Meaning
Blog Entry: Meaning
Blog Entry: Meaning
A collection of Zombie Loan one-shots, mostly humor.
Meaning
Definition 01: Chick
The day seemed rather uneventful to Chika, which was both good and bad. He wanted to pay his debt back as soon as possible and the more dangerous illegal zombies he hunted, the faster he would be debt free and alive. He quickened his pace down the semi-empty streets on his way back to the dorms and he heard a sound. It was high pitched and continuous, unmistakably the sound made by baby birds, chicks to be specific.
Just a few steps ahead, he found the source of those sounds. There was a little girl with a basket full of cute little yellow chicks. The chicks chirped happily, occasionally drawing attention from passing children who asked their mother or father if they could have one, and every now and then, one of the cute little animals would be purchased.
Chika happened to like chicks and the little girl who was selling them reminded him so much of his sister, he couldn't help it but to buy one. All the way back to the dorm, the tiny yellow child was happily nested in Chika's hair. He made sure to buy some food and supplies for it on the way, stopping at a pet shop to do so.
"These are good for little chicks like that one." The sales clerk showed Chika a bag of food. "It's small and easy to eat for the youngest chicks."
"I'll take two bags then and these." Chika emptied the contents of his arms on the counter. There was a cage in case he needed to travel anywhere and take his pet, a basket with soft blankets and dishes. "Is this chick a boy or a girl' I asked the little girl selling them but she didn't know." Chika took the chick off his head and placed it on the counter.
"It's kind of hard to tell at such a young age. My guess is this one is a female, I suppose you'll know for sure when it gets older."
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Success! Chika had snuck in with his new pet unnoticed. Not that he was planning to keep her a secret forever, but he didn't want to overwhelm her meeting too many people at once. "We're home, Jenova."
The chick, whom Chika had named Jenova Akatsuki, was currently perched on her daddy's shoulder. She only chirped in response.
Chika gently took the little chick in his hands and placed her on his bed. "Now to get things set up for you." He unpacked his purchases from the pet store and began to distribute them all over the room. "Your bed is here, right next to mine so you won't get lonely." He placed the basket on the nightstand. "Your dishes and food go on the table. Would you like a snack now'"
Jenova chirped and Chika took it as a yes. He filled up the little food dish with chick feed and poured some fresh water into the other dish. Then he picked up Jenova and placed her on the table. She seemed happy with her meal and began to eat immediately.
"How is it' Good'" Chika smiled. "You have to eat healthy and grow up to be big and strong. Then you'll lay lots of yummy eggs for daddy." He could hardly wait until she started laying eggs, then he would make a fortune selling them.
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"Then I knocked on shooto's door and he said he would be out soon, so I knocked on Chika's door next." Koyomi, Michiru and shooto were having breakfast while Koyomi narrated the day's events from the moment she woke up, cooked breakfast and went to wake her friends. "But when I got there, the door was open and Chika was there with a chick I've never met before. It looks like he really cares about her and she's so cute." Cue choking noises. "I told him that we were going to eat breakfast soon and... Are you okay'"
"I'm fine miss Koyomi, just a bit surprised." Michiru voiced.
"It can't be..." shooto was shocked. Akatsuki was not seeing a girl without his knowledge. Akatsuki did not sneak her into his room. This was not happening. shooto tried to push the thoughts away, what Akatsuki did was none of his business, but then again, given their situation, it was. Things could get complicated for the two zombies and... and...
"Good morning!" Chika cheerfully greeted everyone. He placed food and water dishes on the table next to his plate and picked up the chick from his head, gently placing her on the table. "Everyone, I want you to meet Jenova!"
"Hi, Jenova, nice to see you again. She's so cute!" Koyomi chirped.
Michiru blinked as the misunderstanding was cleared, then smiled and gently petted the chick. "Aw, she's adorable!" Chibi Zarame shook his head. Humans were experts in jumping to conclusions.
Chika looked at shooto waiting for him to say something. "C'mon shooto, say hello to Jenova."
A chick, as in a little yellow animal, of course... "Hello Jenova."
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Definition 02: What's in a Name'
Chika tossed the dictionary clear across the dorm lobby. It went flying in front of Koyomi and Sotetsu, over Michiru's head and missed Chibi Zarame by just an inch. Unfortunately, shooto was not so lucky; the book collided with his face. "Akatsuki!" If he had his own right hand, Akatsuki would be dancing with bullets.
"Sorry shooto, that thing upset me!" Chika proceeded to point at the dictionary, make an adorable pouty face, and sit with his arms crossed.
"What's the problem with it'" Sotetsu asked.
"Nothing, forget about it." Clearly, Chika had no intentions of revealing whatever problem he might have with the dictionary. He was required to take a second language class in school but this particular word offended him.
shooto had the look of revenge reflected in his eyes. "Stop being so upset over something like this, Chika."
The room was filled with gasps. shooto had called Chika by his first name on his own free will! Koyomi stared, Sotetsu's mouth hung open, and Michiru adjusted her glasses, as if that had anything to do with her hearing. Chibi Zarame already knew what this was about and showed little interest in their antics.
Chika glared at his destined partner. "That's Akatsuki to you."
More gasps of shock and surprise filled the room. Koyomi was quite confused, looking back and forth between shooto and Chika. Sotetsu's mouth was open wider than one would think is normal, and Michiru removed her glasses to make sure the black rings were still around their necks as a way to confirm those two were the same shooto and Chika she knew. Chibi Zarame was still rather uninterested and did not comprehend what the big deal was, even if he knew why Chika was upset.
shooto decided it was payback time and with the dictionary in his hands, he explained. "Chika in Spanish sounds exactly like chica, a word that means girl. Chico means boy but ko is a common ending for a girl's name in Japanese."
Chika wanted to strangle shooto, in fact he pounced on him like an angry cat playing lion and Sotetsu had to get him off shooto. Even after being pushed to the floor in a surprise attack, shooto seemed satisfied with the overall situation. Sotetsu was currently holding Chika back, receiving a few bruises as Chika flailed around trying to get free and hunt down his prey.
With a confident smirk, unlike any expression anyone had ever seen on shooto's face, he concluded. "No matter how you look at it, Chika is a girly name."
