Spirits of the Earth

The lights of the city shone brightly under the ink-blue cover of the night, drowning out the distant stars and pale moon, floating above a thin veil of clouds. They shone with many colors, from bright white through warm yellow, orange and red, poisonous green, sugary-sweet pink, to cold, clean blue, and wherever one looked was just a maze of those lights, gleaming in the dark.

It wasn't a particularly busy night, though it sure wasn't a calm one, either - in the end, it was summer, and even so late it was still warm. A tall figure passed through the door, panels of dim milky glass pulled open by a couple of restaurant employees that appeared so similar they could be twins just as well as clones. He, however, paid little attention to them.

With movement as graceful as if he was a mountain lion, not the elegant man he really was, he passed through the softly lit room, decorated very simply, but with visible style. The blossoming branches of sakura trees drawn here and there on the walls. Dark tables. Simple chairs by their sides, white tablecloths only partially covering the dark wood, which appeared even darker under the light from the few lamps on the ceiling, and a continuous white neon line around the bar.

Seiki sat down onto one of the barstools, which were all empty except for a couple, occupied by a pair of silently conversing people. He took his black jacket off, folding it in half and hanging over the simple line that formed the back and sides of the stool, and loosened the tie which held the high collar of his dark silken shirt up. The bartender approached him even before he was finished, bowing and handing him the menu. He replied to his greeting with his typical graceful elegance, opening the black book right after.

For the start just a simple meal, even after a long day he wasn't too hungry... He shifted into a more comfortable position, and watched as the bartender handed him his order only a short while after. Vibrant red pieces of salmon contrasted sharply with the white rice and black wraps, all laid out very simply, and topped with a small bowl of wasabi and a glass of sake.

His hands took the couple of smooth dark chopsticks, and he begun eating, slowly, enjoying his food.

Her exhale was lingering and silent. While the darkness behind her eyelids shone the green landscapes, grass in a gleam from a dying sun, the citescapes were much different. Lights in rows, placement in no specific alignment. She leaned over the cylendrical surface of the icy iron railing, wind and humidity confirming light rain as dense grey clouds rolled over the sky's. Nearly black had it not been housing both bright, and dim stars. Some, she knew, weren't stars at all.

She arched her hunched back in a casual stretch of muscles, before disentangling herself from the railing. Raven cloaked heels clicked on the concrete, only to be halted by the wearer, having come to a classy club. Describing it as admirable simplicity with hints of dressy fashion.

Onward went her pathway, straight for a certain bar. Waitresses filed in and out of milky glass doors to deliver immaculate service. This having been thought through expirience. Amaria approached, curtsying only once in reprocation for a gentlemenly bow. Her form gracefully slid onto a barstool, left hand reaching to remove a japanese cherry blossom from her hair. Curly chesnut brown cascading in a wavy fashion down her back as she politely thanked the tender for the presented menu. Raising to scan the chooses in no specific rush.

The chopsticks made a soft clink on the side of the plate as Seiki laid them down to have a drink from his sake, when the ringtone of his phone broke his chain of thoughts, and made him put the glass down in a similarly elaborate manner as that with which he took the black phone out of the pocket of his jacket, and put it by the ear.

Ah, the company again. A familiar voice addressed him on the other side, but unfortunately, in a completely wrong moment.
"No, sorry. I have already left, the next week beginning with tomorrow is my holiday. I'm sorry, I'm currently not available. I would advise you to contact my father, or one of my co-managers." he explained, his melodic voice silent, but loud enough to be heard closely by. A wisp of his silky black hair sled down his hand as he put the phone down, returning it to the pocket where it belonged.

And he picked the pair of chopsticks again, to put another small piece of sushi into his mouth. No, today was no day for returning to the company. After all, it was only an ordinary meeting where they demanded a presence of a manager - any manager, not him in particular.

He studied his surroundings, people that sat around, with his careful green eyes, while he continued eating with his usual elegance.

She went to work with both ordering, and retreaving a black toshiba from her handbag. A flash of navy blue leather. The clatter in the club meant nothing to her but a calming surround sound.

The laptop was placed, opened, and logged into before an irritable ping sounded. Another email from her editor.

She frowned, and pulled it to full screen. A short lecture on the due date for the last three chapters on her novel. "Yes. Of course I'm stalling to piss my company off..." she muttered, mind plunged into a state of controlled frustration.

Her fingers danced along the keys in a reply before she expelled a pent up exhale. Food then being presented. She dipped her head with a polite nod, and small smile before her chopsticks were obtained and put to use.

The ringtone repeated, and Seiki slightly frowned, putting the chopsticks down again. Who would be so persistent? They all knew that he was taking a week long holiday... He picked it up again, a different voice sounding from it this time, but with a similar request.

Turned down with a slight annoyance. He was in no mood to come to the meeting, but promised to reply to a company email by this evening. All contents of the meeting should be sent to him... How demanding. It surely meant profits, but all he wished to was to be already on the board of the plane, tomorrow in the morning.

He took his tablet, in design very similar to his phone, resembling its oversized version, out of the smooth bag that he put down by his chair. Lifting its case, a silent sound followed the screen that was lit with bright, cold light.

He glanced over his shoulder to the side, where a similar bright light radiated off the screen of a laptop, lighting a figure of a young woman. Alone? Well, that was no concern of his. Lifting his glass of sake with one hand while the other one handled the tablet, he leaned back a little. On evenings like this it was always a storm of thoughts...

Did he even come here to work, or stare? Or maybe something else?

A video call intruded on a reply being sent for a scheduled meeting with the director for her novel's developing film. She frowned deeper, and realized her mistake when answering it. "Amaria. Why haven't I got an email on the chapters?"

"I told you. I'm on the boarderline of completion. And your constant bother is delaying my work."

He angrily huffed, and eyed her with beedy brown eyes. "Next week, it's due. I prase you for being early in updates."

"Maybe, just maybe, I may need the entirety of the time to reflect. Don't say a dam thing to me unless you contact me on behaf of your becoming jobless," she snapped. "Connara corporation needs workers with dedication. Don't make me bring your hatred for your position to the forefront. Good day."

With that, the video call was cut short, leaving her scowl. Her irritation soon faded back into relaxation, or some form of it.

She took note of illumination to her right, coming from a tablet, with its occupant finely presentable and buisness like. She caught his eye only breifly before popping more sushi into her mouth, and closing her eyes to savor its taste.

The email arrived. A sigh escaped Seiki's slightly parted lips, and a few grains of rice dropped from the chopsticks as he clicked on the icon. All that was currently happening on the meeting noted in the message, however, none of that was something new for him. After all, he initiated most of this.

Not too eager to reply, or somehow contribute to his meeting, his thin fingers went down from replying into opening another tab, and simply browsing the internet for fun.

The voice of the girl to his left didn't escape his ears. He examined her more closely... An attractive fellow at that. He was feeling generous today.

He gestured the bartender to come closer. Ordering sake for her, he gave him a soft, confident half-smile, assuring the man that he will pay himself. The uniformed man took his now empty plate, and proceeded to place a bottle and cup of sake in front of Amaria, without any notion from where it comes.

"It has already been paid for. Enjoy." he wished her, bowing, and leaving again.

A bottle of sake was applied at the bar to her left, and the tender assured her of it being payed for. She raised a finely penciled brow, slender fingers wrapping delicately around its cylendrical surface. She read the label, and set it back down, grabbing a glass, and filled it halfway. Sipping it leisurely as she worked to decipher the report from her literary agent.

All the while wondering who would've paid for the sake. She assured herself of the gesture being kind. And not something suspicious. Though, shevwished to delve a bit deeper into the subject at a later date.

She sighed silently, a clicking sounding as she opened firefox and logged onto a writing website. Updates streamed in from her latest anime fanficton, all positive with requests and suggestions thrown in the mix. All causing a smile to be  summon on her glossy lips.

Discreetly winking at the woman, Seiki continued browsing what he currently had opened on his laptop. His hand slipped into the knot of tie, and loosened it even more than it already was, unbuttoning the two top buttons of his silken shirts, while the fingers of the other danced across the keyboard, writing his house staff to pack his luggage for tomorrow with specific contents of his bags.

While he held the sake with his left hand, he opened yet another site. All of a sudden, a loud music blasted out of the tablet - roaring guitars, loud, beating drums, accompanied by deep, growling vocals. His eyes widened for a moment, realizing he clicked the wrong thing, and closed the tab again. A few heads turned after him - it was unexpected to hear loud hard rock music from a businessman, but they turned back again shortly after.

He kept eyeing the girl with the corner of his eye. Seiki Naohiro Adachi was bored... And when he was bored, he was determined to have some fun. In the end, the blast of music may have worked in his favor.

She sent numerous message, rapid fire judging by how fast she was typing. She sent a particular message, and pulled up facebook.

Now, she was one social butterfly, and she agreed to many forms of entertainment, concluding to outbursts if necessary. This time was a bit different. Simply because men of buisness have stereotypes assigned to them. Such as their liking for classy music, as opposed to heavy metal and electric guitars.

Her head turned halfway to glance at the owner of the tablet who, yes she caught it, winked at her earlier. For now, she setled for turning away, and smirking slightly.

His bright green eyes met hers, as he returned her glance with a confident half-smile. His hands closed the tablet's leather cover, and returned it to his bag, right before he sled off the chair and stood up, walking over to the other side of the bar.

Walking so closely to the bar stools as he did, he accidentally made something slip from the chair the girl sat on. A jacket?

He bent over to pick it up again, and handed it to her. "I'm sorry. This must be yours." he spoke.

"Thank you," she said, tone melodic as her accent slipped completely. Causing the eruption of what was heard as the queen of england. Yes, she's a lovely brit. "Greatly appreciated, love."

Her index finger went to remove, or at least minimize the webpage. A frozen image of her latest fanfic, and all around unproffesional for the CEO she was.

Seiki shrugged softly, his hand slipping back to his side. Love? How... Interesting.

"No problem." he replied, with the same grimace, which was hardly more than the corners of his mouth turned up a little. He sighted the page on the screen of her laptop, but didn't mention it, his bright green eyes instead sliding to her face.

As he was looking to her, she was typing the last of the email to her all around impatient, inconsiderate son of a-... editor. Her expression in a state of concentration.

Sooner rather then later, she signed out, and shut the lid, muttering about the idiocy of her crew. Amber ringed autumm iris's then came to meet an intense green gaze, the lighting in the area as it was was dim, but it danced across his eyes, like firelight would cross hers.

She opted for casualties, but merely held his stare with a confident one of her own, half smiling.

"Hopefully you have enjoyed the drink." Seiki mused idly, nodding his dark-haired head towards the bottle of sake he has sent to Amaria. It was obvious that she's already drunk some of it, but he focused on her eyes, maintaining his calm, cool expression. Pretty chill for a businessman at that.

"I find the sake at this particular place quite good, to be honest." In an attempt to casually start a conversation, which appeared to work well, he softly tilted his head aside, and moved to her side, instead of standing behind the bar stool.

She smiled a bit more, having then found out it was the finely behaved man of buisness who had so generously bought the bottle of Sake. The reason for such remaining a mystery. Dammit. So close, yet so far from the conclusion.

"Indeed, it is quite delectable. The wine division in my company holds this in a high ranking. I never knew why 'till now. So thank you," she said in the process of shifting to face him rather then the bar.

Seiki's smile widened a little. "With pleasure. It was just a random feeling of ecstatic generosity." he shrugged, laughing lightly. "I have always appreciated a fine drink, with a delicate, refined flavor such as this. Not that many know how to enjoy them the right way."

Quite an interesting woman, she seemed intelligent and well-mannered, judging by her speech and general behavior... Although she appeared somewhat young.

Her laugh was light. Half air, half sound. And it was short. "Indeed. I do hope I am not doing it wrong," she exclaimed, enclosing the wine glass's side in her slender fingers, and tipping it back partially for a short sip. Before reapplying it to the bartop.

A chuckle was the reply he gave her. "Any way in which you find things enjoyable is, by me, at least, considered right." he admitted.

"Mind me asking for your name?" he questioned her, casually, but his voice was silent.

"Amaria." Her name rolled off the tongue nicely, as it always had when it was spoken. Even by the raspyest of nen ir woman, her title claimed her charm. "CEO of Connara Incorporated."

She would do so much as a bow in addition to confesion, though, would refrain from asking for his name. He would present it at any given time he chose, and she was that stubbornly suspicious.

