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White Cherry; Curtain Call~! The Stage Is Yours!

Performance One: Duality/Pilot Word Count: 3,400

The energetic piano melody rang out through the main lounge, accompanied by the sound of the vedette’s smooth singing as she performed on stage. The crowd murmured in awe while listening and chattering at their respected tables, completely enamoured by the show. “Now some may call me wicked Others, they call me twisted But one thing still remains, I’m just looking for some fun! So what, I had her husband? Hers wasn’t the only one I’m a simple girl to please, I don’t care much to tease!” The demoness serenaded. As she continued her song, she walked offstage and paced around the dining area, further immersing the audience in her act. She walked up to a table where her husband was seated, and teasingly traced his shoulder. The man blushed and gave her a half-hearted glare as the performer made her way back onstage, a cheeky, fanged smirk spreading onto her round face. The music began to pick up, becoming livelier and more playful, and the demoness’s dance became more energetic as she belted out the final part of her song. “I simply love being that crazy girl! And that’s one thing that’ll never change! The way they point and stare I love to see their hateful glares Then going home to their men Awaiting in my snares Oh, I simply love being this crazy girl! Each night I look for someone new To bite and claw and chew And even when my curtain’s called When my audience is tired out and gone The fact will still remain, I will always be insane And if I could change even one small thing about me I would change nothing at all~!” With that final line, her song came to its conclusion and she did a performer's bow, placing a hand on her crimson hat. When she stood up, she smiled at the crowd, scanning them all as they applauded with her glowing lavender eyes. “Another successful performance. As expected~” She thought to herself before heading backstage to her dressing room, the final cheers and claps from the crowd blending with the sound of her boots hitting the polished wood floor with each step she took. She stopped in front of a door with a star emblem that had the carved name “Maru Kirishiki” on it, then stepped inside with a content hum. Her dressing room was an array of pinks, reds, and yellows, and had warm, calming lighting. Against the wall, tucked a few feet away from the door, was an elegantly carved wooden vanity, which had a safe built into the bottom right drawer. She had a bed directly across it, with the head of the bed directly facing the vanity mirror, and was adorned with various shapes of pillows and deep red velvet sheets. Immediately, the performer sat at her vanity, placed her hat down, and unlocked the safe, where a bottle labeled “AB+ M. 46” and two wine glasses were hidden. Maru chuckled and licked her lips as she pulled out the bottle and a glass, a soft “clink” sound ringing through the room when she set them down. She poured the thick red liquid into her glass and took a sip, leaning back against her chair with a deep, relaxed sigh. “Ahh~ Renjuro, you know exactly how to spoil me, don’t you~?” She asked herself before glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Maru was a short, slender woman who looked no older than twenty. Her bouncy, light brown hair was on full display, no longer hidden by her hat, which was crimson with a checkered ribbon, and her pointed ears poked out from behind her fluffy locks. Her bright lavender eyes and the pale white tips of her black, S-shaped horns were gleaming in the lamplight of her room. She was wearing a tailored crimson suit jacket, accompanied by light gray dress pants, a black button-up shirt, and a pair of black combat boots with the laces carefully tied in neat double-knots. As she enjoyed her after-show drink, there was a knock at the door, followed by an all too familiar voice. “Maru, my dear, can I come in?” Atsushi asked from the other side. Maru shook her head and chuckled, giving her husband an unseen eye-roll. “Mi soñador, you know you don't have to ask, just come in~” She replied, setting her drink down in front of her.

With that, the door opened, revealing a smiling Atsushi. He had short, uneven black hair with pink bangs, purple eyes, and two strange yellow teardrops on his cheeks, both with a bright green outline. He also wore a brown undershirt with a pale green suit jacket over it, light gray pants, and a pair of black boots with a silvery-blue trim. “Well yes, but we are at your workplace, love, and I’d hate to intrude on something important~” He said before his eyes trailed over to the bottle and glass in front of his wife, raising a dark colored eyebrow at her. “Drinking so soon?” He asked, closing the door and crossing his arms. She chuckles and leans back in her chair, resting an arm over the back of it. Despite her very unladylike position, attire, and personality, he couldn’t help but find himself to be more enamored of this woman…even though she was drinking some very strong alcoholic blood immediately after her show, and still had to take the train home later. “Yes, well, I don’t plan on downing the whole bottle in one night, just this one little glass.” She reassured him as she picked up the glass of blood and took another sip.

