Midnight Flowers_Chapter 4
Midnight Flowers
Chapter: 4/?
Rating: NC-17 overall.
Bands/Characters: Alice Nine, The GazettE, OC's, Atsushi Sakurai.
Pairings: very fluid pairings. Some mild Tora x Shou, Shou x Ruki in this one.
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: I feel like every single time I post I end up apologizing for having a busy life and the excuse is feeling kinda old but its the truth! I've been horribly busy at work and yeah this got put to the side and as I was writing today it ended up growing to monstrous proportions and yeah…So this is another split chapter, the half of this is gonna be chapter five which I will be posting later tonight! I promised porn, y'all shall have it! So yeah no explicit porn in this yet, but we do get an interesting glimpse at Shou's relationship with Ruki and the links between their covens, and we get to see that Tora is starting to get more involved too. I hope y'all like this for now…
***
Nao was just getting off the phone with the security company when Mayumi entered the darkened office, not bothering to knock.
A small statured woman, with narrow shoulders and hips, and tiny little hands with red lacquered nails, the same delicate traits as her children. Pouty lips and pale skin, midnight eyes, long dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She was dressed for bed, sweatpants and a pale tee, with a thick, ridiculously pink and fuzzy robe to ward off the cold.
She pushed past the door with a little smile and ambled over to the desk where Nao was seated, her slippered feet barely even making noise on the hardwood floor.
“Still up?” he asked, pushing back against his chair before rubbing the bridge of his nose underneath his glasses.
She nodded, her steps taking her behind his chair, small hands tracing his shoulders, slowly going up his neck, fingers sifting through his sleek black hair. He leaned his head back a fraction, until it sat right against her upper belly, eyes closing as he very willingly submitted to the soft massage.
“After the news we got, I just couldn’t…” she explained softly, her fingers applying soft pressure to his scalp.
Shou had briefed her about the situation before leaving, as she was the head of the household during the day. She knew of all the details of the organization, and such a serious event would definitely change her day to day operations. Not too much they hoped, but precautions had to be taken to ensure the safety of all.
“You’ll be safe, I hired more security and made some arrangements to get all the hardware up to date on our surveillance system. They’ll be arriving tomorrow during the day to fix everything up.”
She chuckled.
“Its not my safety I’m worried about. The children and I have always felt very safe, even when they were last feuding with us fifteen years ago.”
The twins had been toddlers at the time, and they had done absolutely everything to ensure that they would not get targeted in the fight.
Things wouldn’t be any different this time, Nao would make sure of it. If it came to another fight, which he hoped beyond hope that it wouldn’t, for the sake of everyone.
“Why the insomnia then?” He asked.
“Its Shou I’m worried about. Remember how heartbroken he was last time? He lost a piece of himself back then and I really don’t want to see him in so much pain any time soon.”
Nao sighed. She had a point, but things were very different this time.
“He has Tora this time. Their bond has helped him a lot in the past year or so…And the kid has a lot of untapped power.”
Her hands slid down his neck and back up, applying just the right amount of pressure to loosen tense muscles and he couldn’t hold back a pleased groan at the sensation.
“Tora is a very kind hearted boy, but he’s also very fragile and has much to learn still. I don’t know if Shou can fully lean on him yet.”
Nao nodded, leaning forward when the skilled hands slipped down to that tense spot between his shoulder blades.
“He has much to learn, but I think that with everything that he has heard tonight…I think he realized that he will be very much needed in the next few weeks while we figure this whole mess out. We have yet to get him to drink human blood however…I don’t think he realizes that he’s curbing his potential drinking animal blood all the time.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t be averse to drinking from me?”
Nao scoffed.
“If he won’t drink from the twins I highly doubt he would drink from you. He sees you as a mother to us all…and you are, in some way.
Despite the fact that I’ve known you since you were the size of a grain of rice in your mother’s stomach.”
