Date A Live! Practice Chapter 9 - 1:
The rays of a new morning shined through some of the blinds of a young boys bedroom window, whom was lying in bed being awoken by those rays hitting his eyes. He groaned at this, and turned away from those invading rays of sunshine.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
SLAM!
The boy slammed a fist on his alarm clocks snooze button, which would have broke the clock into 1 million pieces if he hit it any harder… he was in no mood this morning, groaning again. He was emotionally drained from last week, having broken up with his girlfriend. She was a cute girl with short white hair, and a little shorter than himself while having a slender yet also athletic figure. Both those things were required considering her job.
Her name was Origami Tobiichi, a member of a government task force known as the AST.
-FLASHBACK-
In his high school while walking down a hall, the boy was really struggling to get a grip in this country, having moved her from the west for… reasons. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here? He barely spoke Japanese, only knowing basic words, but couldn't write in it for shit! How was he supposed to figure out what happened if he couldn't read or write anything to communicate with people?!
There was his stepsister Kotori, but she could be… feisty. That's the nicest term he could use about her. She had lost her brother 5 years ago and was living with his mom ever since, his mom adopting her after this huge fire. Of course, he was safe and sound in America at the time, and a few years later he moved here.
He didn't plan on meeting her. They literally bumped into each other at a grocery store, and she was giving him mouth about watching where he was going. He was a little distracted that particular day, it was a very eventful first impression of Japan. Something called a Space Quake literally triggered the very second he got off the plane, things got crazy, this little boy…
-FLASHBACK PAUSE-
Michael in the present shook his head, getting rid of those incoming thoughts. He probably shouldn't blame himself for what happened, but he couldn't help but do so. In any case; he met Kotori, he recognized her from the video calls (although certain "attributes" of her had definitely changed since then), he asked her full name which did get her to pause and put her guard up, but he then gave his own.
He was Michael. Michael Pelham.
He was a 16-year-old Caucasian American teen with slightly tanned skin and raven-colored hair, which matching soft hazel eyes. Many people used to call him a tanned Ash Ketchum because of his hair, but he'd always laugh it off. He even threw in an "I choose you!" and an imaginary ball throw every once in a while for good measure.
As for Kotori, she too was a really cute girl with red eyes and hair, hair so long it required to be tied in twin tails with black ribbons. Her body was also on the slender side just like Origami, only Kotori was younger than either of them, being 13. She would be 14 in a few months though.
Surprisingly, she never took his family name even after being adopted, her last name being Itsuka. His mother mentioned when they went to do the paperwork, Kotori began to cry at the mere prospect of having her last name changed so they decided to just let her have it… must have really meant something to her.
If Michael was being honest, while Kotori was not the curviest girl, she did have nice legs.
Going back to Origami, she had big blue eyes that had little expression in them, giving her the vibes of a doll to go along with her cute face and short stature. Honestly that's one of the reasons Michael dated her… even if she said some pretty outlandish shit, but he could as well which was another thing they had in common.
The biggest thing however, was being parentless. Its one of the first things that drew them to each other, her loved ones dying in the same fire Kotori was found in by Michael's mom. Though they obviously died the same day, Origami only shared information she was comfortable with. She kept what exactly happened to her parents to herself. Out of respect for his girlfriend although he was curious, Michael never pried.
-FLASHBACK RESUME-
Michael had met Origami at school like most high school couples do. Many guys talked about how cute she was and imagine what cosplay she would wear if they ever got into a bedroom with them. With her expressionless face, he could see why people would want that.
They ended up bumping into each other (déjà vu), and helped her pick up the stuff he caused them both to drop. She was carrying kitchen supplies… guess she takes cooking class too, but at a different time than he did.
"S-Sorry." He apologized, then saw who it was, the poor girl having landed on her small rump. He was silent, not believing his luck, nor how much of a trope this was. Its almost like his life in Japan was a simulation, meeting Kotori the exact same way.
Origami did not answer, but went to pick up the stuff that had fallen. Considering his first day back in class and the questions lobbed at him, along with how he answered them, she figured he'd be just like how most Westerns were portrayed via stereotypes and various media, if a bit self-aware.
She was surprised he stayed behind to help him and not just continue on his way.
At one point, they had cooking class at the same time, and the teacher even paired them up (you could only imagine the jealous glances they had received). He was a team player, if a little harsh. One example being he insisted you should use olive oil for the particular dish they were making instead of what was said on the assignmen, which was vegetable oil.
When she said they should follow the recipe 100%, his response was to jokingly say "its not like origami where it has to be picture perfect ", using her name as a pun. He wasn't trying to be mean, but it could come across that way.
She eventually gave in, not wanting to cause a scene; though sure enough, the teacher literally had a food-gasm the moment their dish hit his taste buds. Not following directions normally resulted in losing points, but the teacher made an exception this time.
