[6/18/2015 5:27:47 AM | Edited 5:28:21 AM] さとり: “Ohhh… Hmm, hey now that I think about it… Did you show up at the student council office the other day? I thought I heard some sniffling, hahaha.” So she knew, she had to have known, and she was laughing the whole time! Maybe she was even laughing at poor Kumiko… This horrible bird, the innocent shy Kumiko-chan could feel herself be tormented by demons of doubt and jealousy once more, the same uncomfortable feeling of burning heat building up within her at the thought of Kotori’s words and actions.
[6/18/2015 5:29:59 AM] 天龍: "Ggh..." She frowned a bit, having to force herself not to feel too hurt. The girl couldn't possibly be doing it on purpose... right?
"So you heard that, huh...? Well, yeah... I was pretty upset about something unrelated. Was it that obvious it was me?"
[6/18/2015 5:35:33 AM] さとり: “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious, you’ve been trailing Youko-chan like a hawk after all! Or a vulture, hehe…” She was already on such a cute first name basis with Youko-sama… “Don’t tell me, you’re just trying to get close to me so you can get in on her money too, right? Ahaha.” As if! She didn’t seem like a good person at all, she didn’t care about Youko-sama nor falling in love, she must have been duping the lovely goddess somehow, and how dare she insinuate that Kumiko was on the same level as she was!
 Kumiko could feel the heated rage build within her, a disgusting bile rising up within her as she felt dizzy.
[6/18/2015 5:37:48 AM] 天龍: "W... What...? Money...?" She practically went reeling backwards, an expression of shock and disbelief on her face as the color drained from it. "Money? Is that what you're befriending her for? Money?"
[6/18/2015 5:44:11 AM] さとり: A brief look of guilt flashed across her face, though her resolve steeled as she gazed up at Kumiko with her dark eyes. “Why else would anyone be interested in that stuck up… …Girl. Heh, don’t tell me you’re stuck with that starry-eyed view of ‘true love’ or whatever…” Now that the sun had set, it was as though her true form was revealed, a hideous, despicable monster. Kumiko cursed herself for not having the strength to poison her before, nor the werewithall to look at her file properly. As her vision blurred and darkened, it almost looked as though the little bird had turned into a horrible demonic raven, looming down over her. She was afraid, but she knew that as long as this monstrous beast lived… Youko-sama would be at risk, and she would be no closer to protecting her princess.
[6/18/2015 5:49:52 AM] 天龍: "You... ... Money...?" she repeated, slowly straightening to her deceptive full height and shaking her head in disbelief. "Money... Ahahahahaha... Money! Money...! Pfffhhh... Ehehehehahahahaha..." It was like a great weight had been lifted from her chest, and she simply couldn't stop laughing. She was so very, very relieved.

Suddenly she had moved forward. A hand clutched the girl's collar, and the two of them went barreling straight into the alley, the little bird's back jammed harshly up against the wall behind a dumpster. Their faces were so close, now, and Kumiko's dull grey eyes stared into Kotori's like an inescapable swamp of their own.
"You don't get it, do you? You don't get anything. To think that I was worried... You really are the lowest kind of filth. You don't even understand what you have, do you? Do you?"
[6/18/2015 5:55:19 AM] さとり: “Khagh!” She winced as she was smacked against the wall, fearfully glancing down at the terrifying wolf. She tried to speak but couldn’t, which was just as well, her words were practically poison anyways. It felt so good to see such a despicable monster be afraid, as though she were finally unleashing proper justice. Surely Youko-sama would give her attention now! Kumiko was doing her the greatest service, freeing her of awful vultures.
[6/18/2015 5:58:19 AM] 天龍: "It's almost cute... How little you seem to comprehend about the world." She reached up slowly, tracing a pale, neatly trimmed finger along the captive girl's cheek. Her grip was strong, stronger than such a slender-looking girl had any right being. She couldn't stop a wide, satisfied smile from spreading across her face.

