The Light of my Life

Public Transportation

"Where's Lily?" Tamotsu was close enough with Illyana to be allowed such a privilege and call her by her nickname, though in fairness no one else dared. 

"Idiot!" Shu barked. "That's what ah'm tryin' ta tell ya. She's already gone! Looks like she buggered off ten, fifteen minutes ago."

"Dammit." Tamotsu turned his head and sucked his tooth. "Tsk. She's getting slick." Maybe he should punish her? 

Tamotsu's expression shifted into an annoyed scowl. Shunso leaned back a bit and held up his hand, his camera still hanging around his neck. Shunso was Tamotsu's upperclassmen in highschool, so they were familiar with the other's personalities and did well to clash. When Tamotsu entered school, Shunso was already a third year and on his way out. Shunso had a more relaxed personality. Some were tempted to call him a delinquent, but he's never gotten into enough trouble to be labeled as such. A bit disordered and mouthy, but otherwise well meaning. He was the playboy in school so because of his good looks he ended up with a new girl on his arm every day. Of course it eventually came back to bite him in the ass when his senpai caught wind of his flirtatious games. She was not lenient in her lecture.

They say a day after Shunso ended up with bleeding ears.

"I'm worried. If she keeps doing this the paparazzi'll catch her off guard." Shunso was more worried for the paparazzi than Illyana, honestly.

Girl was a Vampir no matter how they dressed her and he had a devoted understanding of Vampir being that Shunso was a Lycanthrope: their greatest rivals in terms of power. Lycan were proud warriors and their strength waned with the phases of the moon. It wasn't a stretch to say that on any given day they could carry a supernatural strength or power on par with that of a demigod. Unlike Vampir they didn't need any special diet to live, but because of their incredible capabilities their metabolism was through the roof and they had to eat twice what a normal human needed daily. In the upwards of 4000cal a day for an adult male.

"Well," Tamotsu sighed, rolling down his sleeves. "I guess I'll go catch up. And don't worry. Her bodyguards keep close to her even when I'm not."

Shunso narrowed his eyes, tilting his head a bit in question at his kouhai. "You trust them that much, dude?"

Tamotsu smoothed back his hair before sighing. "Hell no. Which is why I am taking the next bus to her apartment and make sure she isn't eating microwavable bentos again." Motioning his hand Tamotsu would be on his way. 

- - - -

The bus was a comfortable ride. Because it was so late at night it wasn't as crowded as it would b e during rush hour, forcing people to pack into the metal box like sardines. The thought made Illyana hungry, in fact. Maybe she would get a can of sardines to make with her onigiri. She was already planning what it was she wanted to get from the convenience store that was a block away from her apartment. It was where she usually got off the bus at this hour. Illyana was settled in her seat. Looking around she would take note of a small number of businessmen riding back from their time at the shinbashi. She could still smell the scent of grilled meat and beer wafting in the air from their direction. Vampir had a sensitive sense of smell so it was problematic for her constitution to visit certain places. If not for all the smoke and chatter she would likely visit one. Oh but that wasn't because of her senses, per say. She was just rather particular.

She passed it off as having habits, but it seemed to be something of a higher degree than just habitual behavior. She even had to bathe in water soaked with oatmeal because her skin was delicate and would dry out. She didn't like to eat some foods because she found them slimy or too sticky. She got cold quite easily so even during photoshoots, in the summer, they had to make sure she had a robe between shots. With many other quirks she seemed more an old lady than Vampir. 

The woman would take note of the delinquents at the end of the bus. They seemed to be chatting and laughing, despite their rough looking exteriors. She wore a graphic hooded jacket and plaid, pleated skirt. She had a pair of knee-high socks that were solid red and simple black shoes. She carried her bag on her lap, on the front appeared to be a mascot character of a cute bunny and played around on her phone to seem less like a nosy busybody. From her phone hung two or three charms of animal mascots that were popular when she was younger. Since she was trying to hide her identity her current outfit was ideal seeing as she looked little different from the Harajuku girls that could often be found in Yoyogi park to relax, enjoy music, and wear their spectacular, outrageous outfits. 

A soft smile broke her cool exterior as she looked down to her phone. She had secretly snapped a photo of the trio in the back of the bus amid their laughter. She always found scenes like these romantic. She had always wished to have a friendship like that in her youth, but she had grown up too fast and was never able to enjoy the company of her peers. Though she had her sisters, it just wasn't the same. Even now the people she knew were only work associates. She had barely gotten to know Shunso, her photographer, but her manager spoke highly of his ability. If she recalls he also vouched for one of her bodyguards, who was currently in the front of the bus keeping an eye out on her. He wasn't as stealthy as he thought behind that newspaper. 

Tamotsu seemed to know a lot of people quite well in their office. He was very likable and easy going. She had been working with Tamotsu since she was about twenty. Her parents felt she needed someone to keep track of her schedule and get her moving when she would become engrossed in her t ask. Illyana lost herself to the cameras. She could toss away her mask and be the person she wanted to be. It may have been difficult, stressful work but the results were satisfying. She could escape her dark world for one of light and spread her wings beneath the sun without falling to the temptations Icarus had. She gave her all to show people her best side. Though the paparazzi were a different story.

Their camera flashes were neither warm, nor welcoming. They were disconnected, cold. Whenever they took a picture of her they spun stories in their favor which questioned her integrity at best, but at worse put her career on the chopping block. She had messed up once. But it only took one time. She had been cornered by the paparazzi and tried her best to answer their questions, but one of them began to delve into a rather untoward topic such as her sex life or personal grooming habits! She would gently rebuff them and focus on another recorder, but he always pushed into the way of the others. He got closer and closer, pushing her buttons until... she attacked him in a fit of rage. He sued her family, forcing them to settle in court so long as the man stayed away from them and none would ever speak of it again, protecting the woman's privacy. 

After that she was put under a strict watch by her parents and they hired a manager to handle her interviews and every aspect of her life. While some may have found such a thing infantilizing or humiliating she found it -- freeing. It allowed her to focus on her work and not worry about their long, gangly fingers poking into her personal life. Her bodyguards were also assigned to her and kept the crowds at bay, leaving the brunt of the vulture's assault on Tamotsu. She had come to depend on Tamotsu's help because with him taking the weight off of one focus in her life she was able to try her hand at other venues. She had been able to do some voice acting for an anime and she even recorded a music album that had become quite the collectable among fans seeing as only one hundred released to celebrate the anniversary of the Blood Moon Agency as a promotional album.

~p o n g~

The bus' screen lit up, showing the next stop was the street in front of her favorite convenience store. Moving to stand Illyana tucked her phone into her bag. She walked to the doors, patiently waiting. In the back the three delinquents also stood. Looking at each other they silently gestured toward the lone model. They were dressed like Yakuza, but seemed far too young and immature. Probably highschoolers playing around. Illyana stepped off and made her way to the shop. The trio, two men and a woman, hopped off as well and followed Illyana into the store.