Alpacalypse wrote:I haven't commented here yet. Before I commit sudoku, I must correct my failure.
Breaking and Entering: Now my headcanon for Kenji post-Hanako-route. It just fits too well with his character.
Family Picnic: Nice 'n fluffy. Just what I wanted, really I just finished Higurashi no naku koro ni. Anybody who's done the same understands.I now wish that Hanae had said "Ni-paa~" at some point for extra adorable points.
I'll be watching this thread. Keep it up, Dwarf!
Kenji's fun to work with for me. That story actually started as a brief prompt that I expanded upon greatly. Good to know I got his character down well, though.
A lot of my stories tend to be on the fluffier side. That may or may not be a warning.
swampie2 wrote:I very much enjoyed both of these, good job!
This is a slightly alternative and expanded version of when Kenji breaks into Hanako's room in 'Break and Entering.'
_____
I need to stop getting distracted by the things on this feminist's shelves, there's a mission at hand! One of utmost importance, no less. Hisao's life is as good as over. And I certainly can't afford to lose my second in command in these dark times.
A simple bureau catches my attention. Well… I don't have any other leads, and a good soldier always checks all potential leads. It's not a bad place to store intel, but I've got you figured out, feminist.
After rifling through the drawers and only finding uniforms and other clothes, the last one awaits me. With a hefty tug, I'm met with several pairs of dark colored underwear and even a lacy set. It's not hard to imagine what seeing that purple haired girl in it would do to a weaker man, like Hisao. If he's to be believed, she's a cute girl, cuter than usual.
Still, with a mission at hand, I toss each pair of underwear to the side, even the seductive one. Aha, just what I was looking for! The perfect source of feminist intel: the girl's diary.
A sudden feeling of regret washes over me. Is this something I should be looking at? Feminists aren't patient enemies. If she was going to slit Hisao's throat or poison him, she would have done it already… right? No, I can't think like that! I have to be sure if this girl is a feminist before I let my guard down. Anyway, I already broke into her room, I'd be an idiot not to at least snoop around.
Reminding myself of the mission at hand, I open the diary and begin to sift through it. Uh… nothing worthwhile in the beginning of it, just feelings about her situation and all that. Not what I'm here for. Though, I guess I should make myself comfortable on her bed, but not before checking for traps underneath the sheets. Reaching into my survival bag, I grab my lockpick and run it across the sheets. Nothing out of the ordinary.
All things considered, her bed is kind of comfortable, though not nearly as safe as my fort. Sometimes I wonder when the feminist will improve their defenses. Or maybe this Hanako is just inexperienced.
Snapping out of it, I continue to absorb the information.
Finally, something relevant! Hisao's starting to pop up in this. Hm… seeing him in class for the first time, too early to say whether or not she's a threat.
A few days later, I think. Dates aren't really important, not yet anyway. Meeting him in the library; this sounds good.
'The new boy actually walked up to me today and wanted to talk with me. So many people just avoid me, but he wanted to… talk. But no matter what I wanted, my anxiety took hold and I couldn't help but run away. I know you'll never see this, but I'm sorry Hisao. You seemed really nice and I wanted to talk… but I can't even keep up a simple conversation.'
Weird. She's seen enough of him by this point to know if he's an easy target for assassination or conversion. But she's seems interested in him as a person? I'm not buying it.
Hm… this must be the 'festival.' I still think Hisao should have hidden away with me.
'Today was the school festival. I didn't think I could deal with the crowds, even to spend time with Lilly. Instead, I just read in the library. Not that I mind that. Just as I started to get into my book, Hisao came to spend with… me. Not because he had to… but because he wanted to. We mostly just read next to each other, but reading can be more enjoyable with friendly company, I think. Still, he's probably just going to stop talking to me before long. I'm used to it.'
Huh. A week out and nothing? I've never heard of this before. She might be inexperienced, but Hisao's told me she's pretty smart. I'll have to keep that in mind moving forward.
'After learning a bit about his past, I told him about mine. I felt like I had to, but… I felt like I wanted to at the same time. He accepted me and… I think I'm starting to really like him. I wonder what he thinks of me…'
Like him? What the hell is going on?
'We had a party for Lilly's departure to Scotland to visit her sick aunt and my… birthday. The word still brings up painful memories of what's happened throughout the years. But today… I had some happy memories. Akira visited us and brought some sweet-smelling wine. Lilly got me a doll that looks like her and Hisao got me an ornate chess set. It was really nice of both of them. Though, I can't remember what happened after that. I hope I didn't embarrass myself or anything…'
Embarrassment wouldn't be something she'd be worried about if she was planning on doing horrible things to him. Still, I have to forge ahead. But the words start to blur together as I take in all of this information.
