Shadows [Chapter 3]
Title: Shadows [Chapter 3]
Author: Ani
Genre: AU, angst, slight romance/fluff
Rating: PG
Pairings: Chiitaro
Summary: Ryutaro-centric. His past refuses to leave him alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own JE
The girl's presence caused a change to ripple through the air. It made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
"Ryu-chan?" Chinen had been dozing on me like I was a great, big pillow, but he began to wake when he felt me tense. "What's wrong?"
She stood quietly by my door, watching us intently, almost observing. Her haggard expression and wind-swept clothes indicated she had traveled a long distance in a very short amount of time. Ebony-tinted hair cascaded down her front, sharply contrasted against her pale face. Although the day's temperature had already broke the high records, she was wearing a long-sleeved jacket with the hoodie thrown up.
"Who are you?" Instinctively, I drew Chinen closer to myself. Something innate told me she was dangerous. I knew I didn't want her anywhere near Chinen, and no, I was not just being a possessive boyfriend, though the girl was pretty.
"Good afternoon, Ryutaro-kun." Her smile held no warmth. An unidentified accent colored her voice, but otherwise, she spoke surprisingly fluent Japanese. "How are you?"
"Who are you?" I repeated, not liking the way she acted as though she knew me.
"Really? We haven't seen each other for years and this is the greeting you give your dear cousin?"
My blood boiled and I gritted my teeth as the blatant lie but felt a small hand tugging on my shirt.
"Should I go?" Chinen peeked up at me, sensing an awkward feeling of intrusion and I nodded. I held his hand tightly as we tried to pass the strange girl. He peered at her curiously but I didn't bother too hard to hide my hostile glare.
Without warning, she lunged forward and jerked Chinen away from me. He gave a startled cry and I immediately tried to swat her hand away only to jolt back with a shock; her skin was ice cold to the touch.
"He's cute," she commented wryly, letting Chinen go almost instantly. "Your boyfriend." There was no question in her voice, making it a statement of fact.
"Ryutaro, did something happen?" Mom must have heard Chinen but she froze at the sight of the girl, paling as though she had just seen a ghost. "You-!"
"Hello Kaya-san." The girl's pleasant voice held a hidden note of disdain. "I do hope you don't mind the intrusion, although you must have been expecting it."
Mom pursed her lips, evidently very bothered by the intrusion. "Ryutaro, take Chinen home, and come back immediately."
I didn't need any prompting and hastily pulled a confused Chinen out of my apartment.
"Ryu-chan..." Chinen lingered on his doorstep, and I tried to smile.
"Sorry, Chii." I leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded, eyes clouding with worry.
"Don't leave me, okay?" At that time, as he put his arms around me for a hug, I thought it was strange he would make such as request.
"I won't, I promise." I didn't realize then I would soon break that and many other promises I made to him.
He leaned up, tugging on my collar and I pressed our lips together. I think that was the last kiss we shared before our world fell apart.
"Oh, he's back." The strange, pale girl was seated at the table. Her eyes were closed as she sipped a mug of what I assumed was tea. Mom always served tea to guests, no matter who it might be.
I didn't want to go over. I didn't want to sit at the same table as her. I didn't want to learn about this girl and her connection to us. But Mom was gesturing me over, and with her flashing a look of desperation at me, I had no choice but to drudge reluctantly to the table. I made sure I sat as far from her as I could.
"So who is she?" I asked, pointedly ignoring her. She didn't seem bothered by my rudeness anyways but Mom frowned at me. "She's not really my cousin, is she?"
"Her name's Lili. She's an old acquaintance of...mine." Mom seemed hesitant for some reason.
"An old acquaintance?" I gave Lili another look. She couldn't be that much older than me. Maybe it was a family thing.
"Lili looks much older than she looks," Mom explained. "I met her when I was about your age, maybe a bit younger, and she changed my whole life." Her voice took on a bitter tone. "For better or worse. She's here to..."
"To have a promise fulfilled." Lili set her mug down and gave Mom a meaningful glance. "I helped Kaya out of her dilemma years ago."
"Wish? Promise?" I was getting more and more confused. But more than that, the sense of dread was increasing.
"You never told him?" Lili didn't sound surprised at my ignorance, but she did flash a look of question at Mom, as though asking her 'why?'
"I couldn't find a right time," Mom admitted, abashed.
"Tell me what?" I can't stand getting ignored. I think I might have mentioned that already.
