The Red Hand

Chapter 213 – An Obvious Question.

While Hishya and Akagi roamed about in Omara, Kana sat down with Yumi, Alice, Himari, and Miji for dinner. It was rare to not have either troublemaker with them, so they were enjoying the moment, though it was not without its issues.

"Oh, Miji..." Yumi sighed as she wiped sauce off her sister's face, something the girl resisted vigorously. "Come on, let me get it off! Goodness, why do you have to make such a mess? It's just pasta!" She'd come to understand what her parents meant when they said Miji could be a handful.

{HOW DO YOU MAKE SUCH A MESS?!?} (Yumi)

"I think it's just in a kid's nature to make a mess with spaghetti and sauce." Kana glanced over at Himari. The spirit had not gotten herself covered in sauce, but Kana was waiting for it.

"Oi!" Himari cried out. "Why are you looking at me like that?!?"

{Do you think I'm some kind of messy kid?!?} (Himari)

"No reason." Kana smiled as she went back to eating.

"You think I'm a child, don't you?!?" Himari pouted. "You're just like Momo! I'm not that irresponsible!" Though that meant she was admitting at least some irresponsibility in her behavior.

"Says the girl who somehow managed to tie herself up in the hose while watering the plants..." Alice commented with a smirk. She enjoyed watching Himari wiggle around like a worm as she tried to get out, before reminding the sword to just vanish and reappear next to Kana.

"That thing is evil! I swear it moved of its own free will!" Himari growled as she recalled her epic battle with the hose. “It was truly a Demon!”

{Next time, I shall be the victorious one, Mr. Hose!} (Himari)

"Maybe Akagi turned into the hose and attacked her!" Yumi laughed, knowing full well that Akagi could, would and had done exactly that.

"I could see it." Kana nodded. "She's already gone cat, so at this point, anything goes." She shivered internally at the thought of Akagi transforming into a rope and tying her up.

"Yeah, but at least Mama is cute. Himari... not so much." Alice had a devilish smile as she casually dissed the sword girl.

"Why are you so mean to me?!?" Himari cried out in protest.

{The Evil Child is so mean to me! Its like I have another Momo to deal with!} (Himari)

"Well, she is Akagi's daughter." Yumi was trying to hold in further laughter. "She's taught her well in the art of teasing and bullying."

"But why must it always be me?!?" Himari hung her head in defeat.

"It's not just you. Alice picks on Sakura all the time." Miji said as she casually got more pasta on her face, much to Yumi's chagrin. "She even caused a bucket to fall on her head when she entered the classroom the other day." She and Alice had been getting tutoring via Sakura at Akagi's suggestion.

"That was funny. She even tripped over a chair and fell out the window." Alice giggled as she recalled the funny scream the fox made. "Though she paid me back later with those sticky traps..."

{She really is just a small version of Onee-chan. I think the world should be happy she can't have any actual children of her own, otherwise reality might be doomed...} (Kana)

"Please don't take after Akagi or Alice, Miji..." Yumi sighed as she wiped her sister's face, again.

"Don't worry. I'll be a good girl." Miji smiled, but something told the Priestess that it was already too late.

{I guess Akagi corrupted me, and Alice/Akagi corrupted Miji...} (Yumi)

"Onee-chan really is a bad influence, isn't she?" Kana said while eating some garlic bread.

{She corrupts everyone around her, including me and Hishya.} (Kana)

"In more ways than one." Yumi gave a wry smile. "I never imagined that I'd look forward to petting the cat version of the woman I loved, and now I can't imagine a life without it..."

{I've been tainted by the kitty...} (Yumi)

"Catkagi is cute! I love her little fluffy ears!" Miji had quickly become one of Akagi's favorite pet givers, as the young girl seemed to really enjoy playing with her. The other day, Kana and Yumi caught the amusing sight of the two wrestling in the playroom, and Akagi was even tackled and wrapped in a large futon blanket.

{Onee-chan has added another one to her collection...} (Kana)

"I wonder what she and Hishya are doing right now?" Yumi commented. She knew they were going to mess around in the wild, but nothing more than that.

"Probably killing monsters, or just goofing around." Kana shrugged. "Those two played lots of games with each other back in the day, so I'd imagine they're acting about the same as they did back then." She only knew a bit about their pre-FWO friendship, as neither talked about it much.

"I'm surprised you let them go alone like that." Himari said while chewing, and her comment confused both Kana and Yumi.

"Why's that?" Kana asked. "I don't think they'll cause much trouble together."

