A/N: I’m glad ya’ll are enjoying this so far. But I do have a bit of a warning for my younger readers here. As hinted in my first chapter, I’m going to be hitting upon a few themes that might make ya’ll uncomfortable. But since I feel I haven’t written anything overly explicit, I feel no need to bump this up to an M rating. But if someone feels I should, please point it out so I may do so.
Anyhoo, R/R!
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Her hands were not bound with rope or chain, rather, her hands slipped into the stone before it cooled and harden around her wrists. The cold slab of stone which she laid on held no comfort for her. It was cold, rough and she wouldn’t be surprised if it was once used in sacrificial ceremonies.
“What did I tell you; if you disobey me, you’ll have to be punished.”
Yako watched as Neuro paced around the stone, his hands folded behind his back. Behind him was nothing but black. An obscure dimmed light shined on Yako’s form, though the source of it is unknown. All she can see is herself and Neuro.
“So how shall I punish you, slave?” He purred, letting one solitary finger to stroke the slab as he passed. “Shall I whip you? Douse you in ice water? Or leave you here for three days?”
Yako pulled on her arms, hoping the stone will suddenly give away and let her hands free. But alas, it was futile. She could still move her legs, but even those movements were restricted. It was too dark to see what held her ankles.
“Let me go Neuro,” She said to him as he stood somewhere above her head.”You don’t have the right-ah! “
She flinches as Neuro suddenly pinches her upper arm. She twists her head just enough to see the beginnings of a yen sized bruise.
“You don’t listen very well…do you?” He walks down past her hips. “I’ll say this only one more time. Disobey me, you will be punished. Obey me…and there’ll be rewards.”
“This is ridiculous!” Yako yelled at him. “You can’t-ehn!”
He pinches her again, this time on her inner thigh. Yako tries to move her legs away but she only has enough length to bend her knees.
Neuro looks down upon her, his glowing green eyes the only real light in this room. He rests one gloved hand on her knee and in a neural voice speaks once more. “Well Yako? Will you submit?”
Yako grits her teeth, feeling another protest rise up in her throat. Knowing this objection would only gain her another pinch (or perhaps, worse) she bitterly bites her lip and keeps quiet.
Neuro smiles. “Good girl,” He coos. His hand moves from her knee to the edge of her shirt. He pulls the shirt up only an inch and says, “That deserves a reward."
Leaning over, he only pauses to see if she was watching.
Realizing of what he was about to do, she shuts her eyes of the sight. She however, cannot blink out her senses. She tenses ever so slightly as she feels his tongue slowly dip into her navel.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
Yako opened her eyes, looked over to her cell phone and moaned out loud.
Just what is it with these dreams? The first one was quite indeed embarrassing, but she felt as long as she didn’t dwell on it, Neuro will never find out. She could place that dream to the back of her mind and never think of it ever again.
Except it seems her subconscious refuses to let her forget. It seems her brain has an evil sense of humor.
She shook her head, once again trying to dispel this current dream. Instead of it quietly going away, it fought her by screaming out loud. Images, images of Neuro bending over her were with that sadistic grin stood out like a beam of light. His hand on her knee, his hair scrapping across her stomach, his tongue-
Oh god! Yako could literally feel her cheeks catching on fire. Why, why, why, WHY? Why was this happening to her? If Neuro catches a whiff…
In the midst of clutching her head and rocking back and forth, Yako felt something tap her on the arm. She looked up and saw Akane pointing to the time on her cell phone.
Oh yes…Yako came home to take a nap so she wouldn’t be so sleepy for later tonight. She had to meet Neuro in an hour.
She considered not showing up. She knew that wouldn’t work. He’ll simply come to her house and drag her out by her hair. But what will he do, if he sensed her “mystery” had increased within the hours he last saw her? Will he force her to reveal ‘it’ to him or would he let this go to grow?
Akane tapped her arm again, this time a little more forceful. Get ready! The ponytail flipped. You don’t have much time!
Yako sighed deeply, and with much seated effort, forced the panicky feelings away. The dream still floated on the edge of her mind, but at least now she could function without turning into a pool of gushing mush.
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Akane laid on the edge of the bath tub, her ‘tail quietly lapping the water. She seemed happy.
Yako on the other hand, not so much. She washed her hair and her body with such roughness she left red marks all over her skin. She was intent not to think of the dream; to only focus on washing her body. Luckily the water was hot or else Akane might’ve questioned her why her face was so red.
