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hello vonnie
blake kathryn
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Keni
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Cookie Run:Kingdom Official!
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"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
occasionally subtle
Sweet Seals For You, Always
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Love Begins
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@potofmeltingblood
Dear Fanfiction Readers,
If you’re afraid to leave a review/comment because you think it’ll sound stupid, don’t be. Just leave an incoherent reply in all caps. We love that shit.
Sincerely,
A Fic Writer that needs constant validation.
Just fuckin’ slam your head on the keyboard in the comment box. We’re writers. We’ll interpret it.
Reblogs > Likes | It truly does make a difference for us
This is true.
Please reblog. Share share share share share
*Nod nod*
Very important addition to this post of mine. Encourage and support artists by reblogging and commenting!
I’m rather new to tumblr so this was very eye opening to me :)
How to praise writers and influence fics
I’ve seen a lot of posts recently reminding readers to leave feedback on fics, which is great!! Writers deserve all the love they can get. Likes, reblogs, comments, messages, these are the lifeblood of writers. They are proof that people are reading, that they’re enjoying, and that they want more.
But maybe readers don’t know what to say. Maybe you’re new to Tumblr, new to reading fan fiction, shy, or just not sure how to say what you want to say.
Let me start by saying, no matter how popular the blog or how cool you think they are, everyone loves a compliment. If you’re worried about sounding silly or bothering people, let me assure you- a message will make your writer do a happy dance (depending on the writer, they may actually get up and dance. I have.)
Here’s the basic ways of communicating with writers on Tumblr:
Likes and kudos- these are great, they’re the high-fives in this world. They’re the “hey, nice” nod. Reblogs- even better, because they mean exposure. More people see the story and that makes us really happy. A reblog with a comment is amazing, especially one that entices others to read. These make a writer’s day. Comments and messages- these are the thing that keeps us going. Most of us have anon turned on- and if we don’t, just let us know you want a private reply. (And, if your writer has anon off, it probably means they’ve been getting hate and deserve extra love.) Recommendations- recs are like coming in to work to find someone baked your favorite cake and left it on your desk. Recommendations make your writer feel so loved and valued!
So, that’s all good, but what do you actually SAY to writers? It doesn’t have to be much or take a lot of time.
A simple “This is great/funny/hot!” is wonderful. "Best fic I’ve read this week!“ "Funny as hell and cute too.” "You have to read this, it’s awesome!“ "I can’t wait for more of this.” "I hope you keep going!“ These are great in reblogs and in messages.
Even better is specific feedback. We love specific feedback, because it tells us what readers liked and what they didn’t. Want to influence our next fic? Tell us what you liked about this one and I bet you it will keep showing up! Specific feedback is just telling the writer what you liked. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, either. (But if you write a lot, we will love you so much.)
Was there a character you liked? Talk about them: "I love how you wrote X” “Y was so funny!” "OMG I wanted to STRANGLE Q!“ "You can really feel X’s frustration.” "Y has so much depth, they’re a really well-rounded character.“ "R says so much with so few words, it’s amazing.”
What about a part or line you enjoyed? "That bit in the park- LOVE IT.“ "I have never read a better description of a cup of tea.” "The way you wrote about his fear, that was heartbreaking.“
Was there a part that made you feel something? Happy, sad, angry? "That last sentence killed me, he’s so broken.” "I wanted to jump around when they finally kissed!“ "This chapter was so tense, my heart was pounding by the end.”
Did the characters or plot or setting remind you of your life? "I live in Brussels, that’s just how that street looks.“ "When Y talked about R, I knew exactly how he felt.” "You captured that lost, aimless feeling perfectly; I’ve so been there.“
Are there unanswered questions? Mention how much you want the answers. "I can’t wait to find out what’s in the basket!” "That was a cliffhanger ending, wow.“ "How is she going to explain THAT?” (some writers are touchy about predicting, though, so stay away from “I bet he’ll throw that letter out.” or “X is clearly coming back.”)
A few closing notes: be enthusiastic if that’s your style, go crazy with exclamation marks, smileys, caps! Tell a writer if you’re rereading their work- very little makes us happier than knowing our writing has the staying power for a second, third, sixth, tenth read. Did a reread give you a new insight or feeling about the fic? Tell us! We will be so excited to hear. And remember, recommendations are wonderful- putting up a random post tagging your favorite writers or fics you’re enjoying will show the writers that they’re writing is more than a flash in the opan and they’ll get some new readers too!
We can’t do this writing thing without you guys. So thank you so much! Without readers, we’re just talking to ourselves. We love and appreciate you for reading- but we need to know you’re doing it. We need feedback like we need air. Don’t let your favorite writers suffocate! :)
Always reblog.
Never scroll past and not reblog.
Fanfiction Work-In-Progress Guessing Game
Send me a word, if it’s in my wip document I’ll answer your ask with the sentence that it appears in
THIS IS AWESOME.
Yo do this but pick good words
あいしている よ - 15
Recap: Kane and Dina got scolded by Ruki.
“Raito-kun, I don't feel good,” I mumbled.
I'd decided to call him at work and tell him he didn't have to pick me up since I'd stayed home. My stomach really wasn't having a good day and I constantly felt like I was going to be sick. I only had to explain to him why I wasn't at work when he asked if I was okay.
“Should I come home early?” Raito asked. “I still have three hours left, but you shouldn't be alone. Have you called Mother yet?”
“No, no. You stay at work. Alex is sending your father over to check on me in a bit. I'll be okay.”
Just as I said that, the elevator dinged and Karlheinz stepped off.
“He just got here. Raito-kun, go make some lattes or something, okay?”
“Okay, Kane-chan. Take it easy. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
As soon as I put my cell phone down, Karlheinz pulled out a needle.
“What's that for?” I snapped.
“Kane, dear. I know everything is stressful right now and it is the last thing you wish to think about. Especially since Angel just almost lost her child and Emi has come into the picture.”
Right. Emi. Karlheinz's illegitimate daughter. It made me wonder just how many other illegitimate children he had, whether he knew about them or not.
“You think I might be pregnant.”
“See, dear, I have this feeling that more children will come to be in a very short amount of time. Now please sit still and allow me to take a sample of your blood.”
I allowed him to do so and sighed. If I was pregnant, then it was a good kind of sick. Was there anyway possible that I could have just been sick? I hadn't had a drink from a human in a while, but what if Raito had drank from a maid that was a healthy carrier of a sickness and he passed it on to me without being affected? Strange.
“I should have the results by tomorrow evening. Are you alright?”
“I'll have to stop working if I am.”
“You can stop going to school, as well. Angel may still have gone through a little bit of school during her pregnancy, but you can stop right now. You know, you are handling the possibility a whole lot better than Angel. Could it be you actually want it?”
“Raito-kun and I have had dreams of it. The baby, I mean. The same exact baby.”
“I see. Well, then, I think you are mentally prepared for a child of your own.”
“Did it ever happen with you and Alex?”
Karlheinz stroked my hair away from my face with a quiet sigh. “Yes. We both saw Flora in our dreams. It excited Alexandria so much. Seeing your dream come true is really a magnificent thing. Tell me, dear; do you think you are pregnant?”
“It would explain why I'm sick and find the smell of Earl Grey tea disgusting when I usually find it good.”
“Then take care of yourself and I will have final results tomorrow evening.”
Karlheinz left and I went to go sit on the couch. I'd gone through so much trouble in making a teapot full of Earl Grey and I couldn't even drink it because it smelled so bad to me. It wasn't the first time, either. It had been happening for a couple of days but I didn't think it was anything to worry about. It made sense to me now. It wasn't long until Raito came home, though.
“I told you to stay at work,” I complained.
“Kane-chan, are you pregnant?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe. Karlheinz took some of my blood and the results should be back tomorrow evening.”
Raito let out a long sigh and sat on the couch beside me.
“You left work for no reason, Raito-kun.”
“My manager noticed I was worried and sent me home. She told me not to come back until my next shift. Maybe when I go back, I'll have good news to tell everyone. Do you want that good news?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“Then I hope Ichigo-chan will join us soon. Come take a shower with me, okay? Help me get this coffee smell off me.”
***
Just like we thought, I was pregnant. According to Karlheinz, I was a few months long. That gave Raito and I plenty of time to prepare. Raito already wanted nothing but the best for the baby. He was so excited for it that, one day while I was still sleeping, he took it upon himself to go out shopping for it. He knew himself that the baby was Ichigo, and so he bought dresses upon dresses and cute little socks and onesies and adorable little shoes. The only thing that stopped him from getting the bassinet and the crib was the fact he wanted me to be with him.
“Baby pink or bubblegum pink?” I asked, stifling a yawn.
“What's the difference, Kane-chan?” he replied. “Pink is pink.”
“One is lighter than the other.”
“Eh... You pick...”
“Fine. We'll get the punch pink.”
“Pink is pink, Kane-chan.”
“Okay. Pink is pink.”
Raito wrapped his arm around my waist with a quiet sigh. “So are we going to tell Akasuki-san?”
“Akasuki-san?” I blinked up at him.
When was the last time we, or even myself, had seen or even spoken to Akasuki? The last I knew of her was that her kids got married and went off on their own to who-knows-where. She was alone in that trailer of hers and I didn't even visit or call her. It was way passed the time I was overdue for a visit.
“Let's go see her after this,” I suggested.
“Mm.”
We were able to set up delivery of the bassinet and the crib for the next day, and so we went straight to Akasuki's trailer. We knocked on the door, and almost immediately Akasuki answered it.
“Kane-chan, Raito-kun,” she said, sounding surprised. “Long time, no see.”
“I'm sorry about that Akasuki-san,” I said quietly. “Lots of things got in the way.”
“It's okay. I understand. Come in, come in! Can I make you a cup of Earl Grey?”
“No,” Raito quickly said.
“Huh? But you two love Earl Grey...”
“Akasuki-san, could we just sit and talk for a minute?” I asked.
Akasuki gestured to the kitchen table and we all sat down together. I wasn't too sure how exactly to tell her that I was pregnant. It seemed different, considering she took care of me when I was still growing up and was more like a mother than a nanny to me. I decided to just come out and say it.
“I'm pregnant.”
She looked a bit taken aback. “Does your mother know?”
“Mother and I don't talk at all, not for a really long time. The same goes for my father.” I shifted in the seat uncomfortably and placed my hands on my stomach. “I can't imagine what my family would want for Ichigo-chan.”
“And you already have a name picked out. How cute. Well, I'm glad you told me.”
“We thought it was only fair that we told you, since you're always so kind to us and you were more like my mother than anything else.” I smiled gently at her.
“So then, will you be moving back to the castle or the mansion with the baby?” Akasuki looked at Raito as she asked this question. “The last I heard, the building you live in now is strictly no children. Or will you be going back to the cottage?”
“The cottage is a no go no matter what.”
I felt Raito stiffen next to me. He had that memory of that night embedded into his mind as much I did. It would be torture for both of us if we just decided to go back to the cottage after all the time that had passed.
“Sorry; I shouldn't have mentioned it...” Akasuki shook her head, sighing. “Listen, the trailer is in good condition, and I wouldn't know what to do with it since I'm going back to Hokkaido to live with my kids and their kids. If you want the trailer, well...you can have it. Turn the back bedroom into a nursery and turn this table here into your bed. Unless, you were thinking of going to live with Karlheinz and Alexandria?”
Raito and I exchanged glances before looking back at Akasuki.
“Akasuki-san, it would be great if we could take over your trailer,” I admitted. “But you really don't have to give--”
“Nonsense, Kane-chan. It's yours. I'm moving next weekend, so you can move in quickly.”
“Will you come visit?”
My question had come out so quietly, almost like I was scared she was leaving my life for good. It was my fault that I hadn't spoken to her in so long. I had no right to blame her if she didn't come and visit.
“Of course. Don't be silly.”
***
“More throwing up, Kane-chan?” Raito asked as I made my way back to the bed.
It was a few months later and I was really starting to feel the effects of being pregnant. I was excited, but at the same time I was exhausted. I brought it on to myself, so I felt like I had no right to complain in the first place.
“Mhm...” I mumbled, resting into the pillow.
Raito got up onto the back of his legs and then leaned over. He slightly raised my nightshirt so my stomach was exposed. “Ichigo-chan, be nice to your mama!”
“Raito-kun, I don't think that's going to help. Oh...”
“Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh... She's kicking again. I think she likes the sound of our voices.”
“I don't blame her. Kane-chan, your voice is pretty soothing.”
“Okay...but at least yours can put me to sleep.”
Raito kissed my stomach and lay back down next to me.
“Seriously, though; you get some sleep, Raito-kun. You work opening tomorrow, don't you?”
“I could call in sick...”
I sighed. “Go to sleep.”
