The Morning After

Notes and Disclaimers: The characters in this story belong to Konno Oyuki, Shuiesha and Geneon.

This story is a sequel to Roman Holiday and will make much more sense if you have read that. However that story is a "Black Lily" story and therefore is for adults only. Whereas this one is a "White Lily" story, which means that anyone, basically, can read it. It's unfair, but oh well.

Once again, my thanks goes out to the Fanfic Revolution, for their care and attention. And I once again hope that, if you enjoy my writing, you will purchase my novel, Shoujoai ni Bouken, and catapult me to fame and fortune. :-) Lastly, if you love the ladies of Lillian, please consider joining the endless conversations that occur about them on the Yuricon Mailing List.

In any case, if you enjoy this story, please let me know at worldshakingff@earthlink.net.


Morning After


The hotel door closed heavily behind her, but she did not turn around. She was far too busy staring at the woman in front of her in surprise.

"I, uh," she began, holding up a paper bag, small grease stains visible on one corner. "Breakfast."

Sei blushed, a process Kei found fascinating. First the tips of her ears went red, then the flush traveled down her neck and last moved upwards to color her cheeks. She'd never seen Sei blush before, she thought with surprise.

Her arm, still outstretched, was getting heavy. Kei wasn't really sure what to say to break the tension between them. And Sei, who was normally so indifferent, seemed remarkably fragile just then.

Kei did what any, every, civilized person in the world would do at that moment, in that situation. She ignored the 600-pound gorilla and took refuge in the trivial.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, waggling the paper bag gently. She thought about asking 'Did you eat already,' but decided against it.

"..." Sei was, Kei realized with a bit of a thrill, speechless. Well, she had made an opening; it was up to Sei to take it.

"I already used all the coffee stuff in the room." Sei forced out the words, her smile stiff and unnatural. "I'll...get more...and...." Sei bolted for the front desk.

Kei's eyebrows rose at her classmate's un-Sei-like behavior. This could be fun, she thought, as she followed.

"Satou-san?" She called after the other woman, who didn't turn. Kei moved up beside her at the desk, and came to a decision. It wasn't often, after all, that she would have this kind of a chance.

"I was just wondering..." Kei waggled the bag again, forcing Sei to look her way. "Maybe you've already eaten?" She was so pleased with herself, that she managed it with a straight face.

Sei's face couldn't have gotten any redder, but when the red hit her eyes, Kei momentarily panicked. Was she angry? Upset?

Sei's voice was calm, cool even, as she requested coffee and related items for their room. Kei watched her closely, wondering if she had pushed it too far.

The desk clerk asked them to wait, picked up the phone, spoke a few words into it, then put the phone down. "They'll be up in a few moments," was all she said, then turned back to whatever they had interrupted her in the middle of.

Sei did not move. Kei could see how tense the other woman was. Sei's face was carved stone now, pale, unmoving. There was no way to know what she was thinking.

With a sudden motion Sei turned to face Kei. "I like you," was all she said, then headed quickly for the elevator.

Taken by surprise, Kei had barely had time to comprehend the words before she was moving to follow Sei.

"What?" she called to Sei's back. "What did you say?"

Sei ignored her completely. By the time Kei caught up to her, the elevator had arrived and Sei was already inside. Kei leapt after her, just getting inside before the door closed.

They stood in awkward silence. Kei felt her heart beating more rapidly than the short distance she had run could account for. What was she expecting to happen? Did she really think Sei was going to push her against a wall and kiss her? Why was she imagining a scene like that in the first place?

Kei glanced over at the other woman, noticing with surprise that her ears were red again. Was she thinking the same thing, Kei wondered and her heat pounded a little harder for a beat or two.

The elevator stopped. The door opened.

Kei got out, turning to wait for Sei. The door was about to close again, when Kei put an arm out and held it. The elevator buzzed angrily. She stood there for about ten seconds, then grabbed Sei's sleeve and forced her out of the elevator, so it could close.

"What did you say?" Kei demanded. "I mean, I know what you said - why did you say it?"

Sei turned down the hall, the key to their room already extended. She opened the door and moved inside, leaving the door open.

Kei wanted to scream, but instead followed the other woman - again - closing the door behind her.

"Don't ignore me, dammit."

Sei was pulling clothes from the armoire, and laying them on her bed.

"I said," she responded without looking up," that I like you."

"Why?" Kei dropped the paper bag on the desk. "Why did you say that?"

Sei sighed. Her arms dropped to her side and she stood up, looking over at her classmate. "She told me to."

"She...you mean...?" Kei felt her face get warm.

"Shizuka told me to tell you that...that I like you. That...I'm interested in you Katou Kei-san." Sei's eyes were blazing as she spoke. It was hard to look at her, her face so perfect, like a statue of a goddess.

"..." Now it was Kei's turn to be speechless. How do you respond to something like that? It wasn't like it was a common occurrence that your classmate confessed to you, just after sleeping with another woman. Or, hell, maybe it was, and she just didn't know about it.

"You're my type. You're reliable, you're smart, you're attractive, you're...." Sei shut her mouth audibly and turned back to the clothes on the bed. She carefully folded a skirt and laid it next to a neatly folded blouse.

Momentarily distracted by Sei's steady motions, Kei found herself jealous of the skill with which Sei folded her clothes. It wasn't right that someone so haphazard in her life should be so fastidious about her clothes.

"I hate that word, reliable." Kei wasn't sure she had spoken out loud. Sei showed no sign of having heard her, certainly. She sat heavily on her bed, watching Sei continue packing.

"Why?"

"Why what?" The comment had seemed so random, and after such a long pause, Kei wasn't really sure what she was asking.

"Why do you hate the word reliable," Sei prodded, her eyes meeting Kei's briefly.

She wasn't sure. She just did. People had always called her that. From her earliest years in school, all the way to the nurses who tended her father in the hospital.

"Because it means that I'm the one who is left doing all the work, while everyone else gets to enjoy their life." Kei stood. She paced back and forth along the length of the bed as she spoke. "Reliable people aren’t exciting, they aren't fun to be around - they're just reliable." She stopped, putting a hand out, as if to grasp something. "Sometimes I just want to do things unreliably, on a whim." Her hand dropped, and she sat on the bed again.

Sei was quiet. She let the slacks she held in her hands slip to the bed. When she looked at Kei her face looked much more as it usually did. "You missed your cue there."

Kei didn't move. "This isn't a cheesy movie - I'm not going to leap up and kiss you, if that's what you mean."

"No, I guess not." Sei smiled in a way that made Kei relax just slightly. "You can't blame me for wishing that you did, though."

Kei found herself smiling back. "If this were a porn movie, I would have done more than just kiss you." She paused and held up a hand, "and yes, I can blame you for wishing that I did."

"I meant what I said, Kei-san." Sei's face was serious again, but there was no apparent conflict in her expression.

"I wish I knew how to answer you." Kei answered. "I think you're an interesting person. And I do want to know more about you. But I don't know if I'm 'interested in' you."

Sei took a deep breath. "That's okay. I just wanted to say it."

"You've probably said it to a dozen women, haven't you?" Kei laughed.

"Never before."

"Oh." Now Kei felt like an ass. "What about Shizuka-san?"

"Kei, have you ever been in love before?" Sei ignored the question. Kei shook her head. "I have. Once." Sei turned away, walked over to the window and stared out as she spoke. "I don't love Shizuka. Or, I should say that I love her, but I'm not in love with her, as clichéd as that is. I find her exceptionally charming. And we - we definitely have some chemistry. If I get a chance to see her again, I will."

Kei realized that that was all the answer she was going to get. "She seems very nice."

That made Sei smile for some reason. "I only ever find myself attracted to nice women. I wonder why?"

"Opposites attract?" Kei was glad to see Sei chuckle at that.

"Mmm. Guess so."

There was something she was trying to say, Kei thought. Something Sei was trying to say, without saying it. Kei thought over what she had said.

"Thank you." She blurted out suddenly, when she realized what it was.

Sei's eyes moved away from the window and Kei found herself confronting that sculpted face with the burning eyes once more. She shuddered, although whether with interest or fear...or awe, she wasn't sure. Kei watched in alarm as those burning eyes cooled. It was terrifying to think what might happen if she were to get caught in that gaze.

"You're welcome." Sei walked over to the coffee pot. "They never brought the stuff up." She sighed. "Oh well."

"Satou-san?" Kei came close. "How about we go get a cup of coffee? I'd like one last good cup before we leave."

Sei nodded happily. "That sounds great." Smiling, she took Kei's arm and tucked it in her own. "Come on Kei-san, let's go make one last beautiful memory before we leave."

Taking her arm out of Sei's Kei replied, "I'll settle for a cup of coffee, thanks."

At which Sei laughed, and opened the door to the hallway.

First Kiss Incident

Notes and Disclaimers: The characters of the Yamayurikai are the property of Konno Oyuki, Shuiesha and Geneon.

This story was written because Adam is a lame-ass. Just wanted to say that right up front.

For more stories with the characters from Marimite (and many other series,) please visit "Worldshaking" Fanfic. Visit the Yuricon Shop for great yuri manga in English and Japanese, or join the Mailing List and chat about your fave yuri couples!

My thanks, once again, to the The Fanfic Revolution, and Adam, in particular.

As always, if you enjoy this story, I'd love to know. You can reach me at worldshakingff@earthlink.net



First Kiss Incident


"Where shall we go now?" Noriko asked, as they walked out of the dark theater into blinding afternoon light.

"I don't know, are you hungry?" Shimako rearranged the angle of the wide-brim straw hat she wore, trying to block out the sun.
Noriko made a gesture of ambivalence. "Not hungry, but maybe a drink..."

"Let's go to the park, then, and have some tea."