Mayumi’s mother, Chiyoko, had been the third generation of pledged donors, and the very first to spend all of her life serving. They were all given a choice, on their 18th birthday, to stay with the coven or leave to pursue their lives on their own, with a hefty compensation. Mayumi had chosen to stay, her sister had left. The twins had decided to follow in their mother’s footsteps and stay with the coven, which had been cause for much celebration.
“I’ll try to convince him, using my motherly persuasion skills.”
Nao chuckled at that, reaching back to grab her hands, tug her arms around his neck.
“Maybe after a massage like you’ve just given me. He would be crazy not to cave…I’d do anything for you right now.”
“Anything?”
Nao smirked, knowing exactly where she was going with her questing tone.
“Even if its spending most of the night cuddled in the den watching movies?”
He snorted, tugging her closer.
“You’re still very much a teenage girl at heart aren’t you?”
“Living with a bunch of eternally youthful boys, I have to be no?”
He couldn’t argue with that statement, definitely.
***
They were on their last social call, some private party for a fashion launch at one of the more upscale clubs they owned. It didn’t stop the party from being raucous and loud, the fashionable young crowd dancing and drinking away the night on a finely curated soundtrack provided by one of the city’s of-the-moment deejays.
Parties that catered to the fashion world definitely were Hiroto’s forte, his main occupation within the coven being the discreet overseeing of two luxury clothing labels, one specializing in leather goods, the other more streetwear oriented, that were currently thriving under his patronage. He’d always had a good eye for talent, especially when it came to the finest craftsmanship that was required to create beautiful garments.
They had no excuse not to be perfectly dressed at all times.
They’d arrived rather quietly via the back door, meshing with the fashionable youth, calling a few rounds for the benefit of the lively crowd, said rounds welcomed with much cheer, and were now lounging on plush leather couches in the VIP area, enjoying their good fortune along with a select few good looking boys and girls, absorbing the energy of the crowd.
Saga was debating with himself whether or not he should take the pretty, ash brown haired male model half sprawled across his lap to the secluded office in the back for a bit of private fun, and maybe a sip or two of mildly intoxicated blood. The boy was sleek and gorgeous and he was dying to see him with considerably less clothes on, preferably on his knees too, but was interrupted in his pleasant pondering when a member of their private security detail, a tall muscular man in a crisp suit and polished shoes, came to discreetly whisper in his ear.
“There’s a young lady just out that would like to see you, sir. She asked for you specifically. Should I escort her out, she does not have a proper invite.”
Saga straightened up from his lounging posture, reluctantly pushing the lean thigh across his lap away.
“Is she one of us?”
“Definitely mortal. She says she has something for you that she has to give you in person. She won’t budge on the subject.”
That was intriguing to say the least.
“Take her to the office, I will be there shortly.”
The bodyguard nodded and slipped right back into the crowd, quickly disappearing in the throbbing mass of people just out of the VIP alcove. Saga apologized to the charming young man as he stood from the plush leather, erasing the pout on kiss swollen lips with a muted whisper promising that he would be back shortly. Hiroto was far too busy with not one, but two pretty girls sprawled all over him to even pay attention to Saga’s quiet retreat, mouth and tongue rather occupied. There was no need for exchanged words however, a quick wink from Hiroto sufficed to let him know the blonde vampire wouldn’t worry.
Another bodyguard accompanied him through the crowd, keeping the throng at bay while he briskly made his way over to the back of the club where the office was located. A large room, luxuriously appointed with couches and its own bar, a cozy setting for private negotiations and business deals, and sometimes after-hours dealings of the pleasurable kind.
The girl was already waiting with the second bodyguard, and he dismissed them both with a quick gesture of his head, leaving him with the mysterious young lady. For she was young, probably too young to even be out this late on a weeknight. Her short hair was dyed a luminous brown, her face devoid of makeup. She was dressed simply, jeans and boots, with a cream-coloured winter jacket with a fur trimmed hood.