Atsushi sighed and placed a loving hand on her shoulder. “As long as you promise me that it’ll only be this one glass, pequeña luna. After all, you still have your other job you need to do…” Maru’s demeanor suddenly turned serious, and she placed the bottle back in the safe before turning back to Atsushi. “You’re right…We still have one more thing we have to do before we can relax…” She sighed and smiled softly at her husband, tilting her head to the side. “With that in mind, would you like to finish off this glass~? After all, half a glass of alcoholic blood, even of this potency, won’t be enough to get you drunk, so you won’t have to worry that sweet little head of yours.” Atsushi blinked in surprise a few times, clearly not expecting this answer from the demoness. However, after a few moments, he collected himself and chuckled, planting a small kiss on top of her head. He had to be mindful of the horns, as the tips were quite sharp and could easily take an eye if he wasn’t careful. “You’d really share your AB+ with me, Maru?” He asked, his face now nuzzled into Maru’s hair.

“Mhmm~ I’d be happy to share a drink with mi soñador before we head to the market~” She replied in a smooth, affectionate tone. With that, the two sat down in the elegant dressing room, sharing a glass of alcoholic blood. Once the glass was empty, they shared a kiss, walked out of the dressing room, and re-entered the main lounge. It was empty now, with only the other cast members remaining as they did their final cleanup for the night. Maru looked over at the corner, where another man sat, reading something on a clipboard. “Alright, Hiryuu, where’s tonight’s shipment coming from?” Maru asked as she approached the man. Hiryuu was a lanky, almost sheet white man, with spiky midnight blue hair that faded to black, a black crown, ram horns, and wore plum-colored eyeshadow that made his ruby colored irises and pale red pupils stand out more than they already did. His outfit consisted of a top that only covered his chest, colored black with a plum colored crescent on the bottom and a light gray collar, ribbon-like plum sleeves that covered the bottom of his shoulders and nothing else, rolled up gray pants with a gold belt, ripped capris leggings that matched the sleeves on his top, a star earring on his right ear, and black shoes with deep blue-gray accents. He looked up and smiled before proudly responding, “Tonight is the sex offenders, boss~! The Suppliers are already heading towards the East Post!” Maru licked her lips and nodded, looking towards the other members of the Troupe. They all nodded in response, readjusted their clothes, and silently followed her out through the back door.

The Troupe walks silently through the moonlit streets, accompanied by several members of the main cast. They were good about making sure to stay in the shadows and alleyways, as they didn’t need to be seen by any wandering humans. Soon, they approached a prison compound, and the guards slowly stepped aside for them to pass. Maru smiled and tipped her hat as she led them inside, and as soon as the doors closed, she looked straight ahead and chuckled. “Alright, ladies and gents~....Let’s make this a good harvest!” With that, she and the Suppliers all rushed to the cells, fangs bared, and began to pick off the scrambling inmates, killing them with a single, clean bite to the jugular. The prisoners, who had no idea what was happening, began to scream or attempt to fight back, but they were no match for the Suppliers. Maru walked calmly around the perimeter, as if she were simply collecting groceries from the shelves, not watching sex offenders being killed in their cells. Once the nightly quota was met, an eerie silence echoed throughout the compound, the Suppliers took their fresh meat and walked out, chattering among themselves. Maru stayed behind for a few moments, making sure she was the last one out. Just before she made her departure, she slowly turned on her heels with her typical fanged smirk and tipped her hat to the warden. "A pleasure as always~ We'll see you tomorrow night~"

