Moonlight Flowers_Chapter 3
Midnight Flowers
Chapter: 3/?
Rating: NC-17 overall.
Bands/Characters: Alice Nine, The GazettE, OC's, Atsushi Sakurai.
Pairings: very fluid pairings.
Genre: AU, angst, supernatural
Warnings: male x male, violence, suggestiveness, group sex, adult themes, foul language.
Summary: Can two rival vampire covens learn to coexist in one small city? For Shou, head of the powerful Alice Nine coven, it seems like a rather complicated task.
Commentary: As usual this took forever to update -_- What else is new, I suck as usual. What I was intending to post last monday is actually 100% different than this, I ended up rewriting this whole thing and changed my original plans and what happened is that my original chapter is now chapter 4 with some major tweaking. So I'm delaying the porn, basically xD, and gratuitously including Atsushi Sakurai to this story because a) he makes a great vampire elder, and b) why the fuck not I couldn't help myself, my Atsushi muse is an attention-whore. So I hope you guys enjoy this, however belated that is…
***
Keisuke had been lost to dreamland quite a while before Tora had arrived with his burden of sleepy limbs and drowsy mumbles. Lying on his black, spanning his half of the bed he shared with his sister with long, slender legs and arms, half underneath the thick comforter, sleeping the peaceful slumber of young children. Or growing teenage boys.
They looked very much alike, even for fraternal twins.
Midnight hair, which Keisuke wore rather long as well, just past his shoulders in feathered strands, and pale skin, elegant traits, eyes like south-sea pearls. Their mother often joked that they were a little old to share a bed like they did as children, but for some reason, any attempt at separating them, even in sleep, was doomed to fail. They would just sneak into each other’s bedrooms. So Shou had made an end to it and gave them their own room, and a very large bed, and had put an end to children tiptoeing around in the middle of the night thinking that they would not be heard.
And maybe stumbling on things that were rather unfit for children at the time.
He smiled at Keisuke’s sleeping posture, long limbs akimbo, and carefully stepped over the piles of clothes and books all over the floor, carrying his sleepy burden to her own side of the bed. She clung to him when he tried to put her down, and whined, and he gave in with a muted chuckle, climbing into bed with her. Snorting when she just burrowed into his chest, fingers tangling in the knit of his sweater.
She was just like a cat demanding attention, almost purring when he caressed her back and hair, broad, soothing strokes.
“Why won’t you feed on me? Or Keisuke?” she asked, breaking the quiet peace with her soft murmur.
He sighed, his hand briefly pausing between her shoulder blades, before resuming the calming motions up and down her spine.
It was a question she asked often, his cryptic answer never quite satisfying her, or her brother.
“You know why baby…” he murmured, “I’m afraid to hurt you.”
“It never hurts…I don’t see why you would hurt us.”
They had learned to associate feeding with love. His refusal would always feel like a deep rejection, no matter how loving he was with them outside of those contexts. They had grown without a father in their lives, the coven standing in to fill that void whichever way they could. His refusal to feed on them hurt them, but he was willing to make that sacrifice.
Anything not to hurt them.
“I’m not like them…I don’t know where my control ends baby. I love you and your brother too much to take that risk you understand?”
“I’m sure you’re more like them than you think…”
He had no answer to provide to that statement. Maybe he was and was refusing to see it, maybe he wasn’t and they were all fooling themselves thinking he could fit in. If only he knew.
“Sing me to sleep?” she asked, her words muffled in the crook of his neck, childlike, resigned.
It was silly and childish, and she was way too old to be sung to sleep, but he indulged her anyway.
“Which song do you want.”
“That one you always sing, that one from your childhood.”
He nodded softy and started to hum the familiar melody. A simple song, the words long forgotten in the far reaches of his memory, the flesh gone, only the bones remaining. A vague memory of his mother, happier times, when he was small and helpless and he had a mother to run to.
Before the drugs and the violence, the broken home he had grown into.
He hummed until her heartbeat lulled to a quiet rhythm, and her breathing evened out, her grip on him loosening.
He watched her fall into that quiet rhythm, her mind sleepy and calm, and he left his own mind drift, attuned to hers.
A rare moment of inner peace.
Shou assured him that with proper training he would be able to read thoughts clearer, registering more than emotions. He wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to even be able, feeling everything so clearly. It was enough of a burden as it was.
Sometimes Tora wondered if he had been cursed.