He went to sleep, and I followed suit not too long after. The morning came quickly, however, and I woke up to the feeling of Ichigo kicking again. On the bedside table was a note from Raito. He always left a note these days when he worked the opening shift at the cafe with what time he was going to be off and home. There was knocking on the door, and I recognized that knocking as my mother's knocking. For weeks she'd been leaving messages on the answering machine, but I never called her back.
I got up and opened the door, but kept the screen door shut so it was separating us. “What?”
“You have some nerve not returning my calls, Kane,” she snapped.
“And you have some nerve not realizing I don't want you in my life,” I snapped back.
“Look. I didn't come here to be malicious. There are rumours in the Demon World about you and I just want to make sure they aren't true.”
“Depends on the rumour, Mother.”
“Well...I realize that...this...rumour is true...”
She was referring to mine and Raito's living in Akasuki's trailer. I rolled my eyes at her.
“May I please come in?” she asked.
“I guess, since it's obvious you're not gonna leave.” I opened the door for her and wandered over to the bed to turn it back into a table. “So what are these other rumours?”
“That you're marrying that boy? What's his name again?”
“Raito-kun. And, yes, it's true. I don't know when we're getting married, but he proposed already.” I held up my hand and showed her the ring.
Her face reddened. I didn't know if it was out of anger because I wouldn't conform to family tradition or if she was jealous because it was better than her rings that my father had gotten her.
“I can tell that the last rumour is true, unless you are just getting quite...fat...” she scolded.
“I'm fat because I'm pregnant.”
“Do you honestly hate this family this much?!”
“There's nothing for me to like about it, really. Marrying a relative, not caring for your child, acting so...stuck up and privileged. Mother, even Raito-kun's family doesn't act like that. I mean...Emi does... But they're richer than our family. If they don't act like that or do anything like that, then why the hell does our family do all that? It's disturbing.”
“It's to keep the Yukimura bloodline pure.”
I snorted. “Yeah, okay. Just because you were too afraid to go against the grain doesn't mean I have to be. Besides, by marrying another vampire and having a baby with them... It keeps the vampire bloodline strong. Whether she turns into a bat like Raito-kun and his brother's and Flora, or if she turns into a wolf like us, it doesn't matter. She'll be pure-blooded.”
“You're being a spoiled brat.”
“I wonder who I got that from.”
There was a long moment of silence while we just stared at each other. She was really getting on my last nerve. I was going to have to kick her out soon or get Karlheinz to get rid of her for me.
“Will I be part of your baby's life?” Mother asked quietly.
“Seeing as how I don't even want you in my life, no. I know how our family works. You'll try to make plans for her, just like how you did with me. Ugh. I'm more thankful for Raito-kun and his family than anything else. Really; if it hadn't been for Alexandria being around and metaphorically kicking Karlheinz in the ass I don't know what would have happened when we were growing up.”
Mother's face suddenly changed. Her expression changed from angry to shocked so quickly. “Kane, when are you due?”
“Any day now; what's it to you?”
She pointed below me. “Your water just broke! How did you not feel that?!”
All of this new DL stuff is incredibly overwhelming and I can’t handle it. Not in a “OMG I NEED MORE” can’t handle it but in a “please fucking stop rejet you’re milking this WAY too much fucking stop” way
Bandit - 1
Here’s Ayato and Dina’s AU.
For as long as I could remember, we were best friends. We did everything together – ran around fields, wandered into forests, played outside, and even slept over at each others houses. We had to be careful, though; his mother – or, rather, the woman who gave birth to him – wasn't a kind woman, and she didn't like it when I hung around. She just wanted him to be the best and do nothing but study and do his homework. The woman he considered his mother, Alexandria, encouraged him to have fun, but to make sure his studies were taken care of eventually. I would finish my work and then go to his house to see if he wanted to play. He always wanted to play, but usually we had to ask Alexandria if it was okay to go yet. Most of the time the answer would be “yes”.
I didn't know the whole story on how we became best friends. All I knew was it was because Alexandria was really good friends with my mother. Maybe he liked being around me because, even though I was afraid of his real mother, I did what I wanted and I gave him some enjoyment in his life. He spent most of his days at my house, though. We'd play in the backyard there for hours, sometimes until it got very dark.
Other times when I didn't get to his house on time, he would show up at my house. During those times he would look extremely sad. My mother would make him takoyaki and send us off to play together, and he would be smiling and laughing again in no time. Sometimes I would walk in on his birth mother giving him a serious talking to, and I'd once heard her call him useless, that is if he didn't become the best. I'd hidden until I knew she was gone for good, but he was the one to find me hiding.
“You're not useless, Ayato-kun,” I'd murmured. “You could never be useless.”
“Yeah, I guess so...” he'd replied quietly.
“Hey, no. You can't guess.”
“So...do you think I could be great?”
“I think you could be amazing!”
He'd gently smiled. “You, too. Ma is cooking and doesn't want anyone else in the kitchen. Wanna go to the forest?”
It was fine for a little while after that, but then it got pretty bad. Bad things happened to Alexandria that I didn't find out about until I was older, and so that required her to be away from the mansion and the castle more often than not. That meant that Ayato's birth mother had a whole lot more control over what Ayato could and couldn't do. I was barely allowed on the property anymore and if she saw me or learned I'd been there, she punished Ayato in some way.
I once had gone to check on Ayato, only to hear him yelling at his mother. I could very faintly hear her scolding him in return. Just as I was turning the corner, I saw her throw him into the pond and just walk away. Ayato really didn't know how to swim. Without a second thought, I ran up to the pond and reached in. I couldn't see him or feel him, so I reached deeper. It got to the point where I fell in myself, but I was able to swim down and pull him back up. He held onto the edge of the pond, coughing, while I climbed out.
I knew Alexandria was feeling better, and I had come to see if Ayato could come play with me. So now instead, I walked quickly back to the mansion with him to go see her. She was in the kitchen making some tea when we walked in. She looked at us and gasped, dropping her teacup.
“What happened?!” she asked, rushing over.
“Cordelia threw him into the pond!” I snapped. “Ayato-kun can't swim!”
Alexandria ran her hands through Ayato's hair to get it out of his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He coughed again before answering. “Uh... Uh-huh. Dee pulled me out.”
“Yes, of course. I was just about to ask why she's all wet, too.” Alexandria pulled both of us into a tight hug. “Okay, Ayato-kun, you need to get changed. Dina-chan, could you stay here--”
“No!” Ayato pulled away. “If she sees Dee here, then bad things will happen.”
“Okay, okay. Shoot. Dina-chan, you need to get changed, too.” For a moment, she thought. “Alright, then. Both of you come with me.”
Alexandria took both of us up to Ayato's bedroom. She had us stand and wait for her while she gathered new clothes for Ayato. The only thing that I was confused about was she gathered two sets of clothes. She handed a set to Ayato for him to get changed, and then I realized what the second set was for.
“What?” I snapped. “I can't wear boy's clothes! I'm a lady!”
“Dina-chan, please. I'll be able to dry your dress before you go back home.”
“I can't wear Ayato-kun's clothes! Don't you have any dresses from when you were this little?”
“Ah... Dina-chan, sweetie, my dresses from when I was your age are most likely very dusty and very outdated. Besides, they're at my parents house.”
“Dee, you should wear the clothes,” Ayato said.
“But...But...” I snivelled.
“Dee. Wear the clothes.”
I grumbled and took the clothes from Alexandria before going into the bathroom that connected to Ayato's bedroom. It wasn't too long until I came back out with my hands shoved into the pockets.
“What are you doing that for?” Alexandria asked.
I looked away and blushed. “They're falling down...”
She went to Ayato's closet and took out some suspenders before attaching them to the pants and adjusting them so they would stay on my shoulders. I didn't like how Ayato's clothes felt on me. I wanted my dress back as soon as possible.
“Hey. Dee?” Ayato tapped my shoulder to get my attention.
“What?” I mumbled.
“You look cute.”
“What? Don't be weird...”
“Ayato-kun is right, Dina-chan,” Alexandria said. “You look very cute. Besides, think of it this way. You can jump, and climb trees, and roll down hills, and get dirty without having to worry about your pretty dress.”
My face lit up. “Hey, you're right.”
“Hey, Ma.” Ayato tugged on Alexandria's dress. “Can I sleep over at Dee's tonight? Please?”
“I don't have a problem with it, but I'll have to ask her parents first.”
“You're not gonna ask why?”
“Ayato-kun, do I really need to?”
Ayato looked away and sighed, before looking back at her. “I guess not. You already know the reason. Dee, let's go play for a while.”
***
I looked over my bed at Ayato. His back was to the bed, but I could tell he wasn't sleeping.
“Ayato-kun?” I whispered.
He turned over to look up at me. “Hey.”
“Are you tired?”
“Yeah, but I can't sleep. Are you okay?”
“I'm fine. I can't sleep, either. Will you please come up here?”
He blinked at me. “Won't your father get mad at you?”
“No. He doesn't get mad or anything like that. Besides, I don't know what he would get mad about. We're just sharing a bed, that's all.”
Ayato got up and picked up his pillow. I moved over a bit to make more room for him and he put his pillow on the bed before climbing up onto the bed.
“Do you know why your dad lets Cordelia treat you and your brother's the way she does?” I mumbled.
He stared at me for a long moment before replying. “I don't think he cares about us. After Ma got sick, it got worse, you know. I dunno why she got sick, but he cared more about that than about us. I doubt he would've done anything if he found out that Mother threw me into the pond. He's never done anything before, that I know of. It's always Ma who's dealing with it. But...that's because they hate each other, I guess.”
“Why would he have so many kids, then? There's six of you, so...I don't really get it...”
“I don't get it, either, Dee.”
“Why do Alexandria and Cordelia hate each other?”
“Mother thinks that Ma took him away from her.”
“But Beatrix and Christa--”
“He was still...around. Most of the time he was off visiting Christa, which is why Mother hates Christa, too. But after he married Ma, you know...he wasn't around as much since they got a house of their own together.”
I looked at him for a short moment. “What's different?”
“Ma is his childhood friend that he's loved for a really long time. And for the longest time, he thought that she didn't love him back. And she's always loved him, but she also didn't think he loved her back. She treats me and my brother's like her own kids because she loves kids and always wanted a big family.”
“So if she wants a big family, why aren't they making it bigger?”
“Uh... I'm not allowed to talk about that, Dee... It's kinda complicated... Anyway, I'm tired now. Night.”
Soon after that night, I found out why Alexandria had gotten “sick”. She'd lost her baby. I hadn't even known she was pregnant, but she had been. It had been early, but she'd lost it. And her getting “sick” had meant she'd shut herself in her bedroom at her and Karlheinz's house for days. She cried and wouldn't drink blood. She hardly slept and when she did, she would wake up crying. There were so many times during her “sickness” that she would blame herself but Karlheinz would insist it wasn't her fault.
One day while Ayato and I were playing in the living room, we heard Alexandria and Cordelia get in to an argument. All they ever did was argue, which was understandable. We didn't see them; we just heard them screaming at each other. Cordelia suddenly used Alexandria losing her baby against her, and this completely clearly set Alexandria off. There was banging and clanging, until Karlheinz showed up to stop them. He'd checked on us first before going into the kitchen where they were.
Cordelia was forced out of the kitchen so Karlheinz could console Alexandria.
“You,” she snapped upon seeing me with Ayato. “Go home, now. Ayato needs to study! I said you weren't allowed here again and--”
“Alexandria and Karlheinz said I could be here, so shut up, you hag!” I shouted.
Beri and Kane, Kanato and Raito's best friends, came in as I shouted that and stared at me.
“What did you just call me?!” Cordelia snapped, storming over to me.
“I called you a hag! Are you deaf, too?!”
I grabbed her hair and pulled on it as hard as I could. Ayato backed away as far as he could once I did so. Cordelia shrieked as I continued to pull on her hair. I was tired of how bad she treated Ayato and Alexandria.
“Kane-san, Beri-san!”
The two of them exchanged glances before joining in. Kane managed to jump up onto Cordelia's back and pulled her hair at the root. Even if Cordelia's hair didn't come out, it clearly hurt her. Beri pulled as hard as she could, too, as she stood next to me.
Karlheinz then appeared and pulled all three of us away from her. He didn't scold us, but instead he glared at Cordelia for a long moment before disappearing. In his worried state about Alexandria, he hadn't taken Cordelia elsewhere.
Cordelia smacked Beri hard enough that she almost passed out and she began crying; then she pulled my hair so hard that she ended up pulling strands of hair out; and then she grabbed Kane and pulled her out of the mansion altogether. Ayato quickly looked out the window and then started shouting that Cordelia had thrown her into the pond. Luckily Kane was a strong swimmer.
Alexandria came out at the sound of Beri's crying. Her initial response was to help Beri up and cradle her until she stopped crying. She then noticed that I had my hand on my head and I was fighting back tears. I told her what happened, and she quickly fixed my hair for me. As she looked around, I could tell she was looking for Kane. She came in not too soon after, her clothes soaking wet.
