Hi, kids!
First a few things, work is going smoothly on chapter five, but we have something new to show you while that work continues. It's the first of our Veiled Moon what-if's. Hopefully this will keep you folks tied over until chapter five is done as that's gonna be another long one per usual.
Also, Muramasa... you wanted to know who was the girl that made us bring the debate to you guys about making her a member of Ichigo's harem?
Well... here's your answer. Enjoy.
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It has been said that Teito was a city of layers, and that MBI headquarters was its newest and greatest crown jewel. It was a beautiful tower, and the definition of state of the art if a building could claim such a title. Some even proclaimed it to be more magnificent than many of it's western contemporaries. More than anything, the tower represented the new order and new way of things in this society today.
Inside, the tower built by the technological wonder storm that MBI had become were as many amenities that one could imagine. Atop of the many laboratories, offices, and research facilities that they hosted were a plethora of gymnasiums. living quarters, and many other faculties that one would expect to find in a deluxe penthouse, not a place of work.
But when one considers this is also the headquarters for the Sekirei game, the surprise diminishes greatly.
Inside one of the living quarters, the sounds of someone eating could be heard. It was a mix of an office room with a normal residential home, or at least one with as much decor of a grand hotel. Two women sat in what would be considered the living room, absorbed in their business. One sat cross-legged on the couch, idly eating a box of pocky and looking out the window of the room with a dazed detachment, magazines strewn about haphazardly amongst empty boxes and bags of candy and chips.
Across the room the other woman sat, saying nothing as she ran her naked blade across the millstone before her. She took a few swipes on the material before she would stop, wet the stone and continue as she diligently sharpened her weapon.
Both were so engrossed with their preoccupation that they did not take notice of a thumping sound that seemed to be getting louder.
-WHAM-
Both Haihane and Karasuba looked up to see Benitsubasa march forward through the door with her arm still outstretched. Leaving a spiderweb of cracks where the doorknob impacted, the door itself bounced back quick enough to be caught by her outstretched hand and slammed backwards to shut it by the walking girl.
Standing at 5' 2" she had a petite frame that belied the awesome physical power she had at her fingertips. Her stunning pink eyes were currently narrowed in anger and her stiff arms held her balled fists as she stomped her way passed her two teammates. She had bright pink hair, the same color as her eyes, that had been pulled back into a ponytail that formed at the left-back side of her head. Despite being pulled back, she had left enough of her bangs free to stylize by having it combed from the right side of her head to the left with two locks of hair framing her face. They bounced as the girl continued to stomp her way to her room, growling to the other two Sekirei without turning to acknowledge them.
Seeing her mood Haihane lifted a hand to her face to semi cover her grinning face and catch any falling crumbs. "What's wrong Benitsubasa? Did someone mistake you for a boy again?" She asked, her shoulders moving up and down as she snickered, bits of food spitting out as she needled her teammate.
Benitsubasa turned to glare at her, baring her teeth and giving her a wide-eyed look of rage that would have many others pissing in their pants, but not Haihane. Haihane continued to snicker as Benitsubasa made her way to her room and slammed the door shut behind her.
The show done, Haihane settled down and continued to stare at the door that Benitsubasa had slammed shut. "She's at it again," she commented.
After a minute passed by Karasuba looked up from her blade to Haihane. "Were you talking to me?" she asked.
Haihane shrugged in reply, knowing the longest member of the Disciplinary Squad didn't care one way or the other. "You haven't noticed?"
Karasuba went back to her blade. "I don't care either way."
And Haihane's observations prove correct again as she shrugged away the answer and stared at the door for another minute before putting another pocky stick into her mouth and resumed chewing.
Inside her room Benitsubasa stood at her closet breathing hard. Sweat trickled down her brow as she concentrated on what she needed to do. Grabbing her yellow gi she tossed it on her bed and began to strip. Once skimmed down to her panties she walked towards her bed and listed, the room suddenly leaning to one side as her arms shot out towards the bed for support. Arched over the bed her head fell low and her ponytail spilled onto her bed as she kept her position, deigning to only have one knee provide extra support by pressing it against the side of her bed; her pride still enough to keep it from the top and lying on her bed as she tried to regain control.
