Disclaimer: All of the previous disclaimers apply. Just in case anyone thought I changed anything or sold my soul to the (insert evil being here). Off we go.
Ikimashou!
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Chapter Three - "Lies and Truth"
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Visions of a wild evening danced to a funky J-pop rhythm in Kurumi's head as she thought about the upcoming concert. More so, she marveled at Paul's ability to get tickets at all. But then, that was what she liked about him--the man always seemed to get what he wanted, never taking "no" for an answer. In his professional life as the top reporter for the Asahi Post, or in his social life as the man about town, Paul was always the "go to guy", and he always got the job done. She wondered if that extended to his personal life as well, as he was always kind to her and never said "no" to any request of hers.
The ringing of her cell phone dropped Kurumi from her clouds of awe for her boyfriend. Only three people had her private number; Paul, her boss, and...
"Misaki-chan! Hey! You'll never guess what just happened! Never in a million years! Go on, just try it! You'll never, ever guess!!" Kurumi waited for her sister's reply but got silence on the other end.
Misaki took a few seconds to catch her breath, "Paul just offered to take you to see Childish An Hour at the Tokyo Dome tonight. Am I close enough?"
Kurumi stared at the phone in disbelief. "How...how could you possibly have--AH! I get it!" Her exuberance returned. "There's one of those webcams here somewhere, isn't there? This is one of those gags you see on those video sites, right?" She started checking her cubicle for one of the tiny 'nanny-cams'.
"Ku-chan, please...this is not a joke, and don't ask me how I know about this.. But you cannot go to that concert!" Misaki started to shake and wobble, so Alexa got up from the vanity chair and slid it under Misaki to keep her from falling.
"WHAT? Are you kidding? This is the concert of the year! Do you know how hard it is to get tickets for those guys? It's gonna be a madhouse!"
Misaki looked to Alexa for reassurance, before continuing. "That is exactly why you cannot go, Ku-chan. Something terrible is going to happen there. So many people will want to go, there will be a stampede, and...and...." She couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Please, Ku-chan! You must not go there!!"
"Are you alright, Misaki-chan?" The excitement in Kurumi's voice was now dampened. "Why are you crying, and what's this about a stampede?"
"Please don't ask me about that, Ku-chan!" Misaki shouted back. "Just tell me you won't go there tonight, okay?"
"You're beginning to worry me, Misaki-chan. I don't know how you know about this, but I can handle myself! Don't worry so much!" She tried to be nonchalant, but Kurumi knew her sister well enough to know she was not prone to dramatics.
Alexa knew Misaki was losing control and had to do something to keep the girl focused. She stood behind the chair, wrapping her arms around the crying girl's shoulders and whispered into her ear. "Don't worry, I've got you. Tell her about Daisuke!"
Misaki nodded between sobs and tried to speak calmly to her sister. "I know you do not believe me, but this might convince you. Paul is supposed to interview Matsuzaka-san tomorrow before he leaves to play in America, right?"
Again, Kurumi stared at the phone, dumbfounded. "How...how did you..."
"If you go, he won't be able to do the interview You both will be..." Misaki looked up and saw Alexa's reassuring nod. "Please, stay away from there tonight. There will be other concerts, and I'm sure Paul will be able to get another ticket for you. Just do not go tonight."
Kurumi heart sank as she listened to the sound of her sister's pleas. She had always taken care of Misaki, even before their parents' death. Now it was Misaki who was looking out for her. "Alright, Misaki-chan," Kurumi said softly. "I won't go. I don't know what I'm going to tell Paul, but I'll think of something. Please, don't worry about me, okay--it's my job to worry about you, remember?"
"Yes, Onee-chan." Misaki said between sniffles. "We are sisters. We look out for each other."
"Right!" Kurumi didn't want to end the call on a sad note. "Listen, since I'm not going out tonight, why don't I come home and we can have a nice dinner, just the two of us?"
Misaki looked up at Alexa, who still had her arms around her. "I would love that, but there will be three of us." She paused, raising her left arm to caress Alexa's face. "There's someone...special...I would like you to meet."