"I'm going to kill you!" Chika yelled at the top of his lungs. shooto smiled at his partner and calmly left the lobby. Michiru blinked, Koyomi continued to stare and Sotetsu held on to the furious Chika.
Chibi Zarame merely shook his little head. The reaper made cute noises that translated to. "How are you going to kill him if he's already dead'" Honestly, humans made no sense.
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Definition 03: Live
There were many things she wanted to say. If she could say just one, what would it be'
"shooto..."
He was walking down the deserted school halls when he heard the voice calling.
"shooto..."
It was a girl's voice but it was not Michiru or Koyomi.
"shooto..."
He quickened his pace and the dream took him outside a graveyard near the dorm. Dreams had their ways to skip from one place to another but he did not question this, nor did he notice he was dreaming at this point.
She stood there smiling, pink hair moving gently in the soft afternoon breeze, blue eyes full of happiness. She was now wearing the same uniform Michiru and Koyomi wore for school.
He approached, she was standing next to a grave, but it didn't hit him that it was her grave.
"Live..."
He woke up with uneven breaths. Why was he dreaming about her now' Why did he picture things so clearly the way he wanted them to be, yet they were not' shooto got up and as he stood from his bed, his bare foot landed on a stomach.
"Ow!" Chika squirmed under the weight and pushed the foot away, making shooto fall sitting on his bed.
"What are you doing here'" shooto gave his destined partner a glare, but Chika only smiled in amusement.
"Take a look around." As if to emphasize Chika's point, a chirp was heard from a basket on the night stand. Chika's pet chick was there.
shooto noticed that his entire collection was mission, then he realized that it wasn't missing; he was simply in the wrong room. "This is... how..."
"You looked more like zombie than ever before, sleep walking like that and kicking me off my own bed. I was nice enough to let you stay, I thought you might be lonely or something. Of course I might charge for the unwilling sleepover."
Leaving Chika to his ramblings, shooto got up and returned to his room.
shooto lay down in his own bed and mussed over the possible meaning of the unexpected event of sleep walking. Maybe it meant he was too stressed or too tired, even if it sounded like a contradiction since he seemed to be well rested enough to walk in his sleep.
"Live..."
Maybe, just maybe, all that it meant was that it was time for him to start living his life alongside others, friends...
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Definition 04: Bath Time
The walk back to their rooms was quiet and somewhat awkward with Koyomi becoming distracted by every little thing, not that the excitement had died down, and Michiru nervously glancing at the werewolf every now and then. The girl with the shinigami eyes stood as far as possible from the creature, still a bit frightened from all that happened, she was also quite surprised at witnessing the chairperson's powers as the keeper of the key, though she didn't fully understand what that meant.
Chika seemed disappointed, sure he wasn't as depressed as he used to be but he wasn't back to his old self. shooto heard him grumble something about not getting paid but ignored it. The keeper of the key closely watched the werewolf the entire way.
Once they arrived, everyone was about to retreat to their respective rooms to rest when shooto and Chika received a request from Kuse, the chairperson and now the werewolf's caretaker. "shooto, Chika, I would like to ask a favor of you both." Chika grumbled because he didn't feel like it but knew he shouldn't refuse, and shooto remained silent. "Of course, you will receive a bonus for this task, if you successfully accomplish it."
"Bonus'!" Chika's eyes lit up and he was suddenly full of energy again. Maybe this hasn't been such a waste of time after all if he got a nice big bonus. "Whatever it is I'll do it, no problem!"
"A bath..." Kuse calmly spoke.
shooto blinked once and Chika blinked several times. "Bath'" They unanimously asked.
"Yes, I want you to give him a bath." It was obvious that by him she meant the werewolf. "He's covered in mud and dirt; he needs to be cleaned up."
This was indeed truth, Kuse had a point, the werewolf boy was filthy, but shooto didn't understand why he had to partake in giving him a bath. He certainly wasn't looking forward to it.
Chika didn't really care, as long as someone was paying, he would bathe and groom cats, dogs, werewolves and elephants alike.
"Will you do it'" The question was expressed to bring them back to attention and to let them know they did have a choice should they wish to refuse.
"Sure! Leave it to me!" Chika cheered at the prospect of a relatively easy bonus, or at least that's what he thought.
"I will help," shooto agreed a lot less enthusiastically than Chika.
"In that case, I will entrust him to you both for the time being." After using her powers, Kuse was feeling tired and needed to recover her energy so she could use some help.
"C'mon, boy, let's get you nice and clean!" Though Chika was smiling and didn't look threatening at all; the werewolf's first instinct was to bite the hand that was dangerously close to him. "Ah!"
"Akatsuki, don't forget that's my hand!" shooto watched in horror was the werewolf pulled the hand off Chika's wrist and ran off with it in his mouth. Chika, shooto and Kuse gave chase.
In the process of knocking things over and making a mess, Chika and shooto had lost sight the chairperson but continued their pursuit. The werewolf ran under a table, with Chika close behind. The zombie with the golden eyes crawled after him and hit his head on the table. shooto shook his head in disapproval, while Chika let a stream of colorful words express his pain.
Squeak, squeak, squeak! The werewolf bolted toward the source of the sound. "Good boy... Pochi, now sit." To the amazement of the two zombies, the werewolf, whom the chairperson had called Pochi, sat on the floor doggy style. She gave him the bone shaped squeaky toy and gently patted his head as she took the hand back. "This should make things easier now that he has something to chew on." Where she got that dog toy, no one knew and no one asked. "Please be careful from now on."
"I will," Chika accepted the hand and reattached it to his wrist while pretending he didn't notice shooto's annoyed look.
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It seemed that Pochi had calmed down and was quickly learning to respond to his name. "Stay still Pochi!" However he either did not know the meaning of staying still, or thought it was a synonym for moving around a lot. "Is the tub full yet'" Chika asked.
"Yes, but I told you, we can't just throw him in. The filth is attached to him and won't come off easily." shooto reasoned.
Chika pouted. "And why do I have to be the one to do this' Let's switch jobs, you can clean him and I'll shampoo."
