Who's Flickering Those Lights... (Job/Luna)

Mission information:

A merry tune hummed lightly bled through closed lips. Wandering eyes watching about like a hawk in a small manner, though these eyes bore nothing like someone wanting to hunt down unsuspecting prey. It wasn't an uncommon thing for her to have to do, but sorting the thoughts in her mind as though she were rehearsing lines was a bit of a tough thing for her to do in the moment. What she couldn't see to be something simple could just be from the perspective of those whom have the need to or prior experience in doing what she was to do. Sure, she could do it, but she was also still young and the feeling of self doubt was still something some people just couldn't fully avoid. And yet, the yokai was rather adept at hiding her insecurities with the blank stare of an emotionally neutral person. It was just something adopted from a young age to use as a way to cope with her former situation, so this was something different for her to do entirely, none the less. The things trying to be sorted were meshed and tangled about in one another, some contradicting the very thought prior to it and only making her seem a little more off put from the way she needed to be; calm and focused.

Still, her merry tune played to mask the fact that she was verging on what felt like a mental overload when a hand sunk down from twirling a piece of her hair in her finger and rested on the seat of the bench that she'd sat on and the thoughts all seemed to stop. Being outside of her doll body was a bit strange for her, but having to get used to using both of these to her advantage was something she needed to get used to. The only issue that seemed to be coming about multiple times was, "why vampires?" A simple collection job or a little simpler job was a lot better than just being thrown into the fray. But, Sakura understood the reason for this. If she were truly up for the job, this shouldn't bother her as much. If anything, this was simply a means to shake off the cobwebs and show that she had what it took to be a worthwhile contributor to Hidden Blades. After all, she was picked out-- chosen, more or less. To fall under the standards she may or may not have been held to was enough of an problem.

This all worked out in her favor in the end though. Just when she wasn't so sure about everything in the long run, the blue haired girl put a small smile on her face. Of course, the tone of the humming music grew more upbeat as well, but her mind was focused on what she could gain from this job with a Rune Knight. Not much can be said during a job that would lead to a combative thought, but she was adept at doing a lot, and her socializing skills were for sure one of them. Finally, she opened her mouth and in a soft tone, her lips began to move in a harmonious manner:

"There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she's buying a stairway to heaven"

588 words

This job was a curious one. Luna didn't select it from the job board, it wasn't assigned to her from the higher ups, and she hadn't heard anything about it on the news. In fact, she had no idea who had hired her, or why. She simply received a call from someone who would not identify themselves, asking her to show up at a predetermined location, at a designated time. Once she had arrived, she heard a voice, as soft as silk, singing a song. It was a song she had heard before, but she didn't know from where. It was a song that she hadn't heard in quite some time, but she still remembered the words, as if she had only heard it the day before. The woman singing had a beauty that matched her voice in spades, and Luna couldn't help but be drawn to her, as she sang the next few bars of the song.


"There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving




Ooh, it makes me wonder"


This was the right location, the right time, she was certain, but it couldn't hurt to enjoy a few blissful moments before getting down to business. After all, life was short, so where was the harm in spending a little time singing a good song? Luna smiled as she sat next to the blue haired girl, and blushed a little.


"I have to say, your appearance is as pleasant as your voice. I know you're not the one who called me here. Did they, by chance, call you as well?"


She whispered, as quickly as she could, while remaining intelligible, trying not to disrupt the flow of the song. It was one that brought up memories, good ones, of her singing with her sister. Yet, they were just that, memories. There was a good chance that Luna would not be able to share such things with her sister again, but she could still make memories in the present, in the future, perhaps even find what she had been looking for all this time. It was a goal of hers to eventually find someone who could complete her, who could help her find her sense of purpose, of direction.


"Maybe, later, would you be opposed to going with me to see a movie or something?"


She blushed heavily while whispering this. Dating wasn't something she usually asked about. Most of her hookups were of a far more casual nature. And yet, something about this blue haired woman made her want to take a chance, to do something different, something she had never done before. This was becoming a strange day for Luna. She normally only felt like this around Masha. And yet, something about this woman had set her heart aflutter. She didn't know what that was. However, this would not be the end of the strangeness of the day.


"By the way, my name is Luna, Luna Fennec."