It can't get any worse… right?
'I was nervous and even unsure of myself… but Hisao and I had sex. I felt trapped because I couldn't tell him how I felt and he needed clarity, something my words couldn't give him. I don't know if either of us were fully prepared for what happened, but despite my mental exhaustion, Hisao took the lead and we reached the end… together. Even if I wasn't fully prepared, I know that I loved him enough to do all of that with him. His heart acted up afterwards, but I'm glad he was okay.
Please… I just want this all to work out.'
Sex…? Hisao can't possibly know how dangerous that is with potential feminists! But he's still alive and well right now. And she loves him? Feminists aren't capable of love, I know that much. Was I… wrong about this girl?
'We met in the park and Hisao confessed his love for me. I… I've never been so happy. Despite my own anxiety and fear, Hisao assured me I could make a few new friends and reach out a bit more. I'm still not sure, but I trust him. I sometimes overhear Naomi and Natsume talking about the newspaper club. Maybe I could ask them?
I love you, Hisao, and I always will.'
There's still many pages left in the diary, but… I can't read anymore. Through a series of very mechanical actions, I place Hanako's diary back where it was and put all of her underwear back.
This girl isn't a feminist. She can't be. I don't give Hisao enough credit, he would have known if this girl was a threat. A lot of other girls could still be threats, but not Hanako. The National Anti-Feminist Movement might have gained an additional member, or they at least definitely lost a potential member of their own.
I'm going to have to meet with them tomorrow. No, tonight. This is too important. And from what I heard, they should still be awake.
This fanfic was based on a writing prompt (which is why Halloween is something new to them) and is a few months old. In any case, it seemed like an appropriate story for today.
_____
"As you know, Japan doesn't usually celebrate Western traditions," Misha started as she carefully tried to capture some of the gravitas Shizune had painstakingly signed to her. "But this year, the student council is proud to announce that Yamaku will be celebrating Halloween. We will be distributing pamphlets describing this strange Western tradition to your class representatives later today."
Well, that was… unexpected. Can't say I really know what to expect, though, having only heard about this 'Halloween' from brief tales that could easily be made up. The only thing that sticks out in my mind is costumes, ones that can be just about anything, I think. Hanako has spent more time on a computer than I have, so maybe she knows something.
"Hey, Hana, do you know anything about this?"
She thinks for a second before shaking her head. "Not really… just that people wear c-costumes and give out candy." What a strange holiday indeed.
When I look back at her, I can see a grin creeping up on her face. I imagine ideas are already racing through her mind, but I'm completely lost. Hopefully something will come to me.
Just as expected, Shizune and Misha handed out pamphlets describing this upcoming special day. At least half of it is historical, but I can't say I'm that interested. Aha!
'The most common way to celebrate Halloween in the West is to dress up in costumes and going from door to door for candy by saying "Trick or treat!" Creativity and ingenuity is always welcomed.'
Unfortunately, I'm just as lost as before. Nothing comes to mind, at least nothing creative or fun. If he decides to participate, I can imagine Kenji dressing up as a military officer, presumably to scare off the feminists.
On that note, maybe I could put together or buy a samurai costume or perhaps a Western knight. Well, if we're going for creativity and unusualness, the knight is probably better. I hope the various shops in the city have something I can use. Makes me wonder what Hanako has planned, but she's remained secretive so far and I can't imagine her dropping that.
_____
After class, Hanako and I make plans to go shopping in the city for costumes and supplies for Halloween with the promise that we won't reveal our costumes to each other before that day.
Unsurprisingly, there aren't many shops here, but a few are distinct enough to at least give us a chance at finding something. The owner greets us a with a contemplative expression.
"What brings you two here," he asks, his voice sounding what can only be described as calm and businesslike.
"Oh, uh… our school is having a Halloween party and we didn't really know where to start," I manage to stumble my words out.
He claps his hands together and grins. "Ah, that I can help with. An assistant can come by to help your friend." With that, he pulls me to the side as Hanako talks to the assistant.
"So, tell me, what are you after exactly? Costumes, candy, or something else?" Straight to the point, I see.
"Just costumes."
He seems to know his stuff pretty well or at least better than I do. However, before going any further, he asks for my height to help limit the search. After giving him that, he brings me to an area in the middle of an aisle packed with costumes.
"Was there something specific you had in mind?"
"Something Western, I guess." Not wanting to commit to anything yet, I use a generic response.
The owner scratches his head for a bit before continuing. "Alright…" He begins to rummage through the racks.