"I refuse." It was his hand that had suffered from Chika's carelessness so shooto believed he had the right to choose what task he preferred in the process of cleaning Pochi. Chika continued trying to scrub the mud and dirt off Pochi with a wet towel, making sure he didn't scrub too hard and startle him. It might have been shooto's hand that bared the marks, but Chika felt the pain.
Squeak, squeak, squeak! Pochi chewed his bone shaped toy and scratched behind his ears with his toes while Chika took the time to throw the used to be white now brown towel in the hamper and get a clean one. Squeak, squeak, squeak! shooto's left eye twitched to the rhythm of the squeaking. Squeak, squeak, squeak!
"Enough! Stop that annoying sound this instant!" shooto's request was answered with a growl but he did not back down. He reached to take the toy away, making sure to use Chika's hand just in case, but Pochi tackled him into the tub.
"shooto, what are you doing'" Chika just stood there, towel in hand, while shooto and Pochi wrestled in the tub. He stepped forward, his foot landing on a soap bar that was carelessly left on the floor and inevitably, he slipped.
When Yuuta, who like everyone else witnessed the chaotic chase, came to see if any major injuries had occurred during the process of giving the werewolf a bath, he found shooto, Chika and the werewolf in the bath tub splashing around. "Looks like they're having fun..." Kenken and Konkon seemed to agree. "We better not interrupt, let's go back to our room and get some rest."
The chaos continued as Pochi struggled, splashed and scratched. The only thing he didn't do was let go of his precious squeaky toy so at least he didn't bite. In the end, shooto, Chika and Pochi, all ended up very clean and smelling of sweet strawberry shampoo, though not willingly.
Later, shooto talked Kuse into taking Pochi's irritating squeaker away while they were on the bus back to the city. She managed to do it quite easily with the promise of returning it when they got home. Chika was quite happy with his bonus and it all worked out in the end, at least for now.
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Definition 05: To Exist
Black Ring,
Broken wings.
Inevitable'
Destiny...
Escape the Reaper,
The Soul Seeker.
For hope, for life,
To live, to be,
To exist!
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Definition 06: Contrast
Carmella's Point of View
Life is nothing but a game of change in which some win and, in contrast, others lose. There are those who chose to try to challenge that endless cycle, to predict it and to control it, but such an accomplishment, if even possible, is not an easy one.
Born, live and die; some say it's the natural way, and perhaps the happiest. Others know nothing more than how to exist outside the cycle, some willingly, others having no choice.
A blade cuts a mutant creature, and instinctively the sword's wieldier steps back before the acid drops can reach him. He wishes to return into the cycle.
A bullet flies from the distance and pierces the head of the rampaging enemy, the one holding the gun only knows of existence outside of the cycle.
They both have their problems to face and challenges to master, and for better or worse, they are not alone in those tasks. Both miss their families dearly, one hoping to see them again soon, and the other holding no hopes of such a reunion.
The enemies have been defeated and they receive their rewards, one jumping with joy, the other accepting it quietly. They are opposites in many ways, and in many ways the same.
One of them impatiently walks back to their work place, calling for his companion to hurry. The other, much more patient than the first, walks at a steady pace and does not slip on the wet sidewalk from the rain that ended a mere few minutes ago.
The impatient one jumps to his feet, curses at the rain, then happily continues on his way, his mood swinging drastically back and forth with a matching changing expression. His companion remains serious, he is not moody, nor is he cheerful.
They arrive at their destination and are faced with several alternatives of what to do next; some information being provided by a good, yet sometimes misleading man, and more information being provided by hyperactive boy.
They leave; the patient one and the impatient one, contrasting like their crown of darkness and light. They head out to a new adventure and to find a new companion.
Contrast is quite present in that group; it becomes obvious when one is compared to another. Perhaps those complementing differences are what holds them together, and allows them to draw hope from each other.
Life, death and the in-between are full of twists and turns. Not all good intentions produce more good and not all evil intents produce more evil. But what is that, if not a mere comparison, one unable to be defined without the other. Side by side, like the two creations of my client, ever the opposites; one destroys and the other heals, bringing pain and compassion respectively, despair and hope.
I suppose I am quite different from other people as well. Unlike those who live inside the cycle, or exist outside of it, I help move it along in an eternally harmonious disarray. In that game of chance that some accept and others don't, some win and others, in contrast, lose; it's only a point of view.
End of Carmella's POV
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Definition 07: Cheshire Cat
shooto entered the Z-Loan office, walking naturally and minding his own business. Then, without a warning, he was tackled by Bekko against a wall. "What are you doing'" shooto demanded.
Bekko's reply was only a growl. He noticed an envelope on shooto's hand. He had gotten the money for the offering not too long ago, but got tired of waiting for Chika and Michiru so he went to see what was keeping them. He should have known not to let Akatsuki unsupervised for too long; Miss Kita wasn't always able to stop him from his mischief.
Bekko snatched the enveloped from shooto's hand and ran towards Chika with the envelope in his mouth. "No, no!" Chika scolded him, "you're supposed to find lost money so I can pick it up, you're not supposed to steal it!"
Bekko ignored Chika and threw the envelope at his feet, then he proceeded to bark at the strangely colored pink and purple zombie cat Chika was holding. The cat's eyes became hypnotic swirls of pink and purple and soon Bekko's barking was replaced by frightened squeaks.
"Bad Cheshire!" Chika was apparently scolding the cat, though it lots its effect if he did it while petting it. "I told you I needed a hound not a mouse!"
That's when the fact sunk in for shooto, the strange zombie cat Chika picked up somewhere and hid, had hypnotic powers that made people and zombies think as animals. shooto took note of Yuuta sitting on his usual place, blissfully ignorant about what was happening white twisting his nose like a bunny rabbit.
"Akatsuki!" If only shooto had his own right hand, he would have called out his gun in a split second.
"What' I heard the Ferryman can smell money so I thought he could help us, but he refused, so I got a little help from my new friend, Cheshire." In Chika's mind, it was a genius plan.
shooto was not pleased and the fact that Koyomi kept clapping like a seal creating background noise was not helping. Not surprisingly Michiru was a gopher, he should have guessed. Sometimes shooto felt as if he was trapped in a zoo when he went to work and today he saw it come true.
