Beauty is The Beast [Rumi]

[+. I M A]

Himeko was not seen as a rather cunning or intelligent woman when she was on variety shows. She was supposed to be a pretty little doll; being too smart came across as power, and for a woman to have power in Japan was not seen as a good thing. A woman with power could threaten a man twice as much as his fellow male and knock him off his sand castle of accomplishments with greater ease.

Luckily for Daisuke, it was not his fall that she was planning, but their comrade's. Playing stupid was useful: it helped her see people's true intentions. Well, maybe she didn't know everything about the situation, but she knew what she needed. There was no way Hotaru was going to take away her sister. She would make sure of that.

And that's where Daisuke came in. When he knocked on the door of her condo she gracefully lifted herself from the couch and glided to the door, opening it with a smile. Her long brown hair was smoothed back into a pony tail and she was wearing a flower-printed blouse with black pants and high heels. She looked like a mannequin set in a designer's store.

"Dai-kun, thanks for coming on such short notice," she said with a cheery smile. She let him in before gliding over to the couch. She crouched down next to the glass table and poured him a cup of rose hip tea. "Say, you went to school with my sister Ima-chan, right? Did you ever have a lot of interaction with her?"

[Rumi]

Daisuke stood in front of the wooden door, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to another. His usual aloof face now had a slight frown imprinted coupled along with the furrowing of eyebrows; a look one got when troubled. It was not just any kind of trouble, but girl trouble. And it was just not any girl either, but one that was cruel and brutal. The kind that would not hesitate to literally rip your heart out if it could benefit her in the slightest.

This demon like girl went by the name of Murakami Himeko; the well-known Gluttony of the Sins. The title had fit well though, for since the little time Daisuke knew her, she was always wanting more than she wanted and sometimes it drove him to the point of disgust. He never voiced these opinions aloud though, because despite her innocent and fragile looks, there was something about her that made him wary when he was around her.

Which was why as the raven had hesitated before roughly knocking on the wooden door. It was too bizarre for her to suddenly invite him over, he knew that, and yet he still came. There was something in her voice, when asking him over on the phone, that made him so interested to come.

”Mmm the one with black hair and blue contacts, right?” He said carefully as took a sip of the tea. ”I see her sometimes.” The way he had answered made it so that no important information would accidentally leak from their simple conversation. He didn’t want Himeko to know the extent of their relationship just yet. Not until he heard how he would benefit from it.

(x-x)

[+. I M A]

Himeko was studying him like a textbook. Every move he made, every twitch of the muscle, the very measure of his breath. Yet she couldn't read him well at all. He seemed impassive to her, an animated statue that stressed feigned politeness. At the same time she was looking him over as if he were a specimen of the human race. He had such good features and a good body, intelligent, and he knew how to handle women.

He was going to be perfect for this.

"Yes, that's her! She used to look really ugly, but I think she's improved a little," said Himeko before sipping her own cup of tea. She seemed to be in a good mood, which wasn't a rare thing. However, it was certainly not a safe thing, either. She was always at her happiest when she was being her most wicked.

"It seems that Lust has set his sights on her now that she has become Greed. Now, I like Hotaru, but I'd like him even better if he didn't get so close to her," she murmured before taking another sip. Then she stared into the contents of her tea cup as if she could see something of value in the dark pink liquid.

"It would seem...that she has fallen for him. And he's not really keen on letting her go, either."

Her voice betrayed her sadness and disappointment. Her smile, however, betrayed her intent. Her eyes lifted to Daisuke's face to gauge his reaction. They pleaded him to understand her desires. "That child belongs to me and no one else. I can't stand the thought of her being attached to someone else," she admitted.

She closed her eyes, savoring her thoughts as delicacies, and then opened them up for Daisuke. Obviously there was a reason why he was here.

"Unless I knew that someone else would return her to me."

There was a hint of suggestion of her voice and a devil of a convincing nature in her breath. She watched him intently, smirking and waiting for his reply.

[Rumi]

It proved quite difficult to keep his standoffish demeanor unfazed when the woman in front of him revealed newfound information that shocked him. Ima, the Peridot Knight, was now the new Greed for the Sins. Not only that, but she was also in a relationship with Hotaru?

She had to be lying; there was no other plausible explanation for both her joining the Sins and falling for Hotaru. Not after what happened on the rooftop not long ago….

But then again, she had no reason to lie about her sister either – not when it came to Ima being in a relationship with another human being. If one knew Himeko long enough, one would know that when it came to her younger sister, she was always serious. Maybe a little too serious, as shown now.

The current Pride stared idly out one of the open windows; digesting what he could of the information. Gluttony was planning something that involved him and he needed to be ready when she sprang that plan on him. Because when Himeko had something in mind, she would go on with it; pulling Daisuke along whether he wanted to or not. And he could probably guess that today’s plan was definitely not one he should get involved in. Not when it regarded both Hotaru and Ima.