When the teacher asked who taught him that, his mom or dad? He responded after a clear emotional hesitation: "I was fostered…" His answer caused a metaphorical shockwave throughout the classroom. "Daddy-o left me for dead, mom was unable or unwilling to get me… had to learn myself, ya know?" He tried making lite of his own backstory, but it was obvious it still effected him.
This made everyone feel sorry for him, including Origami… he was just like her…
-FLASHBACK END-
That day lead to them hanging out a whole lot more, to the point Origami really started opening up to Michael, and they even started dating. Of course due to her popularity, he was put on many kinds of lists but ignored it.
He learned so much about Origami in his time with her; how she liked gratin (though stopped eating it for years until he made it for her again, which was the first time he saw surprise written all over her face), she preferred dry flowers, and actually liked ecchi anime though the ones targeted at girls.
He saw sides to Origami she let no one else see… especially her little secret…
-FLASHBACK-
The couple came back to Origami's home from another date. They were originally going to go back to his, but Michael had noted how many times Kotori and her would glare at each other, as if both girls were sizing each other up. So to avoid problems this time, they went home to Origami's instead.
"I mean, the movie was good; but you expected more out of it…" Michael commented as he walked up to the door, but when he went to turn to knob, Origami grabbed his arm, making him look back at her. "Something wrong, Oreo?" He asked, using a nickname he came up with for her.
She said nothing. Even around him, while they sometimes would show, she tried keeping her emotions to herself. But today, he could see she looked very conflicted. She then pulled him backward, not communicating at all what she wants.
"Gaaaaaah!" Was all Michael could say as he was pulled away from the premises, and Origami dragged him somewhere. Once they got to the city, she began going into what Michael called 'stealth mode', where she'd find ways to maneuver around people without them knowing. All the while kept a firm on his arm and not once letting go.
She could get in trouble for this… but she was thinking about telling him the truth for a long time. Today was probably her one and only chance.
"Ori? What are we…?" Michael whispered to her, but she shot a hard glance at him which told him to be quiet. And be quiet he shall be. She lead him into the AST building. Why? Michael had no idea, but he was starting to get a little nervous. "Ori! This is government property!" He said through his teeth, but his girlfriend just kept dragging him around, then used an ID to get in the do-…
Wait a second… how did his girlfriend have clearance to get inside?
Before he could even ask, she yanked him inside again, sometimes covering Michael's mouth with her free hand to keep him quiet as they hid behind corners of walls in case Origami saw other staff members. Eventually that got to a certain room, where Origami finally let Michael go.
"Okay! What's the hells going in here?!" He asked quietly (though at a high pitch) out of shock and nerves.
That's when Origami equipped an AST combat suit. More specifically, her suit. No longer was she wearing the hair clips anymore. Instead, some type of sensors were attached to her hair, and the armor covered her shoulders down to her hands. This armor also covered her body and legs, but the middle part of the suit was transparent allowing her belly to be seen. The lack of leg armor also emphasized her nice pair of thighs.
He just stood there, looking at his girlfriends startling transformation, which honestly gave her a more fierce (yet oddly sexy) appearance. "Your a… AST?" He asked, again mainly out of shock. He probably should've figured this out the moment she got in via an ID, but now the reality finally kicked him in the face.
Origami nodded. "I…" she began. She honestly haven't thought this far ahead, just reacted. So she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I've wanted to tell you, but…" Then, for the first time he's ever seen… she started to cry. Tears welled in her eyes though she tried holding them in.
Michael himself reacted and, while he was still in very much shock, gave the short solider a hug, rubbing her back as well. "Hey. Its okay. I get it." He said, assuming the reason she never told him at first was because of her government agent status. " Guess this is why you disappear during Space Quakes" he added a stupid joke, having always assumed she just went to a different shelter.
Origami still cried a little, but returned the hug slowly, putting her head in his chest. "I didn't… want you to leave me… like my parents…" she said, as losing her mother and father was clearly a huge trauma for her. "You gave me warmth again… helped me feel again… feel happy again…" Origami confessed. For the longest time before meeting Michael, she had very few people to talk to or personally connect with. But learning he lost his parents, albeit n a different way, she felt like she found someone she could relate too.
And she didn't want to lose it… not again…
Michael kissed the top of her forehead, which did make Origami flinch slightly because she wasn't prepared for it, but then looked back up at the boy she fell in love with. Not only that, that was the first time she ever got kissed.
Michael did feel a little embarrassed, you can see in his eyes, having kissed her out of instinct… but he looked deep into her doll-like eyes. Normally emotionless, they were chalk full of it now. She was really beautiful, and he wasn't gonna lie, the AST uniform made her look really hot.
He pushed a long bang of her hair out of her face, eye contact not having been broken. "I'm not going anywhere… I promise." He said, now communicating using just their eyes. Upon saying this, Michael's heart was beating a bit faster… and thats when they slowly leaned in and slowly closed their eyes to share a lip-lock, giving the couple their first REAL kiss.
