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

Sephear · Apr 6, 2016

Scattering Feathers

"The day has finally come!" A voice rang out from Teito Tower with the kind of manic joy and sense of accomplishment only a true narcissist could understand, despite the fact that Tokyo's resident domineering clocktower was far too tall for anyone to hear someone on top of it, even an idiot with a megaphone. Upon the imperious status symbol that was MBI's HQ stood none other than Hiroto Minaka, the unofficial and unopposed ruler of the city. "After almost two decades of preparation, planning, hard work, and pouring every last ounce of my genius into it, my plans will finally reach fruition!" Behind the man stood a slender young lady with narrow, unamused amber eyes, a constant frown on her thin, pink lips. A line of red accented the bottom edge of each of her eyes, and her face was framed by bangs of brown hair, the rest of it tied up into a ponytail that hung down to her neck. She watched MBI's president with rapt attention, unmoving and ever-vigilant even as the breeze attempted to disturb the kimono she wore, a men's kimono colored a deep black. "Isn't it wonderful Kana?!" he shouted at her. When he was this excited his voice would unerringly grate on anybody else's nerves, but the woman with him at present simply nodded.

"Yes sir."

The man continued to stand proudly on the tower's edge, his unkempt frosty hair blowing in the breeze. "Let the games begin! Go forth my lovely Sekirei! Go and find your destined partners!" As if there had been a cheering crowd right in front of him hanging on every word Minaka waved with a flourish, then began to bow. His head didn't even make it as low as his belly before a stiff wind swept him right off the tower, leaving him to fall a few feet before a hand grabbed the back of his coat in a blur, and quickly hoisted him back to safety. Kana resisted the urge to sigh while Minaka dusted himself off and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you my dear! Now, where are your sist-"

"It's done!" A deep, rough voice, that was only just barely distinguishable as belonging to a woman interrupted the president rather abruptly. The voice's owner landed on the roof with a huff and strode to Kana's side. She was more than a head taller than the stern girl, with creamy mocha-colored skin and long, straight brown hair. Her eyes matched her hair, and she wore a kimono much like Kana's but with cloth shorts matching the upper parts instead of pants and was actually meant for women. She lightly tapped a pair of spiked gauntlets against each other in lieu of cracking her knuckles. "The others have been released, and we made sure none of them were stupid enough to jump right into a fight. It was weird though, a few of them went off immediately towards certain places, like they already knew exactly where to go."

"Demi!" A much higher-pitched voice yelled, accompanied by yet another woman in a black kimono who fluttered down onto the tower, held up by the plain-looking metal rod she twirled overhead.. This one, however had a skirt that stopped just above her knees, and she had a pink ribbon tied around each arm, whereas the others each had one on their left. She was an inch shorter than Kana, with slightly-peachier skin, vibrantly verdant eyes and blond twintails that went down to her hips. "Why didn't you wait for me? I had some trouble-makers to deal with! And we aren't allowed to break any of them yet and you know I HATE anyone arriving somewhere before me! How could you just leave like that while I had to sort them out?!" She puffed her cheeks out while she complained, collapsing her staff and stowing it on her back.

"Because it was a pain in the ass, Maki." The amazon said, sounding extremely bored with the whole situation.

"You can't just leave the real work to us you lazy b-"

"Girls, girls! There's no need to argue over something so pure and lovely as my Sekirei Plan!" Minaka interrupted, putting the focus back on himself. "In fact, be quiet, will you? Today's glory is not to be distracted from by your bickering! Today all my Sekirei will finally leave their sterile cages and flutter off to find love! The world's greatest, most boundless power! They will fight to their heart's content for their love until there's only one left, to be together for all eternity with their partner and transcend the heavens! And I'll be there watching every second of it! Revelling in the fruits of my labor, and the success of my vision! They all know what they're to do, it shouldn't be long before the real fun starts." He finally finished his display of self-indulgent showmanship and turned back to the Discipline Squad with a flourish. "Now! You three go as well! Have fun, don't empty out the roster too much, and feel free to take Ashikabi of your own!"

The mention of Ashikabi merely got him disgusted scoffs from Maki and Demi, while Kana nodded at the president's orders, despite having no more of a desire for a bond with some lowly human than her 'sisters'. There was only one man who's happiness she cared the slightest bit about, and he was already there with her...making a fool of himself.

"Go forth, and teach all the little birds the power of love."

That voice...so beautiful and lilting, yet so powerful and commanding. It made him feel as if the most gentle hand in the world was caressing his face, but the most firm was pushing him towards something new and intimidating. Somehow he felt like he knew the voice, if only it would keep speaking to him. But just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone, though he still felt the lingering peace of its presence. That is, until his alarm went off.

"Huh?!?" Seiji Taketo's eyes snapped open and he shot upright in his bed at the blaring beeping of the small digital alarm clock on his nightstand. It was such a harsh contrast to that beautiful voice that it grated on his ears harder than ever before. As soon as his wits were gathered enough (and after several haphazard smacks of the clock) he managed to turn his alarm off and wiped his face exasperatedly with his hand. "Ugh, morning already? Oh well, at least I don't have to go to the office today. Teach all the little birds...What does that even mean?" He hopped out of bed and went into the kitchen to shove some leftovers from the previous night into his microwave and continued to ponder while his food cooked.

I don't even like birds. I mean, I guess a few of them are cute, like wagtails. But most of them are such nuisances. Seiji had only just barely managed to sit down on his couch and wolf down a few bites of his leftovers when his phone started ringing in his pocket. He was still on edge after that weird dream and the phone almost made him drop his spoon, at the very least it made him fumble around like an idiot while he set his food aside and picked it up. "Hello, this is Seiji."

"I know who you are you doof, that's why I called your phone." A soft voice answered teasingly.

"Hey, sometimes people call just because they've heard of how handsome and great I am." Seiji countered.

"Oh yeah? And who does that?"

"...People who think I'm someone else." Seiji finished the little back-and-forth with a light chuckle at his self-deprecating escape tactic. "So, what's up Hiromi?"

There was a short delay, he even almost thought he heard a deep, sad breath on the other side before he got an answer. And he had a feeling he knew what it was about. "We...need to talk." The deadly cliché words nobody ever wanted to hear from anybody, least of all a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Seiji scratched an itch on the back of his head and rubbed his eyes while he considered how long this had been coming for. "Alright sure, where do you wanna go?"

"How about Sakura's?" Hiromi answered, sounding a bit happier at the mention of their favorite meeting place.

"Sure, I'll be there soon." Seiji couldn't quite muster the same positivity as her about the whole thing, but he knew this was inevitable, and probably for the best. At least he'd finally be able to just say how he felt.