As they walked, Noriko thought over the days leading up to this one. The fight with Shimako, the tears, the reconciliation. Her heart beat a little faster at the memory of the words that set it all off.

"What are you thinking about?" Shimako asked, smiling.

"Nothing," Noriko lied.

"Oh." Shimako looked a little put out at that, her smile fading. "I was worried that you were thinking about...before."

Noriko sighed. "I was. I can't help it. My feelings haven't changed."

"I know," Shimako's voice was sad. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Noriko opened her mouth, then closed it. Blowing out a frustrated breath, she turned towards Shimako and blurted out, "I..."

"Noriko, I..." Shimako's mouth was half open, staring down at the younger girl. She closed her mouth, and nodded. "Go ahead."

Noriko couldn't take her eyes off Shimako's mouth. "I want to start over again. I want..."

"Noriko," Shimako's voice was breathier than usual. "Me too. I want that too."

***

When it had started, Noriko thought, she had no idea it would go this far. It was, to be honest, a dare. And not even a dare for her, specifically. She had been in the classroom and a few of the girls had been joking with one of the others, and someone joked that on a dare, she should try to get a kiss from her onee-sama, which had prompted the expected squeals of titillated outrage. And then one of the girls said she'd do it, and so did the other two and they promised to report back the next day.

Noriko, who had been finishing up her homework, hadn't thought about the dare at all until she had arrived at the Rose Mansion to find Shimako alone. And it just popped into her head, to try and steal a kiss from Shimako.

Noriko considered as she entered the room. How would she do it? She could always go with the "look over there!" gambit, but that was lame. How about sharing food...or maybe just...

Noriko walked over to the table, dropping her schoolbag onto the chair and leaning over Shimako, kissed her quickly.

It was nothing, just a quick brushing of lips, a buss, a peck. But Noriko's eyes were filled with blood and her heart was bursting out of her chest as she pulled away.

Shimako's face was pale, her hands covering her lips. "Noriko?"

"I'm sorry...I," she took a step back. She knew, absolutely, that what she had just done was the worst thing in the world she could have ever done. Not because it was a sin, not because it was wrong, but because she suddenly realized that she wanted to do it again so badly, she might die.

Standing, Shimako faced her, her eyes huge in her face.

***

The problem, Noriko thought, with getting what you want, is figuring out what to do with it. She and Shimako had danced around each other for days, then weeks, snatching a moment alone here and there, a kiss, an embrace, a gentle touch of skin against skin or tongue against tongue.

The fight was so stupid that it was embarrassing to think about, really.

They were alone in Shimako's room sitting together at the table, legs intertwined, working on homework.

"Isn't it funny," Noriko had joked, "that if I hadn't kissed you on a dare, we wouldn't be together?"

Shimako had looked at her strangely. "That wasn't our real first kiss, though."

"Of course it was. The first time we kissed." Noriko looked up at the ceiling. "I want to remember it."

"That wasn't," Shimako emphasized the word, "our first kiss. That was your first kiss. Our first kiss was the one after that."

Noriko disagreed. "I kissed you - you were involved."

"But I never kissed back."

"Shimako-san. Don't you think that the distinction is a little silly? It was the first time our lips touched. Therefore, it was our..."

"No, it wasn't." The usually gentle Shimako had a surprisingly firm tone. "And it's not silly. Is it silly to want to think of my first kiss as one that I actually participated in?"

"Well, yes. Most girls call it their first kiss when someone else's lips and theirs' touch."

"That's not what *I* consider a kiss." Now Shimako's face was a little dark and Noriko could tell that she was angry. Very angry.

"I'm sorry, Shimako-san, I..."

"No, that's not good enough. You think it's all right to take a first kiss without a person's consent? How would you feel if I had done it to you and walked around telling everyone that that was your first kiss?"


"I..." Noriko took a deep breath. "I wouldn't be...no, I know, I wouldn't mind."

"Well I do."

"Shimako-san, I'm sorry if I offended you."

Shimako pulled her legs away and stood abruptly, "That's not the point. I can't believe that you, of all people, would be okay with a 'first kiss' being taken without being returned." Her hands clenched. "I'm surprised - and a little disappointed in you, Noriko." Her lips tightened. "I think maybe you should go home."

Stunned, Noriko stood. "If you feel that strongly about it, I will." And she had.

***

The next few weeks were horrible. The first kiss argument had spilled over into every interaction. Their disagreements divided the Yamayurikai on any number of issues, from the color of the backdrop for the school play, to the approval of a new club. Both sides refused to back down and repeated attempts by Yumi, Yoshino and Rei to play peacemaker had been rebuffed coldly. Only when Sachiko had demanded that they find a way to work together properly, had tempers cooled a little.

But only a little.

Where before they had arranged their schedules to meet anytime they could, now they were avoiding each other like the plague.

Why they had fallen out, no one ever learned. Rumors were rampant, of course, and creative. Touko had come right out and asked, but all Noriko would say was that she and Onee-sama had "disagreed." Rumor focused on why they didn't then split; as if that would have been the normal course that any reasonable person would take in the situation.

Noriko was angry. That she would admit. She couldn't understand why Shimako would discount that first kiss - even if it had been one-sided. It was if she herself was being discounted.

Shimako, impenetrable, as always, made no other reference to the matter. No one would ever come right out and ask her what the fight had been about. Yumi came the closest, but failed in the end to get a satisfactory answer.

It was Shimako who had started it, and it was Shimako who ended it.

Once again alone in the Rose Mansion, she looked up as the door opened. Noriko entered, met Shimako's eyes and nodded.

"Are you busy this weekend?" Shimako asked - quite out of the blue, Noriko thought. "I thought we'd go to a movie together, if you'd like."

Noriko thought about it for a moment. "I'd like that." Then burst into tears. Shimako ran over, put her arms around the younger girl, and they cried together for a while.

And then it was all over.

***

The park was busy, but they found a place to sit on the edge of a wall looking out at a fountain. Each had a crepe in one hand (chocolate for Noriko, mixed fruit for Shimako) and a can of tea in the other.

"It was totally my fault," Shimako said. "I'm sorry."

"I was insensitive," Noriko suggested, trying to shoulder some of the blame.

"No," Shimako shook her head. "There was something you didn't know." She looked away, her voice small and a little quavery. "It wasn't *my* first kiss."

Noriko gaped. "Oh."

"And the other one, the first one, was just the same as when you..."

And then it all made perfect sense.

"Shimako-san," Noriko said, smiling. "Can we make a deal? You said you wanted to start over, right?"

Shimako nodded, unsurely.

"Finish up your crepe, drink your tea and come with me." Noriko bit into the ice cream crepe, moaning as the inevitable brain freeze hit. They ate quickly and steadily, drank their tea and threw away the refuse. Taking Shimako's hand, Noriko led the way to the subway, laughing.

When they arrived at Noriko's aunt's home, they were both laughing. And they laughed as they removed their shoes, greeted Sumireko and politely refused the offer of tea.

When they were alone at last, Noriko took Shimako's hands in her own.

"Here's the deal. We start over, right here, right now. And we don't fight anymore."

"Deal," Shimako agreed, with a voice like she was praying.

Hand in hand, they moved towards each other.

For their very first kiss.

Maria-sama Ga Miteru: Just When You Least Expect It

Another, far less twisted Maria-sama fic from me, this features the second of my two favorite yuri couples in MariMite, Satou Sei and her partner in naming, Katou Kei. It's rated PG-13 for yuri themes.


It wasn't particularly noticeable at first. Kei had had to wrack her brain to even remember it, but she was fairly sure that this was where the first hammer had struck. Sei seemed to agree, though she had better recall of it. It was hard to recall something so subtle when they had been victims of much sillier things.

They had been studying in the library together, as Sei had encountered a class that she actually needed to do research for. Thrilled, since she very seldom got the chance to stretch out, she had turned it into a grand studying outing, even bringing a picnic lunch. Or, to be more accurate, whining at Kei to prepare a picnic lunch for them.

So Kei was in the library, enjoying the peace and quiet. She'd have been here anyway, as she was in the same class as Sei, and if Sei was being forced to study, she would have to really put her nose to the grindstone in order to keep up with her.

Not that they were competing. Of course not.

She noted down where the book she needed was, and went to the shelf, still gathering her thoughts. She reached up to get the book, and instead found herself grabbing a hand. Startled, she looked over and found herself nose to nose with Sei.

Despite herself, she turned a little pink. Sei was as unflappable as ever.

"We seem to be of like mind," she murmured quietly.

Kei breathed in... and then grabbed the book. She smiled wryly, and the moment passed. Exactly the sort of thing you wouldn't even remember unless you were looking for it.

***

A few weeks later, there was the massage. Kei had slipped and fallen on one of the insidious ginkgo nuts that littered the campus, and pulled a muscle in her back. Cursing, she had carefully winced her way home, hoping that a hot bath would solve the problem. It hadn't.

Then Sei had arrived, and noticed the pain that she was in. Sei had offered to rub her back, and massage away the muscle tension. Kei had agreed.

Then somehow, without even speaking, they had ended up with Kei lying on her stomach on the bed, with Sei sitting lightly over her and massaging her tortured back muscles. It was exactly what she had needed, and when Sei hit a particularly tight knot, Kei had moaned loudly in appreciation.

And then the situation they were in had hit her like a hammer.

It had apparently hit Sei too, who had stopped her ministrations. At first Kei thought that Sei was breathing harder, but decided that she was imagining things. After all, it was the perfect position *to* imagine such things.

Kei had decided to break the awkward silence. "It's OK, Sei. Don't read more into this than there is." She could have phrased it better, really, but then saying things and then realizing they'd come out wrong was one of her lovable character traits. Sei had said so herself.

Luckily, Sei understood what she meant, and continued with the massage, which had finished without any more unfortunate moans.

