by Kotoki » Wed Jul 02, 2003 1:34 pm
(Ten Years Ago)
"Shut UP, you little BRAT!!!"
Slamming the door so hard it almost broke, a blonde teenage girl threw herself into her room. Her face was contorted into an almost insane expression of rage. Ripping two pastel pink scrunchies out of her hair, she threw them down onto the floor and stomped on them savagely.
"GODDAMMIT!" she screamed, picking up a flower vase and smashing it on the wall. "HOW COULD HE?!? I'LL KILL HIM! I SWEAR I'LL KILL HIM!!!"
Eventually, after several objects had been broken, the anger gave way to tears. Falling onto her bed, the girl buried her face in a small mountain of pillows and stuffed animals. Muffled sobs soon filled the room.
"Good evening," a woman's voice said softly from the balcony. That was when the girl noticed for the first time that she was not alone.
She scrambled up from the bed immediately, wiping her red-rimmed eyes as she tried in vain to hide that she had been crying. A cloaked figure was standing in front of the glass door. "Who the hell are you," she growled, trying at least to sound threatening, "and how did you get up here?"
"Kyoko Hanagawa, isn't it?" asked the strange woman, whose face was covered by her hood. "Would you mind letting me in? It's rather cold out here tonight."
Here an important event occurs. Under normal circumstances, Kyoko would never have let her in. These, however, were anything but normal circumstances, and her judgement was more than impaired. She gave a nod, a weak sob, and opened the door.
The woman, pulling down her hood, stepped into the room.
The first thing Kyoko noticed was her hair. It was very straight, and very black. It ended at her shoulders. Two pigtails, almost like her own had been that night, were seperated from the main body. Her skin was so white it almost seemed to glow. Her lips and eyes were both red as fresh blood.
She knew instantly that the woman was a vampire, and any other night would have reached for the nearest threatening object. Again, tonight was different. She sat down on the bed and continued to stare.
"You have a very nice room," said the woman, looking impassively at a teddy bear.
Kyoko finally looked away. "What do you want with me?" she asked sullenly, picking up the bear and throwing it half heartedly out the balcony door.
The woman sat down on the bed beside her. "I've heard about what happened to you tonight," she said, with a hint of empathy in her voice. "It's awful, isn't it? You must be feeling very betrayed right now."
"Betrayed is right," the girl replied. "I just can't believe he could do that to me! I mean, Jidai... I've loved him forever!" She broke into a fresh set of tears. "And now he... he just... oh, I can't even say it! How COULD he?!?"
With a deep sigh, the woman stroked Kyoko's back until she calmed down slightly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've been in your situation before... well, maybe not exactly, but close enough. When you just want the pain to go away..." She raised Kyoko's chin up gently and looked her in the eyes. "And, in my experience, there's only one thing that makes it better."
Kyoko blinked back her tears with a look of surprise. "What's that?" she asked.
"Revenge," whispered the woman. Her deep red lips curved into a smile.
"Revenge?" echoed Kyoko, stunned. "Against him?"
The woman nodded. "Against him," she replied. "Against his family. Against this whole town." Her smile turned into a frown. "Because they've all betrayed you, Kyoko. It's just like your sister said. They knew, didn't they? And they said nothing."
"They let me make a fool of myself," Kyoko finished. "Laughing at me behind my back. How could he? How could they all do this to me?" She looked up at the woman. "What should I do?"
Lips turning up again, the woman took her hand. "Kyoko," she said, "make a deal with me. I can help you get your revenge. Together, we can end your pain. Maybe we can even make him love you. You can go so much farther than you ever thought possible..."
Kyoko didn't hesitate for a moment. "A deal," she said. "Tell me what to do."
Through the keyhole, her little sister watched in horror.
(The Present)
The brown-haired woman with grey eyes checked her bag again for the third time, making sure she had in it everything she might possibly need for the trip. It still looked fine. She glanced nervously in the mirror and retied her ponytail tighter than before.
She had given Deen the keys to the cellar, and he had instructions about what to do if a fight started or if someone damaged the walls. She had traded her usual apron and working outfit for her usual adventuring gear, which had served her well even if it was a bit skimpy. She was convinced that the Inn would be fine while she was gone.
For the first time since she had arrived in Doma City ten years ago, Kotoki Michiyasu was going to go home.
Picking up her bag and hefting it over her shoulder, taking a last look around the room, she walked away and headed downstairs to the common room on the first floor. Hopefully her travelling companions would have gathered there already.