{Well they might, but as long as I don't think about it, it can't cause stress!} (Kana)

"Less trouble and more that I figured you'd both be worried they'd run away together or something." Himari continued. "Those two have become quite good friends recently, and with Hishya opening up to Akagi more, I figured you'd both get jealous, or at least worried they might start acting as more than friends." She was voicing concerns that Akagi and Hishya might become romantically involved.

"Hmmm." Yumi thought for a moment. "I never even thought about that, to be honest."

{Though I will smite the Dragon if it tries anything!} (Yumi)

"Me either." Kana shook her head. “Even after you brought it up, my brain just can't seem to imagine any scenario where that happens.”

{I sincerely doubt that Hishya could ever feel something like love toward Onee-chan, and Onee-chan is pretty dead set on the Yumi route, so I don't see an issue.} (Kana)

"Akagi already gets all kinds of pets and affection from other people, so I'm really surprised you of all people haven't gotten worried, Yumi." Himari's comment made sense from an outsider's point of view. Though that was merely because Himari wasn't really aware of everything regarding the Demon.

{Like, don't people dislike when their partner spends time with someone else? I thought that guys didn't like their girlfriends having male friends, so wouldn't this be the same thing since they all like women?} (Himari)

"I don't really think there's anything to be concerned about. Onee-chan isn't that kind of person, and despite my prior comments about Chloe getting ear scratches, I don't see her kitty actions as anything more than harmless playing." Kana shrugged. "I've never once gotten jealous of her and Hishya, probably because I know that no deeper meaning exists." She really couldn't see it happening, and it probably helped that she knew her sister wouldn't do something like that for a variety of reasons.

"I'd say that's my mentality as well." Yumi nodded. “Akagi and I belong to each other and nobody else. Her antics are just playing around and nobody reads anything deeper into it.” The Demon had already been fluffed by most members of the clan who, male or female, were just happy to pet their Lord. Heck, most saw it as an honor.

"I guess I'm just surprised. In the past, people would have never allowed their partners to act like that." Himari shrugged. She'd never had an actually romantic relationship before, so was just going off what she heard, saw, or was told by others.

"Onee-chan's playful attitude with people, especially the kitty thing, is in-part because she seeks attention and affection. She never got those things growing up, so I understand why she craves it now." Kana replied. "Yumi over there gives her an ungodly amount of love, and as for everyone else, that's just her being greedy and wanting as much as people will give her." She recalled the day when Mika and Naomi were having fun with Catkagi and using toys to play with her.

"Sister pets the kitty so much! It's kind of crazy." Miji giggled. "Those two are always together when I see them, and Akagi is usually in fluffy form for most of it." Her hesitation to trust Akagi had, by this point, disappeared and was now replaced with affection for her. The fact that she got a fluffy friend to squeeze and pet probably helped that along greatly.

"I just can't help myself." Yumi scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Something about her just makes me want to spoil her senseless. Back when we were in the other world, she never acted this open or carefree, even with me, and she was a stern person most days. While she did have her moments, it was rare to see her relax like she does now, and I think that's for the best." She smiled. Seeing Akagi act as happy as she was today was something that brought her great joy.

{Better her in floof form letting me spoil her than seeing her be mopey and sad like she could be. So I'll take my kitty if that makes her happy!} (Yumi)

"I guess." Himari shrugged.

"Let's just leave it at this. I know how much I mean to her, and I can tell via our connection that she would never do anything to hurt me. This last time she went against my word sent her spiraling into depression, even though it really wasn't a big deal." Yumi continued. "It might be hard for you to understand things, but just know that I mean a lot to her, much more than I think any of us can or will understand. That's why I've never been truly jealous of her interactions with other people, because I know that she simply doesn't have it in her to act the way you're implying, Himari."

"I guess I can get Akagi, she is a crazy Demon creature. So perhaps my understanding is a bit lacking on that front." Himari glanced over at Kana. "But what about Hishya? Are you sure she would never develop desires for Akagi?" She figured the Dragon was the weaker link.

"I suppose it's possible." Kana knew better than to claim such an event was impossible, since human nature says otherwise. "But, I'd say that's also similarly unlikely."

"And why's that?" Himari asked.

