The Red Hand

Chapter 94 – Akagi’s Relaxation.

Hishya and Kana spent the rest of the night chatting about various things, including their relationship, a bit more. Hishya was relieved that Kana didn't think less of her because of her past, and Kana was happy that Hishya had finally opened up to her about her regrets and issues. The two still weren't officially together, but Akagi figured it wouldn't be much longer until one of them decided to be honest about their feelings. After having tea the next morning, Hishya went back home. She had some shopping to do and other errands to run before her parents returned home.

Akagi didn't really have anything to do at the moment, and was a bit lethargic after some "work" last night. So, she just wanted to relax at home. Around noon, and after finishing her studying, Kana went into the living room to find her sister. She wanted to have lunch with her and Yumi, but upon entering the room, she was greeted with an interesting sight.

*SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*

"I have no idea how or why, but this feels amazing. Keep going!" Akagi exclaimed in joy. She was currently sitting on Yumi's lap in shadow form. Kana was momentarily stunned as she watched Yumi scratch and pet the black blob sitting in her lap before she came back to her senses.

“I'm glad you like it.” Yumi smiled. "I feels good to pet you like this, it's kinda squishy and soft!"

"Uhhhh...." Kana didn't really know what to say. "What are you two doing? I feel like I need an adult."

"Scratching my Lord," Yumi said with a smile. "She seems to enjoy it very much!"

"Kana, what are you talking about? I am an adult!" Akagi said without an ounce of hesitation in her voice. "Also yes, you probably do need one for this. Since Yumi petting me is truly one of the lewdest things imaginable, second only to the dreaded hand holding! The horror!" She said added a fake and dramatic gasp to her sarcastic comment. "We truly are depraved and degenerate. Forgive us for sinning."

"Pffffff. Onee-chan thinks she's an adult." Kana let out a stifled laugh. "Also, hand holding is lewd, and you should repent for engaging in such acts in public!" Kana had watched enough anime to get the joke.

"Anyway, this feels awesome! Its like Yumi is scratching every single itch I could never get at!" Akagi said. “Yumi, we should pet Kana later, she always likes when I tickle her.”

"I can see that. But why?" Kana walked over. “And please no. Your "tickles" always leave me incapacitated for a good while afterwards.” She momentarily shuddered as she recalled the last time Akagi tickled her. For some reason, Akagi very much enjoyed doing that to people.

"What?" Akagi said. "Can a Demon not relax in the privacy of her own home? Am I not allowed to lounge around in peace and comfort when I've got nothing better to do?"

"I guess you're right...." Kana still didn't know what to say. It wasn't often Akagi slipped out of her humanoid appearance, so Kana was still not used to speaking to the literal blob of darkness. "It's just that you almost never look like that, and its a bit strange to be speaking to the literal darkness sitting on the couch."

"Well, this is my real body, Kana." Akagi reminded her. "Sometimes, I just want to take my hand out of the proverbial puppet and relax. Having a humanoid body is nice and all, but being like this is quite comfy and I enjoy it."

"P-puppet... I guess when you put it like that. Yeah, that makes sense." Kana sighed. Akagi was technically just a shadow demon manipulating her power to create a form you could speak to. Since Kana could always see her sister's shadow body, she understood what Akagi was saying. Since she could see the small connection that ran between Akagi's real body and the form she usually spoke through. It was definitely strange to be sure.

"My Lord had a busy night last night, so she wanted to relax a bit and called me over for pets." Yumi giggled.

"Yumi gives the best after work pets!" Akagi's smile was visible via her words.

{Said “work” resulted in half of the Rimura Group's Board of Directors “Disappearing.”} Kana sighed internally. "I guess..."

"My lord likes to be spoiled, if you couldn't tell." Yumi smiled. "So this is actually quite a common occurrence. She just normally does it while no one else is around, she does more funny things too when we're alone."

{And I enjoy it when she gets like this!} (Yumi)

"I can neither confirm nor deny that I desire to be spoiled, doted on, and pet," Akagi said. "And also, Yumi, you very much enjoyed our playing around the other day."

Yumi's face went red as she recalled things. "I mean, its not really fair when you turn so cute like that! I can't help myself when you get all fluffy like that!" She bonked the shadow blob in embarrassment.

Kana just rolled her eyes. "I feel like your flirting is going to cause me to gag on the sugar in the air."

"Awww, are you jealous?" Akagi chuckled. "Do you want to be snuggled?" As she said this, her form changed into something akin to a rope that coiled around Yumi. "Too bad, Yumi is mine, and she's only allowed to do this with me. So no Yumi snuggles for you, too bad."