"We have… a cowboy costume and this flashy wizard costume complete with a beard. Oh! How about a Native American costume?" I think for a minute and then ask him to continue.
"We also have… a knight costume here. Ah, I see that caught your attention." Guess my reaction was more obvious than I thought.
"That what was I originally had in mind, but is there anything else available?"
"There is, actually. We have a rather fetching musketeer costume here. They used to be among the standard infantry units in warfare hundreds of years ago, but technology has obviously improved since then."
Very colorful pants and chestpiece, feathered cap, and rather simple leather shoes. Large amount of accessories across the chest. It's certainly a lot creative than what I had in mind. Price could be problem, though.
"How much for it?"
The owner looks the costume over for a few seconds, wobbling his head from side to side while doing so. "How about... ¥4000 for the weekend?"
"Deal," I say excitedly. It's hard to believe he's letting it go for so little. Maybe this store doesn't get a lot of business? Actually, it almost reminds me of the antique store in a way.
He takes the musketeer costume off of the rack and brings it to the counter, where I can see Hanako waiting outside with a bag. We complete the transaction, I thank him, and head out the door to meet Hanako
I quickly look in my bag and noticed he slipped in a bag of candy for free as well. Wouldn't surprise me if Hanako received one as well. I speak up to break the silence, but not because it's awkward.
"Find everything you wanted?" She nods her head. "Alright, let's head back."
_____
The next few weeks are relatively hectic as everyone attempts to set up a party that they know very little about. And just as we promised, Hanako and I don't tell each other about our costumes. Halloween, however, manages to sneak up on us.
The party is set to start at 6PM, but it doesn't hurt to get ready early. An hour might be too much, but who knows if I need to make any adjustments to this? As soon as I start to get ready, a call causes my phone to ring. The number is a dead give-away that it's Hanako.
"H-Hisao? Could you come to my room? There's s-something I wanted to show you…"
"Sure thing. See you soon." And with that, I hang up, put my costume in a bag, and carry it over to the girls' dormitory.
I give a distinct knock on Hanako's door to let her know it's me.
"C-C-Come in…," she stammers out.
As I open the door, I see… well, nothing out of the ordinary. Hanako's room is the same as it's been the past few months since she decided to decorate. Even in the middle of her room, there's still no sign of Hanako. Suddenly, the door closes behind me and a pair of arms pull me into a hug from behind. I look down and notice a pair of fluffy cuffs around her wrists.
"N-Nyah~," Hanako does her best impression of a cat and gently purrs.
When she lets go, I turn around only to be met with Hanako wearing a neko costume. I can't help but appreciate the sight. A very liberal black dress, complete with the same fluff that her cuffs are made from, a choker with a bell, and black cat ears. Additionally, she's wearing a massive blush across her face. It's times like these that make me glad I picked up a bit of exercise, even if it's only to keep myself going whenever Hanako has a surprise.
Hanako then looks at me expectantly, purring the entire time. Doing the first thing that comes to mind, I pat her head while smiling like an idiot.
I speak up with absolute certainty, "You look great, Hanako."
She frowns and shakes her head. "Nyah~, I'm Haneko, H-Hisao." I thought my grin couldn't get any wider, but I was wrong.
Once again, she throws her arms around me, nuzzling her head up against my chest and scar. Her purring grows louder. "Haneko loves you, Hisao," she attempts to seductively yet lovingly say, and does a pretty good job.
I hold her close to me, just listening to her purring and running my hand through her amethyst hair. "Do you want to see me in my costume?"
"S-Sorry, I almost forgot…," her voice returning to normal.
I quickly assure her it's that it's okay. "I'll only be a minute, but… I need somewhere to change."
She quickly jumps onto her bed, covering her eyes with her hands. I smile to myself, thinking about how adorable she looks. Within a few minutes, I manage to get everything on and make sure it looks as good as it's going to.
"Okay, I'm all set," I say, satisfied with how I look.
She pulls back her hands and her smile says everything. "It's a purrfect f-fit for you." Hanako starts having a giggling fit. She's really committed to her costume, huh?
I join her on the bed continue to pet her head. Once again, she buries herself in my chest, nuzzling her head against it.
Despite wanting to stay like this forever, I know the party's about to start. "Should we head to the party now?"
"Oh, I guess, but… my s-scars…," she stammers out her concern, one that I hadn't thought of.
An idea suddenly comes to mind and I let her know, "What if you wear your stockings too?" Her expression grows much brighter and she nods with excitement. They're not a perfect match, but work well enough.
"Ready," I ask with anticipation for the events of the night.