It wasn't a make-out session or anything, but it still got the job and desired effect done. Origami's tears were flowing down her face, but for a more positive reason. There was more… so much more she wanted to tell him, including the truth why Space Quakes really occur, and what comes out of them… but the sudden passionate kiss was a good distraction.
Origami couldn't help but moan a little into the kiss, and also couldn't stop her hands from resting on his chest now…
*Knock, knock.*
Both teens immediately broke contact and whipped their heads around, their moment having been interrupted and Michael having an 'oh shit!' face. Leaning against a wall (which is where the knocking sound came from), was a much taller woman with her arms folded but also had a decent level of beauty to her. She was quite young too, probably the same age range as their homeroom teacher.
"C-Captain Ryouko…!" Origami stuttered, with her guard down and her emotions flaring. This was Captain Ryouko Kusakabe, the Captain of the AST, and of course her boss. Of all the people to catch her doing this… how long was she watching them by the way? That's not even mentioning how many protocols Origami was breaking.
"Care to explain why there's a civilian here, Tobiichi?" Ryouko asked with a bit of sarcasm. Origami herself was tongue-tied. She had no idea what to say. Michael however thought of something quickly.
"Reporting for duty, sir!" He turned around while getting out of Origami's space, and saluted the older woman, though he did it quite stiffly with a serious look that was almost comical. She gave him an eyebrow raise. "… yeah, that's all I got." He slumped over in defeat.
"Step forward." Ryouko ordered, not addressing either teen, so Origami just assumed she was being directed. "Not you, Tobiichi." Ryouko clarified and Origami made a move. "Him."
She was obviously talking about Michael. She sounded like she was a strict boss, and not wanting to piss her off any further than she probably was, Michael complied. She eyed the young man in her base of operations, looking up and down. He was clearly nor from around here, but that was beside the point.
"Michael Pelham?" Michael did twitch at that, the woman somehow knowing his name, then again this was the government so he probably shouldn't be too surprised. He simply nodded. Origami was also getting concerned. What was Ryouko gonna do?
…
…
…
"Your her boyfriend, aren't you?" Wow. This woman was spot on, it was almost scary. Again, Michael only nodded. "… So your the reason she's been… distracted… the past couple of weeks." She added… was that humor?
-END FLASHBACK-
After that, Ryouko let them off the hook, being their little secret. She mentioned perhaps it was a good thing Origami had a boyfriend now, since according to her, Origami was one of the most, if not the most talented solider of her entire squad. So much so, she was one to charge headfirst into battle like she usually does, and having someone know about her job might be beneficial for her as she might start thinking with her head calmly.
This reveal also made Origami glance away and blush, mainly due to the fresh emotions she was still feeling from Michael at the time. Even though she put up a tough front, she was still just a girl.
The ordeal did make their bond stronger, to the point Origami almost kissed him in front of others once. Its not that Mike was embarrassed to be with her, its just he learned anime was someone accurate on how young men would react. Thankfully he was able to change it to a hug, which did get them glares still (a few boys even cried. Literally were gushing tears), but not nearly as bad as a kiss would've gotten them.
Eventually he decided "fuck all" and allowed public display of affection, provided it wasn't a make out. There have been times Origami clearly wanted to go further than just lip-locking, and to an extent Michael did as well, but he saved most of that for privacy. No, it was never intimate in the 'insert yours into mine' deal. It was sometimes running his hands over her body and vice-versa; before or during kisses… and maybe he accidentally cupped her butt once or twice, but mistakes happen.
It never went any farther than that however. One, because he didn't want to be a teen dad (though Origami did invite to bathe with her… several times. He always responsibly turned her down no matter how hot she made it sound, much to his hormones chagrin); and two, while he did love her, he wasn't ready for such a huge step. At least not for a long time.
Then of course, last week happened…
-FLASHBACK-
"Michael, what's wrong?" Origami asked her boyfriend as they sat together on her couch, her holding one of his cheeks to guide his eyes into hers. She had noticed he was very distracted all day, even on the date they just got back from. She still had a good time, but probably would have had a better one if he wasn't out of it. "What's bothering you? Tell me." She requested.
Michael sighed. Well, he put it off as long as possible, but it looked like Origami caught him redhanded. She might have social issues, but she certainly wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. "Origami…" he finally said softly, and something about his tone scared her. She didn't know what it was, but knew it was bad. "I think… I think…" he tried to say, but the words struggled to come out.
"What?… You think what?" Origami asked, starting to show emotion which she rarely did outside when they were together.
Michael hesitated. This was no way to sugarcoat what he was about to say. Regardless of how he said it, it would still hurt. Hurt them both. "Listen… it's not you, it's me…"
Origami froze and slowly removed her hand, having heard that phrase in movies and tv shown when couples… no. Not them… This isn't happening. This was not. Freaking! Happening! She must be having a nightmare!
