#lpara

Zinnia may not be on cloud nine, but she was feeling very good about herself today. During her lunch break, she’d traveled through shadows to check on the animals in her farm and the animals in her home. The animals at her farm were very happy, the friendlier ones were playing with each other and the more aggressive ones were just relaxing under the hot sun. Things were calm and it took some convincing for Zinnia to convince herself not to shift and play or relax along with her animals. Those at her apartment were a bit restless, but after playing with them for a bit they calmed down considerably. Today was turning out to be a, dare she say it, normal day.

For Zinnia, normal days seem to be few and far between. She knows not to expect normal days, not when she lives in a town that is quite literally a beacon for supernatural creatures. A place full of people like her, all living next to humans without humans being fully aware of them. With an existence like that, normal days shouldn’t even be possible. But there are days when Zinnia thinks normalcy is right there, right within her grasp. Days when the full moon isn’t so close. Days when the wispy scent of magic doesn’t contaminate the air. Days when Jacob plays minesweeper on the waiting room computer like he doesn’t know Zinnia is standing right behind him. Days like today. These are the days that Zinnia may not cherish, but she definitely appreciates them. 

“You know, to come to the front, all the doctors and nurses have to pass you. And we can all see you playing minesweeper.” Zinnia said to Jacob, the nurse sitting at the computer at the counter, very satisfied at the sight of the young nurse jumping quite high in his seat. As Zinnia walked passed the younger man, she saw him straightening himself out and mumble something under his breath. It was likely something rude, something he didn’t want her to hear, but she didn’t care. Today was a good day and she wasn’t going to let her lazy coworker bring her down. That didn’t mean she couldn’t poke fun at him. 

“Now, may I use the computer? I’d like to see who my name appointment is with.” Zinnia stated, making a ‘move’ motion with her hand. Normally Jacob would’ve fought her on it, but another vet was calling him, so he reluctantly got up and made his way to one of the back rooms. After taking a seat, Zinnia made sure that Jacob’s game was lost before checking to see who her next appointment was with. Effie Duan with their dog, Loker the Basset Hound. Putting on her best ‘welcoming’ smile, Zinnia stood up and went to the waiting room. “Miss Duan?” She called out, waiting for the person to stand before gesturing to the hallway, “Please follow me.” Not normally one for pleasantries, the Nogitsune waited until they were in the privacy of a room before kneeling down to look at Loker. “Now, how are we feeling today? Any specific reason you brought Loker in or is this just a check-up?”

 “It seems that you have gathered every ounce of information possible from the boy; I applaud your efforts, Luchia.”

“Thank you father.”

“But it is now time to end this charade. I expect you to dispose of him by next week. That is all.”

“Yes father.” 

She knew that it would come to this. It had been almost two years since her father had sent her out to collect information regarding the Souma family, and her mission was finally coming to a close. One may have thought that the completion of this lengthy task would be a weight lifted off of her shoulders, yet it was the complete opposite. Throughout the many months that Luchia acted as the young boy’s lover, she began to develop a deep emotional bond towards him. Without even realizing it, she had fallen in love.

Perhaps it was the way he cared for her, how he protected her no matter the consequences. Or maybe it was the kind and caring heart that lay beneath his beaten and battered exterior. In truth, she could not say; for somehow, his presence gave her endless hour of joy and never failed to brighten her day. She had felt safe with him.

But none of that mattered now. She could not deny her father; to do so would be an unthinkable act. Maybe she was heartless, but there was one thing she knew, and it was that she valued the will of her father- the man who rose and cared for her since the moment she was born- more than she could ever care for another man. It was over.

Thus, as she went to wipe the piteous tears from her cheeks, she stood tall, throwing her worthless feelings of affection aside to finish what she had started. 

. . .

“I have been told that the young boy has taken interest in you.” 

“Yes father.”

“You are to utilize this fact to your advantage, you do realize what this means don’t you?”

“Yes father.”

“This may take many months, are you willing to comply?”

“Yes father.”

“Good girl.”

            She knew that it would come to this. Her father had been investigating the Souma family for years, though their significance still made little sense to her. All she knew was that the family had once lead an incredibly influential branch of the sumiyoshi-kai yakuza and have since retained their power over the city through business, even after supposedly cutting important political ties.

            Luchia’s objective was to get close to their youngest son, Kaito, and find out how they were securing their large income and if the relationships they formed through the yakuza had truly been diminished. She had no clue why their status was of so much importance, but she found no reason to ask; she trusted her father.