She held a large shopping bag, the nondescript, rigid paper kind from typical department stores, holding on to the pale ribbon loops with both hands. She looked rather normal from all aspects, but when her young face tilted up to meet Saga’s gaze, he knew right away that this poor young girl had been tampered with in some way.
Her eyes were completely black from dilated pupils and empty, just like a doll’s.
Any casual observer would’ve thought her drugged out of her mind, but he knew better. Hypnotized.
Most vampires, some better than others and he of the latter category, had the ability to hypnotize mortals for short periods of time, usually to make them forget an encounter or perform simple tasks. Saga wondered who had performed the deed, but he had a nagging feeling that over-thinking it would be silly.
“I heard you have something for me, young lady?” he asked.
She blinked and nodded, holding the large bag aloft.
“I was asked to deliver this to you, Sir.”
He crossed the few paces that separated them and slipped his fingers through the loops. The bag contained a large black box, sealed with a gold ribbon.
“I was instructed to ask you to take this to your coven leader.”
He nodded.
“Very well, I will do so. Tell me, what is your name?”
She blinked again, very slowly, her eyes unsettlingly blank.
“Hanako, Sir.”
“Tell me Hanako, who sent you?”
“He told me to tell you that the raven sends the fox his regards.”
It barely even took a second of questioning to make sense of the words, his doubts confirmed in a heartbeat.
Aoi. The raven.
The master of illusions. The eyes and ears of Ruki’s coven.
He swallowed thickly, quelling the sudden wave of panic that was threatening to engulf him with a slow breath.
The thought that he, they, already knew where to find them and how to get to them sent a shudder down Saga’s spine. That and the reminder of those pet names they’d had for each other, years and years ago, before the rift that tore their covens apart. Fox and raven. Little pet names that ended up sticking and shaping their identities in the vampire world. Many still knew him as little fox, embracing the creature as his spirit animal.
Just as Aoi was the raven. He would always be the raven, black feathers and cunning mind.
“Did he have any other messages for me, Hanako?”
She nodded negatively, and then her demeanour changed, her body losing that stiffness and her eyes coming back into focus. She closed her eyes, blinked, sleepily running a hand through her hair before noticing where she was and who she was with, completely puzzled.
“Where am I?” she asked, her voice having lost all the monotony of the hypnosis.
“You’re in the back office of my club, in Ginza.”
Her eyes widened and she looked around, noticing the flattering lighting, red painted walls and luxurious furniture and she ran a hand down the side of her face, blushing.
“How the hell did I get here?”
“You don’t remember? What are the last things that come to mind?”
She bit her lower lip and shrugged, completely dumbfounded.
“I remember vaguely leaving cram school, walking down a quiet street to head home and then…and then a car pulled up beside me. A really nice black car with tinted windows. The back window rolled down and the man inside the car gestured for me to get closer…I don’t remember anything after that.”
Definitely hypnotized. He subtly inspected her exposed neck for bites or bruising, seeing none. He hoped that she hadn’t been harmed in any way, but there was no way to be sure. He pulled out a monogrammed card and a sleek pen from his lapel pocket and handed them to her.
“Could you write your address on this?”
She eyed him curiously, accepting the items with a questioning look.
“Am I in trouble?” she asked, printing her address on the cardstock.
He nodded with a reassuring smile.
“No, of course not dear.” he replied, taking back the pen and paper before moving in closer, stepping right into her personal space and demandingly capturing her gaze with his own, performing his own hypnosis this time.
It barely took any psychic effort to get right into her mind, her brain already tired from the previous control. Her eyes glazed over and her arms fell limply to her sides.
“I’m gonna have my driver take you home okay?”
“Okay.”
“You’re gonna get home and you’re gonna go to bed and fall asleep. A really nice deep sleep hmm?”
She nodded, mechanically.
“And when you wake up the next morning, everything that has happened tonight will just be a dream. Just a strange dream.”
“Just a dream.”
