Was this a dream? Was this a nightmare? Or was reality just this peculiar? Lum had often dreamed of going on a nice serene date with her darling, arm in arm. Sipping on sodas while staring across the table at each other. Skipping hand in hand through a public park. Resting on the grass, with one of them putting their head in the other's lap. Then back home for a smooch at the door that could even become a little bit more...
"I do so love spending time with you," Ataru cooed, taking her by the hand and kissing the back of it. Lum squirmed a little. She'd always known he was perfectly capable of this kind of charm if he'd put his mind to it, but to see that unfolding right in front of her... "Darling, you light up my life."
"Hmph!" went the other Ataru, the one that made Lum wonder if this was a nightmare instead of a dream. This one was holding onto Shinobu's hand, blushing, and staring up at the ceiling. "That kind of display out in public. The way they look at each other. The way they act around each other. Have they no shame?"
As if to answer, Lum's Ataru leaned in and nibbled on her ear in just the right way to make her feel all funny. The Oni babe's eyes fluttered and she pressed back against him. Mm, yes. He certainly knew how to press her buttons in just the right way.
"Oh, darling..." she cooed. "I wish you could be lipe dis all de... Shibobu! Let go ob by dose!"
"Atarus, we appear to have arrived at the soda shop," Shinobu sang innocently. "Why don't the two of you head on inside and order us some? Us girls have to have a friendly chat first."
So they had. Lum hadn't even noticed. She'd been (metaphorically) walking on air the entire time with the way her Ataru had been doting on her, staying in close contact, complimenting her, making her feel special...
"Our time apart shall be brief," her Ataru said, and Lum's legs felt strangely weak. "Shush, darling. I know what you would like already."
"Do you really have to be so over the top?" the other Ataru asked. "It's drawing attention."
And in they went, leaving the two girls waving after them. Although Shinobu was still holding Lum's nose until they had left, which was also attracting quite a bit of attention.
"Will you stop that?" Shinobu asked.
"Stop what?"
"Fawning over your Ataru!" Shinobu seethed. "Don't you get it? Haven't you noticed how strange it is? They're acting like... Like they were <i>made</i> for us. The perfect partner, and you're falling right under his spell! We're supposed to be keeping an eye on these two, not making kissyface at them."
"So, you want to make kissyface at your Ataru too?" Lum asked playfully. Shinobu turned beet red. Aha! "And if we're supposed to be keeping an eye on them, why did we send them into the shop without us?"
"Because!" Shinobu exclaimed, then turned white and dashed inside the shop. Oh, that girl. To think Lum used to be jealous of her. That plain little Earth girl who wasn't nearly as smart or upright as she thought she was. With a satisfied chuckle Lum made to follow in after her -
"Sand!" a familiar voice yelled. "How does it get everywhere! Gah, that sneaky son of a - I'll get him for this! I'll have his hide strung up!"
Normally Lum would duck inside the shop a little bit faster to stay out of Ran's way when she was in this sort of mood, but do you know something? Just this one time she'd make an exception. She leaned on the wall next to the door and watched the pink-haired girl stride by, shaking sand out of her clothes and hair while stomping along the pavement. She just had to hear this story. She had to.
"Hi, Ran!" she waved. "Nice day for a walk, tcha?"
"Oh yes, Lum, hello!" Ran beamed while scratching away at her body. "The weather is so pleasant, it's warm without being overpowering. There's not a cloud in the sky so there's no chance of rain, and there's even a gentle cooling breeze that you barely even notice! It's so nice that I'd almost completely forget how your <b>rat bastard fiance dumped a mixture of sand and itching powder all over me!</b> Kya, so itchy! It makes li'l Ran scratch her delicate skin so, so much! <b>If I have a long-term allergic reaction to this I'll drown him in saltwater!</b> So if you see your beloved darling, please give him my appreciation and be sure to <b>zap him half to death, and then I'll use my kiss to drain his life force!</b> Bye bye, Lum, it's been nice talking to you!"
Lum said nothing. She just waved the girl on. So she'd encountered another version of Ataru? That merited investigating, and at some point Ran should probably be told there were more Atarus running around than just that one. When she was a little calmer. Then again that may never come to pass; she'd have better luck waiting for Rei to grow a brain.
Not much else for it but to walk inside and catch up with the others. Shinobu was right. They should definitely be keeping a close eye on these two Atarus to make sure they didn't cause any trouble - Like, for example, sitting next to Shinobu in a soda place and kissing her with rather a great deal of passion. Something like that.
"Ahem?" Lum coughed, and the two darted apart. Both blushing, but Shinobu had this extra little gleam in her eye that Lum had never seen there before. "Shinobu? Remind me what we were just talking about?"
"D-Don't know what came over me," Shinobu stammered. She put her index fingers together and bounced them off each other. "We were just talking, and then the next thing I knew he was kissing me, and it felt so good like he knew exactly what I liked even better than I did and then he -"
"D-dear, you're causing a scene," her Ataru coughed. “And I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have listened to my uncouth brother.”
And through it all, Lum's Ataru was simply watching the entire proceeding through big, wide eyes, sipping soda through a straw. On noticing Lum looking at him he stopped, produced another straw and dunked it in the drink. "I chose a drink that should be good to both human and Oni tastes."
There was that feeling again. Sort of squirmy, pleasant feeling. Was Shinobu right? Was there more going on here than met the eye? Come to think of it, even within Ran's heated rant there had been... Something else lying underneath her tone. Sort of like she was thinking of going for the kiss for reasons other than draining Ataru's health away...
Or it might just be her imagination. Whatever! She took her seat, plopped the straw into her mouth and felt her tastebuds come to life in a way she'd never dreamed possible. Of course, she didn't quite guess that she'd be seeing more examples of the other Atarus having an effect on their chosen partner in the near future.
- Oyuki contacts her for whatever reason, refers to her own Ataru with affectionate pet names.
- A bedraggled Benten is walking down the street arm in arm with her Ataru.
- Sakura is working very closely with her Ataru on an exorcism.
- They encounter Ryu and her Ataru while they're leaving the wrestling show.
- More of the prank war!
- Or we could focus our attention elsewhere
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