Code:

WC: 519
PWC: 519
TWC: 1,107/3,500

At first, Sakura’s tune didn’t falter a bit as she could tell someone sat beside her. The smell of the spirit of the being was enough to tell her, however she didn’t really have a qualm with an audience to an extent. It wasn’t so much as until the person whom sat next to her began to whisper a question did her song pause and her attention drifted to her. The look of her face at the moment showed a general confusion, almost as though the singing caused her to forget something as basic as WHY she was out here in the first place. They... they... She had trouble for a moment wondering what was being mentioned only until the thought popped into her head. ”Oh, yeah yeah! I believe I was just waiting on someone else to meet here. ” She pauses, looking over the woman and keeping up her smiling facade. ”I take it That’s you, miss?” She held no worry to a secret. It didn’t bother her much at all honestly.

The blank look with a half faded smile remained on her face. The line that was just asked to her. Was.. was she serious? They just met and despite the job they were supposed to do, she wanted to go see a movie? ”U-Umm..” She couldn’t figure out the right words. In the wrong mindset, someone could think she couldn’t find the right words to say yes, but in fact the opposite notion was in her mind. ”Well... you it right to the chase, I see.” She giggled, trying to brush it off as not to seem like she was trying to be rude or offensive. ”Maybe if our job goes well, I couldn’t see why we couldn’t go as friends.” If anything were to challenge her ability to keep an act up as she was trying, it was surely something like this.

It wasn’t to say she wasn’t flattered for the offer, however there was something that she didn’t seem to really find comfortable about a stranger so suddenly asking her on a date like that. Though that could easily come down to her age being the main factor. Still, the teenage yokai let it go and just listened on as the woman went on to introduce herself. In a moment of pause, she looked up at the ears atop her head, then the tails she had as well before she came to the full conclusion. ”Fennec, like the Fox? Was that intentional because of your ears and tail?” She asked, looking back to Luna as she stood up to her feet, giving a small curtsy after the reply would’ve been given. ”And I’m Sakura Kisagami. It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss Luna.” With a smile back on her face, the idol in training would wait, let Luna get to getting her mind back on track and towards this mission.

486 + 588 = 1074 words

"Right, the job..."


Luna was having some difficulty not gazing longingly at her partner for this job. How long had it been since she had felt this way about someone? Longer than it took most. Sadly, the last person whom she had felt that way about was frozen in a block of ice. But, that wasn't what Luna needed to focus on. The job, she remembered something about it from the call. The caller had said to look under the bench. Doing as she had been told, Luna felt the bottom of the bench. After a while she found a small envelope taped to it. This was a rather secretive way to handle things. After all, most jobs were usually posted in guild halls. Opening the envelope, she found a letter, and read it aloud.


"I apologise for the secretive methods. I had to ensure my own safety in case things go wrong. Your task is a simple one. You only need to find a book. But be warned, the book in question is heavily guarded. The owner will not be willing to let it go without a fight. However, they are an evil person who needs to be stopped anyway. In any event, once you find the book, and deal with it's owner, you need simply take it to the library in Era, and drop it off at the front desk. From there, it will be collected and brought to me. Do this right, and there might be more work for you later on. 
--C


Well, that's not cryptic at all."


Luna giggled lightly at the novelty of it all.


"So they hired us to get a book from a so-called bad guy. I'm going to have trouble explaining this one to the others. I mean, a book? Really? I could have been creating a new type of handcuffs, or a trillion watt tazer. Instead, someone is making me look for a book."


She sighed a bit, mostly because she felt as though she was being used, and she didn't really like that.


"Okay, it doesn't say where the book is, that could be troublesome."


Looking on the envelope itself, Luna found an address that didn't seem too far from where they were.


"Oh, I've been by there a few times. So far I haven't seen anything bad being done. Still, I suppose that the best way to find out would be to go there. You up for a short hike?"


Luna started walking in the direction of said house, assuming that Sakura would follow as she called back over her shoulder in response to her earlier question.


"I'll hold you to that, and I never really questioned my name. I guess I'm just used to it. But, if you want to call me a fox, or something similar, I wouldn't mind."


She winked as she continued walking. When she finally arrived at the house, she knocked on the door, but it seemed like there was nobody home. If they were home, then they weren't answering.

