Hello everyone, bet you didn't see THIS coming!

Yeah, back in the day writing three fics and flicking back between them really worked for me so I'm trying that again.

Also, this is part 10 in a series but you absolutely do not need to read the others to understand this one or vice versa.

I don't even know, I don't have an excuse for this fic, I just like writing about women and I like writing about minor characters, sue me.

DO NOT SUE ME. I am broke.

Anyway, enjoy. After 6 years of fanfiction I still don't own K Project.

Chapter 1: Kings and Clans

"Harabi no one worries me like you do."

Jin Harabi laughed at the other woman's words, "I don't think I'm the King you should be worried about."

Seika Ootori didn't smile back, "the fact that you find Kagutsu's potential Damocles Down funny is far more worrying than the actual Damocles Down. Him I expect this behaviour from, you I'm counting on to be the adult."

"Right," agreed Harabi, dropping her good mood suddenly, "Kagutsu will make the mess and I'll clean it up, what else is new?" With deceptively delicate-looking fingers she threw back a drink strong enough to knock grown men on their asses. She didn't even blink.

Seika suddenly and uncomfortably had the thought that maybe Kagutsu wasn't the only King who was Sick and Tired of being a King. It wasn't like they were asked if they wanted this 'job.'

But Jin would do her duty, Seika comforted herself, she always did.

"Cathedral will assist Scepter 4 in any way possible, please use us as you see fit," Seika was completely willing to take control if she was asked but she wasn't self-centred. The King who stopped Genji Kagutsu, the Red King, wouldn't be her, it would be the woman in front of her.

"Sure," the Blue King said agreeably, "I'm good at that." She threw back her second drink.

Yeah there was a storm brewing there, but hopefully it could wait until they dealt with the immediate issue.

The Grey King stood, "get some sleep." She squeezed the other woman's shoulder. They weren't friends, but as two female Kings they'd developed an instant rapport the way only two women could, and Seika found she genuinely liked the other woman. They could probably be real friends, if they both survived this.

She turned to leave and immediately collided with the red-haired man who'd just come up behind her, Seika blinked in surprise.

"What do you want Gen?" Harabi asked without turning around.

He was standing right in front of Seika but the Grey King knew she might as well not be in the room. The Red and Blue Kings tended to get tunnel-vision when the other person was around. Or at least this Red and Blue King did.

"A drink," said Genji Kagutsu quietly, "that's all. I've had a long day too."

There was a pregnant pause, then Harabi slid a glass over to the next spot at the bar.

Kagutsu gratefully slid into Ootori's vacant seat and picked up the drink Harabi had given him.

Well this sucked, they seemed calm now but there was no way Seika was leaving them alone together. Give them ten minutes and the subject of Kings would inevitably come up and then somebody would get bodily thrown out of the bar by the other person and tensions were high enough without that. Best to step in before that happened.

Sighing, Ootori took a seat close enough that she still had a good line of sight and access to the other Kings but far enough away that she wasn't eavesdropping. Two's company and all that.

Harabi and Kagutsu held out for a surprisingly long time. An hour later, when Seika had ducked out for five dang minutes to take a phone call from a clansman, was when the shouting started.

Kagutsu was on his feet doing that aggressive male posturing thing with a slender young man Seika thought was vaguely familiar. Jin was still in her seat but she was holding her seventh drink like a weapon and not a beverage. There was a slender teenage boy behind the unfamiliar man with a calm smile on his face but even from this distance Seika could see the screaming tenseness of his body language.

"Please, just think about it," the familiar stranger was saying calmly when Seika got close enough to hear them.

"He will," Harabi promised, "now please leave."

"Don't speak for me Harabi," Genji snapped, the dark-haired woman rolled her eyes.

"Quit being such a man," she muttered into her cup, but none of the males heard her.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for this," Seika said when Kagutsu grabbed the brown-haired man's shirt.

The boy behind him tensed but the man made a soothing gesture, "it's alright Yukari."

Yukari? A boy named Yukari. Isn't that the name of… shelving the thought for later, Seika placed her hand over Kagutsu's, "let him go." She said calmly and firmly.

Kagutsu glared at the man for a second longer, "you Colourless bastards need to mind your own business," he growled, before releasing the man's shirt. "Come on Harabi, you've had enough to drink, I'm walking you home."