"Really? This should be interesting! I'll see you later then. Bye!" Kurumi waited for Misaki's response, then closed her phone. "Now that was strange!", she said to herself. "Actually, I don't know what's stranger--her warning me like that, or her having 'someone special' for me to meet?"
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"Bye, Ku-chan." Misaki blindly put the phone back on its cradle, not moving her eyes from Alexa's face. "Thank you, Alexa-chan." She reached up and cupped Alexa's face in her hands, drawing her face closer. "If not for you, I...I..." She pushed her head up and met Alexa's lips with her own, taking comfort in Alexa's arms and being able to let her tears flow while hidden as Alexa's long red hair fell around their faces.
Alexa felt herself flow into the upside-down kiss. It was soft at first, then became deep and passionate, as if Misaki wanted to crawl up inside of her and stay there. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to keep this young girl consoled, to keep her safe and happy. Concern and caring started to morph in desire and passion, as Alexa started moving her hands around Misaki's small breasts. The brunette moaned into Alexa's mouth, and tried to pull her deeper into the kiss.
The sound of Misaki's moan must have pushed Alexa's sanity button, for the redhead's eyes shot open and she forcibly tore herself away from Misaki, stumbling to the floor.
"I...I'm sorry, Misaki-chan! I didn't mean to--I mean, it wasn't..." Alexa uttered, fumbling badly for the right thing to say.
Misaki sat lazily in the chair, her arms hanging at her sides. "You do not need to apologize, Alexa-chan. I kissed you. I wanted to. I needed to. And you allowed me to. You should never apologize for that." She finally moved, turning in the chair to face Alexa. "Besides...it was wonderful!"
On that, Alexa agreed--her deep blush confirmed the thought. "But still, I--"
"--Took advantage of me?" Misaki interrupted. "It was I who took advantage of you, Alexa-chan." She stood from the chair, and walked across the room, joining the redhead on the floor. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. You showed compassion towards me, and did your best to help me out of a desperate situation. I repaid you with a kiss. It was rude of me, I know, but I could not help myself. Please forgive me." She bowed her head and waited for Alexa's reply.
"I understand. It was a 'heat of the moment' kind of thing. It happens." Alexa mentally kicked herself for making such a trite comment. She put an arm around Misaki and pulled her close. "Look, Misaki-chan. I'm not an idiot, and I don't mean to sound vain. I know you're interested in me, and I do appreciate your feelings. Really, I do. It's just, well, there's a lot that I have to tell you about myself before I can let you into my heart. Things you may never understand. Hell, things even I'm still trying to sort out. Give me some time, okay?"
Misaki lifted her head and smiled at Alexa. "Okay, I will give you time. You have twenty minutes." She kissed Alexa softly and traced a finger from her cheek, down the side of her neck, and around to the front of her chest. "You had better get dressed. You are...distracting me." She smiled again, got up and left Alexa alone.
It was then that the redhead noticed that her bathrobe was wide open. "This is gonna be much harder than I thought!"
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Kurumi sat at her desk with her head in her hands, thinking of some way to disappoint her boyfriend without sounding like she was off her rocker. "Okay," she said to herself. "Whatever you do, don't use the words 'premonition', 'deja vu' or 'vision'. I don't want either of us to be put in the loony bin!" She pulled out her cell phone and called Paul.
"Hey, Kurumi! Good timing! I was just--"
"I'm sorry, Paul," Kurumi said softly. "I can't make it tonight. Something's come up that I really have to take care of."
"Well, that's kinda sudden. Are you okay?"
"Yeah...it's not me, it's my sister. Something's wrong with her and I have to make sure she's alright. I know you went through a lot of trouble to get these tickets, and I'd love to go, but family comes first. I hope you understand." Kurumi wasn't lying, but she felt guilty just the same......
"Don't worry about it, babe. We can do it some other time. It's just as well, since I do have that interview tomorrow. So it's for the best. You take care of your sister, and tell her I said 'hi', okay?"
"I will." Kurumi smiled broadly and gave a big sigh of relief. "That's why I lo--like you so much, Paul. You're so thoughtful! I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!" Now that that was done, she was free to wrap her head around Misaki's problems.