"Okay...bye." Hiromi hung up and left Seiji in silence once more. He sighed and turned the TV on before he grabbed his food and got up to put it away. He'd need something he could just absently listen to while he got ready.

~~~

Walking down the streets of Tokyo always had a curious sobering effect on Seiji. He'd see so many people who were so different, it always got him thinking. It just so happened that on this day he met someone who stood out pretty strongly from the rest on his way to Sakura's. He was nearing the corner that would put him on the same street as the lovely little café when the most striking woman he'd ever seen rounded it coming towards him first. The woman was easily 6'2 and had long, straight scarlet hair that went down to her shoulder blades in the back, her chin on the sides, and had bangs that covered one eye in the front. A western longsword was belted at her hip and she wore a strange dress that had plain light-gray top and a deep lavender hakama with what looked like a medieval breastplate of some sort. The piece of armor was bright burnished silver with royal purple trim, and pn her generous figure it definitely earned its name.

Her face was the most beautiful one Seiji had ever seen, everything about her was just so elegant and gorgeous, but powerful he actually stopped and stared as she approached. When she reached him she didn't seem to notice and smiled at him as she passed. "Why hello there. Have you heard? Apparently they're supposed to be releasing a great group of exotic birds from captivity today. I've heard their beauty is supposed to transcend comprehension, what a sight it must be. I can't wait to see all the lovely feathers spread about the city." As soon as she finished she simply kept walking without offering so much as another word.

Seiji hadn't heard anything about any release of exotic birds today. Ugh, I wish she hadn't been in such a hurry so I could ask what that was all about. Wait, birds again? What is it with birds today...Ah well, better get going, I'm almost there. Seiji shook his head and kept on walking. Once Sakura's was in sight he smiled despite himself until several images and sounds flashed through his head. A huge wolf, blood staining its fur and its teeth. Some bright purple wall, screams, someone telling him to leave. A head with no body attached hitting the floor, never to smile again. He gasped and held his face while he tried to understand what he'd just felt. He couldn't make sense of any of it, but one thing was for sure.

Ring, ring ring. Ring ring...click. "Yes? What's up? I'm almost at Sakura's can't it wait until-"

"Please, can we go somewhere else? I just...really don't want to be there right now - not for this at least."

Khawill · Apr 7, 2016

Tatsumi Tatsuya

Creating Simple Harmony
19 // Violinist // Male

Tatsumi yawned, sitting up from the dusty and objectively uncomfortable mat on the ground. The alarm clock rang with an unpleasant beating of bells, stopping when Tatsumi lightly pressed on the button to stop it. Tatsumi's violin sat in a corner, right next to a digital piano, both of which comprising the bulk of Tatsumi's material capital. A few posters of his favorite bands, and some pictures he took with fans were all that decorated his walls. Tatsumi reflected on a dream he had, one where he was told to "Teach all the little birds the power of love". Tatsumi wondered if the hand that had caressed his face were his mother's, but he shook the thought, trying to keep the morning positive.

Tatsumi checked his phone, two texts from his aunt: "Goodnight" and "Good Morning" just like every day. He also had a text from his manager, "Don't forget we have a gig this weekend". Tatsumi laughed to himself, standing up and getting ready for the day, showering, and brushing both his teeth and hair. After he had finished, Tatsumi grabbed his violin and went out for the day.

The first thing he did was drop a few yen for a loaf of breakfast bread, of which he ate peacefully at the park. A lot of people were out and about, and Tatsumi tried to imagine what each of their lives were like. A man rushing nervously somewhere, perhaps to confront some life issue he knew was inevitable, a tall woman who stood out from the crowd, and yet had to have a life as unique as anyone elses. Tatsumi wondered how other people looked at him, but decided that there were too many people for there to be only one perspective of him.

As Tatsumi ate, a girl approached him with a smile. "Hey, is that a violin." She asked pointing at his neat little case.

Tatsumi smiled, eating his bread, and pulling the violin onto his lap, "Yes ma'am," He replied, although the girl looked to be about his age, "Would you like to hear me play?"

"Sure." She said, sitting down across from him. Tatsumi was no stranger to such requests, and loved to play for any reason. He looked at her for a moment, trying to think about her story. Maybe she was younger than him, a student who had the day off, or maybe she was a graduate who was in between jobs. Tatsumi pulled his violin out, and decided that for her, he would play a waltz, Chopin "Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2" a mysterious yet please by piece that he was sure would be appealing to her.

Tatsumi took a breath, closing his eyes to remove the distractions of the world, and positioning his violin and bow. The city was noisy, but he knew his sound would reach her, and anyone who was willing to take the effort to listen. His bow touched string, and he began to only hear his own music, as if they were thoughts in his head. The relief and liberty he felt from each note and movement allowing him to lose the sounds of the city. Tatsumi could feel the grass he sat on, and he felt the breeze of the wind. He felt his own heart beat, like an off rhythm, yet still beautiful sounding metronome.

In what felt like no time at all, the feeling was gone, and the song was done. At once, the sounds of the city flooded his ears, just as the sun light assaulted his eyes as he opened them. He sat there, dazed for a moment, and then looked at the girl with a smile, remembering why he had even begun to play. He noticed that she was crying softly, trying not to interrupt the music. "It reminds me a lot of school." She said.

"Do you have anywhere to be?" Tatsumi asked with a sympathetic smile, "If not, I'd be glad to talk for a while." He gently puts his violin in its case, and offers her a napkin, and a piece of the loaf of bread.

"Thank you." She replied, wiping her face and taking a piece. "I've been pretty stressed out lately. I just graduated high school and I haven't decided if I want to go to university overseas or here in Tokyo."

"Why would you want to go overseas?" Tatsumi asked.

"This city just isn't for me, I don't really have a lot of good memories here."

"And so you think things will be different for you in another country?" Tatsumi asked, looking at her.

"I would imagine it would." She replied solemnly, "How could it be the same?"

Tatsumi shrugged, often wondering the same thing, "Even if the place changes, wouldn't you still be the same person?" He replied after a pause.

The girl smiled, and rested her head on her legs, "Yeah, I suppose I can't change that." There was another moment of pause, and she said, "This bread is pretty good, where'd you buy it?"

"Tatsumi Fujita's Bakery!" He replied excitedly, "It's near my appartment, and the owner shares the same name as me."

"That sounds nice." She laughed, "I'm surprised I've never heard of it."

"You really kind of have to look for it, it isn't on a main street or anything." He said, offering her the rest of the loaf, "You can take the rest of this loaf if you want, and if you ever go there to bug bread, tell him Tatsumi Tatsuya sent you!"

The girl giggled, and accepted the loaf of bread. Her phone rang suddenly, and she got up, "Well it was nice to meet you Tatsuya, I'm glad we got to talk." She bowed her head a little, and Tatsumi waved with a smile as she rushed off.

Tatsumi began to sing, remembering the dream once again.
"Songbirds in the trees,
Are you expressing love to me?
You music so lovely,
Tweet. Tweet. Tweet.

Songbirds in the trees,
Are you feeling lonely?
Why not perch next to me,
Sing. Sing. Sing

Songbirds next to me,
Together so lonely
Creating simple harmony,
Sing. Tweet. Sing.

Songbird don't you think,
That we sing in sync
Teaching all the power of
Love. Love. Love."

He continued making up simple verses, a few children and bystanders gathering around him as be sang for no other reason but to entertain himself.

Dusty · Apr 7, 2016

Shiro Itsune
Central Tokyo - Hibiya Park // Ashikabi // Time - Morning

Shiro turned the ball in his hand over a few times, feeling the soft felt surface. He bounced it a few times forcefully , then placed it against the surface of his racket and stared down at the other end of the court. A cool breeze blew across the court, maybe ten kilometers an hour. The surface of the court was still slightly damp from rain the last night, so any bounce would make the ball slower than normal. The sun was behind him, perhaps about fifty degrees off the horizon. His opponent, his childhood friend Rina, stood across from him. She had been favoring her right leg the past few games. He took a deep breath in, held it for a second, then let it out, bouncing the ball one more time. Finally decided on his serve, he tossed the ball up into the morning air.

Whoosh, POP. His racket whipped around his body and connected solidly with the ball as it began to fall. He had angled his racket slightly before impact to put spin on the ball, and his follow through brought the racket back around his right side. Unorthodox, but it but some wicked spin on the ball. He smiled as the ball landed solidly inside the service box, inches from the lines just within the top right corner, and the spin he put on the ball sent it careening straight to the end of the court instead of continuing its angular trajectory. With a blur of movement Rina darted in front of the ball, just reaching far enough with her backhand to get enough power to forcefully send it back to his own side. Shiro responded in kind, and the duel between the two of them began, letting up on all logic and responding to each other on pure instinct.

Neither could get the upper hand for a few volleys until Rina managed only to get a slight pop up, a desperate attempt at getting the ball over Shiro who had been playing up at the net. Smiling he backpedaled a few steps and leapt up into the air. He would have preferred to be a bit higher in the air, but managed to get a decent amount of power behind his shot, aiming straight for the far left corner of the court. Rina dashed, seeing the trajectory almost before he himself had known where he wanted to put the ball. She took a few steps, preparing for a strong forehand retaliation, then at the last second pivoted around to hit the ball with a backhand. The shift caught Shiro off guard and with a thump the ball landed just on his side of the net, a perfect drop shot that skittered at a strange angle with hardly any bounce at all.

Shiro was left gasping on the court, wiping sweat off his face with his tshirt. Laughing, he said, "Alright, fine, you win! Game six goes to Rina Hockland, Rina wins six games to four. That puts us at one match apiece, you good for one more?"

Rina grabbed a couple water bottles from the bench on the side of the court, and tossing one to Shiro she giggled, "Always good for another round! You on the other hand look like you need to take a break."

"Maybe you're right...fine, ten minutes, then we'll play the final set," Shiro laughed. "Hey, by the way, where did you learn to do that turn thing you did? That was...unexpected."

Rina pulled her hair out from her visor and hair band, letting her wavy auburn hair fall down between her shoulders, shaking it out before putting it back up again. It was easy for Shiro to remember why he had dated her for two years, and to be honest he did still have some feelings for his childhood friend, but the two were happier than ever right now, just as friends. Wiping her face with a towel, she said slightly muffled by the cloth, "I learned that from you. Don't you remember, that's how you won semifinals in regionals back in junior year, fancy trick shot like that."

"Hmm…" Shiro thought back to when he had played tennis much more seriously than now. He had originally wanted to go pro, but tearing half the ligaments in his leg in senior year had thrown a wrench in those plans. Like a flash of light, the game in question came to the forefront of his mind. "Ah, yeah, I remember now. Although I'm pretty sure I did that because I was running too fast and got there before the ball did. It was either pivot like that, or panic and send some weak shot over the net…"

"Well in any case it won you the game, and it's an unexpected trick to pull out every now and then!" Rina chugged half a bottle of water in one go, then wiping her mouth she looked down at him and said, "Right then, ready for round three?" Shiro nodded, eager to get back out on the court.

Rina punched him playfully on the shoulder as the subway train accelerated down the track, moving northwards. "You must be losing your touch Shiro, to get beaten by a girl? And to think you used to want to go pro!"

Shiro smiled back, "Hey, not my fault! I'm not as athletic as I used to be, and it's not that impressive beating a cripple." Ever since his accident, he had lost a lot of speed and agility. "Besides, you've been getting a lot better too. Must have had a good teacher!" He grinned back at her.

"Yeah, how is your knee doing by the way? I mean, you walk on it fine, but it's not that hard to notice when you were playing. I know it was a few years ago now, but still…"

Her face looked genuinely worried, but Shiro laughed and waved it off. "It's fine, it aches a bit after playing hard for a while, but that's about it. I'll just put some ice on it when I get back to my apartment or something and it'll be fine in an hour or two." He smiled as if nothing was wrong, something he was particularly talented at. In a hurry to change the subject, he quickly asked, "Anyway, you've got bigger stuff to worry about, right? I heard you got in a big fight with your theatre professor the other day. You realize you won't be able to get a degree unless you cooperate with them, right?"

She grimaced and said softly, "Don't think I didn't notice that topic change, I know you're a damn liar, and you're bad at it too." She sighed, "But I'll let it go. Yeah, I got in a fight with him, the idiot was completely oblivious to the main message of Les Miserables, it isn't about the political corruption and tyranny and that love and compassion can overcome those but…" She went off on a rant for a good number of minutes, leaving Shiro slightly regretful that he brought up the topic, although glad she wasn't pestering him anymore. He sighed, she always got enthusiastic when it came to stuff like this, the only thing to do was to smile, nod, and agree. He pitied her professor.

A handful of minutes later the subway intercom chimed and announced the next station, and Rina broke off her rant in the middle of a thought. "Anyway, you get the point," she said, despite the fact that half of what she had said went completely over his head. "Well, I'm off, let's play again on Sunday, alright?"

Shiro called out as the doors were closing behind her, "For sure!" Then relaxed against the pole he had been holding onto for the majority of the trip. He glanced around, feeling incredibly tired, and spied an empty seat half the car down. He carefully made his way down the car as the train accelerated, and tried to politely ask the woman sitting in the seat beside the empty one, "Mind if I sit here?" With only a quick nod as the only response, he sat himself down, pulling his tennis bag under the seat.

With a sigh, he opened one zipper on the side of the bag and pulled out a small bottle of pills. Pulling it open, he took one out, popped it in his mouth, then took a small swig of water swallowing the pill down. He felt a slight bit of guilt as he did, the powerful painkiller was definitely more than he needed. He hadn't lied to Rina earlier about his knee being only sore, but he had been on painkillers for too long, and had just never quite been able to kick the habit. His doctor was threatening to pull the plug on his prescription, so his days of being an addict were probably numbered...maybe he would try to find some place to get his pills after that happened, after all quitting cold turkey was hard…

He sighed, letting the thoughts go. Better not to worry about that stuff, just live life as it came by. He would sort out those problems as they arose. Turning his mind away he looked around the car trying to find something that would catch his attention. His gaze passed over then fixed on the passenger sitting next to him who before he had hardly payed attention to. Striking was easily a word that could describe her. Her dark hair framed a clean and soft face, looking bored and uninterested with the world, but also a beautiful darkness inside. She looked like what he imagined angels would look like, a dark angel rejected by God and condemned to live on earth…

What was he thinking? He pulled his gaze away from the girl. She seemed young, about his age he guessed, older teens or early twenties. Had she noticed him staring at her? He thought he had only been looking at her for a second or two, but had it been more? Did he smell bad? He had changed his shirt and put on fresh deodorant… He forced himself to calm down, taking a deep breath. Never had he been so infatuated with a woman, but he needed to calm down or he would come across as a creep. But he felt like he should say something...anything, but his mind couldn't find any words…

Fen-Fen · Apr 8, 2016

Walking with a spring in her step and a grin on her face, Lotus practically skipped down a main thoroughfare of Tokyo, wide eyed and staring in awe at the people, the sights and the great new world that awaited her. She gushed over all of the shops, seeking all sorts of the newest gadgets and games. She kept stopping to check out the stores, before getting kicked out when she began playing with the merchandise too much, going away with a pout before immediately perking back up when Lotus saw another thing or sight that caught her attention, such as an arcade. She was positively radiant with joy and excitement, even more so than usual. Her tails swished in the light breeze, bringing a pleasant feeling.

She had no idea where she was going, entranced by the sights of Tokyo. It was just as just as grand as she imagined, amplified by her imagination, though there was no sign of fantastical creatures and heroes gallivanting saving the day...yet. That would come when she proclaimed her worth to the world, when the Laser Kitsune finally finds her Ashikabi, ready to take. on. the. WORLD!