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"Meow!" The chairperson was not pleased. "Meow!" To hear a werewolf meow at the top of his lungs was not quite normal, then again, neither were werewolves, or zombies, or key keepers.
"This might be a problem," Kuze mused in a quiet and calm voice.
"That is a problem," shooto emphasized. There was no room for a maybe. When he spoke those words, shooto was not pointing at the strange pink and purple zombie cat, nor the peculiar meowing werewolf, but rather at a zombie with golden eyes.
Chika pouted, "he usually listens to me!" His defense fell when the cat, whom he named Cheshire, ignored his calls, making Chika have to pull him out from under the desk.
"Give me my hand," shooto ordered with a glare deadlier than his gun.
Chika clutched the right hand he had, which was actually shooto's. "No!"
"Calm down!" Firm but collected, the chairperson silenced them. "If you are thinking of guiding this zombie cat, it is best not to do so until everyone is back to normal." That might take some time, Bekko was still a frightened mouse, Yuuta was hopping around like a rabbit, Michiru was a shy gopher and Koyomi was a clapping seal that wouldn't stop clapping, much to shooto's aggravation.
"I'm sure he's just tired," Chika spoke referring to the zombie cat. "If we let him rest he'll listen to me again."
shooto gave his partner a look that clearly indicated that he would hold him to his word. He liked the faster way of simply shooting the cat, if preferably while Chika was holding him.
Noting shooto's dangerous irritation, caused partially by the trouble Chika and his cat brought, and partially by the lack of silence thanks to Koyomi, which was the cat's fault anyway; Kuze decided it was best to suspend all business activities for the day. "Take the rest of the day off, go home and rest, shooto-san. Chika-san and I will take care of making sure everyone else goes home."
shooto did not have to be told twice. He was very close to forcing his hand off Chika and shooting him for this one. He was glad to leave the Z-Loan office and the noisy clapping Koyomi behind.
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After shooto had left, each person was taken home. The students were safely delivered to their dorm rooms, with nothing more than a few strange stares from random people. This task was left up to Chika since he brought the cat. "Greed is never good," Kuze had said.
One after another, everyone was placed in the safety of their homes, with Chika pledging innocent and disclaiming all responsibility about any items they might break in their animal state.
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At the Z-loan office, Pochi and Cheshire were quite content playing with balls of yarn, other than them, Chika and Kuze, Bekko was the only one left in the office. "Does he live here'" When ever Chika saw the ferryman he was at the office. Early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon or late at night, he was always there whenever he visited Z-Loan.
"Of course not, Bekko should be taken home as well but that is..." Kuze did not finish, she got up from her seat and glanced at Pochi and Cheshire. "Keep an eye on them." She then proceeded to pull Bekko, the mouse, out of his hiding place in a storage closet.
"You're taking him home'" Chika was curious, it was a curiosity easily to satisfy but difficult to disregard. "I want to go too! To help out I mean." His feigned guilt didn't work, but the sad kitten look knew no rival.
"Very well..." There was a certain undertone to Kuze's voice, as if she was about to teach the mischievous zombie a lesson, but Chika was too distracted thinking about what Bekko's house could look like to even consider the consequences of visiting it.
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"For how long have I been going in circles'" Time and space were two things that either did not exist or existed too much in Bekko's house. From the outside, it was it was an elegant mansion, just outside the city, but it was a normal building none the less, save for the size and luxury. Inside it looked normal at first, then it warped and tuned into an endless maze of darkness and light.
"Squeak!" Bekko was currently trying to obtain the cheese Chika had gotten when he passed the oversized kitchen, hoping to gain the upper hand when it came to babysitting the mouse ferryman.
"Bad mouse!" it was hard for Chika to control a mouse that was bigger than him, especially if kicking was not an option for several reasons. One of those reasons was upsetting Kuze, who knows what kind of secret powers a key keeper could have, and the other most likely one, was having his debt doubles, tripled or multiplied several times, more so than what was already expected when Bekko went back to normal.
It was that cat's fault, if Chika hasn't found the poor creature meowing sadly and doubted himself when he was about to guide the cat, he wouldn't be in this mess. Perhaps to say he doubted would be stretching it, it was more like the cat temporarily hypnotized him into thinking he was a fish. If he wasn't already dead he would have died of fright or lack of water, but then the strangely colored feline released him and Chika took it as an offering of friendship.
When Chika remembered Bekko's unique ability, he decided to turn him into a dog, just for a little while. A hound that could smell cash better than any other; a crazy idea he knew it; but it was those occasional crazy antics that made Chika feel alive, even if he was still a zombie buried in debt.
He wasn't making any progress and giving up on taking Bekko to his room to rest as Kuze instructed, Chika decided to throw the cheese.
Bekko scrambled after the cheese and ate it happily, looking quite strange from Chika's point of view. The zombie tried to retrace his steps but instead stumbled upon a door that hid glass stairs, much taller than the size of the structure seen from out side.
"We must go," spoke a quiet voice from the entrance to the room, where Chika stood gazing at the space beyond the door while Bekko ate his cheese.
"What is that place'" Chika thought about crossing the doorframe to that place, that mysterious unknown place.
"Stop!" That was much louder and firmer than usual and this time not even the look of the sad kitten could convince the chairperson to let Chika venture past that door. Before Chika could even try to get away, the door was shut and locked before him; Kuze was the keeper of the key after all. "I changed my mind." Chika didn't know what in the world Kuze was talking about.
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By the next day, Cheshire was in Kuze's care and the hypnotism problem was resolved. It was obvious that the home of Bekko the ferryman was not a common place, but Chika suspected that his true home was beyond that door with the spiraling glass stairs.
'I changed my mind...' Did that meant that Kuze initially was going to let Chika go past that door into that place' Chika didn't know what to think of it.
Things melted back into normalcy little by little and Cheshire remained in the care of Kuze; either that or he was already guided, Chika didn't know.
End
Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan or Final Fantasy VII. Definition 05 is a mini poem I wrote to decorate the second layout of Black Ring, a Zombie Loan fansite Snow and I made. Definition 06 was written for Snow's Wheel of Fortune challenge. Definition 07 was inspired by Snow, who told me about Bekko's ability to smell money.
