Thank You For Waking Me Up (Princess Pittooey and I)

"And I didn't know until now, why didn't you tell me?" Jinji muttered. "Don't start that crap with me, Tsubaki. Do you? You've been just acting like nothing is wrong all this time? What if those guys we saw earlier did something to someone? What if we could have stopped it?"
 
Ugh. Why did Jinji have to be so...Jinji?! "I didn't tell you because I didn't tell anyone. Besides, I thought it would be safer if you didn't know. I've been dealing with this for a long time now. It's a long story...but believe me when I tell you how dangerous they are. And if I went after every one I saw, I would have been dead by now. The only thing I care about is keeping my family and friends safe from them...nothing else is my business." It seemed cruel, but she didn't want to risk dying for strangers. All the demons she had faced up until now were tough and she knew that there were stronger ones out there...this was just asking for trouble.
 
"I can't even believe I'm hearing that from you," Jinji muttered. "The person who shoves down our brothers throats about being good people and always going to school and you're ignoring this? Are you serious, Tsubaki!? So what if someone that your friends know gets taken? Does that mean they don't fit your perfect little bubble?"

"Um," Botan said quietly. This...was not going how she expected it, at all...
 
"I don't expect you to understand, because you've never stared a demon in the face while it tried to eat you." Tsubaki growled, ignoring Botan's attempted interruption. "If something is happening right in front of me, I don't just walk away, but I don't just chase demons for no reason, either. So please, spare me the attitude."
 
"Oh, so now I have an attitude for you going behind my back, not telling me anything and being upset that you don't care about people?" Jinji muttered. "Spare me your bullshit, Tsubaki. Botan, I'm in."

"Um," Botan said, perking up a little. "That's great, but-"

"No buts," Jinji muttered. "If my sister wants to be a heartless bitch, let her. I'm not going to stand around and let this keep happening if you need help, or...whatever it is you're doing, I want in."
 
Tsubaki couldn't believe it. Unbelievable! She was fine not getting any recognition for doing what she did whenever she could, but now that her sister knew she was somehow pissed off at how ungrateful she was being, even if she didn't know what to be grateful for. "Fine, if you want to be that way, I'll do it too. Only because you clearly don't know what you're getting into, and I'm not going to be sitting at your funeral because I couldn't stop you from making the worst mistake of your life. But yeah, I'm the heartless bitch." She glared at Botan. This was definitely her fault, but she wasn't going to sit back and let Jinji get into this mess by herself.
 
"You are, because you didn't fucking tell me anything!" Jinji snapped at her with a snarl. "I'm not some tiny little child you need to protect, Tsubaki! You're not my fucking mother, so stop telling me what I can and can't do! No goddamn wonder I don't-"

"Hey, hey!" Botan said quickly. "There's no need for all this yelling, okay? It's going to be fine, I promise. You're going to get help from one of the best there ever is! I promise!" she said quickly. Hoo boy...she was getting Yusuke flashbacks...

"Whatever," Jinji muttered. "Just put your stupid headphones on and zone everything out like you normally do, Tsubaki."
 
"Oh my God." Tsubaki muttered as she rubbed her temples. Unlike her sister, she just got quieter the more angry she felt. That and she didn't feel like even speaking to her anymore. There was no point anyway, she never listened when she got like this. "Botan, what help are we supposed to be getting? I just assumed we were going to be fighting them alone. After all, that's how I've been doing it for the last couple of years." Her voice was calm and controlled, she couldn't let her sister get the better of her. She just didn't understand.
 
"Oh look, more I wasn't told about," Jinji muttered. "What next, you have a second family?"

"Um, no, there's a spirit detective...well, not really anymore, but he was one for a long time. He keeps in touch, I think he'd be willing to help if it meant we bothered him less." Botan explained nervously.

"You think, or you know??" Jinji grumbled.

"Um, well..." Botan laughed nervously, rubbing her head. "Let's just...let's find out after school!"
 
"I only have one family. I'd die if I had two, the way you treat me." Tsubaki rolled her eyes. Great, they'd have a mentor or something? Whatever. "I'm going to class now. Hopefully that ex detective of yours will help, we're going to need it." She muttered before leaving.

Damn it, this wasn't how she really wanted Jinji to find out, but it was done now and she'd just be mad. Being an older sister was a thankless job.
 
"Fine, go," Jinji muttered. "Like usual, say fucking nothing that fixes anything and just act like the better person."

...Maybe Botan would wait until this was over before she unfroze Amari...
 
She was already gone. She couldn't deal with her sister when she was like that, not without wanting to rip her hair out. She made her way to her next class, and people were surprised to find her walking in just before the bell sounded.

"New girl giving you trouble?" Haruhi asked as she sat between her and Rei.

"You have no idea..." Tsubaki answered with a long sigh. Her life was about to get so complicated, and for what? Just so her sister could spite her.
 
Well, it wasn't exactly the fanfare she expected...but she had two Spirit Detectives! Botan couldn't be happier, but both of them were probably the most sour looking girls she had ever seen when they met her after school. She tapped her temple with her knuckles in faint thought, sighing.

"Come on, you two," she mumbled. "At the very least, you could be a little more open to seeing if you have the goods to last, this could help you, even if you aren't a spirit detective!"