"No I am not jealous." Kana sighed as she looked at Yumi. "Are you alright with her doing that?" Kana asked. "She's wrapped around you like a snake."

"I couldn't be happier." Yumi smiled. Her face got slightly redder. "It feels good to have my Lord this close to me, so I actually quite like her doing this..."

"I guess." Kana couldn't really understand it. "I'll just file this away as something you two weridos like to do." She shrugged, giving up on understand their strange relationship.

"Shall I coil around you?" Akagi asked with a laugh. "I can squeeze you nice and tight."

"Please don't." Kana shook her head vigorously. "You know I hate snakes, and you'd remind me too much of that. You come over here and try that, and I'll hit you!"

"Hisssss!" Akagi let out a snake's hiss as one of her shadow tendrils morphed into a snake and flicked its tongue.

"Now, now, don't pick on Kana." Yumi bopped the snake on the head.

"Hissssss." Akagi's tendril recoiled at the strike and the snake head dissipated.

Kana really hated snakes. So even the brief sight of the shadow snake creeped her out. Though, they were not the thing she hated the most, as their was, as she called it, a far worse evil in the world. "Please don't do that again..." (Kana)

"Hmm, then perhaps this?" Akagi uncoiled from around Yumi and formed into a shadow rabbit on her lap. "Is this better?" She asked tilting her head while twitching her nose.

Seeing this caused Yumi's eyes to widen as she squeed internally, barely holding back the urge to dive in and glom onto bunny Akagi.

{See! When you get all cute like that how am I suppose to hold myself back?!?} (Yumi)

"A bit better than the snake, rabbits are always nice and cute and I like them very much..." Kana sighed. "Except for the fact that you're actually a Demonic rabbit. So you lose out on a lot of cuteness points with that factoid."

"Shall I feed you a carrot, my Lord?" Yumi said as she wrapped her arms around Akagi. "I think we have some fresh from the garden."

{I wanna see her eat it so bad! Maybe she'll really let me do it!} Yumi was freaking out internally at the cuteness.

"Rabbit no wants carrot. Rabbit wants souls!" Akagi spoke in a funny voice which caused the two girls to laugh hysterically. "No laugh at rabbit! Give rabbit souls! Silly mortals!"

Her voice and the absurdity of the situation caused the two to lose it and join in on a bit of the fun.

"Oh mighty demon rabbit, what kind of soul do you wish to eat?" Kana asked while laughing.

"Hmm." Akagi thought. "Rabbit wants soul of pure maiden. They are the highest of quality! Provide one at once!"

"Well, Mika is out. She isn't pure of mind." Kana laughed. "Perhaps you would settle for Naomi?"

"Hmm. Acceptable. Bring soul to consume." Akagi couldn't continue with this act any longer and started laughing. "Where the fuck did this whole thing come from? And how did we start doing a demon rabbit that wants to eat souls?"

"Honestly, I think you should show that to Mika and Naomi. That was a pretty funny voice and I'm sure they'd love it." Kana had tears in her eye from laughing.

"I think Mika would just start petting her uncontrollably." Yumi smiled.

"Yeah, she'd be all like: BUNNY!" Akagi mimicked Mika's voice. “She'd probably squeeze me so tight that I'd pop.”

"Either that for feed you so many carrots you explode." Kana was still giggling. 

"Alice would probably get me a tiny hat and want me to have tea with her." Akagi chuckled. "Though I'd need to turn white for things to line up a bit more."

Akagi released her bunny form and went back to being a formless blob, jumping across the room and landing in Kana's lap. She had no eyes or face, but Kana could tell she was looking up at her with a pleading expression.

"Why did you hop over here?" Kana asked. “Please don't wrap around me.”

"Because it's your turn to pet me," Akagi said. Kana just looked at her like. Really?

"Fine. At this point, why not?" Kana gave in and started to scratch her.

*SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*

"Hmmmmmm." Akagi hummed in delight. "Having my real body touched like this is soooo nice. I feel like I'm going to fall asleep, that's how comfy this is."

"You feel like when you put cornstarch in water, and it makes that weird solid-liquid." Kana chuckled. "Why can I touch you anyway? Aren't you made of energy?"

"Because I'm allowing you to," Akagi answered. "If I wanted, I could make it so your hands just pass through me. See?" Kana tried to touch her again, but this time her hands just went inside the blob. She didn't feel anything, and it was like she was touching nothing at all.

"Interesting." Kana swiped at the air a few times before continuing the petting.

*SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*

“Hooooo yeahhhhh. That's the stuff.” Akagi was enjoying herself.

"The way you're acting reminds me of a small dog that's getting scratched behind the ears." Kana smiled. "Does it really feel that good? I'm not really doing anything."

"That comparison honestly might be right." Akagi chuckled. "Also, yes it feels quite nice, though Yumi was better." The priestess was trying hard not to give Kana the death glare. She wanted Akagi returned to her right now, but was holding her tongue out of respect. It seemed Akagi was not the only one who became possessive.

"If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be sitting in a Feudal Estate, petting a blob of darkness that was actually my Demon sister. I'd have called you some choice words." Kana laughed. "This is quite a crazy scenario we have here."

Akagi let out a laugh. "Yeah, it's been crazy. But crazy in a fun way."

Kana thought for a second before glancing down at her. "Can I try something?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure." Akagi didn't really know what she was going to do but rolled with it.

"Yumi, think fast!" Kana picked up her sister and threw her at Yumi who caught her. While Akagi yelled "WEEEEE" as she was thrown.

"You're really light," Kana said, clapping her hands. "Throw her back!"

Yumi did, and the two started tossing her back and forth across the table between them. Akagi had no idea why Kana was doing this, but found it amusing.

*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* 

Eventually, Kana caught her and started petting Akagi again.

"Any particular reason you did that?" Akagi asked. She thought it was fun, but didn't expect Kana to do that.

"Not really." Kana gave a wry smile. "I just uh... thought it'd be funny. And for whatever reason the idea of a beanbag came to mind, so I just threw you."

"Pfffff." Akagi laughed at her answer. "And you're always calling me a kid?"

"With you around, it feels like my brain has turned into mush, so you're at fault." Kana laughed. "I've probably lost IQ points just being around you."

"Ah yes, you have discovered my master plan!" Akagi exclaimed. "You will fall to the dark side by having fun and playing around! The horror!"

"Whatever will I do!" Kana put her hand up in fake shock. "Yumi, save me from the scary Demon. It's using it's evil power to make me stupid!"

"Sorry, Kana." Yumi laughed. "But I've fallen under her spell too."

The three let out a big laugh. A break like this was nice, and Akagi's abilities allowed them to have a little fun. With everything going on right now, Akagi was glad to see these two smile.

"Before I forget. I came in here to see if you wanted to have lunch." As Kana said this, her stomach growled.

"Sounds good to me," Akagi said, jumping onto Yumi's head. "What about you, Yumi?"

"I think lunch sounds good." She smiled. "I'll make us some sandwiches."

"With an extra helping of souls!" Akagi said this, causing the two girls to laugh.

"Yes, Yes." Yumi rolled her eyes. "Is Chloe's ok?" The three of them headed toward the kitchen.

"Well, she's a cat, so it probably tastes like chicken," Akagi said. "I kinda want to call her over here so I can ask for her soul with absolutely no context."

"Please don't pull such pranks on them." Kana looked at her. "You and I both know she'd actually give it to you if you'd ask her."

"Yeah, not exactly sure whether I should be grateful they're so loyal or creeped out," Akagi said.

"It just goes to show how much you mean to us, and the fact that we could gladly give you anything you desired. Even our lives." Yumi smiled as she placed Akagi on the table. "Now, are you going to stay like that forever? Or are you going to eat with us?" She walked into the kitchen.

"Maybe I want to stay like this?" Akagi humpfed. "You can just drop the food on me anyway. I can just absorb it if it touches me."

"Then I guess you get no lunch." Yumi stuck out her tongue. "I only serve food to people. And slime shadow blobs don't count."

"That threat only works if I need to eat, Yumi..." Akagi sighed. "But fine, if you insist. I shall take a human form." 

"Why did she emphasize the word, human?" Kana caught that and was worried. But before she could ask any further questions. Akagi hopped into the air and transformed into a copy of Yumi, taking a seat at the table.

"Why did you turn into Yumi?" Kana sighed.

"She said to turn into a person. But she did not specify which person." Akagi chuckled. "So here we are. How about I stay like this for a while and we snuggle together like this later, Yumi." Akagi smirked as the priestess turned slightly red.

"I had this coming...." Yumi sighed. "I should have just left well enough alone and now I'm going to have to pet a copy of myself. That's going to be fun..."

"Yeah," Kana shook her head. "Onee-chan is not one to let someone else have the last laugh."

"Nope!" Akagi smiled, and the three had lunch together. Today was a rather relaxing and normal day, though the sight of one Yumi petting and scratching the other was something that caused quite a bit of head turning at the estate.