In a frustrated huff, Yako threw down her beloved pink loofah and leaned back. There was no way avoiding this. She thought maybe, if she resolved this on her own, then the mystery would disappear and Neuro would no longer have to bother her.
She got more comfortable by scooting down low enough to let the ends of her hair to brush against the edge of the water. Why was she dreaming about him so much? Bigger question: why was she dreaming about him in that way?
One answer might be because she has spent so much time with him; her mind automatically places him in her dreams. But it still didn’t answer her other question. Secretly, did she want him to do those things…?
Her eyes going off to the side, she guessed Neuro was kind of attractive…in a weird abusing way. His looks were certainly unique. He was tall, like a model. His green eyes- very rare for Japanese- stood out more than he realizes. She didn’t care much for his odd colored hair and clips, but that was part of his demonic side. Had he been human, he would have probably been in magazines.
And he was kind to her, more or less. Aside from his torturous teasing and kicks to her face, he has never failed in keeping her safe. From getting shot at the onsen to HAL’s wrecking ball at the office, he has always made sure she was never deeply harmed. Did that mean he liked her…or did it just mean he didn’t want to search for another person as his cover? No…he must care for her in some way. Either as a friend or (in his eyes) as a piece of property he needed to protect.
And it wasn’t like she hated these dreams. They were embarrassing, yes, but even amongst the rapid heart pounding, she did feel some amount of pleasure from them.
If anything, this made her feel worse. She hadn’t even experienced her first kiss, and yet here she was dreaming about such things. Was she to like these sensations? Wasn’t she supposed to feel shameful?
…Can she recreate these sensations? Here? Now?
Her left hand twitched. Then slowly, hesitantly, it went south. Past her stomach, past her belly button, before resting on the edge of her thigh. Without even touching, she already could feel that dimly lit flame growing deep inside. It wanted her to go further. It promised her things.
She pulled the cork out instead.
The water began to drain and Yako stood up. As much as she wanted to experiment, there were two major problems with that. One, Akane’s here. Even though the office secretary technically had no eyes, it still felt no difference if an actual person was hovering over her.
And two, Neuro always seems to pop up at the wrong times. She definitely does not want him to appear in the middle of a…’session.’
Standing up, she leaned over to the rack to grab a yellow fluffy towel. And that’s when the door to the bathroom unexpectedly swung open.
Yako looked up and saw Godai looking down. Standing behind him was Neuro, who had that sick demonic smirk plastered on his face. For a good five seconds, utter and complete surprise rendered the two humans speechless.
Then they screamed.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Yako threw herself to the ground, desperately trying to cover up. It didn’t matter, Godai saw everything.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Godai yelled, slamming the door to the bathroom.
Even with the door now closed, Yako desperately wrapped towels around herself. From outside of the bathroom, she could hear Godai yelling at Neuro.
“You b*****d! You told me she was in her room!”
“Oh, so you wanted to see her naked in her room?”
“YOU b*****d!”
Yako moaned, “Why does my modesty have to be compromised like this?”
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The streets were deserted except for the occasional lost car. Even the lights of complex apartment buildings were off and the late-night restaurants were closing. The whole seemed to be asleep at that moment and it was hard to figure three people from an investigation office were on their way to a night club.
Only one seemed enthusiastic.
Yako made the quiet effort to walk next to Neuro. As scary as the thought he might notice her mystery has grown, it was worse for her, to walk next to Godai. Neither had spoken a word to each other since they left the house. They rather keep it that way.
“You’re dressed rather fancy.”
It took Yako a second to realize Neuro was talking to her. “Oh…well, we are going to a club,” She wore a long sleeved pale blue blouse with a long black skirt and black boots to match. “If I dress casual, I’ll stand out,” She paused. “Why? Do you like it?”
Her recent thoughts still hovering near, Yako prayed to every god her cheeks were pale as Neuro cast one eye over her. She expected him to call her ‘ugly’ or some other demeaning insult. Instead, he shrugged.
That was probably the closest thing to a compliment she was going to get out of him.
“Standing out…” Neuro continued. “Do you think I might stand out?”
Was he asking her for fashion advice? No…he probably just wondered if his appearance will bring unnecessary attention.
He was, however, giving Yako a chance to look at him without the threat of retaliation.
“Um…” She cocked her head, eyeing him over. Should she tell him his unusual height and looks made him stand out anyways? He might not appreciate that. “Your suit is fine, but since this is a night club, the color may not work. Maybe a darker blue or deep red like Godai’s shirt-“ She stopped short, feeling Godai’s evil eyes on her back.