***

It wasn't until the vacation that they both began to realize that the hammers were starting to fall a little thickly. They were in Rome, and Sei was like a little kid, running around trying to see every single sight, in case they closed forever just before she arrived. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Kei found herself running around just as hard, a big grin on her face.

Then the rain hit. This was not one of those rains where you feel little drops, look up, and then seek cover before it begins in earnest. This was a 'suddenly the sky opened' rain where you found yourself completely drenched in a matter of seconds. The two of them found themselves frantically looking for shelter, finally taking refuge under a large stone archway.

Shivering, Kei clutched her arms together as she looked outside. It was later than she'd thought, so it was hard to see anything besides the downpour and the occasional blurred streetlight. She shivered again, and suddenly found an arm around her shoulders.

"You cold?" Her voice was tight, and Kei couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, and so are you." Sei chuckled, and wrapped the other arm around her, leaning onto her shoulder. "I can't help it if you're so warm..."

Kei relaxed, Sei's body heat starting to get rid of the worst of the cold. She leaned back a bit, and found her head instinctively leaning against Sei's.

Then they stopped. And looked at each other again.

"More hammers?" Sei inquired.

"More hammers." She moved her head forward, but didn't move away from Sei. The two of them continued to huddle together as they waited for the rain to stop.

***

After that, there was just no avoiding them.

There was Sachiko's graduation party, where Yoshino for some reason decided to bring along the game of Twister. Naturally, Kei and Sei had ended up wrapped around each other, faces almost touching.

There was the time when Sei had angered her friend Youko, presumably by doing something insufferably Sei-like. Kei had no idea why Sei was hiding, as she must have known by that time that all of her friends would forgive her everything up to and possibly including homicide. But Sei had grabbed her hand and dragged her into a convenient broom closet, where they had stood pressed against one another, trying not to breathe so as not to give their position away.

"You brought that hammer on yourself," Kei had said afterwards. Sei pouted, and Kei began to laugh hysterically at her face. Sei had joined in until the two of them were prostrate with laughter on her couch, ending up with lips almost touching.

"What were you saying about bringing hammers on us?" Sei said, sparking a fresh, separate round of laughter.

After a while, they became a sort of shared curse, something that bonded the two together in a massive display of karmic evil. Sei, who had always flirted harmlessly with Kei before, didn't even need to work hard at it anymore. The situations they found themselves in were so hilariously cliched that Kei at one point suggested they look for the funk guitarist who must surely be playing in the background.

***

And then, just as suddenly as the hammers had started, they had stopped. It was as if karma had simply thrown its hands up in disgust and walked off. Their lives returned to what passed for normal, with absolutely no wacky situations or comic misunderstandings.

That's not to say it had totally failed to affect them. They said less these days, being more comfortable with a quirked eyebrow or cocked head. The awkwardness that had always plagued them in the early days of their friendship was gone. Kei no longer felt that Sei was an annoying pest who glided through life on the charity of others. And Sei no longer felt as if she had to be careful to be glib and carefree for fear that she would once again find herself too close to someone.

In fact, everyone who knew them now thought they were a couple. They had all the signs of two people who had fallen for each other. Except, of course, that they hadn't. They were still in the habit of avoiding those trying hammers.

And so it came to pass that one night they were seated in Kei's room, studying as usual. Which is to say Kei was reading the material and Sei had gotten bored and was gazing off into space. Kei had tuned Sei out, being engrossed in the curriculum. She had her hair tied up, and was rolling a pencil under her lips.

And then she finished the last of the material, and popped her lips so that the pencil flew out, landing with a soft thud right in the middle of her notebook. Grinning, she raised an arm in victory.

She looked up and saw Sei looking at her, her lips parted slightly. The look could only be described as 'scorching'. Kei felt herself get hotter just looking at it.

"God, I want you so badly," Sei said. There was a slight pause. Sei waited for the moment when she'd realize she said the wrong thing and flee. It didn't come. Kei waited for the inevitable point where she'd say that she wasn't ready for something like that, wasn't sure if she ever would be. It passed by without a sound.

Instead Kei found herself getting lightly to her feet, walking over, and sitting herself right in Sei's lap. And then she leaned forward and began, without preamble, to kiss the hell out of her.

They sat there for an incredibly long time, taking pleasure in each other. No clothes were removed, but that wasn't so much due to not wanting to go that far as much as simply not being tired of the other's person's lips just yet.

Eventually, they slowed to a stop, still breathing heavily. Sei's face was aglow with a happy smile, one Kei didn't think she'd ever seen before. As for Kei, she assumed that she was smiling. Though considering how dazed she felt, it was more likely a goofy grin.

Suddenly Kei giggled. "What's up?" Sei asked.

"No hammers," she replied, and Sei found herself laughing.

***

Somewhere else, out in the night, karma screamed loudly in anguished frustration.

END


Thanks to the Fanfic Revolution for pre-reading.

Maria-sama ga Miteru : Sweet the Rose

To celebrate the almost-grand opening of our new site, here's the first new story I've managed to complete in what must be the best part of two years.

After watching the Marimite anime, I knew I'd have to try and write something about Noriko and Shimako - their relationship is just too much fun to leave alone. (For what it's worth, I think Shimako is secretly an evil genius. She needs to be to get Noriko wrapped so carefully around her finger.)

Maria-sama ga Miteru : Sweet The Rose

Grey skies.

Steel-blue eyes, half closed.

White china and green tea.

A wisp of brown hair falling towards delicate lips.

The sharp clatter of porcelain and metal.

"Noriko-chan?"

A warm and comforting voice.

"Noriko-chan?"

The dark-haired girl started guiltily, suddenly realising that she'd
been staring again.

"Are you alright? You've hardly touched your cake."

"Cake?" Noriko looked down at the fork in her hand and the plate on
the table in front of her as though they had suddenly and unaccountably
sprung into existence. Concentrating fiercely, she sliced off a piece
of millefeuille and lifted it to her mouth. The pastry was soft and
deliciously sweet, but somehow she could barely taste it.

From the other side of the table, Shimako giggled quietly, hiding her
mouth behind her hand. Noriko froze, feeling a blush creeping to her
face.

"What is it? Did I--?"

Before she could finish, the older girl reached across the table and
wiped a spot of cream from the corner of her lips with her finger.

Despite her embarrassment, Noriko couldn't help but laugh. Shimako
carefully licked the tip of her finger clean, casting a slightly
puzzled look in her direction.

"I'm sorry," she smiled. "It's just that I keep expecting to hear
Rosa Chinensis complaining about my table manners..."

Shimako gave her a stern look. "Noriko-chan," she said sharply, her
voice a passable impersonation of the older girl, "a young lady should
comport herself properly at all times."

At the expression on her face, Noriko almost choked on her cake, trying
desperately to stifle a burst of laughter. "How long have you been
practicing that?" she asked, teasingly.

The other girl gave no response, other than an enigmatic quirk of her
lips, and the two lapsed into silence as Noriko forced herself to
concentrate on her food, glancing up only occasionally.

Shimako watched her wistfully, entranced by the shifting of the light
in her eyes and across her skin as, outside, the clouds began to darken
the sky. Her black hair brushed softly against the collar of her
sweater, highlighting the slow, delicate curve of her neck. Shimako
sipped at her tea distractedly, brushing a finger across the
lingering warmth on her lips and sighing quietly.

She was sure that only the briefest of moments could have passed before
she was startled out of her daydream by the sound of Noriko setting her
fork down against her plate, the tiny sound jarringly loud in her ears.

"That was delicious. Thank you so much, Shimako-san."

It seemed to her that the younger girl was watching her face intently,
almost as though she was fearful of some sign of disapproval. "I'm
glad," she replied, smiling warmly.

Another silence.

Noriko stared intently at the tablecloth, trying her hardest to avoid
the warm, uncertain tension that hung between them. In her mind
she searched frantically for something, anything to say. With uncanny
timing, just as she opened her mouth, the other girl began to speak.

"Nor--"

"Shi--"

They both laughed nervously.

"Please," Shimako began, "you go first."

"I..." Noriko swallowed and tried again. "I think we'd better leave,
Shimako-san. We don't want to get caught out here in the rain."

The older girl nodded sadly in agreement. Gathering their things,
the pair stood up and made their way towards the exit, Shimako pausing
at the counter to fish some wayward coins from her purse.

As Noriko pushed open the cafe door, a few spots of rain began to
spatter onto the pavement. Up ahead, the sky was menacingly dark. She
rummaged in her bag for a second, eventually pulling out a small
compact umbrella and wrestling it into shape. Raindrops began to smack
hollowly into the red fabric.

"Noriko..."

The younger girl turned to see Shimako staring at the clouds, a look of
obvious concern on her face. "What's the matter?"

"I forgot to bring an umbrella with me," she admitted. "Would you--?"

Before she could finish, Noriko walked over and dragged the taller girl
underneath the umbrella with her, pulling her close to try and make
sure that they could both stay dry.

As they began to walk, Shimako slipped her arm around the smaller
girl's shoulders. Sighing contentedly to herself, Noriko let her head
rest gently against the brunette's arm, the warmth of it suffusing her
skin.

In the distance, jagged forks of lightning flickered across the sky,
leaving lingering purple shadows in the air. The rain grew harder.
At the end of the street, Shimako made to turn left, only to find
herself tugged back by the smaller girl, who glared at her defiantly.

"Shimako-san, I am not going to leave you waiting outside for a bus
in this weather," she admonished. As if to punctuate her words,
a peal of thunder rolled over them like a wave. "It's not far to my
Aunt's house. You can stay with us until this storm passes."

Shimako drew a short breath, making ready to argue, but the fiery look
in the other girl's eyes made her think better of it. With a quiet
smile, she nodded her acquiescence, and together they began to make
their way against the growing wind.