"Yes dad," Jin muttered snidely, but he was right, and she knew it. She drained her final drink, slammed it down on the bar while Kagutsu threw down a wad of cash, and stood.

"Well Colourless King it was lovely to see you again, let's never do it again," said Harabi with a touch of her usual humour. Nodding at Yukari and Seika she followed her arch-nemesis out of the bar.

The other man, the Colourless King, Ootori realized belatedly, straightened his shirt and smiled at her, "thank you very much… Seika Ootori, I presume?"

She smiled, "that's me, and you're Ichigen Miwa, the Colourless King, yes?"

He inclined his head to her.

"And that makes you Yukari Mishakuji, the Colourless King's vassal, am I right?" She asked the boy.

Yukari's face visibly brightened, "you've heard of me?"

He was so proud of being his King's vassal, it made Seika smile. She adored her huge Clan, was so proud of its strength and influence but there was something to be said for the smaller, more family-like Clans too.

"Can I buy you gentlemen a drink and hopefully find out what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Asked Seika with another smile.

"I'm not legal," Yukari admitted, he was younger than he looked, "but you can tell me where you got that gorgeous nail colour," he took one of Seika's hands in both of his.

While his ward charmed the Grey King, Ichigen Miwa studied her while trying not to be obvious about it. She glowed in a way. Kings were almost unanimously pretty people but there was an inherent gentleness to Ootori he hadn't seen in any other King, and he'd seen plenty of them, present and future. That was more interesting than just 'pretty.'

He nodded at the door, "are they going to be alright?" He asked, speaking of the Red and Blue Kings. It didn't take a psychic to see that those two were headed on a collision course of epic proportions, yet they'd willingly left together.

Yukari moved so he was sitting between Ichigen and Seika but not blocking their view of one another. He was so overprotective, Ichigen knew it was the only reason why Yukari had stayed with him this long. The fifteen-year-old wasn't suited to a life of tranquillity and simplicity like Ichigen and Kuroh and he was becoming more and more bitter about it by the day. If something didn't change Ichigen was going to have one Hell of a teenage rebellion on his hands one day.

But that could wait for another day. One crisis at a time, please and thank you.

Ichigen was sure Ootori noticed what Yukari was doing but she said nothing, he was right after all. She was the greatest threat in the room.

"They'll be fine." She said, answering his question. "Kagutsu might be a bit of a brute but he isn't a total monster, he won't attack Harabi while she's inebriated." And Shiotsu and Zenjo, Harabi's super-overprotective Clansmen, were undoubtedly looking for her right now. They'd find her sooner or later.

Ichigen thought about the visions he'd been having and hoped she was right about the total monster comment. "Very well then," was all he said.

The bartender put their drinks down in front of them and Yukari was the one who spoke, "we're here because of that actually," he said in his light, soothing voice that made him seem older than he actually was.

Ootori sighed, "I see." She glanced at Ichigen again, "you see the future, don't you?"

Yes, he did. He'd known she'd be here. He hadn't actually had a proper vision of her, but he'd known all the same. Sometimes they weren't so much as visions as a sense of knowing.

But his powers had let him down, they'd told him the Grey King would be here, but they hadn't warned him she'd be so…

"You see something you'd like to share?" Asked Seika, raising an eyebrow.

"Stunning," Ichigen breathed quietly. The minute the word was out he became aware he'd spoken aloud and blushed scarlet, but Seika didn't seem to realize he'd spoken about her.

"I'm sorry?" She asked politely.

Yukari very wisely ducked his head to hide his smile, he mouthed something that looked like 'hopeless' at the ground and Ichigen hid a good-natured frown. Roasted by his own son, and it wasn't even three-thirty in the morning.

"If I'm not keeping you, I'd like to talk to you about that," said Ichigen. He had seen something he would like to share, many things, and none of them were good.

He'd had so many visions of so many things they could do differently, but they all had one thing in common.

A sword hanging, trembling in the sky, the slightest force enough to send it crashing down. A potential Damocles Down. Usually Kagutsu's but if Harabi managed to stop him she'd find herself in the same position. No winning.

But that wasn't the worst part. Recently a grey fog had been obscuring Ichigen's visions, blocking him from seeing what was going to happen.