Code:

WC: 507
Personal WC: 1,026
Total WC: 2,100/3,500

Did.. Did she do something wrong? The way she segway’d the topic back onto the job with how she spoke tickled at the back of her mind. She was here for a mission, not a blind date, so in the logical sense she had no real bother to be picked up... however she felt a little bad about it to a small degree. Was she feeling at fault for having put her insecurities onto Luna like that? She was always so quick to push others away because of her situation be it her former ailment that caused her to nearly die, racked with pain and depression for a portion of her life, or the doll body that she had primarily resided in, something that felt more comfortable to her than a human body ever did. Was it wrong of her to not allow someone to try and get close? In any manner even? Not really, however she was still insecure and no matter what she appeared to look like, she couldn’t get over the mental scars. Not yet.

Curiously, the teal haired teen watched her job partner reaching under a bench where she found an envelope. Quite frankly, Sakura was surprised she didn’t notice it sooner, however her desire to sing was a little too much of a need to pass time by that she wasn’t as observant as she should have been. Something she’d have to remember not to do again. As Luna began to read the letter written inside aloud, at first Sakura began to look around. Was she an idiot? Who takes a rather shifty job type like that and then decides to openly read it? Who knew who may or may not be watching them? No matter, she decided it wasn’t worth getting annoyed over. Honestly, what Luna did was her business. However, the yokai decided to feign her interest, just folding over her fingers tip-to-Palm to look over her nails, acting as though she either had no connection to her or just wasn’t paying attention. Despite the looks, she stored away every word.

Without really saying much at first, the idol-to-be had nodded her head slowly to her questioning taking a small walk. She wasn’t much to speak sometimes, more so in her normal doll body than she did this spirit look, but she tried to be more extroverted. She had to for more than just a cover. It was a mental health thing to her just as much. At the moment, she was processing the “creating cuffs and tasers” commentary rather than be retrieving a book for some strange client. But, the yokai only nodded to herself in an understanding of a presumption to which she wanted to confirm; police or pervert. Either way, she was going into the P category of people, it just varied on what that P was going to stand for. ”Umm.. what do you mean by making new cuffs? Do you own an adult store or just some kind of researcher?” There were many opportunities that could be said that she could actually have been, but primarily those were the first two thoughts that popped into her mind. People were very strange, and her mafia days only started to show that for sure.

While on their walk there, Luna had mentioned something to her concerning the way she had asked her about the last name she had. The way she twisted the words and added onto the comment with a wink, it caused the girl to flush a little in the cheeks. She was caught off guard by that for sure and willing to admit it. Sakura was never one to be pushy one way or another about her sexual preferences, or even mere compliments, but she wasn’t one who normally got them in her life. Her mother always took good care of her growing up, so she was complimented for things that she did for her, but there wasn’t much self confidence in herself when it came time to certain things. Still, she tried to give off a smile, wanting to try and loosen up a little bit and try to act like a normal person for a change. After all, if she ended up being correct, she had a lot more to fear than she first thought.

Finally, they approached the building after the bit of small talking. As Luna rung the bell, Sakura began to linger off slowly toward a window. She looked inside carefully scanning for any sign of life, but she found nothing. Left to right, then back. It wasn’t until she had hit back to the other end once again that she noticed someone staring at her with a scowled look on their face. In a sheer shock, the girl let out a yelp and jumped back from the surprise, lucky she didn’t do anything to them. She took a moment to collect herself and looked back to the window, but nothing was there. ”W-Wait, where did it go?” She looked around and couldn’t see it again, completely confused by the jump scare and then looking to the door as it audibly clicked, creaking open slowly as though out of a horror movie. ”Just be careful going through the door, Miss Luna.” She warned, hoping that Luna wasn’t just going to waltz in like a complete moron. She did seem to have some intelligence to her namesake so far. Let’s just hope she kept it.

1074 + 912 = 1986 words

Luna was just about to try and open said door when each individual hair on her body suddenly stood on end. She could hear a voice whispering in her ear, telling her to turn back. Her reaction to this was bordering on comical, as she dove off the porch, and ran over to Sakura, hiding behind her. Although, in the process, she ended up grabbing, and lightly squeezing, the girl's chest incidentally. Once she had realized this, she released Sakura, and backed away a bit.


"Oh, oh no, I'm so sorry, I...I just heard this voice, and there was nobody there, and I didn't mean to grab you like that. I'm very sorry.  I mean, don't get me wrong, you have a very nice figure, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted. It's just that I was not intending to do that without your consent, and certainly not until I took you out on a few dates. That is, if you'd be willing to go out with me."