As they walked, she looked down at the younger girl, her eyes
half-closed, resting once more against her shoulder. Strands of dark
hair blew lightly across her fingertips, and almost instinctively she
found herself twining a tiny lock around her fingers. Catching
herself, she let go, smiling wryly at her own foolishness.


All too soon, they found themselves at the front of a small two-storey
house. Noriko opened the gate, wiping her wet fingers absently on her
jeans as they made their way up the path.

She pushed the front door open to let Shimako step inside, slamming
it shut behind her to keep out the rain. "I'm home," she called out,
kicking her shoes off into a corner.

A tall, grey-haired lady stepped out of the kitchen at the end of the
entrance hall, humming softly to herself. "Welcome home, Riko," she
said happily. Catching sight of the other girl, she paused, her eyes
widening sharply. "Oh... Who's this, Noriko?"

"Shimako-san, this is my Aunt, Nishimuro Sumireko," the dark-haired girl
began excitedly. "Auntie, this is my friend, Todou Shimako."

Shimako gave a small, graceful bow. "I'm very sorry to intrude
unannounced like this, Nishimuro-san--" she began.

The old lady favoured her with a bright smile. "Please, don't worry
about it," she interrupted. "I've been looking forward to meeting you,
Shimako-san. Come inside and sit down - you must be cold."

Relaxing slightly, Shimako kicked off her sodden shoes and took a pair
of guest slippers from the mat, following Noriko and her aunt into the
lounge.

"Would you like some tea, Shimako?" Sumireko asked, settling herself
slowly into an armchair.

"If it's not too much trouble..."

"Of course. Noriko-chan, would you mind making us some tea, please?"

Noriko nodded obediently and hurried away to the kitchen.

"She's told me so much about you, Shimako-san. I was glad to see her
happy - I had worried that she wouldn't fit in at Lillian. She can be
so stubborn when she wants to."

Shimako laughed quietly.

"I was so shocked when she returned home that evening wearing a
rosary around her neck. I hadn't imagined she would ever accept
someone as her soeur... Tell me, Shimako, how did you and Noriko
first meet?"

"It was at the beginning of the Spring term," Shimako began. "My
Onee-sama had just recently graduated... I was watching the cherry
blossom, underneath the tree where I first met her."

At this, Sumireko's smile cracked slightly. She rubbed at her eye with
one of her fingers. Shimako paused, uncertainly.

"I'm sorry. Did I--?"

"No, no. It's not your fault, child. I... I was just remembering a
little."

"Do you know that place, Nishimuro-san?"

"Oh yes. I used to go there myself, whenever I wanted to be alone for
a while. Back then we all used to believe that it was haunted."

"Haunted?" Shimako looked genuinely shocked. "But who--?" She broke
off as Noriko stepped back into the room bearing three steaming cups of
tea on a tray. She handed one to her aunt, and another to Shimako, the
tips of their fingers brushing together for the briefest of moments.

Noriko seated herself next to Shimako, a short distance away, letting
her hand fall between them. Smiling warmly at her, Shimako turned back
to face the older woman. "I'm sorry. If you don't mind, I think I'd
like to hear that story," she continued, apologetically.

"There isn't much to tell. The rumour was that two lovers had been
caught there one day by the school authorities. They were due to be
expelled... They were so scared of bringing such shame upon their
families that they crept back into the grounds that very night and
took their own lives beneath its branches. Supposedly their spirits
haunted the grounds and that any two people who first met there would
be cursed."

Shimako covered her mouth with her hand. "That's terrible,
Nishimuro-san! Were there really...?" Her voice trailed off awkwardly.

The old lady smiled once more. "Who knows? We used to believe all
kinds of awful things. I think mostly it was just a way to make the
school feel a little more exciting." She laughed gently. "As far as I
was concerned it was just a quiet place to eat my lunch. At least it
was, until one day I found another girl sitting there in my place."

Out of sight, Shimako felt Noriko's fingers entwine with her own.
"What did you do?" she asked. Beside her, the younger girl leaned
forwards, excitedly.

"I was so angry at her! I knew it was silly of me, but it felt as
though she'd stolen something from me just by being there. So I walked
away, thinking that at least she'd be gone the next day and I could
have my haunted tree to myself again. But when I came back, she was
there again. And the next day. And the day after that. I tried going
there as early as I could, but it seemed like she was always ahead of
me."

Sumireko paused to take a long sip from her teacup before continuing her
story. "In the end I decided that there was no way I could win, so I
gave in and sat down next to her. 'Aren't you afraid of the curse?' I
asked her. She turned to me and laughed a little. 'If we get cursed,'
she told me, 'I'm blaming you.'"

Noriko laughed delightedly, and Shimako couldn't help but join in.
"Did you find out who she was?"

"Oh yes. After that we ended up meeting there every day to eat our
lunch together. Her name was Suzuhara Keiko, and she was two years
older than I was. We used to talk to each other about all kinds of
things - about school, about the future... Whenever I felt lonely or
sad, she was always there waiting for me. Towards the beginning of
summer that year, she offered me her rosary while we were sitting there
in the shade."

Shimako sat up slowly, clutching the warmth of Noriko's fingers more
tightly in her own to hide the nervousness from her voice. "I hope you
don't mind my asking, Nishimuro-san," she began quietly, "but what did
you do after she had graduated?"

The older lady looked at her gently. "That's quite alright,
Shimako-san. I was sad for a time, of course. But after she left we
began to write letters to one another. She married a very handsome
young man and moved away to live with him in Yokohama. I still speak
to her quite often, even now."

At that, Shimako smiled sadly. "I'm very glad to hear that,
Nishimuro-san," she replied. "Thank you for telling me." She relaxed
slowly back against the cushions, allowing a comfortable silence to
fill the room, disturbed only by the steady hiss of the evening rain.

After a minute, Noriko put down her teacup and turned to face her
soeur. "Shimako-san, could you tell me about how you met your
Onee-sama? You've mentioned her before, but we never..." she asked,
her voice trailing off uncertainly.

The older girl set her cup down on the table, a gentle look in her
eyes. "Of course. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Noriko. I...
I hope you can meet her one day. I'm sure she'd like that."

"It was in the middle of the spring," Shimako began, leaning forwards,
her soft voice drawing the others in. "At first she seemed almost
frightening..."



By the time Shimako had finished, the last of the evening light had
long since faded. The rain was still drumming fiercely against the
window panes.

Sumireko looked outside and shook her head. "I don't think you should
try and find your way back home in this weather, Shimako-san..."

Shimako turned to see, a worried frown creeping across her face.

"You're welcome to spend the night here if you'd like. We have plenty
of room."

"Are you sure?" Shimako asked, uncertainly. "I don't want to impose
on you."

Sumireko nodded warmly at her. "It's no trouble at all. Noriko-chan,
could you pop upstairs and make up an extra bed, please?" Noriko
assented enthusiastically, bounding her way up the stairs two at a
time. "And Shimako-san, you'd better call your parents and make sure
they know you're here."


Up in her bedroom, Noriko busied herself laying out a mattress and
bedding on the floor next to her bed, trying to conceal the trembling
nervousness that thrilled through her. From a picture on the wall
above her head, the stone face of the Buddha stared down from a green
mountainside with a look of aggravating serenity. Noriko found herself
intensely jealous.

After a moment, she heard Shimako's voice calling querulously after her
from the bottom of the stairs. She walked over to the open door and
beckoned the older girl to come and join her.

Shimako climbed the steps with a slow, measured tread, looking around
the inside of Noriko's room with a mischievous light in her eyes.
"Noriko-chan, do you have something I could wear?" she asked. "I
didn't bring anything with me."

The dark-haired girl stared at her wardrobe for a moment, thinking.
"Just a second..." she stated, suddenly, dashing out of the door. She
returned a moment later, carrying a large cotton shirt on a hanger.
"This belonged to my Uncle," she explained, holding it up against the
taller girl to check the size. "It'll be a bit big on you, but--"

Shimako took it, smiling gratefully and rubbing the soft material
between her fingers. "Don't worry, Noriko-chan. It's fine. Thank
you." She paused for a moment. "Is it okay for me to get changed
in here?"

Noriko nodded, then looked away quickly as Shimako began to undo the
buttons of her blouse, feeling as though she might blush all the way
to her toes. "I'll just go and clean my teeth," she began, hoping that
her voice would not betray her discomfort. "The bathroom is at the
end of the hallway. You can... you can use my bed. I'll sleep on the
floor." Before the other girl could try and argue, Noriko had grabbed
her night-clothes and stepped out onto the landing, closing the door
behind her.


When she returned, she found Shimako standing next to the bed,
examining a small statue of the Buddha that she kept there. The
shirt's sleeves were rolled halfway up her arms, and the tails hung
alluringly around the middle of her thighs.

Catching Noriko's expression, she spun playfully on the spot, her hair
bouncing around her shoulders. "How do I look?" she teased. The
younger girl laughed in delight, shaking her head as Shimako walked out
towards the bathroom, before finally dropping to her knees on the
mattress.

Through the thin fabric of her pajama top, Noriko absently counted off
the beads of the rosary that hung, hidden, around her neck. The warm
weight of it against her skin so similar, and yet so different from the
juzu she had sometimes carried in the past.

She hadn't meant to wear it like this - certainly not outside the
Lillian school grounds. She'd meant what she'd said when she had told
Shimako that she would merely keep it safe for her. After all, it
didn't mean anything much to her. Not really.

But somehow she'd kept forgetting to take it off. And with Shimako
here... This was her secret. A private prayer.

Another Decade passed beneath her fingertips. Her skin tingled gently.

Each bead of the juzu brought calm, a tranquility to be found nowhere
else. The rosary seemed almost its polar opposite, bringing confusion,
uncontrolled. Her heart beat faster.

