Hanabi

Chapter 1: The Lady and the Fox

INFO:

Itako – Japanese female shamans, who were all blind and supposedly had the ability to talk to spirits and demons, and even cast them away. They still exist, though some are not blind nowadays.

Youkai – Japanese supernatural creatures.

Kitsune – a word for fox, but in the story it will only refer to the youkai version, the fox shaped being with up to nine tails. There are “good” and “bad” types of kitsune.

Tokko-fuku – type of uniform worn by bosozoku gangs.

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A figure dressed in black, with a large hood over the head, stepped on the tatami floor and walked inside a big room, lit by white paper lanterns. There were various unfinished paintings resting against the walls and a black cat walked by, also entering the room.

The animal hurried to take its place next to the woman who was sitting in a tall stool in the middle of the room, with a brush in hand and a white canvas placed in front her, and the person in black just watched. The woman was wearing a dark blue kimono, and had long blond hair falling over her shoulders like a cascade. She had her back turned to the door and the visitor.

- I wanna be alone right now. - she said calmly, and the black dressed visitor sighed - I already said you can't do anything for me, so stop.

- You're so stubborn... - the visitor said in a soft female voice - Remember, there's always something you can do...

- About your problems. - the blond woman interrupted and completed the sentence, and the visitor sighed again - That's a lie. I don't need your pity.

- I'm not...

- Yes, you are. Don't try to deny it, you know better. - despite the cold words, there was a certain softness to the blonde's voice - Anything you try will only make things worse. I'm supposed to be alone, I'm supposed to be this way, you of all people should respect that.

- But...

- No, I don't want things to be better. Everything is fine the way it is.

- Mami-san, you know that...

- Yes, I know. - now the blond woman sounded annoyed - That's why you need to leave. Now.

- ... As you wish. - the visitor sighed again and turned around.

She went out of that painting studio and closed the doors behind her, facing the dark night sky, still hiding into her hood. She didn't even know why she tried.

A moment later, she wasn't there anymore. There was no sign of her, no sign of the black cape, nothing there on the stone floor.

- She won't listen to me. - said the blond woman inside the studio, and the black cat jumped on her lap. She stroke the animal's back slowly with her free hand, listening as it started to purr. - I don't think I'll let her come back here if she decides to do what she's thinking.

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There was a heavy downpour that night when a black pickup truck pulled over in one of the emptiest streets of Kyoto. The two girls inside couldn't understand how could be raining so hard when just an hour ago the weather was completely perfect. It was weird how the whole atmosphere changed so fast in such a short span of time.

The one on the passenger's seat, a brunette girl with long hair and a dreadful expression, just looked through the window in silence, hugging herself into her black sweatshirt. She was cold, and she didn't like being cold.