Lovers and Madmen: Part 1 (Oracle/Aika)[FINISHED]

[Oracle]

[This takes place sometime after "The Walrus And The Carpenter."]

Oracle entered a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan with the red and white roses he purchased earlier that day from the D. Saint Flower Shop, once again in his Markus Bleache' disguise. It was a rather interesting place; looking more like a sports bar than the accredited five-star restaurant he heard so much about when he bought the place. Then again, he was wrong about the flower shop when he visited there, so what was one restaurant to judge by it's looks?

Oracle approached the front desk with his free hand resting in the pocket of his dress pants, running the coin of law inside through his fingers. The man at the front desk sighed when Oracle cast his shadow over him, refusing to look up as if he were in the middle of something.

"How many party members?" the employee asked in a rather droll manner.

Oracle smirked as he looked down upon the mortal, apparently finding his attitude somewhat amusing. He took his hand out of his pocket -- leaving his coin inside of course -- and placed both hands on the counter, seeming to lean in closer to get a better look at his busy host.

"Two," he said in a tone of authority. "I made reservations a month ago for tonight at 7:23."

The man sighed, still refusing to look up. He went over to the computer and started typing.

"Name?" he asked once again rather droll.

Oracle leaned in closer, this time grabbing the man's chin to direct his eyesight toward him. Once he saw that he had the employee's attention, he smiled sinisterly.

"Bleache'," he said as he let go of the man.

The employee immediately stood up. "Mr. Bleache'," he said as he bowed in respect. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"Save it," he interrupted the man's apology. "Just be glad I'm not in the mood for salary cuts for this place." he pointed to the inside of the restaurant. "Now," he told the employee. "Show me to my table."

"Y-yes, Mr. Bleache'," the man said. "Right this way."

Oracle placed his hands in his pockets as he followed the man to his table after watching him gather two menus from behind his desk. As he sat down, the man placed a menu in front of Oracle and one near the empty seat for his date, Aika.

"Can I have your waiter start you off with anything, Mr. Bleache'?" he asked Oracle.

"A strong Bourbon Chaser, please," he said. "Chilled with no ice."

"I'll let him know," he said before he walked away.

Oracle watched as the man went back toward the desk, telling a fellow female employee of the situation before heading to the waiter. After Oracle found his amusement settled, he crossed his legs and opened his menu, scanning the selections and waiting for Aika to join him.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika walked into the restaurant that Markus Bleache' told her to come to via text message on her cell phone. It didn't take her that long to figure out what to wear and to leave her home just to shadow the man that she was going to date for five minutes. She stood at the door at thought about it for a moment.

I guess this is it... she slowly walked up to the front desk where a women in a black vest and matching pants.



"Excuse me," she said as she looked around the building to look for the one she was going on a date. She saw him, near other people laughing and smiling. She wanted that. To fell happy like that.

"Miss?" the woman said as she jumped and looked at the man again.

"Sorry, I was looking for someone named Markus Bleache', he should be----"

" Mr. Markus Bleache'?" the woman asked as she perked up. "He is in the next room waiting for you. I will show you in."

Taking Aika's hand, she led Aika into the next room. Everyone that was talking and laughing to friends and family members grew silent to whispers. They pointed at her with gasps and aw's.

I guess I shouldn't have wore this. Aika thought as she was brought to her talbe only to see Markus sitting in his seat already, looking through the menu. Seating herself, she cleared her throat and smiled.

"Hello." she said

[Oracle]

Oracle smiled as he heard the voice of a familiar across from him, his face still covered by the menu. Even though it was only one word, for who he could guess was across from him, one word was all it took.

"Hello," she said.

Oracle slowly lowered the menu as thick as a childrens book and stared at the lovely beauty of Aika sitting across from him. He could smell the aroma she gave off, familiar to him in every way possible. It was relaxing to him, realizing that he was once again in her presence.

It was intoxicating to Oracle. And he liked it.