"Noriko?"

She jumped in surprise, her fingers flying from her throat as though
scalded. Turning, she found Shimako standing a few steps behind her,
eyes bright with amusement.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" she asked.

Noriko shook her head, standing slowly. "No, not at all. I...
Shall I turn the light off?"

Shimako sat down on the bed, shuffling herself under the blanket.
"Thank you," she nodded.

Sighing quietly with relief, Noriko turned out the light and settled
herself onto her mattress. The cross around her neck felt as though it
was blazing with light. Even in the dim glow of the street lamp
outside, she felt sure that Shimako could see it shining from where she
lay.

Shivering, she tugged the blanket up under her chin. "Goodnight,
Onee-sama," she whispered.

A moment later, she realised what she had just said, her fingers
leaping instinctively to cover her mouth. Her skin burned, blushing
furiously.

In the darkness, she could barely make out the outline of Shimako's
face. Only her reply, softly breathed, hung in the air.

"Goodnight, Noriko-chan."

FIN

Touko-chan in Wonderland

Thought I'd start out with my latest fic, some nice, friendly, lovable MariMite smut. It's rated R, so no peeky if you are under 18. It's also behind the cut. Viva la Fanfic Revolution! We are the Killer Bees, Senor!

Touko's Adventures in Wonderland

by Sean Gaffney

Marimite (c) Konno Oyuki, Cobalt, and various other licensors.
None of these characters are mine.

This fic is rated R, and contains sexual themes, as well as
sexual kinks. Don't read it if you're not old enough to.


Touko pursed her lips, staring at the note in front of her.

*Touko-chan, please come to the front of the mansion. We have
an event that we need you to be a part of. Fukuzawa Yumi.*

Touko sniffed. She's not my soeur, she thought, even though she
acts like it. But she feels the need to order me around like
she is. Well, okay, she doesn't order me around. She just
suggests things. And I do them. Because... I don't know.
Because she smiles at me, and talks about how sad she'd be if I
wasn't there. And because I'm a complete and total sheep with
no will of my own.

Touko was someone who prided herself on her ability to speak her
mind. Today she'd walk right up to Yumi-sama and tell her that
Yumi-sama had no right ordering her around like this when she
was not part of the Yamayurikai, and from now on would simply
have to do whatever insipid task she had on hand without Touko's
help.

Of course, in order to do this, she'd have to go to the mansion,
just like Yumi-sama had asked. Pathetic. Sheep.

She found herself at the door, and saw another note pinned to
it.

*Just go on inside and go up to the meeting room... Shimako and
Noriko are already hard at work. --Y*

There was a little smiley face next to the Y. For anyone else
(including Touko herself), it would have been forced cuteness.
But Yumi-sama was just sort of naturally cute. Even Touko
couldn't deny that.

Touko sighed as she walked up the stairs. It wasn't as if Yumi-
sama wasn't nice to her, or helpful. Touko's recent problems
with the drama club had been very trying, and Yumi-sama had been
right there for her. Some days Touko wondered if she should
just accept Yumi-sama's rosary. At least as her soeur she'd
have some sort of say in things.

Not that Yumi-sama had actually offered Touko her rosary. Or,
for that matter, given any clear indication that she had even
considered it. Sachiko-oneesama had been pressuring her to
choose a soeur, but Touko suspected that if it was left up to
Yumi-sama, she'd simply leave school with Sachiko-oneesama and
go become her live-in companion.

Plus there was Kanako, the 'other candidate', according to Mami-
san. Everyone in the school knew that when Yumi-sama eventually
picked her petite soeur, there were only two possible candidates
- her and Kanako. To Touko that was no choice at all. Kanako
was psychotic. Sure, bad family life, but basically psychotic
anyway.

Luckily Sachiko-oneesama had been taking more of a hand in
Kanako's life lately, meaning the young girl had less time to
stalk Yumi-sama.

Unluckily, that gave Yumi-sama time to do things like whatever
it was she wanted Touko to help with. Touko sighed and opened
the door.

"GokigenYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Shimako lay back on the table, her blouse askew and her skirt
missing, her hand tweaking at one of her nipples. Her breath
was coming in ragged gasps. Between her legs was the face of
Touko's friend, Nijou Noriko. Who had her hand gently stroking
the inside of Shimako's thighs, and her tongue stroking
something else even more intimate.

Touko turned beet red. They hadn't even noticed her come in.

She knew that this sort of thing went on at the school, though
it wasn't nearly as pervasive as new first-years thought. Some
petite soeurs were just... very close to their oneesamas. It
was the sort of thing no one talked about. And certainly she
knew Shimako and Noriko were incredibly close, even for soeurs.
She really wasn't all that surprised by them being intimate.

She was surprised by them being intimate on the Rose Council
table.

Shimako's cries grew louder and more throaty. All the first-
years had assumed when they originally met Shimako that she was
destined to become a nun. Noriko had once said that she and
Shimako had had discussions about the topic, where Noriko had
tried to show her other points of view. This must have been
what she meant.

Touko shuffled back, trying to quietly abandon the room (and the
mansion). Suddenly Shimako let out a long cry, and sat up.

"Oh. Noriko, Touko-chan is here." Touko stared, as, sitting
up, it was now apparent that Shimako was wearing a pair of big,
floppy rabbit ears.

Noriko groaned, and removed herself from between her oneesama's
legs, her face still damp. "Your timing sucks, Touko-chan."

"And so do you, apparently," Touko murmured, not really
cognizant of what she was saying.

Noriko got up and reached under Shimako's torso, lowering her
mouth onto her breast to suckle for a few seconds before pulling
out another card that looked to have Yumi's writing on it.
"Congratulations, you've hit the first part of the scavenger
hunt."

"SCAVENGER hunt!" Touko exclaimed. "What am I supposed to
find?"

"That would be telling," Noriko grinned. She then moaned
slightly as Shimako's hands were beginning to roam around under
her blouse. "You can go read that card, or watch some more.
Whichever makes you happy."

Touko turned and fled the room, slamming the door behind her.
She felt herself breathing harder, which she imagined was from
the added stress and not from seeing her best friend get it on
with Rosa Gigantea.

She looked down at the card, once again written in Yumi's sloppy
lettering. *Touko-chan. I hope Noriko-chan was able to get
this to you. Can you meet me downstairs? Yoshino-san is having
trouble breaking in the gym room we just added. --Y*

Touko stared. And then shook her head. I have an excuse to
walk out, she thought firmly. I can say that I was traumatised
by Noriko having sex. No, I can't. Because if I talk about sex
in front of Yumi-sama I think Sachiko-oneesama would rise up and
bury me in an unmarked grave.

In any case, she was getting out of here. She headed down the
stairs, her eyes locked on the front door...

...and suddenly the stairs folded up flat, and she found herself
sliding down into darkness.

***

Touko fell for what seemed like forever. Certainly it was
several floors, and she started to wonder whether she was having
a weird fever dream. Finally she shot out onto a floor covered
with gym mats, gasping.

She stood up, still clutching Yumi-sama's note in her hand, and
realized this was the gym room that had been mentioned in it.
She didn't really get much of a chance to study it, however, as
her eyes were quickly drawn to the spectacle in the center of
the room.

Normally, Yoshino-sama would be enough to take in. She was
dressed in an old-fashioned British fox-hunting outfit, except
Touko was fairly certain that those outfits weren't meant to
have cut-outs where the breasts were. She had a fancy yellow
hat, and a yellow riding crop, both the color of her Rose
House. And she had that look that people had learned was
Yoshino-sama's 'insane' look, the one that caused students to
flee the immediate vicinity whenever they saw it.

But compared to Rosa Foetida, Yoshino-sama looked positively
normal. Rei was dressed in a leather bikini-like outfit, only
with a few more straps biting into her legs and chest. Her
mouth was drawn back by a metal bridle, with blinders. The...
well, the panty minimum back of the outfit was enhanced by a
tail. Yes, a tail, made from what seemed to be real hair.
Touko prayed fervently that it was held on merely by glue,
rather than any of the other, more disturbing options that
presented themselves. Finally, she was wearing gloves that
were shaped like hooves.

She was also, Touko was slightly relieved to note, blushing
crimson red and looking down at the floor. At least someone is
embarrassed about all this, Touko thought, looking at Yoshino-
sama's proud smirk.

"Hello there, Touko-chan."

Touko eeped and spun around, looking into the face of a woman
she had never met, but knew was the former Rosa Foetida from
photos she'd seen at Sachiko-oneesama's mansion. She was
carrying a clipboard, and wore a headband... and nothing else.

"I want to apologize for the behavior you're witnessing."

Touko was beyond bothering to be polite. "You *think*?" she
exclaimed in disbelief.

"Of course," Torii Eriko said primly. She strode over to where
the other two were, managing to look graceful and elegant even
in her nudity. "Rei-chan should be looking you directly in the
eye," and as she said this she grabbed Rei's short hair and
yanked it back, eliciting a muffled cry from the young woman.
"And kneeling tall and proud, as a pony should." With this, she
jammed her knee into Rei's back, forcing her upright.

Touko just stared, her mouth wide.

Eriko-sama stepped back, and Rei stayed where she was, breasts
jutting out firmly, her eyes staring directly into Touko's now.
They seemed to smolder; Touko guessed it was Eriko-sama who had
put that there. Wonderful, she thought, Rosa Foetida's into
pain.

Eriko-sama moved over to Yoshino-sama, whose look of pride had
turned into uncertainty. She grabbed the crop from Yoshino-
sama's unresisting hand. "This is totally unacceptable,
Yoshino-chan. I graduated from Lillian with the understanding
that you would take Rei in hand to make her into the perfect
pony. And what do I find when Yumi-chan invites me back? She
can't even look a first-year in the eye. What do you have to
say for yourself?"