Michael felt a pang… no. A stab of guilt in his heart. He should have expected such a reaction to be honest. What he was doing wasn't an easy decision, and it's not like he wanted this to happen either. "Origami… I think we should… ya know, call this off."
While he did censor the two most powerful words across all languages, being "Break Up", it still got the same result.
The AST agent just sat there, no words came out of her lips. It was like her mind just stopped functioning or she had a bullet pierce through her heart and into her brain before exiting again. "… Is this another one of your jokes?" Asked Origami, as both of them would say some pretty crazy stuff understand different circumstances. Not only that, her voice cracked slightly.
Michael only glanced away, but his expression told all… he wasn't kidding. He actually meant it. What the actual hell? "D-Did I come on too strongly?" Origami asked, which she has done quite a few 'tricks' to get Michael to go further with her. Can you blame her? For the longest time she was alone, and thanks to Michael, she found love again. It didn't replace her families love sure, but it was a welcomed substitute. "If that's the case, I…"
"No. It's not that." Michael assured her, as he had to admit, seeing her try her best to get them to take another step never got boring. Whether it be her in a cute cosplay of his favorite anime characters (although she lacked the bust size for most of them), or showing off her body by cuddling closer than necessary when they laid down and watched a movie or just cuddled for the hell of it; Michael never disliked it. He was honestly flattered he was worth trying to seduce.
"Just think about it for a second. You're a government agent, I'm a civilian," Michael continued, bringing up of the reason for his decision. "What if something happens, say like; a Space Quake ? I can't make it to the shelter in time and the doors close?"
"I'd fetch you." Was Origami's immediate response.
"Okay," Michael thought of something else, kind of expecting that answer. "How about a terrorist organization? What if one pops out their hole and decides to strike?"
"I'll protect you." She answered again.
"You don't know that." Michael said, a little harshly, which took Origami back a little bit.
"Stop it." Origami ordered him, really not wanting to have or continue this Conversation. Preferably just pretend it never happened. "I'd give my life for you, Michael. If this is about your safety…"
"This isn't about me, its about you!" Michael blurted out, taking Origami by surprise. He was thinking about her when he brought this up? " What if that same terrorist organization takes a whole building hostage?… What if I'm one if them, gods forbid, and use me as bait or a bargaining chip? Then what?"
Origami never thought of that honestly, it showed on her surprised face. But for the sake of her happiness with Michael, she was going to try and argue a point again, but he continued on before she could. "What'll you do? Charge in blindly, and risk them pulling the trigger?… I know you, Ori. You'll have that on your conscience for the rest of your life… And even if you do save me, what about if your hit in your blind spot? Or even worse, what if a threat to national security uses me to get to you specifically?… How do you think I'm gonna feel?"
Origami hated to admit it, but Mike was right. She most likely would have that weight on her conscience of it ever happened. She was strong, but she was not invincible. There was one threat in particular, codenamed: Princess, that could very easily kill her if she was not careful.
"Please… don't do this too me…" Origami begged, understanding where her boyfriend was coming from, but selfishly wanted to continue the relationship despite it. "You saved me, Michael… you gave something I thought I lost…" Again although rare, she cried again, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "Michael, I… I love you…"
Michael of course, felt like total shit. Even if he was trying to do the right thing, he was still making his girlfriend cry. All he could do was reach over to her face, which she did not retract from, and wipe the tears even though more would probably soon follow.
"I love you too, Oreo… that's why…" he said, even he could not hide the emotions in the back of his throat, to the point he could not finish that sentence. "I want you too… want to make you happy…" his confession of his own love for her made Origami's eyes even more heavy with emotion than they already were. "But I can't be the reason you get hurt… you know I'm right." He said, which was ironic as he kind of was hurting her now, but better him than someone else.
That's why he had to let her go, on his own terms.
Origami could argue the point… but she knew he was right. Especially those monsters she had to fight… and if one got their evil hands on him…
She scooted closer to him, which made his hands remove themselves from her face, and she just rested her head on him. "Can we… stay like this…?" She asked, and Mike already figured out the rest of the question. If this was they're final day together, she wanted this as a way of closure.
Mike wrapped his arms around her frame, and leaned back into the couch so their bodies were on top of the other. They spent the rest of the day, the few hours they had of it, in silence.
-END FLASHBACK-
It was awkward running into each other at school, but they eventually got back to their regular routines. Now Origami and Michael did still spend time together, though not nearly as much as before. He began wondering if it was the right thing to do… maybe they could have worked it out somehow?
*Slam*
"Are you up yet, Darling Big Brother of Mine?" Mike's thoughts were interrupted by the intrusion of his younger step-sister Kotori opening the door too his room, talking in a low tone towards him while wearing her black hair ribbons as usual… does she EVER take them off?