”Ah, but you know Hotaru. He will merely play with Ima-chan a bit before casting her away like most of his other women.” He replied after much thought. Setting down his nearly untouched cup, the raven leaned back, resting his head on the palms of his hands. “But you shouldn’t worry though, Himeko-san. I am sure that Ima-chan will find her attraction to Hotaru as an illusion and come back to you soon.” Onyx eyes shut as his mouth curved open to release a yawn.

“Besides, I’ve heard heartbreak is the best time for sisters to bond.”

[+. I M A]

Himeko frowned at Daisuke; she was disappointed by how easily he had dismissed her claims. But, she was more hurt by the fact he didn't bother to consider how much information she had actually gathered regarding her sister and her relationships. When it came to her little sister Himeko did not make any action half-heartedly. Everything had to be perfectly planned and tact.

Gluttony leaned in, getting uncomfortably close next to Daisuke,. Her eyes spoke the ferocity which her honeyed voice lacked. "Do you think I'd be worried if Hotaru was just going to dally? Don't take me for such a fool, Minomito-kun," she said under her breath, never once breaking eye contact. Then she leaned back, returning a good measure of space between them once more.

"If it was something so trivial, I wouldn't bother in their relationship at all."

This time Himeko didn't bother to look at Daisuke's expression as her words sank in. She was preoccupied with pouring herself a cup of tea. "I guess you have to see them to believe them. Hirogawa-kun isn't dallying and that's why I'm worried. He sincerely cares deeply for her."

That pretty, wicked smile returned to her face as she looked up at Daisuke with pleading eyes. "I'd rather her heart broken on my terms. I know for a fact Hirogawa is actually serious about her and...that she is serious about him. But if you don't believe me, we'll put it to the test."

Himeko held up her teacup to make a toast. "I'm going to make sure she catches Hirogawa do something unforgivable by her standards. In that point where she is at her most vulnerable, you will strike. After all, what woman could refuse the wonderful Dai-kun?"

She purred his name and made it sound like love. Himeko was good at stroking egos and doing certain favors in order to make things go her way. She did come from the wonderful world of modeling, after all.

[Rumi]

Daisuke’s eyes shot open at the mention of the name ‘Hirogawa.’ Only a few people at Easter Corp. knew about Hotaru’s true identity – he, of course, was one of those few – but he was more than positive that such information was never mentioned towards the Gluttony. And yet she sat there, using the name as if Hotaru had never changed it.

Suspicious onyx eyes clashed with those of fierce brown. “I thank you for the compliment, but,” He leaned forward as if closing the distance between the two would reveal some deep, dark secret he was missing. “if it is Himeko-san saying all this, then there is no reason for me to doubt.”

He rolled his eyes, feigning indifference. ”Besides, is this not all Hotaru and Ima-chan’s matters? I’d rather not get tangled up in this soon-to-be mess especially since I share no relation with either of them as you do to Ima-chan.” He said, standing up as he did so. The faster he left, the better it would turn out for him.

”If that is it, then I thank you for the tea and all. I got to go now for my date will arrive at my house before I do if I don’t leave soon.” With a somewhat awkward bow, the Pride headed towards the front door.

He needed to talk to Hotaru. And fast.

[+. I M A]

"I'm surprised you didn't ask for the price."

Himeko did not look at Daisuke. All she needed was to hear the sound of his feet cease before continuing. "Or that you aren't jumping at this chance to regain what you lost," she said with a wide smile. There was something akin to victory in her eyes as she looked back into Daisuke's gaze, leashing him once more.

"Did you really think that just because I was away that I wouldn't know? I've been watching my family very carefully, even when I left," she explained. Oh, she looked like the cat that had just snatched the canary with the way she grinned. Himeko just had to devour them all until she was happy. But she would never be happy, no matter how much of her fill she got, and that was her reality as a glutton. It was never, ever enough to satisfy her kind of hunger.

She placed her tea cup down and walked towards Daisuke. She came up behind him, reaching past him and slamming the door shut. Himeko had him sandwiched between her and the door now. The position would probably be far more entertaining if it wasn't for the fact that she was staring at him like a tiger waiting to devour its next meal.

"Name your price, Dai-kun. I never intended for this to be an act of charity on your part. Money isn't an issue."

[Rumi]

Solid black eye brows rose inquisitively. Did this women really feel the need to irk him as she was doing so now?

”I can’t lose something I never had. Ima-chan may have been attracted to me at one point, but just like I just said about Hotaru, it was a mere illusion.” He turned in such a way that made their current position even more interesting then before – for now their faces were only inches apart. He could still smell the tea on her breath when he inhaled.

”Ah and about the money, I date just as much rich girls as I do any others. Money is the least of my worries, Himeko-san.” He replied in a low tone. ”I may stoop to some low things, but not this low. Not unless you have something I absolutely want and at this point in life, I have everything I ever wanted.”

(Blah. Oh and for what Dai-kun would like, it to help cure his best friend from this coma. It’s somewhere in his history. >.<’ )