"Why hello there," he said as he fully removed the menu from in front of his face. He held her hand resting on the table as a smile graced his face. "You should have let me know when you got here; I would have pulled the chair out for you. You know, like a gentleman's supposed to do for a lady..."

[Shounin Aika]

Aika smiled suductivley as she felt Markus hand on hers. It was warm to the touch as she looked down at the hand then at his eyes.

"You sure do know how to make a woman feel good. Keep this up and I may have ot skip dinner and go to desurt." she laughed as she took back her hand and grabbed the menu that was near her in one fell swoop.

"I wonder what is good here..." she said out loud as she thumb through the menu. This was all a ploy tonly because she was nervous about the whole thing and the only thing keping her from showing it was the menu in her hand.

[Oracle]

Oracle watched as Aika slipped her hand out of his, just to entertain him by looking inside her menu. As she looked inside the menu, Oracle used this opportunity to prepare the flowers he purchased from her daughter just a few hours ago, still in the state they were in when he purchased them.

Oracle replaced the wrapping paper, clearly saying "D. Saint Flower Shop" with a black ribbon underneath the table, so that no more speculation would ruin yet another evening within Aika's company on her part.

Oracle smirked as he slid the roses underneath the crevice allowed between the table and Aika's elevated menu. He never let her face out of his sight, finding it perfect in every way.

"For you, love," he said to her as a smile graced his face. "And if I can, I would recommend the lobster bis..."

[Shounin Aika]

Aika took a deep breath and lowered her menu down.

"I guess..."Aika looked down when she felt her menu land on something other than the table to see the red and white flowers. She looked back at Markus Bleache' then at the flowers again and smiled.

"These are my all time favoriet, how did you know?" she looked at the flowers again, picking them up and running her fingers over the pedals of each flower.

"Thank you, these are very nice. And here I didn't get you anything..."

[Oracle]

Oracle smiled at Aika's reaction to the flowers. It seemed that Sara was right; red and white roses were indeed her mother's favorite. He heard her ask the disguised Oracle how he knew they were her favorite. That was when the waiter arrived with his Bourbon Chaser and placed it on the table. With a nod to the waiter, he placed the wine glass between the crevice of his middle finger and swayed the alcohol delicately.

"A little birdy told me," he teased.

"Are we ready to order?" the waiter asked.

"I shall have the Caesar Roasted Lamb," he said as he gave the menu to the waiter. That always caught my eye."

Oracle then looked at his date across from her, an eyebrow raised and a seductive smile on his face as he gently started to caress her leg with his own under the table.

"Well, love," he cooed. "What shall you have tonight?"

[Shounin Aika]

"I think the question is," Aika let out softly as she smiled, "....what should I not have." she laughed lightly as Aika turn her head to the waiter while at the same time moved her leg away from one who was messing with hers.

Sorry dear, she thought as she placed her right index finger on her bottom lip, I'm not as easy as the other women you might date...

"I will have lobster bis, please." She said as she handed the menu to the waiter and gave a smug look to Markus. "Now tell me," she said as she grabbed her glass of water and held it to her mouth, "Was this little birdie wearing pigtails?"

[Oracle]

Sorry dear, Oracle heard her think as he watched her index finger touch her bottom lip. I'm not as easy as the other women you might date...

Watching that little display of sensuality almost made Oracle forget that Aika moved her leg away from his. Just watching that finger touch that lip aroused Oracle to no end. It was clear; he never had feelings for a woman such as this one. He never had the urge to grab her, pin her to the table and have his way with her right then in front of everyone to see. But, his state of arousal was soon eliminated from his mind when he heard a certain sentence escape her delicate lips.

"Now tell me," she started. "Was this little birdie wearing pigtails?"

By the time Aika asked the question, Oracle's lips already found their home to his glass of liquor. After taking another small sip, he sighed as he removed the glass from his lips reach and stared at the liquid inside.

She's always asking questions, he thought to herself. Can't she just enjoy one night with me without worrying about her bitch?

Oracle placed the glass down on the table, keeping his eyes on his date. But, as he was about to speak, a man approached him. He looked as if he was in his mid-30's and Oracle could tell that he was scared out of his mind.