Hanako, or should I say Haneko, lets out another cute 'Nyah~' to voice her approval.
Tonight's going to be an interesting and fun night…
____________________________________________________________
Hand-in-hand, we make our way outside and into the courtyard in between the dormitories. We're met with a mess of students, some very well disguised by their costumes, some… not so much.
I'm unable to see any of our friends, but Hanako tugs on my sleeve after a quick scan of the area.
"I s-see Naomi and Natsume. Let's go talk to them," she says with her regular voice.
As we swim through the sea of other students, Hanako's grasp on my hand slowly turns into one around my arm. She's been doing better around crowds, but with her costume, some of that must have been temporarily lost.
Her two friends from the newspaper club give us a wave as we get closer. "Hey, Hanako. Oh, and Hisao too," Natsume nearly shouts to make sure she's heard.
Natsume's dressed as a witch and is constantly fumbling with her oversized hat. On the other hand, Naomi is dressed as what I assume is a journalist, complete with a camera, pad of paper and pen, and so on. It certainly gets the job done, in any case.
Almost as if on queue, Naomi starts writing something down, looking up at us and then back down at her current sheet of paper as she does so. "Hm… some kind of colorful costume for Hisao. Can't say I really know what it is, though." I quickly tell her that it's a musketeer outfit. Naomi scribbles out what she wrote and corrects it. She continues in the same journalist-sounding voice, "And a neko costume for Hanako. Very cute." Hanako puts on a bashful smile in response.
Naomi puts her pen and paper away and looks back up at us. "So, what made you two decide on these costumes."
Hanako lets me go first and I do my best to recollect what happened. "It just… stuck out to me, I suppose. My ideas before that were split between a samurai and knight. A musketeer seemed a lot more out there... in a good way, of course."
Naomi nods her head. "And you, Hanako?"
"I'm Haneko… n-nyah~," she firmly states, finding the resolve to continue her impression before dropping it momentarily. "I wanted to try s-something new for myself. I made a pr-promise to Hisao that I'd always to my best to keep making progress. And…, " she stops suddenly and shakes her head, but whispers that she'd tell me later.
The aspiring journalist looks up briefly and says, "Okay."
I'm sure Hanako knows the reason, but I'd like to know why Naomi asked. "Anyway, why were you so interested in our costumes?"
She claps her hands together loudly enough to cause Hanako to jump slightly. "You know that this whole Halloween thing is something new for us, so what better topic for the week's newspaper? Complete with a listing of all the costumes worn, of course." Hanako nods her head to confirm.
Natsume continued to fiddle with her witch hat the entire time, with all of her attention focused on it. Eventually, she just keeps it out of her face with one of her hands, but is less than content with the outcome.
Naomi chuckles at her friend's situation. "I still don't know why you decided on this costume. You have enough trouble with your vision as is."
Natsume shakes her head and sighs, "I know, I know… But it just felt right at the time. Sometimes you just need to experience a bit of discomfort for what your gut says. Yet, I'm not sure this is one of those times."
Her journalistic partner smiles. "Well, it looks good on you in any case." The only response is a simple 'Thanks.'
After our brief encounter begins to come a close, the two girls begin to create some distance. At first, I'm confused and maybe even a bit offended, but understand why as I hear Kenji's voice behind me.
"Hey, man. What's up?"
I turn to face him, only to be met with an unsurprising sight. He's dressed as some sort of military officer, presumably a high-ranking one. I must admit that it fits his appearance well enough.
In this distance, I see Naomi taking notes on his costume before the two girls wander off, presumably to do the same thing with others they encounter.
He pushes up his glasses before speaking up, "I see the two of you are getting into the day. Hisao's ready for battle and Hanako's ready for… infiltration, I think. Yeah, that's it."
It's kind of strange what's happened between Hanako and Kenji. I don't think he's ever really distrusted her more than any other girl, but now they've become friends… of sorts. Well, they get along decently, if that means anything.
Hanako and I share the same reaction, and I feel comfortable voicing it. "Er, yeah, sure…"
"You two stocked up on supplies, right?" Straight to the point, I see.
"S-Supplies?" I share her confusion.
Kenji lets out a sigh. "I thought you were prepared for this… I'm talking about candy, it's like 85% of what today is about. It really keeps you going out in the field. And you can be sure that percentage is correct, I consulted my graphs."
A slightly strange smile creeps up on his face. "I have plenty if you need some. Otherwise, there's a bunch of tables over there somewhere with candy. I'm feeling particularly lenient today, so the only task is to stock up."
"Sure thing, Kenji," I say, thankful that he has little planned for the night, at least that we know of.