“What did you three do?” she asked.
“The way she treats Ayato-kun and you isn't nice,” I told her. “So we pulled her hair really hard.”
“Dee called her a hag,” Ayato mumbled.
“Are you mad at us?”
“Well...no. But I should be. But I can’t be.”
私のおもちゃ - 2
Recap: Mina’s working in the demon world as Kino’s maid.
“You! Where were you for a whole freakin' week?!”
I looked away from the flowers and in the direction Kino's voice had come from. He looked incredibly angry as he was storming over to me. Before I could speak, he grabbed my wrist and held it firmly enough that I dropped the shears I was holding. I did my best not to back away from him, out of the pain he was causing me.
“Are you going to answer me or not?” he snapped.
“Your father let me go home to see my family, that's all,” I replied quietly.
“Why? You've only been here for a little over a month.”
“Well, I mean... Kino-sama...I thought your father would have told you.”
“No, it's your duty to tell me where you're going off to. I'm sick of being abandoned by someone like you.”
My eyes widened. “N-No, Kino-sama, please don't think of me going home for a week as abandoning you... I really thought he would have told you. I'm sorry I didn't mention it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just tell me why.”
“It was my birthday two days ago.”
Kino blinked at me, expressing annoyance. “Your birthday?”
“Yes. I turned sixteen.”
“I can do math, thank you very much!” Kino let my wrist go and sighed. “From now on, you're telling me where you're going. Got it?”
I nodded.
“Why did you have to go for a whole week? Birthdays are for only one day. Not a week.”
“I told your father that I was fine with one day, but he insisted on a week. He, um... He...”
“He what?”
My voice came out as a nervous mumble. “He said that I probably would want more than one day away from you.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “And you didn't agree with him?”
“No, I didn't. I tried to compromise for two days at a maximum, but he wouldn't listen.”
Kino looked me over, probably reading my body language. “Fine. I believe you. The next thing I want to ask you about it why I smell another man on you. That smell isn't my father and it doesn't smell mature enough to be a man who should be your father. Do you have a brother or any male cousins?”
I shook my head.
“Do you seriously have a boyfriend?”
I backed away slightly, but he grabbed my wrist again and pulled me closer to him. “Kino-sama, please don't be mad at me. It's not my choice; I swear.”
“Not a boyfriend, but an arranged marriage? So do you come from a rich family, then? You don't seem like the kind of girl who comes from status.”
“Um...well...my paternal grandparents are rich... When my father wanted to marry my mother, his parents didn't approve, but...in the end they said 'yes', so long as when he had his own child that they would pick the wife-to-be or husband-to-be. So...”
“Do you like him?”
My husband-to-be was a kind boy and I did like him, but it wasn't to the amount of liking that I would want to marry him. I knew him extremely well. He liked me back and he confessed many times that he couldn't wait to marry me. I didn't want to, though. If I had a choice, I felt like I wouldn't have had a boyfriend until I was a little bit older, or if I did it would be someone of a much higher status than myself.
“Not enough to marry him,” I admitted.
“So technically, you're free to do as you please. Oh, but wait. Has he had you yet?”
“Huh?”
Kino rolled his eyes again. “Have you slept together yet?”
It took me a few seconds to realize what he was saying. I felt my face become hot. “O-Oh. No. No, no, no. I'd never sleep with him. I... Nn...”
“You know what? You're cute when you blush. I want you to come with me. I had something to give to you to wear.” He let my wrist go and then held my hand firmly. “You can hold it back. It's not like I'll bite you. Not hard, at least.”
I held his hand back gently and he led me back to my bedroom. He'd gone there before coming to find me, he said, which is why there was the corset he'd wanted to give to me was already laying on my bed. It was black with gold trim and white ribbon to tie up the back. I looked down into the top of my dress.
“I know it's going to fit your chest, too, so stop it.”
Kino walked over to the bed and picked the corset up before throwing it at me. I caught it as he sat down on the bed.
“Um...Kino-sama?”
“Put it on. Go on. No need to be shy.”
I quickly retreated behind my privacy screen.
“Well, that's no fun,” Kino muttered.
I grabbed a pair of leggings off the chair that sat behind me and put them on before taking my dress and bra off. I'd never worn a corset before in my whole life. I had to wonder. Why a corset and not a dress or new shoes or something I could easily put on my own? Then it dawned on me that it was just so he would be able to help me with it whenever and if I decided to wear it. Maybe he really did want to see me naked. Was I meant to feel ashamed with the fact that all he had to do was ask and I'd do it? I flinched at my thought and put the corset on over my head.
“Kino-sama?” I asked.
“What? Are you done yet?”
“No, but...can I please have your help doing up the back?”
Kino was over to me and behind the privacy screen in less than a second. “You look cute.”
Before I could reply, he grasped the ribbon and pulled on either side to tighten it. It got so tight I could almost not breathe, but I didn't complain about it. The top was a bit loose, though, and Kino even noticed. He let the ribbon go and started to tug on the criss-crossing ribbons that went down the back of the corset. His finger tips gently brushed up against my back. I shivered at how cold he felt. It was different than when he held my hand or my wrist considering my back was so warm. Once it was tightened in the top, he grabbed the bottom ribbons again, this time not doing it up so tight. But his hands grazed my back for longer as he got a grip on them and I yelped.
“What was that about?” he asked, tying the ribbon up.
“Kino-sama, you're so cold.”
“Naturally. But if you yelp like that when my hands touch your back, then...” He wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and moved his hands down slowly, “how loud would you be if they touched you here?”
Just as his hands were about to go into the top of my leggings, I smacked his hands away and moved away from him. Realizing what I did, I turned to him and squinted. Kino grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me up against the wall.
“Where do you get off in doing that?!” he snapped.
“I don't... It was an accident, I swear...” I opened one eye to look at him. He looked angry. “Please don't be mad at me. It was an accident. It was just so sudden. I didn't mean to--”
Kino wasn't having it, though. He probably thought I was lying, but I really wasn't. His hand came up and bunched my hair up before biting my neck.
“K-Kino-sama--” I started, but he bit me even harder.
It didn't matter how many times I told him that I didn't mean it. He either didn't believe me or he just didn't care. It was the fact that I'd hit him in some way. I expected for him to get angry and to bite me, but not for as long as he was doing it. He never usually did it for very long, at least not with me. Maybe me hitting him was what made him become angrier. On top of hitting him, there was me leaving for a week without telling him and then him finding out I was engaged. But maybe he was being as “gentle” as he was because I told him I didn't want the boy I was supposed to marry. If it wasn't for that, maybe he would have been a bit rougher. Maybe I was just making up foolish excuses.
I started to feel strange, however. Maybe it was my being lightheaded, but I wanted him to bite me more. He seemed to like my blood more than usual. Surely he drank from other maids when he wasn't able to find me during the week? I held onto the sides of his blazer tightly. His response was to press his body against mine, completely pinning me against the wall. Just as I was going to ask him for more, there was a light chime that came from his pocket.
He backed away from me and took out his cell phone. “Hey, my crops are finished.”
And then he just disappeared. I placed my hand on my neck and peered around the edge of the privacy screen. He'd completely left my room. For what?
***
Kino's father came by in the early evening to check up on all the maids. He'd mentioned he wouldn't regularly do such a thing, but his newest wife wanted him to do so. As usual, I was the last one to be checked up on.
“How was your visit with your family?” he asked.
“It was good. I really would have been okay with one or two days...”
“Oh? Did my son get mad at you after all?”
I nodded. “But maybe it's because I left for a week without telling him.”
“Mm. But, dear, you shouldn't have to tell him what you are doing. My other sons and even myself learned that the hard way. Tell him, if you'd like, only if you want to.”
I inhaled sharply.
“Is something bothering you?”
“No, sir. Um, how's the little one doing? Flora, right?”
“Yes. She is doing fantastic. Now, tell me what's the matter. I know something is wrong. I am assuming it has to do with those bite marks on your neck.”
My face became incredibly hot and I quickly covered the marks with my hand. “No, it's nothing, really. K-Kino-sama was just thirsty, that's all.”
“Even if that was the case, my dear, there is more to it than that. You can tell me; there is no need to be ashamed.”
“He started to tease me, that's it. And I kind of hit him without thinking. Karlheinz-sama--”
“You apologized but he did it, anyway.”
“It was an unnecessary reflex on my part. I would have let him do it if I hadn't been so flustered, honestly, but it just happened and I couldn't stop myself. The last thing I want to do is hurt Kino-sama in anyway. He seems pretty lonely to me and I hate that I even hit him.”
“Maybe it was your subconscious telling you that you're not ready for such a thing.” Karlheinz let out a deep sigh. “One of my sons... His girlfriend made him wait a very long time before she allowed him to sleep with her.”
I yelped. “What? No, no, it's not like I... It's... Kino-sama is a prince a-a-and--”
“Yes? And so are my other sons, and my two daughters are princesses. My sons chose ordinary girls, like yourself, and now they have little princesses and princes of their own. Status does not exactly matter to them, though, otherwise they most likely went for aristocrats who were human. Some of them were extremely well off, and others...not so much. One was living poor for a while before my youngest son decided to help her. So do not think that your feelings for him are wrong.”
“I'm sure I'm just a toy for him. That's what he always calls me. His toy. Perhaps the next time you want him to touch you, you should tell him. Just do not try to do it when he is playing those games of his on his phone, alright?”
“Oh... Is that what that chime was? He said his crops were finished...”
“He is quite addicted to those smart phone games.” Karlheinz sighed again. “Anyway, dear, I had best be off.”
He then disappeared and I was left in my bedroom, alone again. That is until Kino opened the door a few seconds later. He threw his phone onto the dresser as he walked in.
“So what did my father want? He told me he was going to talk to all the maids, but why was he with you the longest?” He scoffed. “You still wore the corset even when he was here?”
“Karlheinz-sama just wanted to know how my visit with my family went, and then he noticed the bite marks you left.”
“They wouldn't be so deep if you hadn't done those things you did – going off for a week without telling me, telling me you're engaged, and then hitting me.”
“Kino-sama, your father said I don't need to tell you, and I told you I don't want to marry that boy, and I said that my hitting you was an accident and that I was sorry. I'm still sorry that I hit you. A-And me wearing the corset with your father around... It's not like I had any time to change...”
He rolled his eyes. “You could've changed while you two were talking.”
“I would have needed help taking it off. So...that means he would have seen...”
“It's not like it matters. He loves that woman he married and had a baby with. But I guess if anyone is going to see you naked, it should be me. It's good to know that your dress uniform is just baggy and your boobs aren't small after all.”
“Kino-sama...”
“What?”
“No... Never mind.”
“I know. I don't act like a prince. I've been told many times before. So then tell me how a prince is supposed to act.” He pushed me onto my bed so I was sitting down. “Go ahead.”
“I don't know exactly, but I know that they're more gentlemanly and kind. Maybe a bit stuck up sometimes, too, but definitely the complete opposite of you.”
“The complete opposite of me, huh? Maybe that's true for human princes, but in case you forgot about what I am--”
“I'll never forget.”
“Whatever. Arguing with you makes me tired. Listen to me, you stupid toy.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to him. “I don't care who it is or what time of day it is, I'm the only guy who should ever see you in this corset. Got it?”
“It would have been rude of me to just hide from the King, Kino-sama...”
“I just said that I don't care who it is!” Kino grasped my wrist harder. “You're mine, do you hear me?”
I inhaled sharply, doing my best not to start crying. I hated being yelled at. “I hear you. Kino-sama, I'm willingly yours, but... But I...”
“'But' what?”
“I-I'm not a toy, okay? I'm a person, not an object. Nn!” He'd squeezed my wrist even tighter. “Y-You can do what you want to me, but...please...I'm not a toy; I'm not an object; I'm not something you can just p-play with. I have feelings, just like you. I'm not asking or telling to be treated as an equal to you, Kino-sama. I just don't want to be treated like I'm nothing.”
“Do you honestly think that I'll let you get off on talking to me like that?!”
I jumped and looked away.
“I don't care what my father told you; you're my maid, not his! He has that woman he can screw around with--”
I managed to push him away from me, but it only made him angrier. Kino grasped my hair and pulled on it, making me fall to my knees. I couldn't handle anymore pain for the day and so I started to sob and started to beg Kino to calm down and stop, and started to apologize even more. But my feelings and words were genuine; I wanted to be his, but I didn't want to be treated like an object. Fighting against him like that was dangerous for me. He could easily do away with me if he wanted. I didn't “get off” on him being questioned or hurt or anything along those lines.
“Sometimes I think masochism makes girls like you incredibly stupid,” he muttered. “That's what you are. A masochist. Don't think I don't know what goes on underneath your clothes and inside your body when I do the things I do to you. Maybe it'd feel better to actually screw you for real, but it's obvious you're not even ready for that. I wouldn't want you passing out while I have my fun. See, even if I wasn't a prince, I'd still be a vampire. So I expect you to shut up and take it, name-calling and all.”
