Nuriko was on his way to Suzaku’s Hall. He left Taka in his room to rest even thought Taka had insisted on accompanying him to Suzaku’s Hall. Nuriko thought that Taka should rest since the past few days hasn’t been easy on him. "But I’m fine…" Taka had said.
"Taka listen, The travel from your old village to the palace must have taken a lot out of you not to mention I know how you get when you don’t see Miaka for an amount of time," Nuriko snickered. "I simply don’t want you to be eating plates again…like the time when Miaka had left for three months. Boy you were a basket case!"
Taka tried to argue but Nuriko won the argument by knocking Taka unconscious so that the guy could get some rest. "Serves him right!" Nuriko said with a smile. "Taka should know better than to argue with Suzaku Shichi-sei Nuriko!" He said out loud as he did one of those ‘super hero’ poses.
"Ehh?? Nuriko I thought you stopped being gay? Are you trying to practice a pose for Hotohori?!" Tasuki said as he snuck up behind Nuriko.
"Baka!! You scared the crap out of me!!" Nuriko screamed at Tasuki as she gave him a good uppercut across his face. Tasuki fell on his ass a few hundred feet from where he was standing before Nuriko had socked him.
"What the fuck was that for??" Tasuki asked rubbing his ass as he walked up to where Nuriko was.
"Gomen ne Tasuki, it was just a reflex." Nuriko said with a grin.
"Reflex my ass!!" Tasuki complained. "Ne, where’s Tamahome at? I thought you were gonna go and talk to him?"
"I did."
"Yea? So where is he? I thought he would accompany you to get your Suzaku powers fully restored. I mean even Chichiri’s already there waiting for you with Hotohori and Houki-san."
"Oh he offered, but I… persuaded him to rest…" Nuriko said with an mischievous grin.
"Ehe, you probably beat him unconscious so he would rest." Tasuki said Jokingly.
"I did." Nuriko said dead pan.
"Ya know Nuriko, sometimes you scare the shit out of me!" Tasuki said with a laugh. Nuriko simply grinned.
"Ne Tasuki, do you still hate women?" Nuriko asked, there was a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Tasuki blushed and stammered. "Uhm, I’m not that kind of guy…"
"I wasn’t implying you were baka!" Nuriko said with a chuckle. "I was just wondering whether or not you had a girlfriend yet… I mean it’s been long due you know."
Tasuki laughed despite the fact that he was still blushing. "Oh well.. that.. uhm… I don’t have one…."
"Well are you interested in someone?" Nuriko pressed.
"Uhm.. well actually, I was… but…" Tasuki stammered. "Oh fuck it! Forget I even mentioned it, I mean she doesn’t even live around here and…" Tasuki trailed off.
"No, tell me! I like gossip." Nuriko said with a smile.
"Heh heh! Of course you do! You know you just want me to say I’m interested in you! Ha ha!! No one can resist the wonderful, kawaii not to mention totally kakkoi Genrou who is also the powerful Suzaku Shichi-sei Tasuki!!" Tasuki boasted. Nuriko eyed his friend suspiciously. He obviously changed the subject to avoid what Nuriko was asking him. Wonder who the girl is… Nuriko thought to himself.
"See I knew I was right! That’s why you aren’t saying anything!" Tasuki broke in. Nuriko laughed and lightly smacked the back of Tasuki’s head causing Tasuki to almost fall flat on his face.
"Tasuki, the only man that could steal my heart is Hotohori, and since he’s married now, well then I think I’ll stop being all gay as you so callously put it. But if you’re offering…" Nuriko winked at Tasuki who finally got his balance back after being smacked by Nuriko.
"EEE… don’t go that far Nuriko, I’m not a gay boy!"
Nuriko chuckled and continued to joke around. "Sure that’s what you say now…"
"Yea, maybe if you were prettier, but you’re not THAT pretty!! Gay boy!" Tasuki teased and started to run as Nuriko chased after him waving his fist ferociously.
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"Aku-sama! Sorry I’m late. I ran into some… traffic" Arisu said with a wicked grin.
"Iie, Daijobu. Did you run into any problems?"
"No, no problems at all." She assured him.
He nodded and beckoned for her to sit down and wait as he disappeared into a room, that was most likely his bedroom. Arisu did as he wished and admired his home as she waited for him to reappear.
The condominium was rather spacious and well furnished. The upholstery looked like it belonged in a museum and he had tons of gothic looking statues and relics around which gave the place a dark and eerie kind of atmosphere. Arisu couldn’t help but smile as she though how this was just her kind of place.
He came back out to the living room holding a small sized black jewelry box. He sat opposite from her and just sat quietly for a minute or so before he finally spoke.
"Are you familiar with the calling of the Four Gods ritual?" He asked and Arisu nodded.
"When Seiryuu no Miko and Suzaku no Miko lost one of their shichi-seishies, they could only call the animal God if they had two very important articles, the Shinzaho of Genbu and Byakko along with their own. You do know about the Shinzaho’s right?"
"Yes I’m familiar with the story of how Seiryuu no Miko summoned Seiryuu by using the Shinzaho of Genbu and Byakko, but to my knowledge the Genbu one was buried after the calling Seiryuu, and The remaining Shichi-sei of Byakko took theirs back…"
He nodded again. "I’m talking about the Shinzaho of each quadrant because these items, can summon each of the Animal God. But with this world it has a different effect. It generates so much power that it can grant 3 wishes to who has the items weather or not they are a chosen Miko."
"…But, like the story goes, Genbu and Byakko’s Shinzaho…" Aku cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
"Byakko’s shichi-seishi are too old to even fight now. Their Shinzaho will be easily taken. And as for Genbu’s…." He slowly wound up the jewelry box and set it down, the box opened slowly and a lovely tune played. Inside was a beautiful necklace.
"Genbu no Shinzaho!" Arisu gasped. "But how?"
"I simply went to the place where Seiryuu was called out, dug around a little and found it. Nothing to it really."
"I kinda figured you did that, but what I meant was how did you break the seal the two Miko’s put on the book? I mean it was sealed away and all."
"Remember when the sky lit up that night?"
Arisu nodded. "Yea that was the sign for us to start with the plan."
"It’s more than that, it opened a sort of portal between the two worlds and with that we don’t even need the Shijin ten shi-shou to go to the other world." Aku grinned. "Which means we can go in and out of this word and the Four Gods’ world…."
"And take Byakko’s Shinzaho!" Arisu finished Aku’s sentence. Aku grinned at her.
"So, when are you sending me to get the other Shinzaho?" She asked excitedly.
"I’m not going to."
"What the..? He stood up and walked towards his window. "You have something else more important to see to…" He said cutting her off. "And I believe, that something is coming this way." He looked out his window and smiled menacingly. Arisu stood up to and followed his gaze and nodded.
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It was already pretty late. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been walking but he knew it must’ve been at least a few hours since he left Taka’s apartment. "I just can’t understand her!" He said out loud as a woman passed by. Her pace quickened and she looked at him as if he was some kind of lunatic. He jammed his fists into his pockets and cursed silently.
Millions of thoughts fluttered in and out of Tetsuya’s head. He couldn’t understand why Yui defended Nakago. He didn’t understand why her face flushed the way it did when he touched her. He couldn’t understand why all of a sudden Nakago seemed more important to her than him. He’s an arrogant, self absorbed asshole!! What the hell is wrong with Yui’s head! She acts like she’s in love with him! He ran both hands through his hair almost pulling it out of his roots as he reached the tips. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something so all his stress would melt away. But most of all, he wanted his Yui back….
"Itaaii!!" A woman’s voice cried out. As he collided with someone. He actually didn’t even feel bumping into someone so the woman’s voice startled him a bit.
Tetsuya looked up to see a very beautiful and exotic looking woman before him. "Gomen nasai!" He mumbled as he wiped a tear that just fell from his eyes. Thank God I have my sunglasses on, thought.
"Daijobu ne!" She smiled showing off her perfect teeth that seemed to sparkle in the light of the moon. "Say isn’t it a bit to dark to be wearing sunglasses?"
Despite of his sorrows Tetsuya laughed. "Yea I guess so, but I wear ‘em anyway."
"Interesting. I like interesting men that wear sunglasses at night especially if it’s to hide their depression or sorrows…" She smiled at him again revealing a small dimple on the left corner of her mouth.
"I’m not depressed." He said quietly as he faked a smile.
"Oh yes you are! I know how depressed people look like. They walk around at night all slouched up looking like they have a hunch worst than the hunch back of Notre Dame and they sulk around…. Although they don’t wear sunglasses at night. Nice touch by the way." She winked. "What’ya say we go out for a cup of coffee? I mean I know it’s late and all but you look like you could use one."
"Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" He asked with a wry grin.
"Yea, she did many times actually…" She smiled wickedly. "Not that I ever listened to her. And besides I’m probably stranger than you are. So what do you say?"
"Why the hell not?" He said with a smile. He needed something to get his mind off Yui and he thought this woman might help a bit.
"Kajiwara Tetsuya desu!" he bowed. "And you are..?"
"Shidou Arisu desu! Yoroushiku onegaishimasu!" she bowed back.
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