Yoshino-sama's eyes were wide and fearful. "I'm... I'm sorry,
Eriko-sama..."

Eriko-sama raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"I'll do better! I promise!" Yoshino-sama sounded panicked,
but there was also a trace of arousal there.

Shaking her head, Eriko-sama walked over to Yoshino-sama and
yanked on her riding pants, pulling them to the floor. Touko
was utterly unsurprised to find that she wasn't wearing any
panties under them. "I think you need to remember what real
discipline is, Yoshino-chan..."

She then reached out with her free hand and smacked Yoshino-sama
hard on the bottom. Yoshino-sama twitched, but made no noise -
Touko guessed that silence was part of the punishment. She
shifted on her feet, and cleared her throat.

Eriko-sama smacked Yoshino-sama once more, then turned. "I'm
sorry, Touko, you're right. We musn't keep you." She walked
over to Rosa Foetida, bent over, and whispered something in her
ear. Rei-sama immediately relaxed and got up, seeming to turn
back to normal, or as normal as Rosa Foetida ever could be when
wearing a bridle. She walked over to a pile of school uniforms
in the back and retrieved another card, which she then handed
to Touko.

Touko blushed and looked down, but managed to look back up at
Rosa Foetida. Hell, maybe the older woman would start slapping
her around if she didn't, who knew? "Thanks."

Yoshino-sama had straightened up too, which drew another painful
swat from Eriko-sama. "Excuse me, I only gave one of you
permission to move. You truly have regressed while I was gone."

Touko looked at this, then back at Rosa Foetida. Who winked.

Touko shook her head and headed out the exit, hearing the sharp
smacks on Yoshino-sama's bottom fade into the distance.

*Touko-chan - I hope the others managed to have a good workout.
Did you get sweaty as well? Come to the baths, they're towards
the end of the corridor on the right. --Y*

Was this really Yumi-sama doing this, Touko wondered. She knew
Yumi-sama wasn't as innocent as she appeared, but this seemed a
little ridiculous...

***

The baths were as well-laid out as the gymnasium had been,
looking more like a hot springs than a public bath. Touko
peered into the room slowly, not sure who she'd find in there.
She was rather surprised to see the school newspaper's two
reporters, sitting back in deep relaxation, sake cups in their
hands.

Mami-sama was also gently caressing Minako-sama's breast, but by
now Touko wasn't startled. She was rather annoyed, though, at
their presence in the Rose Mansion. "Do the others know you're
here?" she said without preamble.

Minako-sama's eyes opened and she smiled slyly. "Of course,
little Touko-chan. We're all part of the master plan!"

Mami-sama sighed, and pinched Minako-sama's nipple. "Stop
that."

"That's not a convincing way to get me to stop," Minako-sama
murmured.

"Can we just pretend I watched you two have sex so that you can
tell me what's going on?"

Mami-sama smiled at Touko, trying to look sympathetic. "We
don't really know the story either, Touko-chan. Oneesama has
been trying to figure it out herself." She looked askance at
the sake. "Unfortunately, as that bottle's gotten emptier, the
theories have gotten weirder."

"I've got it!" Minako-sama shouted, flailing her arms and
accidentally groping Mami-sama. Well, Touko assumed it was
accidental. "Remember how you said my theory about killing
Touko-chan, scooping out her insides, then inflating her and
making a blow up doll for Yumi-chan was ludicrous?"

Touko blanched, and Mami-sama thrust Minako-sama back down into
the bath. "Yes."

"Well, then, it must be duplicates! The real Touko-chan is
destroyed, and a compliant clone robot is created, programmed to
worship Yumi-chan. The robot would think it was real, of
course, and just assume that Yumi-chan had converted her to
sapphism by benefit of being really cute and huggable and
luscious -- ow!"

"Stop dreaming of fucking Yumi-chan and get back to fucking me,"
Mami-sama growled. She turned to Touko. "Never let Oneesama
near alcohol - she starts plotting how to seduce the entire
student body."

"Uh huh," said Touko, beginning to feel a lot like a Greek
chorus.

"Or maybe it's Satou-san! She never really left, did she,
always lurking over there at the University, watching over us
all with her fingers of doom and sexy breasts. I bet she's a
vampire. It explains so much. She must have enthralled Yumi
right before she graduated, which explains how the girl got a
backbone so quickly..."

"Good old Red-eyes Satou, they call her..." Mami-sama said,
smirking.

Minako-sama stood up shakily, and pointed her finger at Touko.
Touko averted her eyes from the display this created. "Do you
feel it, Touko-chan? Can you feel the Yamayurikai's fingers
slowly creeping through your brain? You're already beginning to
feel... CONFUSED, aren't you?"

Touko nodded. "I think that's a given."

"That's how it starts!" Minako-sama nodded her head, looking
very smug. "The confusion starts in the brain, and then
sloooooowly spreads to the pussy."

Touko put her face to her hand. "Oh, for god's sake."

"We know there's mind control at work here, Touko-chan, we're
just not s--"

There was a loud splash, as Minako-sama fell back into the bath.
Mami-sama was behind her, a bucket in her hand, slightly dented.
"Sorry about that, but I think she was about to move on to how
Rosa Chinensis is secretly an Illuminatus, and I can't tell you
how bored I am with that theory."

"Can I just get Yumi-sama's stupid card?" Touko was beginning
to feel a bit dizzy. She wanted to get the hell out of here.

"Here," Mami-sama said, moving the sake bottle and handing Touko
another white card. "For what it's worth, Touko-chan, I really
have no idea what the hell is going on. We got a phone call
saying to come to the Mansion, and were taken here and given
alcohol by Rosa Foetida... um, the former Rosa Foetida."

"And she said to just get drunk and have sex until I arrive?"

Mami grinned. "No, but they left sake. And when oneesama gets
drunk, she gets paranoid and horny. I can fix the latter."

Touko sighed, and turned. "Bye," she said curtly.

"Good luck! If you find out what's going on, can we get an
exclusive?" But Touko was out the door. She looked at the
card.

*Touko-chan -- I apologize if Minako-sama was appalling. The
alcohol was a necessary evil. Can you grab some rolls of film
from the orange utility closet ahead of you and bring them to
Tsutako-chan at the top of the stairs to the left? I promise
things will become clearer. --Y*

Touko resisted the urge to crumple the card into a ball.
Instead she moved to the closet, grabbed the film, and took the
stairs two at a time. "This can't end fast enough," she
muttered.

***

As Touko reached the top of the stairs, she began to hear a
rhythmic clicking of a camera shutter. Presumably Tsutako-sama
was with someone else, and since Mami-sama was down in the baths
with Minako-sama, there was really only one other person Touko
could imagine in there.

Sure enough, as Touko entered the room, there was Naitou Shouko,
Tsutako-sama's Number One Fan, lying on a large bed in her
uniform. Although her uniform had been 'modified' quite a bit.
Touko was positive that Sachiko-oneesama would never tie Yumi-
sama to the headboard with her cravat. Or at least would use a
much better knot.

Tsutako-sama was behind the camera, taking picture after picture
of Shouko-chan looking tied up and helpless. Tsutako-sama was
also topless, but after what Touko had witnessed earler, this
seemed positively civilized. The camera sat on a tripod,
allowing Tsutako-sama the greatest freedom of movement.

Tsutako-sama didn't even turn to acknowledge Touko's presence,
but just reached out a hand in her direction. Touko made a
little noise in the back of her throat. However, she gave the
film to Tsutako-sama as Yumi-sama had asked.

Tsutako-sama had noticed Touko's reaction, though, and chuckled.
"You don't seem quite as horrified as I thought you'd be.
Interested, or just bored?"

"I expected this of you," Touko said truthfully. "After all,
you don't even bother to hide it on campus, skulking around with
your camera all the time." Touko was starting to recover her
usual brashness, and decided to let loose on Tsutako-sama a bit.
"You keep talking about finding interesting stories, but isn't
it strange that your pictures are always of soeurs in close
embracing, or looking longingly at each other? One might almost
think you were obsessed."

Tsutako-sama smiled, and moved away from her camera. "Yes, I
admit I like to photograph pretty girls. I don't exactly make
that a secret, Touko-chan." She moved towards the bed, where
Shouko-chan was gazing at her breasts with a longing expression.
This surprised Touko even less, having spoken with the girl
several times. Most first-years were rather shocked when they
heard about the occasional sexual relationship among their
peers; Shouko-chan was actively seeking it out.

Tsutako-sama continued her speech. "But don't you find it
strange that I have no trouble at all finding those pictures?
People talk about how there are some couples whose love is
physical, but it's far more the norm than you'd think.
Everyone knows the quiet places, the out of the way areas
where it's private... and then the inhibitions fall."

She crept on top of the bed, looking almost feline, and Touko
noticed that she had a rosary wrapped around her thigh, as if it
was a garter. Shouko-chan seemed to notice it for the first
time as well, and began to struggle with her bonds. Tsutako-
sama wasn't paying any attention to her, though or at least not
outwardly appearing to.

"They could still be caught at any moment, Touko-chan. The
sweetest kisses are the ones with a touch of danger about them.
Forbidden fantasies on a sunny afternoon. You have to be quick,
there's always the danger of getting caught."

"Am I going to have to sit through another lecture while you
have sex with Shouko-chan?" Touko said. She was beginning to
lose her will to fight.

Much to her surprise, Tsutako-sama yelled back at her. "If
that's what gets through to you, then yes, I will! Do you have
any idea what you're doing to Yumi-chan? She's given you every
kind of opportunity, goodness knows why. She's helped you when
everyone else on campus would be happy to see you fail, and yet
you don't give her what she so desperately desires?"

"Yumi-sama's not like that! She wouldn't do anything like
this!" Touko desperately shouted. "And you're one to talk! I
notice you still have your own rosary!"

