The DearS Festival

You peeked your head over your best friend's shoulder, trying to get a look at the dress she and the others were fawning over.

Kirei squealed, clapping her hands together in approval. "It's perfect!  I've never seen something so beautiful in all my life!" She wheeled around on high heels to smile at you. "Don't you think so, Yukiko?"

You grimaced, knowing what was about to happen. "Kirei, it's not really my..."

You let out a cry as Tama grabbed your cheeks and pulled, whispering over your shoulder. "You do still need to get a dress for the festival..."

"But I..."

"You need to quit being so antsy about this." Rei stuck out her tongue, leaning forward and winking. "Or else you'll never get your kiss!"

Kirei gave her a swift bop on the ear. "Rei, that's not funny!  It's her first time going after all!"

You sighed, watching their argument progress.  Didn't they understand that you didn't want to go?  The festival was meant for young singles.  You were perfectly happy with your new boyfriend, and yet somehow you had gotten stuck attending without him.

Tama tapped your cheek lightly, her short, spikey blonde hair dangerously close to your face. "Earth to the ADD one!  Everyone's already gone inside!"

You yipped, startled at her sudden appearance in your thoughts, before you sweatdropped, seeing Kirei already sucking up to the store clerk to let them try on the dress.  She had a way of getting what she wanted... "I'm coming, don't worry."  You scooted in after her, the familiar tinkle of the doorbell sounding.

"I've got first dibs!" Kirei threw a hand up into the air, showing her dominance over you and the other girls as the clerk unlocked the glass case that held the stunning blue dress.

"Second!" Tama demanded, trying to raise her hand even higher.

"No dibs.  It would clash with my hair," Rei said cooly, putting on an air of false complexity as she moved her hand through her shoulder length green hair, clipped back with a giant red bow.

"I really..." you started, but somehow never finished.

"Oh no you don't.  You're trying it on too," Kirei said, the finality in her voice almost frightening as she stepped into the dressing room.  She quickly softened her image with a wink. "You'll look the prettiest in it, I know it."

You sighed, looking at the other two for support, but getting none, like usual.  It was a common thing, but hey! these were still your best friends.  Kirei was just the undisputed leader of the group, and whatever she said, whenever she said it, went.

In a few minutes, she immerged, her fire red hair tied loosely up in a bun and her lips dashed with some lipstick from her bag. "So how do I look, guys?"

She was stunning.  There was no doubt about it.  She was considered the most beautiful girl at school, and for good reason.  The true blue silk dress hugged her curves easily, but just loose enough to give her some kind of mystery.  The shawl draped around her neck as if it was meant to be there, falling down enticingly behind her, her bare back curving in the perfect way.

You weren't certain, but you thought you saw the sales clerk's jaw drop.

"I dunno...blue's never really been my color..." She held both her arms straight up in the air, striking a sexy pose.  "This would look better with some white gloves."

You sighed again, but this time, in a common tingling of jealousy in the pit of your stomach.  She was so beautiful and you were so...

"Nah.  It's not really my thing." She plucked at the chest and the long skirt. "The chest is too tight and this skirt just doesn't show any leg.  I'm not into the whole fairy tale princess thing." She smiled at you in a joking way.

"If you say so, Kirei." You laughed nervously, not sure why she would disapprove of something that looked so good on her.

Kirei disappeared back into the dressing room, and Tama then took her turn, staring at herself in the mirror for a few moments before deciding that it just didn't fit her athletic body.  She changed back into her regular clothes in just under five minutes, then handed the dress off to you, pinching your cheek again in her affectionate way.

You looked away as you slowly undressed yourself, not wanting to see your reflection.  The other three were so great looking but you were just...

You dared to take a peek as you finished taking off you pants, staring at your underwear clad figure.  'It isn't so bad,' you thought, cupping your breasts and pushing them up for volume. 'Maybe in a few years, I'll get some boobs.'

You quietly sighed again, taking the dress and putting it on, avoiding the mirror again, only being able to think about how glorious it looked on Kirei.  How could you dare look at yourself in competition with her?

When you immerged from the dressing room, you were greeted by a round of applause, all three girls apparently approving.

"Yours is the best fit yet!" Kirei squeaked, jumping up on the platform with you, turning you to stare at your reflection.  "And look at that cleavage, girl!  I didn't know you had it in you!"

