About the Dawn's Game – END

"Hm? Hmhm?"

Something was attacking my eyes. It was strong, sharp, unrelenting, and also hot. I rolled around trying to escape it but my face plunged into something soft. I figured it was some sort of pillow so I pushed it with my hand and tried to put my head on it but…

"Hm? Again? You are going to do this again? I… I don't have a problem with it, but isn't it about time you snap out of it?"

"... Yakatarina?" I asked, my eyes still closed as my hand froze squeezing the 'pillow'.

"Hm? Relief. I am quite relieved now. It seems you can have coherent thoughts now? Good. If so, can you do something about hands? Oh, after you stop squeezing my chest so hard of course."

"!"

I raised myself like a wooden picket.

The room was familiar – it was the one I was given when coming to Yakatarina's, or rather her mother's, seaside resort. Lying on the same bed as me was Yakatarina, wearing her red pullover with her hand behind her head. Just as I was staring at her, she was staring at me without a word.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"Coincidence. I was asking myself the same thing."

I looked all over her body. Her hair was undone. 

"Hm…"

Following the glint above her head, I noticed something a bit out of place – handcuffs.

"Okay…"

I could see her legs, unprotected. 

"Uh-huh…"

Just above them I could see…

"Oh… The legendary blue and white striped… Wait… WHAT IS GOING ON?!!"

"Coincidence! I was asking myself the same—"

"WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING YOUR PANTYHOSE?!! WHY ARE YOU CUFFED ON THE BED?!!"

"You did this."

"LIKE HELL I DID!!!"

"It is the truth."

"LIKE HELL I DID!!!"

"..."

Yakatarina stared at me for a little while and then sighed.

"Ah… This is fine too."

*clang*

With a simple move she broke the handcuffs.

"Ah… Marks. This is going to leave marks too…"

She then sat on the bed, circling her wrists.

"Oh… Notification. You should wear something on."

"..."

Lowering my gaze, my eyes met with my unprotected skin. Well, not totally unprotected – I still had my undergarments on but they weren't quite… on?

"What is this? What the hell happened to me?" I asked, pulling the bed sheets higher to cover my body.

"Impressive. Are you the type of person who gets calmer the more they realize how dangerous the situation they are in is?" asked Yakatarina.

"... Huh… Did we…"

I looked into Yakatarina's eyes, half of my face hidden behind the sheets. I must have been redder than ever before.

"..."

For some reply, Yakatarina quickly looked elsewhere, blushing and nervously holding her arm. I repeat, the shameless flirty vampire girl was embarrassed.

"... I wasn't expecting it to… happen that way," I said.

"..."

"... Huh, sorry. I don't remember a thing. Can you… huh…"

"Request. Refrain from asking what happened."

"Excuse me, but I can't exactly… ignore that my first time happened."

"Your first time?" she asked, surprised. "Incorrect. I didn't touch you at all. What happened was quite different."

"Huh? Is that true?"

"Question. Why would I lie to you?" she asked, tilting her head.

"I was asking myself the very same question," I mumbled before continuing louder : "Huh… What happened then? You seemed unusually… worked up earlier?"

She avoided my gaze again, blushing, "It… It was nothing."

"... No, your reaction here says something clearly.

"Request. Refrain from asking. Also, wear something. I am going to the beach."

"Wait!"

The vampire girl quickly exited the room. No, she literally ran away. I never saw her reacting that way before which was both refreshing and incredibly frightening. What exactly happened between us the day before? I needed to find out or else I probably wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

***

"Request. Refrain from asking what happened."

"Nonononononononononono!!! This isn't something I can just ignore!!!"

The sun, the sea, a vampire girl running from a human girl because of a bed matter.

"Listen, the only thing I remember is the Archduchess of Benevolence challenging me to a duel and then I woke up… that way, next to you! What happened on that bed?!"

The vampire girl, almost a head taller, squinted her eyes, looking down on me.

"Request. Do not worry about it."

"Well, it is not something I can just ignore, can I???"

"Forget about it, please."

"That is not something I can forget about !!!"

The human girl insisted, taking a step towards the vampire girl.

"*sigh*"

"Don't sigh! This is no laughing matter!!!"

