Disclaimer:  I do not own Blue Seed or any of its characters.

AN:  I apologize for how long it has taken me to write this.  You can blame my husband.  First, for bringing home a lovely virus to share with his family.  And second, for surprising me with 52 episodes of Inuyasha.  That, and the fact that my computer keeps crashing and I have the bad habit of not saving often.

Chapter 12

Girl’s day out

            Momiji was having serious second thought while she drove to pick up Akiko and Sakura.  “What has gotten into me” Momiji repetitively questioned herself.  Not only was she not trusting her friends with what really happened when Murakumo had kidnapped her, but, she was now preparing to seduce Kusanagi.  Momiji briefly wondered if Kaede would have handled the situation differently before firmly pushing that insecurity away.  “Sheesh!  I can’t start thinking like that again.  I have enough problems as is.” 

            Thankfully, Momiji arrived at Akiko’s house and was able to stop reflecting on her current behave briefly.  “Momiji this is going to be so much fun!”  Akiko gushed.  “I can believe you have finally gotten serious.  What are the plans for today?”

            During the drive to Tokyo to pick up Sakura and then go shopping Momiji tried to let herself get wrapped up in the excitement of an impending makeover.  At the beginning of the drive Momiji had made it clear to Akiko that she did not want to truly plan out the day until they had picked up Akiko so instead they spent the drive letting Momiji rant a bit about why she needed to do this.  “I’ve known him since I was 15.  I have considered us a couple since I was 16.  Right after I was brought back by Susannah-o Kusanagi seemed so open and close to me.  However, soon after he started to pull away more and moreover the next 2 years.  Till it would be weeks between the times I would see him and when I did he would seem distant.”

            Akiko having heard all this before simply nodded sympathetically. 

            “Then there was the incident in America.  Which is where we met Valencia, who had been implanted with a synthetic mitama.  I was terrified that Kusanagi wanted to be with her since she was a bit younger and prettier as well as having a mitama like him.”

“Are you afraid that this new Inda arigami is going to take Kusanagi away from you?” questioned Akiko quietly.

Momiji barely stopped to giggle of mirth as she pondered the absurdity of her stealing Kusanagi away from herself.  After a pause to make sure her voice sounded serious Momiji responded.  “I’m not worried about Inda taking him away from me.”  After a few more minutes trying to assure Akiko that Inda was not trying to steal Kusanagi away, Momiji continued with her narration about her Kusanagi woes.  “What actually has me concerned is something Valencia said to me.  Valencia said that she did not want to fall in love because she was afraid of losing control of her arigami powers and hurting someone.  I still wonder if that is why Kusanagi keeps distancing himself from me.  However, when he rescued me from Valencia’s father, Kusanagi had claimed to want to b with me.  And for awhile after things had really seemed to progress between us.”  Momiji paused for a bit reminiscing how Kusanagi had started to come out of his shell for a bit.  Becoming the forever teasing charmer he could be.  “However, it was too good to be true and he started to withdraw again.  Since he was never comfortable out in public in the city I thought it would be a good idea to move back to Izumo.”

“Which I’m eternally grateful for” chimed in Akiko.

Momiji could not help but smile at Akiko.  “Sadly, it did not work.  Kusanagi still became more distant.  Then a couple of weeks ago he kissed me with more passion than he had shown during our whole relationship.”  Momiji lightly touched her lips remember that moment.  She looked up at Akiko’s smiling face.  “Then everything returned back to cold and distant again.  I’m tired of always being the one to chase him.  I need him to try to romance me or I am always going to be afraid that he only is sticking around because he feels an obligation to protect me.”

“Now you know that is not true Momiji.  Everyone can tell that he really loves you.  The silly boy just keeps putting up walls thinking he is not good enough for you.  Don’t you worry though.  Sakura and I will help you overload his senses so he will come chasing after you without even knowing what he is doing.”  With that said Momiji and Akiko settled into a comfortable silence until they reached Sakura’s apartment.

Both Akiko and Momiji were surprised to find Sakura already ready to go when they arrived at her apartment.  “First thing, let’s go get some tea and snacks and talk war strategies.”  Sakura gleefully announce as she leapt into the car.  Within minutes they where ordering tea and little cakes at a tea shop.  “Let’s get down to business.”