Luna turned away, her cheeks flushed, as she looked for another entrance to the building, and formed her armor and spear. This was a strange occurrence. Luna had never had so much trouble with acting professionally on a job before, and certainly not when trying to ask a woman out. So why was this one in particular giving her so much trouble? Perhaps it was the memory of her sister, whom this woman looked so similar to. Perhaps it was something new that she had stirred up within Luna. Regardless, Luna eventually found the back entrance to the building. She waved Sakura over before entering.


Inside, she found a great number of books, books on lycanthropy, on thaumaturgy, on necromancy, and many other subjects. And yet, none of the books she found held the requested title. None of them were the one that they were sent to find. After spending a great deal of time searching the ground floor, there was a creaking noise from upstairs, and some dust fell right in front of Luna.


"Hello? Is there anyone here? I'm sorry about entering without an invitation, but there is a book that I am trying to find. If you have it, I would like to talk to you about buying it from you. Someone has sent me to collect a particular book, and I would prefer to do so without incident."


Luna waited, and waited, and there was no reply, save for the creaking of floorboards above. After a bit more searching, Luna found a title that was very close, but not quite what she was looking for. Perhaps the book was upstairs. As she made her way to the stairs, a full bodied apparition appeared at the bottom.


"Apologies, miss, but the owner wishes not to part with the book, and I have been instructed to get you to leave."


"You're a...a...a..."


"A ghost? Yes, I am. I do try not to torment the living though. However, if you do insist on retrieving the book, I regret to inform you that you must get past me first. Oh, and a bit of advice, punching me won't do you any good."

Code:

WC: 533
Personal WC: 1,559
Total WC: 3,545/7,000

While she remained primarily seated on her rump from the scare she had received, the spirit had watched her job partner move through the stages of jump scared fear in a matter of seconds. The fox woman had leaped like a frog off of the patio and through the air, landing by Sakura. To which she then flew behind and held onto like a horrified child with a tenacious grip by the likes she hadn’t felt since her illness days. And even then, the grip was merely a hug by which mentally haunts her as something akin to a mental scar of sorts. The kind of thing someone doesn’t easily forget at all. Not when you don’t believe you’ll ever live long enough to feel them again. And for a while, the notion you may never feel what a hug is like haunted her, more so when she was given them than others.

As her mind snapped back to her partners constant apologizing and trying to outweigh compliments without seeming like she was trying to hit on her, she could very much tell how serious she was I’m not having meant it. The spirits hands waved back and forth in a dismissive, but calmly as well to show she was trying to understand that it was an accident. But the way she ended it with her asking again about going out on a date had gotten her to roll her eyes while she wasn’t paying attention. Something that she let slip from her cheery facade. ”Luna Luna Luna, listen.” She started off, trying to get through her before she dug herself into a hole she couldn’t climb out of. ”I’m flattered and I do understand it was an accident, but I need you to just relax~”

Getting back into character wasn’t very hard, mostly in wanting to be rather sincere and understanding wasn’t hard.. it was just the whole peppy almost cheerleader like routine. She watched her mermaid friends and summons for a while so it, and some rubbed off, but others just sunk her into the quiet little doll that she enjoyed being sometimes. She gave a small shrug and stood up onto her feet once she knew that the girl was calmed down. Sue turned her attention to the Rune Knight whom took the lead to entering the manor. Her forming of a weapon and armor was a bit shocking to her, but she simply remained silent on the topic of it and allowed her to take charge into the building.

Inside, the two were greeted by a figure whom seeped through the floorboards like a drop of water through a crack and greeted them. Luna choosing to push into them a little bit for some information was both useful and idiotic, but it helped to serve a good purpose for the girl, so she simply let her continue. After all, if avoiding a fight was able, she’d gladly do so without an issue, so why not give it a go? The spirit in which had begun to greet them brought about the declining of them being able to get the book they came for and to be honest, she saw it coming. However, when he spoke about having to get passed him to get to the book, the doors shut behind them and the sound of the door locking had filled the room for a moment.

”If you insist~”

The thought rang through her head, masked behind Luna and unable to be seen as the coy smirk formed on the idols face. A white colored fin would move on the ground flying past Luna before it jumped up. As it did, white colored water with the light casting hues of the rainbow off and on had jumped into the air, curling around as it did a bit of a backflip and then flying down and onto the spirit, where on impact of the ghost had exploded and sent him back, phasing through a door and making a sound of pain and annoyance. ”Miss Luna, now’s our chance.” She spoke up, her hands rested at her hips while patiently awaiting his return. ”We’ll split up from here. Leave the spectre’s to me, you just try and find the book.” She was trying to take a bit of an order, wanting to buy the kitsune some time to get ahead of the curve and get their book before it could be removed or destroyed.

