Chapter 107: Reminiscence

Sat in his room, right against the window with a single leg pulled up. Parc skimmed through likely the last book he'd be reading during his stay in this world. It was a fantastical story, one familiar to him. It was a story about a girl, dragged down a hole by a trickster fox into a fantastical land of giant moths with smoking addictions and a crazy king called Frankly.

It was actually quite an amusing sight to see what amounted to a strange Alice in wonderland rip-off even if it were far from a true rip-off considering the original didn't even exist around here. Still,finding such a similar story somewhere far, far away drew a hint of nostalgia to him.

Turning his gaze out his window, glancing past the treeline and into the dark night sky, he began to contemplate. 'What now?' he questioned while lowering the book onto his lap. It was quite unreal to him his limited time. For so long he'd spent without direction, simply wandering around the country trailing himself towards the only place he knew would hold something for him. And now that he'd found that, his mission and ultimately the end of said mission. He was conflicted.

He'd be lying to say he hadn't grown somewhat attached to this land of bountiful treelines and untainted landscapes. Yet he'd also be lying if he said he didn't despise this place for its rampant corruption. Something he doubted would truly disappear even after the Emperor and Honest were brought down. It was bound to lurk somewhere in this country, a festering wound only ready to burst out at a single wrongly placed breath.

'Like homes any different,' Parc hook his head and snorted. Yes, 'home' another thing he was unsure about. He knew he would be going back soon, yet he didn't feel like it was going home. It felt more like he was backing his bags and moving back into his old childhood abode. Not returning to a place he'd lived in for over five years.

'Gods, I wonder how Akane's doing?' he raised a hand to his neck, scratching right below his chin. The image of the black-haired girl flickering through her mind, staring at him with a friendly smile and bright blue eyes while her mother portioned out dinner. He missed them, even just a little.

He missed Tsukino's handmade meals, her freshly baked breads so laced with her love it was practically the main ingredient.

'How long have I been gone for them?' was it the same as him? Has he been missing for nearly two years now? 'They must be worried sick,' he sighed. A sorry feeling welling up in the depths of his heart. 'I need to find them when this is done.' He truly did, he despised this awful feeling inside himself that he was causing them worry. The last real 'family' he had left. The two who raised him and took care of him after his mothers kidnapping when he was thirteen.

"Hnn?" Parc tilted his head towards the door at the repeated hollow knocks coming from it. Shadows breaking the light beaming in from the bottom of the door frame. "Come in! Doors open!" he called out snapping his book shut and laying it down on the table and pushed himself to his feet just as his door creaked open.

In stepped two sets of feet, attached to two sets of fine, blemish free legs both clad in their own sets of socks or stockings that lead up into the skirts of two sailor uniforms. One of which missed the arms, the same one which had a much longer tie than the other.

"Master," Kurome happily hummed and played with her fingers, eyes sparkling at finally getting the time to meet with her master without her sisters pestering her to stay. Flicking a strand of hair over her ear, Kurome caused her false dog ears to flicker.

Yet this was not what had taken Parc's attention. Instead turning his focus onto Akame who stood besides her. Head held low with shut eyes. And two, fluffy triangles peaking through the top of her head.

"I'm guessing Kurome put you up to that?" Parc grinned a tooth grin.

"Kurome is… persistent," Akame opened her eyes to Parc, showing off a type of tiredness one could only see after having had to deal with and lose to one's younger sibling.

"I am only persistent because you refused to accept your position as master new bitch." Kurome huffed with her arms crossed, head bobbing forwards once.

Akame groaned, lifting a hand to her temple, massaging it in small circles. "I did not 'refuse' it, Kurome."

"You kept being 'busy' whenever I tried to bring you to master to consummate your bitch-hood. You were refusing."

Parc's eyes widened, 'did she just say… 'bitch-hood?' it was an oddly endearing term coming from his slightly misaligned and completely devoted little cult leader puppy dog. Who now developed a new term for what he was guessing would be either the lower rungs of her new church or one of the higher ups, maybe a bishop or a cardinal.

"Because I was. We are assaulting the Empire in two days. I need to prepare. I still have to sharpen Murasame and check the tsuba for any blood."

"I saw you do that yesterday and this morning. I doubt there is anymore blood on Murasame by now." Kurome huffed through her nose. Eyes landing on Parc who was just softly smiling at the two in silence like an out of place doll. Kurome jolted and gripped the sides of her skirt and quickly went into a curtsy, "I'm sorry master, we're being rude. We shouldn't be bothering you with our squabble."

'She's really changed,' Parc chuckled, "It's alright Kurome, its nice seeing you two like this. So by all means, squabble away."

Kurome frowned, even if her master said they could squabble it was not something she should wilfully be bothering him with. "Understood master," she bowed her head to him. Ignoring Akame's sharp gaze boring into her side, clearly still unnerved by the fact that not once had Kurome ever referred to Parc as 'Parc,' only by the moniker of master even in their personal conversations when no one was around to hear them.

"So," Parc decided to get right to the meat of the conversation, "I'm guessing Kurome's gotten you into the mind of becoming mine then?" he directed towards Akame. A soft hint of anticipation to his voice and glint to his eyes as Akame gave a light flinch but didn't show it on affecting her expression.

"I have agreed to follow Kurome and keep her safe. That is it."

"But to do that, Kurome want's you to join my little harem?"

Akame's eyes narrowed, glaring Parc's direction, a near imperceptible flush to her cheeks. "Yes."

"Heh," Parc chuckled rubbing his fist beneath his nose, "Well, I'll tell you right now that I am happy you've decided to join us Akame." Why not play into Kurome little cult shtick. "I'll be sure to make it as pleasurable as I can." Raising his leg up, Parc was about to walk closer to the two when Kurome suddenly jumped and said.

"Ah! Master, please wait. We have something to show you first," Kurome said, her voice chipper and excited. Practically sparkling.

Pausing mid stride, Parc gave her a quizzical look and relented. Bringing his foot back down onto the ground without moving from his initial position. "Alright, what did you want to show me?"

Kurome curled her lips into a toothy grin and shared a look with her twitchy eyed sister. "Do we have to?" Akame asked with a nervousness Parc had never heard come from the girl.

"Mhm!" Kurome rapidly nodded, "I prepared them specially for you sister. Tonight we use them," she balled her hands into fists giving a light aerial fist pump to herself. Whatever she meant by 'use' Parc was unsure, excited, but unsure.

Groaning, Akame squirmed. Another sight Parc was unused to seeing the one cut killer do. "Fine," she groaned.

"Good, then three…" their hands dropped to their skirts, Akame just a millisecond slower. Pinching the pleats in them while Kurome uttered, "two…" swiftly followed by a, "One!"

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Well, thanks to a few people I have now swapped my patreo-n to a pay-up-front formula. Meaning new patrons pay their tier the moment they become a patron and then the 1st of every month from then on.

What this means is that now if you want to donate and think you can be sneaky and read everything on patre-on then choose to delete that donation minutes later without paying. Well, guess what, that ain't happening anymore.

I hope you step on a salt and lemon juice covered lego.

Have a great evening.

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Second thing, considering i'm doing less releases every week now I'd like to know if you'd all rather I keep to the day by day releases or just have a weekly mass release of the between 4/5 chapters.

I've made a poll.

It's in the comments

(This'll only affect chapters from next week on.)