"Fou!" Cried my companion at me.
"Calm down Fou, it's only a five-minute walk to the next hospital." I tried to calm the annoying beast down.
"Fou fou!" He countered me back.
"In my defense, how was I supposed to know that they have more than one hospital in this city?" I defend myself.
But if I account for the amount of chaos that happens in this city, this should have been something obvious, as there are at least five hospitals in Tengu City, and I already visited two.
"Besides, third times the charm, right?" I shrugged and gave a nervous chuckle, much to Fou's annoyance.
"Fou." He replied in a tired tone.
"Fine, how about I'll make us some flat pancakes with chocolate for lunch?" I proposed a compromise.
"... Fou." Fou agreed with a huff.
With the wrath of the White Beast of Gaia subsided, I turn my focus back on the road towards the hospital, and dear lord I hope its the right one this time because I'm not looking forward to walking towards the next one that's a few kilometers away.
I also silently hope that this one won't have a metal detector like that last one, I really don't want to break another one by frying its insides with magical energy before I walk through just to hide the little 'gift' I took from Origami as I want to enter through the doors without my Presence Concealment.
After turning left on the crossroads I finally see the white walls of the hospital that standing tall but not as much as its surrounding skyscrapers whose glass windows reflect the sunlight towards the building.
I hope they have good air conditioning there.
"Tengu City Central Hospital. " I muttered the fitting name that was displayed above the entrance with a big screen.
I put on a confident smile and walk with an even pace through the main entrance, noting the lack of any metal detectors and approach the older greyhaired lady at the desk of the reception.
"I'm sorry sir, but no animals are allowed in." She said after quickly eyeing down Fou.
"It's alright for him to be here. " I say to the woman as my Mystic Eyes quickly blaze with magic.
"... Yes, it alright. Can I help you today?" The woman slowly replied.
"Actually yes, could you please tell me if my friend by the name of Tobichi Origami was admitted to this hospital?" I asked her nicely.
"A moment please, I will see if we have someone like that." She agreed and focused on the screen in front of her, and after a moment a frown rose on her face. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything about it, it's classified."
"Oh, but I am authorized, so you can tell me where her room is?" My eyes once again flashed and the lady complied.
"She on the fourth-floor room number 20." Came an almost robotic response.
"Thank you, have a nice day." I replied.
And so giggling like a small child I walked out the way I came from, which seemed to confuse Fou quite a lot.
"Fou?" Asked Fou as he tilted his adorable small head.
"Oh, we're going to her. " I said to Fou with a cheeky grin on my face. "We're just not gonna use the stairs or the elevator."
And Fou's eyes went wide in the realization of what I'm implying which only served to turn my giggles into full-blown laughter.
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Origami Tobichi PoV
As Origami lay strapped to the white clean bed she thought about what happened yesterday.
She stole the <White Licorice> prototype to kill Ifrit, the Spirit she believed responsible for her parent's death, and yet...
She had utterly failed at that.
And even though from the outside she looked like she was simply and calmly staring into the ceiling, on the inside she was mad.
She was angry that she was unable to take down Ifrit.
Furious that Mana who was supposed to be with the AST showed up to stop her.
Enraged that Princess and Hermit were there to also hold her off.
Then... then there was the newest Spirit, he who mocked her and utterly terrified her.
While she remembers that Ifrit was strong enough to most likely overwhelm her, he on the other hand was manhandling her like an unruly child from the start!
That is until she managed to blow away the Princess and he dropped all pretense of holding back, and Origami saw the pure rage in those glowing crimson eyes, and now that she had time to think she now knows what kind of anger was directed at her.
He was furious for her hurting his family.
There was simply no other way to describe this, he saw the Princess as family, and as such deemed Origami a threat that needed to be taken down to protect the Princess and possibly the Hermit.
She still winces at the image that is now burned in her mind of him having his arm torn off and a giant hole where his stomach was as he continued to approach her and then slam her Territory with countless petals that cut the very earth and would have surely slice her open if he wanted it!
But the thing that made her the angriest was the fact that she was... doubting herself. Was Kotori Itsuka truly not responsible for her parent's death all those years ago? Were he and Shido speaking the truth?
Was all that she did yesterday worthle-
KNOCK KNOCK.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a sound of something knocking on the... glass window? Origami moved her head towards the windows and her heart stopped.
For on the other side of the glass, a pair of crimson eyes bore into her very soul. A pair of eyes that belonged to a grinning face, that was hanging upside down, and he was waving at her.
Origami quickly looked around her room hoping to find the guard that was here earlier only to find out that the man was suddenly missing. Then she heard a quiet 'click' and when her eyes turned back towards the window that was now open dread filled her whole being.
As he jumped into her room without any effort and seemingly ignored her in the favor of a small white-furred animal whose head was peaking out of his hoodie.
"See? Told you it will be easy. " She saw him pet the animals head before locking eyes on her. "Now, I think its time for a small talk O RI GA MI-chan~."
So Origami wondered if she screamed, would anyone really hear her now?
----------------------------------
Looking upon the white-haired girl that's tied with leather belts to her bed is laying still, I think that I might have overdone it with the tease I did on the entry. The poor girl is practically an ice sculpture!
I expected at least a yelp or a scream for help, as I didn't climb up this high and send some birds to distract the guard just to talk to a statue damn it!
Irritated I made my way towards Origami, which seemed to snap the girl out of her stupor and her face formed a vicious frown.
"Crimson Prince." She spat out with venom on her tongue.
"Yes, it's me the Dand-" Wot?" ... what did you just call me?" Surprised I asked her to clarify this.