"Seiki Naohiro Adachi." he introduced himself, ever so slightly bowing his head and bending in his waist. He chose to say his name in the western way to avoid confusion, though even after so many years it still came slightly unnatural to him.

"The name of your company seems very familiar to me... I remember deploying you once. Or, to be more accurate, I remember my father's company deploying yours." A smile spread through his lips. He chose not to say the name of his company, to instead heighten her curiosity, if there already was some, and create a little in the other case.

"Indeed. A good man. Good at striking deals worth participation in." She wasn't too terribly curious as to where he belonged. She was blunt. A straight to the point kinda gal.

Her supple lips curved in a ghost of a smirk at his accent presented, tilting he head, eyes sharp but gleaming with hidden thoughts.

Two sharp tips of his teeth flashed in his mouth as he laughed, lightly and shortly as before, but it was too fast to be noticed for anyone that wasn't searching exactly for that.

"Thank you. Good deal's always worth the effort." It pleased him that she remembered... After all, making deals with the number of companies his father's corporation did, it wasn't as easy to keep them all in memory, though Seiki and Takuya were living examples that it was possible.

Her eyes narrowed. She was extremely perceptive, even for a buisness woman. She believed his abnormality to be nothing short from interesting. Wonder what he would think of her difference...

"Ah, yes. Very worth it."

"Most definitely." he nodded, smiling a little. He gazed into the distance for a moment of silence, unsure how to continue in this conversation, until he casually asked another question.

"If you don't mind me asking - as I am, by no means, trying to be inquisitive, or anything similar - what is the reason for a lady such as yourself to be here at this time? It's quite late."

"My comfort for my company has faltered. Thus, I seek relief from piled work, and persistant staff."

She dropped her gaze to her laptop, distinctly remember the conversation with her editor. Biting her lip would merely draw unwanted blood, so she refrained from such.

"How about you, fine mister?"

With a light shrug, Seiki slipped onto the barstool beside her. "Just enjoying some peace and silence after a particularly difficult week, before my holiday. I can understand your reasons... My own staff is quite similar, insisting on meetings even while I'm enjoying my meal."

He gave a short glance to the place where he previously sat, only two stools away. There wasn't any need to return too soon.

Her phone chirped, in unison with a ping from her laptop. Bile rose in her throat. Her temper flaring to blue fire from annoyance, but her outer self looked relaxed. "Bollocks..." she muttered, to no one in particular.

"It's annoying, is it not? Even in our positions we have a right for free time." Seiki sighed, slightly annoyed. It appeared that he wasn't the only one with persistent employees.

He crossed his legs, poisonous green eyes staring somewhere into the distance, until they sled onto her face again, studying it rather discreetly under his thick, dark lashes.

"Indeed it is. Despite our higher placement in buisness, and our hard work, we are human-" she cut short. Not seeming to notice his study of her face as her lips pressed into a hard line. "Bottom line, we deserve some me time, as those of modern day put it," she muttered as a quick amend.

She crossed her legs, arranging her ankle length raven dress to its previous placement.

His lips twisted into a somewhat amused smirk. There seemed to be some hesitation in her voice. Human... Well, human as human, it didn't matter much.

"At least in summer, I think there should be at least a little compassion. Spending a whole day in a suit is truly uncomfortable at the least." he spoke idly, taking the tie completely off his neck. It slipped through his hands like a silken snake of black, adorned by ornaments, displaying a pattern of blossoming cherry tree branches, woven into the into the complicated ornamentss.

She removed the grey silken scarf from its rest upon her shoulders. Once meant to cover the marks. Jet black scars of intricate designs twined up her arms, along her collarbone, and coming to pointed ends at intervals up her neck. Each in the language of the shinigami. Each meant to ensure actions don't go to hell.

"One would think being the practical definition of authoraty would come with freewill. At least a bare minimum."

His eyes scanned the black tattoos on her shoulders with interest, studying the intricate patterns they formed, but he still kept his attention at their conversation.

"Oh, I think there definitely is at least some freedom... The problem would more likely be the invasiveness of some aspects of our work, I'd say. But after all, with great power comes great responsibility, and this is just... A toll we have to pay for our status. It could definitely be worse. Quite frankly, I am willing to pay this toll." he replied, his voice like silk, perfectly calm, though showing some interest in the matters they spoke of.

"Love, the very idea of you having even the slightest expirience as to what I do, and what propositions I have had to accept in past times would amuse me, if not capture my interests. But, alas, such a thought is unreal." When she smiled, after using such a soothing tone, it contrasted with the underline meaning of her declaration. It brought hints of difference between her, and the occupants of the tainted world. Many having explained their feeble meaning as to why they were there in the frst place. That, was one unattractive trait.

"Anyway, freedom is a given to many among the lower job positions. People of a higher job position bear a weight on they're shoulder most wouldn't have the stamina to handle." She wasn't disrespecting the poor people, but when the moment called for facts, she impressed.

"That is true. The highest of positions are given to those that have proven efficient and fit for them for a reason, after all." His voice grew cold for a moment, but returned to its usual calm, melodic quality shortly after. Her voice and her words contradicted each other...

"Though, you speak with confidence about my... Position."

Her eyes shifted so it rested on the laptop she was now opening. Wordy as she had a tendency to be, she was one to offened almost as quickly as the blink of and eye. "I seem to catch quite a positive vibe from you, sir. Do not take offense to my mouth, for I am not one to filter my language." She flushed against the earlier exclamation, and decided to cut the visiting short. One thing could connect to another and one couldn't believe what trouble this would branch off into.

"It was a pleasure to converse, kind sir." Her tone was clipped, cold. Mouth pressed into a hard line as her fingers began their dance among the keys.

Seiki's lips formed a slight smile. "Oh, the pleasure was all mine." he replied calmly, sliding from his bar stool, and walking back to where he has left his own things.

The screen of the tablet lit up again, and a silent sigh escaped his mouth. More information about the meeting has already arrived, making a quiet sound as he clicked the icon, and started reading, while he finished his sake and let the bartender take the empty cup and bottle away.

He was going to leave soon... He had to prepare for tomorrow's flight. Though it maybe wasn't the most brilliant idea to drink sake before driving back home.

That was a mistake. Looking at the dam screen was a fuck up so bad it couldn't be taken back, regardless of therapy. Her eyes blanched, body frozen in resemblence to suspended animation. Everything about her became lifeless, lke the pausing of a film. Fuck... No... It wasn't happening.

The message pasted in her mail taunted and teased her sanity, until the last line. Where it shattered.

Her hand covered her mouth, and her eyes shut. Tears ran and streaked her flushed cheeks, and her hands shook as she pressed her palm to her stomach.

He couldn't escape noticing that something strange happened to that girl. She started... Crying? He frowned a little, closing the tablet's case again, and sliding off his stool, he walked towards her again, his face slowly sliding into concern.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but is everything alright? I noticed..." he spoke silently, bending over a little, to have his face in the same height as was hers. "I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way, miss."

She shook her head, eyes still closed, and removed the hand to her mouth to point at the screen.

On it, was a message in her inbox. A picture of a newspaper. At the top was a picture of many shinigami shifters scurrying around in panic, but below it, was another photo.

One of a boy no more then 7, with tousled chestnut locks matching Amaria's. He was beaming, holding up a manga book excitedly. His eyes a vibrant pirate gold. This was the article below.

Cameron Connara, son of successful novelist writer and CEO of Connara industries Amaria Connara, was spotted dead on the Brooklyn bridge. Shinigami marks covered almost all hs body. The authoraties called on Batcher Neglit, translater, to read the marks. He was able to tell the media some of the meanings. Submission, sacrafice, death, pain, and sufferage.
Lord Death claimed to have last seen his nephew withhis loyal father, Ben Connara. The Lord knew he wasn't the murderer, but it raises suspicion on his part. Many are on the lookout for the culprate.

The article... Off course. It took Seiki only a few minutes to scan the lines with his eyes, and no more than that for the pieces in his mind to click. "Horrific..." he muttered.

"That's... Terrible." His face, usually so calm and graceful, was shifted in horror and surprise. Those marks weren't unknown to him, and his father taught him how to read some, though without any provided picture, he couldn't do anything.

One of his hands softly wrapped around Amaria's shoulders. "I suppose you'd... Most likely want to get there, am I right? Do you have... Any method of transport available? If not, I have a car down in the street."

"The fact of the matter is..." she turned to him, finally opening her eyes. Instead of amber ringed autumm iris's, they had turned black. "I knew it was coming. My husband has been through alot, and he took it out on our-" she paused. Her tone was calm, collected. Contradicting her physical appearance. "Sorry. MY son. Seiki, if you would, could you stay a bit longer? I am in understanding for your need to pack for your trip, and I respect that. I just need someone in my presence so I don't either get intoxicated, or kill myself. Would you, kindly?"

She shut the laptop, and packed in back in the satchel. "I have divorced my husband officially a week ago. But, I have found another man within that span of time, and he will do good to soothe me later." Normaly she wouldn't dare devuldge this information, but things were stressful, yes?

"That is completely understandable, Amaria. Don't worry... I have already ordered someone to pack my luggage." he calmed her. He could relate to what she has been going through, although only distantly, but he knew what she was talking about.

"I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I can fully understand. My youngest sister has been... Killed in an unfortunate event, and I did not take that easily, either. In fact, I admire that you even have the will to speak." He confessed to her, but kept the fact that he attempted to commit suicide afterwards secret. Even though the circumstances demanded it...

He disappeared only for a moment, to grab his jacket, and returned, sitting down beside her. "Is there anything else I could help you with?"

"Yes." She removed her satchel and deposited it on the bartop. "Considering I have only one person I am close to, and he is not currently present, I would like a hug." She smiled a little, realizing how unproffesional she was to ask of something so tedious, and midly personal from a stranger.

But something about this man was comforting. It might be the knowing look inhis eyes when he could relate to her situations, or it might be the fact that he was respectful, like he should, and felt as if he was a close freind of hers. She hadn't yet had the latter, but she didn't really pay mind to it until then.

Without any visible change in his expression, Seiki put his black jacket over Amaria's shoulders, and his slender, yet wiry arms entwined around her, holding her softly, but firmly enough to feel the embrace around her body. As a real gentleman should, he took care not to touch her skin on places where it was exposed, and handled her carefully.

"It's perfectly fine. If that is what feels comforting, I don't see any problem with it." he assured her.

She wrapped her arms lightly around hismidsection, respectfully refraining from touching anywhere aside from his spine. The hug didn't last to terribly long, but she did rest her cheek against his shoulder, taking a bit to compose herself from getting teary eyed again.

She broke away softly, with a sad smile on her lips. "You remind me of my father, you know? Anik Kadam. A wise man, loyal to the rajaram family. You have that sense of comfort that is most difficult to find in many other men." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, before continueing, this time gazing at the light fixures in thought. "Your father was the same way when he came into my office. He was a 'get straight to buisness' kind of man, but, in the same sense, he was understanding, and a joy to be around."

She looked at Seiki again, studying his face, before chuckling. "In fact, if I am correct, you look just like him."

He smiled lightly, only letting to after her. "Yes, many people say that I resemble my father Takuya closely. In fact, I agree with them... Not only regarding appearance. I always seemed to understand him more than my sisters." he shrugged, moving one of the wisps of his hair behind his ear, studying Amaria's face in the meantime.

"I remember you only a little, but from my father's speech, I understood you were a very creative lady. And as I can see now with my very eyes, a rather strong one, too. As I mentioned before, it surprises me. I can understand how you got onto a position so high - it appears you have all it demands, and that is an indeed rare trait." he complimented her, still speaking softly in an attempt to cheer her up at least a little.

She entwined her finger, and rested them in her lap, smiling as he tucked a stray wisp of hair from his face. People thought it annoying whenshedid such at a meeting. But many refrain from speaking up considering she was kind, yet stern boss. "Your father had spoken of you, Seiki. After the interview for my company, and acceptance in client registration, he took me to a nearby coffee shop. Coincidently, it was one I favored. We conversed on the subject of buisness temprarily, before I sipped my tea, and asked him to tell me about you."

She popped open her satchel, and retreived a manilla folder. It was entirely flat, showing what appeared, at first, as emptyness. But she was quick to flip it open, and carefully remove a colored photo.

She offered a flutter of her lid in a wink before handing it over for him to observe.

