Chains Of Pride

"Hmph, look what you did, because of you my stockings all ruined." Rikona pouted while holding up her stockings, and saw just what a number Makoto did on the poor thing. Sadly, her poor stockings couldn't make it to the end of their journey.

"I'm sorry, but you know how I feel about stockings. Not tearing them off would be like, a crime to all men." Makoto was explaining while he got dressed for his lack of 'finesse' when he acted. However, Rikona just harrumphed in his direction, not accepting his excuse.

"Yeah right, you need to curb that stocking fetish of yours."

Makoto paused at the last button of his shirt as he looked in her direction. "Hey, I'll have you know I wear my fetish with pride, as we all should."

He moved closer to her as he whispered, "I'm sorry about your stockings though, don't worry, if it hurts you that much, I'll get you another pair."

Her expression softened at last when she heard this. "Well, good, at least you kn-"

"So I can rip it off again!" Makoto interrupted with a smile as he stood before her.

"You're bullying me again?! Apparently, you haven't learned a thing!" Rikona fumed as she folded her arms in indignation. "Well, that's because you're too cute not to bully." He landed a small kiss on her scrunched up nose, before nuzzling it with his own to calm her down.

"That's not fair," was the only thing she could manage to say before Makoto grabbed her by the waist to pull her into his embrace.

She softly knocked her head to this c.h.e.s.t, mostly to hide her face from view. Too embarrassed to show him the smile she now wore because of his earlier actions.

He smiled when he saw how docile she was being, but he knew they weren't in a position to think only of themselves for too long.

They had to start discussing all the new things they discovered about Taliums, plus plans that could be used to begin their counter-attack on the association.

They couldn't spend all this time hiding, they had to find a way to even the playing field. Either by stripping the association of theirs or by strengthening their own. The meeting they were planning to attend would touch base with all of these, strategy and planning was tantamount to their survival.

"Ugh, I wish we could at least take a shower before the meeting. It's a good thing it's not gonna be too long." Rikona grumbled while she stared at Makoto to finish getting dressed. Contrary to her, he didn't seem all that bothered by it as he responded.

"Don't worry, we'll be in and out before you know it. Besides, this is important, and I like to learn about all the new thing you guys have discovered about Taliums as a whole even if I don't understand everything.

When they were both fully dressed, absent a pair of stockings, they headed to the door of the small office. As soon as Makoto and Rikona came out, they were greeted by an annoyed expression on Kura's face while Yang Min's expression was one of shyness and embarrassment than anything else, her beet-red face giving her away.

Luckily it was getting a bit late, so the area they were in was a lot emptier than when they started. However, some Taliums that were passing by threw quick glances in their direction before continuing on their way.

"Oh look, they're finally finished, did you finish showing my older sister that you're back, 'Mr Man'?" Kura decided to tease them a little seeing as how they decided to make them wait. Especially when there were so many things to discuss and so little time for anything else.

"You heard all that?!" Makoto wasn't one to easily get embarrassed, especially since his shame tree got burned down a long time ago. However, he didn't like it when his dirty talk was heard by the younger sister of the woman he was having s.e.x with.

"Though the walls and doors ain't that thin Mr Man, you guys were so loud that I think the association will be on our asses come morning." Kura stared at them both with a deadpan expression.

'Coughs.'

Makoto coughed and started to change the subject. "Well, I think it's about time we began our meeting, so let's get moving."

Kura rolled her eyes at his words before turning to Yang Min to tell her to bring the two of them to the meeting room, while she went to pick up some doc.u.ments that were back in the office. Though the building they were in was abandoned and lacked care, it was able to accommodate their needs for the moment since it possessed an abundance of rooms.

"Y-Yes Master Kura!" Yang Min jumped in shock when she heard Kura's voice and quickly moved to lead them to the meeting room. Before they could move, however, Kura's shout echoed from within the office.

"What happened to the desk!? Why the hell is it rocking all of a sudden!?!" When Makota and Rikona heard the angered voice of Kura, they both hurried their steps pushing the fl.u.s.tered Yang Min with an embarrassed smile on their faces.

…

In the meeting room waiting for everyone to arrive was Rikona, Kura, Makoto and Yang Min. Apparently, the girls were waiting for the arrival of more people before they could start. Makoto was impressed that not only did the girls gather more Taliums in the time he had been absent but that they were bringing them into the administrative fold.

"So uh, who are we waiting on here? Is it anyone I've met before?" Makoto questioned, leaning back in his chair as he waited for the meeting to start. Kura looked up from the doc.u.ments Rikona, and she was looking through to answer, "You've met one of them before, but introductions weren't made at the time, it's easier to let them introduce themselves when they arrive."

She returned to looking back through the doc.u.ments while discussing something in hushed tones with her older sister.

"What, do you see something you like?" Makoto espied the younger Yang Min glaring at him from across the table with a still red face. When she heard his remark, she couldn't help biting back with, "You're aware that people simply tolerate you, right?"

"Oh yeah? Well, then Rikona must have really been tolera- JESUS!" Standing beside Makoto as if he was always, there was Zutto Shu. The heavily scarred man whom Rikona fought before in their attempt to escape.

"You know they should put a bell on you." A frightened Makoto was holding his c.h.e.s.t as it heaved up and down from the shock he received, where did he come from?

"Do it again Shu-Shu, if he has a heart attack and dies, sure, all the good luck humanity will ever have will run out, but …it'll be worth it." Yang Min grinned in his direction after she spoke.

Makoto was about to respond when another voice interjected, "Sorry I'm late everyone, there's just so much to do, and I lost track of time." The one who spoke was another male who looked to be in his mid 20's. His skin was tanned, granting him a faint bronze glow, he had a strong jawline and high cheekbones.

He was the kind of man that a girl would walk up to instead of himself. His hair colour, a dirty blonde that he allowed to grow and fall wherever, and it seemed to work for him. He wore nought but a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers, simple, but effective in showing off his charm. All in all, a fine specimen if ever there was one.

"Thank you for coming guys." Rikona smiled in his and Zutto Shu's direction before gesturing to them both to sit down.

"The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e is all mine Lady Rikona, and good evening to you, Lady Kura." Gin took a seat facing the younger sister.

"Huh? Oh hey, Gin, glad you're here." Kura only spared Gin a brief glance before looking back at the doc.u.ments she and her sister were looking at before.

"You're still as beautiful as ever I see." When Makoto heard this, his brow perked up in interest, thinking to himself, "Well well well, looks like someone wants the darker chocolate of the two huh." He chuckled to himself, and inwardly wished the man good luck.

"Ah-huh …you too." Replied Kura, barely lifting her head this time around seemingly engrossed in what she was reading. Seeing that he was being ignored, Gin's face couldn't help but sigh in dejection.

"Aright, that's enough of that. It's late, I'm tired, and I wanna sleep, so let's get this over with." Rikona, knowing that Gin was about to fail in having her younger sister notice him, started the meeting right away.

"First on the agenda is, how we'll take the metaphorical stick and shove it up the association's a.s.s, and I mean way up there. All ideas are welcome, especially long and prickly ones."