She's always been like this. Ever since he came to live with her, she acted like her heart was always closed off. They had gotten closer in the months they've been living together, and while she was a little friendlier towards him recently, she was still somewhat distant.
She's even been living on her own, which surprised Michael, and she mentioned she was also left behind. Unlike Michael whom was left at an orphanage, their mother just didn't come home one day. No one, not even the police could find her, so either she dipped just like Mister Pelham or she was swallowed by a Space Quake.
Either way, all they had was each other. If it wasn't for her, Mike would be stuck when it came to communication…
-FLASHBACK-
Michael was sitting down at a the kitchen table, looking down at some markings and symbols of the Japanese language from one book. On a piece of paper, he was writing sentences… or at least attempting to.
"Stop." Kotori said behind him, watching over him. She then pointed to a sentence. "What's this?" She asked in a dry tone.
"That's a word in a sentence." Michael said.
"That's not a word sentence, that's the sound THIS word is supposed to make in THIS sentence." Kotori said, pointing to another sentence. "You need to put those kanji here!" She pointed to another spot, correcting the mistake Michael obviously made.
He was silent before slowly turning his head up to face her. "Why do you people write sounds at the end of a sentence?! Why not in the sentence like apostrophes?" Kotori slapped his back when he gave her backtalk, and rather hard. "ARGH!"
"Start it over. Try again." She ordered. Michael was then showing doing just that, starting over with a grumble.
-END FLASHBACK-
"What are you staring at?" Kotori's voice interrupted the flashback, making Mike realize he was in fact staring at her because of it.
Date A Live! Practice Chapter 9 - 2:
Origami sneered. She was in no mood to deal with these two right now, not when she was so close… close to finally getting revenge! "Get out of my way!" She snapped an order at the duo Spirits. She launched missiles at them as a warning shot (though if they got hit, that would also be acceptable), but Yoshino froze ones going to her and Tohka sliced any coming her way, both Spirits escaping unharmed.
Origami then drew an energy blade just in case, but made a move to fly around them to get to Efreet before she escapes with Michael before he…
No. She won't let him. Snow Bunny and Xena Warrior Princess? Fine, seal their power for all she cared… but not her! Not the demon spawn that caused that fire and her parents death!
CLASH!
Tohka however, managed to get to her, both their blades locking each other like they used too. Even with her power sealed, she was still as strong as Origami remembered her being, but both knew it wasn't going to last forever. Even when they tagged Kurumi, she was the first one to tag out due to a severe disadvantage from the lack of energy she could use at one time.
"Stop this, Origami! You don't want to do this!" Tohka told her.
"Yes I do! I have no choice! I promised myself I'd kill her, the monster that took my mother and father away from me!" Origami yelled back. "You never had a family! You just popped out of nowhere so you have no idea what it feels like!
"Yes I do!" Tohka shot back. "You did the same to me and Michael!" With that point added, Origami's eyes widened suddenly. "It was so painful… seeing him on the ground after you shot him clear in the heart!… I thought I lost him…the only person who even attempted to talk to me!" Tohka continued, the emotion also visible on her face. Not only that, it caused both girls to flash back to that very moment. When Origami took the shot and missed the intended target, said target flew into a fit of rage once her mind processed want had just happened. The shooter herself also froze up, her mind struggling to accept the fact she just shot a man she once loved yet still cared very much about.
"I was so sad. So angry. I never felt that way before… but I saw it too…" Tohka went on. "Looking back, you regretted it. You felt the same pain I was feeling. You felt you were alone again, just like I was… how do think Michael feels? His parents left him and Kotori for dead, but at least you had yours too lose! Now here you are, taking away the only family he has left!"
Origami still could not think of anything, which caused her blade to be pushed back further by Tohka.
"You even used to be his girlfriend! You had the loss of your parents in common, so how could you put him through all this again, knowing he bonded with you over that experience right from the start?!" Tohka pushed back even more, and it was clear in Origami's eyes she was thinking of every word she had said. Tohka might be airheaded about certain things, but she wasn't stupid. There was nothing incorrect or misleading about anything she had just said.
"That's not fair to him, Origami! Regardless if your grieving or not, he's still your friend! He was a good person to you, and you repay him by being selfish!" Tohka finished, which in turn made Origami snap and throw the Spirit off of her with a battle cry, then fired more missiles.
An icy blast came at Origami from a side, but she had deployed a Territory to protect herself. Looking at the attacker, this one Yoshino, she looked like she wanted to say something but her shyness got in the way. "We know your hurting… w-we all were… but Michael helped us..." She finally said, pushing through her own timidness to get that out. "You know Michael would help you too… find a peaceful solution, with no more violence on either side."
"Shut UUUUUUUUUUUUUP!" Origami roared, no longer willing to listen to them, and fired lasers from the dual cannons at Yoshino in response to her plead. The loli evaded the attack of course, but more lasers were fired and hit the giant puppet she was riding, throwing her back as she cried out.