It was a picture of Seiki at a mahogany desk, smiling as he stacked papers. Adorned in a grey Amani blazer and matching pants. Tie the color of crimson.

"He had given me this, humorously explaining that merely describing such a lovely man in words alone wouldn't cover a dam thing."

She reached out, and curled slender fingers around the cylendrical side of the wine glass still a quarter full of Sage. She brought therim to her lips, and paused. "He said he was proud." She then tipped it back slowly to savor the flavorful liquid and slight burn as it carressed her throat. "For the entirety of the time discussing you, he had spoken nothing but positive things about you. I made careful note to meet you at a soone, rather than later, date. What my luck to meet you here."

She planted the empty glass back on the bartop, and took to studying him from under her curled lashes. A smile on her parted lips, as she grabbed a napkin, and steadily removed the coat of gloss from he lips. For she hated leaving lip marks on the glasses. It was most disrespectful among other things inher minds eye.

Seiki raised a brow in amusement and surprise as she showed him the photograph. "Impressive... I haven't yet heard of anyone meeting a stranger in a restaurant and handing him a photo of himself," he chuckled lightly. "But just as he is proud of me, I'm proud to have a father such as himself."

He crossed his legs, still toying with one wisp of his long hair. "He does have a habit of mentioning the positive about people, or it was only a coincidence, but when I asked about you after the meeting, he has said that it is a great pleasure to work with you, and that he is looking forwards to it. And described you as a lovely lady, full of creative ideas and initiative. Quite impressive information, too... Admiring the young age at which you became a CEO, and I agree with him on that. It's unusual." The silky black wisp of hair wrapped around his finger sled down, freed as he lifted his thumb that held it till now. "Yes, I do agree it is a particular kind of luck to meet so unexpectedly, though at such... Unhappy circumstances.

She chuckled. Both amused and relieved. Reasons for the latter unknown. "I am truly happy to have your father as a client. But he has graped onto an untruth that now needs amends. Though, bringing forth such a declarationwoud be, at first, confusing, please do ask afterwards." She smiled, and crossed an ankle over the other. "I am a shapeshifter. Carrying the blood of a warlock through my veins. I take this appearance as a woman in youth to preserve both a good reputation, and healthy reationships with my coworkers and clents. Intruth, I am 800 years of age, give or take a few months."

She studied hus reaction with halflidded black iris's. "To top it all off, I am a shinigami. Or, server of Lord Death."

Her cheeks flushed, wondering suddenly if such a passing of information would cause the young one to admit just how delusional she was. It wasn't that she couldn't trust him, it was a mater of fif HE could trust HER.

One arched brow was raised with interest. "That's truly... Unusual. Though, I suppose only better for you. The fruits of immortality are helpful for ones such as ourselves maybe even more than others... Yes, ourselves. I possess this gift just as well, although due to a different reason."

He smiled a little, as if he said it with pride. "I'm a dragon-blood, and I'm somewhat older than I might appear. 95 years, to be exact." he admitted. "Though, I can fully understand the reasons for you to take this appearance. My employees used to be scared of my eyes in the past, but I think they got used to them. I must say, I did not have the pleasure to meet a shinigami before. Guess this makes it an even more remarkable coincidence!" He laughed, lightly and shortly. 

"Ah, a man among the dragons," she purred. As if testing both the wording and consistancy as it rolled of her tongue. "My, my, you appear no more then 22, give or take. I suppose we can have this addition to our vastly expanding basket of situations to which we both relate."

She used her index and middle finger to toss a batch of freewilled flyaways from her face, extending the hand as it glided down her back to the full length of her hair, smoothing it to proffesional perfection. Her attention remained vigilant as to where the conversation stirred, conjuring agreeance and spice to keep things interesting. "Us humanly in-humans are marked as either non-existant or downright hellbound. It amuses me that people judge my work in a good light, when they stand, oblivious to my obvious differences."

She turned and swung her waterfall of hair over her left shoulder, revealing the raven cremed dress to be backless. Marks of different meaning and strife twining like threads along her quilt of silky skin. "My patience has thinned when I caught what rumors were so flippantly being tossed about these thoughout the office and divisions. People, even now, despite my calm demeanor and lasting kindess, actually think I am a streetrat in flaunt fancy attire."

Her cheeks redened from the irritating memory, lying fresh in her minds forefront as if she had just heard it for the first time. "I have let it pass without confrontation, but this is ridiculous," she muttered animately. Allowing her hair freedom to cascade down her back, once again obscuring the designs among her back.

At her first notion, Seiki chuckled. "Neither do you. Although it's difficult to say how an eight hundred years old should look, I'd never consider you older than twenty five." His voice carried a strange charm, it was calm, but somehow mesmerizing - a little like the hypnotizing speech of a dragon, that catches you unprepared, and gets deep, deep into your core, leaving you speechless in wonder at the magnificence you have just encountered.

Stroking his silken shirt to smoothen it, he took a more comfortable position on the chair, stretched across it, and slightly leaning over the back of the chair. Everything about him appeared to be so casually elegant... Maybe except for his eyes, that were curiously watching Amaria all along. He left her words settle in his mind, thinking about what she said, till he gave her a slight nod. "Yes, there is a lot of prejudice against those that aren't completely... Human. Though, I think it is all cause by envy, and fear. It's quite natural to fear the unknown and misunderstood, and to envy that what possesses a power greater than one's own. And that ends in prejudice and judgmental, discriminating opinions." he shrugged.

"I only consider myself fortunate to be employed in my father's company... Nobody complains if it could result in being fired. My father doesn't tolerate discrimination against anyone and anything." His eyes almost closed as he swiped a long string of his hair behind his left ear, letting it fall down his fingers like a black waterfall, and reveal the slightly pointed tip of his ear - just another sign of his dragon heritage. "And my sisters learned to use those gifts, quite to their luck. I've once been told, from a business partner, that my whole family is truly like dragons, persistent and never eager to give up. I don't know how much about that is true, but I considered it a compliment." The corners of his mouth went up a little, forming a soft smile.

As he put his hand down again, he glanced onto the watch, set under the weepers of his shirt, steel blue, but adorned by a light thread. The steel of the large watch reflected the dim red glow it radiated...

"It's getting quite late," he mused. "Almost midnight already, I wouldn't have thought the time flows by so quickly."

Midnight... I need to get that report done, or it's off with a wealthy employer... "I do suppose that you, albeit bearing a rare charm for a dragonblood, wish to depart in elegance. I hope the night had not been to terribly..." She paused, groping for the right word like someone would grope for a lightswitch in blackness. "unworthy of becoming an adition to memory lane, so to speak."

She slid to the right, slipping the laptop into a snug compartment her mother so generously built. Upon making the entirety of the handbag, of course. A lovely creme colored violet with chrome bucklings. A fine specimen of family handiwork. "It was a perfect pleasure to have finally devuldged in casualties with such a successor and fine gentleman. You are, how I say, the precise picture of how most men should act, as opposed to those most population this world using... Woman and physical contact as entertainment and fun." She was shameless. The woman possessed great amounts of inner strength, confidence, kindness, and, for the most part, an inner flame that shot in forms of smartass comments and input. She loved that part above the rest.

He returned her a smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you... I doubt I'd forget that soon, I daresay - if ever. It was also a pleasure to meet a confident woman such as yourself, one that can be called a lady, and not just a... Wench that searches for nothing but a short moment of entertainment and an opportunity to flirt." His smirk turned sarcastic for a moment, picturing his sister Isako, and how she shamelessly presented herself in public. Model or not, she was, simply put, provocative.

He disappeared for a moment, just to grab his bag, a smooth black leather case that appeared flat, holding but a few documents, closed by a small silver buckle. "Do you have any way to get home? If not, I can give you a ride without a problem. My car's just down there." he offered, while he put his jacket back on, and tucked the tie into his bag.

"It would be of great honor to allow a well formed man of buisness to drive me. Albeit, not home. That, my dear, is a place of secret, unless you care to pay a visit," she responded in an almost comeplete whisper. Smiling a bit as she draped the scarf over her smooth skin. Nearing milky white. She rose from her chair with elegance most say appeared naturally. Who knows? Maybe it was?

Oh, but devuldging such would fail to keep you on your toes!

"Hopefully my car will be comfortable enough." Seiki replied, returning her smile, while his hands searched in his bag for the wallet. He found it shortly after, and paid for his meal, giving the bartender a polite bow and greeting - surprisingly, in Japanese. The man raised a brow with amusement, and took the money, while Seiki turned back to Amaria.

"Shall we go, then? It's close, just down in the street." He picked up his bag and made a small step forwards, not letting anyone know that it may not have been the exactly best idea to drink sake before driving... His dragon heritage made him far harder to get intoxicated, but he would never even think about breaking the law.

Oh, whatever.

"Do not take offense, but I am inclined to speak on your behalf on the Sake consumage limit for agreeance to drivong. And with all do respect, I offer an option. I do not take risks of they can be prevented." Despite her wordong, her vpice was clipped. Slipping in bits of superiority for assistance on both confrontation, and conviction. "Seiki," she said with a sigh, leisure in delivery. "Considering we have conversed for quite a time frame, lets refrain from such heavy wording."

She knew of her problem with that. The suggestion meant more for her then Seik. "Who am I kidding... I have a serious issue filed for later attention.  Thus," she paused, extending a free hand wkth fingers splayed outward in question. "Would you kindly allow me to take the wheel? I happened to once have been a drving Instructor, and was immaculate with my teachings. Some of my students are in Nascar as of late. We stay in touch as nothing more then acquaintances." The release of minor hints on her life was loosely spoken in hopes that he would let her drive him home. She would contact Marino of the motorized developements subdivision to drive his car back. That is... if he allowed his fate to rest in her hands for the duration of the drive.

"Sorry... Drive my car? I do not doubt your abilities in any way, but I must remind you that you have had some sake yourself. On a different note, it's a car I am quite protective about. Please, you must understand my reasons..." He shook his head, walking out of the restaurant only somewhat behind Amaria. The large glass door opened again.

"My body would need at least four bottles of that to feel the effect. Even though I might be concerned myself, it is not an issue as big as you might expect. It's difficult to get a dragon drunk," he joked. The elevator, arriving onto their floor, made a silent sound, and the door opened. "After you." He stepped aside, letting her enter.

"I am a woman protective of many things, my dear. Albeit, most frame me to be possessive, I am quite lively and opinionated like you. If you so much as harm a hair on my head, however, I will take no hesitation to kick your careless ass." She strolled into the embrace of such deeply churning humidity it was a bit difficult to inhale. She looked over her shoulder at Seiki, wearing the same half smile she had presented the first time a conversation took place between them. "However, I am unusually trusting you with my fragility, and nerves, which have spiked since I arrived. Again, take no offense to the last commentary. Should you pursue further meetings with me, it will rapidly become expected, I assure you."

She snapped a rubber hair tie to her fingers, expanding the stretchy material to it's maximum extend. Her fingers ran through her near raven locks, the tresses silky and fine. Always a blessing to have such thin hair. She smiled as her hand bearing the band reached upward, and caught the entirety of her waterfall of brown, pulling it through the tie, and double looping it so the locks were tightly pressed to her head. A casual up-do.  "Come now, Hun. Otherwise, my view of arriving home in time to bid my love farewell for my meeting in Mumbai will by wrenched and useless. I might have to reschedule..."

She tossed another flippant grin.

Amaria was brave, and honest, and peace-worthy, and selfless when it was called for. If anything, she wasn't particularly kind. No matter the effort, it twisted the ending departure to either a scowling retreat, or disproved client mail. She shivered. Hating the moments in actuality more so then mentally.

"I can guarantee you that I will take the greatest care in driving, just as I always do. And do my best to not give you a reason to worry." he assured her with a charming smile, casually wiping most of his hair back, behind his ears, and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt.

With another silent sound, the elevator opened again. They were in a large lobby, furnished similarly to the restaurant upstairs, the only difference being that it was entirely empty. He led them through with long, but elegant steps, all motion as smooth and flowing as always. The door on this end opened automatically, giving them way into the street.

Even this late it was still quite busy, cars and people passed through the lit streets with unusual frequency, though there was more of the first than the second. The pavement, unlike the road, was almost empty.

Seiki led them to a long, elegant sports car. It stood low on the edge of the road, but it's wheels were large and it sported a great number of sharp lines, glinting black in the street lights. Lamborghini, two seats. He unlocked the door, and before walking over to his side, he opened the door for Amaria, revealing dark grey leather interior. "Ladies first," he said, silently, but there was obvious humour in his voice, although he meant his statement completely seriously.

She had no trouble sliding among the dark leather, dress in nearly perfect match that if it had not been applied to her person, and merely laid across the seat, she would've taken no notice. Again, bringing forth her unusual amount of perceptiveness.

Once in a position promising comfort in the ride to come, she slipped her feet from her heels, and winced as they straightened against the bottom of the vehicle's frame. Quite cold, but nice to the eye. Not many think to terribly long on motor vehicle requirements based on taste. Idly, she began to wonder if sport was his crescendo, just as writing was her climax. Looks are deceptive, so she was taught never to judge others in such a vague way. Thus, why she didn't think deeply on the off hand subject of musical interests he had.

She leaned back, tough material both relievingly chill to her steamed body temp, and feeling it embrace her form with surprising comfort. "Better head on out, oterwise traffic will most definitely screw around with us like the universe has always done to me." Some people called it Karma, others bad luck, but she visualizes a figurative sphere as the universe, smirking at her with superiority while showing only one finger...

Noiselessly appearing on the seat beside her, it was only then that Seiki closed the door behind himself, and started the engine. It made a deep roar, as if there was a wild beast, longing for freedom and ever eager to break out, and the wheels started spinning, launching the car forth into the night.

Driving in something like that wasn't like an usual car. He has already gotten used to the sensation of driving in a sports car, though it may have been somewhat unusual to those that haven't, and enjoyed it every time. It reminded him of himself... Fast and powerful when he wished it to be, smooth and gentle on another time.

"I see you've already made yourself comfortable." he uttered idly while waiting on a red light , observing how she took her shoes off. "Don't worry, it won't take long. Just tell me where to drop you off."

"I appreciate the offer of driving this fair maiden to her dark forest like a teenage male walking a girl to her door," she purred aloud, using the rarely presented hypnotic trance-like tone she was famous for. Many who are the recipients fail to detect the humor it provides. Both public and personal, give or take a few others...

"This road branches both left and right at the next light. Ignore them both, and continue traveling straight until Cervantee's where you'll vere left, and curve right twice. The gateway will be obscured by glamour, and I have obtained no knowledge of dragon bloods having the mind flexibility of peeling away such barriers..." Her tone suggested the subject would've gone further had she not trailed off in realization. Much to her dismay, she had failed to think before speech. He might show strife and hard to break confidence, but her is still fully capable of claiming offense like the mundanes. Perhaps more... She should file that in her mind's special compartment where it'll be held until it is conjured to her mind's forfront.

He nodded at her explanation. The light changed to green, giving them way, and the car moved swiftly forth again. "It's enough to note that we're near, and I'll stop." he assured her.

Many cars passed around the elegant form of Seiki's car, illuminated by the lights of the city. As they drove further into town, the traffic was getting denser and denser, though he was still patient, refusing to lose his cool. Another red lights, again at the front of the waiting cue of cars. Today they must have had a special kind of bad luck for those.

Green blinked above their heads once again, and he kept driving straight as she instructed him. All of a sudden, something came from the other side of the crossroads, where nothing should be moving, and at a speed that definitely wasn't allowed inside the city... A large black vehicle bolting towards them.

He noticed it in the last moment, stomping into the brakes, instinctively shifting aside to shield Amaria with his body in a hope that they could avoid impact. The car's wheels drifted forth, turning it somewhat aside, facing the oncoming car with the driver's side instead of the front or back.

And then it crashed. The other car drove into the black Lamborghini in full speed, smithing it like a hammer on an anvil, straight into the side. It pushed it forth, towards more cars in the way, a deep dent in the driver's door. The window shattered, myriads of glass shards collapsing in and out of the car, and all Seiki realised was the strength of the impact, which tossed him aside and around. The airbags opened, but it was a little too late, the car was already sent towards the other edge of the road in large turns. 

A nice car drive. Relaxation and continual life essence. Too much to ask of such a small city?

She took notice of the jackass hurtling towards their vehicle thirty seconds before the driver. It had black tinted windows which aided a bare minimum as she was quick to observe the opposing owner of the rouge van.

Since seatbelts brought forth unwanted discomfort to her thinly formed frame and small build, she hadn't yet applied the leather strap like Seiki did, She felt a mixture of both pride in him for abiding by law, and disappointment in his leisure reactions. As glass shards cascaded in a deadly rain, the car spun, it's occupants getting viciously jerked to the extent of major damage.

Noting the dent in the drivers side, she slid across the seat, and covered his body with hers, situating herself on his lap, dressriding up her thigh, only to find thickly skin fitting night black gear.

She gripped the wheel to steady it and the frontal wheels, dimming the damage a bit but, albeit, not enough.

She was super fast when she wanted. All that was seen was ablur of skin and glinting silver as she swiped the sensorizer from her breast buckles. Her hand pointed at the direct middle of the horrid dent, and with a simple click, she had put it to good use. A mark shined with a lasting gleam that could blind pure blooded mundanes. Not people of abnormality.

The car finally slammed uncerimoniously into the trunk of a thickwire fern. The branches replaces with plants adorned in malevolent spikes, and a leaf substitution of flattened, wired outlined cloth. The only exotic tree from her realm to be populated among earths primary surface.

She waited, keeping note to sheild her driver with her own body until the debris finally subsided. She hauled herself to sit on herseat once more.

Looking herself over, she spotted a deep gash the length of her calf on her leg, spilling crimson. Her left shoulder was peirced with a rather large shard of... metal?

Blood. The first sensation that he perceived was blood... Its warmth, the earthy taste. He didn't know where it comes from, and for a moment couldn't feel anything else.

Then the pain kicked in. It was sharp and throbbing, mainly in his arm and side, and his mind quickly connected it with the blood, flowing out of the corner of his mouth in a narrow stream, and seeping through his jacket and shirt on a few places. The window was smashed in, shards of glass scattered around in both big and small pieces. Amaria sled off him, and he finally got an opportunity to draw his breath in, though it still didn't feel right, something in his chest didn't allow him to breathe fully, and he was left gasping on his seat.

His vision was going blurry and sharp again in waves. An impact like his could have killed a human... Be grateful to be alive.

The wailing of sirens soon reached his ears. Someone must have called the ambulance, or police - or both. Flashing of red and blue lights soon drew near.

He pressed the door handle, pushing into the door with all his strength, until it opened. His arm painfully cracked while he pushed the door with his shoulder, turned into a position that wasn't quite natural, but eventually, the door was thrown open. A gust of wind blew into the car, and he collapsed back onto his seat. His heart was racing like a hummingbird, fiercely beating the air with its wings, and he knew that he'll eventually lose conscience in this state.

No warning, the world just went black.

All I can feel... Is nothing... Her eyes opened after a good three years... Wait, no. Three years in a busted car with a man at her side... The man of business. Then it clicked.

She struggled to sit up, arm limply placed in her lap. The elbow joint was popped and bleeding atop crusted crimson. Her wrist, when attempting a shift, cocked backward in a position she knew for a fact wasn't natural. The pain her body contained was blinding. And she knew there was no distant light at the end of an endless dark tunnel in the realm of mundanes. She was out of it.

Siren's assaulted her ears, blaring like banshees with no consideration to her surrender condition. She blinked rapidly for minutes at a time, the world stabilizing only to blur precisely moments after. It caused confusion she was foreign to. And she didn't like the side effects.

She turned her head, bearing the throb with a hiss through clenched teeth, using the arm in not perfect, but better condition to push herself off the seats backing. "Seiki," she croaked. Reached to take hold of his chin, and turning his face to hers. His eyes were open, what she thought was a plus, but the animation and collected nature within them was drained... To a dull green. This wasn't at all good. How the hell was she awake?

Shaking such a self centered observation from her minds forefront, she scooted closer to him with major pains spiking in her thigh, arm, and the left side of her ribcage. All of which were impaled with numerous prices of debris from the crash. What's worse, when she went to wipe sweat from her forehead, the back of her hand was not gleaming with such. Instead, a flash of more, fresher crimson. She reached up tentatively, and rubbed her skull until something that felt harder and glossier then skin halted her exploration. She scrambled for the spare mirror in her bag, lifted it, and regretted it instantly.

Her brain... And she felt it with every throb... Was pierced with what looked like jagged broken glass, but proved to be a piece of her toshiba's laptop screen. When and how... She looked away. And was still living. Breathing. Well, more of a rattle then a breath. While her driver was passed out. And she, for the first time, felt the pull of exhaustion. Funny, she had gotten a good nights... Sleep...

All that was heard when the professionals dived to retrieve them was her head hitting the cushioning fabric. And despite it all, she smiled. Melancholic. The last thought that crossed her mind before unconsciousness captured her, was a single word.

Anzio...

White lights.

Bright, so bright.

And so many voices.

More than he could count even if he wasn't still unconscious on the car seat. Yes, the police and ambulance did arrive, but what they found was just a completely wrecked car and two heavily bleeding people inside it. Someone opened the door wider, removing the seatbelt from Seiki's body, which sled into the man's arms almost right after, without any sign of control - just like a rag doll, a puppet, motionless, covering the hands of the medic with blood as he dragged him out.

Another couple of paramedics got Amaria out, immediately surrounding those two and transporting them to the ambulance. Someone put oxygen masks over their mouths, while other hands were trying to stop the bleeding. Another man got out of the car that crashed, obviously still conscious, and looking around himself in horror. Lucky. That vehicle had hardly a smashed front.

"...alive?"
"Quickly, grab this..."
"How did it even..."
"...are they?"

A mash of voices. They went silent after a moment, the door of the ambulance closed. He was sure that somewhere on the edge of his mind he still perceived it all, but even though his eyes were open, there was no life, no perception in them. They were blank, like a sheet of clean paper, just a pair of emerald green mirrors.

When he woke up again, he saw a couple of faces. Someone has taken most of his clothes off already, revealing several bleeding gashes in his side and right arm, which was twisted in a way that was nowhere near natural. He knew he was hurt, he felt even the misplaced ribs on his side, which were barring his breathing, but somehow, the pain was gone, although his vision was blurred, and he wasn't sure whether this is all reality, or just some twisted, sick dream. He slowly blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind. A few heads above him... Blue... Green... Distantly recognizing a voice told him he has been put onto anesthetics. Heck, he didn't even care, he passed out again pretty soon, anyway.

A grassy field. Stretching farther then she could see.

Hills softly ascended and descended over the lovely landscape, and she could spot the heaven's temple miles away from where she stood, the wards a bit closer to the eye. The opposite of idris. Incris. Where demons and bells descendians could roam while keeping angelic creatures out.

A shadow crept across the landscape. Dark and dangerous. Marring the peaceful tranquility of the scene. Rain droplets poured so suddenly and so rough, it strikes her skin with stinging, needle like precision. It took mere seconds to realize the droplets were not water... But crimson with pieces of glass in each drop.

It's seeped into her gear like water through a drainer. Slicing the skin beneath it harshly. Added blood welled above the black fabric, and when her lips parted for a scream, the blood rain barreled heavier onto her, until the air had been mostly invaded by the weathering.

She felt herself fall, and nearly after, the glint of a knife was seen before it impaled her thigh. More fell. One digging deep in her shoulder, another slicing a deep gash to her calf. And just when she thought the end had finally found her, one spun in the air, looking like it was thrown as it shot through the sky behind her, and pierced her skull.

She screamed

And jerked awake. Breathing hard while the dream's effects subsided. The memory lingering, though.

She looked around, spotting white on white on white on white. She squinted and covered her eyes with her hands. Creating a shade so better viewing could take place.

Ah...she was alone in a hospital room.

Like a ray of light through the darkness, so sharp and striking it awoke him, just for a moment...

A dozen of tubes, needles, stitches and who knows what, people turning around, frantically moving from one place to another, and only a few of them remained on their places. Someone cut his forearm open - even though he couldn't feel it, he could see it.

Another doctor noticed him opening his eyes, followed by turning to his colleague and silently telling him something. It was most likely an order to strengthen the amount of anesthetics put into him, as he lost even the remains of his conscience soon after.

The waking up, though, was more difficult. The effects of whatever was put into his veins during the operation was almost gone, at least he thought so, and his whole body was throbbing. When he tried to move, he found out that not only is he too weak to do that, but also that it would mean risking pulling a few needles, connected to tubes, out of himself. Or breaking them - of which both was something unwanted. And so he lay silent and motionless in the blinding white, in silence where only the repetitive sound of some bleeping device resonated through the room.

A nurse's head popped into Khainley's room before quickly vanishing as fast as it had appeared. A woman's voice, most likely the nurse's, could be heard informing someone that "She's awake. You can go in now."

Anzio stepped through the door with his usual attire and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Khainley?"

Quote from: Wicked Basket on March 18, 2014, 02:20:58 PM
A nurse's head popped into Khainley's room before quickly vanishing as fast as it had appeared. A woman's voice, most likely the nurse's, could be heard informing someone that "She's awake. You can go in now."

Anzio stepped through the door with his usual attire and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Khainley?"

I'm sorry, but this is a closed thread.

((I think you should modify the thread, cause it doesn't mark it as closed. *throws hand up to protect face* DONT HURT MEH I WAS JUST SAYING!!!))

(OOC Starts a thread in Open Roleplay; thread is closed. :P A little indication that this was closed would have helped.)

there is a closed tag. threads that are not marked open with a tag in general tend to be closed. plus, this one is clearly tagged with Khainley's name on the bottom.

The hilt of her dagger protruded from it's sheath on her left hip. As she glazed at it, something flashed behind her eyes, and in her mind. The crash, Seiki limply laying on his seat bloody and torn up, her falling unconscious... And the dream... The dream of blood rain... Glass shards... And airborne weaponry.

She shivered, then groaned in pain as it intensified tenfold to her lower back. He tendons felt twisted yet shredded. Her eyes dropped to the almost completely soaked crimson stained bedding and scrub she wore. Wait... No, the doctors wore scrubs. She was adorned in a soft lime colored gown. Ashamed of herself for mucking it up.

A male doctor swiftly entered. His gaze locking with hers, as a smile crossed his face. He was, to be blunt, quite attractive. Dirty blond locks that flop on his forehead in a flyaway manner, with eyes, an intense shimmering violet. Spare upper lip, with a full lower lip, and high cheekbones looking quite flushed. He was very young to the naked eye of a mundane. Too bad she could sense a shinigami member at the drop of a hat.

Ah, and he was blushing too?

Maybe it was because she was staring at him. And when he turned his eyes to the ground, she knew she was correct. "Well, you seem better. You took quite a hit there, Amaria," he said gently, looking back at her with a grin.

Wait... Don't the docters refer to patients by their... Last names?

She paled. Oh shit...

"Fancy meeting you here on such a rough coincidence, right, she asked with sudden humor, "Alexander?"

His lips twisted to a faint smirk, and he rounded the bed to press buttons in what looked like a complicated code. "Yes, I do believe we have not yet conversed since the conflict," he said. His slender hands clamped around the stethoscope, and he placed it in his ears.

She knew what her end of the motion was. So she beared many pains to prop herself upright, back to the cold wall. He pressed it to her chest, replacing it numerous times as she observed silently before pulling away. Smiling. The little fucker.

"Ah. I needn't confirm an answer you already marked as true. Instead, why don't we nip this next topic in the bud. Where the hell is Seiki, and how is he?" She threw in a smirk of promising hurt should he refuse to divulge per human hospital rules.

"I do work here, Amaria," he stated firmly with a frown. "Closed connections in previous times never changes that. Besides," he started, voice softening, "he has company while you do not."

"That is not of your concern. For you can tell I am a woman who does not clam or for attention. However, I earn said attention." She winced as she took a deep breath. Something she did on a normal basis when irritated or frustrated. "If you cannot tell me how he is, then the least I ask of you, is to deliver this to him once conscious."

Amaria extended a fist, curled fingers turned up, before her palm opened to reveal a ring.

Alec raised an eyebrow in question. "Um... You want to get... Married?"

"No, my student. I have engraved shinigami marks on the band to ensure his healing will excellerate, more then it already has since he's of dragon blood. And the other marks are for assurance." She then pointed to every design in turn with explanation. Brief, but knowledgable. "This to enhance the inhuman barrier around him for safety precautions, this for a safe state of mind in times of struggle, this for strength in mental stamina, thus why it's connected to the one previously mentioned, and this for swiftness in any motions, either physical or mental, presented."

((Anaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! I have something important to divulge!!))

Seiki was slowly coming to his conscience. Only then he noticed a nurse in the corner, sitting, and reading... A newspaper?

She put the papers down when he noticed him flinching on the bed, and slowly stood up, quite stiff with age and most likely also exhaustion - it appeared as she had spent there a few hours already, and didn't look too cheerful. "Nah. Don't stand up, you'll mess something up." she noted with a dry voice, frowning a little. Seiki raised a brow, then his eyes glanced down at the needle in his left arm, and he nodded.

Before the nurse got a chance to return to her seat, however, the door was thrown open. Clattering of heels and clinking of jewelry entered the room even before the unusually dressed figure - her black, somewhat frilly skirt was standing up from her thin waist, covered by lace with a floral pattern, a large cross hanging on a chain from her neck, and she wore a short coat, with a pair of velvet gloves, standing a nice few inches higher on glossy, chunky heels.

Her dark hair flashed back like a curtain as she entered, immediately covering her mouth with her hands. "SEIKI!" she screamed.

The nurse gave her a very, very disapproving look, but Isako immediately hurried to the bed, squatting beside her brothers with concern on her face. "Oh my god. Seiki, what happened? Are you alright? I was so worried, actually I still am. How are you feeling? Does it hurt? When are you coming back home?" As it was usual for her, she released an avalanche of questions at him, without giving him even the slightest chance to answer before she ran out of breath. He just drew a breath in and stared at her in confusion.

"I'm... I'm, sorry, I shouldn't have ran out at you so fast. Seiki, I was so afraid about you. You look... Horrible." She stepped back a little, gripping his left hand, which was only wrapped over by a thin layer of gauze over his knuckles. He let out a sigh, but the old woman was faster, concerning explaining. "There was a big car crash. Mr. Adachi needed surgery, and most likely won't be able to communicate with you too soon fully. You should let him rest." she reminded her, but Seiki shook his head. "I'm... I'm fine. I'm too stuffed... With painkillers, anyway."

Isako cheered up at the sound of his voice, although it was quite weak. "Someone drove into my car. Isako... Where's Amaria? Go find her, please." her brother asked off her, and she nodded fiercely. "Mrs. Connara is in the room two doors over. Number 38." she explained, but Isako was already gone before she even finished talking.

"Ah!" Amaria yelled in pain as someone's scream echo heavily from the concrete walls. The words to form it incoherent due to wall blockage... It sounded far away. Yet close enough to rip her ears off, or so it felt. She covered her ears and grit her teeth. Dam her gender and it's soprano pitch!

Alexander opened his mouth to fix said situation, rushing to her side before someone burst through the door.

She was out of breath once she reached the CEO's side, clutching her sides, and a bit doubled over. A flourish of red hair fell to obscure the identity of it's owner, but the mystery was soon solved as she rolled back to the state of the pencil stance, only to throw her arms around Amaria. The limbs were more bone then muscle, so the pain wasn't to terribly bad.

As the brunette stifled a groan, the red head pulled away, tears running down her beautiful face. Her cobalt blue eyes vibrant yet dull at the same time. Her cheekbones high, and skin covering them flushed. A soft curvy nose and lips soft and parted as she began muttering.

"...And I'm so sorry, Amaria!" Her hands were shaking, her left palm enclosed on something silver.

"What's that?" Amaria peered at her hand with a stony, exhausted expression, but upheld an animated speech pattern, in hopes to calm her closest friend down. "Wait, you were in the car that crashed us," she said, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

Clarissa's tears continued to pour, and she slowly sat on the bed. Eyes no longer squinting, but wide with hurt and realization. "Yes. But I swear, I told him... T-To wait... It was a red light, I didn't know he had driven further!" She palmed her eye sockets. "Please believe me. I swear on The Demon." She then turned to Alec, surprisingly, with a look that might've set him aflame if she had possessed warlock blood, or origins. Amaria did, though... And she sensed the problem and whipped her head to look at the shinigami shifter with eyebrows shooting to her hairline.

"You were the driver of that car... Weren't you, Alec?" If possible, her face drained even more of color to the point of paper white. Not only had her kind betrayed her, but this member had acted as if everything was dandy between them. The funny thing was... She had never forgiven him before. So he was as good as gone to her anyway.

Clary sniffed, and looked back to her closest of freinds, and only family with eyes that were pleading. Yet, she remained silent... Instead, raising her hand, three fingers splayed as wide as they'll go.

That was quite a promise. And she had believed Clary since her first confession, and would continue as it was repeated in the following hours...

Someone by the door cleared their throat, and Amaria was the one to observe. Alexander nodded, a quick flash of his marks upon his shoulder before he disappeared from sight.

***

Alexander paced the hallway outside the door of Amaria's car crash accompaniment. Overall, he was worried the dragon blood would fall, leaving him to blame. He was the key medic in the shinigam dimension. And he hoped Amaria's plan worked.

A nurse exited the room, eliminating an occupant of the room, and opening a slot for him as he slicked silently in. The door shut with a promising click, and he turned to face the entirety of the hospital guest room. Nodding to the nurse upon seeing her expression of utter exhaustion. "Worry not, Marie. I'll take over."

Once she left, all that remained was himself, the patient, and his apparent visitor, which Alec payed little mind to. Instead, he rounded the bed, and adopted a look of indifference. Expression unyeilding. "Seike Adachi. Amaria has sent me to present gift with a message."

He placed the ring on Seiki's left leg softly before continuing with elaboration. "She gives you the gift of the fallen. A ring with marks of the shinigami carved in the band. Each assuring a different, yet loosely connected aspect." He briefed the explanation his instructor had given him, and upon finishing, launched the last part. "And for a close, she has told me to inform you that she will provide support in your company. It has become one of her favorites, and she is greatfull you took time to drive her, somewhat, home." The last part made his anger flair. His voice growing cold before returning to the calm, doctoring voice.

"Now. Docter Silian will be with you shortly." He turned a narrowed gaze to Seiki's visitor, frowning a bit. "And miss, do refrain from raising your voice. We have policies about that here." With that, he took his silent leave in a swirl of white and lemon green.

All the time the visitor took to speak, Seiki remained silent. Both because there wasn't anything to say, and because his mouth was too dry to let out a word without risking sounding stupid.

Only when he was already almost gone, he spoke up again. "Please, tell the doctor to remove the needle. I am no longer in need of anesthetics." he reminded him, raising his head a little, before dropping back onto the covers. His strength was quickly returning, and he didn't want to be stuck on a tube for any longer than really, really necessary. Comfort was a secondary matter.

In the meantime, Isako has finally found Amaria's room. She broke in with similar theatricality as before, her heels clicking on the ground, and stared at the two women with wide crimson eyes. Her hands slowly ran up to her bag, resembling a tiny coffin on a chain. "You... Are Amaria Connara?" she asked, silently, in contrast to her loud entry. "Seiki has sent me to search for you, and asked how you're doing."

Both women turned to glance at the new arrival. Clary suddenly shooting off the bed, and seizing her things. In all the ministrations, she took a leave, converse squeaking irritably on the tile flooring as she ran. Amaria, throughout the scene, stayed collected and calm. A sigh coming to existence apon clary's leave. I worry for that girl, sometimes...

The CEO turned an inquisitive glance back to the woman, an eyebrow arching skyward. So, that solves all questioning for Seiki, then. All except the fact he had sent a woman to... Check on her?

She tucked a stray tendril from her face, and gave a lift of her shoulder. "Yes, I am who you speak of. I do question his curiosity to my condition, which, in answering to your question, is unnecissarily unstable, and, if I may ask with all respects, who you may be?" Her tone rose in pitch. The lift of voicing that marks it as soft questioning. With no intentions of inquisition, or uncomfort.

The small woman, resembling a doll, more than a human, mad a step forth and unbuttoned her coat. "I'm Isako Adachi, Seiki's sister. I only found out what happened yesterday, and I had to get an emergency flight from Hong Kong, where was my photo shoot, to get here, it took so incredibly long, I thought I'm going to faint on the airport, I was so worried about him!"

As she spoke, she almost broke into tears, but that was quickly gone when she finished. "But it looks like you're doing better than him, I think he just woke up and the nurse said he needed surgery, I was honestly scared when I saw him for the first time." Her hand flew up to her hair, and corrected the position of two black roses on a satin ribbon that she wore in it.