What the Hell did that mean?! Did that mean they all died? That he died? Ichigen couldn't see his own future but that wasn't new. However, he saw Kuroh growing into a young adult. Yukari, on the other hand, became hidden by that fog whenever Ichigen tried to see his future.

'Coincidentally' Kuroh was safe at home but Yukari was in danger with him now.

Ichigen would have left him at home too but Yukari was neither as young nor as compliant as Kuroh, he'd have followed Ichigen on his own anyway. Best to keep him close where he could at least keep an eye on him.

"I've got time," said the Grey King, picking up her drink. "Kagutsu's sword is in trouble and if I'm being honest," which she always was, "Harabi isn't as far behind him as I'd like."

"How's your sword?" Ichigen asked suddenly, he hadn't thought about her, but if Harabi killed Kagutsu somebody might have to kill her too and her Clansmen might not be up to the task.

Seika's lips curved, "why mister Miwa, surely you should buy me a few drinks before asking such a personal question."

Startled into a laugh, Ichigen ducked his head, "forgive my bad manners."

"My sword is fine," Ootori answered him, even another King's Damocles Down or killing a King wouldn't be enough to destabilize it, although it wouldn't do her sword any favours. "And yours is too, if my sources are to be believed."

Yes, it was, but he was the weakest King who lived with his two Clansmen on a mountain. Her power rivalled that of the Third and Fourth Kings even though she was the Sixth. There was some difference.

"Before you tell me anything, we aren't getting any help from Timeless Palace," said Seika, a tad bitterly, she'd reached out to the Gold King and been told, exceedingly politely, that the Young Whippersnappers needed to sort themselves out.

Well the old man may not have called them whippersnappers but the point still stood. Kagutsu was Harabi's problem and Ootori's if she chose, not Kokujoji's.

What was even the point of being the strongest King? Seika wondered, aggravated. The reasonable part of her said the Gold Clan was busy essentially running the entire country and didn't have time to deal with internal disputes. The emotional part of her said a lot of people could die and those gold-robed snobbish, b-words were not helping.

"Well then we'd best come up with a solution, as it appears you already know what I'm here about."

A Damocles Down. The stuff of their nightmares, the threat no King could ignore as it was, literally, hanging over their heads at all times.

Although Genjo and Jin seemed to be doing a pretty good job ignoring it so far, Seika admitted.

She and Ichigen stayed at the all-night bar until the sun was coming up talking. Yukari left them about an hour in. That was how Seika knew these Colourless guys had decided to trust her.

They didn't only talk about the Red and Blue Kings. Ichigen Miwa was sweet, intelligent and polite, Seika found herself enjoying their time together. A lot. If nothing else good came of this, she was glad to have met him at least.

Eventually, catching the yawn Seika hid behind her hand, Ichigen stood.

"Please forgive me, I've kept you far too long."

Seika had been enjoying their conversation about different cooking techniques but he was on the right track, she was exhausted, truth be told.

"Not at all, but I do think I should be heading home. And I don't want Yukari to come looking for you if you take too long." He was right, she had noticed the teen's overprotectiveness.

Ichigen gave her another wry smile, "may I walk you home?" He asked, then he seemed to catch himself, Seika Ootori was the Grey King and needed his protection like she needed a lobotomy.

But it was the gesture that mattered and it was sweet of him to ask, "may I walk you home?" Seika asked playfully.

Ichigen placed his hat on his head. "Please. The future never seems to show me directions."

Seika laughed and they set off together, when he gave her the name of the hotel he and Yukari were staying at her steps were easy and sure, she knew this city like the back of her hand.

"Can you get in?" Ootori asked. Yukari had obviously had a key so she was hoping there were two or they were going to have to wake him up. And precious few teens, or anyone really, appreciated being woken up at 6:30am when they didn't need to be.

Just then Yukari, fully dressed, yanked the door open. Of course he hadn't gone to sleep. Doesn't trust me that much, thought Seika with a slight smile.

She bid the two males goodbye and set off to her own destination. A couple of her Clansmen checked in with her. Zenjo and Shiotsu had indeed found their intoxicated King last night and while Zenjo, who was even more overprotective than Yukari, by far, had been less than impressed (to put it mildly) at her being with the Red King, Shiotsu had managed to avoid an incident. Seika was pretty sure she was in love with the Blue Clansman.