Opening her eyes she saw from an upside-down point of view her legs and the tips of her breasts pointing downward as she continued to take in large gulps of air for a few more minutes as she began to regain control over her body and equilibrium. Lifting herself off her bed she stood without teetering an wiped her head and the sweat off and grabbed the sports bra to put it on. She growled as she could almost hear Haihane poke fun at her for that. She was by no means flat, but her breasts were small enough that to her utter chagrin and one particular teammate's pleasure that they could be poked fun at.
Soon enough she was tightening her gi's belt and her padded red fingerless fighting gloves. On her feet, white tennis shoes with a pink trim rested, matching her hair appropriately as she made her way to her next destination. Not caring about her future teammates and what they may be doing she slammed the door open and once more began to stomp towards the door to the main hallway of MBI's Residential section of MBI Tower.
"Going to the gym?" Haihane asked, causing Benitsubasa to pause in her march to glare back. Was she stupid? She had her gi on, where else could she go? Instead the pale Sekirei tittered once more with narrow eyes. "What happened to make you take so long to put that on?"
Snorting Benitsubasa turned with a huff and continued to the door.
"It was quiet the whole time, so it couldn't be you playing with yourself again."
And with that she stiffly came to a stop and shakily turned her head to Haihane, her expression far scarier than the one she gave when she came in. "I'll kill you," she said in a low voice and a vein popping out of her forehead.
"So what's wrong?" Haihane asked as if Benitsubasa never spoke and crunching another pocky stick.
Eyes twitching, Benitsubasa turned and grabbed the doorknob so hard the metal knob twisted as if it were play-doe and was nearly pulled out the door as it was yanked.
-CRASH-
Haihane winced as the door was slammed so hard the sides shattered into splinters and the doorknob now hung loosely as the door bounced back a bit, no longer having anywhere to lock to.
Karasuba lifted her head from her blade and opened her eyes momentarily before closing them again to turn to Haihane. "Now that you mention it, she has been acting strange now has she?"
"I thought you didn't care?"
"You're right," Karasuba answered and resumed sharpening her katana.
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Dammit...
Her gloved fists slammed into the thick rope in a blurred sequence of face and body shots. The seven foot tall, and five foot thick concrete makawara didnÆt give much, but the entire foundation of the thing shook. Her opponent would have had cracked ribs and been missing teeth.
Dammit...
Her left foot, turned out, shot forward, her heel slamming into lower part of the striking post. Then she was gliding forward, smooth and fast, her right knee crushing into the mid section of the makawara. Right foot crossed behind left, stepping backwards, then she was spinning around to the left, right leg hooking out and her right heel slammed into the rope-covered cement. This time the floor groaned, dust exploding from the makawara and floor, even though the striking post was anchored directly to the foundation.
A sekireiÆs shin would have been cracked, his or her diaphragm bruised, and s/he would have had to pull her heel *out *of their temple.
Why you...? Why now...?
Her left fist tightened as she shot forward, her whole body rocketing like a bullet, fist ripping through layers of four inch thick roped that could have stopped a katana. Her shoulders heaving, sweat gleaming on her tanned face, Benitsubasa slumped into a slightly glum cross-legged posture, red fingerless gloved hands cupping her chin, arm resting on her thighs.
She was dressed like she normally did when she trained, a plain yellow sleeveless gi over a black sports bra that hugged her small but very firm and pert breasts tightly. Black Spandex pants covered her lower body, already showing her toned thigh muscles, and now that they were damp with sweat, those who cared to look could see the outlines of her panties.
She glared at the pulverized remains of the makawara, no closer to the answer to her question that had been haunting her for the past month. A month ago, she wouldn't have wasted so many movements on the thing. A month ago, she wouldn't have used so much power to make a mess of shredded rope and cracked concrete. A month ago, she had all the focus, discipline, and motivation she needed to reach her goal.