"Because she's a Dragon." Kana's answer confused Himari, so she explained. "Dragons get obsessed and possessive of what's theirs, and since I've become her partner, she's become very obsessed with me. I won't go into detail for obvious reasons, but I would find it hard to believe that Hishya could overcome her own nature and break up with me. Barring extraordinary circumstances like cheating on my part, of course." She continued. "On top of that, Hishya... I honestly don't think she could ever see Onee-chan in that way. After the battle with Serval, I got the sense that she sees Onee-chan as a good friend and someone she can rely on. I'm not entirely sure what Onee-chan said to change Hishya's attitude as drastically as she did, but I think her feelings towards my sister are anything but romantic."

{I'd say its more that she has more respect for her than anything, and the two have grown closer largely because of that mutual respect. Onee-chan sees Hishya as a good friend, and Hishya now understands that Onee-chan really does enjoy spending time with her. Not to mention, I trust her, and also I KNOW Onee-chan would NEVER do something like that to me. That stupid sister of mine cares about me wayyyy too much to ever think about stealing my girlfriend. Heck the ones that should be worried are Yuzu and Suzu, since Mika would be the one more apt to switch to team Akagi. Thankfully Mika isn't that kind of person though. That and the fact that we'd kill her if she did something that horrible to those girls.} (Kana)

"I'd say that hits the nail on the head." Alice spoke up. "I've known both Mama and Hishya for a while, and they act more like close siblings than anything else. For a while, I think Hishya forgot how close they were in the past, and from what Hishya told me, I think she assumed that Mama had given up on her when the opposite was true."

{She always used to say that Mama had walked away from her just like she walked away from Mama. But that was never true, and Mama never stopped seeing Hishya as anything BUT a friend, even after everything at Hassan...} (Alice)

*DING*

As they were talking, Kana got a notification from Mika. After reading it, she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, Mika is excited." Kana said. "Apparently, Imp finished the magical girl transformation item for her, so she's giddy right now." She showed them a picture of Mika out on a date with Yuzu and Suzu with a big smile on their faces.

"Oh? I must admit that I'm interested in seeing her get dressed up like that, if for nothing else than morbid curiosity." Yumi didn't really understand the whole Magical Girl thing, but figured that since it was Mika they were talking about, it would be fun.

"Magical Girl? What's that?!? It sounds cool!" Miji had no idea what it meant, but the little girl was interested.

{It seems that even kids from other worlds are enthralled by them...} (Kana)

"Think Alice but cuter." Kana chuckled.

"Oi! I'm plenty cute already!" Alice cried in protest. "I doubt Mika will topple me off the top of the cuteness ladder!" She puffed her cheeks.

"I don't think you were ever at the top." Kana grinned. "Catkagi is probably number one around here." She had no polling data to back that claim up, but Yumi agreed with her assessment.

Alice clicked her tongue in frustration. "That's not a fair comparison. Mama cheats..."

{I can't compete with her! She can become anything and that means being super cute and fluffy is easy for her!} (Alice)

"Yeah, when you can turn into anything, you won't really win against in a cute competition." Yumi giggled.

"Am I cute?" Miji turned and asked her sister.

"Nope." Yumi shook her head, much to the girl's dismay. You're adorable!" She grabbed her sister and started to hug and squish her. "You're the second most adorable person I know."

"Yeah!" Miji giggled.

"Am I cute?" Himari tilted her head.

"Hmmmm." Kana thought for a moment. "About as cute as a stray cat that you find in a box at the side of the road." She smirked.

"Why did I ever expect anything else?" Himari sighed. She knew that Kana would never give her a break.

{Why am I friends with this girl? Does this mean I LIKE getting picked on?} (Himari)

"I think you're cute." Alice smiled as she praised Himari's cuteness.

"Aww, thanks!" Himari appreciated the young girl's kindness.

"Uh-Oh..." Miji knew Alice's words meant trouble. "Alice enjoys making cute things miserable and picking on them, just ask Ms. Sakura."

{Though to be fair, Ms. Sakura picks on other people too...} (Miji)

"You wouldn't!" Himari looked at the little girl, who returned an obviously fake smile.

"Do I look like the kind of person who picks on others?" Alice asked with a tone of voice that caused everyone to shiver slightly.

{Considering you killed a ton of people, picking on them isn't that out there...} (Kana)

"Yes!" Himari exclaimed. "You're just as bad as that mother of yours! You both enjoy picking on people! Heck, Momo is just as bad!" She had no clue why her sister acted like that, but blamed their creator.

"It just means they care about you. Think of it as how Onee-chan and Alice show affection." Kana laughed.

"I don't want that kind of affection!" Himari groaned.

{Do you think we want it either?} (Kana x Yumi x Alice.)