"It's General Kenji to you, soldier," he proudly states and he walks away. I'm a bit thankful that we don't need to deal with much of his nonsense today.
Hanako and I head for the table, taking a handful or two of various candies for each of us. Without an obvious place to store it, we decide to put it in the various pouches and pockets of my costume. Afterwards, we hang out with our friends for a while longer and see some… interesting costumes before deciding to call it a day, heading back to Hanako's room to spend the night together.
Upon reaching her door, Hanako lets us in and she settles down on her bed. I empty out my pockets before deciding to take off my costume. After I turn around to face my Hanako and settle down with her, I notice she's still in her costume.
"Not going to change?" She shakes her head. I can certainly appreciate the experience in any case.
For a few minutes, we're content to sit side-by-side, holding hands while doing so. During that time, I can't help but notice a blush slowly taking over her face.
"Something on your mind?"
Another shake of her head. "N-No, I'm just happy we can be here like this…" I can't help but smile.
Though, something's on my mind… I swiftly grab Hanako's hair clip from the nightstand without her noticing. I face her, brushing her bangs away from the her beautiful face. She instinctively flinches slightly, but quickly recomposes herself, curious what I'm doing. With minimal difficulty, I pin her bangs to the side. After doing so, my hand lingers on her scarred cheek. It's a familiar and comforting feeling. Hanako places her hands over my own, leaning into my touch.
I try to pull my hand back after some time passes, but her grasp is much stronger than expected. Her cute, shy smile is enough to keep myself from trying to move again.
Eventually, she pulls her hands back, but starts rubbing her arm, a clear indication that something's on her mind. I position myself more comfortably on her bed as my mind begins to wander. Next thing I know, Hanako begins to straddle me. It's somewhat unusual for her, but no complaints from me.
"Hanako?"
"N-Nyah~." Her point is clear.
"Sorry, Haneko. What brings--" She interrupts me with a quick kiss. It's a good thing I'm always prepared for whenever this may happen.
A bashful expression appears on her face. "You always do s-so much to show how much you love me, but… I don't think it's f-fair."
"Fair?" Her words leave more a bit more than confused.
"I can't keep up with what you do, so… let me sh-show you how much I love you."
I shake my head. "I know you love me, I could never think otherwise." Another kiss, this time much longer and more passionate.
After we break off, it seems like she has one more thing she wants to say. "J-Just relax." Hanako presses her body up against me and nuzzles her head against my chest. She never fails to surprise and impress me, and certainly never fails to express her love.
Last edited by TheDwarfLard on Sun Nov 01, 2015 12:13 am, edited 3 times in total.
Natsume in a witch costume is an amusing thought, too. Wonder what the others would be wearing...
I am the harbinger of your destruction... By herbivorous, mountain dwelling quadrupeds... fear me
---
I also write now, apparently. Since everyone else does it, I'm putting it here
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I have also discovered that I'm a decent proofreader. Anybody with SPaG problems is free to PM me their work for a thorough analysis and/or evisceration. Depends on how I'm feeling.
This one felt a bit rushed in a few places - especially when you did time skips without marking them in any way.
Otherwise nicely written.
Guess I'll have to look up prices instead of pulling them out of my rear end.
The rushed bits might be more reflective of me from a few months back (this was written during July of this year, I believe). I'll see if I can make changes later on.
Mirage_GSM wrote:You think Hisao has that kind of money to shell out for a costume?
Why don't you make it the rent for the weekend?
I misunderstood. D:
Guess that'll work.
I always just divide by 100, because 100¥ is about a buck ± whatever the markets are doing. So he was renting a costume for US$50?
Post-Yamaku, what happens? After The Dream is a mosaic that follows everyone to the (sometimes) bitter end. Main Index (Complete)—Shizune/Lilly/Emi/Hanako/Rin/Misha + Miki + Natsume
Secondary Arcs: Rika/Mutou/Akira • Hideaki | Others (WIP): Straw—A Dream of Suzu • Sakura—The Kenji Saga. "Much has been lost, and there is much left to lose." — Tim Powers, The Drawing of the Dark (1979)
brythain wrote:
I always just divide by 100, because 100¥ is about a buck ± whatever the markets are doing. So he was renting a costume for US$50?
Sounds about right, give or take. I've seen the costume Hisao wore rent (for 3 days) at about $65 US.
Also Haneko :
[shimmie]4060[/shimmie]
I like all the girls in KS, but empathize with Hanako the most.
"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Mark Twain
“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.” - Winston Churchill
Checkout SordidEuphemism's Logo Thread.