“I-I--”
“No.”
He pushed my head back hard enough that I heard my neck crack and I felt a hot sensation spread through it. My vision even darkened for a moment. This scared me enough that I began to cry extremely hard and beg for Kino to let me go.
“Next time it'll be worse.” He let me go before pulling me back up. “Now let's go. I'm tired.”
This whole “why do you even care about notes” fake mentality is so annoying and transparent. Not one person on tumblr posts anything hoping it’s completely ignored, notes are validation and people want to feel validated by their peers. You aren’t special for pretending likes and reblogs mean nothing because we all know thats not the truth.
Until Forever - 17 (End)
Recap: Angel had Kara; everyone discovered the existence of Emi.
“Hi,” I cooed, picking Kara up. “Did you sleep good?”
Subaru and I had been able to take her home two weeks after she'd been born. She seemed to be okay by now, but like a lot of the planning books said that babies might not sleep through the night. Aside from her being a vampire, she was like a normal baby – sleeping a lot, getting restless when she was hungry, holding onto mine or Subaru's index finger... I'd get up a lot during the night to bottle feed her. Subaru wanted to get up once in a while to help out, but I insisted I do it instead.
Subaru yawned and sat up. “What's goin' on?”
“Ah, nothing. Kara's up.”
“Is it just me or has she been gettin' up earlier and earlier?”
“It's just you, Subaru-kun. I'm going to feed her, so you can go back to sleep.”
If I hadn't yawned just then, though, he might have been fine with me leaving the room to go feed her. But Subaru, upon seeing and hearing me yawn so hard, quickly got out of bed and took Kara from me gently.
“No. You need sleep, too,” he snapped. “Go back to bed. I'll feed her.”
“This is why naps were invented. I'll be okay.”
“Bed, Angel.”
After a moment, I agreed to let him feed Kara. He left the bedroom, allowing Patra to come in. I picked her up and placed her on the bed before climbing under the covers. She cuddled with me until I fell asleep. Ever since Kara came along, I hadn't had a whole lot of sleep. But that was a sacrifice I didn't mind making. Subaru minded it for me, however, considering I would space out mid-afternoon and not be able to concentrate on anything. The only reason cooking wasn't a disaster was because either Alexandria or Midori came over to cook. I'd burned myself multiple times on my hot iron and hurt myself on my sewing machine. I did miss sleeping through the night and being awake all day, but that wouldn't last forever, I knew. Eventually Kara would get better about sleeping. It would take a few years until it got to that point, but I could wait.
When I woke up, Subaru was talking to someone. The longer I listened, I came to realize that it was Emi he was talking to. She wanted to get to know her brother's, but there was only so much she could do, considering some of them didn't even live at the mansion where Karl sent her to live. The place she went to often was to Raito and Kane's house, but even then she wasn't able to stay for long due to them both working and sleeping together or going out so much. It was the first time now that she'd decided to come over to mine and Subaru's house.
I walked out into the living room, yawning. Subaru was sitting on the couch. Kara was sleeping in her rocker while Subaru pressed his foot repeatedly on it to rock her. He looked slightly annoyed, probably because Emi still couldn't wrap her head around there being a baby.
“Why'd you name her Kara?” Emi asked. “Oh, hey, Angel.”
“Hi...” I mumbled, sitting next to Subaru.
“It's a mix of that guy's name and Alex's name,” he replied.
“You don't call her 'mom'? Raito-nii does, and so do the adopted ones. I think Reiji-niisan does, too.”
Subaru scowled. “Apparently I used to call her 'mama' when I was a kid. I stopped callin' her that 'cause it made me confused as hell.”
“What are you going to call her?” I asked.
“Alexandria or Alex,” Emi replied, rolling her eyes. “She has enough of us calling her 'mother' and whatever.”
“You don't know much about her yet,” Subaru muttered.
“What much is there to know about her other than that she's a homewrecker?”
Subaru stopped rocking Kara, his eyes widening.
“Subaru-kun?” I mumbled, tugging on his sleeve.
I could tell he was angry, but I didn't want him to start yelling at Emi and scaring the daylights out of Kara by waking her up so suddenly.
“Homewrecker, huh?” Subaru snapped.
“Look. Father was already married when the two of them got married, right? Right. They had a relationship when he was married.”
“You don't have a relationship with that guy, but you're callin' him 'father' already? Tch. Whatever. It's called 'polygamy', idiot. Even if it's a stupid excuse to be able to screw as many people as you want, it's a real thing. Alex and that guy's marriage isn't illegal. Besides, he's loved her ever since they were children. If anyone is a homewrecker, it was your mother.”
“What?!”
Kara then woke up and started crying loudly. I quickly picked her up out of her rocker and cradled her. She slowly calmed down.
“Fuckin'...” Subaru sighed. “You're lucky Angel and Kara are around right now; and you're very lucky that you didn't say that Alex is a homewrecker to Raito or that ridiculous idol. If you ever disrespect Alex ever, to her face or not, you'd better be prepared to move somewhere else completely.”
“First a baby and then a death threat? I'm sure you're going to be a fantastic father when she's older.”
I flinched and held onto Kara tighter.
“You know...” Subaru clenched his hands into fists. “Alex was welcoming to you and she opened her home to you. She's been nothin' but nice to you when she has no reason to. She's got no reason to be so kind to any of us, much less you. But y'know why she's so nice to you? Because you're that guy's kid, and the only thing she's ever wanted out of life is to have a big family with the man she loves.”
“So what? She can't have any kids of her own? She's already got that kid--”
“She can't have anymore of her own!” I snapped.
Emi stared at me wide-eyed, and so did Subaru.
“Angel...” Subaru breathed.
I bit my lip, wanting to cry. Getting angry was nearly impossible for me. I didn't like the feeling it was giving me, but Emi was really too much. I would have hated to see what would happen if Dina was with us.
“Even before Flora...Alexandria considered Subaru-kun and his brother's her sons.” I shook my head at Emi. “Her first baby died before it was born; Flora was a lucky shot for her and Karl; the baby after her died before it was born, too. That's why she adopted Ruki-kun and his brother's. All she wants is to have a big family.”
Emi blinked at me. “I'll never consider her my mother. I'll never let her consider that I'm her daughter.” She let out a puff of breath. “Anger doesn't suit you. You really are an angel, aren't you?”
“Get out!” Subaru snapped. “I told you we don't talk about that!”
***
“Angel.” Subaru knocked on the bathroom door. “Angel, are you okay?”
I didn't reply to him. I couldn't get over that I'd actually gotten angry. The feeling I had in my chest and the pit of my stomach didn't feel good. Was that how Subaru always felt? He had so much pent up anger at Karlheinz and what he was and at the boys who would stare at me when we were out in public. How did he live that way?
“Reiji and Midori wanna babysit Kara tonight,” Subaru continued. “We can go somewhere, if ya want. Angel...?”
I opened the door, sniffling.
“Gettin' angry like that kinda fucked you up a bit, didn't it?”
“There's this feeling in my chest, Subaru-kun. And my stomach.”
He stayed quiet for a second. “Yeah...”
“Is this how you always feel? It's not a good feeling. How do you do it?”
“I wouldn't say I always feel like that. I feel that way a lot, but not always. At least not always anymore. The last thing I ever wanted for ya was to feel like this. You don't deserve it.”
“I couldn't stand her talking about Alex like that, especially after everything she's done for you and your brother's.”
Subaru frowned. He looked extremely sad. “C'mere.” He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head.
“Do any of your brother's like her?”
“I don't think so. Especially if they find out how she talks about Alex, I doubt they'd ever like her. And that guy... He'd probably banish her or somethin'.”
“Banishing someone for thinking badly of Alex?”
“He's done it before.” Subaru scoffed. “Should've done it with that woman and again with Shu and Reiji's mother. Flora really wants Emi to like her, but it ain't gonna happen. It's obvious that she hates kids.”
“What if she hurts Flora?”
“Then she'd really better think about moving somewhere where she'll never be found. If that guy doesn't do anything to her, then Alex sure as hell will.”
There was a loud knock on the front door. Subaru groaned and let me go to go answer it. I sauntered out into the living room just as he opened the door. I hadn't seen them in a long time, but I recognized the two people standing there as Richter and Sage.
“What're you guys doin' back here?” Subaru asked, a shocked tone in his voice.
“Sage just decided it was about time we visited,” Richter replied. “She wanted to start with the youngest.”
“Subaru-kun, you grew up to be so handsome!” Sage gushed.
Subaru blushed. “C-C'mon--”
“No, really, I mean it!” She gasped when she saw me. “Angel, you look so pretty!”
“Thank you...” I mumbled.
“Brother said you had a surprise for us or something?” Richter mentioned.
“Ah...” I went over to the other side of the couch where Kara was sleeping in her rocker. I picked her up and went back into view.
Sage shrieked and Richter's eyes widened.
“She's so cuuuute!” Sage quickly came in once Subaru moved out of the way and rushed over to me. “What's her name?”
“Kara,” I replied. “Did you want to hold her?”
“Oh, my gosh, yes!”
“Don't you have a kid yet?” Subaru asked, closing the door after Richter stepped into the apartment.
“We will talk about that later,” Richter replied.
“If you were supposed to start with the youngest, why didn't you go see Flora?”
“We saw Flora when we saw Brother and Alex.”
Once the initial excitement from Sage calmed down, she looked at me and cocked her head. “Are you feeling okay, Angel? Subaru-kun, does Angel have postpartum?”
“Uh, no.” Subaru shook his head. “She's fine with Kara. Her mood is fine. You just missed a really unpleasant visit with Emi.”
“We met her earlier, too,” Richter said. “She's...something.”
“Yeah. I want her as far away from my kid and Angel as possible. She seems to like bringing up that subject.”
Sage handed Kara back to me with a sigh.
“That actually gets me thinkin', but...”
“You should speak it over with Brother and Alex before you even think about it,” Richter told him.
Sage and I looked at each other and then at Subaru and Richter.
“Yeah. I guess.”
***
“Hey, we need to ask you somethin',” Subaru said to Alexandria.
She was just making some tea for us when Subaru just blurted it out. “What about, sweetie?”
“Oh, my god, stop it!” Emi shouted from the living room.
“The first thing we gotta talk about is that. I thought she was livin' at the mansion.”
“She just wants to have some father-daughter time with Karl. That's all.”
“He's not even here!”
“I know; but I couldn't find the heart to turn her away.”
“Even though that guy doesn't want her in the house...”
Originally I had thought that Emi had been yelling at Alexandria to “stop” because she hated the fact she treated Subaru and his brother's like her own sons. But it was because Flora had apparently been trying to get Emi to play with her. There was a loud snap! sound from the living room, and this was followed by Flora running into the kitchen where we were and crying.
“Flora!” Alexandria shrieked, bending down to hug her.
Subaru growled before going into the living room. All I heard was Emi snap, “Hey, nii-san!” and this was followed by the front door slamming. I could only assume that Subaru had thrown her out of the house.
“You can stay out there until that guy gets back!” he yelled at her before returning to the kitchen.
“I would have done it,” Alexandria told him.
“Yeah, I know, but... Tch. Maybe I should beat the shit out of her.”
I didn't exactly protest that idea. I was so glad that Kara was with Sage and Richter at their hotel room. Just as Subaru was about to open his mouth to speak again, the back door opened. Karl was home. Once Flora realized this, she let Alexandria go and ran up to him.
“Papa!” she sobbed.
“What is it, my flower?” Karl asked, concerned. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“Nee-chan did it!”
This seemed to hit a nerve with him. He looked at Alexandria. “Where is she?”
“Subaru-kun kicked her out just a moment ago...” she replied.
“I think she's still waitin' on the porch,” Subaru muttered.
Karl sighed and pat Flora on top of her head. He then left the kitchen to go to the front hall. I heard the door open and then shut. Flora then went back to Alexandria, who picked her up and cradled her. It wasn't a moment later that Karl came back in with Emi in tow. He was holding her by the back of her neck and she looked horrified. It wasn't even happening to me and I was scared, myself. Subaru looked at Emi and then at Karl.
“K-Karl, relax a little bit!” Alexandria pleaded, covering Flora's eyes.
“I can tolerate a bit of disrespect from you simply because you're not used to this life yet,” Karl scolded Emi. “But what I will not tolerate from anyone, related or not, is hurting my wife or my child.”
Subaru scoffed, looking away.
“But obviously I am part of the reason you are this way. Maybe if I stayed with your mother, even for a few hundred years, and helped raise you just a little, you would not be so rash. Behave this way any longer and I will banish you – do I make myself clear?”
“Yes... Yes!” Emi snapped.
