Welcome to Gaia! ::

Starring :: Natsuki, Kyou & (maybe) Tsu
Featuring :: The Ilse of Gambino Five-0
Location :: Yanagitani/Star

Continuation :: from RP #24 in Natsuki's Journal.

A light flashed on the answering machine, among the other possible important phone calls and tele-marketers, was a message completely devoid of anything resembling Natsuki's voice. The number on the caller ID clearly states the mobile phone number is without a doubt hers, but all Tsu and Kyou can hear are the following message:

"He was here, again... the one who took Chloe... I need... help me..." before her voice trailed off, a clear indication that she stayed on the line until the answering machine cut her off, and hung up. Police sirens were faint in the background, but the sound grew in intensity as the last of the message played out.

Natsuki did her job. She passed on information to the police, who would be swarming the vicinity shortly, but more important, she informed people who were genuinely concerned about Chloe's disappearance, and not just 'doing their jobs' like the boys in blue. There is no indication of injury, only pure, unadulterated fear in the redhead's voice. If tears could be seen, her face would be wetter than a sail in a hurricane.

Police cars crowded the street, and neighbors huddled on the sidewalks. Any possible discretion by the local law enforcement went right out the windows as car after car pulled up in front of the Yanagitani/Star Residence. Apparently, it was a slow crime night in Gambino, and all the local cops wanted in on the kidnapping action. Much to Natsuki's dislike, it meant flashing red and blue lights, countless yards of police tape, and blinding flood lights in place of the non-working electricity.

Natsuki stood in the hallway, with her bathrobe pulled tightly around her. Though she did the right thing by calling the police, the detective heading the investigation gave her a grilling she neither wanted nor deserved. Not a single fingerprint had been found, save for Natsuki's on the fuse box in the basement and on the letter she'd discovered. The evidence team marched past Kyou with countless plastic bags all marked with "EVIDENCE" in black and yellow print: broken glass from the window down stairs, the battery belonging to the security computer, and a jumble of cables which could only be every possible wire running through the house.

The last two pieces lingered a bit longer before Kyou's eyes, two rookie cops attempted to showboat their promotion to the evidence department. One held the letter, driving Natsuki to call the police, while the other held a bag with Chloe Star's signature glasses. As the cops turned the letter over to see if any message was written on the back, the jaggedly cut pieces of magazine paper sneered at Kyou.


"Can you believe the sick b*****d left this letter and the glasses on her roommate's pillow?" One cop mused, completely unaware of Kyou standing close by. "Betcha she's not sleeping her tonight."

"You mean ever again," the other cackled softly, looking at Chloe's glasses. "I mean, seriously, who would ever kidnap a chick who wore these?"

The callous comments went in one ear, and lit a fire inside Natsuki. "Get the hell outta my house, you insensitive bastards! You'll be stuck checking parking meters for the rest of your days by the time this is over!" Natsuki snapped, turning an almost feral and sinister glare at the two cops. Tears began falling again as the two cops hastily hurried out of the house before they got themselves in any more trouble.

When they disappeared, Natsuki's jaw dropped, catching sight of Kyou. Without another word, she rushed over and threw her arms around his neck, completely relieved to see someone who actually cared at her front door. "I'm so, so sorry to get you involved in this... I-I-I didn't know who else I could call,"Natsuki sobbed, shaking terribly.

Natsuki leaned into Kyou's embrace, as tears rolled down her cheeks heavily. His voice was so gentle and soothing, and his arms held her. After months of forcing herself to be strong, Natsuki had met her limit. The infiltration of her home a second time, and the extreme lengths the kidnapper took to violate Natsuki's security broke her resolve to be strong like a branch in a hurricane. Kyou's soothing touch made her weak in the knees, as she'd never been in the arms of any may other than those in her family. His whispers in her ears made her only hold him tighter. She was afraid that if she let him go, she'd blow away like a leaf in the autumn wind.

"He came back. Despite everything I did to make this house safe, he came back," she sobbed, trying to pull herself together. I don't know where to go, but I can't stay here. I can't be alone tonight."

Kyou's soothing voice and comforting words washed over. Unlike the cold, mechanical responses of the police and detectives, whom only sought to pull the details out of her, her friend's thoughts were focused on her alone and her well-being. "I'd like that so much. I know it's a full house, but," her shaky voice broke into a relieved, hiccuping giggle at Kyou's mention of Lazzie lighting intruders ablaze. Sniffing back some of the congestion in her nose and throat, she took a long, deep breath. Crying in her entry way certain wasn't going to accomplish too much.

"I'd like to see that. Perhaps, I'd join him by throwing a little cooking wine on the bastards," Natsuki said, pressing her cheek to Kyou's, giving him a sideways peck, just below the corner edge of his glasses. Unlike alone she desperately wished to plant on Kyou's brother, the kiss was light, like the wings of a butterfly lightly fluttering, almost childlike in its nature. Pulling back her gray eyes looked up to his golden ones with a faint shred of strength left in them.

" I'll just go up to my room and grab a few things: pajamas, clothes for tomorrow, and some necessities from the bathroom. We can have a pajama party. I'll make pancakes to repay you for tonight."

Taking a step back, she reluctantly pulled herself from Kyou's arms, however, her hand gravitated to his arm, wrapping her arm in his. Try as she may, Natsuki knew if she attempting going upstairs by herself, she'd take ages. With Kyou at her side, she felt stronger, and more importantly, safer. Pointing to the winding staircase before them, red hair simply nodded the direction the needed to take.