"The doves are concerned for the floppies too." Ayato said running out.
"That's not good." She said sighing.
"Look, me and Hinami are dropping out." I said shaking my head.
"Where are your loyalties now?" She asked tilting her head.
"I'm not getting us killed." I said.
"Ayato the bag." She held her arm out. He pulled the bag off his back and gave it to her. She pulled something out and gave it to me.
"You're fighting with us. There may not be a fight to partake in, but you're coming. For him." She said smiling.
She moved away and walked off.
I looked at what she gave me and it was a mask...Kanekis mask.
"He'll be there?"
"If the ccg are alerted. Yes."
"What's the plan?" I asked turning around to face the nutcracker.
"I'll drive my surprise to the venue, auction my humans off along with my surprise, for as much as I can get, and you all need to get there early, monitor the place and watch over madam, she pays lots for stuff like this, make a good impression and she might want you next time."
"Seems pretty straight forward."
"Well it's not. Anything could go wrong." Ayato said.
"I know." I turned around and walked towards him. "I have high hopes for tomorrow."
"Hope, is often shattered."
I chuckled and shook my head. "Get over it."
"Him too!" The nutcracker shouted.
I turned around and laughed. "Come on. You're very stylish I want some help as to what I'm wearing."
"It's not a fashion show." Ayato said nastily.
"Wow. He's hot." The nut cracker asked staring at his crotch.
"That's disgusting stop it! You're not doing that." I said pulling her along with me.
We walked upstairs to my suitcase and rummaged through it. She pulled out some knee high socks and a black sports bra, with some plain black pumps. "That's and some nice lace panties and you'll look smoking." She said smiling.
"I don't want to look like you." I said looking at her. She looked at me, as though she was offended. "I mean because being over shadowed by you would be awful. My petite body in such...sexy things would look awful." I said smoothly.
"You're right. You couldn't pull that off when you look like a fourteen year old girl." She stood up and left me sitting on the ground thrown off by what she just said.
"Here." She said putting a mini skirt on the ground. "Oh and..." She ran off and came back with black cycling shorts and a black and white coat.
"With the mask you'll look great." She said smiling.
"Thank you." I said putting the mask on the pile. I then zipped my suitcase and put the pile on top of the suitcase.
"Lets get you in the bath." She said pulling me into the bath.
I lay in the bath she ran smiling at how it smelt and how relaxing it was.
"Taiga, you're a really nice person, and because you're quite ugly, it makes me feel really good about myself." She said like it was a compliment.
"You need to work on your compliments." I said smiling.
"Sorry."
"Hey, nutcracker."
"Yeah?"
I turned my head to face her. "What's your real name? Like the name your parents gave you?"
"Why?"
"Nutcracker is a bit informal and if we're to be friends, I need to know your name."
"It doesn't matter. That part of me is gone."
"Why?"
"Its doesn't matter." She said angrily.
"It's does to your friend that thinks you're very pretty."
She looked up and shook her head.
"That was a cheap move." She paused before smiling. "But it worked. Erm, it was karin."
"Was?"
"She's not me. She was a poor ugly girl. And I'm not her anymore."
"You were poor?"
"Very." She stood up and knelt down behind my head. "I'm washing your hair." She said dunking my head under the water. She massaged the shampoo into my roots then into the rest of my hair. She rinsed it out and conditioned it.
"Why do you like me as much as you do?"
"I like people that are different and intimidating."
"I'm intimidating?"
"You know you're reputation right?"
"Uhm...not really?" I said confused.
"The ruthless tiger. Binge eating cannibal devouring anyone that gets on her bad side. With a split personality, you don't know wether you'll get her good or deadly side. Don't be fooled by her cute demeanor or her travel size cuteness, the girl is a beast inside."
"It sounds like the blurb to a book." I said laughing. She rinsed the conditioner out and sat on the toilet.
"You aren't ugly." She said as I climbed out. I wrapped a towel around myself and smiled.
"Thank you for the compliment. I know how rare they are."
"You are welcome."
I rung my hair out and walked to my bedroom.
"Come on you two." I said to Yuki and Hinami lay on the bed.
"Were not going to sleep." Hinami said angrily.
"Well, go and have a shower, have a drink instead of just lying here."
"I just helped Ayato."
"Good for you." I said pulling her up off the bed.
"Look." She said smiling as I pulled he to her feet. "I will go and take Yuki outside and play for a bit, considering the reason you're acting so cranky is because you're scared about tomorrow. I'll go, I'll take him, just chill out." She said walking away.
I lay down on the bed and Ayato walked in.
"Raiden and you aren't together are you?"
"Not yet why?" I asked sitting up.
"Because I can't let go of you." He said holding my hand.
He put his free hand into his pocket and gave me my necklace that he bought me.
"It's yours. Even if we're broken up."
I smiled and put it on.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"It's okay." I moved away and hid as i got dressed. My hair was still wet but it didn't matter.
"I'm scared about tomorrow Ayato."
"I'm won't let anything happen to you or Hinami, I promise."
I sighed and smiled. "Thank you."
"Why did you leave though?"
"Yuki, his parents turned him into a full ghoul. He was human. He has two kakugans and everything so he is valuable. The people that are after him, know me and soji and they're strong like really strong. So...we ran until we get enough people on our side to help us kill them all."
"Oh. Okay. Well if you'd have told us-"
"-there was no time. They were already after us so we couldn't have. He gave me hair and told me that he basically has leverage. Yuki... for whoever he is harboring."
"You said no right?"
"Obviously. Nobody I know or care about is missing so they're either lying or have got someone I don't know."
"Well, the jokes on them." He said standing up.
"You going?"
"You're not the only one in need of some extra training."
"Oh. Well, have fun and stay away from the nutcracker. She's a bit..."
"A bit what taiga?" She asked standing at the door.
"A bit ballsy."
She giggled and walked off.
"She the weirdo that eats the family jewels?"
"Yes." I said smiling.
"Ah. I'll be sure to keep my treasure away from that chest."
"Oh yes you will." I said sarcastically. He smiled and walked out.
Tomorrow all I had to do was guard the rich lady. Didn't seem too hard...just hope for the best and hope the ccg don't come.
