[center][url=http://youtu.be/VkgjAzz8OYE]Some Fitting Music[/url][/center] [color=1a7b30] "...what do you want?"[/color] Lucille's voice was colder than the rain that was currently pelting her parasol and she didn't bother to adjust it to accompany Ikkime's form. In fact, if the fox Youkai saw her face even now, she would bear to witness dangerous red slits in her eyes. With the rain pouring down and the memories of the past filtering in her mind, Hernia allowed her true self to slip out for a little while. One could say that she was perhaps depressed? It was hard to say as the girl only continued to stare into the night. [color=1a7b30] "What do you want and why are you thanking me?"[/color] Ikkime didn't open her eyes; instead she stayed silent for a second, before shrugging [color=a187be]"What do I want? Eh, I want a lot of things, but for right now, I want to stand here with you and nothing else if that's alright. I mean I’m not gonna move even if you tell me to."[/color] She didn't let go of her embrace either. [color=a187be]"I'm thanking you for helping me. I'm thanking you for dealing with this extremely well, and well...I'm thanking you for letting me do this. You sure do like to question things don’t you?"[/color] She actually enjoyed the banter she had with Lucille all the time because it was...stress relieving, funny enough. Lucille's answer to that was yet even more silence and it felt like even the rain began to pelt harder. Her eyes shifted to stare upwards, up at the taller girl currently clinging on to her. Yes, wasn't it just like this long ago? Something like this? Or was that just another fabrication? A fallacy conjured up by her mind? It was hard to tell. There were too many falsehoods for her to keep track of. [color=1a7b30] "And you don't make any sense,"[/color] Lucille fired back, voice still dripping with ice and steel. [color=1a7b30]"What did I help you with? What am I dealing with well?"[/color] [color=a187be]"You'll have to get use to that."[/color] She smiled at the girl, firing back at her. [color=a187be]"You want my honest answer for that? You helped me find a little of my humanity and you helped me find hope in what I thought I would be completely lost in."[/color] [color=a187be]"You're dealing with the fucked world that the Chasers exist in; that's what you're taking well. You've probably been thrown around, seen destruction at an unreal level, survived stuff others surely wouldn't. Had things been different, had you come before, you would be an amazing Chaser."[/color] [color=1a7b30] "So you say,"[/color] Lucille said with indifference. [color=1a7b30]"You're certainly giving alot of praise to someone you just met a few hours ago. Tell me Ikkime-san, what would say then if I told you that I was a Youkai? That I've been one all this time? I'm curious to hear your words now."[/color] [color=a187be]"I do say so, in fact I give praise where praise is do, regardless of when I met someone. You've done well and that doesn't change whether I know you an hour or a hundred years. As for if you told me that? Hmmmm..."[/color] She opened her eyes and her eyes glowed purple. [color=a187be]"I'd say, if you are a Youkai, that doesn't change my opinion. I can’t judge you or look down on the lie cause all I’ve seen is you survive. If you were a Youkai or a human or a hybrid, I can’t change what I’ve seen from you."[/color] She closed her eyes again and giggled at a thought. [color=a187be]"You know, you're a odd person, and I can’t seem to stop liking it."[/color] [color=1a7b30]"...do you know the story about the Boy and the Creature?"[/color] Lucille asked suddenly, shifting a little in Ikkime's grip. [color=1a7b30]"No, I'm sure you haven't. Even though it's supposed to be legend among Youkai, people rarely speak of it for fear of some divine wrath or something."[/color] The girl took a pause before continuing with, [color=1a7b30]"There was once a god, or a devil, or a trickster...whatever you want to call it, that suddenly dropped into the world from beyond. No one knew where this being came from but some believed it was a herald from the heavens, a star from the cosmos. This being...this creature was extremely powerful. Probably the strongest of all Youkai. Everywhere it went, nothing was left but a trail of destruction and bloodshed. No one and nothing could challenge the beast. And so it became known as the World's Strongest Creature."[/color] Lucille paused again, making sure her words sunk into Ikkime's head. Honestly, she didn't even know herself why she was recounting the ancient tale. Maybe it was just to pass some time in the rain. [color=a187be]"Go on..."[/color] She didn't know the story in truth, her brother most likely but not her since she gave no char to Youkai tales. It wasn't something she exactly wanted to know anyways. [color=1a7b30]"The World's Strongest Creature ended up ravaging most of the land until it quickly got bored. What was the use of fighting if there was no one left to challenge it? And so the Creature went into hiding, filling out the rest of its eternal existence in peace. Or so, it wanted. Those who sought to kill the creature tried and failed to do so. Human and Youkai alike suffered in their foolish attempts to slay the beast. It was a time in which the world was still young."