“Good.” He let her go so she fell to her knees. “Put Flora down, Alex.”
Alexandria hesitantly did so, but Flora decided to hide behind her legs.
“Say it, Emi,” Karl commanded.
It took a moment for Emi to say what he wanted her to say. “Fl-Flora... Flora, I'm sorry I hit you. I promise that it won't happen again, okay? I'm sorry.”
Flora didn't come out from behind Alexandria's legs. All she did was yell, “Go away!”
Karl then hauled Emi back up and threw her out the back door to return to the mansion. Flora ran back up to him and wrapped her arms around his legs.
“Um...Karl?” Alexandria asked.
“Yes, dear?”
“Subaru-kun said that he wants to ask us something.”
Karl sighed. “What is it about?”
“Look, Angel doesn't really like it here, especially now that she's around. Nothin' is really keepin' us here, except for Alex and Flora.”
I looked up at Subaru. Was he really asking what I thought he was asking?
“And...y'know...I know that Alex loves us and whatever, but we got our own kid now, right. So I was thinkin'...”
“Where were you thinking?” Karl asked as Flora went off to go sit in the living room.
“I-I wasn't thinkin' of a different country or continent. Maybe just a different city in Japan, I guess. I know that the others will stay in the city here when they got kids of their own, but Angel and me don't have a reason to stay here, really.”
“How much money do you have saved?”
“Enough.”
“Then you can do what you want. Alex and I will help you with money, clearly. But it's up to you what kind of house you will get and where you will live.”
Karl then left to go join Flora in the living room. Alexandria looked like she was going to start crying.
“Please don't,” Subaru said to her.
“I won't.”
“It's not like we won't come and visit. We'll probably do it a lot. And there's phones, y'know.”
“What do you want us to tell the others?”
“Don't tell them, especially not the girls. They'll find ways to get Angel to stay and this is the last place she needs to be right now.”
Alexandria hugged Subaru tightly. Even though she said she wouldn't cry, she started to do so. Subaru hugged her back just as tight.
“Just promise me that you two will be careful,” Alexandria murmured.
“Yeah, I promise. We'll call ya every day, okay?”
Alexandria pulled away, wiping away her tears. Of all her children, she probably least expected Subaru to be the first one to move far away. It was probably so easy for Subaru to be willing to move far because he and Alexandria didn't have the strongest mother-son bond as she did with the other boys. Subaru still loved her and she loved him, but there really was nothing keeping him to stay close to her. If it was the triplets or any of her adopted sons that wanted to move away, she would have a much more harder time letting them go.
“Angel and me gotta go pick up Kara,” Subaru said quietly. “We're gonna go as soon as possible, so... Be strong for Flora.”
“You, too.” Alexandria gave us a gentle smile. “You be strong for Angel and Kara.”
“Yeah.” Subaru grabbed me around my waist and hugged me to him. “Always until forever.”
gentlesmiledprince ⇢ potofmeltingblood
i think there should be AU’s and then there should be UA’s
because Universe Alterations would be a good name for when your characters are in the exact same universe but you’re altering just a couple of plot points or a few character traits
EVERYONE WE ALL NEED TO MAKE THIS A THING
GOD THIS WOULD MAKE SHIT SO MUCH EASIER
guys. GUYS. THAT SHOULD TOTALLY BE A THING GUYS
So, UA is for things like “Everything is the same except” while AU is for “complete alterations of the way the setting and characters work”? I can dig it.
Little Red - 11 [End]
Recap: Carla, Shin, Hana, and Kit started school.
“You're skipping school again?” Shin asked. “Jeez. You hate it that much? Want me to grab your homework for once?”
“No,” I replied quietly.
There was a short moment of silence before Shin climbed into bed next to me. “If you're not going, then I'm not going. It's boring without you there. Hell, it's still boring when you're there, but it's less boring. You know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean.”
Shin rested his chin on my shoulder with a quiet sigh. “Do you wanna go back to England for a while?”
“What's the point if we're just going to come back to Japan?”
He groaned, and I heard the unlocking sound of his phone. “I'm just gonna tell Nii-san to go straight to school instead of picking us up. Anyway, by that logic, what's the point in us screwing if you can't have kids?”
That struck a nerve. He knew that I couldn't control that fact. I pushed him away from me and hid under the blanket. That was a touchy subject for me and he knew it.
“Crap.” Shin tried to get me to come out from under the blanket, but he couldn't. “Kit, that was too much from my mouth.”
I still didn't come out, though. He wanted kids as much as I did; I knew that. Even if he told me he was satisfied with just me and not ever having kids of his own, I knew it bothered him. And even if I knew he didn't blame me for it, I felt as if he should have. He waited for me for a long time and there was something I just couldn't give him.
“Kit...” Shin leaned against me with a quiet sigh.
“That was mean...” I sniffled.
“Hey. Are you crying? Kit, I'm sorry. I like doing it with you – I'm just frustrated.”
I didn't answer him.
“Okay, look. How about we get a vacation home in England? Wherever you want, and we can go whenever you want, and stay however long you want to stay.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah, really. Maybe a nice house in the countryside. We can start looking tomorrow, if you wa--”
I quickly came out from under the blanket and hugged him tightly. He immediately hugged me back.
“You're really just homesick, aren't you?” he muttered. “I'll fix it for you. But for fucks' sake, would you please change out of your pyjamas?”
“Fine...”
As I got up to go change, I heard Shin's phone go off. He got a message from Carla, who told him that he and Hana weren't going to school, either. It was strange to me, though. Carla wanted Hana to go to school all the time. There had to be a good reason as to why he wasn't going to make her go. But it dawned on me immediately as to why she wasn't going.
“I could use that vacation home right about now...” I swallowed hard and opened a drawer to take out another pair of pyjamas.
“Yeah. Okay. Get changed and we'll look now.”
***
“It's raining again?” Shin snapped. “When is this friggin' weather going to let us walk around outside?”
I giggled. “It's England. It's to be expected.”
Shin growled for a few seconds before calming down. “I'm just glad that you're smiling and laughing. Do you really feel better?”
“Yes, Shin.”
“Good. I guess since it's raining again, we could watch another movie.”
“If we do, can it be Disney this time?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
I sighed and sat on the windowsill, facing Shin. He looked annoyed, but only because we had been “trapped” in the vacation home for almost a week. His patience with the weather was wearing so thin. Time and time again I suggested we just go out with an umbrella, but he wasn't having it. He just wanted to walk around outside without rain. He didn't care if it was cloudy or sunny; he just didn't want any rain whatsoever.
“I think the weather said that the rain will stop at about four-thirty today,” I mumbled, pulling him closer to me.
“It better,” Shin grunted. “I wanna go outside soon.”
“You can go outside. You'll just get wet.”
“How about I make you wet instead?”
I blushed and pushed my face into his chest. We'd done it so many times since getting to England that I was wondering just how long the bed was going to last. I decided to just change the subject.
“I can't really believe that Hana is pregnant...”
Shin sighed and backed away a bit.
“Shin, it's just that she's so fragile, and Carla is... Well, he's Carla.”
“C'mon, Kit; we both know that all he wants is Hana to be happy.”
“Kids need attention.”
“Nii-san won't get in the way of Hana giving their kid attention. I'm sure he'll give it attention, too.”
“Okay. If you're so sure about it, then...”
Shin then thought it was a good time to go watch that movie. However, like it always happened, I fell asleep not even halfway through it. I ended up dreaming of Hana. I saw her with more than one kid, though. There were two girls, clearly the same age, who looked like they might have been fraternal twins, and a little boy, who looked significantly younger than the girls. I'd had these types of...I wouldn't have called them visions...quite a few times before. The first one of Hana's name being what it was had just been a hunch of mine, but the rest had not been hunches. I had to wonder if the dream was a hunch, the aftermath effect of talking about kids, or really was a “vision”.
I ended up waking up to Shin yelling that the rain had stopped and we should go for a walk before it decided to come back. I groggily got my boots and jacket on and went outside with him.
“Smells like rain,” Shin muttered.
“I wonder why,” I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
“Hey!” He blushed and looked away for a moment. “You looked like you were having an intense dream. Everything okay?”
“Uh...” I stopped walking and looked up at him. “Hana...”
“She okay?”
“I think she's going to have female twins, and then a little boy later on.”
Shin had stopped as well, and turned to look at me. “Damn. You think it might be true?”
“If it is, then they might need help. Two kids is a lot, three is insane...”
“I dunno. My cousin's've got three other siblings that're related to them, and then four who were adopted.”
I stared at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I thought you realized that. They were all at school with us, you know.”
“I didn't even notice.”
“Yeah, whatever. Oh, but I think maids raised most of them.”
“Uh...so does that mean...”
“It means I'll be damned if I let maids raise my nieces and nephew. No way in hell.”
***
Like I had dreamed, Hana had twins that were both girls. Shin and I had gone back to Japan after being in England for months so we could help out a little bit. Just so they wouldn't have to buy clothes, I went a little crazy online and bought tons of baby clothes. I'd even gone out and bought high chairs for them, even if they wouldn't be eating for a while. I really was excited for her. I even had a calendar that counted the days down to her delivery date.
When her water broke, I had to send Shin out to go look for Carla and I had to take her to the hospital. It didn't take long for him to get there. Hana demanded that I be there, along with Carla, while she delivered her twins. I hadn't expected that and I didn't know if I was okay with seeing a birth happen. Still, she convinced me and I was with her through the whole thing. She had come up with the names before they were born. Haruka looked like Hana, and Chika mostly looked like Carla.
“So you saw them?” Shin asked when I got home.
“They're so cute,” I replied.
He stared at me for a moment. “You okay?”
“Um... Yeah, I'll be okay, Shin.”
“Kit, it's not your fault.”
I walked over to where he was standing and hugged him tightly. I was so jealous that Hana could have kids and I couldn't. I was jealous whenever I saw a baby on the street with its parents. It just didn't seem fair to me. Of all the things they could have removed, why did it have to be the essentials for having children? I'd tried many times to let it go, but I just couldn't. All I wanted to be was a mother and I couldn't even be one. Shin was able to let it go that he'd never be a father, saying that I was enough for him and that I didn't need to give him anything else but myself, but I still wanted to give him that.
“Listen to me, Kit. You can overcompensate being an aunt, got it? Shower those girls with presents and extra love.” Shin squeezed me tightly and kissed the top of my head.
“What about you?”
“Obviously I'm gonna do it, too. Even if it's just us, let's be happy together forever. Okay?”
***
Four years later
“Kit...?” Hana mumbled one afternoon. “Can I tell you something?”
I was just finished folding the new clothes I had bought for Chika when she came into the bedroom. “Yep.”
“Uh...I'm pregnant again.”
I looked at her and blinked. “You're not very far long yet, are you?”
“No. Carla and I don't even know what it is yet. Do you?”
“Yes, but I won't spoil it for you until you figure it out for yourselves.”
Hana gave me a small smile before frowning. “Are you okay being around Haru-chan and Chika-chan?”
“I'm fine. Just don't have any more children after this one, okay? Two is a lot of work already, and I think three is pushing it.”
She giggled a bit. “I think so, too. I don't think Carla would want anymore kids, anyway.”
I stared at her for a moment.
“We were both originally expecting one, you know? And then we found out that Haru-chan and Chika-chan were both there. So three kids for both of us is enough. I'd like a boy this time, though, and I think he does, too. Kit, I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for you. Okay? And I'm sorry if we're hurting you.”
Haruka ran into the room just then. “Auntie Kit! Auntie Kit! Will you take us out for ice cream later?”
I smiled at her. “You have to ask your mama and papa first.”
She looked back at Hana. “Can she? Please?”
“I don't see why not...” Hana murmured.
Haruka and Chika were spending so much time with Shin and I that they were acting like we were there parents. It felt good, but at the same time I could see it was hurting Hana, even if she didn't show it outright.
“Actually, Haruka-chan,” I said, kneeling down, “Shin and I are heading back for England tonight.”
ROAR - 8
Recap: Kou and Candy had to leave their honeymoon early.
Most of the fans really weren't happy that Kou was married, and they were even angrier that it was an “ugly” girl that he had chosen. Still, despite the comments, Kou didn't let it bother him. He was happy that I could go out in public with him, but he wanted to keep me out of the tabloids because I was uncomfortable being in them. I didn't like it at all. For every compliment Kou gave me, there were hundreds of comments about how ugly I was or how Kou deserved someone prettier. It made me not want to leave the house or do anything really. I was turning into a housewife, much to my disliking and Kou's disliking. Karlheinz had to be called over several times to talk to me. Each time I told him “okay” when he asked if I was done being “foolish”, but clearly he knew I was lying.
“Koneko-chan, let's go on a date tonight, okay?” Kou asked one afternoon after Karlheinz had left. He put his arms over the laundry basket I was using.