“Hmm…” Neuro looked over himself. “You may be right for once louse. Perhaps I need to change.”
Had Yako blinked, she would have missed it. Starting from Neuro’s pants leg, his blue suit suddenly dissolved and gave way to black. Even his diamond dawned scarf became a darker shade of grey. His suit didn’t change, only the color.
Yako was actually quite stunned. She was used to seeing Neuro in his signature color. To see him in complete black gave him a whole different look she was not ready for.
“Well?” He said, striking a pose.
“Oh…um…you look nice…” She turned her head away.
“Better than Godai?”
“Yes,” She said without thinking.
He put a hand next to his mouth. “Hear that Godai? Yako says you’re ugly!”
“GO TO HELL, THE BOTH OF YOU!”
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They heard the club long before they saw it. The pounding music and static noise of people talking rose to the air like steam. When the three rounded the last corner, they were greeted by the sight of countless people.
The club itself looked smaller than Yako thought. Large English words spelled out the word “Dante” in deep red neon. The line to get inside the club was already fifty feet long and growing. Even a blind person could see there was no way they were getting in that night.
Yako was relieved. “Oh Neuro, it looks like we can’t go in. Maybe on Satur- Neuro? Where are you going?”
Ignoring the stares from the waiting patrons, Neuro went straight to the door entrance. The big burly bouncer in front blocked his path. “Sir, you’re going to have to wait in line like everyone else.”
Neuro grinned and locked eyes with the man.
The bouncer who looks like he could crush a car with his bare hands, suddenly screamed like a little girl. He took off running down the street, his arms wailing as if he was fighting off some invisible foe. Everybody else in line took an immediate step back. Neuro politely motioned Yako and Godai over.
Yako tried to hide her face from the dozens of eyes staring at her as she walked inside.
Loud blasting music met her ears and she quickly clapped her hands over them. Flashing lights blinded her and the vibrating floors shook her to the core. A young woman dressed in flamboyant purple clothing and face makeup greeted them.
“Hello and welcome to Dante!” She handed a card over to each of them. “Here is your one free drink card and I hope you enjoy your night!”
Yako could see why the club was called “Dante.” Most likely themed after Dante’s Inferno, there were images of hell everywhere. Skeletons were hung in torturous forms from the ceiling, the floor were painted in twisted silver and black swirls, the walls had chains and scenes of witch burnings on them and almost everyone in the club was dressed like the woman in the front.
Yako felt overdressed.
“All right!” Godai yelled, clearly pumped. “This place is awesome! I’ll see you guys in two hours.”
Godai turned towards the dance floor. He didn’t see Neuro’s foot till it was too late.
His head made an awesome noise as it struck the floor. Neuro reached down and lifted the unconscious slave by his shirt. “Here,” He shoved the drink cards into Yako’s hands. “Get whatever you want. We’re going to find a table.” He left her, dragging Godai’s body away.
It took some time for Yako to make her way towards the bar. She had to literally shove her way through the dancing crowds and avoid becoming violently sick from all the flashing lights in her face. She even felt a few offending hands brush against her butt.
Once at the bar, a man dressed like the Phantom of the Opera came over to take her order. “Hello little lady, how may I help you?”
“Um…” Yako looked over the long drink list written in ultraviolet chalk. Even though Neuro said she could get anything she wanted, it still didn’t feel right to use his and Godai’s cards for herself. “I don’t know. What do you suggest?”
“That’s easy, the house special: Crimson Bloody Mary.”
“Oh, is that the drink made out of tomato juice and celery?”
The Phantom laughed. “No, that’s a Bloody Mary. Ours is the Crimson Bloody Mary.”
Yako frowned. “What’s the difference?”
He gave her a wicked grin. “Ours is made out of actual blood.”
Yako remembered what Neuro told her of hell’s version of vampires. She had to hang onto the edge of the bar to hold herself up.
Seeing Yako’s sick face, the Phantom continued, “No, no, not human blood…cow’s blood. It’s just animal blood. Perfectly legal.”
That made her feel a little better. Still, for herself, she ordered a lemonade. For Godai, she wasn’t sure what he would like and she was too young to order alcohol, so she got him an ice coffee. For Neuro, the house special.
Before leaving to go to the tables, Yako had to ask, “Hey…do you know an employee by the name of Gin Kanan?”