"Excuse me, sir," he said to Oracle, "but are you Markus Bleache'?"

Oracle looked at the man, then at Aika, and smiled in a way that could only rival Jack Nicholson's from "As Good As It Gets". He once again looked at the man with that same smile.

"Yes," he admitted, "I am Markus Bleache'. What can I do for you?"

"Well, let me first say that it's an honor to finally meet you in person," the giddy man said. "I'm Jervis Cole, the manager of this restaurant. I was just wondering if you would like to participate in a singing competition on the main stage over there. It's 80's karaoke night, you see."

Oracle's smile slowly diminished as he continued to hear the manager speak. A karaoke competition? Who does this fool think he's talking to? Then he looked at Aika, fiddling with her glass of water and smiled.

Then again, he thought.

"What do you say, love?" he asked her. "Should I... give it a go?"

[Shounin Aika]

Typical, She thought, He's changing the subject but I guess I can always ask later.... Aika looked at the man who asked if her date if he wouldn't mind singing 80's Karaoke.

"If you think you could win," Aika said as she turn her gaze back at Markus, taking a swig of the water she held in her hands, "Then by all means, doll face, sing your heart out. Do one for me." she winked at him and smiled.

[Oracle]

Oracle smirked at her response, gladdened that this situation swayed her from asking any more questions as to the whereabouts of the flowers he purchased for her, even though he caught her thought about the subject being changed so conveniently. He looked at the manager as he stood up.

"Then I accept your challenge, sir," he said in a mixture of smugness and confidence.

"Great!" the manager named Jervis said as he directed him to the stage. "This way please, Mr. Bleache'."

As Oracle walked past Aika, he winked at her playfully before getting one last feel of one of her delicate hands. As he approached the stage and grabbed his mike, Oracle watched as the man named Jervis turned on his headset mike to introduce him.

"Ladies and gentleman, it is my honor to introduce our last contestant for tonights 80's Karaoke competition, the owner of this restaurant, Mr. Markus Bleache'!"

The audience in front of him applauded as if guns were being pointed to their heads. He smiled.

Tough crowd tonight, he thought. Time to... brighten the mood.

With one scan of the audience with his eyes, Oracle secretly released an invisible amount of void magic into the audience, persuading them to applaud as if their favorite band just walked on the stage.

"Mr. Bleache' will be singing a famous love ballad made famous by Cutting Crew," Jervis said before walking off the stage, "(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight."

Oracle nodded at the manager as he watched him leave the stage. Oracle cleared his throat, secretly using his void magic to manipulate his vocal chords to sound like his favorite Japanese artist, Hyde. He then stared at Aika, who he decided right then and there was time to seal the deal. With an exhale that everyone heard through the microphone, Oracle released a significant amount of void magic that trailed into the ears of his date, whispering thoughts into her ears that would make the most stubborn kind of woman want him instantly; thoughts that no one would ever think about Oracle.

Well, in her case, Markus Bleache'.

He stared behind him to cue the live band as his hand moved up and down four times before Oracle started his hypnotic ballad.

[Oracle]

"Oh! I just died in your arms tonight.
It must have been something you said.
I just died in your arms tonight!"

Oracle bobbed his head to the beat of the drums as the interlude to the first verse marched it's way past him. The guitarist took every moment to make his notes match the intensity of Oracle's voice that cued him in, and respectfully faded away as he brought the microphone back to his mouth, ready and eager to woo the audience and Aika with the first verse of the song.

"I keep looking for something I can't get.
Broken hearts, they're all around me,
and I don't see an easier way, to get out of this."

Oracle sighed more of his void magic into the audience and watched as they were completely under his spell.

"Her diary sits by the bedside table.
The curtains are closed, the cat's in the cradle
Who would have thought that a boy like me could come to this."

Expanding his diaphragm with air, he prepared for the chorus as the band followed his every move.

"Oh I! I just died in your arms tonight!
It must have been something you said.
I just died in your arms tonight!
Oh I! I just died in your arms tonight!
It must have been some kind of kiss.
I should have walked away...
I should have walked away!"