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"Bye, honey!" Paul closed his phone and walked to the men's room. Making sure it was empty, he slammed one of the stall doors. "Damn! I don't know how, but she must have been warned! Someone's gonna pay for interfering!"
"Now, now, dear brother. No need to be so angry!" The voice--a soft, female voice--came from a couple stalls away. A door opened, and out stepped a tall woman in a deer-brown blazer and skirt set. Her close-cut hair was of the same color as the suit, and her eyes were as dark and deep as they were big and round. She lightly stepped towards her brother. "What's the matter," she said teasingly. "Is someone messing up your game?"
"I think the word you're looking for is 'meddling', dear sister!" Paul gave the woman a sneer. "That someone wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Fake shock appeared on the woman's beautiful face. "Could it be because you tried to skew things in your favor, not to mention putting thousands of innocent lives at risk? Now why would I possibly want to keep you from doing that?" The woman smiled and leaned against the stall.
"Because you hate it when I have fun!" Paul countered.
"It's not 'fun', brother. It's cheating! As Goddess of the Hunt, I cannot allow this. If you won't give up this game with that poor girl, at least play fairly. She's suffered enough because of your spitefulness.." The woman lowered her head, "...and because of my 'kindness'."
"It's her own damn fault! If she had chosen me to begin with, none of this wouldn't have happened!" Paul was fuming, and losing a grip on the disguise he was using.
"This is much different," the woman said calmly. "You are a God. That was but a fleeting whim in your lifetime. She is a mortal trapped by cursed visions and immortality. She only seeks what everyone else does: love, peace, happiness and eventually, rest. She didn't want you, nor did she mean to hurt you. In turn, she has suffered greatly, watching millions upon millions die, and losing those she's come close to over and over again. She deserves to be happy."
"She deserves to suffer! I'm not the only man she's scorned, you know! Why, if Ajax were here, he could tell you stories about what happened to him that would curl your hair!"
"I think he deserved what he got," the woman said nonchalantly. "I mean, he did rape the poor girl, dragging her out of the temple of Athena herself, no less! Thanks to your stupid curse, no one believed her. Did he think the gods wouldn't find out about it? I'm just glad that bastard got what was coming to him!"
"It was her fault! The conniving little whore! I will not forgive her for what she's done, and I won't stand for your interference! This is MY game!" Paul spat the line out like a spoiled brat.
"Consider me your referee, then. Hurt her or cause her a great disadvantage in any way, and you will be punished."
Paul scoffed at the warning. "What are you going to do...cause an eclipse or something?"
"It's that 'something' you should be worried about, dear brother!" The woman returned to the stall from whence she came. A soft ray of light shone into the stall and the woman was gone.
"Women," grumbled Paul. "Can't live with 'em...can't kill most of 'em." He exited the bathroom, giving the once-over to a handsome young man who was on his way in.
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Misaki sat on the sofa with her feet under her, mindlessly flipping through channels as she watched TV. "All these channels, and nothing to see." Her ears caught the sound of footsteps softly descending the staircase, and suddenly Misaki had something to watch.
A pair of long, toned legs in thigh-high black socks appeared on the staircase. They extended upward into a short black skirt. Above that was an open-front bolero vest on top of a white t-shirt which strained to hold its contents. A cascade of red hair followed that, and the owner of the ensemble landed at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Misaki. "So, whatcha think?"
"I think my sister is going to be very jealous!" Misaki let out a laugh that made Alexa a bit uncomfortable. "No, I am not laughing at you," she reassured the redhead. "It is just that, no matter how hard Ku-chan tries to pull off that look, it never works! On her it looks, well, trampy!"
"And on me?" Alexa asked.
"I...I better not say." Misaki's blush was enough for Alexa. The redhead walked over and sat next to the shy brunette.
"We need to talk, Misaki-chan. Are you ready?" She watched the young girl nod, then took a deep breath to gather her thoughts and sort out what Misaki needed to know. "Alright then. How good are you at Greek Mythology and ancient history?"