Saga smiled, steering her towards the side door that lead to the back alley where their car usually waited with gentle hands on her shoulders.
“And for some reason, you will always distrust strange men in black cars, okay?”
“Okay.”
“That’s my girl.”
***
From a distance, in the warm comfort of his own chauffeured car, he saw the black sedan pull up to the back door of the club where Saga waited with the young girl.
He could tell from the girl’s slack posture that Saga had hypnotized her, probably to erase her memories of the night.
He saw Saga hand a slip of paper to the driver and help the girl into the back of the car with a reassuring smile, and then the sedan drove off, leaving the tawny haired vampire at the door. Saga shook his head, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it with a monogrammed zippo. He took a deep inhale, the foggy exhalation dispersing through the night before the vampire turned around and disappeared back into the open door.
“It was good seeing you through her eyes, little fox. Gorgeous as ever.” Aoi purred, lighting a cigarette of his own, “lets go back home.” he then instructed his driver.
The car disappeared into the night.
***
Shou and Tora arrived at the manor scant minutes before dawn, the both of them mentally and physically exhausted. Neither had taken proper nourishment, as they had only fed on each other at the beginning of the night, and they were both starting to feel the strain.
Shou was still angry at the situation. Calmer, but angry nonetheless, frustrated that the council had been so easily swayed. The most minute, scantest piece of his heart hoped that they were right about Ruki, but he doubted greatly that a mere fifteen years in exile had reformed him completely.
Old habits died hard, and as far as he was concerned, he would have to see it to believe it.
They were welcomed by a worried looking Nao, who sighed in relief at seeing them sliding through the open office doors. Saga and Hiroto were also back from their busy night, in comfortable clothing, makeup washed off, looking rather nervous as well.
“What did the elders say?” Hiroto asked, without preamble as Shou just sank down in his armchair with a sigh.
“They already knew of their return.” Tora replied, shrugging out of the tailored jacket.
“How?” Nao hissed, completely flabbergasted.
“Ruki went to see them, last night. He negotiated the return of the coven on Japanese soil with them and they agreed, under certain
conditions.” Shou explained, rubbing at his tired eyes.
There was a strained silence, Shou’s words sinking in.
“I don’t understand.” Nao finally replied, crossing his arms on his chest, “They just let them back in? Why?”
“How could they!” Hiroto raged, standing up to pace the room, unable to contain his frustration, “I thought banishment was permanent!”
“It is.” Shou sighed, loosening his silk tie, “They have a new leader. New leader, new coven. Blank slate. And according to Sakurai and
Alice, Ruki seems like he has changed from his old ways.”
“A new leader? That fifth one then?” Saga asked.
“Most likely, he’s entirely new apparently.” Tora chimed, tugging his black button down out of his trousers
“Changed?” Nao scoffed, “How could Ruki change in such a short time?”
Shou shrugged.
“I’m just as doubtful. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“So, what do we do?” Hiroto asked.
“We wait and see. Keep the security tight and be on our guard.”
There was another silence.
“There’s more.” Saga finally chimed in, clearing his throat.
“Something happened?” Tora asked, still heedlessly unbuttoning his shirt.
The tailored clothing, no matter how high the quality, was starting to chafe at him and he didn’t have any qualms at removing it publicly.
“A young woman came to our last party tonight. She showed up front and asked for me, had no invite. I agreed to see her, she seemed harmless, and she was. She had been hypnotized, probably by Aoi if her cryptic message was to be taken seriously. She had been ordered to bring me this…” he stood, tugging up the shopping bag and placing it on the table, “and asked me to bring it to you.”
Shou stood from his chair, grabbing the ribbon loop and bringing the bag closer. He extricated a rather large, flat, black box from its depths, laying it on the table.
“Is the girl alright?” Tora asked.
Saga nodded.
“From what I could tell, she hadn’t been hurt in any way. I had our driver take her home, she’ll wake up thinking the whole night was a dream.”
Shou took a deep breath, collecting himself, before tugging on the thick satin ribbon, untying the bow. It came loose easily, and he gently lifted the lid of the box, his nose immediately picking up a long forgotten yet achingly familiar scent.
A scent he had avoided for years and years in his desperate attempt to erase him from his mind.
There was a large bouquet of gardenias in the box, beautiful white blooms, smelling of honey and hot summer nights and hours spent on a daybed in the quiet, gated garden of the southern france villa where he had spent his earliest vampire years. Hours spent entangled with another body, discovering delights that he had never thought possible, mingled breath and limbs and the coppery tang of blood on his tongue.
Remembering the warmth and the love, and the betrayals and anger.
The memories and feelings that assailed him so strong that they overwhelmed Tora through their psychic bond, the tall raven haired feeling light headed enough to have to crash down rather gracelessly in the nearest chair.
“Tora! Are you alright?” Hiroto asked, rushing to his side.
Tora ignored him, looking up to Shou, understanding dawning on his features.
“He was your lover, wasn’t he. The first man you loved.”
Shou closed his eyes, breathing slowly through his nose, trying to get his grip back on the rush of emotions that had knocked Tora off his feet with their intensity. He nodded, briefly.
“He was.” he confirmed, not getting into details, because despite all the years the wounds still felt raw.
Beyond the bouquet was a thick envelope with his name neatly printed on the unsealed flap. He picked it up gingerly, fingers trembling for the first time since in years, and reached into it, extricating another envelope, smaller and black, with a gold wax seal, and a folded piece of paper. He unfolded the note, instantly recognizing the handwriting, and the monogrammed “R” at the very top of the stationery sheet.
My dear Shou,
It has been a while, hasn’t it. I bitterly regret that the last time we have been together, our relationship was a little strained, and that we parted on such bad terms. After all these years of knowing each other, my behaviour with you was shameful, and I apologize sincerely for it. As you probably already know, the coven and I has returned to Japan, and I will assure you that we have decided to come back with only the best intentions at heart. As a show of good faith, I have invited you, and your coven, to this little ball we will be hosting in two weeks or so, to formally introduce our new leader. Indeed, I have stepped down from my duties, and let someone a little more…even tempered hold the reins. I do hope you two will get along. I am looking forward to seeing you at our little masquerade (you remember our time in Venezia, my dear? I haven’t forgotten your love of the venetian Carnivale), and meeting the newest member of your coven, and hopefully, putting all that bad blood behind us. Until then, be well.
Ruki
The black envelope held the formal invite, on gold engraved cardstock.
“What is it?” Nao asked, still a little shocked at his leader’s behaviour, voice subdued.
Shou sat down, rubbing the bridge of his nose not exactly sure if he should laugh or cry at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. An offer he couldn’t refuse. Not attending the ball would undermine his authority, and besides, there was a part of him that couldn’t have refused no matter how he felt, not after all that had happened with Ruki. In the end, he just sighed, the energy slipping right out of him with his exhale.
“Looks like were going to a masquerade.”
***
The two weeks preceding the masquerade ball flew by at the speed of light.
Shou had been in an understandably testy mood, and the rest of the coven, even Tora, had done their very best to be as elusive as possible and avoid bothering their moody leader. There had been no other messages, no signs of their rivals trying to communicate with them in any way. They had kept the security tight, however, and were not easily fooled into lowering their guard. Who knew what else Ruki was planning?
The night of the masquerade finally arrived upon them and all were somewhat thankful for it, for it meant some sort of a resolution of the tension that had been weighing heavily over the manor and its occupants.
They had let Hiroto handle all of their accoutrements, Shou’s head clearly elsewhere, and as they finally laid eyes on his choices, spread out on Shou’s large bed as they were getting ready for the night, they all had to agree that he had done a very fine job of it.