Meaning
Definition 01: Chick
The day seemed rather uneventful to Chika, which was both good and bad. He wanted to pay his debt back as soon as possible and the more dangerous illegal zombies he hunted, the faster he would be debt free and alive. He quickened his pace down the semi-empty streets on his way back to the dorms and he heard a sound. It was high pitched and continuous, unmistakably the sound made by baby birds, chicks to be specific.
Just a few steps ahead, he found the source of those sounds. There was a little girl with a basket full of cute little yellow chicks. The chicks chirped happily, occasionally drawing attention from passing children who asked their mother or father if they could have one, and every now and then, one of the cute little animals would be purchased.
Chika happened to like chicks and the little girl who was selling them reminded him so much of his sister, he couldn't help it but to buy one. All the way back to the dorm, the tiny yellow child was happily nested in Chika's hair. He made sure to buy some food and supplies for it on the way, stopping at a pet shop to do so.
"These are good for little chicks like that one." The sales clerk showed Chika a bag of food. "It's small and easy to eat for the youngest chicks."
"I'll take two bags then and these." Chika emptied the contents of his arms on the counter. There was a cage in case he needed to travel anywhere and take his pet, a basket with soft blankets and dishes. "Is this chick a boy or a girl' I asked the little girl selling them but she didn't know." Chika took the chick off his head and placed it on the counter.
"It's kind of hard to tell at such a young age. My guess is this one is a female, I suppose you'll know for sure when it gets older."
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Success! Chika had snuck in with his new pet unnoticed. Not that he was planning to keep her a secret forever, but he didn't want to overwhelm her meeting too many people at once. "We're home, Jenova."
The chick, whom Chika had named Jenova Akatsuki, was currently perched on her daddy's shoulder. She only chirped in response.
Chika gently took the little chick in his hands and placed her on his bed. "Now to get things set up for you." He unpacked his purchases from the pet store and began to distribute them all over the room. "Your bed is here, right next to mine so you won't get lonely." He placed the basket on the nightstand. "Your dishes and food go on the table. Would you like a snack now'"
Jenova chirped and Chika took it as a yes. He filled up the little food dish with chick feed and poured some fresh water into the other dish. Then he picked up Jenova and placed her on the table. She seemed happy with her meal and began to eat immediately.
"How is it' Good'" Chika smiled. "You have to eat healthy and grow up to be big and strong. Then you'll lay lots of yummy eggs for daddy." He could hardly wait until she started laying eggs, then he would make a fortune selling them.
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"Then I knocked on shooto's door and he said he would be out soon, so I knocked on Chika's door next." Koyomi, Michiru and shooto were having breakfast while Koyomi narrated the day's events from the moment she woke up, cooked breakfast and went to wake her friends. "But when I got there, the door was open and Chika was there with a chick I've never met before. It looks like he really cares about her and she's so cute." Cue choking noises. "I told him that we were going to eat breakfast soon and... Are you okay'"
"I'm fine miss Koyomi, just a bit surprised." Michiru voiced.
"It can't be..." shooto was shocked. Akatsuki was not seeing a girl without his knowledge. Akatsuki did not sneak her into his room. This was not happening. shooto tried to push the thoughts away, what Akatsuki did was none of his business, but then again, given their situation, it was. Things could get complicated for the two zombies and... and...
"Good morning!" Chika cheerfully greeted everyone. He placed food and water dishes on the table next to his plate and picked up the chick from his head, gently placing her on the table. "Everyone, I want you to meet Jenova!"
"Hi, Jenova, nice to see you again. She's so cute!" Koyomi chirped.
Michiru blinked as the misunderstanding was cleared, then smiled and gently petted the chick. "Aw, she's adorable!" Chibi Zarame shook his head. Humans were experts in jumping to conclusions.
Chika looked at shooto waiting for him to say something. "C'mon shooto, say hello to Jenova."
A chick, as in a little yellow animal, of course... "Hello Jenova."
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Definition 02: What's in a Name'
Chika tossed the dictionary clear across the dorm lobby. It went flying in front of Koyomi and Sotetsu, over Michiru's head and missed Chibi Zarame by just an inch. Unfortunately, shooto was not so lucky; the book collided with his face. "Akatsuki!" If he had his own right hand, Akatsuki would be dancing with bullets.
"Sorry shooto, that thing upset me!" Chika proceeded to point at the dictionary, make an adorable pouty face, and sit with his arms crossed.
"What's the problem with it'" Sotetsu asked.
"Nothing, forget about it." Clearly, Chika had no intentions of revealing whatever problem he might have with the dictionary. He was required to take a second language class in school but this particular word offended him.
shooto had the look of revenge reflected in his eyes. "Stop being so upset over something like this, Chika."
The room was filled with gasps. shooto had called Chika by his first name on his own free will! Koyomi stared, Sotetsu's mouth hung open, and Michiru adjusted her glasses, as if that had anything to do with her hearing. Chibi Zarame already knew what this was about and showed little interest in their antics.
Chika glared at his destined partner. "That's Akatsuki to you."
More gasps of shock and surprise filled the room. Koyomi was quite confused, looking back and forth between shooto and Chika. Sotetsu's mouth was open wider than one would think is normal, and Michiru removed her glasses to make sure the black rings were still around their necks as a way to confirm those two were the same shooto and Chika she knew. Chibi Zarame was still rather uninterested and did not comprehend what the big deal was, even if he knew why Chika was upset.
shooto decided it was payback time and with the dictionary in his hands, he explained. "Chika in Spanish sounds exactly like chica, a word that means girl. Chico means boy but ko is a common ending for a girl's name in Japanese."
Chika wanted to strangle shooto, in fact he pounced on him like an angry cat playing lion and Sotetsu had to get him off shooto. Even after being pushed to the floor in a surprise attack, shooto seemed satisfied with the overall situation. Sotetsu was currently holding Chika back, receiving a few bruises as Chika flailed around trying to get free and hunt down his prey.
With a confident smirk, unlike any expression anyone had ever seen on shooto's face, he concluded. "No matter how you look at it, Chika is a girly name."