Not that his life as a creature of the night wasn’t a curse by any stretch, but his life before that of a monster worthy of nightmares had been somewhat lacklustre.
Illegitimate son of a yakuza boss, begotten from a western concubine. His mixed blood had ruled him out of the succession, made him an outsider in his own world. Left to his own devices and a life of reckless acts while his father neglected him and his mother fell into a pattern of alcohol and depression.
Cursed perhaps. Bad karma.
It was a small relief to think that he would not pass this on after his death. Vampires had no souls. If death was even in store for him that was.
He felt Shou’s presence near the open doorway and forced his eyelids open, no matter how much he just wanted to stay here and sleep away the night, in a tight embrace of sleepy limbs and peaceful dreams. He’d been there a while, Tora’s mind shutting him out but now that Fumiko was lost to dreams he could no longer ignore his presence.
Shou appeared in the door frame, wearing low slung jeans and a grey tee, caramel strands still damp from the shower brushing his neck. He’d heard the sleepy conversation, Fumiko’s plight, Tora’s excuses.
“She’s sleeping?” he asked, a soft murmur.
Tora nodded softly, not wanting to disturb the peace with his own voice.
“Come down then, we have things to discuss.”
The tone was soft but left no space for debate. He couldn’t just walk out and avoid the coven’s business this time, like he usually would.
He carefully untangled himself from the tight embrace, smiling despite himself when she whined and squirmed at the loss of heat, plastering herself to her brother instead. He draped the heavy blanket over her slender body and gently gave her back a last caress, watching her sink softly against the body of her twin with a pleased sigh.
Small pleasures like this were the light to his darkness, and he hoarded them to his heart. Sometimes he wondered if it was the only thing that kept him sane.
He passed by Shou while getting out of the room, padding quietly, feeling the weight of his maker’s guilt as amber eyes followed his every movement. He paused, turned around.
“I, we, care about them as much as you do, Tora. They’re the children we’ll never have.”
His mouth twisted at the words, a little bitter.
“I know. Which is exactly why I shouldn’t feed on them. You don’t entrust your children to a monster like me.”
Shou crossed the distance between them with a few steps, reached for his face two handed, cool fingers.
“You’re not the monster you’re making yourself out to be Tora. You have to let us help you, at some point…”
Tora nodded, backed out of Shou’s touch with a hesitant step.
“What if you’re wrong? What if I’m broken and I cannot be fixed like you thought I would.”
Shou sighed, walked past Tora in quiet, measured steps towards the broad staircase.
“If I have to end my days trying to fix you, I will.”
***
Shou’s study was a large room, with hardwood floors and two walls of tightly corded books on floor to ceiling shelves. There was the display case for his urns, a small working desk by a tall window, and another, much larger, dark mahogany one, flanked with six chairs, and not much else.
That was where the daily meetings were held and most issues discussed.
Nao was busy in the side corner, fiddling with the italian coffee machine. Mortal food held no nutritional value to them, but it could still be consumed for pleasure, and Nao had never quite shaken his love for the aromatic flavours of strong coffee expertly prepared.
Saga and Hiroto had already claimed their chairs as they arrived, dressed to the nines, fiddling with their respective phones. They had parties to attend and clubs to run, social duties of sorts.
One could not spend eternity idle, and it was a fortuitous thing that the coven had such diverse assets that needed tending to generate interesting amounts of profits. Enough to run the estates, lavishly treat their staff, and offer a measure of protection to the strays, vampires without covens, that had pledged allegiance to their own coven. And enjoy some of the finer things the world had to offer, of course.
Fine things that Hiroto and Saga definitely had a liking for, if only judging from their fashionable outfits of soft leather and silks, finely crafted jewelry, italian boots. Artfully tousled hair and expertly applied makeup. Two princes of the night, ready to take the nightlife by storm, leaving broken hearts in their wake.
But first there were things to discuss. Very important things that might change their very way of life, until they were resolved.
He let Tora in first and watched him claim his chair, at his left hand, as he himself sat at the head of the table. Nao carried over two small espresso cups on saucers, carefully placing one in front of Tora, who also still enjoyed the potent drink, and could not refrain his lips from curling up at Tora’s little thankful smile.
Nao seated himself at his right hand, and then all eyes were on him.
He cleared his throat, rubbing his hands together for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts, and then decided not to sugarcoat it. The results would be the same, there was no point in stalling.
“I have received insider information last night, from one of our informant strays, that Ruki’s coven is back from europe.”
