"You're all up next!" Ohno laughed lightly looking at Aiba, Aisling, Sephira, and Ariana. He stared a moment at both demons also but simply smirked to himself again. It was good to get the kids together and things, but he remained wary mostly because Sho had been wary. Sho-o-oh doesn't need the extra stress... Ohno smiled to himself. The game progressed lightly as one would have expected.
"Left hand on blue." Ohno said aloud, and his eyes caught Aisling slip a fraction and cause Aiba to change a fraction. He watched Sephira appear to try and be slick about something and managing to reach around Ariana finally getting the blue. "Left hand on green," Ohno smirked. Sephira seemed to groan at this after her strive to get the blue but finally went for the green.
Aiba was bent rather awkwardly but was managing to keep himself in a rather stable position. Upon hearing Ohno's next order, he saw a green dot and reached out for it. However, suddenly Aiba found a smack hit his head. "Ouch!" he said aloud hearing Aisling's voice mimic this as well. He noticed that Aisling was mimicking his movements and laughed a bit. "Sorry..." Aiba said as they both went back to playing once more.
Fine minutes passed, and Ohno was holding down a snicker as he looked at the forms of the four kids on the mat. Aiba was reaching over not only Aisling but Sephira who was bent across Ariana who was in turn reaching under Aisling. All in all, it resembled some sort of strange spider with extra legs. They are all so determined for such a game.... Ohno smirked to himself. If we could all keep them this innocent..... he mused to himself suddenly finding himself thinking further on it than he had intended. If these kids could keep themselves this way through the war... or if there was no war to begin with..... I understand now, Sho... this is why you work so hard.... and not just for them... but me, Ame, Nino, and Matsu too.... And even those aside from us....Emiko and the moratorium Ryuu.....
"Ohno!" Aiba's voice caught the red haired man off guard, and he noticed that the dark haired boy was threatening to give up if he didn't call out another spin.
"Right foot on yellow," Ohno answered back after spinning the spinner. Almost instantly, Ailsing and Ariana stepped on each other's feet, twitched, and started falling down. Sephira who was forced down as well by the domino affect twitch before finally falling over. Aiba somehow or another managed to get smashed under all three girls.
"Owwwww....." Aiba called out. "Get off me...." he cried all but flailing as he tried to get the other three off him. All three scooted off and let the dark haired boy get up. Ohno clapped his hands lightly followed by Christian and Edanial who had been watching.
"You all did spectacularly," Ohno smiled lightly as he began to fold up the mat happily. "And would you look at the time... it's nearly dinner. How about we all go out to eat instead of staying here?" Ohno asked smirking to himself. "Not to be mean but I fear the meatloaf." Aiba let out a laugh and nodded his head before looking back at Aisling, Sephira, and Sephira.
"Ohno's buying!" Aiba shouted before starting to run out of the cafeteria.
"Aiba wait do you even know where a resta-" Ailsing answered back she started running after the dark haired boy.
"Hey more food!" Sephira laughed before starting after Aiba and Ailsing. "Come on!" she said seizing Ariana's hand instead of Edanial's and dragging her off as well.
"Wait-" Ariana started but was dragged off as Sephira chased after Aisling who chased after Aiba.
"I think we need some Benny Hill music..." Ohno laughed. Both demons appeared to look at each other and then at Ohno as though rather accusingly. "Hey I never said I would pay...." Ohno sighed before laughing a bit to himself. "But as long as you guys aren't hungry for the souls of the living or dead, you can come to dinner too." He grinned lightly. Edanial scoffed and the butler appeared simply pleased with it somehow.
~*~
Aiba was running down the street as he heard Aisling calling behind him. "Aiba do you even know a restaurant around here?" Aisling asked.
"We're bound to find something!" Aiba shouted back before tripping and suddenly colliding with a very tired looking teal haired woman. "Ow....." Aiba said rubbing his head and looking up. Ame was standing and had one of those 'do you think this amuses me?' looks on her face. "Oh hey Ame!" Aiba grinned before looking behind and seeing Elle. "Hey Elle did you get Ame to teach you some stuff? And hi everyone...." he grinned lightly. Suddenly Aiba could hear Aisling stopping behind him.
Mari sighed a bit to herself and appeared to be staring at the cat who was walking ahead of her. As Aiba lowered his gaze, he saw that it was Nani. "Did you find Nani?" he asked.
"Long story...." Mari sighed outwards to herself before looking back at Kaki for a moment. "That I wish I knew what the full was...." Suddenly the rushed sounds of Sephira dragging Ariana came. Ame looked up and saw that a crowd seemed to be in formation.