“No.” I just kept on folding his shirts and pushed his arms away so I could take the unfolded ones out.
“Eh? But...we can go somewhere private...”
“I don't want to, Kou-kun.”
“You haven't left the house in almost three--”
“I don't want to, Kou-kun!”
Kou jumped at my outburst and backed away from me. “Okay... I'm sorry, Koneko-chan... Maybe it would have been better to keep our relationship a secret. I hate this. I hate how they're treating you! It isn't fair. You deserve to be happy, too! I don't understand why they don't listen to me when I tell them that I love you and I'm happy with you. Do you understand why they're like that?”
“They think they have a chance with you, and the fact you chose an ugly girl doesn't sit well with them.”
“Karlheinz-sama just left, Koneko-chan! Stop saying you're ugly.”
“I don't know if you remember at all, but my own father didn't want me. He wanted nothing to do with me or even Mom after I was born. You know that saying, 'a face only a mother could love'?”
“That doesn't go with this. I love you and I love your face. You've seen Mama, right?”
“I don't get what Alexandria has to do with this situation, but obviously I've seen her plenty of times.”
“Apparently all of his wives have been really pretty. If he loves you, too, then it means something, doesn't it?”
I stared at him, confused. “Huh?”
“Karlheinz-sama has a crush on you, Koneko-chan. I thought it was obvious to you.”
“It doesn't mean anything. Not when he's had so many wives.”
Kou let out a loud sigh. He was getting tired of arguing with me over how I looked. “Okay, fine. If you won't take Karlheinz-sama's crush as a sign that you're okay, then take me being a prince and loving you and marrying you as a sign. Your papa wasn't a nice man; I get that much. It's not your fault that you were born looking the way you do.”
“A crush on me doesn't mean he loves me, Kou-kun.”
Kou didn't say anything else. He just stared at me for a moment before pulling out his cell phone and walking out of the bedroom. Within a few minutes, my own phone was ringing. It was my boss. I really didn't want to have to deal with her, but I answered, anyway.
“What?” I snapped.
“Are you aware that Kou-kun is refusing to do any of his projects?” she screeched.
I stayed silent for a second. “Huh?”
“He's refusing to do the commercials, the television and film cameos, and is even putting his upcoming tour on hiatus.”
“Did he tell you why? This is the first time I'm hearing it...”
“Because it literally just happened. He said he's not doing it because his fans aren't understanding. Of what? I don't know. But he was angry. Do you realize how much money this agency is losing because of what he's doing right now? He'll still get paid, which means that you will still get paid, but the agency itself won't, which means that I won't be paid, either.”
“I don't know what I can tell you.”
“Fix it!” And then she hung up.
I stood there for a few minutes just listening to dial tone until I actually hung up myself. Kou then came back into the bedroom. He didn't look very happy. I felt like it was my fault, but I had no say over if Kou didn't want to do his projects or not. Maybe I had a little, but it was ultimately up to him.
“I'm not making you happy anymore, am I?” he whispered.
He thought that my being down was because of him?
“It has nothing to do with you, Kou-kun. I promise.”
“Then tell me why you're acting the way you're acting! Please? It's my fans, isn't it? I'm really not going to keep doing my projects until they learn to love you, too.”
“That'll just make them angrier, Kou--”
“I don't care! I'm not doing what I'm doing for them! I'm doing it for you, okay?! If the fan letters and support stop, then I'll just do something else. I'm not going to let them continue to make you feel like crap, Koneko-chan!”
“Keep doing your projects, Kou-kun.”
“I don't want to. I hate it when they do the things they do or the things they say. None of them know...” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Koneko-chan, I want to do another press conference.”
“Okay. What are you going to talk about?”
“I'm gonna tell everyone about my childhood and why you and me are married and why I love you and why they should stop being the way they are.”
I dropped my cell phone on the floor, shocked. He was going to...what? He saw the panic in my eyes and rushed over to me to hug me. His hug was so tight. Kou kept mumbling to me that I didn't have to listen to the conference or read the aftermath or the notes he was going to get Alexandria to write for him. When I asked him what he would do if it didn't work, he told me that he would quit for good. His feelings for me were more important than the money and the fans. He thought that they didn't love him, but rather they loved the idea of him, that maybe if they were with him they could feel what I felt.
“I don't care about being rich anymore, Koneko-chan, okay?” he murmured. “I care that you're okay. I want you to be okay.”
***
The backlash from his fans toned down. There were still plenty of fans who weren't happy or accepting that Kou wanted to be with me, but threats and name calling for the most part stopped. Kou hadn't gone into too much detail about our childhoods. He revealed more about his than mine. But even after the massive drama with his fans, he refused to do his tour. He agreed to do the commercials, and the television and film cameos. There was no way he was going to do his tour. My boss was still angry at me. His concert would have made back everything the agency lost. The only way I could get out of working with the agency anymore was if I spoke to Karlheinz, and he'd gone out of his way to intimidate and set new rules for my employment. I didn't want him to have wasted his time. He was already wasting his time on trying to help me get through my head that I was good enough.
Time came around to begin getting ready to go to school. Sukoshi and Amai weren't excited to go, but Gem was completely ecstatic. I was just looking forward to going so I could learn some new things. At the same time, though, I was scared. We were going to be surrounded by his fans, some of which I was sure that were still angry about mine and Kou's marriage. Mom and Mother couldn't come, but since Karlheinz and Alexandria worked at the school, they both thought I would be in good hands. I only had one class with Kou, which was English. I was put in that class with him just so I could help him.
The first day was fine. Kou and his brother's met Karlheinz's birth sons and their girlfriends. I couldn't tell which pair was married, though, considering he had mentioned one of his sons had gotten married before Kou and I did. The more petite girl, Kane, was the one to show me around the school. She was kind to me and actually looked me in the eyes when she spoke to me. We even had a few classes together. Though, I could tell she was only being nice to me because Alexandria told her to be nice.
Kane's friend Dina was off-putting to me, though. She didn't acknowledge that I was around. At least I assumed they were friends. If she did look at me, she didn't look at me right. Alexandria told my sisters and I that if something was bothering us to tell Karlheinz or herself, but I couldn't bring myself to trouble them further. I only slightly mentioned it to Kou during our break.
“Dina-chan... Mm... Which one is she again?” he asked.
“She kept mentioning an 'Aya-chan'. I think she was talking about Ayato-kun. That's her boyfriend. The one who has really weird tailored pants.”
Really, what was even up with that? One full-length pant leg and one that was rolled up? Just roll them both up or both down.
“Oh, okay. I know who you're talking about now. Does she bother you?”
“I just told you she does. It's...probably nothing, though. Forget it, Kou-kun.”
He wrapped his arm tightly around me. PDA was against school rules, but he didn't care. We were in the library and sitting in a far corner where the librarian couldn't even see us.
“How was math?” I mumbled.
“What the hell is a quotient?” he asked.
I totally blanked on that. I knew what a quotient was, but I couldn't find the words on how to tell him what it was.
“Sorry for confusing you, Koneko-chan.” Kou pat the top of my head. “Math was boring, but fine, till I got to quotients. Sewing. How was that?”
“I hurt myself on the needle.” I held my hand up to show him how many Band-Aids the teacher had ended up giving me.
“Ooh... What were you trying to make?”
“Just a small decorative pillow. I got the fabric cut and I sewed the sides together. Now I just have to stuff it and sew it all closed tomorrow.”
“Mm...”
“I'm so far behind on everything already.”
“Eh? But we came to school after it started--”
“No, Karlheinz-sama got everything voided for me...” I scratched the back of my head with a small sigh. “I'm an idiot, Kou-kun. I couldn't even finish...”
“It's okay. You'll catch up. I'm sure Ruki-kun will help if you want it. Or even Mama. Mama's really good with math and science. History, too.”
“Your parents lived history. And so did w--”
Kou then covered my mouth. “Ssh, Koneko-chan!” He looked around, sighing. “Karlheinz-sama doesn't want us to talk about what we are here. But, really, you're going to be okay here. Do you feel okay here?”
“So far...no...”
“Is it fans?”
“No. There were some girls looking at me and passing notes earlier, but nothing's been, um, audible or physical.”
Kou kissed my cheek as the bell rang and stood up. “I'll walk you to your next class, 'kay?”
Even if we weren't allowed, he held my hand as he did what he said he was going to do and even kissed me when he dropped me off at my science class. As I was heading into the classroom myself, a group of girls ran up to him to ask him questions. It was the fifth time already that day that I knew of that it happened.
“Are you okay...? You're staring off into space again...”
I blinked and looked in the direction the voice came from. Amai had snuck up on me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Nee-chan...” I mumbled.
“I don't like it here, either...”
“Does Azusa-san like it?”
“I don't know... He seems okay... How does Kou-kun like it...?”
“English is hard for him. But I think he's better off here than I am.”
“Don't say that...”
“In terms of people who love him, I mean.”
“That's foolish to think, I'll say,” a female voice said from behind us.
We turned around and saw Midori. She was understandably the smartest out of any of us with how she held herself.
“Why?” I asked.
“See, Kou-san is famous. There's this ridiculous fixation on famous people. Often with those kinds of girls, they see something they want and they confuse what they feel for love. So they think they love him. They really don't.”
“I know they don't. Kou-kun knows they don't.”
“From a very young age these girls are told to find a handsome husband, become financially successful or marry someone who makes enough money that they don't need to work themselves, maybe have a baby or two, and live a good life until they die. The time period you all came from was an awkward time.”
“So...er...” I was drawing a blank on what she meant. I spaced out.
Amai tapped me on the shoulder, making me pay attention again.
“They see Kou-san, a cute boy with a good voice and good looks and clearly lots of money. Those girls out there believe that, even though he's married and clearly head over heels in love with his wife, they have a chance with him and can't fathom that it's never going to happen. So, Andy, I think that you thinking he's better off in school surrounded by girls who think they love him than yourself is foolish. Your sisters and your husband love you, and I'm sure Karlheinz and Alexandria love you, too. You're much too hard on yourself.”
私のおもちゃ - 1
This is the fanfiction for Kino. People have been asking for this one for a bit.
“You're growing so nicely, aren't you? Soon you're going to be a beautiful red rose!”
I felt a familiar, yet unfamiliar, presence while I spoke to the growing flowers. Maybe it was another maid who had heard me. It was normal to speak to plants, wasn't it? I'd read that speaking positively to plants would help them grow. Maybe it was a strange thing to do. Ignoring the presence, I continued to walk around the garden to check if any of the other plants needed watering. I thought to myself many times, did flowers in the demon world need to be watered? Were they like normal flowers in the human world? It didn't really matter, though. I was just doing what I was told by my boss.
My boss's son, apparently, had demanded more maids that were young. Most of them, before I and many other girls had shown up, had been ladies in their early to late twenties. So my boss had gotten rid of the “older” maids and gotten us younger ones to fill in their duties. To our parents, we were just in a foreign country going to school. That's what my boss told our parents, anyway, and had them sign fake documents. It wasn't like I minded, though. The demon world seemed a whole lot nicer than the human world. I still hadn't met my boss's son, though... You would think the Vampire King would force his son to meet the new maids he had wanted so much.
“Your soil is still damp from yesterday,” I said to the Goldilocks. “No water for you tod-- Ah!”
“You're talking to a plant?”
Whoever was talking right now – a boy – had pushed me to the ground. I looked up behind me, my heart beating like mad. He looked young, with medium-length black-grey hair, and copper-rose eyes. It quickly dawned on me who this boy was. I quickly looked away. My medium-length dark hair now had flower petals in it.
“Y-Your Highness...”
“You're not gonna answer my question?”
“Oh, right... Your question... Um... What was it again? Oh, right... Why was I talking to a plant... It helps the growth. If you talk lovingly to a plant, it will grow very well. If you don't talk lovingly to a plant, it won't grow very well.”
“Wow. Plants are like humans, then.”
“I guess so...”
“I think you're the last maid I asked for, huh? You walk faster than the other maids. I always ask them where the last maid might be, and they always said 'the garden'. I could never find you – that was a real pain.”
“I'm sorry about that.”
“Whatever. Just stand up, would you? I'm not bending down to help you up.”
I carefully stood up with a sigh to calm myself down.
“How old are you? Sixteen?” The prince walked around me slowly, inspecting me from head to toe. It felt like if he didn't like how I looked he would tell his father to send me back to where I came from.
“Fifteen, Highness.”
“You can call me by my name since I like the way you look and sound. Just don't be casual about it. There was already a maid who chose to be casual about it. Too bad I had to kill her. She had a good pair on her.”
I blushed.
“Yours aren't as good, but it suits your body type. At least you're proportional. I like that. Come on. Say my name.”
“K-Kino-sama...”
“See? That sounds much better than 'your highness' or just 'highness'. You agree with me, don't you?”