After someone inadvertently gave me the idea, I wondered how Hisao, and then Kenji, would react when learning that Hanako was a vampire (in an alternate universe). There's two separate fan-fictions, but I'm going to leave it as one post since both are relatively short.
_____
I can't help but remember when Hanako showed me her scars. The door is locked, curtains over the windows, and the girl in front of me acting more nervous than usual. Yet it still feels different.
"What's on your mind, Hanako?" Might as well get it out of the way.
"I wanted to show you something… something I've never showed anyone."
"You can tell me anything and I won't think any less of you," I say, hoping to reassure her.
"Promise you won't… l-leave me," she mumbles as she fidgets with her sleeve.
Leave her? Why would I want to do that?
I take her hand in my own and she looks into my eyes. Hers seem a lot duller than usual… and her skin is incredibly pale. Is she sick?
"That's not something I ever want to think about doing. You make me so happy that I know I'd be miserable without you."
She nods and looks at our hands. Her fingers brush against mine as she takes a step back and a deep breath. Her body is visibly shaking. Hanako opens her mouth and I expect her to say something, anything, but no words leave her lips. Just as I'm about to ask, I notice four very large teeth, and panic grips my body, leaving me paralyzed. What's going on?! Am... I dating a vampire? No, that's impossible. One, this is Hanako. She wouldn't harm a fly, much less suck someone's blood. And two, vampires don't exist... right?
Hanako closes her mouth and steps forward again. She looks less terrified now, but I can only imagine what I look like. Her concerned frown only confirms it. It's not that I don't love her because of this, but… I don't know what to think or how to respond. Her soft voice breaks me out of my terror-induced paralysis.
"Hisao, are you okay? I hope you're not… afraid of me." Her downcast eyes rip my heart to shreds, even if I'm not thinking straight right now.
"No, no, I'm not. I just… don't know what to do. I wasn't expecting this." I couldn't understand it more than that.
"Has this always been there?" I ask, attempting to hide my confused fear.
She nods slowly. "But it's starting to make me f-feel weak. I don't know why and I'm afraid."
Wait, she's afraid too?
Hanako shuts her eyes tight as she continues, "I know what it looks like, but it's never caused me any problems. I've never been thirsty for... well, you know. But I don't know what's going to happen now. I feel different, and it's beginning to scare me."
My panic more or less disappears and now I can only focus on her, the girl I know and love. I reach out to embrace her, but she leaves some space between us.
Tears start to well up in her eyes as we both realize what's likely going to happen.
"I don't want to hurt you…" Her voice is barely audible, and it's being masked behind her sobs.
Despite my fear, I find the courage to clearly say, "Okay, I'll let you drink my blood if you need to."
Trembling, her fingers delicately brush the side of my neck.
"C-can I...? I don't think I need much..."
I wipe away her tears and smile. "Everything will be okay," I whisper.
Her arms wrap around my back and I do the same, leaving no space between us. I'm still afraid, but this just feels like the right thing to do. Hanako rests her head on my shoulder and my shirt starts to feel damp. Please don't cry, nothing hurts more than seeing you cry…
"I'm sorry," she mutters.
Time seems to slow down as she slowly opens her mouth and touches my neck. I shut my eyes tight and pull her even closer to me in anticipation. Her fangs pierce my skin and pain strangles my body. I'd probably faint if it wasn't for our embrace. I nearly attempt to push Hanako away to stop the pain, but just as my hand reaches her chest, it subsides. It… actually starts to feel soothing. Instead, my hand goes into her beautiful waterfall of hair. I don't move my body anymore as she continues to suck and swallow rhythmically. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she's just kissing my neck. There's no more fear, just a new sense of closeness between us.
Just as I start to almost enjoy this calming sensation, Hanako pulls back and her fangs leave my neck. My senses start to return and my neck instantly feels sore, but the wounds are closed. We separate, and I notice that her eyes are much more vibrant now and her skin returns to its normal complexion.
"I'm sorry," she repeats as her mouth trembles.
"It's fine, I'm okay, just feeling a little woozy. But how are you feeling?"
"B-Better." Her cheeks are flushed, and I can't help but smile knowing that the Hanako I know and love is back to her normal self.
Dizziness takes hold and standing up becomes difficult. When Hanako notices, she rushes over to me and supports my body as best she can, slowly pulling me over to her bed at the same time.
"This should help."
I take the food from her hand and quickly eat it without checking what it actually is. It does seem to help a bit in any case, but now I'm starting to feel incredibly tired. Hanako lowers me down and rests my head in her lap, running her delicate fingers through my hair.
"Let me know… when you need more," I struggle to say as exhaustion grips my body.