Suddenly, a ghostly arm reached through the wall, pulling himself from it and in return, the blue haired teen cracking her neck. ”Don’t worry about me.” She spike assuringly, showing a glare of ready intent. She was nervous, but she did her damnedest to hide it.

1986 + 791 = 2777 words

It took Luna only a few moments to recompose herself. She was ready to face the apparition if necessary, but apparently Sakura was rather able herself. Luna had been relieved that Sakura had understood her before. It was nice that she didn't have to worry about any awkward misunderstandings with her. As Sakura dealt with the spectral butler, Luna rushed up the stairs to look for the book. It still seemed like a waste of resources to her, and possibly even a misappropriation. However, she had to complete the job first before filing her report on it. As she found her way to the top of the staircase, Luna felt uneasy. There was a particular discomfort that greeted her, as if the air was somehow thinner.

"You don't take no for an answer, do you? But then, what else should I expect from a fellow mage. So, let me ask you this. Do you know who it was that sent you?"

The voice seemed to come from all around Luna, both within and without. It was as if whoever this was, they were speaking directly into her mind. Luna did think it odd that neither she, nor her current partner had knowingly had any direct contact with the client. However, getting the job done was Luna's top priority in that moment. Without the book, she didn't get paid.

"Well, no, but that doesn't change facts. I have a job to do, for which i need that book. I'm terribly sorry, but i was quite clear with your butler. I'd prefer a peaceful option, but if one can not be reached, I will be forced to take action."

"Oh? Ever the peacekeeper are you? A pacifist perhaps? Well, I'm sorry to have to ruin that for you, but I won't part with it so easily. If you really want this book, you will have to go through me to get it."

"If you insist."

Luna then heard a terrible snarling from behind a closed door at the end of the hall, before the door shattered, and the splinters crashed against her frigid armor. Standing before her was a rather alluring woman with hair as red as the peel of an apple, and glowing red irises. She seemed about six inches taller than most, and her fangs were difficult to ignore, as was her figure. Luna was very nearly ensnared by the woman's appearance alone.

"I really wish it didn't have to be this way. I'm sure that you could be a lot of fun to be acquainted with. Unfortunately, I really need that book."

The woman was upon Luna at the completion of her sentence, and knocked her against a wall quite soundly.

"Well, I suppose that business is business. So, shall we get to it?"

With a smirk, Luna lunged forward, with textbook form, and plunged her spear through the woman. And yet, there was no scream or howl of pain. Had she somehow missed? She was certain that she must have at least punctured her stomach. Instead, she was met with laughter.

"Bon, mon ami, but not bon enough. You need to aim a little higher. I won't be holding back, just because you're easy on the eyes."

[WC: 539]
[PWC: 2138]
[TWC: 4,915/7,000]

The idol had waited for Luna to split off and go for the book when she heard the spirit mumbling through the wall. Frankly, she couldn’t care less if her sneak attack caught him off guard. Humming quietly, she slowly walked forward toward the wall that she had sent him through and looked around first. The voices grew in number and yet... nobody was around. Perhaps he was gathering folks or just simply attempting to go and scare her with spectral sounds. She looked like a girl who didn’t really seem the fighting type, but the yokai was hardly a pretty face. She had seen and done her fair share of fighting over time since her time and it wasn’t truthfully what she saw that was so bad.

Giving a sigh, a moment passed by and she seemed to still only hear the voices which didn’t really bug her. Shaking her head, the impatience of hers was beginning to show and with a shrug, she leaned her head in through the wall, phasing herself through it and seeing the previous ghost. With him, were another half of a dozen ghosts and they all turned to her, confused at first and in a small bit of shock from seeing her actually having been casually through the wall like she was. ”You boy’s ok in here? I was starting to get worried when I didn’t see you come back.” The look on her face seemed a little nonchalant and casual, which only left them speechless. They didn’t expect this girl to be a spirit, no less someone who just would pop up through a random wall to check on them.