"Aiba why are you leading this parade of people?" Ame asked putting her hands on her hips and staring down at the dark haired boy. She had all but completely recovered then and there.
"We were looking for a restaurant," Aiba grinned sheepishly to himself. "Ohno said he'd pay." Ame blinked for a moment and rubbed her temple.
"Aiba, I was going to say there was a restaurant back that way...." Aisling started.
"Oh really?" Aiba blinked before laughing and rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Sorry...."
Sephira seemed to be looking around and finally looked at the person she had seized. "Woops...." Sephira laughed releasing Ariana's hand. Ariana appeared looking rather tired but said nothing about it.
"This procession...." Ariana started.
"Well I guess food wouldn't be too bad right now," Ame sighed outwards cutting off the girl. "Elle, Mari, Kaki would you all like a bite to eat as well?" she asked lightly. "Since Ohno already appears to be funding the cause, might as well cash in." Mari seemed to breathe out rather relieved to have some sort of normalcy to say the least of things. Kaki's eye was on Nani who was staring back at him.
Ariana's eye caught sight of the cat, and she blinked a fraction. "Nani?" she asked aloud. The cat turned her head and stared at the girl before smiling a cat smile and then brushing up against Kaki's leg and purring methodically.
"That's a long story too," Elle said looking at the cat. "Apparently."
"Are we going to eat or not!" Aiba complained. Ame formed a fan in her hand and conked him over the head with it. "Ow....." Aiba said holding his head.
"Yes let's go eat then... everyone that way," Ame said pointing in the complete opposite direction of where Aiba had been running. Aiba turned around and looked back before grinning and starting the chase again.
Ame watched as Aiba led the chase back and then looked back at Elle, Mari, and Kaki before nodding and starting to walk that direction once more. "Are you alright Ame?" Elle asked aloud. The teal haired woman looked at the dark haired girl and said nothing for a moment before forcing a smile.
"I'll live," Ame answered back with a light smile. "Not like I haven't faced life or death before."
"I still don't even know why they were after us...." Mari's voice said causing Ame to stop and turn around. Placing a firm hand on the girl's shoulder, Ame forced a smile.
"I honestly don't care why they were after you," she smiled lightly. "But I refuse to let anyone die on my watch... my name is Ame, and from now on I'll be your trainer along with Elle." She grinned lightly, and Mari seemed to blink in confusion. With that, Ame started walking off again.
~*~
Nani followed the group for a good while before sitting down and sighing outwards. I'm sleepy.... Nani mused to herself. This body is so..... she yawned and didn't finish the thought. Then again this seal doesn't help either.... the cat shrugged her shoulders and watched the group draw even further away as though not even noticing she was gone. Time to find Nino.... Nani mused to herself before opening a portal and walking inwards.
The cat found herself in a forest area in front of a guest house. She looked up silently at it and said nothing for a moment before starting towards it. There was a window open, and with ease, the cat jumped up and into the bathroom of the house. Her eyes grew when she saw what was in front of her.
Matsu drop that knife before I claw you for doing that to Nino! Nani's thoughts made Matsu jump, and the white haired man turned his head and found the cat in the windowsill.
"Hello, Nani," he finally answered back before turning again. "And I am doing nothing wrong... simply trimming my hair..." he answered back. It was then that Nani noticed that the white haired man had tied his hair back in a pony tail and was raising a small version of a katana to it. The cat stared a moment not saying anything.
Ah.... Nani finally answered sighing to herself a fraction before looking back fully at the white haired man. And you don't seem surprised..... she mused a bit.
"Why would I be?" Matsu answered back as he sliced through his hair. "You talked to me a lot when we first met."
That is not what I meant, and you know it.... Nani answered back, and her ears went down on the sides of her head a fraction.
"I know..." Matsu sighed outwards lowering the short katana and glancing at himself in the mirror. "And I had a feeling you'd come anyways.... being Nin-kun's Cat after all..."
Heh.... You know I forgot how cynical you can be.... Nani sighed outwards.
"Not cynical," Matsu answered back with a smile. "Just understanding.... So I presume that your primary goal is to find and make sure Nino is alright?"
Not completely, but yes that is part of it.... Nani answered back. I checked on a few other humans as well.....
"That's good," Matsu smiled back. "Is everyone safe?"
For the most part.... Nani sighed outwards. I feared for Ame's health for a bit, but she appears fine....
"Good...." Matsu answered back looking at himself in the mirror again after finishing trimming another section of his hair. "Are you aware of why we are here?"
Indeed... I knew the day would come with Nino being what he is and you what you are.... Nani sighed outwards.
"And you being what you are as well..." Matsu mused a bit. "Nani."
When I take my true form again... Nani smiled a bit to herself but said nothing more. Where is Nino by the way?