And then all hell broke loose.
Starting with Nao spitting half his coffee on the table before him and Saga standing up with a horrified look on his face, his chair flying back and Hiroto’s mouth just falling open as his phone slipped from nerveless fingers to land on the hardwood tabletop with a loud clatter.
Tora eyed them all with a slightly puzzled look, the little porcelain cup halfway to his mouth, eyebrows furrowing.
“Is the source secure?” Nao asked, absentmindedly dabbing at his lips with his shirt sleeve, “It could be a rumour…”
Shou nodded negatively, wishing it was only that, a rumour.
“He actually saw them land at Narita and leave accompanied with private security detail early last night. They left for the countryside in two unmarked sedans. Five of them.”
“Five?” Saga chimed in, uprighting his chair and collapsing into it, “But Ruki’s coven has only four members? They picked someone up in europe maybe, pledged another…was he a fledgling?”
“We have no way of knowing at this time. Only that he was male.”
“It could’ve been their pledged blood source. I know they’ve never been keen on that concept but long travels without supply could have been an issue.” Hiroto proposed, running a hand through the artful mess of his pale blonde hair.
Shou shrugged, falling back against the backrest of his chair.
“I have no clue. We have to bring this news to the Elder Council today, I will go with Tora, and we’ll see what their plan of action is.”
Tora picked that moment to chime in, after another sip of bitter espresso.
“Could someone please fucking explain to me what the situation is? All of you are speaking foreign language as far as I’m concerned…”
Shou nodded, sighing. He’d forgotten that when all the event with Ruki’s coven had occurred, fifteen years past, Tora had been just a teenaged boy starting his life on the streets.
“You know we are the only coven in Tokyo, right? We have primary ownership of the territory, as sanctioned by the elder council. The Elder Council is…well, how could I explain? They’re our leaders, neutral in all things, and they have the final word in all our affairs. They own nothing yet everything, they have their own property on the outskirts of Tokyo but have claimed no land, and from there they oversee everything that happens in our world.”
Tora nodded, yet his brows were still furrowed.
“I remember you explaining...That doesn’t explain the drama however…”
“Fifteen years ago, there were two covens on our territory. Ours, and Ruki’s. Ruki and I share a maker, and we were raised in the same coven. When our maker joined the elder council and her coven dissolved, Ruki and I had entertained heading our own coven together. However, his views on how we should treat humans…” Shou’s fingers curled against his palm in a tight fist, knuckles whitening, “Let’s say we had strong disagreements on the subject. He saw mortals as chattel, a food source and no more, and treated them as such. So we parted ways. He went to roam the land and we lost sight of each other, while I remained and founded the coven, claimed Tokyo as our territory.”
“His coven had absolutely no respect for human life.” Nao chimed, “They would kill undiscriminating, and they were sloppy about it too, leaving corpses and death in their wake uncaring.”
“I thought the Elders had a code about maintaining secrecy to keep all vampires safe? Did they not follow it?” Tora asked.
“They do, but Ruki has always been…a little ruthless about authority.” Hiroto jibed, sighing.
“I opposed their arrival at first, petitioned the Elders, but Ruki can easily bewitch with words, even I was convinced by his plight, so we agreed to share the territory.” Shou explained, “Their behaviour slipped by unnoticed for a few decades, when they arrived in the early 40’s the police force wasn’t what it was today, post-war Japan was a bit of a mess and they slipped by. They were bound to get discovered eventually. The police got involved, thinking that they had a violent serial killer on the loose and when the investigation got them a little too close to us and our businesses we held a council meeting where we all agreed, all the covens and strays, to get them expelled from the country. For the safety of the human population, and our own.”
“And how did that go?” Tora asked.
The four of them winced.
“Not the easiest thing the coven has done. The Elders declared their lands forfeit, and they were banished from the island. Ruki took it especially badly, saying that I had betrayed him, and we got into a physical fight. It wasn’t pretty…”
Saga groaned, shaking his head.
“Don’t make it sound like a fistfight, he tried to fucking kill you.”
Tora’s eyebrows lifted high enough to nearly touch his hairline, and then he looked thoughtful for an instant.
“That faded scar on your chest... Its from that fight isn’t it?”
An old scar, faded white, five clawmarks in a circle just above Shou’s left nipple. Tora had seen it countless times, never daring to ask. Their bodies could heal virtually any wound without any traces remaining, and he’d wondered if it was a remnant of human life. Shou nodded.