You blinked, staring at the sliver of boob that peeked out the bust of the dress, blushing slightly.

Kirei tugged at your sides, pulling it tighter around you. "Damn, why do you have to be so skinny?!  We'll need to get this taken in for you!"

This only caused you to blush more, rivaling your best friend's hair, seeing just how good it really did look on you.

"Hmm...I still vote for white gloves, but..." She pulled a hair tie off her wrist, gripping your deep blue ponytail and twisting it in an elegant matter, quickly tying it in place before looking in the mirror again at her work. "That's better!"

You laughed nervously. "It's not like the festival's tonight, Kirei..."

"One more thing!" Rei announced, jumping up on the platform in front of you, suddenly tugging on your bangs. "All you need is one...single...curl..."

She pulled back, and you couldn't believe your eyes.  Was that really...you?  You toyed with the curl Rei had made, then blushed a bit more. "I think I want this dress for the festival, guys..."

Tama, who had suddenly popped up next to you, gave you a friendly slap on the back. "That's our girl!  Attracting all the men away from us!"

Even Kirei laughed...[pgbr]It wasn't until later that night that you realized that you had actually just dedicated yourself to going to the DearS festival.  Weren't you the one that had been so adamant about not going at all?

You hoisted a large flower pot from its stand, catching your balance and carrying the heavy thing into the store, the flowers inside quivering as if scared.

This festival was the favorite of all young people, but you had never really been excited to go.  The custom was to wear fake DearS collars and dance until midnight, where you would have to find a member of the opposite sex and kiss them before the bell finished chiming.  This was the first year where you were allowed to go, but you had been sure to find a boyfriend before the festival this year in order to prevent embarassing situations.  This didn't really work out, however, as he absolutely refused to go with you, saying the whole thing was an immature way to find one night stands.

You set the plant down in its new home, wiping the sweat from your brow and looking over your work.  Mother would be proud.  The whole place was spick and span with all the flowers out on display, awaiting the customers that would whisk them to their own personal partly sunny oasis.

A sharp knocking at the door broke you from your thoughts, and you quickly wiped your hands of dirt before straightening your uniform apron and opening the door.

"If it isn't my little sweetheart." Ryou offered you a to-die-for smile before plucking up a dozen white roses sitting outside on display. "For you."

You laughed quietly as his joke, taking them and kissing him softly on the cheek. "The sentiment is appreciated.  I'll just go find some water for these."

You headed back inside, into your house attached to the back of the store, and finally into the kitchen, reaching into a high cupboard for a vase, filling it with some specially formulated fertilizer your mother kept on hand.

Ryou came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and setting his chin on your shoulder.  "Have I ever told you that you're absolutely stunning in that uniform?" He plucked at the fabric on your front pocket. "It's always been one of my fetishes..."

You slowly began to cut the roses to length, smiling to yourself. "Maybe you should come work here then.  Then you can see them everyday."

He reached up and kissed your ear softly, whispering, "It doesn't look half as good if it isn't on you."

You arranged the roses to your liking, trying to hold back your smile. "You're being awfully sweet, Ryou.  Did you knock one of our hanging pots down again?"

"Nothing like that..." He seemed a little nervous now.

"Then what is it?" You finally looked at him, tucking your scissors again into your front pocket.

"I just..." He shifted, nervously, before finally spitting it out. "I have a bad feeling about this festival..."

"You don't really think I'm going to leave you, are you?" You laughed as if it were a joke, moving the vase to the table. "I'm not that shallow..."

"It has nothing to do with that!" He seemed angry now, his true feelings finally immerging, causing you to turn to face him. "I just can't believe you're going to kiss another guy before you even have your first kiss with me!"

Your face almost instantly turned sad. "It's not like the kiss would mean anything..."

"That's not the point!" He shook his head, taking you by the shoulders. "I'm your boyfriend, right?!  Shouldn't I get the same as any stranger would?!"

"Ryou, I..." You looked down, away from his fierce eyes. "I told you I would when I'm ready... We haven't been going out for very long and I like my first kisses to be special..."

"And yet some stranger..." His emotions flickered again, this time to sadness. "Gets that "special time" without even knowing your name..."

"I wanted you to come, but you said..."

"I didn't want to go and I was hoping you would follow my example... finding a DearS of your own is just a little kid's fairy tale..."

Your bangs covered your eyes as you lowered your head, not wanting him to see. "I have to go... Kirei and the others..."