”Welp, when you’re ready, I’ll be out in the main room!~” With a gleeful time, she popped back out and began to walk back. She knew what was coming now as all the ghosts popped their heads out to make sure they were seeing was what actually happened. Angered, the spirits began making things levitate and a coy smirk lit her face. The snap of her freshly polished fingers and from it, an armored spirit formed from the air around. It’s body stepped in front of the spirit and each piece of furniture thrown smashed against the body, shattering and leaving the spirit unharmed and unmoving. ”Someone’s been working out, hasn’t he.” She mused, though he didn’t speak back to her. She was used to it, but he seemed a little off from his usual self. The armored spirit had a bit of a personality, but he seemed to be off today.

Several spirits were in shock of what just happened, enough so that several of them fled on sight without a second thought. Dropping half the number made things easy, but the others he brought were shaking. The leader of the spirits vanished, phasing in and out of sight before he appeared on the other side of the spirit guardian of hers. The Knight turned his head to see as Sakura had done the same, only hers was in shock. His hand reached out and grabbed hold of her, squeezing tight. A bright light would begin to glow and suddenly he would be knocked back, crying out in pain. ”Well... I’m glad that’s a thing for sure...” She chuckled, looking to the Knight who just shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly, the spirit began to float up into the air. His eyes began to glow red and it got her to be a little more sinister looking, almost intimidating if she weren’t actually having some fun with this. The idol raised a hand and light began to fill in the palm, pulling it from sources all around before firing the beam like ray at him. Striking him in the chest, the spirit had been caught off guard and sent into the ceiling. The blast itself caused a hole in the wall to the upper floor where hopefully Luna was doing better in. ”Come on! We need to make sure Luna’s alright!” She motioned, running for the upper floor with her spirit in tow, following her command with no contest.

The spirit that entered the floor forcefully had landed next to a strange woman whom stood across from Luna. He had a singed hole in his body from the spell, struggling to stay awake as he reached for her. Through the hole came a blue haired girl, landing on her feet and smiling happily. Angered, the woman had brought a stake of blood and shot it directly into the chest of the happy spirited yokai. Her face would show shock and a scream heard before she fell back through the hole from whens she came. No sound of a splatter from the impact. It was as though she vanished.

”Ouch... that looked like that hurt.” A feminine voice commented from behind the pair. There rested the same blue haired teenage idol that had just been staked and sent down the hole she formed. Resting her upper body on a bannister, her head rested on the palms of her hands while they held her up. The spirit guardian she called forth standing by her side. How the armored spirit made it up with no noise what so ever was something she chose to keep secret. ”Thankfully, I’m partially adept at making illusions, so... fooled ya!~” She mused, winking at the already seemingly angry woman. ”Ah, But mon Cherie~ the fun has only begun! Right Lun-” Sakura stopped herself as she caught eye of something. A shadow slithering around the two engaged in combat during her rather whimsical entry. The girl propelled herself forward using her own shark as momentum, being gripped up by shadows. They began to coil around her like a snake until they’d constricted her whole body. Falling to the ground with an “oof”, the girl squirmed and fought to free herself but to no avail was she near strong enough. ”Don’t worry about me, Luna! Just take care of her!” She was attempting to reassure her partner of her own safety. She believed in her to do this, otherwise throwing herself in front of this binding spell would have been wasted effort.

2777 + 1030 = 3807/3500 words
307 extra

There was a low growl as Luna watched Sakura fall. She looked back, without noticing that it was an illusion. A combination of anger, embarrassment, sorrow, and regret swelled within the kitsune, pushing her over the edge, as she ripped and tore at the vampiress, causing her to scream out in pain. These attacks would not kill her, but Luna wasn't looking to do that just yet. She didn't hear Sakura's voice, didn't notice her being trapped, because she was already doing what she would have done earlier. She didn't know how few ways there were to deal with such enemies, and she didn't care. She wanted to inflict as much pain as possible before finishing the woman off. A dark aura swirled around Luna as the full moon shone brightly through the large window.

"You...what are you?"

The vampiric foe cried out in a brief moment as Luna caught her breath.

"What am I? I thought that would be painfully obvious by now. I'm the thing that keeps you up at night. I'm the one who will send you to a true death. But, not before I've had my fun. You took someone from me, someone whom I was beginning to develop a fondness for. I might not be able to do the same to you, but before the night is through, you will beg for death."