“He tried to rip out my heart with his bare hands. And would’ve succeeded had Nao not been there to subdue him.” Shou explained, reaching for Nao’s forearm, clasping it tightly.
Tora was a little taken aback by the revelations, realizing that so far he had been living in rather sheltered, pleasant conditions, unaware of the politics and realities of their universe. Free to do his own thing, uninvolved, and thought that maybe it was time for him to start wearing the mantle a little more.
“What happened then?”
“They left the country, went to europe. And now they’re back and I’m not liking this one bit. Which is why we’re gonna go meet with the Elder Council and see what they think of this.”
“Do you think its safe for us to be out tonight?” Hiroto asked, exchanging looks with Saga.
“We have to keep up appearances, who knows what their intentions are. Maybe its better if we make it seem like we know nothing…” Nao mused, “Besides, if they still have a vendetta against us they probably wouldn’t just strike without planning. They’ve been out of the country fifteen years, they have no idea of how the politics have changed and how powerful we’ve become.”
In the years that Ruki’s coven had been gone, they had finally been able to expand their businesses safely, and their status with the council was not to be sneezed at, as they closely worked with Elders to ensure a prosperous living for all the vampires residing on the island. They were more powerful than ever.
“Still…Take more of the security detail with you tonight, Tora and I won’t need much on our trip south. Stick to high profile events and don’t stay out more than necessary…” Shou instructed, pushing his chair back and standing, splaying hands on the glossy tabletop.
“Is the house secure?” Tora asked, immediately thinking of their two young charges, and their mother, and all the kind, faithful people that facilitated their lives and protected their slumber.
Nao nodded, grabbing hold of his phone and tapping away.
“I’m gonna call in some extra security for the perimeter of the domain, just in case. I know some trustworthy private security companies, I’ll have them patrol the fences and carefully monitor entrances.”
“Are we all clear on our tasks today?” Shou asked, and seeing all of the faces around him nod with understanding, even Tora who still looked a little bewildered at the information that he had assimilated, couldn’t help but smile, despite the grim tone of the meeting.
His coven had his back, he couldn’t ask for more.
“The meeting is adjourned until dawn. Be safe, all of you.”
***
Tora was still a little bewildered about everything he had heard at the meeting.
The coven’s past, the council, rival covens allegedly looking for revenge. He had not expected the politics of the vampire world to be so intricate. Thankfully he could muddle all those thoughts in peace while their chauffeured sports utility vehicle sped through the night on deserted roads, their security detail trailing close behind in another unmarked vehicle.
He’d offered to drive, not very keen on being driven around like a prince, he rather liked their collection of fast sports cars. Shou had refused, saying that it simply wouldn’t do to arrive there in a loud car by themselves. Apparently there were some protocols to be followed when one was meeting Elders.
Shou had fussed on their outfits too, insisting that they should change into some more formal wear and Tora had obliged him with a snort, thankful that the high quality suit he had slipped into was at least as comfortable as it was stylish.
Shou was still fussy however, fidgeting, crossing and uncrossing his legs, picking at his nails and overall seeming like a nervous mess. Tora sighed and grabbed hold of Shou’s left hand, squeezing the black lacquered fingers.
“Stop it, you’re gonna mess your nail polish…” he admonished, Shou giving him a sheepish smile.
He didn’t let go of the hand however, keeping it cradled in his lap.
“Tell me about the council.”
Shou nodded, his carefully styled fawn hair falling across his eyes, letting his body slide across the backrest to lay his head against Tora’s shoulder.
“The Japanese Elder council has five members. Always has. Only they can grant land to a coven, and approve the formation of one. They also carry out judgement, settle quarrels, and handle our political affairs with the japanese government. They ensure our safety, created rules of conduct for us, and make sure they are respected. They’ve been doing a great job of it for nearly 600 years.”
“Can members of the council retire?”
Shou nodded, warmth and soft hair brushing his jaw.
“They can, but they have to nominate a fit heir first, one that has to pass the council’s approval. That’s what happened with my maker, she was nominated as a successor and judging that we were all old enough to start our own covens dissolved her own to join the council. Only one of the council members has been there for the entirety of its existence. He’s the Elder of Elders, been around for close to a millennia.”
Tora whistled underneath his breath. A thousand years was a long time to be alive for sure.
“His wisdom must be staggering…”
Shou smirked, closing his eyes, Tora’s smooth fingers caressing his own soothingly.