Speaking of her Ashikabi, Lotus suddenly felt a subtle but distinct feeling, one she had never felt before. It felt like an adrenaline rush, but warmer somehow. Huh, that feels good. All the better for this prodigious day! Continuing on her spree of wandering and gawking for the next two hours, meandering to and fro, hearing a violinist play in a nearby park and clapped for his act before getting bored and moving on. As she kept meandering along, saying hi to various strangers that caught her eye, she felt the feeling intensify. She couldn't tell why, but it was definitely a someone calling to her, beckoning a need to be with this person. It felt more burning, making Lotus feel really hot and bothered.

Now more focused and needing to find the source of a strange but pleasurable feeling, she headed back to the north where the feeling was guiding her. After walking for another kilometer, she spotted a nice chic cafe, a place named Sakura's. She immediately recognized the source of her attraction and desire, a man, with raven, curly hair about the same height as her and adorned with a few freckles. The man was just getting off his cell phone when she made her move. Getting ever closer, fox ears twitching in nervousness, Lotus walked up to the man until she was only three inches away from him. She crossed her arms, emphasizing her perky chest to the point where it touched him from such a close distance, and stammered, "H-hey, big guy, y-you're looking fine today." It was here where Lotus was conflicted with her overall demeanor and her primal desires brought on by the feeling. All she knew was that she was needed this man, and she intended to have him.

Sonata · Apr 8, 2016

Jazmine stared up at the evening sky, shielding her eyes with the back of her hand. The sounds of the city below echoed up to her on the skyscraper which she had sat. She'd often come up here before when she'd lost all inspiration. From here, she could hear it all, see it all, feel it all. In this spot nothing else mattered. Future, past and present; responsibilities, capabilities and shortcomings - all of it was on the ground below with the honking of horns and shouting of adolescents. Up here she felt she could nearly touch the sky. Up here all that there was was her.

The woman sighed and then lowered her gaze to the streets below. The thought of freedom was surprisingly freeing, regardless of how often it crossed her mind. However it wasn't hers to take, not her place to belong. That was not what she was created for. Jazmine rose to her feet and tugged on a lock of her curly hair. The infinite darkness of the curl shifted to a light blue as Jazmine stepped off from the building's roof.

The wind rushed past her face, pulling her clothes tight against her chest and throwing her hair behind her. She drew closer to the building she had leapt from, some science related thing she never cared to grasp the concept of. Jazmine kicked off from one of many windows, causing a slight fracture in the glass. One of the workers inside rushed to see what had caused it, fearing for the life of a small bird. But instead he saw the beautiful black woman staring back at him with empty eyes and cold heart. She shook her head and then created a slide from ice to carry her safely to the ground below, the white lace on the top of her socks growing.

Jazmine touched down on the ground, the corner of her lips cracking into a slight smile. She'd be let out into the city before to pursue her interest in art, but they'd always been watching. She'd never been allowed to display herself in such a way... it was freeing. The woman looked around her, not completely surprised that her entrance into their world had been ignored - though hurt nonetheless.

The woman walked the city streets, her head on a swivel while searching for any sort of inspiration. She'd spent so much time out here already, painted the same streets, the same shop fronts and the same passerbys. This district was boring, moving like clockwork not missing a beat. Every day at five the cafe would put out its sign and without fail the same group of three girls would enter it five minutes later. The same brown dog would urinate on the sign half an hour later and the girls would leave, picking it up and shooing it down the alley beside the shop before it could be caught. Every other shop and every other street in this area had a similar routine concreted in; the same regulars, the same opening ritual, the same daily conflicts and the same closing ritual. Nothing ever changed in this town.

Nothing ever changed that is, until today. A flicker of warmth sparked within Jazmine's chest. The woman's eyes widened as the person passed down the street in front of her; someone she hadn't seen coming this way before. An anomaly in the system, something that she should have expected but never could have thought possible. She would have to approach this person... but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Her legs were frozen beneath her, her mind was numbed and all she could feel was the fire burning so vigorously in her heart. She had to move now or this chance would be missed forever. She had to move!

But it was too late. This inspiration, this burning sensation in her chest that slowly faded away. Her mind settled itself and Jazmine fell up against a wall behind her and then slid to the ground. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she tried to re-construct the features of that person. What even did their eyes look like? Had they been a man or a woman? What were they wearing? She started to piece together that person's face, but the harder she thought about it the more that the image evaded her. The woman clenched her teeth and began to pound angrily on her knees as silent tears streamed down her face. She wanted to scream but resigned herself to silence.

The woman stood up after several minutes of mentally beating herself up. She wiped the dried tears from her face and walked solemnly over to the cafe across the street. The owner was outside scrubbing the urine off of his shop sign but smiled as she approached.

"Welcome to Daizō cafe! What can I get for you miss?"

The owner's voice was delicate and sounded as if it were about to crack. It didn't assault the ear but wasn't exactly the most enjoyable thing either. It sounded that he was forcing the higher pitched optimism, but Jazmine could understand how he or others might find it inviting.

"Just a small coffee. Black."

The owner rose to his feet, folding up the urine rag and placing it on a table in the corner before getting to brewing her coffee. The entire time he had had a smile on his face, even while he had been cleaning the sign. It was unsettling to the woman, but she was able to see every step that the man took in preparing her drink and could tell he hadn't done anything to it. When the owner placed the cup in front of her she became at ease and took a sip. The liquid ran down her throat and warmed the entire inside of her body. It was simply a cup of black coffee, but it tasted like nothing she'd ever had before.

"I've seen you around from time to time." The man smiled at her as she put the cup down. "You're usually down at the ends of one of the streets or watching from the corner right over there aren't you? Truth be told, I've always been a little scared when I see you. I couldn't shake the feeling that you were the reaper come to take my soul."

The owner chuckled uneasily as he rubbed the back of his head. Jazmine lowered her head slightly and took another small drink from her cup.

"I didn't mean that in a... well, I mean... I guess it was kind of rude of me. I'm sorry. I just meant that I'm happy you finally decided to come in and enjoy a cup of coffee. I often feel sad watching you stand around all on your lonesome. I feel as if I should do something, offer you a place to sit or anything, but..."

"It's alright," Jazmine whispered. "I understand how uneasy I must have made you feel constantly watching you. I should have come in earlier, this coffee is really good."

"Thank you ma'am. So then if you feel that way I must ask, what made you decide to come in today of all days?"

Jazmine frowned and thought hard about if she should tell this man about the feeling she had experienced or not. How would he respond to her? Would he be able to help her understand what she had felt? Would he be able to help her find that mysterious person?

"I..." she started, and then went silent. Should she really go through with this? What would some random cafe owner know about a random person walking down the street? Then again, what harm could it really do to let him know? "I think I've met someone."

Legend · Apr 8, 2016

There was something about trains that captured Eri's attention. While they lacked the refined beauty that the natural world so desperately holds on to, like a scared child attaching his or herself to a parent, trains somehow had the ability to carry a microcosm of culture in a small metal tube. One could see how people dress, what music they listen to, what people read, and how they talk in a span of only a few hours. For the most part, Eri was more than aware of such things, having been exposed to isolated samples of the city's culture prior to her official release, but she was curious enough to investigate it for herself. She was not necessarily disappointed, but hardly impressed with what the world had to offer her.

It was more of the same old, and she soon found herself pulled into her music and literature on the train, awaiting something to pique her interest. The old, tattered book she nabbed at the local bookstore was The Odyssey by Homer. From what she gathered, it was supposedly a classic adventure tale, of the Greek hero Odysseus as he traveled home from war to return to his family. The first third of the epic bored her, but she pushed through and was beginning to get to the good part. Booming in her ears was the tunes of a "The Pineapple Thief" and the combination of both caused the surrounding world was slowly drowning out. Passive observations were made concerning the gathering of society around her. The one salary man was glancing suggestively at a woman across the train car. Another one was pushed up to another man and they tried their hardest to not make that awkward eye contact. There was also a cute schoolgirl prancing on and off the train, and Eri almost cracked a smile.

"Mind if I sit here?" A voice perked up and clearly directed at her. Despite hearing little more than a mumble through the bass, she nodded and the young man stuffed his bag under his seat. At least he was polite, considering how crowded trains have the potential to get, she thought. Eri had analyzed the young man briefly, noticing him discussing something with a girl before. It was an interesting exchange, mixed with affection, teasing and tension. Before long, Eri had put most of it together and the deduction made it the most interesting thing on the train so far. Especially after he downed a pill of some kind with water and guilt.

But then he turned his attention to her. He stared for longer than he thought without a fraction of a doubt, seeming to size her up for whatever reason. But in a moment, she smirked. She knew why he stared. She knew why he was so taken with her. It was cute. Well, almost cute. Maybe she would entertain a thought. Maybe she would humor him and see why had taken such an interest in her. She would not get her hopes though. She knew of the so called plan, perhaps better than most of her fellow brothers and sisters. And she knew what was expected of her in adherence to the plan. But was he to be hers? Or would it more proper to say she would become his? This was unlikely. She did not feel a thing yet, but it didn't mean she wouldn't. Nor did it mean she will. Realism blended with cynicism was par for course for Eri.

The young man was becoming visibly uncomfortable, and she had figured he wanted to break the ice and say something to her. His motivations were unclear, but were they improper, Eri would be more than capable of defending herself. In fact, that would have been laughable if he tried. So what was the harm? What was really at stake?

"So, was the girl from earlier your ex?" Eri finally said, removing one of her earbuds from her ear, but leaving the book open, keeping her eyes locked in to the literature.

Stinging Bea · Apr 8, 2016

Izumi
Initial Investigations

"The least you could do is say something to me, I know you're holding out."

Izumi's eyes narrowed as she stared at the stray alley cat. This was the third of the cats that she had encountered since she finally got to go out and into the city, and so far not a single one had felt like having any sort of a conversation back with her. The black-haired Sekirei frowned as the cat opened it's mouth, only to take a moment to lick itself some before curling back up on the trashcan lid it was using for a napping spot.

"I don't understand... All the books I've read said that these cats are fully capable of having fully intellectual conversations. All these things act like I'm doing is bothering them though," Izumi thought, crossing her arms with a huff. Looking back at the cat one more time, Izumi began to wonder if maybe it had something to do with the color. "Maybe... that dictates how smart they are? Most of the ones I read about where either white or black... this one is kinda brown..."

While she was busy debating what could be the possible reason a cat did not want to have a lovely conversation, Izumi was oblivious to the various looks that various people were giving her as they passed by. Even if she had noticed that people were staring at her, chances were that Izumi would not have cared. After all, there were much more important matters to attend to. Eventually, a sudden idea popped into the woman's head.

"Wait, what if you're sick?!" she suddenly exclaimed. Izumi quickly turned away from the cat and looked around. "I need a doctor... Where's a doctor...?"

The Sekirei began to a scan of the various people that were walking around at the time. From what she had read before coming out, doctors were always men wore really nice suits and glasses. They always seemed to be balding as well. All the girl needed to do to find someone that would meet that description. She was sure that if she did, that man would be more than glad to treat the cat and she could finally have that first friend. The plan was so perfect, there was no possible way she could see it go wrong. Without any warning to her unknowing feline friend, Izumi scooped it up into her arms and began to run down the street in search of a doctor.

"Aha! I think I found one," Izumi muttered, seeing a man in a brown suit walking down the sidewalk from the other side of the street. "He's got a bit more hair than I'm used to seeing, but not much... Wait, what if the amount of hair they have has something to do with their skill... Maybe they're worse doctors if they have a fuller head...?"

Glancing down at the cat in her arms, Izumi bit her lip in apprehension. The girl knew she did not have long to dwell on such thoughts if she wanted to get medical attention for her friend. Throwing caution to the wind, Izumi quickly took off after the man she designated as a doctor. The black-haired Sekirei deftly ran across the street, several cars screeching to a stop and honking in frustration as they just barely managed to stop and not run her down in the process. Izumi was oblivious to this, however. Rather, she focused all her attention on chasing down the man as fast as her feet would carry her.

"Excuse me~" she called out in a singing-tone, the girl switching to carrying the cat in one arm as she waved down the suit-wearing man with her other arm. "I need your help!"

The man, who seemed to have been in a hurry, gave an annoyed glance over his shoulder at the Sekirei. "I'm busy... Go find someone else to bother, kid."

Izumi frowned at the man's rather brisk, rude response. Still, she did not let that discourage her. She merely quickened her pace as she walked, managing to get ahead of the man before turning to face him and walk backwards.

"I said, excuse me!" Izumi repeated, speaking much more loudly than she had previously. "I really need your help, please!"

The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, I dunno what you want, but..."

Before he could even answer, Izumi shoved the cat in his direction. It was all the man could do to grab onto the creature before it was more or less flung from the Sekirei's arms. The man stared at the cat in silence for a moment, before glancing back towards Izumi and raising an eyebrow.

"He's sick," she said bluntly, putting a hand on her hip as she spoke. "I've been trying to talk to him for at least twenty minutes, and he hasn't said a single word back. Maybe he's lost his voice or something? I really don't know... I'm not a doctor."

The man stared at Izumi in silence again, before glancing back at the cat. Another moment went by before he returned his focus back to Izumi. A look of pure confusion gracing his features as he did this, as if the words he was looking for to even form a sentence had left Tokyo on the first train out of there.

"I... You... I mean, this cat..." he stammered. "This cat... is a cat."

Izumi nodded. "I know."

"You're waiting for him to talk?" he asked back in confusion.

"That's right," Izumi replied, her voice and expression both deathly serious.

"What... What makes you think I can help with this...?" the man questioned back.

"You're a doctor," Izumi confirmed, again rather bluntly. The man opened his mouth to speak, but Izumi quickly silenced him. "The suit, the glasses... you've got too much hair, which means you probably aren't that good... but I'm desperate enough to take what I can get."

The man was not sure whether he should have been insulted by that or not. He was not a doctor... and he really was not sure where in the world Izumi had gotten such an idea. Truth be told, he was a teacher... a math teacher to be specific. Even if he wanted to help Izumi, he would not know in the slightest bit how to begin. All he knew was he was running late... and chances were if he did not get a move on, there would be another strike on his record.

He started to had the cat back to Izumi, sighing in the process. "Look... I'd like to help, but I don't have the time or qualifications... If you'll excuse me."

Izumi watched in shock as the man began to brush by her and continue on his way. She could not believe that the doctor was just going to leave her with a sick cat. Not only was it rude, but it could prove fatal! What if the cat had some rare disease that could only be treated early? She would not let its blood be spilled because of this man's refusal. Without wasting a minute, Izumi chased after the man again. She quickly caught up with him with ease, and grabbed hold of his hand tightly. The sudden tug almost caused the man to trip over his own feet. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the Sekirei with the cat once more... only she looked a bit different than before.