"Isako," she said softly. A smile teasing her lips. "I promise his condition will stabilize. It just takes time, and though this may not be what you need to hear, I assure you the gift I had sent him will do well to protect your brother."

Her fingers laced together, resting upon her uninsured, right thigh as she dropped her gaze to the glass handle of the knife at her hip. "And my condition, according to these mundanes, is apparently unstable to the extent that they charge me greatly for a surgical procedure done on the entirety of my body. It's purpous not being for my recovery, but to remove excess debris."

She pushed the covers from her waist to her ankles, stifling a groan at the bend to her waist, revealing major injuries. An opened gash to her left calf, a glass shard having yet to be removed lodge in her hip, and a broken left ankle she hadn't notice until she had awoken with pain originating from that area mostly. She pulled the covers back, only to tilt her head forward and show the blood pasted roots of her chestnut brown hair. "As you can now plainly tell, I am in need of attention I will not get. And it hurts when I breath since a rib had broken and pierced my lunge. Somehow, I was cured around there... Strange phenomenon, but not one I will contradict since it's in my favor."

Her chin indicated the seat on the corner, empty and most likely cold from absence of visitors. "Care to stay or return to your brother?"

"I'm... I'm so terribly sorry, Amaria. It's... It's horrible, how things like this even happen." Isako replied, shaking her head. Beads of tears glimmered in her large round eyes, which were so similar to that of her brother, only their color was a vibrant crimson.

"I'll explain him. I'm staying till he's well enough to go home, work doesn't matter. After all, he's my brother... I don't ever wanna lose him or see him hurt because it breaks my heart! I should be back in a while. I'll... I can be a messenger between you two if it would help!" Her hands dropped down to Amaria's, and she assured her that she's willing to do that with a smile, just to spring back up and run out of the room, followed by her fluttering skirt and clinking heels.

She found Seiki half laying, half sitting on the bed, looking somewhat better than before. He raised a weak smile at her. "I don't need the tubes anymore, at least that's what the doctor said." he announced, but he barely finished the sentence before Isako ran at him like a hurricane, and squeezed him as if he was a stuffed toy. "Sei, I was so worried, you can't even imagine!"

His eyes almost popped out when she gripped him like that. "O-ow, Isako! Stop!" he muttered, somewhere into her hair, trying to push himself away. Her jaw dropped, and she immediately let go off him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Are you alright? I didn't want to hurt you, Sei..." She shook her head, a couple of large, crystal-clear tears rolling down her cheeks. His hand arose and wiped them off. "I'm not doing that bad, but if you squeeze me, you'll break even those ribs that are still fine by now." he warned her, somewhat jokingly, but when he lifted the covers, he was serious.

Isako covered her mouth, gasping in horror. The part of his chest that wasn't covered was full of stitches, on more places than she could count, going down from his ribs through his abdomen and hips to his thighs, some of them holding together gashes longer than her hand. Her palms went up to her eyes. "That must hurt..." she whispered.

"Right now only if you hug me like that." he corrected her. "Otherwise not too much, although I have been warned that recovery may be painful. While you were away, the doctor was here and explained it to me. Apparently I have a lot of bone tissue that needs to regenerate," his chin pointed at his left arm, "three ribs except for that, and that may take a while. In general, I'm fortunate to be alive and without permanent damage, even though the fractures in my left arm might be felt at times." He explained, calmly as it was usual for him. Isako was nodding while he spoke, but her face was full of concern.

"Besides, have you spoken to Amaria? How is she doing? And did she, by any chance, explain you what is that thing she sent me?"
His sister opened her mouth to speak, but words came out only a while later. "I saw her, she's awake, but looks pretty bad, she's got pieces of glass still in herself. I don't know what that thing is, but I can ask as I'll come back, alright?"
"Yes. Thanks, Isa."
"But she said that her condition is unstable, or that the doctors said so, and that she'll need some... Procedure. I'm not sure what kind of care she needs, but I suspect she'll need surgery to remove the glass, that's how it looks, though she sounded worried, because it's most likely not going to be paid for by insurance or anything." she shrugged sadly. "But father has already made sure that you'll get whatever you'll need, so you don't have to worry!"

Seiki frowned a little. "It was my car, and therefore my responsibility. I insisted on driving... Tell her she'll get that paid for and done as soon as possible. I'll make sure about it. On a somewhat related note... Do you have a laptop with yourself?" His gaze pierced Isako like a spear, but she shook her head. "You're not working yet! I'm sure you wouldn't even be allowed. But I'll go and explain it all to Amaria."

She walked out of the room, the ribbons and roses on her hair and dress jumping up and down, and a moment later reappeared in Amaria's room. She tried really hard to be serious, and repeated what Her brother told her - about himself, her, and all else - almost exactly in his words, while sitting on the edge of her bed. "You wouldn't believe me, but he already wanted to work, he asked me for a laptop. I'm worried..." she confessed in the end, folding her arms in her lap and staring forwards into the distance with her sad eyes.

Amaria was in the process of retrieving her cell from her bag, seemingly unharmed in the wreck, and the contents all present aside from her computer. In fact, the throbbing in her skull proved the blasted machine was against her for all those years of constant use. Loyalty tossed down the drain. But all thoughts ceased to exist as Seiki's sister reappeared through the door. And since her talent at reading people was reliably perceptive, she could tell the situation she explained bothered her more then she let on.

A smile teased her lips upon hearing Seiki's request for a laptop. Work never seemed to slip through his fingers. Not even in scenarios where rest was crucial. And despite that obvious fact, she began to develop a plan to retrieve one of those machines just to check on some emails. A hospital such as this must  have a stock for guest usage, yes?

She pressed herself into the sheets a bit more, her head pounding louder then a nightclub at it's worst. She palmed her eyes sockets in an attempt to free her mind from the pain's grasp. Preventing her from thinking on how to respond, let alone follow through with saying it. But the words that escaped her was not pre-planned nor were they expected.

"It is unbelievable how hungry I've become since I awoke," she said softly. Index fingers pressing into her temples to dim the headache down a notch or two. Just enough to avoid further humiliation. "Anyway, in all honesty, he is the head of a company quite large. And despite his dislike for partaking in anything having to do with work the night before, I have a feeling his worry of what has been done since his departure is teasing at him."

Like the completion of her novel's first movie will have to be celebrated without the writer herself. Doomed to be hospitalized at the hands of humans. But even then, she knew she had little skill in healing as quickly as she wanted too.

Amaria expelled a sigh that sent a bite of pain through her left side entirely, which was ignored, before eyeing the young one seated upon he bed. Not in need of any real talents to tell the situation was upsetting her. So, to offer formal, yet much needed comfort for Isako, she layed a hand to her shoulder and spoke with a voice of silk. "Has he asked about the gift I had given to him recently?"

She nodded fiercely. "Yes, he asked me to ask you what is it. I don't recognize it one bit, but it looks nice!" she giggled, covering her mouth with one hand, but that moment was soon gone. "But he's stubborn. I think it was a mistake for taking out the needle in his arm, I'm sure he's going to crawl out of the bed and find a laptop, tablet, or whatever. Even though father has made sure that he'll take even his responsibilities while he's away. He'd have a holiday anyway, he had a flight reserved... Somewhere south, so that was made sure of, but like this, there isn't going to be any holiday."

How uncomfortable Amaria seemed didn't escape even her sight, and that was when she remembered. "And... And he told me to told you that you don't have to worry, you'll receive all care that is necessary, that he'll make sure of it, even if it's not covered by insurance. He said it was his car and therefore his responsibility..." She shrugged with a bit of confusion, and reached into her bag for her phone, encased in a black and red cover, with a skeleton doll hanging off it. "Besides, you've already been even in the newspapers. I subscribe to a virtual edition and the first thing I see when I get off the plane from China is my brother's name and the picture of the carnage that was left there!" She put the screen right in front of Amaria's face, showing an article in the newsletter that talked exactly about their crash.

"I believe there's some bad luck over us... First him and Kanami, then Shinobu, and then him again. It must be avoiding me..." she shook her head, and hid her eyes behind the velvet-gloved tiny hand of hers.

"Bad luck.... Oh, please don't tell me you believe in karma..." she moaned, dropping herhead in her hands. Honestly, they were dragons... karma could bite them in the ass, and they'd just spit fire back. What was the issue?

"And the ring," she said through the muffle of her fingers, "is meant to enhance protection both mentally and physically for your brother. It's handmade and intricately designed. Original, as well. Not a single one like it." She rubbed her temples in thought, feeling her stomach protest for what seemed like an eternity since she had woken. And it seems to her that consciousness was worse then unconsciousness...

"My dear, could you do me a small favor?"

"I don't believe in karma! We're just an... Unlucky... Family." she shrugged, still avoiding Amaria's gaze. She didn't believe in something like that, but she believed in a lot of other things for sure! She was never as skeptical as her brother and sister...

The description of the ring made her smile. "That should help him. I'll explain him when I return to him, that's for sure! I'm glad you gave something like that to him... I think he needs it. Thank you, Amaria!" She leaned in, and her arms carefully embraced Amaria, touching her only where she wasn't hurt and not squeezing her. "Yes, what favour?"

Amaria slid a bandaged hand into her bag, retrieving two twenties, and clipping the buckle back to ensure nothing comes tumbling out without her notice. "Could you run down to the subway on the first floor and get me a foot long? I trust you to choose what decorates it, just exclude any forms of spicy anything." Of what had once been a lovely, deathly intelligent novelist, and CEO of an internationally known company, was now a beaten to a pulp, grammatically incorrect, and restless woman in her twenties. A sad thought, really. She'd wanted so badly to uphold her reputation even when this did intrude.

"It would be my treat if you would keep the change," she said with soft smile.

"Sure, don't worry! But I don't need to keep the change or anything, really. It's fine!" Isako assured her with a wide smile, and proceeded to stand up and walk out of the room.

Actually, she was hungry, too. And so must be Seiki... Well, she can sure carry three instead of one baguette!

When she returned, half of her chest was hidden behind three huge baguettes and two bottles of cola. "I brought one for me and my brother, too! But I didn't know what to get you, so I took... Well everything!" she shrugged, laughing, and handed Amaria the monster of a sub, filled with all kinds of salads and meat. "Enjoy it, Amaria!"

She herself unpacked her food, and begun eating, taking small bites off the baguette. She didn't want to eat fast, since eating fast contributes to obesity, and she couldn't afford an ounce of fat!

Amaria was shocked enough to get five pounds more then she could possibly down in one serving. Ah, well. Now, at least, she wouldnt starve through the week, so that was a definite plus... "So, Seiki neglected to mention much about you. Do tell me, what is it you do for work?"

By Isako's looks, it seemed to her that she was a woman involved in a line of work that requires public pleasing looks... a model or make up test bunnie.

"Model, part time actress for commercials," Isako mumbled through the food in her mouth, smiling widely. "I'm not one for business like him. I couldn't sit in an office or a conference room all day!"

She took another few bites off the big baguette, before she continued talking. "Plus, I like clothes, and they say that I'm a natural talent for acting, so I often play in commercials, or minor movie roles. It's fun, I wouldn't want to do anything else... You work in a, erm, company like Seiki does, right?"

"I own the company, yes." Amaria tilted her head briefly, in thought of what she would look like doing Isako's job, before shivering and shaking the thought away fast then it appeared. Goo riddance, it seemed. "So. It's fun, judging by the way you speak of such a job."

She paused. "And sitting in an office isn't as bad as ya think."

"Oh yes, it is." Isako countered her. "I was taken to work with Seiki and father a few times... I couldn't stay there for an hour!" she giggled. "But that reminds me, I gotta bring the other sub to Seiki! He must be hungry already. Be back soon!"  She waved to her with the remaining half of her own baguette, and ran out of the room.

She found Seiki unnaturally pale, and frowned when she noticed the phone in his hand. He attempted to hide it when she entered, but wasn't quick enough, and Isako snatched it off him, placing it out of his reach. "You shouldn't do work yet." she reminded him. "You don't look good."
"I'm starting to question my decision..." he sighed, moving a few strings of hair out of his face. She raised a brow with confusion, handing him his baguette in the meantime. He carefully unpacked it, but didn't yet start eating.
"The effect of the painkillers is starting to wear off. They cut me open this morning and it hurts, really." he confessed, and bit into the food she gave him.