[/color] The girl glanced up to take in the raining scenery just briefly before continuing with, [color=1a7b30]"One day however, the Creature was stumbled upon by a small human child. A boy who had instantly saw something more than killing intent in the Creature. Confused of this boy's existence, the Creature became curious and allowed the boy to live. Something akin to a friendship blossomed between the two. Some even say the Creature fell in love as the boy grew to become a man, abandoned by his own kind. Do you know what happened next?"[/color] [color=a187be]"I'd go on a limb and say the two had a "falling out". A story such as this would not have all the greatest of endings, but continue."[/color] [color=1a7b30]"Yes, you could say that,"[/color] Lucille said with a bitter chuckle. [color=1a7b30]"As the boy grew older, he became tainted by the opinions of his fellow man. Soon, he too realized just what sort of monster a Youkai was, let alone the strongest one in existence. And so the boy turned man did what any human would do. He cruelly betrayed his beloved and lashed out at it. And the World's Strongest Creature...well, it ate him."[/color] Her words were enough to bring a chilly air between the two and lightning seemed to flash along the sky followed by thunder. Perhaps cliché with all things considered, but Lucille rather fancied the change in pace. With a small grin to herself, she twirled her parasol casually. [color=1a7b30]"Of course, the Creature went away after that, never making itself known. I guess its view on humanity was perverted forever all because of one stupid boy. In any case, there's been no verification of this all powerful Youkai and it's likely the Youkai of the present can outclass anything seen in the past."[/color] Ikkime thought for a moment. [color=a187be]"While it's quite a story, and I'm sure at one point it was based off a true story, it is a shame that it simply writes humans in that picture you know? I have met countless horrible humans but I have also met countless horrible Youkai, for instance…"[/color] She held out her hand and showed a circle burn. [color=a187be]"This is from a man who held me down and put a cigar directly on my hand."[/color] She showed her other hand and revealed an X marking scar on her palm. [color=a187be]"This is from a Youkai. I attempted to help him, and he lashed out at me, said that he would rather die then get helped from a bastard Youkai like me."[/color] She sighed. [color=a187be]"What I'm trying to say is, a story like that only likes to show the bad side of humans, and somewhat the bad side of Youkai. I'd like to think that, maybe just maybe, that Old Youkai did find love, and that that Old Youkai found happiness. That's why they "disappeared". It does take many heart breaks and tries to find one you can love with all of you after all."[/color] [color=1a7b30]"You saw right through that one didn't you? That figures,"[/color] Lucille chuckled. [color=1a7b30]"I like to think that the Creature grew apathetic to it all. That would certainly be the easiest and most convenient of methods. Maybe, if it’s still alive, it just doesn't care."[/color] The rain began to slow a little bit now though Lucille still had her parasol out and clenched. Drops were getting onto the side of her outfit but it didn't seem to bother her like it would to most. [color=1a7b30]"I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I lied to you Ikkime-san. I was a Youkai all along. Even in the hospital, I lied about harboring more personas inside of me. A force of habit."[.color] Ikkime held her tighter. [color=a187be]"You want me to be honest Lucille? I figured when you survived the attack like you did, that something was off, but you wanna know something? A little secret I’ll let you in on? I don’t care nor can I care because that was in the past. If you were to judge me from my past, trust me, you would not let me hug you. If you lied, you lied. A lot of people lie on a daily basis; like I said Lucille at the beginning, I want to just stand here, that's all I want..."[/color] [color=1a7b30]"If you honestly believe that, then you're a stupid child,"[/color] Lucille responded, shaking her head to her words. [color=1a7b30]"But...it is refreshing to hear you say something like that. And here I thought all fox Youkai were nothing but liars of their own. To have such genuine feeling...are you sure you're not a defective?"[/color] The memories were circling by again and Lucille blinked them away slowly. If Ikkime knew the full story, if she knew everything, then the fox Youkai wouldn't be so carefree about the current scenario. But Lucille didn't move to turn things in that direction. After all, there were still goals to achieve simply for the sake of living through them. There were still lives to lead and events to watch unfold. Before long though, the girl with the parasol found herself leaning back into Ikkime's grip. Yes, it was just like this... [color=a187be]"If that's all you're gonna call me then so be it. Trust me, stupid is something I’ve become accustomed to in this day and age."[/color] She giggled at the girl’s joke. [color=a187be]"Well I’m not quite the typically fox Youkai. Trust me, there’s many levels to what I even am, that I'm not even completely sure after all these years.”