"He's asleep..." Matsu answered back calmly.
This early? Nani asked. What happened?
"Nothing... he is just very very tired...." Matsu mused back. "And I am too..."
~*~
Nino was indeed asleep, yet it was not a peaceful slumber. Rather, it was tormented with things that he would not begin to describe. Aoi... Matsu.... Nino looked around and found them staring at him both with calm stares. "I don't care what it takes...." Nino found himself saying aloud just as his memory confirmed. "I'll protect you both." Matsu smiled back and stared at him with two yellow eyes.
"You can only protect for so long, Nino...." Aoi sighed outwards to herself. "Before...." she shook her head and forced a light smile. "But I'm glad you did what you did.... Matsu was saved at least...."
Nino found himself upside down then hanging from some sort of chains, and Hiawai was coming at him with a knife in hand. His eyes grew as the knife made a cut on his eyelid before it completely silenced into his skull. He felt himself scream out in pain. Suddenly he found himself in the middle of a war on one side the ghost hunters shouted out the need to exterminate all ghosts while the shamans shouted the need to protect them. Nino clasped his ears and suddenly found himself laying on a rug in the center of a room and staring at a ceiling. Suddenly he was standing again and holding a gun to a man's head.
"Do it..." the man said aloud. Nino pulled the trigger. Suddenly he was in a hallway with a doorway at the end. The dark haired man ran towards the door but never seemed to make it. Suddenly he found his hand on the doorknob. The dark haired man all but ripped the door off its hinges right then and there only to find himself suddenly on his knees and holding Matsu's limp body. It was smaller than before, but he was small as well. "I don't want this..." Nino found himself shouting. "I don't want this! Matsu!"
"You can save him...." a voice had said. "Do it...." And the feeling again... the words... Do it...
Nino woke up in a cold sweat on the couch as his eyes stared up at the ceiling. His entire body had become completely numb. He found an inability to get up and decided just to lay there. He could hear Mastu talking to someone in the bathroom but didn't think anything of it right then and there. His mind was numb from the dream.
Matsu walked out of the bathroom and found that the dark haired man was staring up at the ceiling with a pale expression. "Nino? Nino are you ok? You look really pale...." Matsu asked moving over quickly putting a hand on Nino's forehead. "You're burning up...." The white haired man whose hair was now cropped to the back of his neck but somewhat still long in the front was looking down at the dark haired man who still said nothing. The dark haired man said nothing and simply stared up at the ceiling. "Must be one of these short day colds or something...." Matsu said starting to rise only to feel Nino's hand on his wrist. "Nino?" Matsu asked.
"Just don't go....." Nino said carefully and quietly. Matsu said nothing for a moment and finally sat down resting his back on the bottom part of the couch.
"Ok...." Matsu answered back closing his eye.
Nino stared from her place not far off. She made no motion to approach but simply stared. Finally she closed her eyes and sat like a statue there.
~*~
"Ohno!" Ame shouted as she found the red haired man finally walking out of the hospital followed by two demons. She had just rounded the corner again following where Aiba had ran off followed by a few others including Mari and Kaki who had wanted to keep up. Only Elle had been walking with the teal haired woman by that time.
Ohno's eyes grew as he saw the teal haired woman sensed the pain Ame had been in. In half a second he ran straight up to her and held her in his arms. The teal haired woman froze for a moment before punching the red haired man in the chin and forcing him to let go. "How dare you take so many people out to dinner!" the teal haired woman said taking out a paper fan and starting to beat Ohno over the head with it. "Does it look like we're made of money or something?" she continued hitting the red haired man over the head.
After a few moments, Ame sighed outwards and crossed her arms. "You really need to think things through sometimes," she said irritated. Ohno was surprised but finally just laughed lightly to himself.
"Hell, are we going to dinner or not?" a demon said from behind Ohno. Ame's eyes all but turned to slits, and in half a second she round-house kicked the demon sending him flying a few feet down the street. The other demon, who was dressed in what could only be described as formal wear put up a hand as though not pressing on any subject. Ame looked at him scrutinizingly before turning around and smacking Ohno with a fan again.
"Why are you hanging out with demons?" she demanded looking at the red haired man who was now halfheartedly scratching his chin.
"Sho-o-oh said watch them, so I have been," Ohno finally said with a light smile. With that, Ame side kicked the red haired man right over. Elle, who had been watching all this, eyed the demon butler and then shook her head a bit. Ame finally crossed her arms and sighed outwards eying the demon she had just kicked as he got back up and rubbed his shoulder.
"Is everyone in this group violent or something," the demon sighed outwards.
"Apparently only towards you," the other demon commented back.
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Whoo long post.