With a sigh, Isako sat down onto the edge of his bed, careful not to accidentally sit straight onto him, and finished her own food, casually explaining the matter of the ring and other things she talked about with Amaria. But while she was chattering, perched by his side, his mind drifted apart from her high-pitched voice, pondering somewhere in his thoughts.

"Are you even listening?" Her annoyed moan broke his thoughts, and Seiki raised his gaze from the baguette in his hand. "Sorry, I got carried away."  he apologized, but at his voice, his sister frowned with concern. "Is everything alright? Something happened while I was gone?" 
"Actually, yes." he confessed, closing his eyes and rubbing his cheekbones with the slim fingers of his left hand. "One of the surgeons stopped here to check if everything is alright, and he mentioned that I will most likely need another operation. No, I'll be fine, Isa." For a moment, he went silent, before his hand sled off his face, and dropped beside him. "Today or tomorrow."
Her face was twisted with concern. She grabbed his hand, and sadly glanced at him. "Why's that? You said all was good." she sighed.
"It's not anything risky, or too big. There was something potentially dangerous with the bones in my right arm, or so I've understood, so they'll have to open it again and correct it. I'll be fine in a few weeks' time." he assured her, but it didn't seem to calm her down.

She walked over to the other side of the bed, and laid down right beside him, dropping her coat off onto the floor, and putting one arm softly onto his chest. "It's not fair, Seiki. It's not fair." she whispered.

Amaria fell back onto her pillows with a wince. Life wasn't fair. This dilemma wasn't fair. None of this torture meant any sense! Who was she to judge a brash by the driver? For all she knew, Seiki was in bad shape as well... and the people responsible... alexander and clary... they own up but refuse to admit?

What the fuck?

"You're stabalized, but will have to be sedated," said a husky voice. Unfamiliar to her ears. And she wouldn't find out who the owner was... since her world then faded to black...

Isako fell asleep right beside him, but when she woke up a while later, she was stretched across a few chairs. Alone.

She opened her eyes, confusedly looking around the room, but there was nobody around - the bed was empty, too, although she was sure that this was Seiki's room. Something must have gone wrong. Was it...?

Did they already take him for the operation? That may have been the reason why he was gone... She sled off the chairs, searching for her phone in her bag. She slept for three hours? Well, that was well believable - after the flight, she was tired. She raked through her hair with her hands to adjust her hairstyle, when the door opened again.

A nurse entered - a fer younger one than the first one, with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled at Isako, and stepped a bit closer. "Miss Adachi. Your brother has been transferred to a different room after surgery. Everything has gone exactly as it was supposed to, and he's currently coming to his conscience, but I wouldn't recommend visiting him yet." she informed her in a kind, but emotionless tone. Isako ignored the last bit - the most important thing, for her, was to see him. She jumped up like a spring and grabbed the nurse by her sleeves. "Where is he? I have too see him!"

The nurse softly pushed her away a little. "Come, I'll lead you there. However, I warn you not to make any excessive noise, or attempt to communicate with him." she explained her, and left the room, followed by the dragon-blood like if she was a shadow.

She had to press her hands onto her mouth to stop a scream when she entered. Even now, it was still so shocking to see him connected to so many devices that were monitoring him... She may have been told not to worry, but that didn't help. He was her brother... She'd always be worried.

Kneeling down beside the bed, she watched him with her large red eyes. He was motionless like a statue, only his chest was slowly rising and sinking...

Silent clicking of heels informed her about the nurse's leave. Another doctor, sitting in the corner, kept a careful eye on her, but didn't say a word.

She awoke to a sharp pain in her left ribcage. Upon inspection, it was seen to be a syringe. Quite big in size and drained completely. Though, the cylendrical glass insides held droplets of amber liquid. It was... and abnormal location. Busted concrete walls, with dust layering nearly every peice of... furniture? And a torn up disco ball lay waste in the shadowy left corner. There were no doors, but a ceiling fan lazily spun overhead, the lamp illumination weak, as if from overuse.

Amaria gfit her teeth as she shifted, the rope binding her hands behind her chafing her outer wrists. The pain from the accident, mixed with this minor brutality was enough to mar the edges of her vision with black.

"What the fuck," was her intelligent input on the situation. As her brow furrowed at the notice of a shadow in the right corner behind her. "And, I'm guessing you're the bad guy, right? As I am acting as the heroin?"

A chuckle so dark it made her thick black blood churn arose. "You could say that. Except..." icy blue eyes lit up as the only indication of the identity, "I doubt there's a hero."

It took Seiki a few hours to wake up, which Isako spend switching between sitting on a chair by the wall, and kneeling next to his bed. She managed to inform their parents and Shinobu about what's currently going on, while finding out about the current situation herself.

He awoke soon, right when she was emailing their sister. She noticed him flinching on the bed, his eyes open and blinking in the bright light.

It was the first thing he noticed. It was blinding, so bright it burned circles into his vision... His head was still spinning, and his mind was confused from the effects of strong anesthetics he was apparently full of. But at least he didn't feel anything. Anything at all...

A different room, but Isako was still there, a dark shape bending above him. She took his face to her hands, and he could recognize the touch of her gloves on his skin, but couldn't get a word out of his mouth. Then, something moved on the other side of the room. His blurry vision couldn't recognize it, but as the shape came nearer, he realized it's most likely a doctor. Isako was pulled away.

"He most likely won't be able to communicate for a while. Miss, let him rest." he warned her, and she sat beside the bed with a nod. I should inform Amaria... He isn't going to be fully conscious for a while, anyway. She silently stood back up, and walked out of the room.

What was her surprise when she found Amaria's empty... Her bag was still there, though.
"Amaria?" she called out, carefully stepping in.

Amaria sucked in a breath. She dodged what strikes she coukd, but the whip was never to be missed. She screamed as it struck her back. Shreading what was left. "Shh, you little prick. Were in the boiler room to the hospital. Anyone could hear you."

That just encouraged a louder call out. "Seiki! Isako! Boiler roo-" a gag prevented anything else from tumbling through her lips. They must really want a measly headcourters hidden.

And she didn't want to fi nd out who else lies in the hidden corridors...

Someone shouted her name... She heard the word 'boiler'. It sounded...

Like Amaria's voice!

Immediately turning on her heel, she bolted towards the direction in which she heard the words coming from. Her heels clattered on the tiled floor, and she ran like a cannonball, until she reached the small door of the boiler room. Just a wooden board with a lock.

She pressed her shoulder onto it, yanked the doorhandle, but nothing was working... It was locked! What would Seiki tell her to do?

Ah. Off course. She took off one of her heels, and slammed it into the door as hard as she could, right by the lock. A crack appeared in the door, and she was beating into it, hit after hit, till there was a hole, and the lock fell off.

The door opened with a creak, and Isako stared at the scene before her, struck speechless with her shoe still in her hand.

(Never screw with models in high heels)

The scene showed a man. Red faced with a white shirt and black dress pants. Tie messed up at the neck as if he ripped it off. His hand clutching a whip stained with amarias blood. Black oozing thickly from the strap. And he stood with an expression of surprise and awe.

"Dragon-blood," he spat. Cursing under his breath.

Amaria was tied to a chair, back and sides shredded with cuts marring her face... which was adorned in a smirk. "And a kickass model. Beware the shoes, freighter."

"My brother's friends are my friends. And if you mess with my friends, you mess with me." Isako growled, frowning at the man like the Grim Reaper himself.

In the next moment, she leaped at him, kicking and kneeing him wherever she could, while the hand that held her large shoe was repeatedly hitting him at the head, while the long nails of the other one scratched his neck. She kept herself behind his back, where he couldn't see her, in a crazed attempt to scratch a hole into him, or gauge his eyes out, all that while hitting him like if he was a training dummy.

"NOBODY MESSES WITH A DRAGON!" she screamed into his ear with her incredibly high-pitched voice, followed by a loud thud as the shoe hit his head.

"Fuck!" He spun around and slammed her into the wall repeatedly while his eyes turned a singular black. Swallowing the white completely. His hands shifted to knives and sliced her upper left thigh and he dove for the board of splinteredwood.

"'Kickass, isako!" Amaria shouted with a smirk as she watched the man tumble and bleed out. "Biiiiiiiiiiiiitch please," she murmured.

Isako dropped onto the floor after the man slammed her into the wall, gasping for her breath, but she wasn't done yet. Her hands clenched around his neck, and brought him forth towards her...

Right to her mouth, where her sharp dragon-like fangs dove into his flesh. Blood streamed out of the deep wound on his neck, forming droplets on her lips, and she kicked him straight between the buttcheeks as she stood up, but it appeared that he wasn't done yet.

Just like she just did, he grabbed her by the neck, and pressed her onto the wall again. She kicked into the air and him, wherever she could, but his iron grip wasn't letting her go. All of a sudden, she noticed a dark shape in the corner, till then unnoticed.

A ghost...

"Don't just stand there! Come and help me! Get him off me! I'll... I'll show you the way!" she screamed. As if to her call, the dark shape moved forth. A long claw-like appendage appeared, like the blades of a scythe... And slashed right through the man.

Just a few scraps of skin sled onto the ground, burning, with a seeping black vapor rising from them. The ghost towered over her small figure for a while, till she raised her cupped hands. "It's just a moment, and you are there." she whispered. An orb of white appeared between her fingers, glowing with a pulsing light, and it seemed to consume the essence of the ghost. And then, the ghost was gone.

The white orb crumbled into ash, falling through her fingers onto the ground. She opened her eyes, closed while she transferred the ghost, and hopped towards Amaria, comically on her tiptoes as she still missed one shoe. She knelt down, bending over her, and untied the rope that was binding her hands. "Amaria, are you alright? What happened?"

It wasnt the situation that caused her chuckle... it was irony. So much of it, dribbling from both the cause and situation itself. It was unbearably amusing to the brit, indeed. "Oh. Just minor scratches. Not much of the nine tails snagged me or else my face would look like my back. Speaking of..." She crained her neck to peer at the damage done. Her back looked as if it was put through a cheesegrater.

Her lips parted in an audible sigh before black boot cladded feet hauled the young one across the room upon standing? Her legs unsteady with her own weight, intensifying the injuries to her thigh and calf. She winced. "Ow."

Isako helped her up, supporting her as she stood. "I'm calling father... This is outrageous. If a hospital lets something like this happen, he's definitely not letting us stay here. Plus, this place is full of ghosts." she muttered, and half-carried Amaria out of the boiler room.

"I don't like it here."

"I could tell a couple workers in the place were here before. Distinguishing voices and such. They had something to settle with their boss, and here I am, the closest shinigam shifter." Always caught in the middle like a child with bickering parents. Such an expirience, that was.

Her index finger looped a stray lock of silky chestnut behing her ear as the clink of her leather, crimson stained boots echoed hauntingly off the hallway walls. A sound she would associate with shadowy figures... known to most as alabaster demons. "Isako?"

"Yes? I was just writing a text to Shinobu. She said she's coming to take us to a better place... Shinobu's at special forces. Police." she informed her with a smile. It was incredible how fast she managed to get a phone out of her pocket and use it.

"Thats always good." She cupped the hack of her neck as her lips drew into a frown. So heavy and abrupt. "Have you ever sensed a demon?"

"There's a lot of ghosts. Some of them are evil..." Isako whispered. "Off course I have. Us three, me, my brother an my sister, are ghost-hunters."

She reached under her coat, and revealed the sheath of a short katana. "This. Cuts ghosts. Demons are just a different types of spirits, that's what father told me... Shinobu's even longer, and Seiki's almost a cleaver. Nearly as long as I'm tall. They're made with different means than normal blades... To cut spirits. It's called a soul-cutter, a Zanpakuto."

Love the bleach quote~))

Amaria nodded along, mouth twitching up at the corners in a smile. "I suppose I should collect my things. i haven's stayed in a hospital for this long since I got a bad case of the chicken pox when i was two." It wasn't meant to be a brag, just a fact. She was a practical woman. "I thank you for the saving of my life, Isako," she said, having never used the first name of someone aside from Seiki, and giving it a whirl.

Soon enough, she was back in her room, and packing the totaled remains of her laptop into her satchel. Much like her mothers, and the very thought brought pleasing memories teasing at her brain. Her long fingers enfolded a cylindrical object, turning it as if to examine it with a steady gaze, but the movement mere reassurance she still was in possession of it. It was... a priceless weapon, afterall...

A knock on the door.