The Suppliers took their harvest to a remote village, which was full of demons setting up various food stalls, and walked over to a larger building that resembled a butcher shop. The Butchers are already prepared for the Suppliers’ haul, their stations freshly cleaned and tools at the ready. Each one is given an inmate, and quickly gets to work; they drain the blood from the bodies, putting the blood they collect into glass soda bottles. They make sure to separate the females' blood from the males', since mixing the two could have certain health risks. They then start separating the different limbs, marrow, and organs for different dishes, tossing all the unusable parts into barrels. For those who have women on their tables, they cut out their uteri. scoop out all the eggs, and put them in little jars. Finally, they take the cracked open bones and package them for the flour mills down the road. Once the bodies are all prepped and packaged, another group of demons comes in and takes the boxes of fresh meat, delivering them to the Vendors in the market’s main street. Maru watches the Deliverers do their jobs with a proud smile, her arms folded behind her slender form, then watches as they leave after dropping off the night’s shipment…It really was an interesting process here at the Hidden Market!

“Hehehe~ And tonight, there’s going to be quite a few extra leftovers~” Maru says as the Vendors begin unboxing and cooking their respective dishes. That was another interesting part of working in the Hidden Market; since the Vampirics didn't have a monetary system of their own, the market employees are paid in whatever leftovers there are from that night. That makes sure that no food is wasted, and everyone gets something to eat each night before heading home. After a short while, the vendors began to lay out their first few dishes, and the gates to the village opened to the public, where a small crowd of hungry demons was already eagerly waiting. Maru, being the manager, took her place at a picnic table close to the gates, that way she could greet the customers as they came in and watch for any funny business. She wouldn’t stay there all night, as this position only allowed her to see about a third of the place, but it was her usual starting point during each shift. As she sat and chatted with her dear customers, she saw a familiar man stumbling anxiously through the gates. He was a shorter-than-average individual with dusty brown skin, black hair that was styled in a sharp bob, and had creamsicle colored highlights. His eyes were a calming shade of honey with auburn pupils, but they had light eye bags under them as if he was sleep deprived or sick. As he turned his head, Maru could see three small horns on the right side of his face. He wore a long-sleeved deep red shirt with dusty yellow accents, baggy black pants, and red sandals. Maru smiled a fanged smile at the man and called out to him.

“Going to see Kuniko, Mr. Yashiro~?” The man jumped and turned towards Maru. "Y-yes, uhm… I'm…going to see Kuniko." Mr. Yashiro replied with a nervous laugh as he looked around the bustling market. She chuckled and stood up from her seat. "Well, it’s about time I start making my rounds for the night, so I can walk with you if you’d like.” Mr. Yashiro nodded hesitantly and smiled at the demoness’s offer. “Uhm…Yes…I’d appreciate that very much, Mrs. Tsuchikita…” Maru nodded back and began to escort the anxious demon through the bustling crowd of patrons. They passed soup stalls, ramen vendors, various different grills, some snack booths, and even a place selling boxes of ingredients so people could make their favorite dishes at home! Soon, they came across a sweet shop with a sign that read, “Candid Confectioneries”, where three ladies were hard at work...However, there was one that seemed to catch Mr. Yashio’s eye. She had pale blue skin, translucent eyes, and mid length, light brown hair with pink tips, and a cherry hair accessory that bobbed around as she cut her dough. She wore a yellow top with short sleeves, and a flowing peach colored skirt that came down to her ankles. She was also more on the chubbier side, giving her an adorable, almost childlike appearance. This woman was Kuniko, the head of the Candid Confectioneries. She looked up at the approaching pair and smiled.

“Oh, hello, Mrs. Tsuchikita! Mr. Yashiro!” Kuniko said with her sweet, bubbly voice while not once stopping her work. “You’re just in time, I’m almost done with these rolls!” She added once she was done cutting the dough, when another demoness came over and took the tray. She was average height, slender, and had coffee colored skin which was lightly dusted with freckles. Her eyes were large and a soothing shade of cream yellow with thick eyelashes, her light brown hair was long and kept in a high ponytail with a dark red ribbon, and she had white wolf features with tips matching her hair. Her outfit was simple, consisting of a lavender dress with a white trim and the sleeves rolled up, black leggings, and tan colored boots with beige accents. The wolf demoness placed a silver cloche over the tray, placed her hands on either side, then said, “Fire May Spread!” Which caused the cloche to burst into a controlled flame. After several moments, the flames died down and the demoness took the cloche off, revealing that the rolls were now perfectly baked.