"I'm going to kill you!" Chika yelled at the top of his lungs. shooto smiled at his partner and calmly left the lobby. Michiru blinked, Koyomi continued to stare and Sotetsu held on to the furious Chika.
Chibi Zarame merely shook his little head. The reaper made cute noises that translated to. "How are you going to kill him if he's already dead'" Honestly, humans made no sense.
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Definition 03: Live
There were many things she wanted to say. If she could say just one, what would it be'
"shooto..."
He was walking down the deserted school halls when he heard the voice calling.
"shooto..."
It was a girl's voice but it was not Michiru or Koyomi.
"shooto..."
He quickened his pace and the dream took him outside a graveyard near the dorm. Dreams had their ways to skip from one place to another but he did not question this, nor did he notice he was dreaming at this point.
She stood there smiling, pink hair moving gently in the soft afternoon breeze, blue eyes full of happiness. She was now wearing the same uniform Michiru and Koyomi wore for school.
He approached, she was standing next to a grave, but it didn't hit him that it was her grave.
"Live..."
He woke up with uneven breaths. Why was he dreaming about her now' Why did he picture things so clearly the way he wanted them to be, yet they were not' shooto got up and as he stood from his bed, his bare foot landed on a stomach.
"Ow!" Chika squirmed under the weight and pushed the foot away, making shooto fall sitting on his bed.
"What are you doing here'" shooto gave his destined partner a glare, but Chika only smiled in amusement.
"Take a look around." As if to emphasize Chika's point, a chirp was heard from a basket on the night stand. Chika's pet chick was there.
shooto noticed that his entire collection was mission, then he realized that it wasn't missing; he was simply in the wrong room. "This is... how..."
"You looked more like zombie than ever before, sleep walking like that and kicking me off my own bed. I was nice enough to let you stay, I thought you might be lonely or something. Of course I might charge for the unwilling sleepover."
Leaving Chika to his ramblings, shooto got up and returned to his room.
shooto lay down in his own bed and mussed over the possible meaning of the unexpected event of sleep walking. Maybe it meant he was too stressed or too tired, even if it sounded like a contradiction since he seemed to be well rested enough to walk in his sleep.
"Live..."
Maybe, just maybe, all that it meant was that it was time for him to start living his life alongside others, friends...
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Definition 04: Bath Time
The walk back to their rooms was quiet and somewhat awkward with Koyomi becoming distracted by every little thing, not that the excitement had died down, and Michiru nervously glancing at the werewolf every now and then. The girl with the shinigami eyes stood as far as possible from the creature, still a bit frightened from all that happened, she was also quite surprised at witnessing the chairperson's powers as the keeper of the key, though she didn't fully understand what that meant.
Chika seemed disappointed, sure he wasn't as depressed as he used to be but he wasn't back to his old self. shooto heard him grumble something about not getting paid but ignored it. The keeper of the key closely watched the werewolf the entire way.
Once they arrived, everyone was about to retreat to their respective rooms to rest when shooto and Chika received a request from Kuse, the chairperson and now the werewolf's caretaker. "shooto, Chika, I would like to ask a favor of you both." Chika grumbled because he didn't feel like it but knew he shouldn't refuse, and shooto remained silent. "Of course, you will receive a bonus for this task, if you successfully accomplish it."
"Bonus'!" Chika's eyes lit up and he was suddenly full of energy again. Maybe this hasn't been such a waste of time after all if he got a nice big bonus. "Whatever it is I'll do it, no problem!"
"A bath..." Kuse calmly spoke.
shooto blinked once and Chika blinked several times. "Bath'" They unanimously asked.
"Yes, I want you to give him a bath." It was obvious that by him she meant the werewolf. "He's covered in mud and dirt; he needs to be cleaned up."
This was indeed truth, Kuse had a point, the werewolf boy was filthy, but shooto didn't understand why he had to partake in giving him a bath. He certainly wasn't looking forward to it.
Chika didn't really care, as long as someone was paying, he would bathe and groom cats, dogs, werewolves and elephants alike.
"Will you do it'" The question was expressed to bring them back to attention and to let them know they did have a choice should they wish to refuse.
"Sure! Leave it to me!" Chika cheered at the prospect of a relatively easy bonus, or at least that's what he thought.
"I will help," shooto agreed a lot less enthusiastically than Chika.
"In that case, I will entrust him to you both for the time being." After using her powers, Kuse was feeling tired and needed to recover her energy so she could use some help.
"C'mon, boy, let's get you nice and clean!" Though Chika was smiling and didn't look threatening at all; the werewolf's first instinct was to bite the hand that was dangerously close to him. "Ah!"
"Akatsuki, don't forget that's my hand!" shooto watched in horror was the werewolf pulled the hand off Chika's wrist and ran off with it in his mouth. Chika, shooto and Kuse gave chase.
In the process of knocking things over and making a mess, Chika and shooto had lost sight the chairperson but continued their pursuit. The werewolf ran under a table, with Chika close behind. The zombie with the golden eyes crawled after him and hit his head on the table. shooto shook his head in disapproval, while Chika let a stream of colorful words express his pain.
Squeak, squeak, squeak! The werewolf bolted toward the source of the sound. "Good boy... Pochi, now sit." To the amazement of the two zombies, the werewolf, whom the chairperson had called Pochi, sat on the floor doggy style. She gave him the bone shaped squeaky toy and gently patted his head as she took the hand back. "This should make things easier now that he has something to chew on." Where she got that dog toy, no one knew and no one asked. "Please be careful from now on."
"I will," Chika accepted the hand and reattached it to his wrist while pretending he didn't notice shooto's annoyed look.
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It seemed that Pochi had calmed down and was quickly learning to respond to his name. "Stay still Pochi!" However he either did not know the meaning of staying still, or thought it was a synonym for moving around a lot. "Is the tub full yet'" Chika asked.
"Yes, but I told you, we can't just throw him in. The filth is attached to him and won't come off easily." shooto reasoned.
Chika pouted. "And why do I have to be the one to do this' Let's switch jobs, you can clean him and I'll shampoo."