While Tohka and Yoshino continued to hold off Origami, Michael got to a safe location with his now fully Spirit Armored stepsister behind 2 stands. "So much for our date, huh?" Kotori tried making a joke, but she was still in shock at what Origami told her and the side effect of her Spirit abilites.
BOOM!
An explosion rang out from where the others were fighting, making Mike snap his head in that direction. Tohka and Yoshino weren't gonna last much longer, subconsciously he knew that, which Origami would be coming after them again next.
She was after the Spirit… not Kotori… so there was only one way out of this, however awkward it still felt. Sure they weren't related, but they blinkered like siblings did anyway.
'There's no other way…' Michael thought, looking back at Kotori who had her head down. 'I have to seal her power… just like everyone else… and I have to do it now!' He told himself, but there was a problem… 'But without Renie, I don't know of Kotori's at the right level for the seal to work…' He said to himself. From the first blast Origami fired, he had lost the earpiece, so there was no way to talk to Fraxinus or any of the crew for the proper information.
Then… he had an epiphany. 'Wait… maybe I don't have too…'
He just realized it. What the actual hell was he going on about? This wasn't just some random girl who showed up out of nowhere! This was his roommate! His sister! He knows her better than anyone!
He had a little trouble with Yoshino, but he didn't need Fraxinus this time. Just like with Kurumi and just like Tohka… he needed to speak from the heart.
"Kotori… I need you to look at me…" He said, to which the flame Spirit responded with a low 'yeah?'
BANG!
Origami then showed up, landing on one of the monorail trams and making a dent in its roof due to her Unit's weight. "EEEFREEEEEEEEET!" She roared, getting Kotori's attention.
"NO! NOT HER!" Michael grabbed Kotori's face at that point, one hand on her shoulder for leverage and the other under her to force her head to look into his eyes. "Look at me!" He said, but then Kotori glanced at Origami again, probably out of fear and/or anxiety. That and guilt from Origami's claim. "Look!" Michael said, squeezing her chin a little bit to get her attention, which worked and her eyesight returned to him. "At me!"
Tohka showed up at that point, landing on top of the White Licorice Unit, which got Origami's attention. "Stay out of this!" Origami roared at Tohka, then they began fighting again.
"Kotori… I'm sorry… sorry for never telling you how I feel." Michael started.
"W… What?" The fire Spirit asked, a little confused.
"I mean, yeah; we always bicker back and forth… but the truth is… I owe you everything." Michael continued, which got Kotori's eyes to soften a bit. "I never… would have gotten this without you… From teaching me how to speak and spell, giving me a place to stay, having someone to come home to after years of being alone… I can't imagine my life without you in it."
Kotori's eyes softened even more… was this really happening, like seriously, or was she just hallucinating herself hearing these things? "And I know, I said I never wanted this job at first; but as time went on… it got me closer to you. Learning your this total badass commander of the Starship Enterprise, who doubled not only as my cute little sister, but also this kickass Spirit, who I know, would never hurt anyone."
"Michael…" Was all Kotori managed to get out before Mike spoke again.
"I know… I'll never replace the brother you lost, just like you can't replace the family I lost… but I wouldn't have it any other way." Mike's words made Kotori's eyes glaze at this point, looking directly into his own. She could even see his eyes take in the same emotions even though he tried to remain strong for her sake. "I'm both proud… and god-DAMN lucky to be your big brother… I wouldn't trade you for anyone else in the world, and I… I…" He kind of struggle getting the last part out, either due to emotion or awkwardness, but it made Kotori gaze deeper at him… he wasn't… he wasn't really gonna say it, was he?
Michael: I love you, Kotori… like the sister I never had.
Kotori's mouth opened up, a small gasp coming out, and her eyes widened in surprise. "You… you mean that?" She asked out of shock. "This isn't another one of your jokes, is it?" She added, her voice also crackling a little.
Michael only kept a firm lock on her eyes, telling her the answer without saying anything. She would normally try to cover up her emotions like when she accidentally spilled about marriage when Mana came around, but she couldn't even think about that right now. All the times she and him yelled at each other, argued nearly endlessly, and even talked smack about the other right to their face.
And he loved it… he loved her.
"So how about it? How do you feel?" He then asked.
"Um, is this really an appropriate time?" Kotori tried to brush it off despite the fact her face was now just about as red as her hair. "All kind of sudden… just dropping all that on a girl, ya know?"
Tohka was using Sandalphon and her speed to avoid more missile strikes and also protect her friends, but as she only had a small portion of her power, she was eventually overwhelmed and was hit by a barrage of them, nor was she able to use a barrier to protect herself. The force of the attack sent her back, her crying out like Yoshino did before, and the aftershock of the attack made wind blow and dust rise up. In response to that, Michael instinctively pulled Kotori into a protective embrace without a moment to think about it and covered her, which made the Commander speechless… her eyes the size of beach balls as her face was held against the man's chest.