“It is, but he can be surprisingly young at heart for such a relic. He will like you very much I think, you’re just his type.”
Tora snorted, flattered, and even more curious.
“What’s his name?”
“His birth name has been forgotten, even he hardly remembers it, and claimed another a few centuries past. He goes by the name of Atsushi Sakurai.”
***
If their own abodes were very much european in inspiration -it had been built based off the ancient plans of a regency era manor house, as per Shou’s requests- the Elder’s domain looked like a Shogunate era japanese castle. Pointedly traditional, its pagoda soaring towards the sky, yet lavishly and modernly appointed if the high-end security fence and entirely automated bridge crossing the moat was anything to go by.
Tora was reminded of a childhood trip to Edo castle, a hazy memory from his toddler years. He remembered the awe at how big and majestic it was, and being too excited inspecting every corner to listen to the tour guide, and his mother carrying him on her back and laughing, laughing so much. The corners of her green eyes crinkling.
There weren’t many happy memories of his early years but that was a good one. Another little piece of the past he treasured in his heart.
“Tora? Are you alright?”
Shou was already out of the car, holding the door open and eyeing him with a puzzled look on his face. Tora realized that he had been completely lost in thought and shook his head, dispelling the memory.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just…” he shrugged, stepping out of the car, “its not important. Let’s go.”
Shou didn’t pry.
They were lead inside by an armed guard, and then a sharply dressed attendant with stylishly cut hair and a dazzling smile, complete with sharp canines, whom Shou appeared to know as they exchanged some muted banter and smiles, through the long corridors, their steps accompanied by the chirping of nightingale floors.
“It has been quite a while since you visited the council in person, Shou-san.” the attendant remarked, “The Lady will be quite pleased to see you.”
“I know, I should visit more often…I carry some important news.”
“So I’ve heard…Only our Lord and Lady will be in attendance, the three other members are on assignment.”
Shou smiled at that, fondly.
“Looks like it will be an informal gathering then, good. I was in no mood for stuffy protocol to be fair.”
It had Tora wondering what Shou meant by informal, as they were finally lead to a large room with intricately painted walls and elegant black lacquer furniture. In the vampire world, it could mean anything.
Anything at all.
***
Atsushi Sakurai cut an imposing figure.
Heck, imposing was an understatement as far as Tora was concerned. Sakurai was majestic, the weight of his charisma overwhelming everything else in the room, as he got up from the leather couch where he had been waiting from them to arrive, gracefully unfolding.
So much tightly coiled power, it was exhilarating.
Moonlight skin and midnight hair cascading to broad shoulders, traits sharper than an obsidian blade and eyes that could sunder one’s soul, plummy-dark irises that could easily pry into the darkest of secrets with a glance. Paired with a tall, graceful figure and the straight posture and gait of a much younger man. Ridiculously handsome.
He welcomed Shou like a father would welcome his own son, with a broad smile showing perfect, sharp, teeth, and a tight hug that had Shou wheezing and snorting.
Tora guessed that it was what was meant by informal.
They parted from their tight embrace, Sakurai patting Shou’s shoulder with a grin as the younger caught his breath.
“Its good to see you my boy…we don’t see each other face to face often enough.”
The words were teasing, amused, delivered in a smooth, sultry barytone that had Tora’s heightened senses go a little wild. There was power in that voice, much like Shou could easily entice with his own, but at another, more mature level.
“Boy…” Shou huffed, “You make it sound like I’m a fledgling.”
Sakurai caressed his cheek, softly, arranged some strands of his hair and then fiddled with his collar. His nails were long and pointed, lacquered a glossy black, every gesture of his hands careful and elegant.
“You know, being as ancient as I am, everyone is a fledgling to me, speaking of…” his sloe-eyed gaze was turned to Tora, and the raven haired just felt as if the heat in the room had gone up a few notches, “Is this delicious young man your newest addition to the coven?”
He very much looked like a hungry wolf smelling prey, the smile that appeared on his lips so predatory it sent a shiver down Tora’s spine. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He felt scared, in a good way.
Shou snorted and invited Tora to step closer with a little nod of his head. Which he did, trying not to seem as hesitant as he felt, stopping a pace away, just out of arm’s reach, delivering a crisp bow that had Sakurai grinning in a positively evil way.
“This is Tora, my fledgling.”
Sakurai’s eyebrows quirked for half an instant, and then he nodded.
