"That bitch!" Yelled a voluptuously curved young woman, her mahogany brown hair tumbling down around her face to obscure her hazel brown eyes. "How does she keep surviving every attempt to kill her?"
"Vivian, please calm down baby girl." Soothed an older woman with the same mahogany brown hair, though her eyes were a golden hazel brown. "She can only be so lucky. Sooner or later her luck is bound to run out and everything that your father promised her will be yours."
"Mom, I can't wait!" Vivian whined as she flung herself into her mother's arms. "Daddy has secured Emily's marriage to John. John is supposed to be mine! You promised!"
Valorie ran her hand over her daughter's head in a soothing gestor. "Vivian my love, John is yours along with your father's company and assets." Valorie soothed, a smirk forming on her lips. "I refuse to let that bitch's daughter take away the things we have been working towards."
"Thank you, Mommy!" Vivian squealed, jumping up from her mother's arm to race out of the room.
"Dominick, you know what you have to do." Valorie called out to the man waiting in the shadows of the room.
On the other side of town, an extremely attractive aristocratic young woman in blue hospital scrubs was stepping out of the ICU's emergency surgery room. "Great job today, Emily!" Yelled one of her coworkers as they stepped up to the sinks to wash up after the surgery. "I didn't think he was going to pull through the surgery." He continued when Emily didn't remark. "You've got some god like surgical skills!"
Sighing, Emily brushed her wine-red hair from her face, exhaustion weighing heavy on her after four hours in the surgery room. Leaving the prep room with her coworker still praising her, Emily let her mind drift to the arranged marriage her father had set up for her with John, a womanizer who had no respect for a woman who wished to work. It was an ill-fated match if there ever was one. She needed to find a way to stop this marriage from happening.
As she stepped into the changing room, she gave a half-hearted wave to her coworker before closing the door and turning towards her locker. Opening the door, she caught sight of her pure jade green eyes; they were almond shaped with the ends turning up at a slight angle, the only gift she had received from her late mother. Her eyes and high cheek bones are what really set her off as different when compared to her father. Her father, Eric, had the same high cheek bones and aristocratic air to him, but he had a more average build with deep-set eyes that downturned at the ends. He carried most of his weight in his midsection and refused to listen to her when she suggested any type of diet that would help improve and maintain his heath. As she changed, Emily wondered what her stepmother and sister were up too. It was no secret that they hated her, the four previous murder attempts proved that much. If it wasn't for having no viable evidence that they were behind it, Emily would have already taken it to the police for help, but there was nothing she could do right now.
Done changing, Emily closed the door of her locker after grabbing her purse and left the room, heading towards the stairs. She counted the steps it took to reach the parking garage, recounting everything that had happened since her father had gotten remarried to Valorie. As the door swung shut behind her, Emily was suddenly slung forwards, towards the pavement. She turned, taking the hit to her shoulder before rolling over to stare at the barrel of a gun. A laugh exploded from her, amused. "Tell them that they will get theirs." She stated as the man standing over her pulled the trigger.
The pain never registered with her as the bullet entered her head, between her eyes. The darkness closed in on her rapidly as a small light flickering off in the distance.
"Not this time, My Child." Called an ethereal male voice from the light. "I have been waiting for a soul like yours to enter the worlds. I will be taking you where you really need to be. Live well this time."
Meanwhile in the Tachibana Dynasty, the Fujimoto family was being blessed with three new members to their main clan. "Uwhaaa!" The shrill cooing cry resounded around the room as a baby was passed from the midwife to a waiting maid.
"It's another girl, My Lady." The maid called as she whipped the blood from the little girl's face.
"You did well, My Love." A man with caramel coffee brown hair soothed, his lilac purple eyes ablaze with happiness as he brushed the woman's wine-red hair from her face. "Three healthy babies at once, I can finally breathe easy now that you are all safe." He smiled as he leaned down to press a kiss on his wife's head.
He had a very muscular, yet aristocratic build with long, lean arms and well-developed legs. His hair was slightly long, brushing the bottom of his shoulder blades and hung over one of his eyes, which were an attractive moon-shape that turned up at the ends. He stared at his wife and newborn children with a captivated, smug sense of accomplishment.