"Pretty fair on both counts, I believe. What does that have to do with this?" Misaki gave Alexa a puzzled look.
"More than you could possibly imagine."
"Then I will do my best to keep up with you." Misaki turned and put her head in Alexa's lap. "Okay, I'm ready. Please start at the beginning."
Alexa smiled down at the girl. "Well. once upon a time, in Ancient Greece, there was a King named Priam. One of the daughters was a beautiful girl named Cassandra."
"Was she as beautiful as you, Alexa-chan?" Misaki asked.
"Shhh! If you keep that up, I'll just stop now!" Alexa laid a finger on Misaki's lips.
"Now, Cassandra was very beautiful--so much so, in fact, that the god Apollo himself desired her. One night, he had appeared before her with an offer--to be his concubine. In return, he would give her the gift of prescience...the ability to know all possible outcomes of things. Cassandra turned down the offer, not wanting to have to offer her body to him for such a gift. She was also in love with someone else...the beautiful Helen."
"Well, if she was going to pass up a god, she must have really loved Helen." Misaki interjected.
"Well," Alexa continued. "Apollo seemed to understand, and made a different offer. This time, she would be his student, and in turn he would give her the gift of prophecy. To this, she agreed, but what she didn't know was that Apollo's gift was tainted--she could only see tragic events, and if she were to tell anyone, they would not be able to understnad her or think her a liar. He watched with glee as she suffered with these visions, especially when she tried to warn Helen about the Horse. I'm sure you know about that part, right?"
"Oh yes! I saw the movie!" Misaki answered happily. "But...I don't remember the part about Helen and Cassandra."
Alexa resisted the urge to hit her on the head. "Anyway, after the fall of Troy, Cassandra took refuge in the temple of Athena, where the warrior Ajax raped her. Offending the gods, Ajax was killed by Poseidon at sea. His ship was wrecked in a storm, and he was struck by lightning."
"He deserved worse!" the brunette huffed.
"Cassandra was later taken by King Agamemnon as a concubine. Even through all this, she still had the gift of foresight, and still tried to warn people of their impending doom. She warned King Agamemnon that his wife Clytemnestra was having an affair, and that she was planning to kill him. She also told him that she would be killed as well."
"Oh no!" Misaki gasped. "He still didn't believe her?"
"Of course not..the curse was still in effect, remember?" Alexa reminded Misaki. "Clytemnestra had him walk on a blood-red carpet, telling him it was a sign of royalty. He did so, but what he didn't know was that he was walking on a sacred tapestry, and that he was committing a sacreligious act. He was killed for it, and Cassandra was killed as well."
"Oh, poor Cassandra," Misaki sighed.
"And here's where things get strange," Alexa said. "The goddess Artemis felt badly that her brother's curse had caused all of this to happen to Cassandra. She thought it was unfair for her to suffer through her life the way she did. So, she brought Cassandra back and gave her the gift of immortality, in order to give her a chance to start over again."
"That's wonderful! What a nice thing for her to do!" Misaki saw the look of sorrow in Alexa's face, and her own happiness faded. "What...what went wrong?"
"Artemis may have brought Cassandra back to life, but Cassandra was still cursed. And since Apollo had no remorse for what he had done, he did not remove the curse. So Cassandra was doomed to wander the earth, watching disaster after disaster and not being able to warn anyone about them...until today, when I told you about your sister." Alexa closed her eyes and tried her best not to cry, but the tears came anyway.
Misaki reached up to wipe the tears from Alexa's face. "So you are...you are..." She sat upright on the sofa and looked at Alexa. "Incredible," she whispered. "What you must have seen, all this time. What you must have been through. How could it not have driven you mad, Alexa-chan?"
"It had, a few times. I've even been committed a couple of times...and worse. Time doesn't heal all wounds, Misaki-chan."
Misaki leaned over and put her head on Alexa's shoulder, grasping the redhead's hand in her own. "You have someone who will listen to you now, Alexa-chan. You have me."
"Yes, I do," Alexa sighed. "And that's what bothers me the most."
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End of Chapter Three
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