I nodded, feeling like I was stepping on eggshells all of a sudden. He was a vampire. I couldn't make him angry, otherwise... He'd killed more than one maid. The one for being so casual about Kino's name, two other ones for not being “satisfactory” just by looking at him, and then another one for not calling him “Your Highness” right away.
“You know, I'm not going to kill you at this point,” he mentioned. “The look on your face is nice. It means you know about the other maids I've already killed. Good. Now tell me your name. I wanna know what it is.”
“Mina... It's...Mina...”
Kino looked a bit disinterested, but then rolled his eyes. “I guess it suits you.” He tugged on my dark short, bobbed hair. “So you're the youngest and smallest. Looking at you, you're a good sight for my eyes. That's a compliment. Say 'thank you'.”
“Thank you... K-Kino-sama...?”
“What?”
“Do you think...I could maybe...finish my work?”
Kino looked around the garden. “No. Not really. The garden is huge and I don't have much patience to wait for you to finish. And I don't want to have to follow you around the garden. It would make me too tired. What you can do, though, is go make me some tea and bring it to my room.”
But that wasn't my job... If I said that out loud, I'd get in trouble, for sure. Instead of saying anything, I nodded.
“I want chamomile.”
“Kino-sama...is there any other tea you would want...if we were out of chamomile?”
“Green tea or Earl Grey, I guess. If it's Earl Grey, I take a teaspoon of honey in it. Mix it well or there will be consequences.”
And then he was gone. I looked around, confused. What had just happened? I didn't understand. He liked me? Because I was aesthetically pleasing to him? I grabbed the watering can and took it back to where it belonged before going back into the castle. I'd never been to the kitchen before, and so I got lost trying to find it. When I found it, though, it was nearly fifteen minutes after Kino had asked for his tea. I went about making him the chamomile he wanted. I didn't want to make him wait for too long, though, but I had to. I stood there impatiently, silently begging for it to hurry up and steep. Did he want the whole pot or did he want just a cup?
In the end, I only took him a cup. I found his room easily since his father had shown it to me on my first day, like he had done with all the other maids. I knocked on the door, waiting for him to say I could go in.
“Just come in,” he said.
When I stepped in, I was hit with a wave of sleepiness. His room smelled and looked so nice. Much better than my room. I walked over to his desk where he was reading a book, looking bored.
“Stay for a minute,” he told me. “Look around if you want. It is a nice room.”
I wandered around his bedroom for a few moments, but not long enough to take in any details other than that he had a large bed. I looked over at him when I heard him pick up his cup. I hoped it was okay...
...and then he abruptly set it back down.
“Come here.”
Oh, no. I'd done something wrong. Had I maybe steeped it for too long? Had he actually wanted some kind of sweetener in it? When I walked back over to him, he had a very bored expression on his face.
“Was it not good?” I mumbled.
“I don't know,” he replied, standing and picking it back up. “What do you think?”
He suddenly poured it over my head. Luckily for me it wasn't hot enough to burn me, but it still hurt. I fought the urge to cry, though. All I could do was say that I was sorry over and over again.
“It was fine,” he told me with a slight chuckle. “I'm just bored.”
I didn't dare make eye contact with him or even look at him. My hair was soaked and my skin felt hotter than it should have been.
“Hey.” He grabbed me by cupping my chin with his hand and pulling me to him. I was forced to look up at him. “You're mine to play around with, you know. That's kind of why I asked my father for new maids. I needed younger maids I could play with. You're a good toy.” Then he pushed me away from him. “Go bathe so I don't have to smell that tea anymore. You can get away with it this time, but next time I play with you I want you to cry.”
“Y-Yes, Kino-sama...”
I knew I wouldn't be anything more than a toy to him, but for him to start so quickly was a slight shock for me. After I returned to my bedroom, I took a bath and cleaned myself up. I wasn't that small, was I? Maybe I was a bit short, but most of the women in my family were short. I looked down the front of my robe. He liked those? Well, at least they were something. I walked out of my bathroom and to my closet to get changed into a nightdress.
“You're totally naked under there, aren't you?”
I shrieked and put a hand on my chest. I looked behind me and saw Kino on my bed and leaning back so his arms were supporting him. “Yes... Yes, I am.”
“Do you think me asking you to change in front of me is too much?” He shrugged. “It doesn't matter. You're gonna do it for me, anyway, aren't you?”
I quickly looked away.
“I'm gonna let you sleep in my room for now on, the least you could do is show me--” he began, but there was suddenly a knock on my door.
I exhaled with relief when he got up to answer it himself. I didn't hear what he was talking about or who he was talking to, but he left without saying anything. Very quickly, I changed into a nightdress and then sat on the edge of my bed. It wasn't long until he came back.
“You got dressed already?” he asked, sounding disappointed. “Damn it.”
“Kino-sama--” I started.
“Whatever. Hurry up and come back to my room. I'm tired.”
“It's still early, though.”
He glared at me.
“I just would hate to see you go to bed so early, and then wake up very early in the morning. I'm not saying it to be disrespectful or--”
“Hey, if I wake up early in the morning, I can just wake you up and I can play with you some more. I found a toy I want, and so I expect for you to listen to me without questioning.” He grabbed me by my hair and pulled it hard enough that I nearly fell to the floor. “Do I make myself clear?”
“V-Very... Very clear, Kino-sama...”
“Oh, relax. I'm not going to have you yet, if you know what I mean. I should play with you for a while before making it completely official. Now let's go.”
He let my hair go and instead grasped my wrist firmly before dragging me out of my room. His grasp was so tight that it was hurting me.
“Kin-Kino-sama--” I began, but he cut me off.
“Are you a good kisser? Are you a good cuddler? Are you a good anything? Wait.” He turned and looked at me. “You wouldn't know if you're a good kisser yet, right?”
“Well...no, but--”
“Okay, good.” Kino continued to drag me down the hallway to his bedroom.
***
I had to sneak back into the castle the next morning. While Kino had still been sleeping, I'd sneaked out in the very early morning to go into town to visit someone. I went to my bedroom to get changed, but when I opened the door, I stopped dead in my tracks. Kino was sitting on the edge of my bed, and he didn't look impressed. In fact he looked angry, annoyed.
“So where did you run off to?” he asked, sounding calmer than he actually looked.
I stepped into my room and shut my door. What if I lied... “I-I was here, in my room, and then I went out to the garden to--”
“Funny. I woke up at, say, one in the morning and you weren't in bed with me. I came here to see if you really were here, then I went to the garden for a while, and now I've been waiting in here for a few hours.”
I didn't want to say anything.
“Well? Explain yourself. I do deserve an explanation for being abandoned by the likes of you.”
“Yes, I'm sorry. I went to the market—”
“I know that the market doesn't open until five in the morning, so where were you for those five hours?” Kino got up from my bed and walked over to me. “Come on. Tell me. Give me the honest ans... What's that smell?”
I backed away a little bit, but he grabbed me by my shoulder and pulled me back toward him. He leaned down and sniffed me, from my neck, to my shoulder, and to my chest.
“Do you work at a brothel in your spare time?” he snorted, letting me go. “You smell so bad.”
“No, no, I promise I don't work at anything like that. The job I have here is the only job I have. I swear, Kino-sama.”
“You went to visit someone before the market, didn't you?”
I nodded.
“So? Who was it? Was it a lady? Are you into that kind of stuff?”
I blushed, shaking my head. “No, no, it wasn't another woman.”
“Good. Because that's revolting. Oh. But then it was a man, wasn't it?”
“Yes...” My voice came out quiet. I was ashamed that I was caught.
“And what did you do with him?”
“All I did with him was sleep and cuddle. That's it. I-I promise I didn't do anything else.”
“Huh.” He suddenly turned me around and held me against his chest, before moving my hair away from my neck. His fangs grazed my skin. “I guess I'll just have to mark my toy, then.”
Blue Bells - 6
Recap: Reiji got upset with Midori for calling him “sama”.
“Here,” Karlheinz said as he placed a key and airline tickets in my hand. “It is booked for two weeks.”
“What's booked for two weeks?” I asked, staring at the key.
“A hotel room, my dear. I realize that you and Reiji never get alone time with each other. That is something newlyweds such as yourself need.”
I blushed. “W-We get alone time...”
“Not the 'alone time' that a married couple should have.”
I shook my head. “As much as I appreciate it, I can't accept it.” Before I could even hold the key out to him, he shook his head. “Really, Karl--”
“Really, Midori, I insist. Take it. I am sure that you will learn to accept it after being there for a while, in peace and quiet, and alone. You didn't get to have a honeymoon, either, after all.”
I blinked up at him and then looked back at the key. There was no winning an argument against him unless the person arguing with him was Alexandria or Flora. In the end, I pocketed the key and looked down at the airline tickets. I just had to find Reiji to tell him we were going to a hotel...in Paris.
“If you find that you prefer to be alone like that, then I will go ahead and extend your stay,” Karl mentioned.
“That's too far... I think two weeks is good. Thank you.”
I wandered off to find Reiji, and found him wandering around the flower garden. Apparently he had no idea where I'd been and decided that I was in the flower garden, too. If he'd taken a simple trip to the kitchen, he would have found me quicker.
“Your father, um...he got us a hotel room for two weeks,” I mentioned. “He insisted because we don't get 'newlywed alone time'. And it's, uh... It's in Paris.”
“You argued with him, didn't you, Midori?” Reiji asked.
“I wouldn't say 'argued'...”
“He gives good, albeit 'random', gifts all the time. Most of them are to Flora and Mother, of course, but still. He bought Dina-san's car for her just a few months ago. Though, I do think the best gift he has given is in allowing you to be around me. It was ultimately up to him, after all.”
“Reiji-san, no, you're the best gift he could have ever given me. This hotel... I think he does want us to be happy, but I also think he wants us to do what a lot of vampires do best...”
“Trust me, Midori, there will be a lot of that. Shall we go pack?”
“I'm not even too sure if it's okay to go... I mean, what if we get lost, or-- We just haven't been anywhere in a very, very long time, and the last time it was when we were kids, and we went to Geneva with Alexandria and your father--”
“Do you still not know how to speak French, Midori?”
“When did I have the time to learn, Reiji-san?”
“Then I suppose it is my turn to teach you something, yes?”
“I haven't heard you speak French in a little over one hundred years; are you sure you still--”
He suddenly started talking in French – I could only recognize it from when I was a child – and grasped my free hand. Immediately after, he kissed the back of my hand.
“That was intimidating...” I mumbled.
“Only because you do not know what I said. Father spent the first many years of his life in Germany; imagine how intimidating German sounded to Mother when she first heard him speak it.”
“German sounds like a brutal language even when you're saying something sweet. Was he born in Germany...?”
“Hence his name, dear.”
I blushed and quickly looked away. That was the first time he'd called me “dear” out loud and not in a poem he wrote for me. It sounded a little strange coming out of his mouth, but he said it so smoothly like it came naturally to him.
“We all speak a different language, or two...or several. Saiai-san helped Shu learn Spanish and Mother taught him Italian. Well...she taught all of us Italian.”
“Why Italian?”
Reiji stared at me for a moment. “Because Mother is half-Italian. Why do you think she only cooks Italian food?”
“Lots of people only eat one certain type of food, Reiji-san.”
“You know what I mean. Let's go pack up now, alright?”
***
I didn't get why Karl had sent us to Paris, of all places. It was a nice place and everything, but so far from home. I didn't feel right being there since I had no idea what anybody was saying. They spoke in English – I only understood some words – sometimes to see if I understood, which I didn't, and once they saw I was confused, they would just turn to Reiji and continue speaking in French. Reiji had learned many languages by himself on his own accord, and me having no time while I was his maid left me with no ability to speak anything else other than a couple of words that would make no sense if I said them in a “sentence”. Maybe I wasn't as “successful” as I thought. Then again, maids weren't supposed to be, just like how they weren't supposed to have married their master.
When we got up to the room, Reiji noticed I was tense.
“Midori, relax,” he murmured.
“Reiji-san, I'm scared,” I blurted out. “I'm scared and confused and--”
“Slow down. What for?”
“I'm in a city that I don't speak the language of – what if something bad happens and I can't get help and-and-and--”
“Midori, just calm down, alright? I am going to help you learn even just a bit of basic French, so there is no need for you to be worried about finding help if you need it.”
“What if you don't like me, Reiji-san?”
“I beg your pardon, but I do believe I married you because I more than like you.”
“No, I mean... You know what I mean...”
“Ah...” Reiji adjusted his glasses and sighed. “Well, if I do not like being inside of you, then we do not have to include that business in our marriage. It really is not a big deal, Midori, if you do not find enjoyment in making love to me.”
“I want to. I really, really want to, but what if I don't feel good to you?”
“We will just have to find out. Listen to me, Midori. If you do not want to make love to me, I do not mind. I really don't. I just want for you to be happy. Understand?”