            The next day, Luchia’s plan ensued.  The first week of her plan was spent analyzing Kaito’s daily life, including which road he took to school, where he ate lunch, who he hung out with, and where he went after the final bell rang. She spoke with friends of his, gaining their trust while subtly gathering information on his interests through seemingly normal conversation. From what she found out, he seemed to be one of the most opaque men she’d ever have to encounter. This, while intimidating, posed no problem to the young girl. Kaito already fancied her, making it all the more simple to catch his attention.

            When the day came for Luchia to face him head-on, she wasted no time in utilizing the information she had gathered.

- - - 

“Please let me take you out to coffee to apologize for this mess.”

            Luchia was not sure if her plan had taken a turn for the better or worse when she tripped and accidentally tumbled into the school fountain, taking Kaito down with her. She knew she had to make a move, but this was not the idea she had in mind.

            It all began after school, one dry winter afternoon, when she found the boy deep within the school’s gardens, alone, relaxing under a tree and smoking a cigarette. Upon noticing the petite girl making her way towards him, Kaito looked in the other direction, took another drag, finished it off, and dropped it to the ground, crushing what was left of the embers under his shoe. Below his spiked orange hair, he was dressed in a deep black-maroon pea coat styled blazer layered atop a pale mustard yellow button down with dark red jeans contrasting against the tan work boots on his feet. Luchia, entirely confident in herself, stopped right in front of the boy with a small smile, trying not to gag from the lingering scent of tobacco.

“Good afternoon.” 

            Exhaling what was left of the smoke from his lungs, Kaito slowly shifted his gaze down to the girl before him, examining her. Luchia had bundled herself up for the cold weather. Sporting a large tan jacket adorned with a rabbit fur lined hood, matching fur earmuffs encompassed what was visible of her long wavy hair. Black leggings hugged her long legs, blending into the black cut off boots on her feet. Though the heels made her an extra three inches taller, such a small advantage was not nearly enough to rival Kaito’s height. At 6 feet two inches tall, he towered over Luchia, who was almost a whole foot shorter. However, height never intimidated the girl, so even when the giant she stood in front of refused to respond, she pressed on.

“Kaito, isn’t it?” Luchia batted her eyes up at the motionless boy, “Pleased to meet you, I’m Luchia Fujioka,” she extended her hand out to the frigid giant.

“What d’ya want from me?” Kaito spoke in a flat tone, completely ignoring Luchia’s hand.   

Realizing he would not be moving any time soon, she returned her hand back to her side, “I’ve been wandering around here for awhile and I’ve become quite lost you see,” she explained, “So I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest exit?” 

            A moment of silence ensued. With five square miles of cultivated land, it was not difficult for one to find themselves without direction in the intricate landscape that was the schools gardens. This was an undeniable fact that left most students avoiding the innermost plots. Knowing this, Kaito accepted her request to become her guide with a small nod, and without a word they were off.

            Their venture proved to be a lengthy one, intertwining through gardens of different varieties of plants and crops. The school, being very well funded, took pride in their farmland, and offered an entire line of classes dedicated to cultivating and tending to the land. Luchia herself had never taken a horticulture class, and thus was unfamiliar with the area, while Kaito, who frequented the gardens, had explored every nook and cranny. His visits were not in relation to any class, but rather to admire the scenery on his own time. While Kaito showed her the way, Luchia trailed along, tangled up in what seemed like her own one-sided conversation. With the abundance of new territory, she could not help but comment on every gorgeous display she laid eyes on. Occasionally, her guide would respond with a nod of agreement or a low, “Mm”, but nothing more. But she was content, after all, actions spoke louder than words, and by the look of Kaito’s locked jaw and stiff posture, he was much more attentive than he seemed. The girl could even go as far as to say that he looked a bit nervous.

            After a few minutes of walking, the couple reached the school’s iconic marble fountain, a sign that they had almost made it to an exit, with one of them only a few hundred feet away.

“We’ll be there shortly,” Kaito stated, jerking his chin in the direction of the fountain that guarded the western entrance.

            As the two approached the massive landmark, Luchia took a moment to admire its structure. She stopped briefly to examine its colors and features. Since Luchia usually left for home straight after school, she never had the chance to take in the school’s impressive sense of decoration, and this was a magnificent piece.

            Realizing Kaito was leaving her behind, the girl quickly resumed her position behind him. But now time was running short and Luchia needed to act fast.

