her own that was as genuine as she could muster, despite feeling evening chills crawling up her arms and legs from having been out for too long already.

Groc · May 10, 2016

Lyra

Lyra chewed on her finger as she thought, trying to find the solution to her problem. She wanted things, but things cost money. She didn't have money, but she had gotten lucky with the noodles. So, apparently her powers could let her take what she wanted. Clearly, the solution was to become a thief or other crim-

"Hello?" A voice snapped her out of her contemplating, making her lose her train of thought. "Excuse me, miss, are you okay? Do you need any help?"

Lyra glanced over her shoulder, then looked down to see the owner of the voice. It was a small woman with a dog, wearing an adorable sweater with a bird on it. She offered Lyra a smile, despite the rain and cold. Lyra gasped happily, turning to face the woman. "A smile! A genuine, legitimate smile, and it's for me! You have no idea how grumpy people have been today! They're either telling me to stop having fun, or staring at me, or sending me on wild goose chases, and I'm rambling now, aren't I?"

Before the woman could respond, Lyra bowed to her, flourishing her shawl dramatically. This only succeeded in sending a spray of water against the nearby building, and a wet splat as Lyra's shawl slapped against her leg. She sighed, slowly straightening. "I'm Lyra, and I just decided that I don't like the rain. I'm cold and I'm hungry and I need a place to stay, which is difficult, because I don't have any money. Nice to meet you!" She shivered as she draped her shawl over her shoulders.

Sephear · May 10, 2016

Day 2: Complications.

The sun rose happily on another day in Tokyo, lighting up the entire city for all to enjoy. Everything was quiet and relaxed... that is until a loud bang echoed through a large part of the Northern District. People could be seen scattering in all directions away from airborne debris. One of the black kimonos of the Discipline Squad could be seen fluttering in the wind as Tatsumaki Hagane practically flew like a bullet and swung her staff only for it to get deadlocked by a gauntleted fist. The gauntlets were red, white, blue, and made of a strange metal covered in lines going across the knuckles. The fists they were attached to belonged to a beautiful smiling woman with lustrous straight turquoise hair that cascaded down to her hips, and eyes the same shade of blue with shimmering, star-shaped pupils. She was smiling from ear to ear despite the situation and completely diffused the standoff when she twisted her fist like a key in a lock and another explosion appeared, this time directly between her gauntleted fist and Maki's staff. The force of the blow sent Maki skidding several feet back, and cracked the wall of the building behind her.

"Ugh! You are so annoying! Why don't you just go down already?! Don't think you're special just 'cuz you're a single number!" Maki shouted, pointing her staff threateningly at her opponent. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to get involved in things that are none of your business?"

The other girl kept smiling, then pointed to her chest right where her heart would be, scraping it lightly against the spandex that was tight enough to make even her moderate bust strain it. "And didn't anyone ever teach you that killing is wrong? I am this city's protector! And I won't let Sekirei with no Ashikabi of their own be murdered by opponents with an unfair advantage!" After finishing her declaration she took on a pose with her hips cocked and her right fist in the air pointing up towards the sun. She was quite a sight to behold with her strange spandex top that was red on the outer sides of her arms and torso and white everywhere else, and her blue sailor skirt and high-heeled red shoes. It was impossible to tell if she was trying to be a superhero or a magical girl. "I, Yusha Shujinko, am the new hero of Shinto Teito! And I will not allow unwinged Sekirei to be deactivated without a fair chance to fight back!" Her pose was cut short when she jumped out of the way as another furious strike from Maki shattered the ground she had been standing on moments earlier. She landed still in her pose and smirked at Maki before dashing off, drawing a frustrated yell out of the Discipline Squad Sekirei.

"Everything is going according to plan!" A manic voice echoed through a room filled with various monitors, computers, and servers. Wheels could be heard signalling Hiroto Minaka rolling from one side of the room to the other if there had been anyone else to listen. "Such excellent progress! At this rate, it won't be more than a few days before phase 2 is ready... And there's already so many interesting things going on. Number 8's even giving my girls a run for their money! I'll have to keep an eye on her in case she gets a bit too effective at giving me a challenge..." He smiled and pressed a few keys on a nearby console, eyes practically growing at the images and feeds of various Ashikabi and their Sekirei cycling on the screen. "Now, let's see if today tips the scales the way I'm hoping it will.

disciplish · May 10, 2016

Bryce Danner

"on potatoes"

The first and only law of potato executions is to not bother with respecting the potato. They are born to die, or more importantly, they are not worthy of life. Their very existence jeopardizes, ever so constantly, the balance of odds at the dinner table. They are the black filth which plagues the dining of man; they are the soot which shows the world how there shall always be evil. They do not bring good tidings to a home. They are a dark, grievous reminder of how wrong things could possibly go, of how terrible life really is. It is grim. It is unsavory. It is disappointing. It is true. They deserve no respect. They deserve no pity. Their simple lives, through cunning infiltration of the household, are meaningless in any way but to cause grief. Their souls are in better use out of their meaningless bodies; they are much more likely to enjoy their lives when they are allowed to grow in the afterlife.

It is, perhaps, the duty of the chef to utilize the potato, and that is how he derives his respect for it; yet it is the duty of the executioner to end the potato of its pointless suffering, its never ending torture, and that is how he derives his respect for it. Such is the simplicity of the potato execution.