"Yukiko..." Ryou lifted your chin, staring straight into your eyes with his green ones. "Can I kiss you...?"

"What...?" The question had come as a complete surprise to you, making you blush.

"Let me kiss you..." His voice was soft, his breath hitting your lips. "Please..."

"I... I..." You felt your eyes begin to close, your heart racing in your chest, the way it always did when you found yourself inches from kissing the man of your dreams. "Yes..."

He wrapped his arms around you as he tucked his head in to touch his lips softly to yours, brushing them softly and gingerly, taking his time.  He ran his hands up and down your back before finally deciding his position, a hand behind your head, forcing the kiss suddenly deeper, spinning you softly to emphasize the moment, his hand running through your hair.

He took his time to pull back, savering the taste of you on his lips with his eyes closed, face towards the heavens. "Yukiko..." His eyes opened, peering into the blue of your own. "Your lips are so soft... so sweet..."

You simply blushed, not knowing what to say now.

He brushed a hand over your cheek, bringing his face again close to yours, running his fingers over your lips. "I bet these lips...could even turn a monster into your obedient slave..."[pgbr]The day of the festival arrived with little incident, and your family's tiny flowershop was quickly overrun by urgent boys trying to find flowers for the girl they would kiss.  One had even offered you his freshly bought flowers, but you simply laughed, waving them off with a simple 'I'm taken' response.

It was later in the day, when Kirei, Tama, and Rei arrived, that you finally began to get nervous.

"White gloves!" Kirei announced, holding them over her head in triumph. "And let's not forget my favorite pair of white heels, of the perfect size for my snow child's feet!" She lifted a shoebox into view.

"And I have the dresses." Rei hugged a bundle to her chest, her ice blue eyes flashing. "Tailored per Ms. Kirei's instructions."

"Let's not forget make-up and enough hair spray to last even me a month." Tama motioned to her black bag, the back end of a hairbrush peeking out the top. "Time to get ready."

Several hours later, Tama finished the last detail on Kirei's complicated make-up design, and pulled back, observing her handywork from afar.  You couldn't help but blush at the daring approach your best friend had taken, looking akin to the elves seem commonly in popular manga.

"And now," she announced, pulling a simple red collar from her purse, clasping it around her neck, hitting the small triangle at the end with a manicured finger. "I am truly one sexy DearS."

"Hell, if you were a DearS and I was a man, I'd date you in an instant," Tama laughed. "Everyone have their collars?"

"Right here." Rei also pulled a collar from her purse, decorated with spunky sequins and extra baubles, clipping it on loosely around her neck.

"And mine." Tama motioned to the black belt already tied around her neck, a simple triangular piece of metal glued on.

All three then looked to you, waiting for your collar to appear magicaly out of a purse that didn't exist.

"Hold on.  It's in my room." You took off out of the bathroom, up the stairs into your room, instantly going for the box under you bed, hidden stealthily behind some discarded clothes.

"What're you doing, sis?"

You jumped, hiding the box behind your back as you whipped around to see your slightly younger brother standing there, chewing on the end of a fudgsicle.

"Satoshi, shouldn't you be downstairs helping mother?" You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself. "We both know today's a big business day, and she can't take care of it all by herself!"

"I'm on break." He walked in, casually, licking a drip from the opposite side of the stick. "So what do you have there?"

You sighed, knowing there was no bound to his curiousity, opening the box for him to see. "I've been working on this all year, and I was hoping to keep it a secret until today." You pulled out the sleek red band, looking almost exactly like the ones the DearS wore on TV. "I want to look as much like a real DearS as possible."

His eyes widened as he quickly dumped the half eaten fudgsicle in the trash. "It's so..." He touched it gently, looking at it in awe. "Sis, this is perfect..."

"You need to quit obsessing over DearS so much." You rubbed his head, messing up his hair as you clipped it on, gazing at yourself in the mirror, adjusting the tight collar to your liking, smiling at him. "I'll see you when I get back, alright?"

"Fine..." He looked somewhat upset, but sighed, looking at the trash where he had dumped his fudgsicle. "Damn... I guess I have to get back to work..."

You laughed, then ducked outside, biting your lip as you walked down the stairs.  Now all that was left was the kiss...[pgbr]The grounds were absolutely covered with young people, bustling around to play games and find sweethearts.  Your eyes widened at the sheer volume of people, intimidating you easily.