“Now, you realize Momiji that while you say you want Kusanagi to chase after you, that you are still doing things to catch his attention.”  Akiko inquired while she looked intently at Momiji over her cup of tea.

“I realize that.  However, Kusanagi will not, and I need him to openly allow himself to want me and be with me.”

“Well if that is the case.”  Sakura blurted with a wide grin.  “Then all we need to do is get him drunk and leave him alone with you dressed in a very sexy negligee and let the suppressed hormone take the reins.”

Momiji allowed herself to play the scenario over in her head.  First she thought of the situation in an overly romantic way with Kusanagi professing his undying love and making sensual love with the aid of chilled wine which he would gently like of her quivering body.  Then she thought about how it most likely would happen if they got him drunk.  Even more crude jokes from Kusanagi, bad breath, the possibility of him falling asleep before they could even have sex and worse yet not remembering anything the morning after and reverting back to his old ways.  Momiji allowed herself one giggle at the thought of a klutzy drunk Kusanagi before firmly pushing the idea away.  When she looked up she saw both of her friends smirking at her and knew that once again all of her thoughts had obviously played across her face.

While nibbling on a cake Akiko started talking.  “Well since just getting him drunk is out of the question I guess we should talk strategy.”

Sakura looked at Momiji calculatingly, “as well as deals.  If we are going to help you, you have to agree to do what ever we tell you and wear what ever we pick out no matter what.”

*Do I have the guts to do this* Momiji wondered to herself.  Momiji looked up at her two friends for a second before her eyes slide to Sakura’s attire.  While it was fairly modest for Sakura, her tight dress looked painted on and Momiji could not help but blush at the thought of wearing similar clothing.  “Just remember, I don’t want Kusanagi to realize that I’m changing things for him.  We need to make all the changes seem normal so no drastic changes.”

Akiko and Sakura nodded their ascents, though Momiji could tell by the gleam in both of their eyes that they planned to push it to the limits.  Finishing their snacks they moved their trio to a local salon Sakura recommended that specialized in facials and hair treatments.  Their conversation continued while their hair and faces where treated to bring out more of their natural beauty. 

Laying back in a chair with pink paste on her face, cucumber slices on her eyes, and green goo being worked into her hair, Akiko began talking.  “I guess if we can’t dress you up like a sex fiend, we are going to have to come up with a strategy.  Probably the easiest on would be to play hard to get.  Act not interested anymore or even better yet like you are interested in someone else.”

Before Momiji could even respond Sakura cut in.  “No, that won’t work.  If Kusanagi thought Momiji had interest in someone one else he would try to convince himself she would be better off and might leave completely.  What might work is if we have someone play devils advocate, meaning have someone who is completely opposite Momiji act like they are trying to seduce Kusanagi and rip on Momiji at the same time.  Most guys well rise to the challenge of defending the one they love from the slander of the seducer as well as run head long into their love’s arms to prove that the devil’s advocate had no affect on them.”

“Yeah but, who would do it and what if she actually did mess things up” Akiko asked.

Sakura and Akiko continued to converse about the strategy Momiji should use.  However, Momiji had completely tuned them out while she considered the possibility of being her own devil’s advocate.  Inda could try to seduce Kusanagi.  Then if Kusanagi did fall for Inda, he would just be falling for her without knowing it.  And no one could object in the end about Momiji bad mouthing herself.  After a thinking on the idea for a bit more, Momiji tuned back into her friends conversation. 

“I don’t know,” fussed Akiko, while a lady filed her nails.  “It won’t come naturally for Momiji.”

“If it came naturally, she would not need our help!”  Sakura snapped back, jerking her hand and almost ruining her nail polish.

“Um…  What are you two talking about?”  Momiji got even more anxious when she noticed the twin chestier grins directed at her.  “Um… Guys…?  What are you planning?”  Momiji fidgeted furiously, knowing her friends were enjoying her discomfort.  Suddenly Momiji’s phone broke the silence causing all three to jump.  Momiji madly dug into her purse, searching for the offending object.  Finally, she succeeded and hurriedly answered her cell.  “Hello.  This is Momiji.”  She spoke breathlessly.

“Momiji?  This is Mrs. Matsudaira.  I’m at your house.  Where are you?”