Her lips stood out in a small pout. Her eyes... they were suddenly looking so enticing, as if they were staring deeply into the man's very soul. The cat was still nestled in only one of the girl's arms as she released her hold on the man's hand. Slowly, her left hand graced its way down towards her tank top. Taking hold of the fabric slowly, Izumi began to slowly lift it up... to just under her breasts. Her hips wiggling all the while as she began to breathe deeply.

"Please... the cat is sick... Please help me..." Izumi began. She paused, giving the man a quick, yet sensual wink. "I can... make it worth your while."

The man looked absolutely flabbergasted at this point. It was probably impossible for his jaw to drop any further than it was already hanging open. Steam was literally covering the lenses of his glasses, all while Izumi stood there, her hand threatening to lift the tank top over her breasts completely. The innocent, yet lust-filled giggle that suddenly escaped from the Sekirei's lips did little to appease the man's sudden tension.

"What... what is going on with this girl...?" the man thought, his mind racing a mile a minute. "I can't tell if she's crazy or... well, she is attractive, but... Wait, I'm married... but... she is... What do I...?"

As if summing up all his courage, the man through caution to the wind as he began to reach out towards Izumi. Has hand trembled as it grew closer and closer, just inches away from the girl's almost exposed breasts. He swallowed deeply, sweat starting to literally drip off his forehead as his hand hovered just above the woman's bare flesh. A nervous smile graced his lips as he glanced down at them... before glancing back up at Izumi. What happened next would leave the man questioning life itself. Right before his hand would lay contact on Izumi, the cat decided it had finally had enough. It let out a loud screech, before prying itself out of the Sekirei's arm and suddenly taking off down the sidewalk. Izumi did not miss a single beat as she quickly dropped her shirt back down and took off running after the cat, leaving the man standing on his own once more. His hand still outstretched as he watched the black-haired, strange girl chase the cat in to the distance.

It was lunch time before he finally found the will to drop his hand.

Groc · Apr 9, 2016

Lyra

It truly had been too long since they'd let Lyra outside. She breathed in deeply, letting it out in a content sigh as she stood still, enjoying everything around her: The wind in her hair, the smell of the air, the faces of people that stopped to look and stare...

In their defense, it wasn't every day they saw a girl like her standing on the guard rail of a bridge in the park. She hopped down, doing a little twirl to make her ribbons swirl around her. "It's such a lovely day!" She shouted to the sky, laughing happily. People stepped back nervously, except for one motherly-looking woman.

"Excuse me, miss, but could you please stop shouting? It's making people nervous."

Lyra cocked her head to the side in confusion, looking at the people nearby. She sighed, pouting a little. "Spoilsports... You can't actually make me stop, you know. There's no law saying I can't express myself! Y'all just need to lighten up, have a little fun!" She slid up to the woman, forcing her mouth into a smile. "See? Smile~!"

The woman pushed Lyra away, horrified by the invasion of her personal space. "Police! Security! Anyone!" She began shouting, drawing the attention of a nearby officer.

Lyra stepped away from the woman, nervously glancing around. "I'm sorry! I was just having some fun! But if you want to arrest me... you'll have to catch me!" She bolted from the bridge, her ribbons trailing behind her as she ran through the park.

She vaulted over a park bench, barely dodging the man with a violin sitting on it. "Why are people so grumpy today? It's too nice to be angry!"

Fort PokePower · Apr 9, 2016

Fia "Astria" - The Blazing Aria
Sekirei #9

Heads turned to watch Fia as she walked down the street, her long hair flowing behind her wake, sunlight catching in its glistening white strands. While she was definitely quite the eye-catcher like all Sekirei, that wasn't the only thing that drew the attention of the people (mostly men who received disgruntled looks from their female companions). What really caught the attention of those Fia passed was the wordless song she hummed - soothing, inviting, and alluring all at once.

Fia paid no mind to the attention she was drawing to herself, caught up in her own world as she focused solely on her mission. There was a studio in the area that had hired her and helped her to obtain many of her contracts. Before the MBI had rounded up the the Single Numbers a year ago and returned them to the facilities, Fia had notified the studio that she would have to return to her country to deal with a personal issue that had arisen and would not be returning to Japan for at least a year. They hadn't been very enthusiastic about the news, but had easily eaten up the excuse. Now that she had been released into the world again, Fia was wasting no time in notifying the studio of her return. After all, she needed some way to pay for her expensive tastes until she found an Ashikabi to spoil her. And if she got unlucky enough to get a slob for an Ashikabi... Well, she would whip them into shape quick enough. Quite literally, if need be.

As she came to the entrance of a building with the words "Bright Light Studio" hanging boldly above the doorway, Fia went to walk confidently through the front doors, only for her song and step to come to an abrupt stop when she saw the notice taped on to the glass.

CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

Bright Light Studio has unfortunately had to shut down due to insufficient funding. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Fia's expression didn't change as she stood staring at the scrap of paper for a few minutes. This... would make things more difficult. Of course she still had a reputation, but after being absent for a year it was likely that many parties would have replaced her by now, and she would now have to find another studio with enough sway to get her back into Tokyo's celebrity world.

...But that could wait for the moment. Fia's stomach was starting to feel rather hollow and it wouldn't be long before it would start growling in a very much unladylike manner. There was a fine enough restaurant in the area that her allowance from the MBI would cover, but it was still a fair walk through a park to get there. Still, it was better than some sort of... fast-food hamburger or anything of the other slop that most humans ate. Though if she passed by some other satisfactory source of food along the way, she wouldn't turn it down.

Lucifer-san · Apr 9, 2016

An Artistic Meeting
Tatsumi Tatsuya and Layfe

Tatsumi finished up his improvisational song and laughed a little to himself, the song reminding him of his aunt. He felt a twang of sadness, as his thoughts also drifted to his mother. Tatsumi sighed, and stood up, looking at the time on his phone. "Oh shoot!" He said, "Layfe has lunch soon, I can't miss that." He got up and picked up his violin, as he turned around, a woman taller than him blocked his way. "Excuse me, ma'am." He said.

The woman smiled, making Tatsumi feel suddenly heavier. Something about her, made him nervous. "You seem to love birds, are excited for the release of the most exotic ones? You may even see that they are more beautiful than any of your music?"

Tatsumi repressed his fear, and smiled as if it were a concert, "If that's the case, then I suppose I would have to play better music." The woman grinned, and the two of them walked past each other, Tatsumi giving a sigh of relief. He realized that uncontrollably, his hands were shaking, and he smiled, loving the feeling.

He arrived at Genki Ramen shop and rushed to the counter, "Hey, Layfe!" He called to the back, "Lunch time!"

Walking out from the back wearing an apron over his clothes, Layfe spotted Tatsumi at the counter. Tatsumi was someone he had met a little bit after he had been released into the city, the guy was...interesting he thought to himself. He hadn't met many musically inclined humans so it was cool to hang around someone who was. Shaking his head a bit, he shook himself out of his thoughts as a polite smile stretched across his face.

"Hello Tatsumi, nice to see you again. How are you today? Anything interesting happen?" Layfe asked probingly, taking care to make himself come off as genuinely interested.

Tatsumi thought for a second, "Yeah, I played in the park and met a pretty nice college girl, played her some violin, and then I remembered this dream I had last night and sang about it." Tatsumi pulled out some money, "I got some money for it too, so lunch is my treat." to you?"

Layfe's eyebrow raised in interest as he spoke. "Oh, nice. Must've been a pretty interesting dream if it got you to come up with a little song for it. Anyways, if you're paying for lunch you got any places to go to in mind? I usually just get some Dango to go from here."

"Dango? Yeah let's get some then!" Tatsumi ordered an excessive amount of Dango to go, "We can eat anywhere." He looked at Layfe, "Yeah, a woman told me to show birds the power of love, it was so poetic, I can't get it out of my mind." He laughed, "Though, there was also another interesting thing that happened."

Looking over the counter as Genki went to the back, Layfe knew the man was gonna get his staff to try and get the Dango out a bit faster than usual. Genki treated him pretty nicely, though Layfe thought it helped that he helped out around the shop more than the other staff.
"Well, there's a park a short distance away with some benches and a few tables scattered about if you don't mind eating outside. The birds thing seems pretty interesting, poetic dreams like that usually have some greater meaning, but more importantly what else happened that was interesting?"

"Well, after I had sang my song, I began to come here to see you, and this really tall woman with a big sword complimented me sorta, but she also said that a bunch of exotic birds were going to be released, birds more beautiful than my music!" Tatsumi laughed, "She was nice enough, but for some reason she made me shake in my shoes, it was absolutely thrilling!" Tatsumi remembered the other part of the question, "Oh yeah, the park is fine, I love to eat outside."

If he had to make a guess about who Tatsumi was talking about, Layfe could only presume it was one of the single-digits besides himself, maybe even the number 1 herself. Something even more important though, was the fact that the other Sekirei were being released. He only hoped they remained safe, lest he do something less than unpleasant to whomever hurt them. Keeping the smile on his face while his thoughts were elsewhere, he spoke.

"Huh, sounds interesting indeed. I wonder what type of bird she could be talking about, perhaps a Kagu or some Cape Wagtails," He said pretending to be curious. "Anyways, it sounds like you have a crush on her." He said teasingly.

Tatsumi laughed, "Could be doves too. Crushing on her?" Tatsuya shrugged, "I can't tell if it was her, or the feeling of danger she gave me."

"Yeah, that could do it too. Though, if she gave off a feeling of danger don't you think it would've been better to avoid her? Especially since, as you said yourself, she was carrying a sword with her. That's not exactly normal you know?"

"Maybe you're right." Tatsumi replied, "I shouldn't risk my life." Tatsumi told the truth, but he itched for that feeling of danger again, "I've seen a lot of abnormal in this city, so I don't think she's any different than other weirdos."

"I swear, one of these days you'll run into something that's too dangerous for your own good, but I suppose this isn't the time to think about such things. I might've jinxed it." As he spoke a white container was placed on the counter, as the gruff voice of Genki sounded next to Tatsumi and him.

"Here's yer food, it'll be 1,100 Yen."

Tatsumi handed the money over, the full sum of what he made that day, "Thank You very much!" Tatsumi said politely, the two of them walking out, "I live in the poorest part of the city, drug dealers, muggers, and the like are always around me, yet even with the constant threat of danger, I only ever felt it for the first few weeks. It's been about a year, and yet the I haven't had the feeling of danger since." Tatsumi got excited, thinking of the dangers that he had become used to, "I just want to have fun is all." He said with a laugh.

Grabbing the container in one hand and following after Tatsumi, he listened to what he had to say with a calm nonchalance. Personally, he felt that Tatsumi was just a danger junkie who like the thrill of being in situations that put him into copious amounts of danger. Layfe was smart enough however to know that he was essentially talking to a brick wall, and decided to take another approach at this.

"Hmm, having fun is nice and all, but what happens when you accidentally bite off more than you can chew? I know how much you enjoy singing and music, so I can only assume you've thought of what could happen to your hobbies if you are actually injured, right?" He said inquisitively, as he made sure they were going the right way to make it to the park.

"It just about the only thing I'm afraid of." He looked at his hands, "These are more important than my life. If I injured them, I'd have no reason to live you know." Tatsumi shrugged, "Not that it matters, with me not caring about my life, that means there is absolutely nobody in the world that does."

"Hmm, I doubt that. I mean, whoever took care of you must have cared for you and would be sad if you were gone, right? Any friends you've made would probably feel the same as well, I know I'd feel something if you were to suddenly disappear or be harmed. It is only a natural human emotion to care for others after all, even if only slightly."

Tatsumi nodded, "Yeah, sorry. I guess I can be short sighted. You say human emotion as if you were not a human."

"Heh I am, but I tend to take an outside look on the entire race as a whole you know? By taking the role of an observer it allows one to judge everyone just as equally as you'd judge yourself, it can also give you a new perspective on a situation you'd otherwise not think of. It's just a little something I've figured out how to do, makes me a bit more empathetic to others." The park was now just a block away, and could be seen by the two of them.

Tatsumi smiled, "Good ole wise Layfe. That's why I get you for lunch, you always know just what to say."

"Well, I just say what feels natural,but thanks. Anyways, there's the park right up ahead. There should be a table off to the side." He said as he shrugged.

Tatsumi put the food on the table and sat down, "How'd your day end up so far?"

"Pretty good, there was a lot of business today but it was nice. One of the new employee's struggled a bit with making some gyoza, but I worked them through it."

"That's pretty nice of you." Tatsumi said, there was a few moments of silence as they ate, "Hey, do you think something interesting is going to happen in this city?"

Humming to himself in thought as he took a stick of dango and started eating, he spoke after a moment. "Hmm, I have a feeling that it will. There's just a certain air that's been lingering over the city as of late I suppose, though if I may ask, why do you ask?"

"So you feel it too? I've just had a feeling is all, or maybe it's a wish. I guess I'd just want to be a part of it. Wouldn't you?"

"Hmm, maybe. It could be interesting, but you never know what exactly is going to happen until it does. You might find yourself apart of something more dangerous, or even deadly, so I suppose I'd only wish to join such a thing if I knew what was going to happen."

Tatsumi laughed, "Well if I do get involved, I promise not to die on you, that way we can have these lunches until we're old men." Tatsumi said 'old men' in his silliest oldest man voice.

"Heh, I'll hold ya to that." He said chuckling a bit. "It'd be unfortunate if I had to start paying for all of my lunches." Layfe joked, as ate another stick of dango.

"Hey! You're the one with a full time job, maybe sometime you'll buy." Tatsumi laughed, "Well, I don't mind buying until you've saved up money for that thing you want."

"True, though it'll be awhile before I have the money to get what I want. I have some money put to the side though, so I can buy lunch next time. I can get us some gyoza or something." Feeling his phone vibrating in his pocket he pulled it out and checked the time. "Look's like my lunch break is almost over."

"Well you have to work hard." Tatsumi said, smiling but still disappointed, "Well, be sure not to disappear for a year again. I'll come around tomorrow to get you again for more another lunch."

"Heh, no worries there. I'll be around for the foreseeable future, I have things left to do here after all," Getting up from the table and making sure to grab the now mostly empty container Layfe continued. "Anyways, see ya."

"Later." Tatsumi waved, staying at the table with the excess food.

Sephear · Apr 10, 2016

Seiji hung up the phone with another big sigh. Seemed he'd been doing that a lot lately. Great, now she's gonna think I'm losing it in addition to everything else. He stared over at Sakura's for a few more seconds of uncomfortable contemplation before he turned to head down to that May Queen Nyan Nyan cafe. He passed by that place once or twice before; a maid cafe, although something about it slipped his mind. Either way, only Hiromi's twisted sense of humor could suggest such a place for the type of meeting Seiji expected.

Before he even had time to see anything he turned right into something, something soft and jumped back in surprise. "Gyuh! Oh I'm so sorry miss, I wasn't paying any attention to where I-" He stopped dead at the sight of her. She was absolutely beautiful, in a cute way that radiated youth and energy. Her shirt was also a bit...mismatched in size for her. But what struck him the most was how flushed she was.

"H-hey, big guy, y-you're looking fine today." She stammered out, sounding a little strange, though he couldn't place why.

She's so red, and...looking fine? Is that some cheap pick-up line? Is she drunk?

"Miss are you okay?" He asked. "You look hot-er, like you're burning up, are you sick? Should I get you to a doctor?"