She smiles sweetly at me. "I will… and thank you, Hisao. I love you."
One brief kiss is all I can manage before I fall asleep in her lap.
_________
_________
_________
It's times like these I really wish Hisao would give me an easier way to access his room. Leaving the door locked certainly makes it a bit more difficult for feminists to break in and assassinate him, but checking up on him is more difficult during these dark times. We'll have to work something out.
Still, no locked door is going to stop me, the master of infiltration! I take out my trusty lockpick and get to work on the door. Good thing the library had a book on it -- I still have it, too! Can't let it get into the wrong hands, after all.
Should be unlocked now. But as any good soldier should do, I put my ear up to the door just to check if anything is going on before I make my grand entrance. Not much, except for a brief exchange.
'Is it that time again?' A brief pause. 'Okay, I'm ready if you are.'
Must be with that Hanako girl, but what Hisao said is way too vague. She's not a feminist, if Hisao is to be believed, and I suppose she doesn't seem too bad, just very quiet. Being quiet and seemingly nice isn't enough to determine her motives, of course. Only a fool would believe that. Even if my intervening pisses him off, he'll thank me later.
Hoping to just observe what's going, I leave the door ajar and peek inside. Hm… seems like they're just hugging. Very close together, the girl has her arms around his back and head on his shoulder, Hisao seems to be playing with her hair; I hope Hisao knows what he's doing...
Wait, why is she opening her mouth? WHY IS SHE BITING HIS NECK‽ AND WHY IS HE LETTING HER DO THAT‽ Hanako's a filthy feminist vampire! I knew it and Hisao didn't listen! But, I'm filled with fear. I've fought feminists before and came out victorious, but never anything like this. How was I supposed to know I to prepare to fight a vampire for Hisao's safety? All my garlic cloves and crucifixes are back in my room, under my bed -- damn my lack of foresight!
The only thing I can do is watch. Hisao tightens his grip on the unholy feminist at first, but then he relaxes and starts running his fingers through her hair while she slowly sucks the life out of his body. Hisao's not this stupid, so he must be under one of her demonic spells! And when it matters most, I can't remember how to break these spells. I failed, you Hisao, but at least I can try to take her down with righteous vengeance!
Just as I muster my courage, the demon pulls back and her fangs leave Hisao's neck. As soon as she does, he staggers forward and the girl catches him. What the hell is she feeding him? She pulls him over to his bed and lays him down. Hanako fluffs his pillow and pulls the covers over him. Why is she spending so much time making him comfortable? Probably keeping her meal around or something.
The vampire speaks up and her voice grates on my ears, "G-Goodnight, Hisao, and thank you." And now she's kissing him with her blood-stained lips? The girl is crazy!
I expect her to walk out now, so I hide myself and give her room to leave. I could strike, but I think Hisao needs the help right now. Yet, she doesn't walk out. I take another look inside the room and she's just sitting on his bed and looking over him. Now's the only chance I'm going to get, I think.
"UNHAND HIM YOU VILE FEMINIST!" I shout after shutting the door and limiting her escape options.
She quickly turns around and stands between Hisao and me. From what I remember, her eyes were usually calm, but now… they seem aggressive. I hope I'm not making a mistake and getting both of us killed.
Hisao moves around a bit and mumbles, "Keni, please… don't hurt her." His voice is strained and tired. I'm surprised he can really do much at all after that. But why is he trying to protect her? She's trying to kill him, why can't he see that‽
Hanako doesn't move from her position in front of him, but doesn't back down either. It's now or never.
I lunge forward at blistering speeds and throw a punch at her. Despite my fear, I expect a quick victory in the name of men, but… she puts up a hand and instantly stops me in my tracks. For the split second I'm face to face with the vampire, her eyes fill me with terror. The usual dull purple mixed with swirls of deep red. They scream out to me, to run away while I still can. But I know I can't.
The demon shoves me back and forcefully says, "Stay away from my Hisao!"
I want to fight, but I know I can't win, at least not now. But her spell has to be breakable. Maybe if I try to pull them apart in the morning or something, assuming she's weaker then.
Accepting my temporary defeat, I back out of the door while keeping an eye on the vampire. The second I'm out of the door, it slams shut in my face and I hear Hisao's desk being dragged across the floor and the door lock again. Quite the tactician…
Sprinting back to my fort, I begin to plan my next attack. You'll be freed of her soon, Hisao, you have my word. Still… the feminists seem to have really boosted their ranks. I mean, a vampire? Could have sworn they were just regular women and male slaves who hate and wish to destroy men. This is going down in the war journal.