Honestly, Jinji was furious. She hated it, she hated it every single goddamn time her sister acted like she always knew the best choice because she was older, because their Mom needed help. She wasn't her goddamn Mom, and they weren't so far apart in age that she had any right to tell her what was best for her. And she was off playing vigilante while she always chastised Jinji for missing classes and getting into fights? Fucking hypocrite.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Jinji groused. "Let's just get this over with."
 
"Jinji...you could at least be more polite to someone you're trying to help." Tsubaki chastised, despite knowing that would probably make things worse. Botan was actually right, this wasn't a complete waste of time if she got stronger at least. "Anyways, do you intend to test us, Grim Reaper?"
 
"Botan, please," she smiled easily. "And no, I don't...that's Yusuke's job, he'll be able to tell if you're worth what I think you are in no time!" she said. Yes, if anyone could tell them, it would be Yusuke, as much as Koenma thought fondly of him

"...Yusuke?" Jinji said, brow raised. "...Yusuke Urameshi?" No way, THE Yusuke Urameshi? The kid who beat up just about everyone he could lay his hands on, and had that weird...car wreck thing?
 
"Who?" Tsubaki asked easily as she placed her hands behind her head. Honestly if it wasn't a musician, she was bad with names. She wondered how exactly this "Yusuke Urameshi" intended to test them. Did they have to fight?
 
"Figures you wouldn't know," Jinji sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "He used to run these streets, sis. All the gangs around here would try and take him down, and he'd put them away like nothing," she grinned. "This makes total sense why someone as strong as Yusuke would be doing this! This is incredible!"

"Well, I'm glad someone is excited," Botan said happily. "It's very hard finding applicable candidates, you know!"
 
Tsubaki didn't look very impressed. However, she'd be stupid to assume that this guy wasn't a big deal. Anyone who fought against apparitions were strong. Professionally? She could only imagine how skilled he was. This would be a problem though, what kind of person was he if Jinji looked up to him for "running the streets"?

"Hmm, so what makes us applicable?" Tsubaki asked casually. She could understand herself, she had a little experience. Her sister though? She didn't even have any experience other than seeing things. They must not have been that picky...
 
"Er, well..." Botan grinned. "It's a very complicated process, you see. Only the ones with the highest rating can ever really get a chance to be interviewed!" Jinji narrowed her eyes slightly, but said nothing. Uh huh, why did this feel like a con?
 
"You don't know, do you?" She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Whatever, I'm getting bored. Just get to the point." She didn't even want to be here. She was only here because her sister was being a rebellious child. The more she talked to this Botan woman, the more annoyed and paranoid she got. She was bracing herself for the worst, in a moment she would be slipping on her headphones. She was always more aware of things when she listened to music. She could never quite explain it.
 
"What? No, don't be silly!" Botan sighed. "Of course I know! We've been keeping very close track of everyone that has an increase of spiritual energy since everything happened! It's a process, it's just very complicated to explain." They didn't have enough people, really. If anything, Yusuke's stint as Spirit Detective had shown them that. Now, with the uptick in demons...sometimes homegrown detectives weren't the safest bet for anyone. No, these two were close to Yusuke, that was important. They'd have a mentor.

...Hopefully, anyway.
 
"So when did everything happen? This gate to the demon world opening...when did that happen?" Tsubaki asked, moving her hands to slide one of her headphones on one ear. "And why? Isn't that a little dangerous to the humans that can't protect themselves?" She couldn't say she wasn't curious, although she had been seeing spirits and things for a quite a long time. She did sense something strange a few years ago, a shift in the air perhaps. But, it wasn't like she felt much different herself. What was spiritual energy?
 
"It's been about..." Botan mused, tapping her chin in thought. "A year or two, I think? That sounds about right. It's much easier this way, you see...while yes, it does mean more demons can come from Makai, now that it is illegal by order of the King to do such things, it makes it much more transparent to send them back! It was considered a worthwhile risk. That also had the side effect of humans having an increased spiritual energy presence, like you, and your sister. Our records had you marked before, but now you've had a large difference, it's really quite fascinating!"

"So," Jinji mused, arms crossing. "It's safer because it's more open, but that does mean we're more at risk at the same time...quite the gamble."

"It's worked out so far," Botan smiled. "But that means we need more people here, on Earth, to keep things running smoothly, that's where you and your sister come in, Jinji. Besides, we could use more pretty women around here, I tell you, it's so difficult being the only beautiful one," she sighed, fanning herself. "One can only do so much on their own."

"...I see," Jinji said flatly. Was she seriously a grim reaper, or were they being lead into some kind of trap?
 
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Not really, honestly. This was definitely not her problem to solve, but she had little choice if Jinji followed through with this. For both their sakes, she hoped she didn't. Maybe she was a little weirded out by Botan's last comment. "So are there any other candidates at this point?"
 
"Oh, plenty!" Botan said easily. "All over the world, in fact! But you two have the most potential we've seen so far! It's really quite impressive!"

"Uh huh," Jinji said, eyes narrowing. Botan was either unphased, or expertly aware of just how much Jinji was becoming increasingly aware of how much sugar she was laying on. Ooh, why couldn't she get the gullible ones!? It made it so much easier to explain things like that!

"A...Anyway, the important thing is, you'll have someone who knows what to do, to help you," Botan smiled. "And he will help, I have a lot of tools at my disposal. C'mon, we're almost there!" They were heading into a slightly nicer part of town, but Jinji didn't complain. Yusuke was living the high life now? Did you even get paid as a Spirit Detective?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom