annotate stories/thief.txt @ 0:ed1308d04df2 moonlitnights

[svn r1] initial import
author rlm
date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:24:59 -0500
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rlm@0 1
rlm@0 2 Author’s Notes: This is a Saint Tail story from Seira Mimori’s
rlm@0 3 perspective. I’ve been wanting to deal with her thoughts on things
rlm@0 4 for quite a while now. This isn’t the story I’d intended to write,
rlm@0 5 but I’m happy with it. ^-^ Now if I can ever write a story about
rlm@0 6 Seira & Meimi when they’re older, I’ll be happy. ^^;;
rlm@0 7
rlm@0 8
rlm@0 9 A Thief in the Night
rlm@0 10 by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0 11 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0 12
rlm@0 13
rlm@0 14 It’s been such a long night. I should be sleeping right now, but I
rlm@0 15 can’t. So here I am, Lord. Your loyal servant, Seira. I know I should
rlm@0 16 be in bed. I have classes tomorrow and I promised Sister Abbess that
rlm@0 17 I would help her sweep the grounds. But for some reason, I can’t
rlm@0 18 sleep tonight. Whenever I close my eyes, I see her. I can’t put her
rlm@0 19 out of my mind long enough to fade into a blissful sleep. It’s like
rlm@0 20 her image has been burned into my eyelids. I toss and turn, seeing
rlm@0 21 her smile. I hug my pillow tightly, wishing it were her there with me
rlm@0 22 to qualm my waking nightmares. But I know she’s far away, having
rlm@0 23 entirely different thoughts before passing into a deep slumber.
rlm@0 24
rlm@0 25 And it’s a well deserved sleep. She has done your will, my Lord.
rlm@0 26 She’s granted another person your protection by helping them as the
rlm@0 27 mysterious thief, Saint Tail. So she can sleep the sleep of the just.
rlm@0 28 Yet I only find myself caught in my blankets like a net, her voice
rlm@0 29 whispering in my ear with every breeze that brushes past my window.
rlm@0 30 I’m the one who convinced her to be Saint Tail. I send the hopes and
rlm@0 31 prayers of those who have been wronged unto her. And because she
rlm@0 32 trusts me, because she’s my friend, she will do anything she can to
rlm@0 33 fulfil those wishes. All I can do is wait here for her, praying to
rlm@0 34 you that she will be safe, wishing I could be there with her. But
rlm@0 35 that is her role. As I have my own.
rlm@0 36
rlm@0 37 So I am praying to you tonight, the moon sailing high above as I do,
rlm@0 38 alone in the church. I pray not to get rid of the feelings inside of
rlm@0 39 me, because I can’t imagine living without the love I feel for Meimi.
rlm@0 40 I pray instead to help quell my chaotic thoughts, to soothe the
rlm@0 41 stormy sea inside of me. So that I can try to find some tranquility
rlm@0 42 in this endless night.
rlm@0 43
rlm@0 44 The rest of the nuns are already asleep. They don’t come here this
rlm@0 45 late at night. But I’m here almost every night. I feel safer here. I
rlm@0 46 don’t have to be so alone in my thoughts here because of you. Other
rlm@0 47 girls my age are listening to music idols or wanting to get into the
rlm@0 48 latest trend. I spend most of my free time at the church, whether
rlm@0 49 thinking or praying, speaking to you or listening to those whose
rlm@0 50 hearts are heavy. Most of the students already call me Sister Seira
rlm@0 51 even though I’m not officially a nun yet. That will have to wait
rlm@0 52 until after high school. But I’m glad that they trust me as one
rlm@0 53 already. I guess they see me around the church enough to believe I
rlm@0 54 am.
rlm@0 55
rlm@0 56 It’s so quiet here at night. So peaceful. I may not be a thief, but
rlm@0 57 I do love the night as much as Meimi. Enveloped in inky darkness,
rlm@0 58 it’s not the cacophony of confusion that daylight brings. I feel so
rlm@0 59 out of place, nothing like the other girls. They don’t see me as one
rlm@0 60 of them. I might as well already be a nun in their minds, one of the
rlm@0 61 many who teach at the school. I don’t understand what they’re talking
rlm@0 62 about half the time. I can only smile and nod and pretend I have some
rlm@0 63 vague idea of what’s going on. During the day, there are so many
rlm@0 64 distractions, so many confusing things. At night, I can finally try
rlm@0 65 to unravel the knots in my heart. I can sit here and think, trying to
rlm@0 66 make sense of my confused soul.
rlm@0 67
rlm@0 68 Meimi. She is what confuses me the most. Yet she is the one truth I
rlm@0 69 can hold onto. She’s who I understand better than anyone. She’s
rlm@0 70 energetic and emotional and altogether too flighty. But that’s part
rlm@0 71 of her charm. She gets so confused about herself sometimes. I think I
rlm@0 72 understand her better than she does herself. But that’s just because
rlm@0 73 she hasn’t taken the time to try to find out what she’s like. She’s
rlm@0 74 always busy with other things, her thoughts elsewhere. My thoughts
rlm@0 75 are always inexorably drawn to her. I want to know everything about
rlm@0 76 her. I want to immerse myself in all that is her. So when she likes
rlm@0 77 something, I’ll try to find out all I can about it. Whether it’s a
rlm@0 78 band or a movie star or some type of stuffed animal, I’ll spend my
rlm@0 79 free time digging up all the information I can on it. Maybe it’s my
rlm@0 80 way of being closer to her. I want to understand her heart and soul.
rlm@0 81 Everything that makes her who she is.
rlm@0 82
rlm@0 83 Meimi’s escapades as Saint Tail was another way I could be closer to
rlm@0 84 her. She has always been so amazing. Athletic, talented, smart. I
rlm@0 85 used to clap until my hands ached when she would show me magic tricks
rlm@0 86 as a child. The magician and the nun. What an odd pair we must have
rlm@0 87 made as children. What an odd pair we must still make. But I wouldn’t
rlm@0 88 have it any other way. So I thank you for that, for letting me find
rlm@0 89 Meimi. I’ve spent so long watching her, fascinated by what I saw. It
rlm@0 90 was only a matter of time before I found a way to put her talents to
rlm@0 91 use.
rlm@0 92
rlm@0 93 Everyone suffers. You learn that in the church. But suffering is
rlm@0 94 part of life. All the same, I want to end that suffering. But there
rlm@0 95 wasn’t anything I could do on my own. People would come to me with
rlm@0 96 their problems and all I could do was listen and pray for them. Until
rlm@0 97 I finally found out how they could truly receive God’s protection. It
rlm@0 98 didn’t take long to talk Meimi into it. I know all the right buttons
rlm@0 99 to push with her, so I knew she’d do it before I even asked. I know I
rlm@0 100 probably shouldn’t have, but I believe some things are justified in
rlm@0 101 helping people. Even some deceit and trickery. Otherwise I wouldn’t
rlm@0 102 have teamed up with a magician and thief to grant people your
rlm@0 103 protection. Sometimes you have to do what you can to help people,
rlm@0 104 even if it is a little underhanded.
rlm@0 105
rlm@0 106 But I would be lying if I said those were my only reasons for
rlm@0 107 recruiting her as Saint Tail. I wanted something to share with her,
rlm@0 108 something that was ours and ours alone. A little secret we could
rlm@0 109 share, times we could sneak away together like lovers to whisper
rlm@0 110 about things no one else would ever hear. So in a way, this is my
rlm@0 111 love life. Standing in a church at midnight as I await my love to
rlm@0 112 come rushing in to pray with me and then run off to steal something
rlm@0 113 back from someone. Though I’m sure she doesn’t see it that way. I
rlm@0 114 blush faintly at all these thoughts rushing through my head, seeing
rlm@0 115 her once again vividly in my mind.
rlm@0 116
rlm@0 117 Saint Tail is our little secret. The one thing that we can share
rlm@0 118 away from the rest of the world. Something we can do together, just
rlm@0 119 the two of us. It makes me feel closer to her. It lets me have
rlm@0 120 something of her that no one else can have. But I don’t know how much
rlm@0 121 longer that can last. Her game of cat and mouse with Asuka Jr.
rlm@0 122 concerns me. If he finds out who she is, our little secret will be
rlm@0 123 out in the open. Our time together in the middle of the night will
rlm@0 124 end. I’ll no longer be blessed with her midnight visits. And I don’t
rlm@0 125 want to lose all of that. It’s too important to me. But it’s getting
rlm@0 126 more dangerous. I keep warning her about letting him find out, but
rlm@0 127 she keeps wavering. I think she loves the chase. Having him run after
rlm@0 128 her, spending all of his time and effort on her. But he doesn’t care
rlm@0 129 for her. He only cares about Saint Tail. He’s chasing Saint Tail,
rlm@0 130 scorning Meimi. I love Meimi, not some mystery girl that I don’t
rlm@0 131 know. Tuxedo or school uniform, I love her just the same. But I can’t
rlm@0 132 tell her that. I can’t let her know that my heart beats for her. I
rlm@0 133 can only warn her about letting him find out. And I know Meimi well
rlm@0 134 enough to know that the whole game of cat and mouse wouldn’t be fun
rlm@0 135 for her if there was no danger of him finding out who she is. So all
rlm@0 136 I can do is watch and worry. And pray.
rlm@0 137
rlm@0 138 But pray for what? That she could somehow love me? That she won’t
rlm@0 139 let Asuka Jr. find out for my sake? Or for the sake of all she’s
rlm@0 140 helping as Saint Tail? I don’t know. So I don’t know if those prayers
rlm@0 141 are reaching you. Just... Please keep her safe, no matter what path
rlm@0 142 she chooses. I couldn’t live with myself if she got hurt as Saint
rlm@0 143 Tail. That would be entirely my fault because I’m the one who
rlm@0 144 convinced her to be Saint Tail in the first place.
rlm@0 145
rlm@0 146 Saint Tail and Meimi are almost two different people. I don’t think
rlm@0 147 Meimi realizes it, but I can see. She changes when she puts on that
rlm@0 148 costume. She’s braver, more sure of herself as Saint Tail. She’s more
rlm@0 149 dedicated and focussed in a way, too. Which helps her to do what she
rlm@0 150 needs to, even if she does still play with Asuka Jr. chasing her. I
rlm@0 151 had no idea that would happen when I asked her to be Saint Tail. It
rlm@0 152 never crossed my mind that she would be almost a completely different
rlm@0 153 person as a mysterious thief. And yet, I love them both. Because they
rlm@0 154 are two sides of my dear Meimi. They’re both her in their own way. I
rlm@0 155 wish I could bring this up with Meimi, but I decided a long time ago
rlm@0 156 that I wouldn’t tell her how I feel. And she wouldn’t believe me if I
rlm@0 157 told her she acted like a different person as Saint Tail. She
rlm@0 158 probably doesn’t see it. If anything, it’s Saint Tail that likes
rlm@0 159 Asuka Jr. Meimi doesn’t get along with him at all. But I can’t
rlm@0 160 explain that to her. So she thinks that she might like him as well.
rlm@0 161 And it obviously confuses her horribly. It hurts that there’s nothing
rlm@0 162 I can do to help her.
rlm@0 163
rlm@0 164 All I can do is be Meimi’s friend. All I can do is watch on while
rlm@0 165 she falls in love and drifts from me. All I can do is pray for her to
rlm@0 166 be happy in her life. I’ve always known we couldn’t be together.
rlm@0 167 We’re both girls. She doesn’t like me that way. My role is with the
rlm@0 168 church. I’ve known all of these things from the moment I fell in love
rlm@0 169 with her. So it was never about getting her love for myself. It’s
rlm@0 170 always been about simply loving her, getting closer to her and
rlm@0 171 finding out everything I can about this beautiful girl who wandered
rlm@0 172 into my life. I will one day become a nun, devoted to you. I will
rlm@0 173 never love another other than her. She will always be in my heart,
rlm@0 174 even though my path does not let me be with her. But that’s all
rlm@0 175 right. It hurts, sometimes. But this is how things are supposed to
rlm@0 176 be. I try to remind myself of that when I find myself crying, longing
rlm@0 177 to be held in her arms. That will always remain a dream, but one I
rlm@0 178 will cherish as I live my life for you. I will always love Meimi. My
rlm@0 179 calling to the church doesn’t change that.
rlm@0 180
rlm@0 181 A noise behind me scatters my thoughts to the wind. It’s her. I can
rlm@0 182 tell without even looking. She may be a silent thief, but I know all
rlm@0 183 of her tricks. And I know this church better than my own room, so
rlm@0 184 it’s easy enough to tell when someone enters. Especially her. I guess
rlm@0 185 certain habits never go away. She’s still trying to sneak up on me. I
rlm@0 186 don’t turn, still kneeling in prayer. What’s she doing here tonight,
rlm@0 187 I wonder? I didn’t call her about any missions for Saint Tail. She’s
rlm@0 188 never mistaken the day before. Maybe there’s something she wants to
rlm@0 189 talk about. My heart nearly seizes up with apprehension at that
rlm@0 190 thought. Whatever she would want to talk about this late would
rlm@0 191 probably be very important. I’ve always been her confidante, and I’ll
rlm@0 192 always continue to be so. But whatever is important enough to have
rlm@0 193 her come here in the middle of the night worries me. Is it about her
rlm@0 194 feelings for Asuka Jr.? Did something happen at home? Does she want
rlm@0 195 to quit being Saint Tail?
rlm@0 196
rlm@0 197 Now I stand up. I can’t keep my anxiety from rising up within me. I
rlm@0 198 turn around, my long, white dress flowing about me. I never did
rlm@0 199 bother changing out of my nun’s clothes. There she is, radiantly
rlm@0 200 beautiful as ever. For some reason, she has come to me as Saint Tail.
rlm@0 201 My concern escalates. Did she go do something as Saint Tail on her
rlm@0 202 own tonight? Did something bad happen? Did someone find out who she
rlm@0 203 was? “Meimi, are you all right?” I ask worriedly, my hands clasped
rlm@0 204 together. She doesn’t answer me. Her eyes are cast in shadows, making
rlm@0 205 it impossible for me to tell what lay inside of them or whether she’s
rlm@0 206 been crying.
rlm@0 207
rlm@0 208 She starts to advance on me, her short pink skirt swishing about as
rlm@0 209 she does, the only noise in the empty church. I take a half-step back
rlm@0 210 unconsciously. She keeps coming forward. “Meimi?” I ask, more
rlm@0 211 nervously this time. No reply. Just the repeated swish-swish of her
rlm@0 212 skirt and the light clack of her heels on the floor. I take another
rlm@0 213 step back. And another. I smile weakly. “It’s good to see you, Meimi-
rlm@0 214 chan. I was just thinking about you. I hope that you’re okay.” Still
rlm@0 215 no answer. There’s something almost predatory in the way she’s
rlm@0 216 walking. I swallow, taking another few steps back. Something hits me
rlm@0 217 from behind, making me gasp out loud. I close my eyes, taking a deep
rlm@0 218 breath to try and calm myself. It’s only the altar. I must be pretty
rlm@0 219 worked up if I could have stumbled into it. And over Meimi at that.
rlm@0 220 But she’s always been the one to get me all worked up, even if she
rlm@0 221 doesn’t know it.
rlm@0 222
rlm@0 223 I open my eyes again, watching her stepping purposely towards me.
rlm@0 224 Her beautiful auburn ponytail swishes in time with her skirt, her
rlm@0 225 coattails shifting behind her as she walks ever closer. She’s simply
rlm@0 226 stunning. No wonder Asuka Jr. is so obsessed with finding out who
rlm@0 227 this beautiful Seraph is. So many boys have already been smitten with
rlm@0 228 her. Even her best friend, a girl dedicated to the church has fallen
rlm@0 229 in love with her. How could I help myself from doing just that? She’s
rlm@0 230 stolen a lot of hearts. She truly is a thief. But she can keep mine
rlm@0 231 forever. I don’t need it back. I’d rather she had it anyway.
rlm@0 232
rlm@0 233 So captivated by her beauty am I that I barely realize how close
rlm@0 234 she’s getting until she’s practically upon me. I move again, but my
rlm@0 235 escape is blocked by the altar. I rest my hands on it, holding on
rlm@0 236 tightly until my knuckles go white. I smile again shakily. “Was there
rlm@0 237 something you wanted, Meimi?” My voice is shaking. Even I can hear
rlm@0 238 it. It’s never been this bad when I’ve been around her before. I’ll
rlm@0 239 feel warm and dizzy inside, but this has me completely lost. I don’t
rlm@0 240 know what to say or do. I feel trapped. She can feel it, can’t she?
rlm@0 241 The love I have for her must be excruciatingly obvious this close.
rlm@0 242 Why else would I be so weak and nervous being near her?
rlm@0 243
rlm@0 244 Meimi is silent, standing before me. Strong, intent, focussed.
rlm@0 245 Everything that I can’t muster at the moment. A gloved hand reaches
rlm@0 246 up slowly. Her fingertips brush my burning cheeks, sending an
rlm@0 247 electric tingle through my skin. My cheeks darken considerably even
rlm@0 248 as I try to fight back my blush. “Meimi-chan, maybe we should go
rlm@0 249 outside. It’s awfully hot in here tonight,” I say, trying to sound
rlm@0 250 casual. I don’t look at her as I do. I can’t. I’d melt if I look into
rlm@0 251 her eyes, I just know it. I move to the left, trying to escape being
rlm@0 252 in such close proximity to this girl. She’s taking over all of my
rlm@0 253 senses. But before I can get away from her, Her arm blocks my path. I
rlm@0 254 turn only to find her other arm blocking the other way, boxing me in.
rlm@0 255 Her arms on the altar to either side of me, I find myself trapped
rlm@0 256 facing her. My heart beats deafeningly inside of me. She must be able
rlm@0 257 to hear it in the quiet of the night. I command it to be still, but
rlm@0 258 it’s not mine to control. It’s in her hands, after all. I can only
rlm@0 259 stand there, pressed tightly against the altar, looking down. Why is
rlm@0 260 she doing this? Why is she working her magic on me in such a way?
rlm@0 261 Even she can’t be naïve enough to not notice how this is affecting
rlm@0 262 me. Yet even then, I pray she won’t ask me about it. I didn’t want
rlm@0 263 her to find out. I didn’t want her to know I love her. She could
rlm@0 264 never love me anyway, so there’s no reason. Yet now I find myself
rlm@0 265 almost hoping that she knows. That she’s discovered my deepest,
rlm@0 266 darkest secret. That she can finally drag it out into the light.
rlm@0 267
rlm@0 268 “Seira,” she whispers in my ear. Whether it’s her intention or not,
rlm@0 269 it sure sounds seductive to me. I shudder imperceptibly (I hope) at
rlm@0 270 the sound of her voice echoing throughout me. Her gloved fingers take
rlm@0 271 my chin, tilting my head up. I blush darkly but do nothing to stop
rlm@0 272 her. My head moves up docilely until I’m looking at her once more.
rlm@0 273 Even now, I can’t see her eyes. The shadows and her bangs keep them a
rlm@0 274 mystery to me. I feel that if I could get through that to see them,
rlm@0 275 that everything would make sense. I’d be able to understand what
rlm@0 276 Meimi was doing, what she was thinking. But they’re still hidden from
rlm@0 277 me. And her hand is cupping my chin. And her face is moving closer,
rlm@0 278 inching nearer. My eyes widen in a mixture of horror and yearning. I
rlm@0 279 want to stop her. But I can’t. I just can’t bring myself to stop her.
rlm@0 280 Not when I’ve dreamt of this for years.
rlm@0 281
rlm@0 282 Her lips brush mine, warm and soft and incredibly delectable. That
rlm@0 283 delicate touch hardly seems enough, a small glimpse of heaven that
rlm@0 284 leaves me longing for more. Meimi doesn’t keep me waiting long. Her
rlm@0 285 lips return to mine, more insistent this time. My thoughts are
rlm@0 286 jumbled, an incoherent mess as she kisses me. I press back further,
rlm@0 287 but she only moves closer. Her body presses against me now, sending
rlm@0 288 more shocks through my body. I’m trapped between her and the altar,
rlm@0 289 her kisses growing more passionate as she does what she wants in
rlm@0 290 response to my own pliable kissing. It’s then that I realize I’m
rlm@0 291 kissing back. Nervously, sure, but I’m kissing back all the same. I
rlm@0 292 can’t stop myself. I don’t want to stop myself. Each kiss touches my
rlm@0 293 soul like a gentle caress. One of her arms snakes around my back,
rlm@0 294 pulling me tighter against her. I make a weak gasp but otherwise
rlm@0 295 offer up no struggle. What am I doing? I should be telling her to
rlm@0 296 stop. Or... Or.. It’s hard to think past the kisses. They’re so warm
rlm@0 297 and they surround my mind like a fuzzy blanket, wrapping it up nice
rlm@0 298 and tight.
rlm@0 299
rlm@0 300 Why is she doing this to me? Can’t she see how weak she makes me? My
rlm@0 301 strength comes from the fact that I can never have her. Please don’t
rlm@0 302 take that away, Meimi-chan. My resolve would crumble. My plans for
rlm@0 303 the future would fall apart. I would be in freefall. And it’s all up
rlm@0 304 to you. All of my strength, whether I have it or whether it all
rlm@0 305 leaves me is entirely up to you.
rlm@0 306
rlm@0 307 One of her hands caresses my cheek, the soft feel of her gloves
rlm@0 308 against my skin almost too much for me. But if I fall here, I know
rlm@0 309 that she’ll catch me, hold me tightly. But if I fall because of this,
rlm@0 310 who will save me? My entire life has been dedicated to repaying the
rlm@0 311 nuns who raised me by devoting myself to God. I knew I couldn’t be
rlm@0 312 with Meimi, so it wasn’t a problem. But if she could love me, then
rlm@0 313 what? What would I do? How could I possibly choose between her and my
rlm@0 314 path in life? I’m so confused again, even in the solace of the
rlm@0 315 church, in the night. My confusion has finally found me, no matter
rlm@0 316 how well I hid from it.
rlm@0 317
rlm@0 318 I want to tell her, to say something, to just collapse from all of
rlm@0 319 this madness. But she has other ideas. Her tongue presses against my
rlm@0 320 lips. My cheeks burning, my own lips open, accepting her. I can feel
rlm@0 321 her tongue brushing past mine, a thrill shooting through me at the
rlm@0 322 feeling. I kiss back hesitantly, but find myself responding more and
rlm@0 323 more to her lead. ‘Wherever you take me, I’ll follow,’ I think,
rlm@0 324 though whether this is more a declaration or a realization, I haven’t
rlm@0 325 a clue.
rlm@0 326
rlm@0 327 I don’t want this to ever end. I just want to be in her arms
rlm@0 328 forever, to feel this way for eternity. Is this what Heaven is like?
rlm@0 329 This delicious taste of ethereal joy? Part of me still tries to fight
rlm@0 330 it, telling me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that my path in life
rlm@0 331 forbids it. But I’m held captive by her lips, by the feel of her
rlm@0 332 against me. I gather all of my strength, what little is left, and
rlm@0 333 kiss my beautiful Saint Tail with everything I have. It leaves me
rlm@0 334 breathless, more confused than ever, but with a wonderful electric
rlm@0 335 feeling in my stomach.
rlm@0 336
rlm@0 337 She steps away from me, her hands lingering on my sides for a moment
rlm@0 338 before finally pulling away. It’s only then that I realize my eyes
rlm@0 339 are closed. “Meimi-chan,” I whisper, blushing deeply. “I love you,” I
rlm@0 340 say, forcing it out before I get too scared to say it. I don’t care
rlm@0 341 how confusing it is anymore. I know that to be true. I know I love
rlm@0 342 her, no matter what trouble that causes. And I want her to know it,
rlm@0 343 too. I await her answer anxiously, but nothing comes. Is she still
rlm@0 344 playing mute? Or does she not know what to say? Is she as embarrassed
rlm@0 345 and unsure of everything as I am? I slowly open my eyes to see, but
rlm@0 346 she’s gone. I glance around frantically, but she is nowhere to be
rlm@0 347 seen. Disappeared like a magic trick, not even smoke left in her
rlm@0 348 wake.
rlm@0 349
rlm@0 350 My shoulders slump, her spirits dropping. Gone. Like a thief in the
rlm@0 351 night. But what was she here to steal? I kneel, clasping my hands in
rlm@0 352 prayer once more. This is my solace. But even as I begin to pray,
rlm@0 353 thoughts of her linger with me. God is in everything. Maybe I don’t
rlm@0 354 have to differentiate between my love for Him and my love for Meimi.
rlm@0 355 Maybe... “I love you, Meimi-chan,” I whisper again with all the
rlm@0 356 strength of a prayer. I love you. Even if you aren’t there when I
rlm@0 357 open my eyes.