Indeed, he’d picked masterfully crafted animal half-masks for all of them, with elegant outfits in colours to match. Shou would be a pretty grey rabbit, Tora a white tiger. Saga was a fox with a delicately pointed nose, Nao a black bear, and for himself he had chosen a feathered peacock’s mask, in delicate shades of petrol green and teal-black.
“Everyone is gonna go for opulent exaggeration,” Hiroto explained, picking up the delicate, soft grey fur rabbit’s mask that was meant for Shou to wear, “I thought we should stand out with our subdued elegance.”
Shou nodded, clearly impressed.
“I knew it was a good idea to make you responsible for this task, you’ve always had such a good eye for those things…” he approved, brushing the long, dove-grey leather jacket with a thick fur trimmed collar he was meant to wear with reverent fingertips.
The rest of the outfit was just as lavish, a near transparent pale grey silk button down with ornate embroidery, slim fitted trousers that would encase his long legs like a second skin. The finest craftsmanship had been put to use to create such luxurious yet subdued clothes.
Tora scoffed, picking up his own mask, delicately shaped, black and white fur ornate with jet crystals.
“I certainly will be standing out wearing all white at a vampire’s ball for sure…That is a gorgeous jacket though…” he sighed, yet could hardly conceal the awe in his voice as he touched his own garments, an immaculate white, slim-fitted suit.
Hiroto chuckled, patting Tora on the arm.
“That’s why I picked it. We want everyone to admire our fledgling, don’t we?”
“Hmmph…” Tora gruffed in response, not sure if him getting any attention was that good of an idea.
“Ah be quiet!” Saga teased, “I’m outshining you with my red outfit anyway…”
“Well well, enough idling!” Nao interrupted, eyeing his watch, “We want to be fashionably late but not too much, let’s get ready!”
***
Shou was pensive as they made their way to the party in their chauffeured limo, seeing the familiar landmarks pass by through the tinted windows.
He used to come to this part of the countryside often, back when he disapproved of Ruki’s way of life yet could not bring himself to stay away. Willing himself to turn a blind eye to the blatant disregard Ruki had for mortals, until he realized that he could not when his behaviours violated every rule that the Elders had set in place to keep their world safe.
Violated every single one of his own beliefs when it came to mortal life.
He thought of that last night they had spent together, before the metropolitan’s police homicide department had come sniffing around his own businesses and people, making him realize that the pile of corpses that Ruki and his coven were carelessly leaving all over town were a threat to him and his coven, and the other vampires he had sworn to protect. Before all the mess of betrayal and threats and destroyed relationships, harsh words and broken hearts. When he still was deluded into thinking that Ruki and he could be together despite their fundamental differences.
That last night of pleasure, bodies entangled on red silk sheets, blood pearling on Ruki’s pale skin where he had playfully nipped, down his throat and chest. His pale eyes and wicked smile, the taste of his mouth, dark blonde hair spilled wild on the silky pillows. He remembered it all so vividly.
That night Ruki had proposed they merged their covens, make a formal alliance, and Shou had refused.
"It will never work Ruki, your coven and mine are so different…you guys still hunt agressively and that’s not something I can condone."
Ruki had scoffed, breath hot and moist against his neck, dragging long fingernails down Shou’s pale chest, teasingly circling a light pink nipple, and then down, across a lean muscled stomach and lower, clever fingers tightening around his half-hard cock.
"When will you realize that we should rule them? We are stronger, faster, more powerful…"
He’d sighed, buried his fingers in Ruki’s blonde hair, tugging him down to the mattress to fit his hips between lean thighs, painfully aroused.
"They are not chattel, Ruki. They feel and think and are gorgeous creatures in their own right. I have no desire to be feared and hated when I can easily cohabit with mortals and get to see their beauty."
"You were always too sensitive, so easily swayed by fragility and flaws…"
There were no words after that, just the creaking of the bed and the soft sighs and endearments and the blazing heat of their joining. The burning, bright shooting stars of climax. He’d left at dawn, and it had been the very last time he’d laid eyes on that bare skin and sleepy soft smile, that lean, perfectly proportioned body laid in the mess of dark red sheets, and that large manor that had housed all of their mutual passion.