"I'm a vampire." Lili took another sip of her tea as though she had just announced what the weather was. "Kaya was my apprentice years ago until she fell in love with some human. It's not like it's illegal or even wrong for vampires to take a human as a lover. Plenty of us do so, but for Kaya..." Her eyes slid over to Mom, waiting.
Mom picked up the sentence after it was evident Lili wouldn't continue. "I had always resented getting turned against my will. When I met Seiji, I knew he was the one for me. But I also knew by then, I couldn't be with him the way I wanted to if I remained a vampire. So I asked Lili, my master, to turn me back."
"Kaya had two choices really," Lili cut in. She held up one finger. "First, she could have simply turned Seiji-kun as well. I don't really get why she didn't. Vampires live much longer lives than humans; you two could have been together far longer."
Mom shook her head sadly. "You wouldn't understand Lili. You're much too integrated into the night life, to the point in which you didn't even think to tell me about the second option. I had to find that out myself."
"I didn't think you would want to be human again," Lili explained before continuing. "Becoming human again is infinitely more difficult than turning into a vampire. It's possible of course, but I didn't like the idea of losing an apprentice of mine. So I asked Kaya to make a deal with me. In exchange for her humanity, she would hand me her eldest child as a replacement for her." She turned her cold, black eyes on me. "That'll be you, Ryutaro-kun."
"What are you saying?" I was having trouble digesting the information. "I have to go with her? I'm supposed to become a vampire?" The answering silence confirmed my fears. "Is this some sort of joke!?"
"Ryutaro, I'm sorry." Mom reached out to pat my arm, but I jerked back. She tried not to look too bothered. "Lili's not terrible; if you were to turn, she's one of the better masters."
"Why, thank you, Kaya." Lili gave Mom a wry smile. "I've never heard you praise me like that."
"What if I refuse? What if I say I don't want to?" I asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"This isn't your decision, Ryutaro-kun," Lili turned her cold eyes on me. I got the distinct feeling she was as fond of me as I was of her. "It's a deal made fifteen years ago between me and Kaya. It cannot be broken."
I can't remember what happened next. Whenever I try, all I see is a blinding white flash followed by an intense pain at the back of my neck. According to Lili, she knocked me out because she got tired of hearing my complaints. Three days later, I woke up and was no longer human. Lili had already turned me.
A/N: Not a fan of this chapter. Though it's important. First time using a major OC /hides
Author: Ani
Genre: AU, angst, slight romance/fluff
Rating: PG
Pairings: Chiitaro
Summary: Ryutaro-centric. His past refuses to leave him alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own JE
The girl's presence caused a change to ripple through the air. It made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
"Ryu-chan?" Chinen had been dozing on me like I was a great, big pillow, but he began to wake when he felt me tense. "What's wrong?"
She stood quietly by my door, watching us intently, almost observing. Her haggard expression and wind-swept clothes indicated she had traveled a long distance in a very short amount of time. Ebony-tinted hair cascaded down her front, sharply contrasted against her pale face. Although the day's temperature had already broke the high records, she was wearing a long-sleeved jacket with the hoodie thrown up.
"Who are you?" Instinctively, I drew Chinen closer to myself. Something innate told me she was dangerous. I knew I didn't want her anywhere near Chinen, and no, I was not just being a possessive boyfriend, though the girl was pretty.
"Good afternoon, Ryutaro-kun." Her smile held no warmth. An unidentified accent colored her voice, but otherwise, she spoke surprisingly fluent Japanese. "How are you?"
"Who are you?" I repeated, not liking the way she acted as though she knew me.
"Really? We haven't seen each other for years and this is the greeting you give your dear cousin?"
My blood boiled and I gritted my teeth as the blatant lie but felt a small hand tugging on my shirt.
"Should I go?" Chinen peeked up at me, sensing an awkward feeling of intrusion and I nodded. I held his hand tightly as we tried to pass the strange girl. He peered at her curiously but I didn't bother too hard to hide my hostile glare.
Without warning, she lunged forward and jerked Chinen away from me. He gave a startled cry and I immediately tried to swat her hand away only to jolt back with a shock; her skin was ice cold to the touch.
"He's cute," she commented wryly, letting Chinen go almost instantly. "Your boyfriend." There was no question in her voice, making it a statement of fact.
"Ryutaro, did something happen?" Mom must have heard Chinen but she froze at the sight of the girl, paling as though she had just seen a ghost. "You-!"
"Hello Kaya-san." The girl's pleasant voice held a hidden note of disdain. "I do hope you don't mind the intrusion, although you must have been expecting it."