“Ah yes…the wild one you told us about? You seem to have tamed him rather well…” he purred, getting close enough to touch yet didn’t.
“Careful, he may still bite…” Shou joked, shrugging when Tora sent the briefest of annoyed glances his way.
The elder slowly walked around Tora, appraising him from every angle and the raven haired fought a shiver when a broad hand traced his upper back, from shoulder to shoulder in a fleeting caress.
“What a fine creature…” he remarked, approval clear in his tone, “He’s beautiful Shou…but does he speak?”
“I speak when spoken to.” Tora muttered, a little sullen at being studied like a fine cut of meat, and then biting his tongue thinking that maybe now wasn’t such a good time to forego manners.
Sakurai chuckled, however, clearly amused, coming back into his field of vision. They were almost of a height, yet the mixture of wisdom an innate cunning in those dark eyes had him feel rather small and helpless. Along with the sheer charisma and power that emanated from his very being, it overwhelmed all of his senses.
“Ah, sharp tongued too…and what a lovely voice.” Sakurai purred, the tip of his fingers tracing a line down Tora’s throat, pausing in the exposed hollow and once again Tora was fighting shivers and gasps, “I like you, young tiger…I like you very much.”
“I can’t say if I reciprocate yet.” Tora replied, a little dryly and Sakurai chuckled again, backing off a pace.
“You, my sweet, are absolutely delicious…” the elder purred, elegantly turning on his heel to face Shou again.
“As fun as making your fledgling squirm is I believe we have some more serious matters to discuss?”
Shou nodded, sobered by the news he had to deliver, but something was missing.
“Where is Alice? I thought she would be here?”
Just as he was uttering the words the door slid open again and a small statured, delicate female vampire entered the room. So small that for a second Tora mistook her for a very young child.
Tora was a little surprised to see that she was a foreigner, her delicate european traits and pale blonde hair a striking contrast with her elegantly dark winter kimono. She had been turned later in life, if the small lines at the corner of her ice-blue eyes were anything to go by, and just like Sakurai, she exuded wisdom and power, their combined auras tangling and meshing together rather than clashing. So much power condensed in the room that Tora could almost feel it like a blanket covering them.
“I’m right here, my child.”
Her voice was a soothing contralto, her accent a soft northern drawl without any trace of foreign influence, and Shou’s face split into a wide grin as he walked over to her small figure, dropped to his knees on the hardwood to hug her tight around the waist, his head fitting just right underneath her chin.
“Mother…” he whispered, with a mixture of reverence and pure adoration that Tora had never heard before, so devoted that the raven haired was a little taken aback.
Tora couldn’t help but be a little surprised that such a delicate looking creature was Shou’s maker, but he knew better than underestimate an elder. If that power emanating from her was any indication, she was certainly not one to be taken lightly.
She smiled softly, buried small fingers in Shou’s thick fawn hair, softly sifting through the artful waves with her dark red lacquered nails.
“You neglect your old mother…” she admonished, tilting his head back to kiss his forehead.
“I know…I will visit more often, I’ve missed you…”
She grinned at his words, baring her sharp canines.
“I will hold you to your word you know…” her clear blue eyes lifted a fraction, catching Tora’s own and he broke eye contact, feeling rather self conscious.
He wondered if all elders were like that, reading into the depths of one’s soul with a quick glance.
“Is that your tiger?” she asked, amused.
Shou nodded, and once again Tora felt on the spot, especially with Sakurai standing right beside him, eyeing him appreciatively.
“He’s very handsome. Doesn’t look all that dangerous to me…” she teased, brushing imaginary dust off Shou’s trousers as he got back up to his feet.
Elders clearly had a thing for fussing with clothes and hair.
“He’s tame now, but it took some work…” Shou replied, on the same teasing tone, yet all could sense that maybe there was still work to be accomplished with Tora, but that was between them.
Tora scoffed, crossing his arms on his chest.
“If all of you are done discussing me could we please move on to the serious business…” he muttered, and Sakurai chuckled again, clapping his broad hand down on Tora’s shoulder, steering him to the broad lacquered table flanked with four chairs.
“You take charge too…I like you more and more.”
“Is that really a good thing?” Tora asked, allowing himself to reply with the same playful tone the elder had used.
Sakurai glanced at him, with a side smile that held a strong measure of dark malice.
“Trust me boy, its a great thing.”
Tora had to agree. Better side with the old demon than stand against him, that was a definite truth.
Shou thought it would be better not to stall, and once they were all seated with steaming cups of tea, Tora formally introduced to his maker and all the proper pleasantries exchanged, which involved the two elders making Tora squirm as much as possible, he decided to get right into the thick of it.
“I come here bearing some important news. I really hate to dampen the mood,” his fingers slipped across the table to touch Alice’s own smaller ones, “but I thought that it was of imperative importance that I share my knowledge with the council.”
Sakurai nodded, resting in chin on his closed fist.
“Speak my child, we’re all ears.”
“I have received some inside information from one of my strays, a very secure source, that Ruki’s coven has come back to Tokyo. They arrived two nights ago on a chartered flight from Paris.”
Sakurai’s face remained impassible, and Alice nodded, their lack of surprise rather bothersome.
“Your informants are very efficient, I must say, faster than ours as usual. However, we already know of Ruki’s return.” Alice replied.
Shou felt his jaw go slack, and then tighten, Tora’s hand squeezing his knee underneath the table the only thing keeping him calm. Another facet of their bond, that ability to calm each other through physical contact, and at that very moment Shou was more than thankful for it.
“Your informants? And if that’s the case when were you planning on telling me?”
Sakurai took a deep breath and steepled his fingers.
“Ruki came here, in person, to make amends.”
“What?” Shou hissed, starting to get up but Alice’s firm hand squeezing his wrist subdued him and he sat back down.
“Shou, we will never forget what he has done, and I will never forgive him for trying to hurt you, you can be sure of that…” Alice explained, voice soothing and Shou felt part of the anger diffuse a notch, but it wasn’t nearly enough to calm him down completely, “He came to us a very different creature than what he was when he left, I can assure you of that.”
“I thought banishment was a permanent punishment.”
“It is.”
“Then why are you condoning his return? After what he’s done?”
Sakurai sighed, leaning back in his chair.
“He no longer holds leadership of the coven. He has stepped down and let someone more levelheaded grab the reins, which we think is a good show of humility. It also puts us at an impasse since he no longer leads…”
“Its like a brand new coven.” Shou sighed, defeated, the situation finally dawning on him.
Sakurai nodded, looking a little miffed himself.
“Precisely. Which made it impossible for me to deny his application, since the creation of a new coven erases the crimes of the previous one. There was nothing I could do, except limit their power and set conditions for approval.”
Shou nodded, trying to take in the information calmly, struggling enough to reach underneath the table and squeeze Tora’s fingers, thankful for his presence.
“What are the conditions? And who leads now?”
“I allowed them their old land back, but declined them the rights to own businesses and shares of our stocks for a period of five years with possible revision in two years if their behaviour is exemplary. And I mean exemplary. The smallest deviation to vampire rule and they are out, and I will personally make sure their banishment is permanent. As for the new leader, Ruki came on his own to negotiate, I have not yet met him but he’s a new addition to the coven. They intend to formally introduce him at a function they will host in a few week’s time. Alice and I will be in attendance.”
“So there’s no way around this, is there?” Shou asked, the fight seeping out of him.
Alice nodded.
“Not at the moment. But I swear if he makes the smallest move against you…” her fingers clenched around the porcelain cup she was holding, shattering it to dust as if it was no more than a chunk of wet sand, “I will make him regret the day he was made.”
There was heavy silence while all mulled those thoughts.
“Should we be worried? About our safety and the well being of our charges?” Tora asked, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, breaking the tension.
Sakurai leaned forward, gently prying Alice’s hand open to brush off the broken porcelain from her skin, inspecting it for cuts and she let him with a sigh.
“Ruki has assured us he wants to put the past behind him. Whether his word can be trusted or not, we have yet to see, but we didn’t sense deception from him, which was rather refreshing coming from him.”
“With Ruki its always a game within a game.” Shou sighed.
“Well I hope that this time, he has the good sense to know when he has lost, if he’s still playing that is.” Sakurai mused.
They all hoped for their sake he wasn’t.
***
So yeah, Ruki and his coven have yet to make an appearance. I know I know bad me *smacks self*, but you won't be sorry of the wait, they make their first appearance next chapter and what an appearance my friends…You will enjoy it for sure. It should get posted sometime in the middle of next week if life goes as planned. So how did you guys like this one? Once again we delve into Tora's fears, we meet some sassy elders (don't worry, they will be making some other appearances) some drama occurs…let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed this and I look forward to hearing from y'all, *hugs* xoxo