She resumed her onslaught with little regard to the woman's pleas, as she ripped, and tore, and growled, and snarled. Her eyes took on a slightly less human appearance, as she went on, thinking that Sakura had perished.

"You...you're a monster!"

"Takes one to kill one."

Luna smirked at her own comment. She was beginning to enjoy this. It was strange that she would enjoy inflicting so much pain. She generally abhorred such tactics. But, this was an unusual case. This was personal, and her heart was slowly beginning to ache as she shed tears with each torturous movement, causing her foe to scream in ways she had never imagined as she wore her down, even going so far as to snap a few choice bones.

"So, tell me, do you believe that you have properly atoned for your actions?"

The answer was barely a wimper as the woman tried to crawl away from Luna.

"N-no...you don't understand...she's not..."

"Not what?! Not dead?! I just watched it happen! So, let me ask you one more time. Are you ready to die?"

This was no longer about the book, no longer about the job. Luna had made this as personal as it could get.

"No, please, dont!"

"Wrong answer."

Luna listened to the woman scream as she slowly tore her head from her body. It was an unnatural sound, but it also had a sweetness to it. The entire body, head included, turned to ash before Luna's eyes, as she fell to the floor, and let out an indescribable sound of pain, anguish, loss, and remorse. What had she done? She should have dealt with this person quickly. Instead, she had let her emotions take over, and made it personal. More than that, she thought she had lost her partner. That was until she eventually wiped her tears away, stood up, and turned around, just in time to see the shadowy tentacles fade out of existence, revealing a very safe Sakura.

"You...you're....Oh no.....what...what did I do?"

Luna collapsed from the stress of it all, not quite knowing how to process the idea that Sakura was alive and well after what she had just seen. Still, she was happy that the girl was alright.

Code:

WC: 600
Personal WC: 2738
Total WC: 6,545/7,000

The idol squirmed and fought against these shadowy bindings that had cocooned her body from the neck down. They wouldn’t budge a single millimeter and they felt as though they were beginning to sap her of her own strength while inside of them. If it were true and not the adrenaline wearing off, than she needed to work fast. Luna had made a good distraction of the female vampire. It gave Sakura some time to make her way towards the hole in the ground and try and get as out of range of her hold as she could. Her idea was if she could get far enough away, maybe the spell would break and she would be free.

Sadly, as she began to move, it simply constricted her body harder, making her cry out in further pain from it. What kind of spell did she get herself stuck in? Whatever it was, it hurt like hell, but after a couple of squeezing actions, the pain wasn’t as bad. Maybe it was the fact Luna was terrifying the ever living hell out of her and so she wasn’t concentrating as much. Whatever the case may have been, she had one idea. Pushing against it with all her might, the shadows decided to squeeze back. This time, however, Sakura’s body began to glow with a bright a light and the shadows would burst into pieces. Almost as though she shredded it.

Now, the spirit bounced up onto her feet and began to brush herself off of any dirt and dust she picked up. Oblivious to the plight of the kitsune whom was with her, the blue haired teen looked over her shoulder as the harsh thud caught her ear. The rainbow slayer turned around and saw Luna collapsed onto the ground and a loud gasp left her lips. Of course, she could see she was passed out and that sweet, cheery look faded for a moment. Gazing about, the idol looked on to the ashes and she gave a light chuckle. ”Huh. So that’s what the Knights have, huh? Interesting.” She muttered in a whisper. She didn’t simply act oblivious. No, Sakura Kisagami heard every word, she just chose to pretend not to or just had been so wrapped up in her own business, pun aside.

”Oh my gosh, Luna!” She suddenly yelled out, acting as though she honestly had a 100% vested care. She did for having saved her in some sense, but in the same moment, she was trying to keep herself together. This was, after all, her first job since joining Hidden Blades. She wasn’t entirely adept at her skills after so long away. The girl ran over and looked into her. Hands covered in water began to address any and all wounds she may have endured and then letting it all evaporate into the air from whens it came. Sitting the back of the room on a podium almost was an open book. The blue haired teen took her approach to it and there sat the book they were here for. Instead of immediately picking it up, she took out a small object and began to run it over every single page. Should Luna have woken up, from there, it would appear like she were looking through a book with an intent to find if it were the book they were here for. After a moment, she would shut it and pocket her device, then pick up the book. She got all she needed. Now was the time to go.

592 words
3807 + 592 = 4399/3500
7131/7000 total words