The Phantom shook his head. “I’ve only been working here for the past two weeks, so I’m still a little fuzzy on names. Why? Is he your boyfriend?”
“Ah, no…just a friend. I just wondered if he was working tonight.”
“Well, if I hear mention of him, I’ll tell him his cute friend is looking for him.”
“Thanks.”
With all three drinks on a tray, Yako made her way towards the tables. She knew Neuro didn’t eat human food, but perhaps he might like a real blood drink.
She found the two occupying one of only ten tables. She wondered briefly how they could have found an empty table in a place as packed as this and remembered what Neuro had done to the bouncer outside.
That would explain why the other tables nearby were strangely empty.
She set the tray down quietly, noticing Godai was making an effort not to look at her, Neuro, or the dancers on the floor. His eyes only focused on the horrible painting of a man in a guillotine. “Here,” Yako passed over the coffee to him. “I got you an ice coffee.”
Godai mutely snatched the drink away from her, muttering out a short “Thanks.” Instead of drinking it, he placed it on his forehead.
Yako noted Neuro was also not looking at her, but silently watching the dancers. He seemed almost amused, but there was a certain bored expression on his face. Did he want to dance? “You see something you like, Neuro?”
“Not really,” He said, leaning back in his chair. “The erratic flashing, the smell of sweat, the intense body heat…it reminds me of hell.”
Unspoken words: Of home.
Yako smiled softly. No wonder he was so intent on coming tonight. This place reminded him of hell, of his home. As disgusting as it was to think that, she still found it cute to realize he was homesick.
“It reminds me of the mating ritual of the spawn worm. The size of a school bus, the worms prefer to mate over freshly pile corpses and blood pools. They would erratically flip over, sending limbs to fly all over the place.”
Yako sank into her chair. Why does she bother asking? “Here,” She pushed the Crimson Bloody Mary over to him.
He didn’t touch it. “I told you you can have it. I don’t drink human drinks.”
“It’s not just any drink, it’s made out of cow’s blood. I would think you’d like something like that. Just try it.”
To her surprise, he picked it up. She thought he would throw it in her face.
He sniffed it, frowned, and just when Yako thought he would drink it, he suddenly threw it over his shoulder.
The blood splattered all down the back of the dancer nearest to them. The dancer, a man dressed like a character from A Clockwork’s Orange, yelled, “What the ********?” He turned around, his eyes dangerously flashing over them and demanded, “Who threw that!”
Neuro, ever the truthful one, pointed at Godai.
The dancer suddenly launched himself at the unsuspecting Godai, knocking him over. Neuro grabbed Yako and pulled her up away from the fight. Godai was able to push back the dancer and with a deep seated (happy) growl, threw himself into the crowd.
Almost immediately there was a riot. People were punching others, kicking, throwing, breaking stuff. His hand still on her arm, Neuro dragged Yako through the chaos. He then threw her suddenly over the bar before jumping over himself.
“Neuro!” Yako yelled over the screaming and fighting. “Why did you do that for?”
“Right now, the employees are too busy trying to stop the fight. This is our only chance to look in the back without detection. By now, the police have already been called. That gives us roughly fifteen minutes to look.”
Without another word, he went into the back of bar where only the employees were allowed. Yako passed the Phantom who huddled shaking in a corner. He didn’t see them.
The back, thankfully, was devoid of demonic images. It instead, resembled a modern silver kitchen. Sinks against the walls, an ice machine against another, a freezer down the hall, and several collapsible shelves
held glasses and various cleaning supplies. The noise of the riot far behind them, when Yako spoke, her voice sounded very loud to her. “What are we looking for?”
“Gin,” Neuro told her.
Yako gulped. “You mean…his body? You think it’s here?”
“Possibly,” He said as he opened one of the larger free standing refrigerators. “If he was killed here, then it’s very likely his body is still here.”
She shuddered at the thought of opening the ice machine and seeing his frozen corpse there. Then she realized something. “Wait a minute Neuro, even if a body was here, surely one of the other employees might have notice it. Not all of them can be labeled as accomplices.”
Neuro paused midway from opening the freezer door. “Hmm…you have a point. So where can a person hide a body without alerting others?” He clapped his hands in revelation. “The office of the boss.”
Out of nowhere, a flash of light illuminated on the two investigators, forcing Yako to hold up a hand to shield her eyes.
“Who are you people and what hell are you doing back here?”
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