_____
Giving things some time to wind down, I go through the same steps as yesterday and quickly get past the lock. Thankfully, the door opens and the desk is no longer blocking the path. Yet, the sight's different this time.
Hisao's sitting on the bed and seems to be in much better condition. Hanako seems… less vampirey and more like what Hisao's told me of her, just lying down on the bed and reading a book.
"You," I damningly say at the girl, which gets their attention.
"Kenji…? What are you doing here?" Hisao asks as he scratches his head.
"Saving you from that demon, obviously! How could you be so foolish to fall into that trap? She's trying to kill--"
"No, you don't get it at all. Yes, you clearly already know what Hanako is. But no, she isn't nor does she want to harm anyone. So please, like I asked yesterday, don't hurt her."
It's worse than I thought.
In the meantime, the vampire got up and is now behind Hisao. Why is she hiding from me? This whole this is a damned mess.
"But she sucks your blood! You're a science guy, you know you need that." Maybe I can still reason with him.
Hisao just shakes his head. "She doesn't need very much and I'm happy to help her."
I let out a heavy sigh. "You're juggling freakin' alligators here, man!"
They look at each other for a moment and then back at me, but Hisao speaks up again, "Er… what?"
It'd be easier if I could just shake him, but I don't know what she's going to do if I get any closer. "You're going to get yourself killed! I told you so then and and I'm telling you now."
He takes a quick glance over at the girl and sighs, "I can't believe I'm doing this, but how many times have I told you how wonderful Hanako is? How happy she makes me? Look… I don't expect you just to accept her, I imagine very few people want to accept a vampire. But it really doesn't need to change anything. I'm no different and honestly, she's not really any different either. Please, just don't tell anyone. That's all I want from you."
"Why won't you believe me‽ I thought we had each other's back, man!" I shout indignantly.
Hisao just shakes his head. "Have you tried getting to know her at all?"
And he expects me to put my guard down like that? Not going to happen.
Just as I'm about to head out of the door and leave Hisao to his own fate, the girl's voice catches my attention, "K-Kenji? I'm sorry about yesterday. I know you and Hisao are friends, but…"
"Sorry?"
"If I hurt you, I'm sorry. It's just that whenever I need to do… that, Hisao's really weak and I want to make sure he's safe."
Her feminine wiles must be getting to me, because I'm starting to reconsider my position. Maybe she's here to kill both of us off and is simply biding her time. But maybe not. Hisao has proven himself to be a pretty good soldier in the past, so… I'll take his word for now.
"Oh, it was nothing really. It's going to take a lot more than that to eliminate me," I victoriously state. She simply nods.
Heading out the door, I say, "Well, stay safe, Hisao. I still need you for missions, after all."
"If you say so," he chuckles.
Feminists are usually predictable enough, but this is something completely new. Going to have to keep an eye on both of them, but I'm sure Hisao will tell me if something goes terribly wrong and she tries to kill him. I can hope, anyway.
_____
"Don't worry about him. Kenji's… different, but he's pretty much harmless," I whisper to Hanako while throwing an arm around her.
She faces me and I look into her alluring eyes. Hanako blinking is the only thing that manages to break the trance.
"Hisao? I-I'm ready to leave if you are."
I completely forgot about our date! Last night must have taken more out of me than I thought.
"Yeah, let's get going."
A sweet smile forms on her face and I can't help but return it.
Hanako grabs her adorable outfit and starts to change. I should do the same, but… well, it can wait a minute or two to appreciate the sight. She shoots a pout at me when she notices what I'm doing.
"Okay, okay, I'll start getting dressed too," I chuckle.
A simple white shirt and dark blue pants, complete with my sweater vest. Neither of us really change up our clothes that much, but no reason to change what works, especially when we can spend some of that extra money on each other. I make sure to grab her parasol too, since long exposure to the sun has been starting to irritate her skin.
Hanako reaches out to hold my hand and I gladly accept. We head out and make our way past Kenji's room. Thankfully he's being quiet and doesn't disturb us. I know he still doesn't really trust Hanako, but hopefully he will or at least believe me soon. My attention returns to the girl at my side as she rests her head on my shoulder.
"What was the plan again? Lunch and then relaxing in the park?" Hanako excitedly bobs her head.
My worries just wash away seeing Hanako like this and knowing we have a good day ahead of us.
Last edited by TheDwarfLard on Sun Nov 29, 2015 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This Hanako reminds me of Bakemonogatari's Shinobu Oshino, I'm half surprised you didn't throw a janky neck angle in there for that Shaft authenticity.
Makes me want to write a crossover.
Nice little piece, but it makes me wonder who she was feeding off before and if her bites have any consequences.
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