Tsutako-sama grinned. "I had to buy this one specially - I
never had an oneesama to get it from. But you're right, I have
been cruel." She turned back to Shouko-chan, and bent low,
placing her forehead against the younger girl's. Her voice
turned serious. "Shouko-chan, do you want to take my rosary? I
can promise you this isn't because of Touko being here, or any
bets or dares. I want this. I want to take your hand and guide
you as an oneesama, and I want to see you happy." She then bent
right next to Shouko-chan's ear and whispered something Touko
didn't hear, but considering how Shouko-chan turned a deep shade
of crimson, she could guess what the gist was.

Tsutako-sama straghtened back up. "And despite the atmosphere,
this is a "sacred ritual", as Rosa Chinensis would say. Will
you have my rosary?"

Shouko-chan looked up at Tsutako-sama, sheer adoration in her
eyes. "I accept."

Tsutako-sama smiled, then hiked up her skirt, revealing her
rosary and a long expanse of thigh. "Then take it."

There was a tearing sound, as Shouko-chan's bonds tore and she
pounced on Tsutako-sama, who fell backwards laughing. She then
noticed that Touko was still in the room. "Oh, right, Touko-
chan. Get out."

Well, at least I don't have to stay and watch the sex, Touko
thought. "Don't I need a card?"

Tsutako moaned, then focused again. "Right, Yumi-chan's card.
Under the tripod leg. Don't move the camera or I will break you
in two."

Touko moved over to the tripod and took the card, her movements
rather robotic. She left the room and leaned up against the
wall for a minute, then glanced at the card.

*Touko-chan: Thank you very much for delivering the film.
We're nearly done! If you could just go over to the gaming room
(6 doors down on your right), they'll have what you need. Keep
smiling! --Y*

Touko shook her head - and then stopped in mid-motion. Her mind
went back to the argument she'd had with Tsutako-sama.

Touko prided herself on knowing what others were thinking.
People like Noriko and Shouko were open books to her, and she
was convinced that the easiest person on the entire campus to
read was Yumi-sama. Anything she was thinking was written all
over her face.

But what if she was wrong?

More slowly than before, Touko made her way towards her next
destination, a thoughtful expression on her face.

***

"Full house, Kings over fives."

"Not so fast. Four Queens."

"Dammit. What is it with you people?"

"Just strip, Katou-san."

Really, by now Touko was beyond being surprised. She walked
into the room and noticed it was larger than normal, set up like
a miniature casino. At the poker table were two people she
recognized - the former Rosa Gigantea and Chinensis - and two
she didn't. One girl was wearing thick black frames, white bra
and panties, and nothing else, having just taken off her shirt.
The other, a serene looking girl, was wearing a complete outfit,
and had half the chips in front of her. The other half were in
front of the former Chinensis, Mizuno Youko.

This meant that Satou Sei was completely naked, something that
apparently didn't faze her at all. "Ah, it's the guest of
honor! Touko-chaaaaan, get over here!"

Was this how it was going to end? She'd heard the rumors about
the former Rosa Gigantea - that students who misbehaved were
given to her for 'discipline' and somehow were never quite the
same. Even after graduation, everyone knew that Satou Sei was
the most sex-mad student to hit the school since the sixties.
Would it end like this, with Yumi sacrificing Touko to that
great slavering beast? She knew she'd been occasionally blunt,
others might even say cruel, but really, this was too much.

She felt her legs move of their own accord. Clearly her body
had its own ideas, and was drawn to Satou Sei like a moth to a
flame. A bright, licking flame.

As she stood by the table Sei grabbed her by the shoulder and
hugged her tightly. "You must be exhausted!"

Touko twitched but said nothing.

Sei grinned, that dirty old man grin that defined her. "And
you're aroused too, aren't you? Just a little bit? It's OK, no
one here cares except Kei-chan, and by the end of the day she
won't care either."

"I'm not going to bed with you," the girl with glasses - must be
Kei - said, chewing her lip.

"Uh huh. So how do you feel, Touko-chan?"

Touko opened her mouth to tell Sei off, then shut it suddenly,
turning red.

She was aroused. No, forget that, she was incredibly horny.

When had that happened? DAMMIT! She had been so wrapped up in
her own thoughts, how the hell had she not noticed this?

Sei grinned. "Now Touko, I want to ask you something about this
game we're having."

Youko groaned. "Oh God, why can't you give it a rest?" Kei put
her face in her hands. The other girl just smiled.

"Now Touko-chan. You are the protagonist in this little
performance. You've gone down the rabbit-hole, and run into all
measure of abnormal things. And now you come across the four of
us, playing a game. It all seems like a dream, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Touko said.

"And keeping that in mind, what's wrong with what we're
playing?"

Touko blinked. Her forehead started to crinkle, but then Sei
slapped her cheek slightly, causing her to look up in shock.

"Don't think about it. What's your instinctual answer?"

"You should be playing mahjong," Touko said.

"A ha!" Sei leaped into the air, dragging Touko along with her
for a bit until she was able to stagger back. "I win!"

"Sei, we're playing poker because it's easier to strip. We've
told you this over and over again."

"There's strip mahjong too!" Sei insisted.

"Only on your Neo Geo!" Youko growled.

Had they always been like this, Touko wondered.

Sei grinned, then hopped onto the table, squatting down in front
of Kei. "Anyway, she said it. It's not just me. So I win."
She closed her eyes and tried to pucker up for a kiss. "Reward
me."

"I never agreed to be your reward," Kei said, trying to back her
chair away from the table.

"You didn't have to, Kei-chan. You are my Penelope, my Juliet.
You are the goal I strive for, the one above all others."

"And what does that make me?" Youko pouted.

"Comic relief," Sei said sharply, before turning back to Kei,
who was starting to look as dazed as Touko felt. "Don't deny
the burning passion that you feel deep in your soul."

"And your pants," said Shizuka, smiling.

"You can go back to Italy any goddamn time," Sei said. She was
then interrupted by Kei reaching out, grabbing Sei's arm, and
pulling her roughly to the carpted floor, whereupon she
straddled her.

"All right, you win. I've tried denying myself long enough.
Take me, Sei! Show me what you've shown the others already!
Make me yours!"

Sei blinked, then grinned. "Well, since you asked..." She then
proceeded to give her a kiss that made Touko's toes curl even
from back over by the table.

After about a minute, the two of them came up for air. "You
were supposed to feel embarrassed and stop," Kei murmured
softly.

"So you want me to stop?" Sei said.

"Nuh-uh," Kei grinned. They then went back to kissing
passionately.

Touko started to find Youko gently taking her arm and leading
her to the door, pressing a card into her hand. "Knowing Sei's
ability to unlock repression like I do, they're going to be a
while. And trust me, it's firsthand knowledge. And Shizuka
and I will be joining them soon. So best for you to go and
face your final boss."

"Youko-san, I'm sorry, but we can't have sex."

Youko blinked. "Are you unattracted to me? Or... it's not
jealousy, is it? Not with Sei over there playing Kei like a
grand piano."

"Oh, it's nothing like that. I have no doubt you'd be a
wonderful lover. No, it's purely aesthetics."

Youko stared blankly. Then a lightbulb turned on in her head.

"Hold on one moment, I think there's something in the other
room." She scampered off, leaving Touko looking at Shizuka, who
smiled right back at her.

"It won't be long now. And I have a feeling this isn't
punishment, for what it's worth. Though the others all seem to
think so. Frankly, if people say about a person that they
should 'know their place', as some have said of you, I tend to
support them anyway. And besides, Fukuzawa's not like that."

"Um... she's not like that, but she's the sort to organize a
giant orgy under the Rose Mansion to seduce me into a sexual
stupor?"

"Precisely. The word is 'seduce', not force'."

There was a cough, and both Shizuka and Touko turned to look at
the unfamiliar girl who stood before them.

Except she wasn't unfamiliar, it was clearly Mizuno Youko. She
was just... blonde. "There was a wig that Eriko had used for a
party in the back room." She leaned over and gently kissed the
side of Shizuka's neck. "Do I aesthetically please you now? Or
do you need me to be naive and submissive as well? Oh, and call
me Shimako and I won't hesitate to break a bone."

Shizuka inhaled sharply. "Goodbye, Touko-san. Sorry we didn't
give you tea, but I think you'll agree that this party is mad."
And then she took Youko's hand and moved towards one of the long
couches on the side of the wall.

Touko stared at them, then back at Sei and Kei, who were now
completely naked. She breathed in, and felt her nostrils flare.

She really hoped that the next room was Yumi.

***

Touko leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, and looked at
the card.

*Behind the red door. I'm waiting for you. Yours, Yumi.*

Touko looked up. At the end of the corridor was a simple red
door. Not in the shape of a heart or anything, or even a
biscuit like the Council room.

And behind it... what? Touko had no idea what to think anymore.
Shizuka said that everyone else was expecting some sort of
punishment. Was that what this was? Yumi-sama, growing weary
with Touko's blunt criticism and feigned disinterest, had
decided to get revenge? If so, it was a twisted sort of
revenge.

No, even assuming that her previous views of Yumi-sama were
wrong, this still seemed like an aberration. Could there be
someone else...?

Suddenly, Touko was afraid to open that door.

She knew who was behind it.

She had walked right up to it, and now rested a hand on the
knob. Her arousal had not gone away - in fact, it was worse -
but there was now a healthy aspect of fear involved as well.
She controlled her breathing, forcing herself not to start
hyperventilating.

The knob turned, and she jumped. It was as she'd expected.
There, on the other side, was Sachiko-oneesama. Giving her very
best polite smile. Touko had based her own on Sachiko's, but it
was clear that even as an actress, she still hadn't mastered it
the way the older woman had.

She gestured. "Come in, Touko-chan." Touko swallowed and
walked inside.