Lotus, feeling confused, out of her element and tense from the feeling, merely got redder and replied, "Oh no, I'm fine. I just, uh, feel a little...different." She paused, looking at him with a clarity and alertness that couldn't possibly be from intoxication. If anything, she was more tense and jittery, tails twitching back and forth in anticipation. She added, arms crossed and looking him directly in the eyes with an unexpectedly seductive tone, "Maybe you can help me~." She covered her mouth, weirded out by her forward advances and, like a little kid, felt supremely embarrassed. She looked away bashfully, wondering why this awesome feeling had to be so awkward.

He raised an eyebrow. Her tone was suggestive enough that any other time he'd think he was being hit on, but that woman seemed to be feeling so strange. Perhaps she was delirious from whatever she was ill with and it was making her act strange. He put his hand to her foreheard . "Whoa, it's like you're on fire." Before he could say anything else his eyes caught sight of the furry triangles on her head while watching his hand and he stumbled back a few steps in shock. "Animal ears?!?" Then he saw luxurious prehensile loads of fluff twitching and waving behind her. "And a tail?! No, tails!? Wh-wh-what?" He leaned a bit closer to stare at her tails. "Are those tails b-wait no." Before he could even worry about how much he DIDN'T want to say what his first assumption for furry tails would be he realized it was impossible. "There's no way someone could fit three at once...and they're moving independently!...Are they real?"

Lotus regained some of her more upbeat demeanor after managing to clamp down a bit on the more sensual parts of her feeling. Now more at ease, she swished her tails and grinned widely, "Yup. They're the real deal! Let me show you." She backed off a little, and moved them in a grand up and down sweeping movement. With a wide grin on her face, she commented, "Pretty cool, huh? Though, " she added, looking up in thought, "not as impressive as that crazy killstreak I had three weeks ago on Halo: Reach. That. Was. Insane. Nothing but victory for the glorious and victorious Lotus!"

Seiji was speechless, he just stared at for for a while before he tapped the side of his head. "Oh! So many questions...but I've got to go, I need to meet someone to talk about something really important!"

Lotus called out to him, "Aw man, we were just getting started. C'mon, I'm not gonna be a bother, I just wanna hang out with you, and get to know you better." She had a childish pout on her face, not willing to leave the person that had she had been wanting when that feeling called out to her.

"I'm sorry." Seiji stopped in his tracks, he had to admit it was hard to leave after looking at her face. He'd never seen someone with such puppydog eyes...which he guess could be attributed to the fox bit...which he was still furiously curious about. "But I really do have to go, I'd love to talk more but this isn't something that can wait. It was nice meeting you, my name is Seiji." He turned away from her and started to run off towards May Queen Nyan Nyan, but waved at her as he left. "If you see me again feel free to say hi, we could always talk then!"

While feeling really attached to Seiji, thanks to a certain sensation, she could at least understand this much. It's like when you need alone time to prep for an alone time for an intense match and you need to be in the zone. Whatever Seiji must be doing must take a bunch of concentration, so she conceded on this front. "Ok, well, good luck with your important thing there. Just make sure whatever it is, you own it like a killstreak!" In a singsong voice, she added, "See ya later, alligator~!" She trotted off towards the direction of a nearby arcade, still unable to get Seiji off her mind. Hopefully a nice, relaxing match of House of the Dead would put her mind at ease.

Seiji had to admit a certain amount of regret when he walked left that girl there, tails still swishing. Everything about her brought up so many questions that it boggled his mind, but he owed it to Hiromi to focus on this. It wasn't all that long before he drew close to her destination. May Queen Nyan Nyan really wasn't all that far away from Sakura's, so it led to some friendly competition. Though, their clientele were pretty different to begin with. Once he was at the storefront he froze in front of the door, staring through the windows. "Oh...right." He gulped in nervously and tried not to focus too much on...the cat ears. On every waitress, dressed as a maid. Right in front of him. So cute...No, Hiromi, you are evil. Why would you do this to me?

He couldn't sit there outside all day gawking, so he squared his shoulders and resolutely strolled through the door. He was tempted to do whatever he could to look like he wasn't like the rest of their customers who came regularly must be... but then he realized a lot of the regulars probably didn't want to look like regulars either. So he decided to just own it and act normally.

"Welcome home, Myaster!" two of the waitresses cheered to greet him, hands up in a cat-like paw pose. Outside, he remained calm. Inside, he was foaming at the mouth.

Stay calm, they can't possibly know what you're really here for, after all it's the most ridiculous reason to be at a maid cafe. No, wait, that makes it worse! Hiromi please be here already... Don't make me sit by myself and wait for you.

"Hello." He waved meekly and tried to scope out the tables without looking like he was ignoring the waitresses who greeted him. "Is there anyone named Hiromi here by any chance? Should be a table for two, if there is?"

The maid-waitresses organized their thoughts between them, and the blonde on the left brightened up, about to lead him to his destination. "Right this way, nya!" Seiji's nose twitched at her use of 'nya' but he kept his cool as he was taken to a small blue table, a yellow metal chair on each side and his girlfriend on one end. Even knowing what was in store, he had to admit her gentle smile, close-cropped hair, and almond eyes lit up with inner laughter managed to make him feel much more at ease.

This place could be heaven if it wasn't so damn embarrassing.

"What took you so long?" Hiromi asked, not really sounding put off by his tardiness. She seemed to be enjoying the time by herself with a strawberry cheesecake. Seiji helped himself to ordering a drink when he sat down.

"Well..." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I got delayed, someone from work stumbled into me and was talking my ear off. He wouldn't let me go. On and on about what happened at the office today, as if that's what I wanna hear about on my day off."

Hiromi closed her eyes and smiled reassuringly. "They probably just miss you, sometimes I think you're the only one there that isn't just a robot in a suit. But we've got more important things to discuss. I'm sure this has been a while coming Seiji, but-"

"Hiromi, just let me say before you go on." He interrupted. "I've really enjoyed our time together and everything, but I really don't know what I want out of my life yet. And I can't deal with constantly being pushed to better myself, it's too much on top of-"

"Seiji, I understand I've been overbearing, and for both of our sanities I think we should stop seeing each other. As boyfriend and girlfriend at least, I'd still like to be friends." Hiromi finished as if Seiji had never started talking in the first place.

He just froze mid-sentence and stared for a moment. "Oh. I thought you were going to give me the last motivational speech and say to get it together or we were through. I was ready to break up with you!"

She just smiled again and reached across the table to poke his forehead. "Beat ya to it, maybe if you didn't overthink everything all the time you could have just relaxed and got over it." As soon as she said that he couldn't hold in all the tension anymore and they both burst out laughing.

"Wow... Haha, this day just gets weirder and weirder!" He gasped out. "First that dream, then that terrifying lady with the sword I passed by, and then this. By the way," He changed veins, squinting at her impishly. "Why here, of all places?"

"To make you squirm," She stated flatly, unwavering.

"Of course." He answered, hand on his head. "As if there could be any other explanation."

Hiromi's face suddenly became serious, as it always did when she was really curious about something. And scooped another piece of cake into her mouth with the dainty, small fork the cafe generally gave customers for desserts. "What's this about a dream?"

"Anything else, Myaster?" the blonde waitress from earlier asked as she passed by.

"I'll have one of what she's having," Seiji replied, pointing to the cheesecake his now-ex was savoring a little too much, practically overwhelmed by flavor either to tease him, or that it was just that good. Regardless, he wanted it. While the blonde scurried off Seiji refocused on Hiromi, his eyes only straying for a moment to the waving cat's tail. Fake or not, it was cute. "There's not really much to say, I heard the most entrancing, gentle, and assertive voice ever all at the same time. It told me something about birds, and love, and then I woke up."

"Interesting." She replied, taking another bite of cake. "And you said you saw some scary woman? With a sword?"

"Oh yes. She was even stranger than the dream. She was easily six feet tall and had armor on, and she had some western sword! She was so scary looking even though she was so pretty... And her hair was the reddest red I've ever seen." Seiji gushed out, remembering vividly the intimidating woman from earlier that day.

"Oh really? Does someone have a crush already?" Hiromi teased, shaking her little fork at Seiji. "And I just broke up with you, too."

His eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him nervously. "No, don't be silly! Just, intensely curious. The weirdest part was she actually stopped to talk to me, said something about exotic birds being released from captivity. Have you heard anything about that?"

"Not at all." Hiromi answered. Now she tapped her chin thoughtfully with the fork, ignoring the tiny smudge of cake she got on herself. "You're right, that really is weird. I've had a strange feeling all day today myself. And I kept seeing strange people. There was some weird looking guy playing music on a sidewalk, I know that's not all that strange by itself but something was off about him. And I've been seeing a lot of really beautiful girls around lately, with an unnaturally high density of them being rather well-endowed. I know you see all kinds in Tokyo but it's not like all the women are supposed to be busty, I'm not that far below average."

Seiji couldn't stifle a laugh when Hiromi looked down at her own modest bust, just as a brunette brought out the former's cheesecake on a small silver platter. Hair well past her hips and tied with a giant blue bow and eyes a brighter blue than the sunny sky, she silently set the cake on the table. Holding the platter itself back against herself, she smiled sweetly at both Seiji and Hiromi before returning to her work without a word. Something in her smile got deep under Seiji's skin, flushing his cheeks red and taking his breath away. Hiromi rolled her eyes at him and hooked a thumb in the direction the waitress had gone, although it was clear her smile managed to even crack Hiromi's icy heart.

"See?! There's another one! You're right, today has got to be the weirdest day ever."

Seiji nodded while he watched the girl leave, transfixed on the swaying blue bow, and nodded once more. He also thought of that fox girl again, between them and the scary lady with the sword, there were definitely some real beauties out and about. Oh. I forgot to get that fox girl's name... Oh well, she's got mine, and I doubt I'll ever see her again anyways. She'll probably feel pretty silly when she sobers up. While he thought he absently took the first bite of his cake and immediately dropped the fork, holding his cheeks and shaking his head, much to Hiromi's laughter. "Ohmygoshthisissogoooooood!" The flavors mixed too perfectly. Just the right amount of strawberries spread through the cheesecake,and all perfectly ripe, and the whipped cream and fruit sauce complimented the consistency just right. It was like his mouth was being tenderly embraced by flavor. Even if he hadn't had a weakness for sweets that cake had to be the best piece of dessert he'd ever touched.

Heaven. This place is definitely Heaven.

Dusty · Apr 10, 2016

-- Sekirei --

Name: Talia Vernes
Alias: The Ivory Shadow
Location: Tokyo - Northern District
Time: Morning

Awakening
A smile came to Talia's face, a strangely rare occurrence, but then again today of all days was indeed a momentous occasion. For years she had been locked up, ostracized and kept secret, hidden from the rest of the world. But now, looking across the vast world before her, she truly understood the meaning of freedom. She had watched the sunrise from atop a skyscraper, the giant ball of warmth and life lifting itself into the sky agonizingly slowly, yet with steady and consistent grace, never rushing, never tarrying in its ascent. And now that orb of life gazed upon her face, illuminating and warming her sharp features. She always considered herself a denizen of the dark, but the light had it's own appeal.

As a single cloud in front of the sun, she shivered, a darker and colder memory came to her mind, a whisper only recently she had heard the previous night. She was not free. She may have been released into this concrete jungle before her, but this city was even more of a prison than that of her previous habitation. While she had been deprived of contact with humanity, she had been free to explore her own interests, losing herself in plays, musicals, and especially her operas. Her body had been a prisoner, but her mind had been free. But here? Her body was free to roam this city, but now her mind and soul were captive, bound to a fate she hated. She had been told to find an Ashikabi, a soulmate to awaken her true power.

But why should she, such a noble and beautiful being, be lowered to that of loving a human? She knew she was practically human herself, but her mind still repulsed at the idea of becoming bonded in such a way, particularly that she had no choice in the matter herself. What man, or woman, was worthy to share in her experiences? Not only that, but what right did she have to take a human's life from them, to tear them away from the day to day life they lived, to become part of a much greater plan that could potentially put them in danger. A single thought drew itself up from her memory and she gently whispered it to herself, "why do you condemn a man whom you have never met, whom no one knows and about whom even you yourself know nothing?" She smiled, trying to take the line to heart. She didn't know what kind of person her Ashikabi would be, she shouldn't try to limit them before she even met them.

Satisfied watching the sun, and becoming a bit hungry, she walked to the edge of the building. She was easily fifteen stories up, perhaps a bit more, and far below her the humans going about their daily lives seemed like no more than insects from here. She paced towards another edge of the building, this one overlooking an alley instead, and as she reached the edge she pushed off slightly with her legs, propelling herself into the space between the two buildings, and the darkness from the sun between them. Air rushed past her face and the ground quickly approached, and any normal human would be in a state of panic at that moment. Talia instead had a dead look on her face, completely calm and collected. About twenty feet from the ground her arm shot out, catching the rail of a fire escape, and she pulled her freefall into a ninety degree turn, now flying horizontally directly towards a brick wall.

As she impacted the wall, her body dissolved into pure darkness, and the entire world took on a very different view for her. What once was color was now black and white, more of a sense of where things were instead of actually seeing them. It was as if she could feel the darkness throughout the alley and beyond into where the bright and painful light blinded her vision in the streets. Then, in a flash, her view shifted as she flashed through the shadow, and within an instant she emerged from a darker patch of the wall, this time at street level. It was a handy trick to negate any fall damage that she might have taken, although even then she could probably have survived a fall like that. Nevertheless, it was better to be careful, and you never knew when a sprained ankle would ruin everything.

Looking up and down the alley, she moved towards the street, her shoes clicking on the hard pavement below her feet. Using her power, even that little bit made her that much hungrier, and she was eager to try some of the local food. Her thoughts of food almost made her miss the couple of men she passed as she walked through the alley, although both men noticed her. One, a man in a tattered hoodie who had been dozing off sitting on a piece of cardboard, scrambled to his feet and jogged in front of Talia, blocking the way out of the alley. Behind her, another man, slightly larger but much more stupid looking blocked the other exit as well.

"Hehe," the man giggled with a raspy voice, and it seemed pretty obvious to Talia the man had smoked far too much in the past, and probably still did. To make matters worse, his plain white shirt under his hoodie was stained with what seemed to be alcohol, and the man reeked of the substance. "What have we here," he asked his partner, "Seems a pretty little bird has come to visit us. Come on now, give us your money and we might decide to let you go…" He pulled out a switchblade and passed it back and forth from hand to hand, and he licked his lips in anticipation. When Talia did not respond, instead remaining silent with the same deadpan expression as before, he cried out to her, "Oi, look. Give us what we want and we won't have to rough you up for it. Make things difficult, and we might have to take...other liberties for our...compensation." Each pause was accompanied by a licking of the lips, making the man look somewhat like a feral dog.

Talia sighed and said with a bored voice, "I have no quarrel with you sir. Let me be on my way, there is no need for us to be uncivilized here."

"Oh, so she talks after all!" The man laughed to his ugly partner, "And such a formal way to speak too. I don't think you understand my meaning pretty miss." He took a few steps closer, only a half foot from Talia face. His breath was absolutely repugnant. "Look girly, you give me what I want before I cut you up, and I'd just hate to ruin that pretty face."