Kirei sighed dreamily, clasping her hands by her face. "And to think one of these lovely men will be mine tonight.  What lucky boys."

Tama's eyes darted around, searching for a similar stand-out collar like hers, knowing only a man of her tastes would dare do such a thing. "Well, I've found my man." She saluted the three of you. "And now I'm off to woo him."

She left, leaving you and Rei to giggle over Kirei's continual dreamy musings.

"And then we'll go back to his place and watch a scary movie... and he'll hold me real close..."

A tall blonde suddenly came up behind the two of you, wrapping his arms around Rei's neck, giving you a charming wink.

"Hey there, baby..." Rei trailed her fingers over his arm in a sexual fashion, extending an invitation for later.  He nibbled on her neck in response, nipping gently at the clasp of her collar.

You gave out something of an aggravated sigh, then opted for following Kirei towards the dance floor, trying to avoid bumping into anyone, especially a man.

"Hold it!" Kirei held up a hand quickly, stopping any progress. "My hot guy senses are tingling."

You watched as she looked around, searching for the trigger, before she pointed it out with wide eyes. "Look at hiiiiiim..." Her voice was soft, indicating an incredibly good candidate for scary movie watching.

You followed her eyes to the man she was pointing out, and it was instantly apparent why.  He wasn't just wearing a DearS collar, but the fullblown DearS outfit, complete with a tight black suit that exposed his abs and conformed to his muscles.  His hair, black with green tips, looking almost exactly like a DearS's, making anyone wonder if he really was a DearS.

Kirei turned back to you.  "I'm following him." And with that, she disappeared off into the crowd, chasing him.

"Ki-Kirei!!!" you called, suddenly afraid of the crowd pressing in around you.  You tried to follow her, but were soon swallowed whole in the mass of dancing bodies, shoved around like you were a punching bag. "KIREI!!!"

You started fighting, struggling with all your might to escape the sweaty mass of human flesh pressing in on all sides.  You pushed and shoved people aside as you passed, not caring who they were or what they were doing, trying to get to the edge of the dance floor where you could actually breathe.

You saw the edge of the floor and reached out for it, trying to escape when suddenly a hand grabbed onto yours, pulling you out and into the fresh air.

"Yukiko, you'll never believe this!"

It was Kirei of all people.

You huffed for a little while, not really wanting to respond yet.

That didn't stop her. "Suit boy has a friend." She gave you a look, as if that meant everything.  "A hot friend.  A gorgeous friend.  A beautiful friend."

"I think I got you."

She grabbed you by the shoulders, looking you dead in the eyes. "You're going in.  You're gonna find your kiss early."

That instantly grabbed your attention. "Wh-What?"

Kirei just grinned at you. "You can have his hot, gorgeous, beautiful friend and I'll take suit boy.  Enough said." She squeezed your shoulders to drive the point home. "Then we both have our hot kisses and this night'll be perfect."

You started squirming. "But I already have a..."

"Boyfriend shmoyfriend." She waved her hand as if boyfriends went out of style two weeks ago. "These guys are totally smokin'."

"I just can't..."

"Listen." She gave you a serious look now, one that reeked of classic Kirei do-or-die. "Hot guys like them go fast, and you have to kiss someone tonight.  And quite frankly, my dear, I'm not suffering with the ugliest son of a bitch here because you're worried about your boyfriend."

You gulped, knowing her path of vengeance too well from one of her ex-boyfriends.  His blood practically smeared the walls of your high school, and he hadn't managed to find a girl that would even let him buy her lunch for her since.

"Alright, Kirei...but you owe me one."

"I paid for the dress, didn't I?" She was back to her chipper self in no time, standing up straight with her hands behind her back. "Just don't mess this up!"

You gulped, looking in the direction you had last seen 'suit boy' headed.  Kirei patted you on the back, urging you forward, and you let your legs shakily star walking, staying on the edge of the crowd.

It wasn't long before the two men came into view, Suit Boy shorter than his hot, gorgeous, and beautiful friend, who truly was hot, gorgeous, and beautiful.  He had sandy blonde hair spiked down into his face, his mouth and part of his nose concealed behind the larger part of his collar, gazing out at the crowd with dangerous eyes.  He wore something also akin to a DearS costume, his shirt and pants both made of tight leather, but a loose tan jacket of sorts covered most of him, making him look bigger than he actually was.