The room itself was wallpapered in gold, perhaps to accentuate
the red velvetey curtains that draped themselves across the
center of each wall. Another curtained area was to her right,
but Touko only noticed it for a moment, because her eyes were
drawn to the large table and bed on the left.

'Bed' was perhaps the wrong term. It resembled nothing so much
as the cushioned bed-table that you got medical examinations on.
Complete with the thin white easily tearable paper. And the
table next to it... well, an examination might be about to take
place, but it was unlikely to be approved by nine out of ten
doctors.

Touko was no naive virgin. Well, OK, she was a virgin, but she
knew about sex. She had read a few sexy josei-type magazines.
And she was no stranger to getting herself off if the need
arose.

But there, on the table, were a large assortment of instruments,
half of which Touko did not even vaguely recognize. She could
guess they were sexual in nature, though, judging by the other
half that she did. Blindfold, gag, collar, and 3 different
types of vibrators all lay there, clean and lined up. Along
with some small metal balls, a long bar with ankle restraints at
either end, and a cat o' nine tails.

It would appear that Shizuka had been incorrect. Punishment was
what this was clearly designed for.

The door closed with an ominous slam. Touko turned to see that
Sachiko had now removed her school uniform, and was dressed in a
blood-red slip that matched the curtains so precisely that they
looked as though they were cut from the same fabric.

Touko felt oddly disappointed. She'd expected leather. She
almost felt like she was outside of her own body now, watching
dispassionately as events around her unfolded. If Yumi's plan
had been to desensitize her with all the sex she'd witnessed
before, it had worked.

Sachiko walked over to the table and picked up the cat, giving
it a quick flip. "This has been in the Yamayurikai for
generations," she said matter-of-factly. "When oneesama first
used it on me, I had to learn its history even as I learned its
touch. And so did Yumi, when I introduced her to this room."
She smiled, her eyes seeming to be far away. "That was such a
wonderful day." Shaking her head, she turned back towards
Touko.

"I have watched your attitude towards my petite soeur. Your
cold words and harsh demeanor to someone who has been reaching
out to you. You are too stubborn to see what is right in front
of you!" Her voice was harsh, and Touko was taken aback.

"How can you not see what Yumi has to give to you," Sachiko
whispered.

Then Touko understood. Sachiko was deeply in love with Yumi in
every way. When someone such as Touko rejected her friendly
overtures, it was as if they were rejecting her love.

Sachiko gestured towards the bed. "Matsudaira Touko, are you
ready to accept the punishment that you deserve?"

Swallowing, Touko stepped forward. She wasn't sure if this was
the right thing to do, and if it backfired, she expected there's
be a lot of pain in her future. But that didn't matter. What
mattered was, if this had to happen, then dammit, it had to
happen in the right way.

"I accept my punishment," she said, and Sachiko smiled.

Then Touko continued. "But not from you."

She squared her shoulders. "If this is a tradition that is
passed down, then Yumi-sama should be the one showing it to me.
And if this is because of any faults of mine that cause offense,
then Yumi-sama is the one wronged, and should enact the
retribution." She licked her lips, and finally made her
decision.

"And if this is to be my first time with another... then I want
it to be with Yumi-sama."

Sachiko frowned, not looking so much angry as just... upset.
She moved towards Touko anyway, and Touko gently bit her lower
lip.

"Oneesama... you promised." The voice came from the other side
of the room, beyond a curtained four-poster bed that Touko had
not noticed before, being too distracted by all the bondage
equipment on the other side.

Touko found her heart beating faster. So, Yumi-sama was here
after all. She found herself sweating a bit.

Sachiko turned towards the bed, looking completely unlike the
image of the majestic ojousama she normally displayed. In fact,
she looked like a small child who'd had their favorite toy taken
away. She gestured towards the implements. "But... torture!"

The curtains parted, and Yumi stepped out. Wearing nothing but
her rosary around her neck.

"Oneesama, I love you always, but this isn't your time. It's my
turn to create a beautiful memory." She smiled and walked
towards Sachiko, who let out with a major, grade-A pout.

"You promised me torture!"

"No, I said that we might have to go that far. It was a worst-
case scenario." She gave Touko a brilliant smile, the sort that
always made Touko weak in the knees even when Yumi wasn't naked.
"But we didn't, because instead, she was wonderful. She moved
towards Touko. "I was touched. And I will be honored to be
your first."

Sachiko sighed, moving to get her uniform. "I still say she
could do with a bit of torture."

Yumi turned. "You can use them on me later in the week, if you
like. It's always good to reminisce."

Sachiko gave Yumi what Touko could only describe as a hungry
look, and quietly left the room. Leaving Touko facing her naked
sempai.

Yumi took her unresisting hand and led her to the large covered
bed. Just a bed, Touko noted, not even a cuff on the bedstead
or anything. If Yumi was trying to be the good cop, then it was
working like a charm.

Yumi sat down. "When I first saw this room, I think I almost
ran out screaming. I was terrified." She smiled widely at
Touko, who was still standing by the side of the bed.

Touko gestured at her uniform. "Um, should I..."

"Let me," said Yumi, taking a hold of Touko's cravat. She then
proceeded to undress Touko in a way that felt almost like sex
itself, even though she never touched her inappropriately. It
was just the way that Yumi focused on Touko like she was the
only thing in the entire world. It made Touko feel incredible,
and helped her to ignore her discomfort at being naked next to
Yumi. She ended up on the bed, almost trembling.

Yumi sat beside her, and took her in her arms, leaning back so
they were lying facing each other. "This is a ritual that goes
back to the founding of the school at the turn of the century.
It wasn't always this elaborate, and usually is hidden from
outsiders. But the goal has always been the same. A physical
and emotional bond between two women, drawing them closer."

She smiled. "That's exactly how Sachiko explained it to me back
then. I was totally confused."

Touko blinked. "Confused?"

Yumi chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. When Sachiko introduced me
to the pleasures of the flesh, I was more grateful than you can
imagine. Not just because of the ways I found that I could give
her pleasure, but also because I could show Sei how much she had
meant to me before her graduation, and I could help Tsutako
understand just what kind of relationship she could forge with
Shouko. Sex is wonderful," and here she whispered into Touko's
ear, "and I'm very good at it."

Touko let out a small gasp, and pressed her body so that it was
tight against Yumi's.

"But we don't need any of that," Yumi continued. "Even the
Virgin Mary, who I hope to God isn't watching all this,
understands. The school gave us everything we need to show our
devotion.

Yumi reached down and picked up the cross of her rosary, then
slipped it gently off her neck. "This rosary, given to me by
Sachiko, means more to me than any pleasure she could give me.
It is our faith. The faith between two girls that they will
pledge themselves to one another." She breathed a long, shaky
breath, and Touko realized that she wasn't the only one who was
nervous. Or aroused.

"Touko, will you take this rosary? Will you be my petite soeur?
Will you let me guide you, help you to become the gorgeous,
wonderful, caring woman I know you are? Let me draw you out
from behind your walls? Let me show everybody that you can
shine?"

Touko had a lump in her throat now, and tears were forming in
her eyes. She took a few moments to respond. Yumi was right,
this wasn't about the sex. It was about letting Yumi see what
she had been hiding. The reason for the cold glares, the blunt
barbs. She had to let Yumi see her wounds, the ones she so
carefully hid even from Sachiko.

And seeing Yumi now, with a look of total conviction on her
face, made Touko admit what she had spent months denying. That
Yumi was the one who could truly heal her, more than anyone
else.

"I accept," she said, barely breathing the words, "Oneesama."
She saw Yumi's shoulders fall, and knew that she had been
incredibly tense. And then, Yumi took the rosary's cross, put
it between her lips, and kissed Touko, lightly putting the cross
into her own mouth.

Touko moaned, and took the cross between her teeth, straining
her tongue around it to try to reach Yumi's. But Yumi had
already pulled away slightly, and had taken the beads and put
them over her neck, making the rosary completely hers.

And now the cross dropped down to Touko's chest, and she was
able to kiss Yumi properly. Yumi was the one to moan this time,
as she took Touko's shoulders and deepened the kiss.

After a while, they broke apart once more. "I have so much to
do, Touko. So much I need to show you, and tell you, and--"

Touko smiled, amused at Yumi's need to talk when she was excited
or nervous. At least she hadn't been completely wrong about
Yumi. "It's all right. I'm not going anywhere tonight. And
besides," and here her glance strayed over to the table on the
other side of the room, still unused, "you haven't punished me
properly. You wouldn't want to disappoint your own oneesama,
would you?"

Yumi laughed. It was a loud, raucous laugh that Touko thought
she must have learned from Satou Sei. "If I used all that
equipment on you after telling Sachiko it wasn't needed, she'd
throw a pout the likes of which you've never seen." And then
the Sei grin faded, and it was simply Yumi's loving smile again.
"We have plenty of time for that sort of thing. Months and
months. For now, all I need is Touko, unadorned."

She leaned down and captured a nipple lightly in her teeth, and
Touko cried out.

She then turned to lie on her back, giving herself to her
oneesama at last.

***

Sachiko sighed, flouncing up another flight of stairs. While
incredibly happy for Yumi, who had achieved her goal at last,
she was still feeling very... unfulfilled. She debated joining
the others, but only Youko would likely make her feel anything
but the odd one out. And Youko was, by the sound of it, quite
busy.

Besides, it wasn't as if she didn't have a perfectly willing
partner. With the added bonus of legs that went on for miles.

She opened the green baize door on the landing, and walked
inside.

"Kanako-chan. On your knees."

END


Erica made me finish this. Thank her.

Also thank the denizens of #otenba for prereading, and the Keep
Rats for the usual barbed comments. Yes, I realize there may be
a bit of an OOC issue here. :)