"I refuse." It was his hand that had suffered from Chika's carelessness so shooto believed he had the right to choose what task he preferred in the process of cleaning Pochi. Chika continued trying to scrub the mud and dirt off Pochi with a wet towel, making sure he didn't scrub too hard and startle him. It might have been shooto's hand that bared the marks, but Chika felt the pain.
Squeak, squeak, squeak! Pochi chewed his bone shaped toy and scratched behind his ears with his toes while Chika took the time to throw the used to be white now brown towel in the hamper and get a clean one. Squeak, squeak, squeak! shooto's left eye twitched to the rhythm of the squeaking. Squeak, squeak, squeak!
"Enough! Stop that annoying sound this instant!" shooto's request was answered with a growl but he did not back down. He reached to take the toy away, making sure to use Chika's hand just in case, but Pochi tackled him into the tub.
"shooto, what are you doing'" Chika just stood there, towel in hand, while shooto and Pochi wrestled in the tub. He stepped forward, his foot landing on a soap bar that was carelessly left on the floor and inevitably, he slipped.
When Yuuta, who like everyone else witnessed the chaotic chase, came to see if any major injuries had occurred during the process of giving the werewolf a bath, he found shooto, Chika and the werewolf in the bath tub splashing around. "Looks like they're having fun..." Kenken and Konkon seemed to agree. "We better not interrupt, let's go back to our room and get some rest."
The chaos continued as Pochi struggled, splashed and scratched. The only thing he didn't do was let go of his precious squeaky toy so at least he didn't bite. In the end, shooto, Chika and Pochi, all ended up very clean and smelling of sweet strawberry shampoo, though not willingly.
Later, shooto talked Kuse into taking Pochi's irritating squeaker away while they were on the bus back to the city. She managed to do it quite easily with the promise of returning it when they got home. Chika was quite happy with his bonus and it all worked out in the end, at least for now.
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Definition 05: To Exist
Black Ring,
Broken wings.
Inevitable'
Destiny...
Escape the Reaper,
The Soul Seeker.
For hope, for life,
To live, to be,
To exist!
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Definition 06: Contrast
Carmella's Point of View
Life is nothing but a game of change in which some win and, in contrast, others lose. There are those who chose to try to challenge that endless cycle, to predict it and to control it, but such an accomplishment, if even possible, is not an easy one.
Born, live and die; some say it's the natural way, and perhaps the happiest. Others know nothing more than how to exist outside the cycle, some willingly, others having no choice.
A blade cuts a mutant creature, and instinctively the sword's wieldier steps back before the acid drops can reach him. He wishes to return into the cycle.
A bullet flies from the distance and pierces the head of the rampaging enemy, the one holding the gun only knows of existence outside of the cycle.
They both have their problems to face and challenges to master, and for better or worse, they are not alone in those tasks. Both miss their families dearly, one hoping to see them again soon, and the other holding no hopes of such a reunion.
The enemies have been defeated and they receive their rewards, one jumping with joy, the other accepting it quietly. They are opposites in many ways, and in many ways the same.
One of them impatiently walks back to their work place, calling for his companion to hurry. The other, much more patient than the first, walks at a steady pace and does not slip on the wet sidewalk from the rain that ended a mere few minutes ago.
The impatient one jumps to his feet, curses at the rain, then happily continues on his way, his mood swinging drastically back and forth with a matching changing expression. His companion remains serious, he is not moody, nor is he cheerful.
They arrive at their destination and are faced with several alternatives of what to do next; some information being provided by a good, yet sometimes misleading man, and more information being provided by hyperactive boy.
They leave; the patient one and the impatient one, contrasting like their crown of darkness and light. They head out to a new adventure and to find a new companion.
Contrast is quite present in that group; it becomes obvious when one is compared to another. Perhaps those complementing differences are what holds them together, and allows them to draw hope from each other.
Life, death and the in-between are full of twists and turns. Not all good intentions produce more good and not all evil intents produce more evil. But what is that, if not a mere comparison, one unable to be defined without the other. Side by side, like the two creations of my client, ever the opposites; one destroys and the other heals, bringing pain and compassion respectively, despair and hope.
I suppose I am quite different from other people as well. Unlike those who live inside the cycle, or exist outside of it, I help move it along in an eternally harmonious disarray. In that game of chance that some accept and others don't, some win and others, in contrast, lose; it's only a point of view.
End of Carmella's POV
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Definition 07: Cheshire Cat
shooto entered the Z-Loan office, walking naturally and minding his own business. Then, without a warning, he was tackled by Bekko against a wall. "What are you doing'" shooto demanded.
Bekko's reply was only a growl. He noticed an envelope on shooto's hand. He had gotten the money for the offering not too long ago, but got tired of waiting for Chika and Michiru so he went to see what was keeping them. He should have known not to let Akatsuki unsupervised for too long; Miss Kita wasn't always able to stop him from his mischief.
Bekko snatched the enveloped from shooto's hand and ran towards Chika with the envelope in his mouth. "No, no!" Chika scolded him, "you're supposed to find lost money so I can pick it up, you're not supposed to steal it!"
Bekko ignored Chika and threw the envelope at his feet, then he proceeded to bark at the strangely colored pink and purple zombie cat Chika was holding. The cat's eyes became hypnotic swirls of pink and purple and soon Bekko's barking was replaced by frightened squeaks.
"Bad Cheshire!" Chika was apparently scolding the cat, though it lots its effect if he did it while petting it. "I told you I needed a hound not a mouse!"
That's when the fact sunk in for shooto, the strange zombie cat Chika picked up somewhere and hid, had hypnotic powers that made people and zombies think as animals. shooto took note of Yuuta sitting on his usual place, blissfully ignorant about what was happening white twisting his nose like a bunny rabbit.
"Akatsuki!" If only shooto had his own right hand, he would have called out his gun in a split second.
"What' I heard the Ferryman can smell money so I thought he could help us, but he refused, so I got a little help from my new friend, Cheshire." In Chika's mind, it was a genius plan.
shooto was not pleased and the fact that Koyomi kept clapping like a seal creating background noise was not helping. Not surprisingly Michiru was a gopher, he should have guessed. Sometimes shooto felt as if he was trapped in a zoo when he went to work and today he saw it come true.