"Compromise. Let's make a compromise. I roughly explain to you what happened and you never ask about it again."

"This seems okay."

The vampire girl and the human girl reached mutual understanding.

"You came back from Aunt Lua's castle with her head and then, you asked me to—"

"Wait what? Her head?!"

"Don't interrupt me, please."

"Ah, sorry…"

"Like I said, you came back with her head before I could reach the castle once again and then, you asked me to listen to you and do one thing you asked."

"And… you did?"

"I gave you my word."

"Oh…"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"And what did I ask?"

"Stop. Stop right there," she said, putting her arms in cross. "Didn't we agree I would only roughly explain what happened? If possible, I would like this episode to be forgotten by both of us."

"But… You aren't acting like you usually do. What happened definitely wasn't nothing. Huh… Did I touch you… in inappropriate ways?"

"Why do you ask? Is it something you would usually do?"

"H-Huh?! No, I… huh, well…"

The vampire girl who would usually smile at seeing me this embarrassed, puffed her cheeks and put her hands on her hips.

"If you are so interested in what happened, why don't you ask Aunt Lua? She does remember how it started."

"She does? Wait, wait, wait, didn't you say I brought her head? Isn't she dead?!"

"Obviousness. She wouldn't die from something as inconsequential as beheading."

"... Of course."

"However…"

She put her hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes intently.

"If you ever get close to her on any occasion, I won't forgive you. No. If you ever get close to any vampire beside me, I will…"

She stopped for a moment, making a complicated expression.

"... No. Forget about the last thing. What happened yesterday was my fault so do not feel bad about it. That being said, you are at fault too for not refusing it. Responsibly. I hope you will take responsibility for what you did."

"Huh… Meaning?" Even though I don't even remember doing anything…

"Simple. You will have to do one thing I ask. I can't guarantee your safety though. Proposal. You can back down now if so you wish. However, if you agree, I will take something really important to you too."

"I have the feeling I heard that one already…"

"I am serious."

"Then I accept."

"..."

The expression she took next could only be described by the words she used.

"Seriously? I am telling you that your life might be in danger and your reaction is to accept without hesitation? Reminder. You might have forgotten it, but I am a vampire. I live on human – boing – blood… and…"

*boing**boing*

"I thought about it earlier but your chest is really soft, isn't it? Soft yet springy. What an amazing texture."

*boing**boing*

"... Question. What are you doing exactly?"

"You are annoying me so I am feeling you up."

"Excuse me?"

I looked into her eyes, scowling.

"Vampires are dangerous, vampires eat humans, you can't be relaxed around one and blah and blah and blah. I am getting tired of hearing that."

"Huh… Dawn? Why are you holding the other one too? Wait. Don't knead them. It isn't– hmm???"

"That is a nice moan. Yeah, very cute."

"Wait. Confusion? Why are you angry all of sudden? I was just warning you about— Ahh!!!"

"Now, now, shut this mouth stupid vampire. Weren't you the one who got into my life on your own and made me let my guard down? I am not from Arca, you know? I wasn't used to seeing uncanny up until the beginning of this year, you know? I was so afraid of vampires back then that I tried to kill the very first I met, you know? Yet, that idiot stayed around me and made me open my heart to her."

"Dawn…"

Her face now took a surprised expression. It seemed like she realized how truly untactful what she was about to say was.

"... I… I am sorry. It was not my place to say that. In the end, maybe I am the one who should take RESPONSIBILITY??? WAIT! I SAID I AM SORRY! I REPEAT: I AM SORRY!!! YOU CAN STOP DOING THAT NOW!!!"

"Doing that? My, what could you be talking about, stupid vampire?" I said, putting myself behind her and fondling her chest.

"H-HORRIBLE!!! YOU WANT ME TO UTTER THOSE WORDS?!! YOU ARE HORRIBLE, DAWN!!!"

"Why are you so worked up, I wonder? This is merely me touching you a bit. You didn't seem so troubled when I shot you. I am sure you aren't receiving as much damage as you did those times, are you?"

"T-This isn't about damage! You can't just touch me— Hnn!!!"