"I'm going to hurt you, little bird."
[6/18/2015 6:01:37 AM] さとり: “A-aa…” Kotori squeaked, trembling slightly as she reached out for Kumiko’s neck in turn, though she couldn’t reach with her weak wings. The red haze blurring Kumiko’s vision only grew thicker, the whole world seeming to twist to her perceptions as she squeezed tighter, not even realising how maddened her eyes looked.
[6/18/2015 6:04:00 AM] 天龍: She laughed out loud again at the pathetic attempt, and then her expression became dangerous. She pulled back her right fist and before Kotori could even react, it slammed directly into her gut like a terrible piston, smashing her right against the hard brick wall without even trying to hold back.
[6/18/2015 6:07:09 AM] さとり: “KHGAH!” She let out a satisfying squeal, coughing up blood as her vision blurred and unfocused, her arms falling limply by her sides as she whimpered. “P-please…” Though they fell on deaf ears, as all Kumiko could hear was the horrible ringing of blood and rage in her ears.
[6/18/2015 6:15:05 AM] 天龍: "Please what? It seems like you still don't get it!" Her neatly-trimmed hands roughly grabbed hold of Kotori's uniform and hauled her off the wall, only to throw her hard straight onto the concrete ground.
Takenawa Kumiko loomed menacingly over the crumpled body of the little bird, her fists clenched tight like some kind of vengeful goddess.
"You should start begging right now," she intoned flatly, pressing her shoe right into the girl's head. "Otherwise... I don't know how much more you can take..."
[6/18/2015 6:17:08 AM] さとり: “A-a-aah…” She curled up into a ball, gasping for air as she cowered in fear. “H-hh… P-phh… Hhhf… D-ddhh…” She couldn’t even manage the words, not that they’d do her any good. There was only one cure for trash like her.
[6/18/2015 6:25:52 AM | Edited 6:26:12 AM] 天龍: "Ahahahaha... That's so cute."
She didn't even have to move quickly anymore. She calmly took her time, forcing the little bird onto her back and straddling atop her, grabbing her by the collar again and lifting up her head.
"But it's not good enough... Do you understand what you've done? Youko-sama is so very selective... Very selective. And why shouldn't she be? When scum like you are hiding around..." She pulled back a fist, grinning sadistically. There was something manic behind the horrible silent darkness of her eyes.
"Apologize to her. For betraying her fragile trust. I want to hear you beg. Beg."
[6/18/2015 6:28:09 AM] さとり: She coughed again, crippling fear in her eyes. “Kha… S-ssoo… Sorryhhhff…” She was limp in Kumiko’s grasp, she looked like she was about to pass out from fright, though the arbiter wasn’t about to quit her job just because of that. “P-please don’t… H-hhuu…”
[6/18/2015 6:30:51 AM] 天龍: "That's it? That's IT?" She looked absolutely furious. "Little bird, you're not even trying! Do you have any idea how much damage you've caused!?" She couldn't restrain herself; her clenched fist flew forth, striking the girl right in the jaw with a ferocious jab.
She was still after that, still as a statue, and her eyes were so very, very wide.

"You have one more chance."
[6/18/2015 6:32:32 AM] さとり: “KYAKGH!…” One of her teeth was knocked out by it, a bruise already forming on her jaw as she shrieked and whimpered. “P-p-pp-pleash… I-I’ll never… I-I’ll never shpeak to…”
[6/18/2015 6:48:40 AM] 天龍: "Speak to her? Don't even look at her! Don't come anywhere near her! Don't even come to school!" Kumiko gritted her teeth, a painful pressure building in her chest. For a moment, it seemed like she would let the mangled bird go.

Then she imagined Youko crying.

"I can't believe you..." she muttered, shaking visibly, her muscles tense. "You... YOU... DECEPTIVE!" Her fist flew audibly through the air, smashing into the girl's face with a loud CRACK! "HORRID!" CRACK! "MONSTROUS!" CRACK! "FUCKING!" CRACK! "PIECE!" CRACK! "OF!" CRACK! "SHIT!" CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"GgghhhhuUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!" She didn't even bother to hold Kotori's head up anymore. Both fists now, SLAMMING brutally into the helpless girl's face, one after the other, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK. The only thing in her vision was blood. Her own knuckles were cut and bleeding from the sheer force of her assault, but she didn't even notice. She just wanted to bring that horrible vulture as much agony as she could possibly manage.
[6/18/2015 6:54:50 AM] さとり: For a while there was a satisfying echo of screams for each of her blows, though after a while she realised that the screaming had stopped, and her knuckles were quite sore, flecks of white mixed in with all the red and pink. As she exulted in the afterglow of administering proper justice, she glanced down at the little bird.
 Her face had broken, completely, it was disgusting. Concaved with bits of bone and brain sticking out, scarlet blood mixing with almost pus-like eye and brain fluid. It slowly pooled around her head on the street, and just as it seemed like fear was about to grip the corners of her mind, she laughed. Involuntarily, she howled with laughter. The face of the little bird beneath her didn’t even look human, it was the visage of a monster that had been slain, her fingernails had been torn off and bleeding from gripping the pavement beneath her as she was assaulted, making them look almost like bloodied talons.
[6/18/2015 7:00:03 AM] 天龍: Kumiko just kept laughing. Even when she stood up, swaying and staggering dangerously, her head spinning. She laughed and laughed and laughed, stumbling over against the wall next to the dumpster, and then she promptly vomited all over the ground.
[6/18/2015 7:08:55 AM | Edited 7:19:15 AM] さとり: Even as she puked, she felt herself forcing out heaves of laughter along with her nearly empty stomach contents. Suddenly she felt very glad she hadn’t eaten anything. Slowly staggering to her feet, she stared at the body once more before chuckling and lifting it up. It felt so light… Even as she tossed it right into the dumpster next to her, right where the trash belonged.
 Her duty completed, Kumiko wandered out of the alleyway and back towards her home, everything was a haze of exhaustion of confusion. She wasn’t sure if she was still carrying her pack, or if she even was alive anymore. As she entered her apartment, she could feel the remnants of something fall to the wayside, and she slowly paced inward, eyeing the bottle on the counter. Once more she laughed, solving her problem had been so much easier than it had seemed when she fret, and as she laughed, she collapsed, passing out on the floor.