"Your designation, the Crimson Prince." She replies, venom still present in her speech.
"But... I ha- I told you on the roof to call me Dandyman damn it!" I yell at the bed-bound girl who winces at my outburst. "Did you report that part at all?"
Origamis frown dropped and she looked me in the eyes, just to a moment later move her head and look towards the window.
"... you didn't do that?" I asked her with a sigh, and I took the silence as confirmation. "Why?"
"I will not tell you anything if you came to finish things, then just do it." She flatly replied not even gracing me with a look.
Though I am quite irritated at the fact that I got a codename that's totally different then what I was hoping for, I'm trying not to show it to her. I mean, 'Crimson Prince' it sounds so god damn edgy, and all I do is wear red! Sigh, plan B it is.
"Fou?" Questions the furball as I pull him out of my hoodie and throw him at Origami.
As the white blob lands on the girl's chest, her head snaps towards Fou and blue eyes gaze into his purple ones and neither of them moves or blinks.
Are...
"Are you two really having a stare off right now?" I question Origami and Fou which makes the later move and climb on top of the girl's hair. " ... alright then. So, how are you Origami-chan?"
"Why are you here?" She asks me with a cold voice rather than the one she had earlier.
Progress.
"Straight to business then. "I said as I walk to the girl's side and pulled out the pistol I took from her yesterday and aim it at her head.
Her eyes went wide as she eyed the weapon aimed at her, only then for them to go back to normal as Origami noticed a small detail.
"The safety is on." She calmly replied, to which I grinned and put the weapon back to the pocket and took a seat on the nearby chair.
"That it is." I said cheerfully and leaned into her closer to pet Fou who found the white mop of hair comfortable. "I'm just here to ask some questions and after that, I'm leaving."
"Fine." Origami relented and focused on the small creature sitting on her head.
"Wonderfull. The first question then: what made you think that stealing a prototype weapon and trying to murder your boyfriend's little sister with it was a good idea?" I said keeping the cheery tone of my voice which made Origami narrow her eyes in... thought?
"Ifrit has killed my pa-"
"Nope, that's not true. I said it, and Shido said it after he recovered some of his sealed memories of the day." I cut the girl off before she could continue with her flawed narrative.
"What evidence do you have for this?" She asked me skeptically.
"Well, I don't have any besides my word. But since our dear Shido has regained parts of hi sealed memories you can always ask him for confirmation," I answer bluntly and her eyebrows rose in confusion.
"Shido's memories... were sealed? By who?" She asked curiously.
"By one of the Spirits responsible for that accident. "I said calmly before continuing for dramatic effect. "She's called Phantom, and if she doesn't want to be found you won't find her. And no, I have no information about the second Spirit.
I felt pretty awful lying to Origami like this, but I can't just tell her that she was the one responsible for that, can I know? She would either dismissive me and call me crazy or believe me and break apart, and then I would have to deal with a time paradox. No matter how much I want to help her, I simply can't right now.
"I see. Then I will ask Shido to confirm this." She replies without much emotion.
"Fine by me, second question: do you still hate us, Spirits I mean?" I asked her, hoping that just maybe she can get along with everyone a tad bit better.
"... Yes, even if Kotori Itsuka is innocent, it was still a Spirit that took my parents away. And as an active member of the AST, it is my duty to fight Spirits." Was her response and I saw the flames of determination flicker in her eyes.
"And yet you didn't report that currently, three Spirits are living with Shido, did you?" I sighed and pinched my the bridge of my nose, as I should have known that it's too early for her to consider changing on that subject. "Though I know you did it mostly because of Shido and not for the girls."
That made Origami frown again and avert eye contact with me, preferring to watch Fou who was giving the girl a concerned look.
"Anyway's the last question before I forget again: when does your class have the school trip to some island?" I asked her the question I forgot to as Shido when I was at his place and I already saw Origami thinking about questioning how I know about that. "I just know, also I want to make sure that Shido and Tohka will be safe so consider it a matter of mutual interest."
She closes her eyes and seemingly thinks for a while before she opens them again and looks into my crimson eyes with her blue ones.
"Four weeks from today, now leave Crimson Prince." She says dismissively before giving Fou a last look.
Huh, I didn't know she likes animals.
"Of course, thanks. But please, just call me Al as that designation is too much of a mouthful." I say as I pick up Fou from her head and hide him in my hoodie so that only his head sticks out below my neck. "Also, remember that if you try and go after the girls, I WILL give you an ass whopping you won't forget."
I saw her eyes narrow at the proclamation, to her it must have sounded like a challenge coming from a Spirit.
"But still... know this, the path you have chosen will lead to nothing but regret and tears, even if you rejected those already." I gave her a warning that she would surely not heed. "And yet, know that Shido will keep reach out towards you and drag you back so do not hesitate to grab his hand when the time comes, and what little it is worth to you, I too will do what I can to help you then."
And with that note, I simply jump out the window, but not before I see the return of the guard in the black suit that's now covered in bird poop. And as I land on the grass I can't help but feel like I'm a coward.
Tobichi Origami is a girl that lived her life hating Spirits and viewing Shido as an anchor to not fall into despair after her parent's death. The same hate that will make her go into the past and kill them by accident. There is simply no winning here, if the girl known as Tobichi Origami stops hating Spirits she will disappear and no one will remember her.
There is no good choice other than going in the past myself but that would still mess things up too much. And so just like the girls, I will have to belive in Shido saving her when the time comes.
"Fou?" Asked the concerned critter as he dug himself out and onto my shoulder.
"It's... nothing." I lied. "Let's go home and see how Reinforced pancakes taste, alright?"