Mom pursed her lips, evidently very bothered by the intrusion. "Ryutaro, take Chinen home, and come back immediately."
I didn't need any prompting and hastily pulled a confused Chinen out of my apartment.
"Ryu-chan..." Chinen lingered on his doorstep, and I tried to smile.
"Sorry, Chii." I leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded, eyes clouding with worry.
"Don't leave me, okay?" At that time, as he put his arms around me for a hug, I thought it was strange he would make such as request.
"I won't, I promise." I didn't realize then I would soon break that and many other promises I made to him.
He leaned up, tugging on my collar and I pressed our lips together. I think that was the last kiss we shared before our world fell apart.
"Oh, he's back." The strange, pale girl was seated at the table. Her eyes were closed as she sipped a mug of what I assumed was tea. Mom always served tea to guests, no matter who it might be.
I didn't want to go over. I didn't want to sit at the same table as her. I didn't want to learn about this girl and her connection to us. But Mom was gesturing me over, and with her flashing a look of desperation at me, I had no choice but to drudge reluctantly to the table. I made sure I sat as far from her as I could.
"So who is she?" I asked, pointedly ignoring her. She didn't seem bothered by my rudeness anyways but Mom frowned at me. "She's not really my cousin, is she?"
"Her name's Lili. She's an old acquaintance of...mine." Mom seemed hesitant for some reason.
"An old acquaintance?" I gave Lili another look. She couldn't be that much older than me. Maybe it was a family thing.
"Lili looks much older than she looks," Mom explained. "I met her when I was about your age, maybe a bit younger, and she changed my whole life." Her voice took on a bitter tone. "For better or worse. She's here to..."
"To have a promise fulfilled." Lili set her mug down and gave Mom a meaningful glance. "I helped Kaya out of her dilemma years ago."
"Wish? Promise?" I was getting more and more confused. But more than that, the sense of dread was increasing.
"You never told him?" Lili didn't sound surprised at my ignorance, but she did flash a look of question at Mom, as though asking her 'why?'
"I couldn't find a right time," Mom admitted, abashed.
"Tell me what?" I can't stand getting ignored. I think I might have mentioned that already.
"I'm a vampire." Lili took another sip of her tea as though she had just announced what the weather was. "Kaya was my apprentice years ago until she fell in love with some human. It's not like it's illegal or even wrong for vampires to take a human as a lover. Plenty of us do so, but for Kaya..." Her eyes slid over to Mom, waiting.
Mom picked up the sentence after it was evident Lili wouldn't continue. "I had always resented getting turned against my will. When I met Seiji, I knew he was the one for me. But I also knew by then, I couldn't be with him the way I wanted to if I remained a vampire. So I asked Lili, my master, to turn me back."
"Kaya had two choices really," Lili cut in. She held up one finger. "First, she could have simply turned Seiji-kun as well. I don't really get why she didn't. Vampires live much longer lives than humans; you two could have been together far longer."
Mom shook her head sadly. "You wouldn't understand Lili. You're much too integrated into the night life, to the point in which you didn't even think to tell me about the second option. I had to find that out myself."
"I didn't think you would want to be human again," Lili explained before continuing. "Becoming human again is infinitely more difficult than turning into a vampire. It's possible of course, but I didn't like the idea of losing an apprentice of mine. So I asked Kaya to make a deal with me. In exchange for her humanity, she would hand me her eldest child as a replacement for her." She turned her cold, black eyes on me. "That'll be you, Ryutaro-kun."
"What are you saying?" I was having trouble digesting the information. "I have to go with her? I'm supposed to become a vampire?" The answering silence confirmed my fears. "Is this some sort of joke!?"
"Ryutaro, I'm sorry." Mom reached out to pat my arm, but I jerked back. She tried not to look too bothered. "Lili's not terrible; if you were to turn, she's one of the better masters."
"Why, thank you, Kaya." Lili gave Mom a wry smile. "I've never heard you praise me like that."
"What if I refuse? What if I say I don't want to?" I asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"This isn't your decision, Ryutaro-kun," Lili turned her cold eyes on me. I got the distinct feeling she was as fond of me as I was of her. "It's a deal made fifteen years ago between me and Kaya. It cannot be broken."
I can't remember what happened next. Whenever I try, all I see is a blinding white flash followed by an intense pain at the back of my neck. According to Lili, she knocked me out because she got tired of hearing my complaints. Three days later, I woke up and was no longer human. Lili had already turned me.
A/N: Not a fan of this chapter. Though it's important. First time using a major OC /hides