"Did I allow you to reply, I wonder? Besides, you are stronger and quicker than me. If you really wanted this to stop, you could simply shake me off. I am only a human, right?"

"I-If I did that, you could be hurt!!!"

"Hmph, excuses. Well, if you can't hurt me then just stay quiet and endure it."

"En-Endure it??? P-Proposal. If you leave me alone now, I promise to do anything you ask for later. Is that… Is that acceptable?"

"... Sure."

I left her chest alone. The vampire girl, who was now as red as a tomato and as out of breath as a marathon runner let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

"I am happy you returned to your senses," she said, with a relieved smile. "Dawn, no matter how angry you are, you can't just do that to a lady. That is harassment!"

Like seriously? You are the one talking to me about harassment? Okay, I just need to get your consent first then... "...Here is what I ask you to do: don't try to resist whatever I will do next."

"... Huh?"

"And so, the human girl fondled the vampire girl's chest without—"

"Wait!!! Didn't we agree you had to stop that?!!"

"No. We agreed that you would do anything I asked later if I stopped fondling you. Guess what? We are later."

"Ah!!! You traitor!!! You are a traitor!!!"

"I suppose you wanted to say something like 'scammer' but thanks for the compliment. Now keep calm and be fondled."

"W-Wait. Could it be that you are still— Hnn!!!"

"Still? Still what? I didn't quite catch that one."

"Well, I would be able to end my sentences if you stopped doing that???"

"Doing what?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!"

"Hm... You never use the correct word to designate what I am doing as if you are afraid to say it. That and you are more embarrassed now than you ever were before…"

At first her behavior didn't make sense to me but if I tried to see it under a different light…

"Could it be that you are one of those people who are teases but when it really comes to that, they are total bottoms?"

"..."

"... Oh… I will enjoy this."

Who expected her to have such a weakness. I didn't care about what happened anymore, I just wanted to make her blush and cry to my heart's content and without any reason. Ah, I clearly can't be saved anymore, can I?

"So, what are you two doing in broad daylight?"

My body became tense just like the one I was holding from behind. Slowly turning my head to the left, I met with disapproving green eyes. It was a familiar face, the one of the Archduchess of the Thousand Faces, Garlic.

"He…llo?"

"Good day, Miss Riftwalker. It seems that you are assaulting every single vampire Archduchess as of late. Could it be that you plan to attack me next?"

"..."

I slowly stepped back.

"I am sincerely sorry," I said.

I have no idea why I apologized but I just felt the need to do that. Thankfully, Miss Garlic and Yakatarina seemed to accept my apologies. The first acted like she saw nothing and the second acted like nothing happened… well, she tried but I could see she was a bit nervous whenever I touched her. 

The day quickly went by and Yakatarina left me and my cat to join the Archdukes summit. Well, she apologized to me while locking me into her mother's house. Apparently, I would be fine if I stayed inside but I still felt like a prisoner of some sort.

Thanks to that, I met no other vampire on that trip. Also, Yakatarina stubbornly refused to tell me what happened that night or how I beheaded an Archduchess. We went back just like we came, putting an end to our seemingly very long beach stay.

***

"Hello good morning! How are you today, Dawn?"

A few days after we went back, it seems Yakatarina went back to her usual smiling airheaded self. A relief, truly.

"Oh, hello, bottom girl," I said, playing with my phone. "What a wonderful night to cry, don't you think?"

"Hmhmhm. Naive. Such naivety, Dawn! Did you think I would— Wait, stop! I already allowed you to use me as a pillow yesterday! That is enough!"

"You aren't trying to stop me though?" I said, hugging her stomach. "Let's see… How about you become my pillow today too? I feel a bit weak recently."

"Hugging me will not replenish your energy though. This is only a legend."

"Your waist is so thin and your stomach so firm. Do you regularly do physical exercise?"

"Is that important? Is that even important?"

"Or you'd rather talk to me about that night?"

"... Surrender. I surrender this time, but can you not do this tomorrow? It is embarrassing."

"Probably."

"Reminder. You said the exact same thing yesterday. Please, do listen to what I am saying."

"I am."

"Doubt."

For some reason, the power balance between us has changed.