Losing her patience, she used her power to summon a blade in her hand, and she traveled through the darkness of the alley behind the man. He only had a moment to react to her sudden disappearance before he felt two sudden slashed to his calves, and his legs buckled under him dropping him to his knees. Stunned, he watched as the girl he had just a moment ago been assaulting lept over his head and took on the much larger man, darting this way and that, somehow seeming to teleport from place to place, inflicting wound after wound to his friend. His breaths became shallow and he began to hyperventilate, and the last thing he was was the woman's foot swinging in a roundhouse kick straight for his head, and his mind was too numb to avoid it.

Talia stared at the two bodies. Technically, they were not supposed to attack humans, although she was pretty sure that only went for attacking another Sekirei's Ashikabi. She felt slightly guilty for mutilating the two men, but she hadn't wounded them too deeply, and they would recover fairly quickly. They did confront her, so she felt satisfied that she had been justified in her actions. She stared down at the blade of corporeal darkness that seemed to writhe in her hand, a mix of a solid and a liquid. Sighing, she released it and the darkness dispersed and faded from her hand. Now then, she thought, what was there to eat around here…

Fort PokePower · Apr 10, 2016

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

Normally Fia wouldn't have minded a pleasant stroll through the park, but considering the hunger creeping up on her, she was enjoying it much less than usual. Though she didn't outwardly appear to be bothered, her step was a bit quicker than it might normally be and she was so focused on her goal she almost completely missed the young man sitting at a picnic table with a violin at his side - and more importantly, there was food on the table, though Fia couldn't yet see what it was.

Fia considered her options for a moment, then decided that the distance to the restaurant was much further than she wanted to walk at this moment. Thus, she altered her course to take her to the blonde-haired individual and took a seat across from him at the table. Now she could see that he seemed to have nothing but dango to offer... Still better than westernized fast food slop.

"I don't suppose you would mind sharing your food with a pretty lady?" Fia asked, putting on a smile small for appearances and raising a eyebrow at him.

Tatsumi, surprised, looked up with a smile, "Uh, sure… Wait…" Tatsumi recognized the stranger's voice, "You're miss Astria!" His excitement was visible, "I'm a huge fan!"

Fia's eyes brightened, a small blush touching her pale skin - all part of the act, of course, gotta keep the supplier happy. Though maybe she honestly did feel just slightly satisfied to find out that people still knew who she was. "Oh really? I'd have thought everyone would have forgotten me after my absence." She reached out for one of the plump little dango, holding it delicately between two fingers and bringing it to her lips.

Tatsumi shook his head, laughing, "Musicians remember musicians, especially the talented ones. Your voice has always been interesting to me. I never thought you'd be so beautiful in life though." He grinned, "Haven't really seen videos of you or anything."

Fia popped another dango in her mouth, chewed slowly, then swallowed. "Is that so? Well, how about this then. There's a... mediocre restaurant I was going to get a meal at until I saw you. How about you treat me, and then I'll treat you to a live performance. You can even join in with your own tune if you like," she said, motioning to his violin. "I'm assuming that if you have an instrument like that, you know how to play it."

Tatsumi laughed, "This instrument is my life, of course I can play it." Tatsumi thought for a moment, "For a chance to play with the great Astria, I'll treat you to something, but would you agree to play with me in this park? I'd love to treat everyone to a live performance."

Fia folded her fingers together in thought for a moment, then nodded. "It will help get my image back out there, so I don't see why not. The studio I worked through apparently closed down while I was away, so maybe I'll get lucky and someone else will hear of me and offer me a contract."

Tatsumi grinned brightly from ear to ear, "Then it's settled! Lead the way!"

The restaurant Fia lead Tatsumi to wasn't overly expensive, at least not compared to the posh ones that only accepted reservations, but many items on the menu would still look rather pricey to anyone from the lower class, especially to someone who was already struggling to make ends meet. Fia, of course, had to order one of those particularly pricey plates: fresh lobster with a chef salad on the side. The drink, at least, she kept simple and only got plain water. Normally she wouldn't be opposed to a tasteful alcoholic drink, but until she found a safe haven for the night she decided that it would be best to keep her head clear.

Tatsumi looked at the menu and cried internally, but maintained a smile. This is going to bankrupt me. Still, he was determined to perform with this woman, "I'll uh, take a salad?" Keep it cheap Tatsumi. He repeated in his head.

Fia raised an eyebrow at Tatsumi's choice. "Is that all you eat? Dango and salad? No wonder you're so skinny. Waiter, a side of calamari as well." Did she actually care if the man ate enough? No. But feigning concern let her pull on his pursestrings just a bit more.

"Well I eat bread too." Tatsumi replied, scratching his head, "So where did you go? Why did you disappear for a year?"

"I had a personal issue that I needed to attend to, and it required me to travel back to America for an indefinite period of time. Unfortunately, it took much longer than I hoped it would." According to what any online sources said about Fia Astria, America was her home country but it was in Japan that she had been popularized. It had been a simple enough hoax, and it helped that she knew English. Being locked up in the MBI facility for so long had left her with plenty of time to learn.

"It must be great, to travel the world, to have fun around the world." Tatsumi looked at the woman, "Someone told me that they were releasing a ton of beautiful birds today, she said they are more beautiful than my music. Have you heard of this event?"

Well, that is interesting - interesting enough, in fact, to make Fia perk up and smile and wide, mysterious smile. "I was there for it, actually. They were indeed gorgeous, of every color and kind you can imagine. Though as for whether or not they're as beautiful as your music, that remains to be seen." The waiter arrived and placed their food in front of them. Fia waited politely until he was done before picking up a fork and knife and carefully cracking the lobster's shell and peeling it away. "They were all definitely quite overjoyed to be freed from captivity."

"It's a shame I didn't get to see them." Tatsumi said with a disappointed smile, "This city is so boring, it would've really shaken things up." He smiled, "But, I told the woman my music would be good enough to reach the beauty of those birds. Now I'm also going to say it will be good enough for you as well."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure you'll get to see them around soon enough. I don't think the birds plan on leaving the area any time soon. In fact, I saw some of them still hanging about on my way to the park today." She let out a small giggle. "Who knows, maybe one of them will decide to sing for you."

"Well if they're able to sing, then maybe they will always be better than my music." Tatsumi reached for his water and took a sip, "But if they sing for me, I'd be sure to play them a song worth singing to." Tatsumi laughed, "It hardly feels like we are talking about birds anymore… So, do you have a place you are staying?"

"Not for the moment... I have a small allowance, but nowhere near enough to afford my previous living quarters. I was hoping to find somewhere to board until I'm able to get back into the spotlight." Fia sighed. "Though I imagine I'll have to make do with somewhere rather drab until then."

"Well my aunt has a lot of space in her home." Tatsumi replied, "She's a real nice woman, I'm sure she would give you a room."

Fia would have clapped her hands together, but since she was still holding two very pointy utensils, she instead just gave him a bright smile. "Do you really think so? That would be wonderful!" Sticking her fork into a piece of the calamari in the middle of the table, she leaned forward over the table as to bring the food towards his mouth. "I never thought to ask, but what is your name?"

Tatsumi had never had calamari before, and took a bit from the fork, "Wow, that's pretty good!" He said with a smile, "My name is Tatsumi Tatsuya."

Fia sat herself back and resumed her proper posture. "You already know this, but I am Fia Astria. It is a pleasure to meet you, Tatsumi."

"It's all mine Mrs. Astria." He replied, finishing his salad. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like the world had suddenly become more fun. "After we get done here, I'll call my aunt and we can go there before the live show."

Fia took the napkin and used it to wipe the few food stains from around her mouth. All that was left of her crustacean meal with a bright red shell on the plate. "I am prepared to leave when you are."

Tatsumi called a waiter over, "Check please."

Tatsumi paid the bill, his credit card accumulating more debt. Both of them waited outside while he called his aunt. "Hey Yumi, I have a friend that needs a place to stay… Yeah, I'm doing fine, I've been meaning to but… Okay, we will be down soon." Tatsumi looked to Fia, "Ready to go? She said it's fine."

"Seems like someone's worried about you," Fia mused, raising an eyebrow at Tatsumi. "So how do you propose we get there? Is it within walking distance?"

"It's an easy walk to the nicer part of the city, it would probably take about twenty minutes or so." Tatsumi switched the hand that held his violin, and began walking. "So what got you into music?"

"The songs have been in my head since the day I was born," Fia replied. "So it's not so much a question of what got me into music, but rather, what drew the music to me?"

"So you were born to make music then?" Tatsumi laughed, "That's what my mom always used to say about me, even when she made me practice more than have fun."

"You could say that," Fia replied offhandedly. "It wasn't a choice I made, but as long as my voice can get me what I want, I don't mind."

"Well what do you want? To be famous?"

Fia waved a hand through the air dismissively. "Nothing as mundane as that. No, I want to make the world my playhouse, and have everyone look at me in terror and awe. I want the freedom to do with myself as I please, without the plans of some madman dictating my every move."

"Hm, so your goal is to have fun in a way then?" Tatsumi said, looking at the sky, "Would you say you'd want to make this world more interesting?"

Fia's lips curved upwards into a sly smile. "Definitely. Though it will be difficult for even me to do that on my own."

Tatsumi smiled widely, "I never imagined that one of my idols held the same view of the world as me." They began to approach his Aunt's house, sitting in the middle of a nice neighborhood, "Well, I'd do a lot to make even this city more entertaining."

"I doubt you'll have long to wait. I hear that the release of the birds was just the first part of a large event. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up getting involved somehow. Or maybe you already are, and you just don't realize it yet." Again with the mysterious smile.

Something about her smile gave Tatsumi the same feeling that the woman from the park did, and he loved it. "I hope so." They stood at the door and Tatsumi knocked, "Yumi? It's Tatsumi."

A tall forty five year old woman with tired eyes and a large smile opened the door, immediately hugging Tatsumi, "Hey Tatsumi." She said, almost with an overwhelming sound of relief. Tatsumi hugged her back, and then she stood to look at the guest, "You two can come right in."

Fia took the invitation without hesitation without hesitation, walking in and purviewing the place as if she were it's new owner, then nodding. "This will do fine," she said, then turned to greet her host with a handshake, body language saying that any other contact would be very much unwelcome. "Fia Astria. You are Tatsumi's Aunt?"

"Yes I am." Yumi said, respectfully shaking her hand, "Yumi Tatsuya, I'm his mother's sister."

"Thank you for accommodating me for this time, Ms. Tatsuya," Fia responded cordially, showing a balance of politeness and nonchalance.

"I'll make some tea." Yumi said, "Tatsumi, she can use your old room." She walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you." Tatsumi said, looking at Fia, "This way." He led her upstairs, there were four doorways, one to the bathroom, one to Yumi's room, and then two more bedrooms, with one being locked up. Tatsumi led her to the unlocked one and opened the door, revealing a nicely decorated and cleaned room with a queen sized bed, "It's a little bit excessive, but Yumi took a lot of home decorating tricks from America."

"It should feel just like home, then," Fia said as she walked into the room and turned slowly about to get a good look at the layout. It was much better than she had been expecting and would be satisfactory for the moment. "This is fine."

"Great!" Tatsumi said with a smile, he seemed rather anxious, "Let's have some tea and get out of here."

Grif of Hearts · Apr 11, 2016

Allison Mori

Alice set the vinyl down gently on the record player and very gently brought the arm across and down on top of it. She sighed softly as the empty silence was replaced with slow, gentle piano music that gave her tiny little shop the kind of relaxed and comfortable but still refined atmosphere that she hoped it would portray. She smiled and hummed in tune with the gentle music as she returned to the counter, leaning against it and watching wistfully out of the window of her tiny little shop to the empty streets outside.

It looked to be another quiet day for her. That did not surprise Alice, but she was always hopeful one day word of mouth would spread and tales of her budding enterprise would be told across the entirety of Tokyo. So far she had no luck but she remained optimistic regardless, if mostly for the sake of the tiny little bookshop that she loved so dearly, but not for lack of trying. Her stock was burgeoning, enough to have something for everyone if they looked hard enough, and despite their huge quantity and erratic content they were impressively well organised. The lack of clientele had some perks, she mused, and she made sure to use the free time that it offered productively. Money was growing increasingly tight though, and while Alice did everything she could to make her shop an appealing one, nothing could compensate for its location. Mori Books was situated in a tiny, well-hidden part Tokyo city, overshadowed by the city centre that was only a twenty minute walk away, and Alice doubted half of the people who walked past it even noticed that it existed. Business was the very definition of slow, and Alice cut corners and scraped by where she could, but running a business was tough, especially at the young age of nineteen.

At least, Alice thought, she had no complaints about the atmosphere. She loved it here, among her library of books, many of which were older than she was, and Alice struggled to think of much in the world that she loved more than this place. That made her smile, an uncharacteristically wide beam that she struggled to settle, and she found herself tugging the collar of her turtle-neck sweater up to her lips with one hand in an attempt to hide it from nobody in particular. Her other hand nursed a small, pale green ceramic cup filled to the brim with Earl Grey tea, waiting for it to cool enough to drink, until she spied an oddity out of the shop window.

A woman had stopped in front of the shop, her eyes wandering upwards to read the sign that sat outside just above the window. Alice analysed her intently from the corner of her eye, watching as the young woman a few years her senior approached the shop door. Her eyes trailed down from the top of top of the woman's head, following the long, silk flow of her golden hair, particularly admiring the way singular locks of silvery white coiled through it. Her face was gorgeously pretty like Alice could only dream of being, with brightly coloured golden hazel eyes and full, pink lips. Eventually Alice's eyes wandered further down she took in the golden-haired woman's physique, and she was not sure if she had ever seen another girl more perfectly proportioned, or another girl that could pull off a white, flowing sundress so perfectly. Although Alice hid it well her heart fluttered playfully in her chest, and she silently cursed her weakness for pretty girls.

"Good afternoon," Alice said, a polite, business-like tone to her voice and a soft smile on her lips.

The blonde haired woman looked around the shop aimlessly, pausing to examine a particular book before she responded. "Hello~!" she sang back to Alice with more cheer that the young shop owner had expected. The blonde woman came up to the desk with scurried steps and quite confidently rested both hands against the counter. She gave a wide smile towards Alice. "I'm looking for something and I was hoping you might be able to help me."

A smile crept up Alice's own lips. "Of course, of course," she said, standing up from her small chair behind the desk and moving around it to stand beside the woman, and to get a little closer to the largest bookshelf that ran along the entire left wall which she motioned to with one hand. "What are you looking for exactly? We have a wide variety of-"

"I'm looking for Tokyo city centre. Can you point me there?"

Alice's heart sank. "Tourist, right?"

The golden haired woman hesitated but then nodded. "You could say that," she replied.

Alice motioned for the golden haired woman to follow her and she stepped outside of the shop, holding the door open so that the so-called tourist could join her. She did, and Alice brought her hand up to point down the street, and then hooked her finger to point to the right. "Head down this road for five blocks and then turn right and keep walking. If you get lost, just follow any signs you see that say 'Shinjuku' on them. That's the city centre you are looking for. It should take you about twenty minutes to walk there-"

Alice felt slender arms coil around her body in a tight embrace, just enough to make the otherwise composed woman blush a slight pink colour and to make the words catch in her throat. It made her feel remarkably warm, and every inch of her body tingled for the briefest moment. The golden haired woman beamed brightly as she held Alice close. "Oh, thank you!" she cheered, before releasing the smaller girl and taking off on small white heels as quickly as her shapely legs would carry her. "I'll make it up to you soon, I promise!" she called back.