[Oracle]

The guitarist was just as epic as Oracle was singing the chorus as his small cued solo arrived between the sung chorus and the unsung second verse. And once again, the guitarist backed down, knowing his place as Oracle prepared for the second verse as his free hand went through his white locks of hair and bobbed his left foot to the beat of the drums.

"Is there any just cause for feeling like this?
On the surface I'm a name on a list
I try to be discreet, but then blow it again."

Oracle let the guitarist have his little moment, using the break in the song to give a small seductive smirk toward Aika before breaking his eye contact and going back into the song with full force.

"I've lost and found it's my final mistake.
She's loving by proxy, no give and all take
'Cause I've been thrilled to fantasy, one too many times."

Oracle tilted his head back and once again started singing the chorus of the song as the band once again gave just enough back, but not enough to overthrow him. And with the same intensity he used to sing the chorus again, he showed it more delicately, more seductively, as he started the bridge.

"It was a long hot night, she made it easy;
she made it feel right
But now it's over, the moment has gone.
I followed my hands to my head, I know I was wrong!"

He then took a break; he let the guitarist have some fun with the solo he was granted. He turned toward him as he was playing and whispered in his ear.

"Make them wet," he told him.

[Oracle]

Suddenly, the guitarist started to shred instantly as Oracle gave the appropriate adlibs to drive the audience crazy. He continued to give off very sensual adlibs, but refused to face the audience, resting his free hand on the guitarist's shoulder. But once it was time for him to sing the chorus once again, he spun and faced the audience on beat to when he was supposed to sing again.

"Oh! I just died in your arms tonight!"

The band quieted down, following Oracle's body movements as to when to establish the beat.

"It must have been something you said."

A series of five beats from the drum player followed Oracle's jerks after finishing that line. Oracle smiled.

"I just died in your arms tonight!"

The band built up slowly, but once it was time for him to continue, both Oracle and the band exploded with sound. Soon, the entire restaurant was nothing but an orgy of sound and applause, as Oracle finished his song.

"I! I just died in your arms tonight!
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should have walked away.
I should have walked away!"

Oracle once again let the guitarist have its way with the audience, as he provided the appropriate sensual adlibs. This continued until Oracle cued the band to finish. When he did, all he did was peer at the audience from behind his left shoulder.

Everyone stood and cheered at Oracle's cover of the classic. Turning around to face them fully, Oracle bowed in respect to both the audience and Aika, even though they were under the influence of his void magic. He placed the microphone back as the manager Jervis went back to the stage.

"Thank you, Mr. Bleache'," he said. "The judges will announce the winner later tonight." He stared at the audience. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Oracle started to walk back to his seat, staring at his date Aika, only hoping that the magic that he had surrounding her kept her attention on him instead of his actions.

"So," he started as he once again grabbed his liquor glass. "What did you think?"

[Shounin Aika]

Aika kept her eyes on Markus and only on him as the music played. Her heart was racing as she heard every word come from his mouth. She tried to look away but she couldn't. Every note, every lyric, kept her wanting more.

You know you want him... a thought went past her that felt foreign but at the same time familiar to her.

To kiss him...To hold him...To love him...To...

Be fore the last thought could even finish Aika snap back to reality from the sound of the audience clapping and cheering. she had almost forgot that the song was over.

She also notice that their was a faint wet spot on her pants.

Blushing Slightly, Aika quickly snatched her napkin from the table and laid it on the spot to hide her arousal. when Markus made his way over to the table again, she gave him a nervous smile.

"So," he started as he once again grabbed his liquor glass. "What did you think?"

She made a slight nod and smiled, a lot more confident one at best, "That was great. I'm surprised you don't sing on your off time..."

[Oracle]

Oracle chuckled as he once again picked up his liquor glass. He could easily sense that his void magic surrounding the woman had definitely did its job, finding her attitude toward him immediately changed and no suspect of her daughter in her mind at all. It was just her and him.