'How the hell am I supposed to...?'

You approached them, slowly, trying not to make it too obvious.  This wasn't something you were generally considered good at, but hell, they didn't seem to notice you.  Maybe they wouldn't even acknowledge your presense and you could hide from them and Kirei's wrath for the rest of the night...

"This festival is such a waste of time.  I haven't found a DearS yet.  All of them are just humans playing around in disguise..." Suit Boy was talking with an angry look on his face, shifting in place as if he wanted to beat someone's face in.

"Calm down, Zero... We didn't come here with full confidence in the first place..."

Zero snapped back at him quickly. "All we have to look forward to here are some stupid human whores looking for a nice night." He gazed back out at the crowd, watching one girl dance erotically next to her date. "They disgust me..."

"I said calm down... we'll take another look around in another hour or so when they perform their ritual..." H,G, and B Boy was obviously the calmer of the two, resonating with an air of complete confidence, something that you just couldn't help but be drawn to from your spot close behind them, pretending to be looking out on the dance floor for someone.

Zero shifted again, very agitated. "I can't stand this... It makes me want to... want to kill something!"

Your eyes widened, very quickly not liking how close you were to them, moving slowly away, trying to escape into the night unnoticed.

H,G, and B shook his head, bringing a sense of normalcy back to the situation.  "Just enjoy yourself..."[pgbr]Your breaths finally softened after about a half hour hidden behind the stage, both fascinated and frightened.

This Zero character... you weren't sure how, but you could just sense from him a great amount of danger, eminating from his every pore, surrounding him like a bad stench.  His green eyes had held nothing but hate as he looked out on the dancers, no, nothing but loathing.  There was no way you could approach him...

But the other one...the one you didn't know the name of...was something else entirely.  He also had some sense of danger lurking about him, but it only seemed to make him more attractive.  You blushed, picturing that blonde-haired man being your kiss for the night. ...in your dreams.  You sighed, pressing the image from your mind, trying to think happier thoughts about Ryou and Kirei not killing you for running away.

Just as the thought crossed your mind, none other than Kirei arrived herself, looking surprisingly chipper. "Forget those two clowns!  I have my kiss for the night!"  She pointed up on stage, to the lead singer of whatever group was playing now.  "He even invited me back to his place for a scary movie!"

You laughed half-heartedly, glad she had found someone else. "Don't tell me that you're going to spend the night too..."

She waved her hand as if the question was absurd. "No sex on the first date.  It's a rule."

You smiled, still somewhat distracted.  It would be nice to be as popular with the boys as she was...

Kirei suddenly squealed, jumping up and down a bit as her man of choice for the night started speaking into the microphone.

"And now as all you love birds come together, we're going to play our next number, which should lead right up the big event!" He seemed excited.  Who wouldn't be with a kiss like Kirei waiting for them?  "And as for all you lonely little singles out there, you better find your significant other quick, or else who knows what terrible karma will find you." He pointed out at the crowd for effect.

It worked.  Young couples started seeking each other out, clinging to each other to avoid being separated in the commotion as the band played its last slow song.

"Find your man." Kirei winked, then headed up onto the stage herself, letting the singer cling to one of his hips to claim her.

You looked out at the crowd, a bit put off by the sight, deciding to skirt around the edge of the dance floor to find the first man you could find.

Over the stage, a large clock pushed closer to the twelve, its ticking growing louder with every second that passed.  The lack of available men seemed to make it grow even louder, your desperate footsteps echoing in your mind.  All of the dancers seemed taken, gazing into each other's eyes with longing for the twelfth note to strike.  You let out a groan of desperation, heading back to where you had been before.

And there he was... the same sandy blonde headed man you had seen earlier, his shorter counterpart absent.  He was the only available guy anywhere, and no available girl was left to claim him, but...you...

You picked up your skirt, running towards him, knowing that this was now or never, the finally tick resounding throughout the park as the band finished its song, the singer closing in for his kiss with your best friend.  The first chime sounded, burning your ears as you came within a few feet of the man...

The second...

You grabbed his arms, causing him to look down at you...

The third...

You pulled down the collar to expose his soft lips...

The fourth...

You watched his expression change suddenly to surprise...

The fifth...

You closed your eyes, hoping for the best...

The sixth...

Your lips met...

The seventh...

Your life as you knew it ended...