The bookish brunette just shook her head in disappointment before retreating to the warmth of her shop, and she let out a long, tired sight. Why are all the pretty ones so strange?

Fen-Fen · Apr 13, 2016

After somewhat reluctantly leaving Seiji, Lotus did not want to dwell on having to leave, so instead she shifted her thoughts to what else she could do. She had some money that she hadn't spent yet, surprisingly, on a credit card issued by MBI. It'd be more than enough for a nice jaunt to the arcade, a now favorite hangout of hers. Even though everything had been quite fantastical for just seeing the outside world of Tokyo beyond the filter of a video game or anime, Lotus was prepared for where the real fun was at, the people in the arcades. For what Lotus knew of the world, video gamers were akin to heroes, slaying their foes and going on grand adventures. That was how Lotus could stand being cooped up in the lab, going on various "adventures" in the safety in her room. She always thought that this was a snapshot of the world, that it was a bit like the real life. With this mindset, she approached a stranger, a male teenager with a fedora, and asked a bit rapidly, "Hey do you know where I can find the nearest arcade? I'm kinda new around here."

The teenager, more than curious on why she would dressed in a kitsune for no reason on a weekday and with no anime conventions nearby, he replied, "Uh, right down that way," he said, gesturing to a street towards the southeast, "about a kilometer, m'am. But why are you dressed like that?" Thinking that the man was talking about her actual attire, not her tails and ears, she frowned slightly and tilted her head, "What I'm wearing? It's just Patamon being adorable and some shorts." Confused, the teenager replied, with a slight chuckle, "Oh no, I was talking about your ears and tails. That's some impressive costume!"

Lotus, flitting her tails to and fro, crossing her arms, replied, "Costume? Why does everyone think that?" Examining the tails more closely, he realized that they...moved! They moved, and either he was hallucinating, or he had stumbled upon the weirdest thing he had ever seen, a young woman with actual fox tails and ears. It was like something out of a strange dream. With mouth agape, he stammered out, "W-w-what? Real tails and ears? I-I…"

Lotus, with a grin on her face, exclaimed, "These are the real deal. Genuine, beautiful, uh, what's the word I'm looking for here!" The teenager chimed in, clearly flummoxed "...An anomaly?!" Waving her hand, she said, "Oh no, no, no, they're...luscious! That's the word!"

With a cheery skip and an excitement for going to the arcade, ignoring the awed expression Lotus mistook for admiration, she chirped, "Well, it was fun meeting you. I'm glad you like my tails! Well, I'd stick around, but there's some games calling my name!" She chuckled to herself and muttered, "Heh, that rhymes." With that, the Crimson Kitsune was off to the arcade, ready to play a couple rounds of a shooting game to pass the time.

After earning some compliments on her amazing "costume", to which she replied with an indignant, "It's not a costume!", she gleefully mowed down some baddies in a game of Time Crisis and had lots of fun. Unfortunately, these weren't the games she couldn't cheat at with her laser abilities, given that these weren't operated by lasers. She had been having one hell of a streak, ready to spend all night here if it meant playing all the games here, until she felt it again, that feeling that had caused both pleasantness and awkwardness. It flared back with vigor as she excused herself out of the arcade, abandoning her post at a Pac-Man machine with one life left. A couple people gave her strange looks, but Lotus was far from caring at that point.

Her sense guided her back in the direction of where Seiji was. After continuing to the northeast for about two kilometers, she saw where Seiji was, at a place called May Queen Nyan Nyan, just up the road from where Lotus had met Seiji earlier. Noticing that he was talking with someone, Lotus waited for a bit, hoping that Seiji would leave so that they could talk one on one. After waiting a whopping two minutes, she got bored and dashed over to the table where they were seated, ignoring the puzzled waitresses who turned to look at her. Without warning, she leaned her elbows in on the table, and, coming in between the two, looked at Seiji, tails swishing excitedly as she said excitedly, "Heyyyyyyy. So, I got bored of waiting, so here I am~. I know you said you were busy, but since I felt like talking, it wasn't so much of an inconvenience after all!"

Margot · Apr 13, 2016

Obella:

Obella was uncharacteristically silent. The whole time leading up to their release into Tokyo to find their Ashikabi, she has been so antsy for this new adventure. It was more than she could dream of, to find love, to find something new around every corner of this major city. It all seemed so magical and unreal. The thoughts of this day alone kept her awake at night: what would she do first? What was there to see out in the real world? What would it feel like to stand outside and walk among everyone else? To see all these buildings up close and in person? Those thoughts made her heart pound with excitement and her mind race with images of a beautiful metropolis ready for the taking.

The reality of the situation was...loud. Very loud. From the honking of the horns during rush hour, to the people bumping into each other on the sidewalks because they were to crowded, to the tourists yelling to their family members to take a picture of them. It was all grating on Obella's nerves. Not to mention, the afternoon sun was beating down and she desperately wanted some cool air to blow through. Through her tinted sunglasses, she looked around for something to marvel at because the last thing she wanted to be on her first day of real freedom was disappointed.

As she walked further downtown, she drew more attention from those who weren't in a hurry home. Lots of people stopped and gawked, others pointed and some people even took photos of her with their phones. It oddly enough, reminded her of being in testing. Always being watched, always being examined in some way.

All of this new, yet familiar attention made her want to fly far away, like one of the beautiful birds in the sky.

But for now, she would keep walking around until she found something that would make this newfound freedom taste a little sweeter. It was just after 5:00pm and soon the hot sun would be setting. Luckily for Obella, the street lights of Tokyo at night would be just what she needed to get that jolt of excitement back.

Groc · Apr 14, 2016

Lyra

Lyra walked down the street, looking at the shops she passed. She sighed, picking up a loose can from the ground and tossing it at a trash can. Her eyes widened and she gasped in shock as she had a horrifying epiphany. "Oh, no! This is terrible!" She grabbed the first person who stepped within reach, staring into his eyes.

"Of all the things that could happen, this is the worst! Possible! Thing! I'm... bored!" She fell to her knees, nearly dragging the poor man in her grip down with her. "And the day started off so well! But now... the good times are over..."

The man squirmed uncomfortably as people stopped to stare, wondering who this strange girl was, and why she was holding him hostage. "Uh... p-perhaps... you could t-try one of the restaurants?"

Lyra gasped, her energy returning in a heartbeat. "That's a great idea! I am pretty hungry! Thank you, good sir!" She jumped to her feet, kissing the man on the mouth. He stammered in shock, and Lyra's smile slowly faded. "Nope, nothing. Have a good night, now!" She turned and skipped away, humming a happy tune while the man stared after her, unmoving.

Lyra found herself at a small noodle stand, where she quickly befriended Takahashi, the man behind the counter.

"Hello there, miss! What can I get for you?" Takahashi asked with a smile.

"I have no idea!" Lyra cheerfully replied, breathing in the smell of the stall. It smelled of grease and smoke, and she was fairly certain there was something living in the trashcan in the nearby alley. The place smelled awful, and she kinda liked it. "I'm hungry, and not very picky, so I'll take one of whatever your favorite is!"

"Very well! Coming right up!" Takahashi started preparing a bowl while Lyra sat idly by, kicking her legs.

She looked around the area, at the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. Everyone out here was in such a rush, moving from one place to another without stopping. And they dressed so plainly! It wasn't at all what she expected. "So... what exactly-"

"Here you go!" Takahashi set a bowl of noodles nearly as large as Lyra's head on the counter, flashing her a smile. Lyra gasped at the sight of it, nearly drooling as the scent of peppered chicken reached her nose.

"It's... it's beautiful! Itadakimasu!" She began eating greedily, realising that she had skipped lunch. The food tasted as good as it smelled, and she managed to eat the whole thing. Afterwards, she leaned back, patting her stomach with a contented sigh.

"I needed that. Thanks, Taka! I'll be sure to come back here again!" Takahashi slid a slip of paper across the counter to her, to her confusion. "What's this?"

"Your bill. Will you be paying cash or credit?"

"Uh..." Lyra blinked in confusion. "I don't have any money. But thanks again!" As she stood, she noticed Takahashi's friendly smile vanish, replaced by a look of anger as he grabbed for her wrist. He was fast, but not as fast as her, and she stepped back in a blur of motion, her ribbons fluttering in the sudden breeze caused by her movement. Takahashi gaped in surprise as Lyra vanished in a green blur, her chair spinning on its legs before falling over.

Two blocks away, Lyra stumbled to a halt, falling against a wall. Her head was pounding, and her stomach did a flip. "Ugh... apparently I need money now? I need a drink... and someone to buy it for me..."

Dusty · Apr 14, 2016

Shiro Itsune // Eri
Central/Northern Tokyo // Ashikabi - Sekirei // Time - Morning

Shiro was spared the embarrassment of spouting some stupid one liner when the girls spoke up with an inquisitive tone in her voice, "So, was the girl from earlier your ex?" It was quite the forward question, one that Shiro honestly had not expected. The girl, the woman really, had taken out one of her earbuds, although only one, and she kept her gaze locked firmly on the book in front of her. It seemed pretty clear to him that she wasn't willing to waste her entire attention on him, and he honestly didn't blame her.

Not knowing exactly how to respond, he stammered for a moment, "Eh, yeah, sort of something like that I guess." Trying to relax, he took a breath and calmed his body. It was only a conversation after all, he joking cursed himself inwardly for being so on edge about something so trivial. He had been caught off guard by her appearance, but under every outward appearance was a real person with feelings, thoughts, really everything that made them a real person. She was just another person. An attractive one, but a person nonetheless. "We dated," he continued, "for a year or so, but we've been friends long before that. I dunno, I guess the relationship kind of put more stress on us than we wanted, and it had always been much easier to be just friends, so..." He trailed off, not sure how to finish his thought.

He laughed softly, trying not to disturb the other passengers on the train, "Anyway, we're just friends, although she acts more like a sister than anything else." He had to wonder why he was spouting all this to a complete stranger. Perhaps he hadn't had anyone really to talk to recently... After all, Rina was still his ex, and that made talking about relationships difficult, even though she did act like a sister. And he didn't really talk about this stuff with his parents either, both of them gave the worst advice when it came to girls. But rambling to a complete stranger? Nice job Shiro, way to lay yourself open like a book to some random chick.

"Sounds painfully dramatic. And awkward," she flatly said after a quiet moment shared between the two. The man's rambling made it admittedly difficult to read when he was actually done speaking. And while, Eri had little problem interjecting whenever she pleases, that notion conflicted with her curiosity about the man's situation. The former couple, of which she just confirmed, piqued in her interest due to the nature of the plan that she had unfortunately found herself apart of. She was perhaps slightly more aware of the implications of the Sekirei plan and what it entailed, but only a bit, and it conflicted with her more dreary and pessimistic way of considering each and every thing. But at this moment, she wanted to learn the human side of the equation. The books, movies, music and television shows all presented this clash between the naivety of true love and the grim hardship of heartbreak. What was Eri supposed to believe in this moment, especially due to the nature of being winged?

"So tell me something then," Eri started up again, placing a bookmark and closing up her novel. She didn't make eye contact yet, instead shuffling The Odyssey into her bag. "Considering what happened to you, do you believe in true love?"

"True love huh?" Shiro thought for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "No, I don't," he said after a moment, "I guess I've always thought of true love as this unattainable thing. Life isn't like a fairy tale, and there is no happily ever after once you get married like the movies. Unfortunately, life sucks, and there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, no such thing as a relationships without tension." He thought of his parents, both were insanely in love with each other, and had been for years. But they still had their disagreements. "I guess it's kind of like your book," he gestured at The Odyssey in her pack, the spine sticking out somewhat. "Both the characters Odysseus and his wife Penelope go through a lot during the story, but each stays faithful to each other. When Odysseus eventually is reunited with her, she doesn't immediately trust him, but with time and sorting things out, they come to love each other even more than before."

He leaned back in his seat, not even sure of what he had just said, "Most modern stories paint a simple picture out of romance, but it's an incredibly complicated thing, and true love is really something that grows out of two people growing together through disagreements and hardship. As for me and Rina, I'm not sure we even figured out what was wrong with our relationship. Maybe that was the problem, we weren't willing to face the problems we had." He thought back to when they broke up, but his memories were fuddled by swirling emotions; hate, pain, and relief all mixed together and made the entire situation seem even more confusing.

Eri internally smiled at the young man's answer, finding it far more real and genuine than expected. The man wasn't wrong from the reading and such she had done, finding many of the depictions unrealistic. Eri wanted to understand "love" knowing that her winging depended on love; finding it and understanding it. What she did not expect was someone being unable to unravel a love story in The Odyssey. Her eyes did not widen, but instead, flickered ever so slightly at the idea. "So...love is supposed to be difficult? Why do people try so hard at it then?"

Shiro laughed and replied, "I'm honestly not sure why some people try so hard!" He stifled his laughter and composed himself again, organizing his thoughts. "I guess it depends on the person. Some people just like the physical aspect of it, although that's really more along the lines of lust than love. For actual love, I guess it just comes from a desire to know and share your life with another person. It's like when...if...hmm..." He paused, how could he explain this, it was more of a feeling than anything he could put in words.

He stared out the window wondering for a moment, then said, "My parents used to own a couple songbirds. My dad was allergic to fur, so the birds were nice. When one of them died, the other died a few weeks later. Medically, nothing was wrong with her, she just died of loneliness, not having her partner there with her. It's like that for humans I suppose too. We don't die from loneliness, but we are affected when we don't have someone to share life with. Maybe we are just wired to build connections with other people. I'm not really sure." He stopped, realizing he had been monopolizing the conversation the entire time. In an attempt to get her views on the situation, he asked, "What do you think?"

"I don't know what I think," Eri admitted, pulling her other earbud out and stuffing the headphones into her bag. "Most of my brothers and sisters are naive, believing in such things as true love, and the purity behind it. Me? I'm undecided. It seems to me that you either love someone or you don't, and not all of us are going to have this perfect, undying love. Maybe something like fate plays a part and we find it. Maybe it doesn't, but we will find it anyway. Either way, it is bound to happen for most of us." She glanced over at Shiro, piqued by the young man. He wasn't anything impressive, but he wasn't what she expected when asking the seemingly lonely man her mostly innocent question. Eri wanted to develop an understanding of love before the plan was really set into motion. After all, she was expected to do so much for one person, so she needed to find a reason. If one existed. She knew she would have to fight eventually. May as well find a reason to do it. But what she appreciated the most was his honesty. He didn't pretend to have all the answers, and she expected him to put on a facade of self assurance and omnipotence. Instead, he was human. An interesting one.

"Thank you for humoring my curiosity," Eri said after a brief pause, placing her bag on her lap and leaning back in her seat. She knew her stop was coming up soon, but she decided to test the man and see how potential he may have had. "I suppose the least I can do is let you ask at least one question before I go."

Several questions came to mind, first trivial things such as "Can I get your number?" or "You want to go grab something to eat later?". He mentally scolded himself for thinking such stupid things. She was an interesting girl, that was for sure, and the conversation they had shared was anything but conventional, but that meant nothing really. "Alright then," he said slowly, still trying to think of something to say. Curse his stupid slow head. "How are you enjoying Tokyo?" he said, glancing at her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't seem like a native." Then he quickly added, "Oh, and I don't think I ever got your name either."