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"Meow!" The chairperson was not pleased. "Meow!" To hear a werewolf meow at the top of his lungs was not quite normal, then again, neither were werewolves, or zombies, or key keepers.
"This might be a problem," Kuze mused in a quiet and calm voice.
"That is a problem," shooto emphasized. There was no room for a maybe. When he spoke those words, shooto was not pointing at the strange pink and purple zombie cat, nor the peculiar meowing werewolf, but rather at a zombie with golden eyes.
Chika pouted, "he usually listens to me!" His defense fell when the cat, whom he named Cheshire, ignored his calls, making Chika have to pull him out from under the desk.
"Give me my hand," shooto ordered with a glare deadlier than his gun.
Chika clutched the right hand he had, which was actually shooto's. "No!"
"Calm down!" Firm but collected, the chairperson silenced them. "If you are thinking of guiding this zombie cat, it is best not to do so until everyone is back to normal." That might take some time, Bekko was still a frightened mouse, Yuuta was hopping around like a rabbit, Michiru was a shy gopher and Koyomi was a clapping seal that wouldn't stop clapping, much to shooto's aggravation.
"I'm sure he's just tired," Chika spoke referring to the zombie cat. "If we let him rest he'll listen to me again."
shooto gave his partner a look that clearly indicated that he would hold him to his word. He liked the faster way of simply shooting the cat, if preferably while Chika was holding him.
Noting shooto's dangerous irritation, caused partially by the trouble Chika and his cat brought, and partially by the lack of silence thanks to Koyomi, which was the cat's fault anyway; Kuze decided it was best to suspend all business activities for the day. "Take the rest of the day off, go home and rest, shooto-san. Chika-san and I will take care of making sure everyone else goes home."
shooto did not have to be told twice. He was very close to forcing his hand off Chika and shooting him for this one. He was glad to leave the Z-Loan office and the noisy clapping Koyomi behind.
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After shooto had left, each person was taken home. The students were safely delivered to their dorm rooms, with nothing more than a few strange stares from random people. This task was left up to Chika since he brought the cat. "Greed is never good," Kuze had said.
One after another, everyone was placed in the safety of their homes, with Chika pledging innocent and disclaiming all responsibility about any items they might break in their animal state.
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At the Z-loan office, Pochi and Cheshire were quite content playing with balls of yarn, other than them, Chika and Kuze, Bekko was the only one left in the office. "Does he live here'" When ever Chika saw the ferryman he was at the office. Early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon or late at night, he was always there whenever he visited Z-Loan.
"Of course not, Bekko should be taken home as well but that is..." Kuze did not finish, she got up from her seat and glanced at Pochi and Cheshire. "Keep an eye on them." She then proceeded to pull Bekko, the mouse, out of his hiding place in a storage closet.
"You're taking him home'" Chika was curious, it was a curiosity easily to satisfy but difficult to disregard. "I want to go too! To help out I mean." His feigned guilt didn't work, but the sad kitten look knew no rival.
"Very well..." There was a certain undertone to Kuze's voice, as if she was about to teach the mischievous zombie a lesson, but Chika was too distracted thinking about what Bekko's house could look like to even consider the consequences of visiting it.
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"For how long have I been going in circles'" Time and space were two things that either did not exist or existed too much in Bekko's house. From the outside, it was it was an elegant mansion, just outside the city, but it was a normal building none the less, save for the size and luxury. Inside it looked normal at first, then it warped and tuned into an endless maze of darkness and light.
"Squeak!" Bekko was currently trying to obtain the cheese Chika had gotten when he passed the oversized kitchen, hoping to gain the upper hand when it came to babysitting the mouse ferryman.
"Bad mouse!" it was hard for Chika to control a mouse that was bigger than him, especially if kicking was not an option for several reasons. One of those reasons was upsetting Kuze, who knows what kind of secret powers a key keeper could have, and the other most likely one, was having his debt doubles, tripled or multiplied several times, more so than what was already expected when Bekko went back to normal.
It was that cat's fault, if Chika hasn't found the poor creature meowing sadly and doubted himself when he was about to guide the cat, he wouldn't be in this mess. Perhaps to say he doubted would be stretching it, it was more like the cat temporarily hypnotized him into thinking he was a fish. If he wasn't already dead he would have died of fright or lack of water, but then the strangely colored feline released him and Chika took it as an offering of friendship.
When Chika remembered Bekko's unique ability, he decided to turn him into a dog, just for a little while. A hound that could smell cash better than any other; a crazy idea he knew it; but it was those occasional crazy antics that made Chika feel alive, even if he was still a zombie buried in debt.
He wasn't making any progress and giving up on taking Bekko to his room to rest as Kuze instructed, Chika decided to throw the cheese.
Bekko scrambled after the cheese and ate it happily, looking quite strange from Chika's point of view. The zombie tried to retrace his steps but instead stumbled upon a door that hid glass stairs, much taller than the size of the structure seen from out side.
"We must go," spoke a quiet voice from the entrance to the room, where Chika stood gazing at the space beyond the door while Bekko ate his cheese.
"What is that place'" Chika thought about crossing the doorframe to that place, that mysterious unknown place.
"Stop!" That was much louder and firmer than usual and this time not even the look of the sad kitten could convince the chairperson to let Chika venture past that door. Before Chika could even try to get away, the door was shut and locked before him; Kuze was the keeper of the key after all. "I changed my mind." Chika didn't know what in the world Kuze was talking about.
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By the next day, Cheshire was in Kuze's care and the hypnotism problem was resolved. It was obvious that the home of Bekko the ferryman was not a common place, but Chika suspected that his true home was beyond that door with the spiraling glass stairs.
'I changed my mind...' Did that meant that Kuze initially was going to let Chika go past that door into that place' Chika didn't know what to think of it.
Things melted back into normalcy little by little and Cheshire remained in the care of Kuze; either that or he was already guided, Chika didn't know.
End
Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan or Final Fantasy VII. Definition 05 is a mini poem I wrote to decorate the second layout of Black Ring, a Zombie Loan fansite Snow and I made. Definition 06 was written for Snow's Wheel of Fortune challenge. Definition 07 was inspired by Snow, who told me about Bekko's ability to smell money.