The sheer absurdity of a long line of churches materialising out of nowhere like that should have been a warning for Lum. The sudden appearance of Benten, her own momentarily faded anger as Ataru groped Benten. She really should have noticed from those points and figured out just what was happening to her, and to the dreamscape around her.
But instead she was staring down a long line of churches. Every single building on this street was a church. Were this reality, Lum would’ve found herself speculating on precisely how religious the locals would have to be to set up a series of churches and not one single house, but... Hey, it was a dream. Expecting logic and consistency from a dream was like expecting Ataru not to chase after women. Speaking of which, off he went to the nearest church, throwing the doors open. Lum sped up after him, easily overtaking due to her air advantage. At least, she did until she actually entered the church. The air suddenly felt as thick as treacle and she had to land to be able to even move forwards.
This gave Ataru all the opportunity he needed, striding across the church floor in ten large paces and arriving at the bride. He lifted the veil and tilted his head while making a wild grin.
“Hello Oyuki!” he declared, just as Oyuki bashfully turned her head away from him in a move that let Lum see her face. “Fancy meeting you here!” Ataru finished.
“Don’t be silly,” Oyuki giggled. Was she blushing? Definite proof that this was a dream version if ever there was such a thing. “You’re here for our wedding!” Oyuki seized Ataru’s arm, prompting Lum to lunge forward and grab Ataru, pulling him away from the altar. If that had been the real Oyuki, then Lum would’ve probably found herself flash frozen. As it was, they were able to escape the church unscathed.
“Stop dreaming about my friends and help me find Sakura!” Lum yelled. Though she didn’t really feel all that angry about it this time. He hadn’t really done anything except lift the veil to check who it was...
Without warning a sensation much akin to having a fish swim around in her head took hold, and she lost her footing. Lum fell backwards but not too far before landing on something soft, something that she somehow felt safe in. It took her half a second to realise that Ataru had caught her.
“Hey, you feeling okay?” he asked. His voice was full of concern that he’d never admit to, and his eyes betrayed an affection locked away within his heart. She tried to answer him, but there was a lump in her throat. He just looked so... handsome all of a sudden. It was as though his lecherous nature never existed and was replaced entirely with romantic sentiment.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, getting back to her feet. Her heart was pounding so loud in her chest that she could swear that he could hear it. He had to be able to hear that. The sound was overwhelming, echoing throughout her entire being. Lum had loved Ataru for a long time now, but she was starting to become aware of a new feeling that was welling up inside her that co-existed with her love for him. She could barely stand to look at him right now, lest she burst into flames.
“C-come on, darling. Let’s try another church, and -”
“Hey there, Kurama! Long time no see!”
Lum whirled around on the spot. There she was, the crow princess herself, resting her head on Ataru’s shoulder while he embraced her. “I’ve been thinking,” Kurama replied, trailing a finger down Ataru’s chest. “Maybe I was wrong before. You are a man that deserves the opportunity, not a man that should be denied!”
Lum glared at the pair, yet found herself powerless to move as Ataru cupped Kurama’s cheek and guided his lips down to meet hers. They held each other a little tighter, Ataru’s hands roaming down her back, her left leg raised and hooked around his right in an effort to draw their bodies together as close as they could...
Only then did Lum’s anger raise once again, and she yanked Ataru away by the ear. “Don’t make me shock you again,” Lum insisted, only realising just how bad that sounded once the words left her lips. She didn’t want to shock him again. She really didn’t. But watching the two of them like that brought out this intense image in her mind, of Ataru holding her that way. Touching her that way. Kissing her that way. She knew she was beautiful enough for him, but why would he always go after the other girls before he even thought of going after her?
“We need to focus on finding Sakura,” Lum said. “So please, try to concentrate on figuring out which of these churches she’s -”
“Hello Asuka! Not running from me this time?”
“Why would I run?” a timid voice replied. “ I’m over my fear of men!”
Lum let out a weary sigh and floated over to the pair. This could take quite some time...
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Fri May 11 19:37:58 2012
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