The only time they had seen each other after that, it had been at that fateful council meeting, when Ruki and his coven had been banished.
Ruki’s face blank and closed off, the face of a stranger, even as he’d jumped up over the table and tried to rip the heart from his chest bare handed, eyes full of cold fury. The kind of cold that could burn and destroy just as much as fire did, if not more.
This creature trying to kill him was nothing like the man he’d loved, and that had sundered his heart.
Stepping back into that house they were slowly nearing as their vehicle slipped through the heavy gate of the property would probably send his mind reeling with emotions, good and bad.
He reached for Tora’s fingers with his gloved hand, feeling their warmth through the thin doeskin, leaning towards him so that he could touch a pierced earlobe with his mouth.
“When we get there, don’t worry about me.” he mouthed against soft skin, and Tora turned his face towards him.
His long raven hair had been styled in messy waves, falling across green-gold, expertly black eyeliner accented eyes, and he was absolutely beautiful.
“Will you give me reasons to worry?” He replied.
“I will probably have strong feelings. Lots of feelings in this big house, I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”
Their car was getting closer and closer, the tall, well lit building looming into view. It was modern in design, unlike their own gothic mansion, all poured concrete and glass and steel.
“I will probably need your help to keep calm, to ground me, so don’t worry too much okay?”
Tora nodded, reluctantly.
“Its like you’re asking me not to be myself but I will do my best.”
All that was left to do was hope that everything would go smoothly.
***
Ruki’s coven had spared no expense to make their comeback as lavish and flamboyant as possible.
From the different themed rooms, complete with complex lighting installations and decors, artfully picked music, to the scantily clad youths carrying trays of drinks with expert hands, it was like stepping into a party planner’s craziest fantasy. Not that Shou was surprised. If Ruki’s coven excelled at something, it was indeed party planning, and this particular event was a worthy example.
Thankfully, the decor had been changed enough to allow Shou’s memories a slight respite. It hardly even looked like the house he had been used to, and he wondered if that was a good or bad thing. Would he find his way around as easily?
All the guests had gladly embraced the masquerade theme, and just as Hiroto had guessed, many had gone for the extravagant and the lavish, and they indeed stood out in the crowd with their luxuriously subdued outfits. Shou gathered his four coven members in a slightly secluded corner, where the music and brouhaha was a little more subdued.
“I think we should all have a look around, hear what the crowd has to say about their return. And maybe see if we can catch sight of this new leader of theirs?” Nao proposed, adjusting his bear mask over his dark eyes.
Shou nodded, agreeing.
“Lets split up and reconvene here in an hour’s time or so. See what we can find out…And be careful, all of you.” Shou instructed, briefly tugging on Tora’s fingertips to reassure him.
Saga and Hiroto nodded and left in different directions, followed by Nao.
“Are you sure I should be left out to roam on my own?” Tora asked Shou, quietly.
“It won’t hurt to see what we could possibly learn by eavesdropping on some conversations, so far I don’t think I have been recognized.”
Indeed, the mask neatly concealed the upper part of his face and nose, rendering him rather anonymous.
“And no one knows you yet, you haven’t been formally introduced either, so you can easily slip by and no one will know. Have a quick look around, see what you can hear.”
Tora nodded, a little reluctantly.
“Okay, be careful then…” the tall raven-haired murmured, leaning down for a quick, unexpected kiss that had Shou’s lips tingling, before he turned and disappeared in the thick crowd.
Somehow Shou felt like the tiger wasn’t anywhere done surprising him.
***
So the plot thickens…mwuahahaha! So Shou and Ruki were once lovers, I will get more in depth with that in the following chapters but their relationship goes a lot deeper than previously hinted at. The next chapter should be coming up later tonight or early tomorrow at the latest, love y'all xoxo