I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed in myself. He had an answer for everything. When did he become so smart? I'd taught him how to read and write, and whatever he did with that was his own business. I'd taught him the value of knowledge, and he took that and turned it into something wonderful – potions, medicines, and languages. He knew things that I could have never taught him despite it being my job. He was so far ahead of me in knowledge. Was I jealous of him or was I proud of him? Maybe a little bit of both.
“Midori, if I ever hurt you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself,” he told me. “So tell me when things aren't alright to you or for you. Father and Mother told me that communication is key, and that is why they have been together for so long.”
“You mean other than the fact that Alexandria is Karlheinz's childhood love.”
“Midori...”
“I'll tell you. I promise.”
Reiji kissed my cheek. “Now, then, do you want to?”
I nodded slowly and he pulled me into a tight hug. In his hug, I then managed to get a good glimpse of the room. We were standing in the entryway that led into the living room. It was full of antique furniture and paintings. Even the curtains looked antique. I remembered how, outside, I thought that the hotel in its entirety looked like a castle. Perhaps the room, at least the one we were in, was meant to look like how a room in an old-day castle would look. The room didn't have light switches; rather, the lights were oil lamps.
I eventually relaxed and hugged Reiji back, clutching onto the back of his vest. Even if I was scared that he wouldn't like me, I had to get over that and at least try with him. If I didn't try, then I would never know.
“Well,” Reiji sighed, pulling away from me, “it is quite late. You should get some rest, Midori.”
“You should, too...” I mumbled. “Besides, I'm not that tired. I'll freshen up first.”
“Whichever you wish to do.”
I grabbed my bag and went into the bedroom. The bathroom was connected to it, but I stopped and looked at the room first. It was all antique in there, too. There was a small black chest at the end of the bed, and the bed itself was a very dark brown that had four posts to it. The sheets and blankets, however, were a deep, dark red, and I could see from the texture that the sheets were silk. There were old paintings on the wall, and an antique mirror hanging over the bed.
The bathroom had a claw bathtub, and the counter was made of marble. If anything, the bathroom was the brightest place in the hotel room. The floor was white marble and the walls were a bright blue marble.
***
When I came out of the bathroom and the bedroom, I found Reiji sitting on the couch. He was looking over papers. The closer I got I realized that they were school forms. Reiji wrapped his arm around my waist as I sat down next to him. Karlheinz had gone out of his way to hunt down my parents and convince them to sign the papers for me. Reiji was just filling out his forms.
“We're going to start school?” I wondered, leaning over slightly to look.
“Yes. Quite soon, too.” Reiji sighed and set his pen down.
“Are you okay, Reiji-san? I don't think there's anything to worry about.”
“Human men are disgusting, aren't they?”
“I doubt those boys would try anything. I can't exactly think of anything that would make me want a human boy, either. Should I worry about you and human girls?”
“No, Midori.”
“Then don't worry about me and human boys. Please?”
“Alright, then.” He kissed my cheek before returning to the papers. “You should really get some rest now. I'll be there in about an hour.”
Until Forever - 16
Recap: Subaru and Angel discovered that they’re expecting a girl
“S-Subaru-kun...?” I mumbled. “Subaru-kun... Subaru-kun...!”
It was three in the morning, and I'd woken up to a horrible pain in my abdomen area. I could hardly contain myself from screaming when I noticed there was blood, too. It took me a few tries to get Subaru to wake up, but in the end he woke up.
“What?” he snapped, but, when he looked at me and saw that something was wrong, he got up and grabbed his cell phone.
He'd called Alexandria, but he was all over the place with his words. So much so that I could hear Alexandria was getting confused. But when Subaru mentioned blood, I could then hear Alexandria call for Karl. There was a stronger pain that radiated through my whole body, causing me to shriek. Subaru hung his phone up quickly. It was still a couple of months until Kara was supposed to come, but strangely enough...
“Hey, that guy and Alex are comin' over, okay?” he said quietly. “They aren't too-- Fuck! Towels!”
This was going to be a nightmare for everyone – Alexandria because of her fear of blood; Karl because delivering babies stressed him out; Subaru and myself because of...obvious reasons. Even if Kara was sickly or if what was happening was what had happened to Alexandria, I didn't want to stress out so much. Stress would just stress everyone else out. The manager of the building had called Subaru's cell phone because of quick complaints of my screaming and Subaru shouted at her that he had no idea what was going on with my pregnancy.
When Alexandria and Karl arrived, I was still in the bedroom and I was almost passing out from the pain I was feeling. I could barely keep my eyes open, and it looked like Alexandria was going to pass out, too. Subaru was running around the apartment, searching for any and all the towels we owned and trying to keep Patra locked in the bathroom after having taken all the towels out of it. By the end there was a large pile of towels on the couch. The calmest one seemed to be Karl despite the stressed out expression he had on his face.
“Alexandria, darling, just sit down and calm yourself,” he murmured. “Now, Angel, I need you to stay awake as hard as you can. Alright?”
I nodded.
“Deep breaths, okay? Subaru, stop pacing. I know how stressful this must be.”
“No, you don't!” Subaru snapped, before shutting his mouth and looking away. “Fuck.”
“They're both in distress. Could you go and make your mother some tea before she passes out? Alexandria, go stand with him. You do not need this right now.”
“U-Um...” I mumbled. “Wh-What did you...do with Flora...?”
“Do not worry about the little flower, alright? Ruki and Gem decided to pay a visit just a bit before Subaru called. They are taking care of her. Worry about this for now. Angel!”
That had been the first time Karl had raised his voice around me in such a long time. I'd just been on the verge of passing out when he'd shouted my name. It startled me enough to keep me awake, but the pain was becoming so unbearable.
“I apologize.” Karl sighed and then shook his head. “I'm proud of you for being so calm. It is extremely difficult.”
Subaru came over to hold my hand, but even that hurt slightly. But then an even greater pain shot through my whole body, and I passed out. Even though I wanted to stay conscious, I couldn't stay awake. There was too much pain for me to handle. As I fell into unconsciousness, I heard Subaru shout at me to stay awake, along with Karl scolding him that shouting at me, as was discovered, would not help at all. Any of the pain that continued and remained didn't wake me up. Maybe it was just my body's way of telling me that enough was enough, and I just had to give up the fight against the pain and what was happening. I was out for hours, because when I woke up, it was light out, and the clock said it was late afternoon. One of them had changed me out of my bloody clothes and dressed me in one of my pre-pregnancy nightdresses.
The only problem I had was that I woke up in a different bedroom. It took me a moment to realize that it was one of the guest bedrooms at Karl and Alexandria's house. I could hear Flora talking in her bedroom, which was a few doors down, and asking why she wasn't allowed to go downstairs. I couldn't make the voice out right away for the person who was talking to her, but I eventually realized it was Azusa's voice. I slowly got up, left the bedroom, and went downstairs. So far I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. In the living room was Alexandria, Subaru, Reiji, and Raito.
“Are you alright?” Alexandria asked, quickly walking over to me.
“I think so...” I replied quietly. “Uh... What happened after I--”
“Everything is okay. Trust me. Karl did everything he needed to do.”
“But...Kara...is she--”
“She's alive, Angel. She's going to be okay. Karl is taking care of her for now. Subaru-kun is still in shock. He hasn't said a word since Kara was born. I think he was worried more about you than anything else.”
The doorbell suddenly rung and she went off to answer the door. I wandered over to Subaru, tugging on his sleeve. Without a word, he just hugged me tightly. I wouldn't have died, and he knew that, but seeing me unable to keep myself awake and be in control of my own consciousness probably scared him way more than anything else. Maybe he thought my brain would put my body into a comatose state.
“Subaru-kun, I-I'm okay, really,” I assured him, hugging him back.
“How're you feeling?” he asked.
“I'm not in pain anymore, so okay...I guess... Are you okay? You saw her, right?”
He pulled back and sighed. “Obviously. She's so fucking tiny. She's cute, but... I dunno. She was two months early. That guy is gonna make sure she becomes healthy and whatever, but we can't take her home for another couple of weeks.”
“I was scared I was losing her.”
“You mean like Alex with her first kid.” That wasn't a question; it was a statement. “I was scared about that, too. But, hey, she's gonna be fine.”
Raito suddenly pushed Subaru out of the way and hugged me, too. “Angel, Kara-chan is so cute!”
“Raito-kun--” I started, but Reiji cut me off.
“That's enough, Raito,” he said. “I think the last thing Angel wants is to be bombarded--”
“The more hugs, the better, as Flora says.” I hugged Raito back quickly before pushing away.
Subaru looked toward the entryway for the living room. I followed his gaze. Karl was just walking down the stairs. It looked like he was about to turn into the living room when I heard Alexandria call out for him to come to the door.
“C'mon,” Subaru muttered, grabbing my hand and taking me to the entryway. He wanted to eavesdrop.
There was an unfamiliar female's voice. She was talking about how her mother had been hunted by vampire hunters, and how she had been given a letter to give to Karl. It was clear that she was a vampire herself. I knew where the conversation was going, and it seemed like Subaru did, too. We exchanged glances.
“Eavesdropping?”
I jumped, realizing Karl had decided to come to the living room after all.
“I guess it doesn't matter, does it?” he asked.
A girl with peach-coloured hair stood behind him, next to Alexandria. It was evident that she was related somehow to Karl because she had his nose. Karl sighed and motioned for the girl to come into the living room.
“This is Emi,” he stated, and this caught the attention of Reiji and Raito. “Clearly, an explanation is needed. However, I would much rather have everyone here so I do not have to introduce her more than once. Emi, have a seat while I call everyone else. Before I do, Angel, come with me.”
I followed Karl back upstairs and to his and Alexandria's bedroom. Kara was sleeping in Flora's old bassinet. She really was small – smaller than I had been when I was born – but only because she had been born so prematurely. She had very short, thin, very light blonde hair, and Subaru's nose. Her hands were balled into fists and her eyebrows were scrunched, just like how Subaru had used to sleep.
“She certainly takes after Subaru,” Karl mentioned as he took his phone out and dialled a phone number. “She should be alright to take home in about two weeks or so.”
“Really?” My question came out like I was shocked.
“All she needs is blood from a mature vampire, dear. I mean 'mature' in a way that--”
“Your blood or Alexandria's blood...”
“Precisely. Now watch her while I make this call.” ***
Pretty soon everyone was in the living room – from Subaru's brother's to their girlfriends to Ruki and his brother's and all their girlfriends. Flora sat on Ruki's lap, confused. The situation completely went against the restraining order that Kou and Candy had against Dina, which is why Dina and Ayato were huddled away in one corner, and why Kou and Candy were huddled away in another. They were at least more than ten feet away from each other. Alexandria was upstairs taking care of Kara, having already been filled in on who Emi was and why she had shown up to their house.
“Emi is here because I had an affair with her mother long ago,” Karl said. “She is the result of that.”
“Was that before Mama?” Kou asked.
Karl scrunched his eyebrows as if the answer was obvious. “Yes, Kou. Now, then, I had no idea that Emi even existed before today. I remember her mother very vaguely--”
“Onee-chan?” Flora asked.
From some conversations with Flora, I'd gathered that she had always wanted an older sister. The other girls and myself could only do so much for her, but it didn't really cut it for her. It took the older sister/little sister experience away from her.
“Onee-chan!” she exclaimed, getting down from Ruki's lap and running over to Emi.
Emi visibly tensed up. Oh, no. She didn't like children. That much was immediately evident.
“Um...” she mumbled, leaning away from Flora.
Subaru scooped her up and held her tightly. “Hey. That guy's trying to talk.”
“Her mother is dead, and she knew she was going to die and so she sent Emi here,” Karl continued. “For now, she will be living here.”
“Dead?” Flora shouted.
“Sorry, darling. Everyone here is alright. Well, then. Telling you all to get along would be a clear waste of time, but at least try not to hurt each other that would end up with someone being buried.”
Karl waved all of us off and disappeared to go back upstairs. Subaru let Flora back down and she went over to Kou and Candy.
“Imōto-chan, I have a concert tonight; do you want to come?” Kou asked her, picking her up.
“Kou-nii's concert?” Flora asked excitedly. “Yes!”
Everyone then dispersed, either going back home, in the backyard, or the kitchen. Subaru and I were the only ones left in the living room, and we sat down on the couch opposite of Emi. We didn't speak at all in front of her; just cuddled. I was glad that Kara was going to be okay.
“You guys just had a kid together, right?” Emi suddenly asked.
Subaru looked at her and then away. “Yeah.”
“Like...willingly?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“'Cause Angel wanted to be a mother, got it?”
Emi looked at me. “You're a vampire and your name is 'Angel'?”
“It's a cruel irony...” I mumbled.
“Don't say that,” Subaru told me. He then looked at Emi. “You don't ever fuckin' mention that again. She doesn't like the situation, so just shut up. C'mon, Angel, let's go see Kara.”