A knock on the door was all that preceded the entrance of three figures into Amaria's room soon after Isako left her. One of them was the small, doll-like girl again, though now, her dress seemed less large, and there was a handle of a katana visible above her shoulder. The second one was a taller woman, dressed in black, with tall boots, and carrying a white katana behind her belt. She had a short leather jacket with an upturned collar and chin-length black hair. The hands in her pockets were hidden in leather gloves. The last of them was the tall figure of Seiki himself. Except for a few scratches, being a little pale and having his right arm in a sling under his coat, he looked perfectly alright. He, too, was dressed all in black, with a long coat, reaching to his knees, and a thick scarf over his shoulders. The black handle of his own katana was above his right shoulder.

"Lady Connara." the taller girl spoke. Her voice was similarly cold and emotionless as her brother's - she resembled him for a large deal. "It seems we found you just in time. Would you mind going with us? I suppose it would be safer, and easier than taking a taxi." A smile toyed with her stern face, but it soon disappeared.

The three Spirit Hunters. The children of Takuya Adachi, finally standing in their full number.

"A pleasure to be offered a ride for the second time tonight. I recognize two of you, might i ask for the thirds acquaintance?" Ah... One of stone cold demeanor. Just as she. All to well in knowing she shouldn't have lost composure in the crash, and now she was worn to soft. back to business, it seemed. Injury or not. Oh, what a shame she wasn't completely human... Her voice was a caress to the ear, but her expression shuttered closed. Unyielding. Quite an obvious contradiction....

Shinobu gave her a slight bow, and her demeanor eased a little. "My name is Shinobu Adachi. The oldest daughter of Takuya and Risa Adachi, and sister of Seiki and Shinobu." she introduced herself. "There is a car waiting outside. This time a far sturdier one. An anti-tank mine would be required to crash it in a manner similar as my brother's car."

"If you wonder why is that, Shinobu's car is equipped against the attacks of spirits." Seiki explained.  "Necessary with amounts of spiritual power as high as our combined." His dark eyes seemed to be distant, but his voice was clear - a little too clear and cold. Shinobu sounded almost cheerful in comparison with her ice-cold brother.

"They think we can be a snack for them!" Isako joked. "But that's a mistake, because we kick their masked ghostly asses!" And to emphasize how they deal with them, she kicked up with one feet. Her shoes were different - instead of clunky heels, she wore simpler shoes.

Even an idiot would discern that they didn't want to merely take her for a ride.

Something made her lip twitch. The edge to Seiki's voice. He seemed to stoic, and unyeilding. Makes his sister seem softhearted. Was it the crash? Nothing yeilded but mere concerned curiosity... it wasnt as if she felt any more toward seiki but as a distant friend... The son of a client. that would just be wrong... She mutely nodded with her lips pressed into a thin, whitened line. Her brows furrowed. She obtained what was needed, and even grabbed the provided snack (chocolate chip cookie), and began to nibble as they departed. Deep in thought...

"All apologies for dragging you into this, Amaria." Seiki told her quietly as they walked out of the room, and Shinobu led them down the corridors. They went swiftly and silently, like three black shadows.

All of a sudden, his free arm moved to take the coat off his shoulders, and pass it to Amaria, even though it was a little too long for her, thus revealing the untucked black shirt he wore underneath it. "Take that. It will be off more use to you. It's the least I can do." he added. The sheath of his Zanpakuto was revealed, black and smooth, hanging across his back. Though, even despite retaining his elegance, he moved carefully like an injured person.

Isako was, in the meantime, impatiently walking beside him, and watched him with wide eyes. What was Seiki doing? Why did he take off his coat?

Again... she didn't utter a word. Just nodded again with the same troubled expression, and shrugged it on. In case seiki had so rudely forgotten, she was a shinigami shapeshifter. Thus, she heightened the stance of her legs to ensure dust didnt reach the bottom hem of the offered trench coat. By now, she was a bit taller then isako, and looked nowhere but the floor before her.

Strange... The world itself seemed to take a sudden shimmer- "Ill be right back..." She darted into the nearest room, and slammed the door shut. The cylendrical item smacked into her injured side and she groaned. Soon enough, she had the tip of her rune printed knife against her skin, drawing shadow blood as opposed to mundane, red colored liquid. The runes glowed, and shifted so they transferred to the surface of her skin, and when the glowing receded, the same runes were still upon the knife as if they'd never left, but the same were swirling around her wrists and upper arm, rapidly spreading to the entirety of her body.

The world cut its dreamy shimmer, and she soon pulled the cuff of the trench coat to cover what had been done, the wound made already sealed. She emerged and fell back into step with the others, her chesnut colored bangs shadowing her eyes.

Isako, being the most sensitive from them, immediately ran to her as she returned. "Amaria, is something wrong? What were you doing? Just to let you know, that wasn't a toilet." she questioned her with a raised brow, but upon meeting her brother's cold gaze, she closed her mouth.

Shinobu gestured at the company to follow. "We're almost out. The car's close." she reminded them, and the rest of them moved on. That was right, as they soon walked through the reception, and out onto the parking lot.

The large car of a dim black color would be visible even if it wasn't in half-empty space. It was pretty apparent that that was their vehicle - not only did it look pretty sturdy, but also pretty expensive. The short-haired Adachi pulled the car keys out of her pocket and waved with them while they got to it, sticking them into the door and unlocking it right after. "Isa, sit next to me at the front. They'll need the back spaces." she reminded her younger sister. Isako nodded, and jumped into the car, while Shinobu opened the other two doors for Seiki and Amaria.

He got in without shooting a glance back, and nonchalantly stretched himself through the leather seat, careful not to smack the handle of his weapon into the roof. The interior was about the same as what was outside. It was fitting for Shinobu and Seiki - though, not for Isako.

The second large seat was still free for Amaria.

Her innermost thoughts were opposed for reasons to sit with Seiki. It wasn't embarrasment, nor was it samefullness. It was merely because he seemed... unwelcoming and stale to the point where anyone would hesitate to sit. She sat, and shifted her palm, the skin paling to a light oceanic blue. She drew the door closed, and looked to the exposed, altered skin, watching as it twisted the texture of her palm until it revealed a picture not any of them could see.

Miss Connara, have you found a thing on your vacate from the premises? came the voice in her mind. She looked away from her lord with lips turned down at the man beside her before turning away again.

Certainly nothing related to the search, i assure, young master. Soon enough will come the dawning of actualization... We'll find him...

She closed her palm, and grit her teeth. A bitch was to die for touching her sweet boy...

"You two have some takeaway in the back, if you want. Seiki, I got you extra wasabi. Amaria... I hope you like sushi." Shinobu explained plainly while starting the car, and pointed at the box behind herself. Seiki picked it up and carefully put down onto the armrest, but kept it closed till they got onto the straight road.

Only then he opened it and picked up the pair of chopsticks that was packed to it. Truth be told, it wasn't as easy to use them with his left hand, and he almost dropped a piece of fish, dunked in the green mass, onto the car seat.

He kept staring out of the window, and no longer seemed so cold. Distant, yes, but not hostile. He was silent and calm, and so was his sister. The only one that seemed not to be miles away was Isako, playing on her phone.

"No thank you-" came the uncharacteristically hoarse voice of Amaria before she cleared her throat, and fell silent. She seemed to be the only one... to notice the tension radiating off her. She didnt know why it was there, nor how it came to be... But... she did understand she was off her game... unguarded and vulnerable.... Dammit...

Seiki hardly ate two measly pieces of sushi before he closed the takeaway again, and twitched on his seat. The window rolled down as he pressed the button on the door, but even though he stuck his head out of it and let the wind play with his hair, he still felt uneasy.

"There's a spirit nearby..." he uttered.

As if that was a response, something hit the car from the side, and moved it a good few feet to the side. In the mirror, Shinobu's and Isako's surprised faces could be seen - they were alone on the road!

And then the same motion was repeated on the other side. There really was a spirit, and incredibly close! How did it manage to hide its spiritual presence for so long?

Seiki's eyes widened with surprise... And something that could have been horror. He immediately stuck his head out again, and after it went out his arms. The sling that held his right one up was opened by the strength of his sudden movement, and sled off.

A white orb could be charging between his hands, and right after shooting at a large, dark figure by the side of the car. It blasted it away a good distance, but even despite it was lacking an arm as it returned, it managed to keep up with the car. He just used a mid-level spell on it... How was it still alive?

"Seiki, stop! You can't yet-" Shinobu shouted back, but her voice was drowned out by the spirit's roar. Even Isako dropped her phone and was now frantically digging through her bag.

Amaria noticed, but clutched at the seat and watched from a distance. The way the so called gentlemen moved was incredible. He had obvious .skill, and bottled it well in that frame of his. She tossed a lok at the spirit, freezing up. The blackened figured had the aura of a rune user around it. Something glinted at its waist...

She threw the weapon cylinder and it shifted into the blade shed used earlier. When it planted into the figure, it didn't dissolve as it would a normal supernatural. She set her jaw and removed the trench coat, reevealing a turtleneck, sleeveless black skintight shirt. Her pants shifted to an equally tight black cloth that was stretchable to allow movement. War boots and weapons adorned her form and she grit her teeth. A black tendril (a rune) sprang from her fingertips, and she screamed a name. Her sons name.

Something crashed into the car again, and twisted it around a few times. Shinobu held onto wheel firmly, even though they were all tossed all around the car as it spun round. Seiki managed to get his head back, and was breathing heavily, his eyes suddenly opened unnaturally wide. "Amaria... Stay in the car..." he muttered, even though seeing how her appearance changed, and feeling the strong surges of spiritual pressure that came from her.

The door behind his back opened, and he rolled out of the car, almost immediately unsheathing his sword with a blinding speed. It wasn't a cause of a weapon flashing before one's sight. It was simply in the sheath, and in the next quarter of a second it was in his hands.

Shinobu and Isako got out just as well, unsheathing their own soul-cutters. Each sword was different, but all of them were razor-sharp and deadly.

Seiki was the first one to move. He leaped up at the roof of the car with ease, and slashed after the talons of the beastly-looking spirit, cleaving a few straight off. Even despite the sharp pain in his arm, he moved like he always did, not slowed down a little. Shinobu soon appeared before the car, and a blast of crimson was fired from the hand that wasn't clenched around the sword, developing into several tentacle-like strings, and binding around the spirit, which was still going after Seiki.

Amaria, despite protest, was assigned to stay in the car. Dam...
But that never stopped a shini shifter from assistance. She'd respect their word, but... Wait, what was that?

She craned her neck out the window and behind her, only to near instantly catch sight of a read aura. Surrounding the creature they were facing.
It was a bit odd, Ill give you that... She retreived her circular device, and whipped back around, aiming it at the. creature and activating its purpous. Or, one of them. The people of the Conara Community are hand picked from the best mix. Inventors, scientists, engineerers, and, of course... publishers. *wink*

She pressed a mishapen button, and a bright light heated up at the back of the funnel. It didn't shoot, but something else flew from her left hand. Two iron balls attached to both ends of a chain. A personalized bolo, or one of the ninja weapons seen in movies.

It wrapped around the creature, and sent it tumbling to the groung, instantly flattening. As if the body inside had not been solid, but ash. She was catching a breath at the flash of a mark tip, and ducked back in the car, dismissing it as mere trick of the eye...

Before Seiki would strike the ghost, bound by Shinobu's spell, it got destroyed, and crumbled to ash. It wasn't a spell, but he caught sight of something flying through the air. Amaria most likely didn't listen to him - he figured out that much.

It was gone. Shinobu and Isako returned to their places in the car, and Seiki, too, returned Blood-red Blossom to its sheath, sliding back onto the seat. He was pale, even more so than usual, but otherwise didn't let on any sign of his own exhaustion or pain.

When Shinobu tried to start the car up, however, it refused to move forwards. She growled, and kicked up, producing a dull thud, but it didn't do anything. With a grumble, she moved out of the interior once again. "Something is messed up. Fife minutes." she muttered, immediately moving over to open the hood of the car and check the engine.

Isako's head appeared between the two front headrests. "You two, are you alright there?" she asked, clutching the sides of the seats with her small hands. "It wasn't a strong spirit, but still, we just dragged both of you out of the hospital."

Seiki gave her a slight nod. After the spirit disappeared, the air itself felt somewhat lighter. "Isako, hide your spiritual presence as much as you can." he instructed his sister. As if it was an answer to his question, another spark of a heavy presence in the air disappeared.

((omg i am so sorry i neglected this. Its amazeballs))