Exactly how Oracle wanted it.

"'Off time'?" Oracle said with a chuckle. "My dear, a man like me has never heard of such a phrase. There is always something that needs to be done and taken care of. If I am not running my business, then I am doing something else; it's really rather frustrating. Just before I got here, I was visiting a client of mine, informing him on some aspects that my people found wrong with his own business. We even found out that there was a rival company of his that we suggested needed to be taken care of if he acted now."

Oracle was definitely referring to his meeting with Kanzaki Toushi, his operative and one of Kouzetsu Gin's faithful servants when he informed him on Abbadon's whereabouts and Mishiranu Arashi's arrival in the mortal realm after the Sword of Darkness.

"No, love," Oracle continued. "Off time does not exist for my kind. But, when I can get a breather, I tend to study on my favorite mythological character, Oracle the Zaihou."

Oracle then looked over and saw their waiter walk toward them with a tray in his hands containing two plates; one containing a lobster and the other containing a rack of lamb. He smiled.

"Ah," he said. "I believe our food is here."

[Shounin Aika]

Aika smelled the food right away and turn back around in her seat to eat. She was more hungry for food at the moment than she was for Markus and she was ready to eat for free for a change. The fact that she only had eaten only cups of raman for a week wasn't really helping any.

"Oracle the Zaihou, again?" She asked as she the waiter placed the food, hers first than Markus' with a bow, on their table. "From what you told me when we first met, you already seem to know about him to write a book your self. What makes him so interesting, he seems evil."

Aika didn't need to seem like she didn't know who Markus spoke of. She knew the the stories of Oracle all to well and the fact that she heard that he has surface not only in the Mortal Realm but appeared to her son, Akuma Shadow, only made her worried. It made her even more on edge that this mortal was studying him and making it sound like a bed time story, which to mortals for all they know now were nothing but just that. She had to remember that.

[Oracle]

Oracle grabbed his knife and fork, listening to Aika's talk about himself. Oh the irony...

"No, no, no, my love," Oracle said in his defense with a chuckle and shake of his head. "He's not an evil being at all; the Oracle is just a misunderstood creature in a condemned world; like the two of us. I believe you have done a few things that you yourself were not necessarily proud of in the name of self-gratification..."

Oracle then took the time to slice his mortal food; one of the many things he had come to appreciate since his very first visit. He cut the chop rather delicately with the steak knife as sharp as a freshly made razor blade. Using his fork, he slowly entered the meat into his mouth, still keeping eye contact with Aika.

The way he placed the fork into his mouth didn't help the way he was looking at the woman, either. Since he met Tomo, Oracle did just about everything in a sensual manner. It became one of his strong points.

Oracle swallowed the meat and the juices it marinated and closed his eyes to savor every flavor. He licked his lips only to discover that a bit of the liquid seasoning had drizzled down his mouth. He was quickly hesitant to grab the napkin before him and gently wiped his mouth, releasing a toothless yet seductive smile toward his female company. He then went on and picked up his liquor glass, once again twirling the content around with a single motion of his hand.

"Would you like to hear a story about him?" he asked her.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika felt hotter as she watched Markus eat his food. For some reason, she felt the need to tackle the man and have her way with him with everyone watching.

No, she thought, that would be later, much later...

"Go ahead dear. I love to hear a story from you."

[Oracle]

Oracle grinned at Aika's answer before he took a sip of his Bourbon. As he placed the glass on the table, he slowly glanced at the woman before her, loving every single moment of the situation.

"Well this is good news indeed," Oracle said as he rested his arms on the table behind his plate. "Now, what story should I tell..."

Oracle thought hard as to what situation he should tell Aika. His smile only widened when he found one particularly ironic in an odd sort of way...

"Oh yes," Oracle began. "The tale of how Oracle stopped a Heavenly rebellion single-handed."

He smiled at the woman, hiding the mischief within his thoughts behind his already affected charm.

"It's one of my favorites..."

[To follow along, please read "FLASHBACK: Unsettled Spirits," located in the Joukai.]