            With plans of ensuing a theatrical trip into his arms in order to gain his attention, Luchia began to walked directly next to the boy, rather than trailing him like before. It was when they began to circle the fountain when she had her foot get caught on a loose stone in the path, and down she went. But instead of falling to the ground, she fell sideways towards the fountain, pushing the boy right into the blue green liquid with her. Kaito fell face first into the surprisingly deep water while Luchia followed suit. Both pulled their heads out of the icy water, first gasping for air, and then gasping at the state of their hair. Luchia’s perfectly waved locks were now straight as a board and Kaito’s carefully gelled hair fell flat atop his crown. Sharing the same combination of shock and rage, both parties quickly scrambled to exit the fountain, their soaked clothes leaving them shivering cold.

            To stay within his interests, and as to not blow her cover, she swallowed the feelings of despair over ruining her hair as well as her brand new designer shoes in the chemical filled water and focused on the boy’s wellbeing instead.

            That was when she suggested buying him a coffee as an apology.

“I hate coffee,” Kaito cleared his throat and then proceeded to straighten his back in attempt to hide his flustered expression.

Luchia smiled up at him, pushing her hand forward in one last polite attempt, “Tea then?”

He stared at her hand for a moment, taking in the situation before letting out an amused sigh.

Intrigued by the persistent girl, a small smile began to form on Kaito’s face as he grabbed her hand, ”Deal.”

Patience was never one of Kaito's strong suits. No matter the situation, if he was forced to wait more than five minutes for something, he'd go off and retrieve whatever it was himself. His inability to keep idle for extended periods of time only brought torture upon himself. Now with his maximum waiting time coming up on four minutes, he couldn't help but get antsy as he sat on a bench in the school's courtyard. It was lunch time, and Kaito was in no mood to wait. His patience running thin, he focused his eyes intently on the ground, attempting to keep himself occupied.

He couldn't take it anymore, but just as he was about to get up, the clicking sound of heels rang in his ear. Looking up from the ground, Kaito was relieved to find just what he had been waiting for.

"Hello there sweetheart," a caramel haired girl chimed as she bent down to kiss Kaito's cheek, placing a small red box onto his lap. This had been what he was waiting for, Luchia, of course, but most importantly his lunch, homemade by Luchia herself.

Kaito was very picky when it came to what he ate. Refusing to eat the school's food, and too lazy to bring his own, he relies on Luchia to bring him his meal everyday. Luchia, of course, happily complies with her boyfriend's wishes. After all, she only has to put a few of her mother's catering company's meals into a box and pack it away each morning. But Kaito did not know that, and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I went to find Himeko. She'll be having lunch with us if that is alright," her soft voice whispered into his ear before she pulled back to gesture at the familiar black hair girl behind her.

Tonight wasn't like all the other nights. Usually Lucas would finish about ten to twelve pink sheets on a daily basis, but today he'd only received one. That of Leighton Young, a girl who had been four months overdue on her payments for her heart. The picture on the pink sheet seemed that of a young, beautiful and wealthy young woman but the Repo had already learned that pictures weren't always the truth. So, he'd gotten in his SUV and fought his way into the endless line of traffic, on his way to the address the woman had given when she had her heart replaced.

The world disgusted Lucas. It was filthy and poor and nobody respected anyone anymore. The entire world had grown selfish since the Depression and so had he. His job existed of ripping mechanical organs out of people's bodies when they couldn't afford them. Some people would say he was a mass murderer, an asshole, a monster. Lucas would just say: "A job's a job." Even though he didn't even need a job. His father owned nearly half the world, still Lucas had decided to step into the Repo Man business three years ago. By now, he was the best of them all. The stripes on his tattoo in his neck testified of that. The more stripes, the better you were. Nobody had as much stripes as Lucas had.

A rough count brought Lucas on about five near car accidents on his way to the airport. Of all the things she could do, she was leaving. She was taking a fucking plane to god knows where for a month. Elaine had only just informed him of this crucial piece of information. His father hadn't been too happy when Lucas had grabbed the keys from the Rolls and had raced down the street in an attempt to reach the airport before the plane left. He was nearly there, manoeuvring through the traffic. He parked the car somewhere, anywhere, causing the insults and yells from quite a lot of people. 

Lucas had made sure to dress up but not too much for this little date of his. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He'd messed a bit with his hair and eventually completed the look with a red handkerchief in his blazer. Of course he took the Maserati. He had to impress one very lovely girl.