Momiji instantly hit the mute button and let loose a short stream of un-Momiji like curses to the wide eyed amusement of her two friends.  Releasing the button, Momiji began to apologize profusely to Mrs. Matsudaira.  “I’m sooo sorry.  I don’t know how I could have forgotten.  I’m actually in Tokyo now.  Could I just go to you lab here and leave the readings on your desk.  I will make it up to you somehow.”

Mrs. Matsudaira chuckled.  “Same old Momiji.  It is O.K.  I have other business to attend to here anyways.  Just leave it on my desk.”

After a few more apologies Momiji hung up her phone and tossed it back into her purse.  “Well, we need to make a quick stop at the TAC.”  A short cab ride later Momiji madly dashed into the TAC lab and began frantically searching for the appropriate forms.  With a small yell of success she grabbed a sheet of paper and began to quickly scribble numbers on it.

“Momiji?”  Questioned Sakura.  “Aren’t you supposed to take the readings before writing them down on the form?”

Momiji froze, realizing her mistake in her haste.  “I… I was just trying to hurry things up so you two can continue whatever you two where planning to embarrass me.  The stuff does not change much anyways.”  Akiko looked slightly disapproving, but, neither friend said anything more.

The first store the threesome visited was a lingerie store.  “Now, while the bulk of your make over is going to be attitude, we are also going to rework your looks from the bottom up.”

“Literally.”  Sakura smirked at Momiji’s indignant cry when she spotted the blood red, silk thong Sakura was holding up.  “You have a good thing going with you habit of accidentally exposing yourself.  We plan to capitalize on that.”

Before Momiji could bolt for the door, Akiko grabbed her arm and sent a playful glare at Sakura.  “Don’t worry.  While that,” Akiko nodded towards the thong Sakura was still displaying, “is our ultimate goal, we will start small and work up to it.” 

“Luckily since it was learned that the Kushinada liked to wear silly animals on her butt, a number of designers decided to create more adult versions.”  Sakura held up a pair of pale pink, silk panties with a rather seductive cat on it.  While it was more Momiji’s style, Momiji could not help but be embarrassed by the thought of others knowing about her preference and designing underwear along those lines.

Momiji felt like crawling under a rock and dieing.  However, once set loose her friends were not about to be deterred.  “Now let’s talk about strategy.”  Akiko started.

“There will be no more running up to Kusanagi for a hug or clinging on to his arm or hand.”  Sakura sternly stated.

“But, I thought playing hard to get was out.”  Momiji was a bit wide eyed looking at the rather large quantities of panties and bras Sakura and Akiko were adding to Momiji’s pile.

“You won’t be playing hard to get,” corrected Akiko.  “In fact you will be making sure Kusanagi only leaves on your terms.”

“The name of the game is that whenever you sense Kusanagi if about to spirit off, you need to find a reason to need him to stay.”  Sakura was grinning from ear to ear.  “Kusanagi seems to be one of those guys who need to be needed.  If he is going to leave you need to come up with a reason for him to stay until you say goodbye.  I don’t care if you have to fake a sprained ankle.”

“What if I cannot think of a reason?”  Whined Momiji.  She looked up to notice that her friends where now choosing some rather sexy pajamas.

Sakura huffed like Momiji was the dumbest female ever.  “If you cannot keep him there, you make sure you are the one to leave.” 

The trio moved on to another clothing store, looking for cloths that were not far from Momiji’s normal style.  Just a bit more daring.  Once again Sakura began her lecture.  “Now since you are giving up touching Kusanagi with hugs and hand holding you are going to need to make it up in different ways.  Whenever you talk to him you will accent what you say by lightly touching him.  When you release your touch you will not just pull your hand back, instead you will drop your hand letting your fingers lightly caress him while they drop down.”

Momiji felt like dieing.  “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes” Sakura snapped.  “And if you are sitting touch his legs as well, letting your touch drift upwards or towards his inner thigh.”

There was no question about.  Momiji was in hell.  She looked up as Akiko and Sakura briefly discussed whether they should introduce the slightly see through clothing on week 2 or week 3.  To her dismay Sakura returned her attention to Momiji.  “We also need to talk about sex.  You don’t look like a girl who would know much in that regards.  Let’s talk erogenous zones.”

What had she gotten herself into?!