"Yuudai, I told you to not worry." She remarked, taking the two girls from the waiting maid. "I told you, I was visited by the Phoenix God who told me that all would be well." She laughed, an angelic and melodious sound that brought smiles to those present in the room.
Her wine-red hair was slick with sweat, but it didn't take away from her extremely attractive, yet luscious body. She was slightly voluptuously built, with a slender waist and smooth arm and legs. Her heart-shaped face drew the eyes of males as she walked by, with her dreamy and enticing pure jade eyes. Shaped like almonds, her eyes were slightly turned up at the ends and heavily lashed.
"Yuri, it is my job to worry about you and our children." Yuudai remarked, taking his newborn son, who also had caramel coffee brown hair. "Now, what should we call them?"
"I want to name her," Yuri stated as she brushed her hair from her face. "Akasuki and this one," Motioning to the other girl, who took after Yuri with wine-red hair. "Yuki."
"Beautiful," Yuudai remarked, lifting his son closer. "Then we will name him, Daisuke."
"Mommy!" Squealed a young child with a childish voice. "Are they finally here?"
Yuri and Yuudai turned towards the door, where their older three children stood. The two boys took after Yuudai with caramel coffee brown hair, but that had pure jade-colored eyes, while the girl had wine-red hair and lilac purple eyes; they were a beautiful blend of both of them. "Yes, loves." Yuri replied, motioning for them to come forward. "This is you baby brother, Daisuke, and your baby sisters, Akasuki and Yuki."
A small bout of giggling broke out from the children as they watched their sibling's sleep.
Fifteen years later
"Yuki!" A female voice called from beyond the door. "Come on, get up!" The voice continued as the door opened and a young woman of fifteen flowed into the room, seeming to dance more then walk. Her caramel coffee brown hair flowing as she moved, lightly brushing her gracefully curved body. As she pulled the covers back, her almond-shape lilac purple eyes shined with mischief. She had a classic beauty with high cheek bones and lightly tanned skin.
Yuki rolled over to stare at her, stifling a yawn and stretching her gracefully aristocratically curved body as she did so. "Akasuki, the sun's not up yet." She groaned, reaching for the covers. "Why are you waking me up now?"
Akasuki huffed as she planted her hands gently on her gently curved hips. "Yuki, have you forgotten that today is the emperor's birthday and we have been invited to the palace?" She scolded as she grabbed the covers again, removing them from the bed completely.
Yuki stiffened, closing her eyes as she silently cursed herself. "No…" She responded, sounding less then convincing. "Who would forget something as important as that?"
"Liar," Akasuki sighed, waving her hand at the door. "Come on, the maids have gathered to help us get ready."
The soft sound of pattering footsteps resounded through the room as the maids began to set up their clothing for the banquet. With no other recourse, Yuki sighed and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of her bed. As she stretched again, Yuki watched with interest as the maids and her sister transformed her bedroom into a beauty salon of sorts. Amused by her thoughts, she allowed a maid to guide her towards one of the tubes of water for her morning bath. The scent of lavender and honey rose from the water as she sunk into it.
As the ripples settled down, Yuki caught sight of her reflection on the water's surface. The reflection in the water showed a beauty of fifteen with high cheek bones, lightly tanned skin and eyes the color of pure jade. The reflection rippled out of focus as water was dumped onto her head, causing her wine-red hair to cascade around her in waves. Yuki sat in comfortable silence as she listened to her sister carry on with the schedule for the day; the two of them being two-thirds of a set of triplets born fifteen and a half years ago on a rare winter day when the snow fell without end.