And yet, on this day, Bryce's finger quivered slightly as he prepared. The previous day hadn't been stressful, but there were reports on the news of strange happenings. This usually wasn't worth his attention-- why would it be? The occult would sneak its way into mass media on occasion, and this time was likely no different. Yet the dream which lingered in his mind… it bothered him. Since he had the dream, he'd quickly, upon awakening, spent time sculpting a bird. Call it instinct, call it intuition, call it the literal fact that the dream had mentioned birds, and teaching, and… love. He didn't try to buy too much into it, but it was the feeling of a gentle caress, of a sort of understanding… It drew him in and pushed him into the fray. It caused inspiration. But it was an uncomfortable inspiration; it was weird, odd, strange, uncomfortable, out of whack, wrong. Almost obligatory-- like he had no choice, like he had to make the sculpture, even though he knew he didn't. And yet, simultaneously, he could not place his finger on why. In fact, the longer he thought about it, the more it seemed right.

It continued to eat into him even when he prepared a mop to clean up the small room he had been in during the potato execution. This time, he'd gone for a sort of Rube Goldberg machine. He decided that it was so much work that he'd never want to do it again; still, he didn't have the heart to take it apart now that it was done. The entire mechanism was filled with small little flicks here, the rolling of balls, the moving of gears, constant change and inconsistent speed. It all ended with a drop into a small trash can, which had been messed with so that there were needles at the bottom to skewer the potato several times. And yet that was satisfying up until the last moment, when he began to realize, after cleaning up the dust that it took to put the mechanism together and throwing away the now dead potato, that he was still restless. Bothered. He'd made a good amount of money already, so he didn't worry about doing any work today. It was officially his day off.

But when he threw on something that was actually respectable in terms of dress [as opposed to a shirt and boxers], he realized that he didn't know what to do with a day off. He'd made no plans or anything, and he literally was about to walk out of the house without any idea of what he was about to do. And yet, Bryce exited the house smiling, whistling, with his keys and his wallet stuffed away in his pocket and accompanied by a bag with gadgets and tools that he didn't think he'd need, but it didn't hurt to take. As he locked the door, he hummed away his worries and felt his optimism take the better of him. Sure, he had no plan for today. But, of course, that had always been the way he liked it.

Dusty · May 12, 2016

Shiro Itsune
Shiro's Apartment // Ashikabi // Morning

"-explosion at the PEL building in Northern Tokyo, bystanders are warned to stay back for now until authorities are able to properly assess the situation…" The TV droned on for a bit as Shiro slowly climbed out of his dozing. He'd fallen asleep in his apartment, a small thing within the budget his parents had given him, but he hadn't really needed any more. He would have liked more space, but enough room for his TV, computer, and his couch/bed. He yawned deeply, shifting around making the papers on his chest fall off to the ground. Confused for a moment, he picked one up, then remembered he'd been working on his thesis paper. Gazing around him, he saw a couple dozen papers and books lying around in a mess about his apartment.

Groaning, he forced himself to get up and walked over to his small kitchen, Pulling from his cupboard a coffee filter and the strongest mix he had, he set his coffee maker to start, and enjoyed the scent of the intoxicating caffeinating mixture. Finally, pouring himself a mug, he walked back over to his living room and started to pick up his papers. He really was disorganized he realized, although he felt a major part of that was simply because of his staying up past midnight to work on his paper. As he was picking up his research, his attention was caught by an image on the television, a cloud of smoke drifting away from a building. The headline read, "Explosion at the PEL Building".

Curious, he turned up the volume to hear the announcer saying, "This is the second explosion in the past couple days. There was also an explosion at a construction site in another part of the Northern District last night, although authorities have yet to confirm any casualties in that incident. This particular incident involved an explosion at the PEL building. We have yet to confirm any source for the explosion, but authorities are warning all to stay away from the building for now until we have more details. There appears to be some structural damage and there has been debris falling from the blast area, but we are being told that the building is still structurally sound and is currently in no risk of collapse."

The camera shifted to a man in a news studio who went on to say, "We'll be keeping an eye on that particular incident and keeping you updated with any new developments in that story. We are also being told that this does not seem like a terrorist attack, nor does the explosion at the construction site last night seem like one. As of yet, we have no connections between the two, and we should not assume that there is any sort of terrorist activities in the area. That being said, if you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to call the police…"

The man went on for a little while longer, but the news shifted to more mundane topics like sports and weather. It was strange though, two explosions in the span of twenty four hours, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. Ah well, whatever was going on, so long as it didn't affect him, he would be fine. The news had said there hadn't been any casualties as it had happened just after dawn, so it didn't make sense to be a terrorist. Probably just a gas explosion or something.

Running his hands through his hair, he wondered what to do with his day. Taking a look at his computer, his thesis was on forty seven pages, ten pages ahead of schedule, so he didn't really need to work on that today. Rina was busy for today, and he didn't have anybody else to play tennis with, so that wasn't an option either. He wondered if he should send Eri a text. She seemed like an interesting person to hang out with, but he didn't want to seem too desperate. He couldn't go to class either, as he had the week off to work on his thesis...what to do, what to do…

"Ah, screw it," he grumbled, picking up the last of the books and stacking them on his small coffee table. "Let's see if Eri actually wants to do something. She wasn't from around here, so maybe I could show her something interesting around town…" Or if not he could just go and do something on his own. Some air would be good for him he decided. Picking up his phone, he sent out a text to her asking if she wanted to hang out, then he tossed it back onto his couch and looked around. "Hmm, what do do until she responds…" taking a snif of his shirt he wrinkled his nose, "Shower, definitely shower."

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<3

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Tatsumi Tatsuya - Ashikabi & Fia "Astria" - Sekirei #9

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&
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