"Eri," she replied, opting to answer the last question first. It was the easiest and she didn't need to mince any words whatsoever. The man was observant, then again, she didn't ever think she didn't fit in. It was possible it was an attempt to ask a small talk question, while taking a stab at a reaching observation. Regardless, he did well. "And I'm not, in a matter of speaking. Tokyo is both terribly boring and interesting at the same time. I'm trying to better...understand it despite all that. Especially because in a matter of days or weeks, I won't have the chance anyway," Eri finished with a slight frown. She saw that her stop was coming up and rose from her seat. "My stop is coming up," she said passively. "I guess this means goodbye...erm, I never got your name..." Her voice trailed off.

"Shiro, Shiro Itsune," Shiro responded. "Well, it was nice meeting you." Trying to think of an excuse to meet again, he hurriedly said, "Too bad you won't have too much more time here. If you want I could show you a good time while you're still here." Realizing what he had just said might be taken the wrong way, he tried to cover up, "By showing you around the city, I mean. I know of some cool spots most tourists never really see. I usually have classes for uni during the day, but..." he shrugged, "I wouldn't mind having something to do during the evenings."

Having little to nothing to lose, Eri scribbled on a piece of paper she usually uses for drawing or writing, allowing it to fall in Shiro's lap like a dangling opportunity. "Then give me a call when you're bored. Since I probably will be," she said in a rather morbid tone. "See ya around, Shiro." As the words left her mouth, Eri stepped onto the platform without as much as a wave.

He just watched as she walked out of the subway, clutching the paper she had dropped in his hand as Eri disappeared in the crowd. Within seconds, she was gone, obscured by the rush of people trying to get onto the subway.Glancing down at the scrap of paper, he smiled at the phone number scrawled on it. He didn't know if things would work out between them in terms of a romantic relationship, but she definitely was a curious type. He only wished he had gotten to talk to her more, but a subway isn't a great place to have deep and meaningful conversations. He had never been great with girls, but that went pretty well, strangely enough. Smiling, he closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, allowing his mind to wander.

Stinging Bea · Apr 15, 2016

Izumi // Eri
A New Friend!

Izumi sighed as she walked down the street, a frown gracing her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest. Somehow, the cat had managed to get quite the headstart after it ran off from her and the doctor she met earlier. She managed to chase it off towards a small park, but once she got there the cat just... could not be found anywhere. This involved the black-haired Sekirei crawling around on her hands and knees, checking under bushes, around trees, under the side... even on the slide and playground equipment in general. This resulted in her getting several strange looks from those in the park, both adults and children. Yet as previously, Izumi seemed to be completely oblivious to this.

"How in the world can he move so fast while he's sick...?" Izumi wondered to herself as she rested atop of a small, pink, metal, turtle in a sandbox that many would have been fairly certain were meant for very young children. "He couldn't even muster the strength to talk..."

"That's because cats can't talk," Eri commented loudly from her seat on a nearby bench. "Then again, if I remember who you are correctly, you never liked when people stepped on your dreams."

Izumi glanced up at the sound of the voice, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "W-What...? What are you talking about? Of course cats can talk! I read all about it!"

Eri didn't look back, instead placing her book on the bench and gazing up into the sky. "And where did you read that little page of lies?"

The black-haired Sekirei hopped off the slide, quickly making her way towards the bench where Eri was seated. A proud smile graced her lips as she put her hands on her hips. "I read all about in 'Magical Heart: Save My Senpai Vol. 2!'" Izumi explained. She looked down at Eri, her face completely serious as she spoke. "Sebastian. He talked extensively to Marisa!"

Eri glared back at Izumi; her small dark eyes piercing at Izumi's. Eri snickered suddenly, almost amused by Izumi's blunt innocence, but the slight grin twisted into a pout as quickly as the snicker ended. "You do realize that...thing you are talking about is a children's manga. It's not based on reality at all," Eri said plainly, without a tinge of emotion. It was more a correction, something that a parent or older sibling would do to stir a lost child back to the real world.

"O-Of course it is!" Izumi insisted. She bit her bottom lip for a moment, quickly recalling something... anything to help defend her cause. "I... I even found a doctor on the streets earlier! He looked just like they're supposed to, too! He wore a suit, had glasses and everything!"

"Many people dress like that. It's quite common in Tokyo," Eri countered again. "So really, that man could have been anyone."

"Well... Maybe Tokyo has a lot of doctors!" Izumi insisted. Her brown eyes narrowed down at Eri again. There was something... familiar about her, as if she had felt a similar presence before. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Oooooh, I get it! You must be like me!"

"However do you mean?" Eri asked, already anticipating the answer to the question. But Eri decided to humor Izumi, wondering where the train of thought would go. Maybe it would prove to be enlightening, but it was unlikely only due to Eri's more extensive experience.

Izumi nodded, placing her hands behind her back as she spoke. In the process of doing this, she bent over enough to give Eri a good peek at her cleavage, despite realizing who she was. "You're like me. You're a Sekirei," Izumi explained in a much more quiet tone than she had previously spoken. "I get it... A lot of the others were confused when we suddely were let out. Don't worry though, I can teach you everything you need to know."

Eri almost chuckled, catching herself, before staring at the cleavage that was burst into her face. She barely caught the next bit of information that spewed out of Izumi's mouth. She gathered that Izumi offered a mix of friendship and guidance, but Eri had little need for either. Instead, Eri felt a tinge of jealousy as she glanced down at her chest. Eri's bust was not small, but Izumi's was superior. They have to be fake, Eri thought. Wait, can they be fake? Eri continued to ponder this and came to only one solution as to confirm or deny her newfound question. Reaching out, Eri grabbed Izumi's near exposed assest and seized it, before squeezing it several times with geninue curiousity.

Izumi felt a sudden wave of pleasure rush through her body as Eri grabbed hold of her breasts, giving both a rather unsubtle squeeze. The raven-haired woman was quite surprised at first by Eri's rather sudden advance on her, but that surprise did little to stop the quick, soft moan that slipped past her lips, her toes curling slightly from the quick rush of emotion being shown. Were fellow Sekirei supposed to greet each other in such a forward manner? Izumi honestly did not know. She really could not recall if there was any etiquette discussed before she left... Of course, there was always the chance that she simply missed it being mentioned.

Then, a sudden ping clicked on inside Izumi's head. She remembered reading about such an event in one of her mangas prior to being released. It featured to females, being thrust into a similar situation such as this. There were a few subtle differences compared to the scene playing out now and the one in the manga. For example, both Izumi and Eri were dressed and in the middle of a park. Izumi remembered in the manga that both of the females were in a bedroom, and were both quite naked to say the least. Still, the Sekirei figured that perhaps when two females were together, perhaps this sort of thing was a customary exchange. Not wanting to delay the proper tradition any longer, Izumi quickly leaned in. Her right hand quickly came to rest against Eri's chin, tilting the seated Sekirei's head up just enough before leaning closer, pressing her lips against Eri's own.

Eri, for once in her existence, was caught more than offguard, entirely forgetting what she was doing mere moments before. More than clueless, Eri let the moment happen for a half a minute or so before pulling her head out of the kiss. She wiped her mouth of any stray strands of saliva, and cough lightly into her hand. "Well, that was unexpected..." Eri admitted.

"I realized that that was the proper way to greet each other," Izumi answered, her expression once more dead serious. She did not seem to be een remotely as surprised or even winded by the exchange. "I read about that one too!" Once again, unknown to Izumi, several people were staring at the duo throughout the exchange.

"Well, I hope you continue to be polite to others then," Eri said with a facade of a smile. Eventually Izumi would come to regret that, but it would probably be too little too late. Noticing the onlookers, Eri's "smile" soon faded, but not out of embarassment, but more frustration.

Izumi was not blind to the falter of Eri's smile. She gave her fellow Sekirei a look of concern as she knelt down closer to her. "Are you okay...? You don't look so good all of a sudden..." Izumi mused. She gasped, as a sudden thought rushed through her head. "Oh! You're not getting sick too, are you?! We should go find a doctor!" She grabbed Eri's hand and quickly started to pull her off the bench.

Yanked off the bench, Eri quickly pulled her hand away. "No, I'm not sick!" Eri mouthed "idiot." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Eri sighed. "People are staring at us is all. Now then, have you find an Ashikabi yet?" WIth the small talk over, Eri was going to cut to the chase. Being potential competition, or so it would seem, Eri had to scope out how behind she may have been.

"W-Well... No, not yet," Izumi admitted. Truth be told, she really had not been looking all that hard. After being cooped up for so long, there was just so much outside to see and do... She honestly found it to be a bit of a challenge to remain focused on the task at hand. "I've looked a bit, but... Um... Well, I guess I just got sidetracked...?" She glanced away from Eri as she spoke, as if she was ashamed to admit that fact. "What about you?"

"No," Eri said rather quickly in response. "I don't expect that I will very soon either. Comes with the territory of who I am."

"Who you are...?" Izumi questioned. "You're just like me... What kinda territory are you talking about?"

"I'm a bit older than you. Let's put it that way," Eri began, running a hand through her hair. "That, and I am not the easiest girl to get along with."

"You don't look that much older than me," Izumi replied, rather tactlessly at that. She placed her hands behind her back, giving Eri a small grin. "Besides, age doesn't mean we couldn't be friends... I know, how about a joke?"

Eri's face went blank, as it was nearly obvious that Izumi had missed the hint of Eri's identity. Raising an eyebrow, she dragged her hand down her face. "Sure, try me."

Izumi beamed as she leaned in close to Eri, as if she was getting ready to tell the girl some grand and magnificent secret. "Why do gorrilas have big noses?"

"To help them smell better. I imagine that allows them to find food and such better," Eri said, answering the question in a flat tone.

"What? No, that's just silly!" Izumi replied, the girl giggling at Eri's response. "It's because they have big fingers!" Eri blinked for at least 10 seconds, before turning away from Izumi and backing out of the conversation. Izumi smiled and tried to stop Eri. "Come on, it took me a while to pick that one!" Eri turned to Izumi and only offered a glare, continuing her stride out of the park.

Izumi was quick to follow behind Eri, younger of the Sekirei still not ready to part with her new friend. "Wait, where are you going?!"

"Somewhere else. I haven't figured it out," Eri replied, unable to lie. "Why do you care?"

"Well... 'Cause we're kinda the same right? We're like friends, you know?" Izumi answered. "I mean... I um... I don't know your name yet, but... Well... What is your name?"

Eri paused her gait and spun her head around. "Eri," she said. "Yours?"

"Izumi," the black-haired girl answered. She seemed proud of the fact that they knew each other's names. "So... That means we're friends, right?"

Looking away for a moment, Eri seemed to get her head lost in the clouds. The sky was pretty today, with the occasional white puff of a cloud fluttering in the sea of blue. She returned her gaze to Izumi. "I guess we are," Eri finally said. "I guess we are," she repeated, as if confirming the thought. Allowing those words to settle in, Eri walked away with a slight wave, leaving Izumi to her own devices. The hyperactive Sekirei was too much for Eri in this moment, so it was perhaps to leave now while Eri had some of her sanity left.

Izumi smiled as she waved back to Eri. "Let's hang out again soon, okay?! Good luck on finding an Ashikabi!" The black-haired Sekirei was glad that she was able to make a new friend today. Still, her friend had a point. Realizing that she had been delaying it long enough, Izumi set off with new purpose in mind.

Colony · Apr 16, 2016

A Very Brady Day: The Intro

Just as Brady had done for the last few days, he was searching the internet for reasons as to why air travel had been shut down, and, more importantly, how he was going to find a way back home to his family. The only objects he had to accomplish this task were his phone and tablet, and due to the way his phone interacted with the Japanese phone lines, it was not much more than a glorified alarm clock. So, he clicked through anything and everything he could that might be connected to his predicament on his tablet. News sites and forums about recent events were mostly unhelpful, and when he thought he might have found something of worth, it also seemed to just remain unanswered. There were mentions from MBI about some sort of quarantine, but the answers were hollow and unbelievable to say the least.

With such an insignificant lead, Brady was stumped as to what he should do next. He knew that he couldn't keep wasting every day away in Tokyo, regardless of how much fun it had been thus far. There were only so many manga and books he could read to pass the time, and after his recent incident, he didn't really feel up to playing any shows. Then there was also the issue of money. Living in Tokyo for the past month had eaten away at his funding, and it wasn't like he was pulling any money in either. He needed to find a way out of Tokyo, and soon. That, or find a job in a place that probably wouldn't hire him. So, Brady deliberated for a few minutes, finally deciding that it might be time to head out and look for some answers.

As he passed through his apartment's commons area, Brady ran into one of the other residents. "Ah, Newman-san, how are you today?" said a middle-aged man. It took Brady a few moments to recognize the face as Mr. Takahashi's. "Good morning, Takahashi-san. I'm doing well. How are you?" he replied. The two men continued to exchange the typical niceties of greetings before the conversation actually turned into anything productive. "Newman-san, what are your plans today? I was thinking that if you weren't busy that you could come over for drinks tonight. Me and my wife love hearing about your stories from America." Mr. Takahashi was genuinely interested in Brady's adventures, something that the younger man was surprised to as a foreigner. "I'm very sorry, Takahashi-san, but I have some pressing matters that I must attend to. I really would like to come over, but I have to find out why my plane ticket was canceled. Would you know where a travel agency is by any chance?" Mr. Takahashi looked disappointed that Brady was busy, but he soon pointed him in the direction of a local travel agency.

The walk to the travel agency was oddly normal. Brady wondered if he was the only person being inconvenienced or if maybe everything was a misunderstanding. People just walked by in hordes, the increasingly familiar skyscrapers looming over the crowd, gazing onward as everyone went about their lives. Honestly, the thought of such imagery amazed Brady. It was like a lighter version of all the dystopian literature that he read in high school. The façade of normalcy camouflaging the true feelings of the city. It was almost artful. As Brady slowly woke from his daydream, he noticed he had arrived at his intended location. A small little hole in the wall in what seemed like a quieter area of Tokyo. Well, quieter in a relative sense.

When walking into the agency, Brady was surprised to see that there were, in fact, several people complaining about the cancellation of their plane tickets and the inability to purchase new ones. Brady could only overhear bits and pieces of the uncharacteristically upset customers. Each conversation seemed to mention the same thing about MBI, a local mega-pharmaceutical company shutting down airfare and other forms of travel into and out of Tokyo. Brady wondered why there would be such a large city-wide closure, his only thoughts coming back to some sort of quarantine to prevent an epidemic. Great, first I was arrested for no reason, then my plane ticket was revoked, and after that there was that weird bird dream, now I'm trapped in Tokyo with a plague. At least it's somewhere fun. Brady had heard enough, so before he could hear more about the apparently depressing situation, he resolved to leave.

Now back outside of the agency, Brady looked around for something enjoyable to do. "Well, I guess if I'm gonna be stuck here, I should at least enjoy myself. So, what shall I get myself into today?"

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

Believe in the you that believes in cheese

<3

Tatsumi Tatsuya Creating Simple Harmony

Shiro Itsune

Me but more fabulous

Don't let me disappear

Kingslayer

Izumi

Muffins forever

[i]Recently Revived Zombie[/i]

Believe in the you that believes in cheese

Muffins forever

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

Que sera sera~

Allison Mori​

Me but more fabulous

some things are that simple

Shiro Itsune // Eri

Izumi // Eri

Poe and Palahniuk's Prodige

A Very Brady Day: The Intro

Tatsumi Tatsuya

Creating Simple Harmony

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

Allison Mori