14th Inversion - Video

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The Vine opens a mirror to anyone passing by it to show the inside of an empty building. A place of finery, there was no movement. No sound. Nothing...

The mirror closes and a few moments later, it opens again, to show the inside of the same building, but a different place. A room untouched. A bed unmade. Trinkets around, but there was a thin layer of dust on them.

Again, the mirror closes and reopens a bit later to show the outside of this building. The gardens. They were untended, but finally there was so movement. Barely visible was a distressed looking Hoppip waving its fronds at something with cries of 'Hoppip! Hoppip!'

A voice responds, quiet but with a cruel edge to it, finally identifying the seemingly abandoned building as the Tohno Mansion.]

Your cries mean nothing to me. She's gone. They're all gone. You should leave, too, before I eat you.

[The Hoppip continues to cry out and draw close until it screams as one frond catches on fire. It flails about, putting the fire out before retreating. To the viewers of the mirror, it was hiding in the garden out of sight of Akiha.]

Go... leave.

[There's movement then as Akiha passes by the mirror, heavy streaks of vermillion running through her black hair. When she glances over at it, there is something distinctly non-human in her eyes. She narrows them, but says nothing, continuing on her way. A few seconds later, the mirror closes.]

Comments

[ritsu_kouyou]

[By the time Katina returned, Akiha had shrugged out of her blouse and skirt, leaving her in her camisole and panties. She managed to partially get under the covers before she gave up.

Eyes closed, there was a still some sweat clinging to her and a few patches of red in her hair. She wasn't asleep yet, but that was more out of fear Katina wouldn't come back than anything else.]

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Have a little faith Akiha.

Sighing, Katina knelt beside Akiha again, now with her bleeding properly under control, and gently pulled the covers up a bit more. If only she could do more than that, if she could take Akiha away, fix her health, help her control AKIHA better - she'd do anything. ]

Do you want me to stay here or lay down with you?

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Her shoulders relaxed just that slight bit when the covers were pulled up and Akiha knew Katina had come back.]

Hold me.

[grandtheftmecha]

Alright.

[ Katina stands, kicking her shoes off to the side, and her pants over the nearest bit of furniture - hopefully Akiha doesn't mind any of that too terribly much.

Lifting the covers just enough, she slips in next to Akiha, wrapping an arm around her. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Such an act of messiness will be forgiven this time... considering Akiha's own clothing is on a pile upon the floor. She'd been too exhausted to bother folding it properly. With Katina in the bed, she sighs and leans into the older woman's arm.]

...missed this.

[grandtheftmecha]

Me too.

[ She hasn't held anyone like this in months, and while she thought she'd gotten used to it, emotion comes flooding back to her.

How she's missed holding Akiha like this. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[One hand grabs onto Katina's shirt, just to make sure she doesn't go anywhere (yes, a paranoid delusion at this point).]

Good. Don't let me sleep more than four hours.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Katina might raise an eyebrow at it, but she won't question it. Akiha needs every bit of reassurance she can get. ]

I'll try... sorry if I fall asleep myself though.

[ritsu_kouyou]

It's okay... as long as you don't go anywhere.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Stroking Akiha's hair, she leaned her face in even closer. ]

I'm not leaving. Please, don't worry about it.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha tilts her head up and her lips bump against Katina's jaw. Yup, that was an attempt at a kiss, but she was tired and didn't bother opening her eyes. Or let go.]

Good.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ ...so Katina kissed the tip of Akiha's nose in response.

They aren't going very far apart from each other any time soon. ]