But that... was a month ago.
With a deep sigh the adorable young sekirei stood, looking for a new outlet to focus her rage on. Her fists clenched tightly as she felt a presence behind her, and she let off a growl as she twisted around angerly at the unwelcome newcomer, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" she barked.
Only to freeze in shock as she met Natsuo's surprised gaze. "Well... that's a new one."
"Ah... ah... ah..." she gaped with a hand held close to her mouth in response to the man who was to be the future Ashikabi of the third Disciplinary Squad.
"Well, at least you do keep the staff busy these days Benitsubasa." Natsuo commented as he made his way to the shell shocked Sekirei.
"Sorry," she muttered, looking away from the man with a slight flush on her cheeks.
""No harm, no foul," Natsuo shrugged off easily enough, recognizing the sincerity of her tone. "Still, I do wonder what's going on in that head of yours. You've been coming in here a lot recently. Are you nervous?"
"No," she said flatly as she hemmed a bit with her arms now around her back. She rolled on her heel as she continued, "At least not about that. I'm just... just a little to anxious I guess."
Natsuo frowned slightly at her lackluster response. "Anxious are you?" She nodded briefly, but still didn't turn to look at him. "You've been rather anxious for this past month then. Your damages are getting to be so high that even Sahashi-san is getting curious."
"I'll be more careful then," Benisubasa bit back. "Was there something else you wanted Natsuo, or are we done here?"
Natsuo's eyebrow rose at the tone in the Sekirei's voice. There were times where he caught sight of her explosive ire when she was unaware of his presence, but this was the first time he seemed to be on the receiving end of it. "No... no that's all for now. I'll let you get back to your training then..." He trailed off looking toward the direction he entered. "Do remember that if you need anyone to talk too... MBI does have some of the finest psychiatrists in the world."
"I said-" she slapped her hands over her moth as she almost snapped at Natsuo again.
"You said?" Natsuo pried as he turned back to her.
"I said don't be silly!" Benisubasa replied as she removed her hands from her lips and waved sheepishly at him and then gave the pharmaceutical department clerk a bright smile, "I'm fine. I just can't wait for that day is all!"
"Right..." Natsuo drawled. "Before I forget, there was the matter of the door to the Disciplinary Squad room. It was broken to pieces an hour ago."
"It's that idiot Haihane's fault." she replied quickly. "That idiot wasn't looking and broke it."
"Uh huh," Natsuo replied. "I wish you wouldn't call her names. You two are going to be partners soon after all."
"I'll stop calling her an idiot when she stops making me right," Benisubasa replied as she crossed her arms and looked away and slightly upwards with a huff.
Natsuo just sighed at her reply, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "It never ends does it? Just remember what I said ok?"
Benitsubasa simply nodded as Natsuo turned to leave the training facility. When he was gone, Benitsubasa's smile faded. Her false cheer replaced with a irritated frown. "Dammit... what's wrong with me?" she growled as her hands balled into fists. "I'm so close to getting everything I wanted, and I'm about to blow it."
She shot her right hand forward. The right-handed punch flew straight and true, fast and with enough force to shatter bone. "And I snapped at Natsuo. Natsuo!! I... I never snapped at Natsuo before..." she moaned irritably as she brought her hands to her forehead and tilted her head downward and shook it. Within her mind's eye she saw Natsuo's smiling face... His cool gaze as he went about his business... His small smile when he was in his element... Even his stylish hair...
Everything about him screamed COOL to her. And he was going to be her Ashikabi soon. Her husband! The utter cherry on top of her dreams coming true. Despite one glaring flaw that she was absolutely sure she could fix he was all she ever wanted in an Ashikabi. This was all she ever wanted in her life. To have a cool, handsome Ashikabi and to be able to battle to her hearts content in the Sekirei game.
But that... was a month ago.
That was before she ran into...
HIM.
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So... yeah... Benisubasa has a problem...