“Alright, order up~!” She proudly announced, to which Kuniko carefully set the rolls on small plates for her customers. “Careful, they just came out of the oven!” She warned as she passed the fresh rolls out to the hungry demons. Mr. Yashiro took his share, as timid as he always was, and thanked Kuniko before carefully digging in. The outside was fluffy all the way through, with just enough of a crust to provide a bit of crunch, and a perfect shade of golden brown. The inside was filled with a thick, wine colored substance that almost resembled a sort of jelly, which Mr. Yashiro seemed to appreciate very much. “Mm…amazing as always, Ms. Kuniko…” He complimented softly as he took another gentle bite. Kuniko giggled and wiped her hands on a towel she had hanging on a nearby rack. “Why thank you~! I’m glad you enjoy them so much.” She then turned to Maru and tilted her head curiously. “Would you like one, Mrs. Tsuchikita?” Maru chuckled and grasped the brim of her hat, flashing her trademark fanged grin. “No, not tonight, I’m afraid. But let me know when those candies have set, and I’ll come get a variety box~”

“Aww, are you getting a treat for the littles?” She asked when she heard the manager’s request, to which the suited demoness nodded. “It’s been a while, and I know how much they love your stall, so I thought it’d be a nice surprise.” Kuniko nodded back and smiled. “Well, I’ll make sure to ask Yona to set a box aside for you during Handouts~” Maru thanked the baker and walked further into the market to see how the other stalls were doing, then picked up a meal for herself and her children, who were at home with a sitter. She got a to-go order of her favorite kebabs, soups, finger foods, and even a bottle of regular AB+. She debated getting something for Atsushi, but she could see him already enjoying himself a few stalls over, so she decided to just focus on herself and her children, who each got a small portion of their market favorites and a bottle of their favorite blood types. At the end of the night, everyone cleaned up their stalls, packed the leftovers away, and began to hand them out to the latecomers and employees so as not to waste anything. Atsushi walked over to Maru, carrying a box from the Candid Confectioneries. “Let’s get back home, now, dear~” He said tenderly as he gently pressed his temple against the base of one of Maru’s horns. “Hehe~ Alright, mi soñador, let’s go~” She replied before turning to everyone.

“Goodnight, everyone! We’ll see you tomorrow~” The employees of the Hidden Market smiled and waved the pair off for that evening. They arrived back home after a long train ride and stepped inside their house, expecting a certain trio to come running up to them, but they did not. Atsushi looked around and eventually laid eyes on their daughter, Mizue, asleep on the couch, and her brothers, Jirou and Hitoshi, on the floor. The man chuckled and set the food down on the counter in the kitchen, then turned to Maru with a tired yet caring smile. “I’ll get these three to bed if you put dinner away, mi luna.” The demoness nodded and smiled back, walking over to look at her children and kiss her husband’s cheek. “Alright~ And then, why don’t you head to bed? I’m going to get a bath once I’m done in here, so I’ll be a bit late tonight, and you already look like you’re about to drift off.” Atsushi leaned into Maru and hummed in acknowledgement, giving her an affectionate rub on the small of her back. “Ok. Enjoy your bath~” He said before picking up Mizue and carrying her to her room. Maru watched him turn the corner down the hall, then began putting the goods from the market in their respectful places, with the exception of the meal she’d crafted for herself earlier in her shift. Once she was done, she took her box and her favorite nightgown and headed for the bathroom, eager to relax after work. She ran the water, making sure it was the perfect temperature, added a splash of her favorite scented bubbles, and stripped down, setting her day clothes neatly in a nearby basket and hanging her hat on a hook above it. Finally, she laid a long wooden tray over the tub and slid into the water with a warm, content sigh. She opened the box, took a bite of one of her finger foods, and leaned against the wall behind her with a smile while she chewed.

“Ahh~...Another successful evening~”

#white cherry; curtain call #maru-kirishiki #atsushi-tsuchikita #hidden market #creative writing #original story #original character

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