Not just any man… her big brother… her Onii-Chan…
"You okay?" Michael asked… and noticed the tears in her eyes.
"I love you too, Onii-Chan!" Kotori yelled up, giving into the intense warmth throughout her body, and it wasn't from her flames. Not only that… that was the very first time she EVER called him Onii-Chan. "I feel the same way… you gave me a family again… someone to confide in again after he died…" Kotori admitted. "I love you more than I ever thought possible…" She ranted, the feelings she held back herself flowing out with her tears. And yes while Michael can never replace the love she felt for her first big brother… he acknowledged that he never good.
This was a new form of love… a form of love, for Michael Pelham.
SMOOCH.
Michael then kissed her after quickly grabbing her face before she could react, catching her off guard even as more explosions rang out and even closer than ever… but she didn't hear them. It's like the world went on mute, but she could still hear her heartbeat. Her eyes weren't beach balls this time either… they were the ones you'd find in fitness classes or gyms.
Although still stunned it was happening, she eventually gave in and closed her own eyes, returning the kiss herself. She felt as if a huge weight was being lifted off of her shoulders… well, that and other things considering what happens when he kisses a Spirit.
They parted at that point, Kotori staring right into his eyes once it was over, ignoring the face she lacked any clothing now. Thankfully, Michael was taking off his jacket towards the end of the kiss, and laid it on her body just as the Astral Dress sparkled and disappeared.
Tohka nor Yoshino weren't willing to give up just yet, even though they felt their limited power would expire very soon, so they both got back up despite the pain they were in. Still enraged, Origami used another volley of missiles with another cry of battle. Some missiles hit, some were deflected…
One went astray towards a new target…
BOOM!
That missile ended up hitting dangerously close to Michael and Kotori, but it was shown it was shrapnel from the missile that caused most of the damage, and of course a new dust cloud blocked the view of them.
"Michael!" Origami said in worry. Damnit! She did it again, accidentally hitting Michael when she was aiming for a monster!
"Michael!" Yoshino said after.
"No, Michael!" Tohka went third, just as concerned as the other 2. She was beginning to flash back again to the moment on their first date, but held those feelings back as hard as she could.
When the smoke did clear… Michael was shown hugging Kotori (who had his jacket on for some reason), and his back was all fucked up with holes in his and fresh blood leaking out… Then flames started coming out of the wounds, burning them shut. The other were surprised to see…
Wait a second… where were the horns from Kotori's Armor?… Or the long sash from it?
"… no… you didn't…" It was Origami who figured it out first, though prayed she was just seeing things. If it was true, it put this in an even more awkward position… he couldn't have… did he really…
Michael stood up as if nothing had happened, his back still facing the AST solider and his Ex girlfriend. Kotori was still conscious and was the only person to see his expression, reading it and knowing exactly what he was going to do.
"Origami…" Michael began, the calmness of his tone made Origami flinch… she knew that tone, having heard it countless times before, be it when it came to her or saving one of the Spirits. "You wanted Efreet…" He said, and fully turned around… and raised an open palm…
Small flames danced in his fingers, making the others stunned at his reveal. It was almost like before, when Sandalphon manifested in front him, and when he saved Kurumi on the roof using Zadkiel... "He's right here." He said.
Origami stared in shock, more than the others, to the point she was shaking… she couldn't believe it… well, technically she did and could since she saw him seal Tohka with her own eyes, but was struggling to accept it.
"… You bastard…" She said to him, both angry and upset, his actions putting her in an difficult position. She wanted to kill Efreet, the power that monster had… but it was now inside of him. "You have any idea what you've just done?…"
Date A Live! Practice Chapter 9 - 3:
Yoshino had been erased. Right in her own bed the very second the clock struck midnight, Natsumi's Angel popped in out of nowhere and sucked the Bunny Girl up. Was she okay? Was she even still alive? Michael had no idea, but he felt responsible.
Seriously… what was Natsumi so mad at him about?
"I still can't believe it myself. The second the date changed, Yoshino was erased…" Kotori said, sitting next to her brother on a bench at a park.
"Its my fault…" Michael muttered while looking down, but it was heard by Kotori who turned her head toward him. "I royally screwed up this time… first breaking up with Origami, then Mayuri, now I pissed off a Genshin Impact character for whatever reason…"
"Don't say that." Kotori interjected, making Mike look back at her. Her face was serious, but also compassionate at the same time. "Origami eventually came around, and we managed to snag a fragment of Mayuri's power within your body before it mixed back with the others'," she said, trying to raise Michael's spirits (pun not intended).
While yes it didn't help Michael left her and began dating a Spirit instead, she slowly began to accept that maybe not all of them were dangerous. That heart-to-heart moment the AST solider shared with her Ex when she and Kotori fought in that amusement park did help. And when Mayuri disappeared after she forced a kiss on Michael, there was still the possibility she could return because she was made with all the Spirit Power of all currently sealed Spirits at that time.
"We'll figure this out… we always do." Kotori said with confidence.
"You do remember you all thought I copped a feel on Tohka, pushed Origami against a wall, sprayed a hose on Kaguya and Yuzuru, tried dragging Kurumi to the Nurse's Office, tried getting Yoshino too…" Michael brought up the fact Natsumi pretty much convinced them Michael had done all those things via her morphing ability, which got Kotori's face to stiffen each time.
"Whatever! She's good at it!" Kotori snapped at him, then took a breath to calm down. Of course they all apologized upon learning it was Natsumi the entire time, but if Tohka and Origami did not follow Michael to the roof when they did…
"We just need to narrow down who she could be impersonating." Kotori added.
"How? Call a meeting and ejecting the girls into space one-by-one?" Mike said, being sarcastic.
"Bro… you know them better than anyone." She ignored his remark. "If anyone can beat Natsumi at her own game, its gonna be you." Kotori tried raising his confidence again. "Sure process of elimination helps, but would probably also be stressful since we'd all poof away one after another."
"Thannnnnnnnnnks…" Michael said.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't you do something to verify my identity?" Kotori said, getting up from her seat.
"IIIIII think I'd know if my Darling Little Sister is having her skin worn like a costume." Said Michael. "Furthermore, if you were her, why would you risk giving yourself away too soon?
"Because I could be doing it to psych you out, so it doesn't matter what you think or know. How can you prove it?" Kotori said, which in fairness did sound something like she would say. He'd like to think Kotori was Kotori, but she did bring up a good point. "Go ahead. Ask me about our time as siblings, grill me with all sorts of questions, then ask me some thing out of the blue only I would know to throw me off…" She continued, then got a red face for some reason.
"Or… I don't know… try kissing me… to judge my reaction, something stupid like that…" She glanced away upon mentioning that, also lowered her volume but Michael was still able to hear it.
Michael thought about what she said. "For once, your right." He then stood up, and got close to her.
It was also here Kotori's stoic face, which was blushing a little before, now looked totally flabbergasted. "Uh, wait… j-jumping to this already?" She asked. She normally would have called him a perv, but she didn't expect him to go to this option already so she was left drawing a blank.
"You said it yourself, Natsumi's good at this." Michael repeated her earlier point. "Since she hates my guts, if I even attempt to kiss her, she probably get disgusted and pull away… unless there's something you wanna say?" He added, then added a indirect accusation.
"O-Oh… y-yeah… m-makes sense…" Kotori, or possibly Natsumi, stuttered. She was either getting shy because of the ramifications, or she was that good of an actress. This was all in the name of investigating… it would mean nothing… nothing at all…
It was Michael who make the first move, gently cupping her chin upwards to properly position her head. Kotori did not move a muscle, either because she was who she said she was and was stunned, or it was Natsumi playing this part of her very accurately. Kotori felt her heartbeat start increasing as Michael began leaning down to kiss her, which just increased her beating even more.
Their lips eventually connected, Kotori's head felt like it was swirling upon her lips pressing gently into his. This felt so much different than the time they kissed in the amusement park during Origami's attack, and while it was a moment they shared, they're nerves at the time were on high alert so the effect, while Kotori was sealed successfully, didn't have the same feeling.
Now though? Kotori felt a new swirl of emotions that simply cannot be achieved during the pervious time. She felt very warm, not like her fire power, but different… it was really hard to explain. She also felt her body getting weaker… no, not physically, but metaphorically… or was it both?
Again… really hard to explain.
So is this how the others felt?… It wasn't bad or anything, it honestly gave her a good feeling. At the risk of sounding like a little girl, it felt magical, like something that can only be experienced in a certain way.
It was here Kotori's instincts began to take over, she felt her arms traveling up to his neck, where she wrapped them around. Why did she do this? She didn't know. Her body was moving by itself. She was also moaning into the kiss, small moans at first for she was trying to hold then back, but she then felt Michael use his free hand to touch her face, which made the moans get a little louder as she didn't anticipate that.
She felt that hand run through her long hair, which felt so much different than a head pat or rub, which only further increased the volume of the moans. Eventually they were running out of air, and parted from each other… odd. She felt disappointment when that happened, but she was also gazing into Michaels eyes which could be interpreted as lovingly, and was also breathing through her mouth to get some air as it felt like her nose wasn't gonna be enough.
Wait… what were those black things on his head?
…
…
…
"HEY! ONII-CHAN! Give those back! I need those! That's not fair!" The sneaky older male used the kiss to swipe her hair ribbons while she was distracted, and put them in his own hair for good measure. Since he was taller, it wasn't easy to get them back unless he lowered his head, but he just stood there with a toothy grin on his face.
"Like I said: I know my Darling Little Sister of Mine." He said with a smile