[/color] Feeling the girl lean into her, Ikkime felt something...and well, she decided with all the things happening these past two days, and everything happening in life all at once. This was something she was going to remember, and now more then ever it appeared clear to her what she wanted at the point in time. Releasing the girl, she turned the girl around all at once and she opened her eyes. [color=a187be]"Lucille, the fact that you even are able to bring these type of feelings out of my head…you're not gonna get away with that, you know that right?"[/color] She waited for the girl to respond before going through with what she was going to do. [color=1a7b30]"Oh?"[/color] Everything in her instinct told Hernia to kill her. To do away with another pointless life, or to at least choose this moment to reveal the farce. To let this child fall into despair and end the pain through her hand alone. But rationally, she held off on the urge to kill and consume. For one thing, she wanted her betrayal to be known to all of the Chasers in one single motion. And another was...that same annoying scratch that itched and tickled at her better conscience, that brought more and more of these feckless memories flooding to her head. Disgusting. It was all utterly disgusting. "And what do you intend to do about it, Ikkime-san?" Lucille answered with a glint in her scarlet eyes. [color=a187be]"This Lucille-"[/color] Her eyes sparked purple, before lifting her hands up to the sides of Lucille's face. Lowering herself, she quickly closed her eyes and lowered her face towards Lucille, their lips making contact for what seemed like an eternity, which it might have been to Ikkime, before she lifted her face back. However she lowered her face quickly again and broke away again smiling.[color=a187be]"Yeah that, that for sure..."[/color] Lucille's own reaction to the kiss was one she had practiced time and again with other foolish "lovers". The girl's eyes narrowed as she gently leaned in closer to the kiss, keeping her fangs retracted and away. She held on until Ikkime was the first to break away, all smiles about it. Well, even lies had to feel nice. [color=1a7b30]"Hmm, that's not bad for a fox,"[/color] Lucille said with a low voice, the parasol momentarily forgotten as rain slicked both of their heads directly now. [color=a187be]"Oh it wasn't eh? Good..."[/color] She took away the parasol and put it gently on the ground, before leaning down to kiss her again, the rain hitting them and falling between them. Ikkime lowered her hand to Lucille's back and pulled her closer. Pulling away, she actually did that half because it suddenly felt really cold, and because well the obvious reasons. [color=a187be]"You gonna talk the talk?"[/color] With every word that seeped out of Ikkime's mouth, the stronger the desire to see her bleeding and dead grew. Lucille gripped tightly with barely present claws, digging a little too harshly as she held on for the second course. She restrained herself only by assuring that greater suffering would yield itself if she waited further. And then there was Mizura. How had she gone from being contracted to him to making out with his kid sister? Truly, the divine were laughing at her irony even now. [color=1a7b30]"Perhaps. That all depends on how much those pretty words of yours really mean,"[/color] Lucille flashed back. Ikkime looked at the girl, inspecting her face. [color=a187be]"I truly do mean it Lucille. I said I’d make sure you'd make it out of all of this, and now I want you to make out and be around after everything, I figure I’ve seen enough of this city; I can always get to see your side of the world,"[/color] she joked and kissed her quickly, lifting her head again. That was becoming more and more normal as she did it, and she couldn't figure out if that was a good or a bad thing. [color=1a7b30]"Yes, you said that already. It's starting to get preachy at this point,"[/color] Lucille said in a bored manner before embracing the kiss again. Likewise, the more she did it, the less her urge to kill Ikkime outright rose while the need to see her suffer only increased. And that would only happen if she played along. But was she lying once more? She didn't even know herself nor did she care to. The past was buried and gone, along with her. Old, powerful, impossible her. [color=1a7b30]"You realize that everyone can see us out here, right? And that we're getting soaked to the bone? Why don't we move inside to warm ourselves up?"[/color] Lucille said with a low chuckle, moving ever closer to the fox Youkai. [color=1a7b30]"Hmm, if this is going to be a thing now, I'll need to teach you some new tricks. A leash will look just nice on you~"[/color] Ikkime laughed. [color=a187be]"A little public show never hurt anyone, but you're right about getting in for some warmth, and I guess a new change of clothes wouldn't be all bad either."[/color] At the mention of leashes, Ikkime grinned. [color=a187be]"Oh trust me, hand cuffs on you would be much more fun."[/color] She kissed her again before letting go and moving to the door and stopping. [color=1a7b30]"Just don't mention me being a Youkai. Otherwise, I'll have to eviscerate you~,"[/color] Lucille warned sweetly, stopping when Ikkime did. [color=a187be]"You know Lucille, I love you..."[/color] She turned and kissed the girl once more, before going back into the shop. [color=1a7b30][i]"I'm sure you do,"[/i][/color] Hernia thought to herself, pausing just once before following the girl inside. Well, things were certainly developing now weren't they? Time to see how Mizura would handle this.