Seika thanked her own Clansmen and hung up. That done, she didn't go home to bed like she wanted to, instead she took a cab all the way to Scepter 4's temporary headquarters and knocked on the Blue King's door.

"Fuck right off Goki," the Blue King said eloquently from the other side of the dark wood.

"Guess again," said Seika, she rattled the bag she'd stopped to get. "I bring a peace offering."

Jin Harabi opened the door, still fully dressed, but barefoot, looking like she'd gone through the seven layers of Hell and not fully made it out yet.

"How the Hell did you get in here?" She demanded.

Seika could have broken in, if she wanted to start (another) inter-Clan incident, but she didn't so there was obviously only one way she could have gotten in.

"Goki Zenjo let me in the front door," she said truthfully. Actually, the seventeen-year-old had handed her a pot and pan and told her to bang them as loudly as she could once Harabi was within hearing range. With friends like these…

Harabi scowled, "when I don't need protection, he's like a bad smell I can't get rid of. When I'm hung over, he's letting in other Kings without telling me." But her voice lacked any malice.

A good time to be a pacifist, Seika thought, they'd let her in just about anywhere.

"Gimmie," Harabi took the bag Seika was offering and turned to let her in, "so how was the Colourless King?"

"I'm surprised, I wasn't sure you'd remember that much," admitted the Grey King.

Jin grimaced and Seika rolled her eyes, "you can survive being thrown through multiple buildings. You can survive a hangover," she pointed out.

"But I don't want to survive, I want to die," the darker-haired woman groaned.

"Well tough, we don't always get what we want in life."

"Don't I know it," the Blue King muttered. She threw the now empty bag of 'hangover cure' in the trash and slapped her cheeks repeatedly. Seika could see her making a visible effort to pull her usual easy-going, cheerful attitude back around her and appreciated it. "So, the Colourless King?" Harabi prompted.

For some reason Ootori blushed, "he wasn't what I expected." She said honestly. "I've seen him with Kokujoji once or twice but we'd never talked until today and he…"

She hesitated to tell Jin what Ichigen had told her, "how sober are you?"

"It's that bad, huh?" Asked Harabi. She was well aware the current Colourless King's power was seeing the future. Four Kings in one place, had such a thing ever happened before? Probably not, and that was for a reason.

"Tell me," she ordered, "I can handle it."

She had to.

"Alright, love you lots Kuroh~!" Yukari handed the phone back to Ichigen who put it back to his ear to the sound of Kuroh's embarrassed, but pleased, spluttering.

After a few minutes of talking to Kuroh, and their elderly neighbour who was watching him, Ichigen hung up and he and Yukari went for their morning walk. Regardless of where they were, the walks calmed him and Yukari enjoyed the sights of the big city.

They spoke of Genjo Kagutsu mostly, the Blue King Ichigen had met before and he knew her to be a noble and steadfast, if slightly lax, woman, the Grey King had surprised him -really surprised him- but his first meeting with the Red King had gone exactly as well as Ichigen had expected it to.

"So he wont be dissuaded," Yukari confirmed, his hand instinctively reached to his back for a sword that wasn't there, "funny, I always thought that if I ever killed a King, it would be you."

Ichigen was well aware Yukari was intentionally shit-stirring him but there was a grain of truth to his words. If the worst ever happened, it shouldn't be Kuroh who had to cut down his old master. It would hurt Yukari, he was made of colder stuff than Kuroh but he was by no means heartless, but it wouldn't destroy him the way it would Kuroh no matter how old the other boy got.

Ichigen didn't think that would ever become an issue, he would die of other causes -natural or unnatural- before his sword threatened to fall, he just didn't use it that often.

But he was suddenly struck by a sense of knowing, one day he and Yukari would find themselves on different sides.

Of what fight, he didn't know, but that day was coming, and it wasn't too far away.

Ichigen thought about it, then dismissed the fact, regardless, Yukari might not be that much younger than Ichigen, but he was still his son, he would always be Ichigen's son.

"I don't want to kill anyone," said Ichigen.

"You never do, it doesn't mean we won't have to," said Yukari bluntly. Ichigen was troubled by how easily Yukari spoke of ending a life but, in this, he was correct.

"Do we have to?" Yukari asked. And Ichigen was forced to say the one sentence he disliked the most when it came to the future.

"I don't know."

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