As the water cooled, Yuki glanced over and noticed that the maids had set out the kimonos for Akasuki and herself. Akasuki's was a beautiful sky-blue color with pink and white wisteria flowers, whereas hers was a blazing fire red color with white and black wisteria flowers. After the maids helped her step out, Yuki put on the tabi socks on first, not wanting anything to slip out of place as it would be bound to do if she did this last. After making sure the tabi socks were on right, the maids helped her into the susoyoke before continuing with the hadajuban, making sure it was centered on her torso before pulling it down to expose the back of her neck. Putting on the nagajuban, Yuki waited patiently as the maids adjusted the collar, tying the nagajuban under her bustline with a koshi-himo. Pulling the excess material of the nagajuban towards the seams. Once the nagajuban was settled the way she liked it, Yuki allowed the maids to place an erishin under the collar to keep it stiff and wrinkle-free. Yuki glanced over at Akasuki's prosses as the maids took a date-jime and tied it over the koshi-himo before pulling any excess material of the nagajuban to the side seams to hide it.
Next, the blazing red kimono with the black and white wisteria flowers was put on her, centering it on her body by matching the lower seams of the collar to each other in front of her body. After aligning it with the back of the nagajuban collar, the maids grabbed the kimono ten cm from the bottom of the collar on both sides and hoisted the bottom hem to just above the top of her feet. They wrapped the left side of the kimono around her legs, pulling the left side around to the right side of her body. Making sure the left side was about seven cm higher than the starting point. After unwrapping and doing the same with the right, making sure it ended up ten to fifteen cm's higher; they held the right side in place, re-wrapped the left side over the right and held it in place. Grabbing the second koshi-himo, one of the maids tied the kimono in place over her belly button before tucking the excess length into itself. Taking the excess kimono material, another maid folded it down over the koshi-himo; making sure the kimono was flat and neat.
After adjusting the collars to be symmetrical, they placed the last koshi-himo in the middle of her chest, drew it back with both hands and crossed it at the back before returning it to the front and tying it in the center. Removing the creases in the back to the side seams, they tied the second date-jime over the koshi-himo in the same fashion, just below her bust line. Tucking in the ends of the sash so it looked neat, a maid reached for the obi sash. After centering the middle of the obi over the date-jime, she wrapped it around her back, crossing it before pulling it back to the front and tying the ends of the obi, tucking in the ends. After making sure that everything was perfect, they lead her over to a chair and had her sit. Yuki sat patiently as her hair was gathered to the back of her head, high up at the crown, and placed in a bun with little ringlets framing her face. Once her hair was secured, a maid stepped forward with a large, floral butterfly kanzashi. The prongs were inserted first away from the curve of her head before being twisted and slid against her head to secure it in place. A smaller red floral kanzashi was placed on the other side of her head. After smoothing out any bumps in her hair, they moved onto her makeup, painting her lips with a light cherry blossom pink rouge.
"You are finished, My Lady." The head maid stated as she stepped back with the others. "Please be safe while visiting the palace."
Smiling softly, Yuki stood and walked over to Akasuki, who was waiting for her. "This is so exciting!" She squealed, gripping Yuki's arm as they stepped into their getas before stepping out of Yuki's courthouse, the Cherry Blossom Courthouse.
"It will be interesting at least." Yuki agreed, quickly hiding her smile behind her fan as Akasuki turned towards her to scold her.
"Yuki!" Akasuki called. "How can you be so passive about this!?"
Laughing, Yuki grabbed her arm and continued on their way to the waiting palanquin that would ferry them to the palace gates. Waiting next to it was a young man of fifteen, his caramel coffee brown hair had been pulled up into a half topknot secured with a golden ring at the crown of his head. His lilac purple eyes were a shade darker than Akasuki's and had a more intense light shining in their depths. He had a muscular physique with strong legs and muscular arms. He possessed classic, high cheek bones with an aristocratic nose and naturally pink lips.
"Daisuke!" Akasuki called out, waving a hand enthusiastically in the air. "Were you waiting for us?"
Daisuke smiled at them as they approached. "You both look really beautiful today." He commented as he helped Akasuki into the palanquin. "Yes, Akasuki, I was waiting. I have to make sure you two troublemakers don't cause too big of a scene at the palace today." He continued as he helped Yuki up as well.
"Daisuke, it's not our fault that Ren Himura has placed a target on us." Yuki countered as she settled down. "She's a vicious brat who hates it when she doesn't get her way."
"Yuki," Daisuke cautioned as he swung up onto the waiting horse. "Please be the bigger lady today."
Huffing, Yuki smiled. "For you, of course."